The Benefits of Deceit

A Legend of Zelda Fanfic

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of Legend of Zelda. All rights belong to Nintendo

The sound of water slowly echoed throughout the valley as Lake Hylia slowly refilled.

"As the water rises, the evil vanishes from the lake," Sheik said to herself. "Link…you did it!"

As she stood on a grassy platform overlooking the lake, the noise reminded her of home. Not some fictional residence to compliment her new identity, but rather her real home at the castle. She quietly reminisced about the river surrounding the castle, the glamorous fountains decorating its gardens within. But that image was a distant memory. The beautiful structure had morphed into a tyrannical fortress, the once pristine water was now flaming lava, and the vibrant trees and bushes had decayed into ashes.

Ganondorf. The very thought of that man made Sheik clench her fist. All the suffering of the past seven years had been his doing. Yet even with all his power, he wasn't satisfied. He had only a third of the Triforce, and even though the focus of his piece was power, the world could never be his. Power can always be usurped by a greater power. With that imperfect trait, Ganondorf would never rule Hyrule. The Evil King knew this, of course. And that's why he sought the other two pieces of the Triforce, the only two barriers between him and divine rule. In order to find them, he needed more knowledge. He needed someone from the Royal Family who would understand where the other two parts could have been sent.

He needed Zelda. But the wizard would never find her. Sheik had abandoned that identity long ago to evade him, and so far the plan had been working.

The girl held out her hand, examining the glowing triangle on her glove. The illuminated design was none other than the Triforce of Wisdom. With its power, Zelda gained the knowledge to transform herself into a new person. Her blue eyes were now red, the glamorous locks of her hair were suddenly shaggy, and her skin was tanner. She even had a new outfit, one that starkly contrasted her princess attire. All of these alterations had been made to give herself the appearance of a man. Yet everything else had stayed the same. The face's structure hadn't changed, leading Zelda to cover most of it with her hair, and she tried to wear clothing that would somewhat conceal her female anatomy. The new identity had some benefits, however. With the Triforce's power, Zelda's physical abilities had been incredibly augmented. Thanks to her new strength, she had been able to battle countless monsters over the years.

And now, she didn't have to fight on her own anymore. Link, the legendary Hero of Time, was finally back. Judging from the water pouring into the lake, he had probably just defeated the Water Temple's beast. She felt somewhat guilty for not fighting alongside Link. Unfortunately though, she barely had time for that. Recently, Sheik had been busy trying to keep the shadow demon imprisoned in Kakariko Village. Besides, Link could clearly do fine on his own. He already took down Volvagia, Ganondorf's Phantom, and now even Morpha.

Suddenly, a blue light erupted from the stone octagon behind Sheik. She turned to see the light fade away, revealing Link. Standing in the center of the Triforce shading, the man widened his eyes in shock at first, but the surprise was replaced with joy as he rushed towards her.

"Sheik!" he called out.

She noticed that Ruto wasn't with him. Which meant she was the Sage of Water after all.

"Did Ruto want to thank me?" Sheik asked.

The girl deepened her voice to maintain the illusion.

The man nodded. "Yeah, she really appreciated it."

"I see…" she answered. "We have to return peace to Hyrule for her sake too, don't we?"

"I guess so," Link agreed.

The Sheikah pointed towards the lake. "Look at that Link. Together, you and Princess Ruto destroyed the evil monster!"

Link scratched his back. "Actually, Ruto didn't really do much. In fact she pretty much ditched me after promising to help."

Sheik giggled. And for a moment, her red eye widened the slightest bit. She forgot to change her voice. Link raised an eyebrow in confusion, but Sheik quickly recovered, pretending nothing had happened.

"It's not surprising, really," Sheik replied. "Ruto is no warrior. But what matters is the result you've brought about. Once again, the lake is filled with pure water. All is as it was here."

Link walked next to her as they gazed at the lake.

"I never would have thought something would be hidden down there," Link admitted.

Sheik nodded in agreement. She glanced at the sky, noticing that the sun was beginning to set. That meant she had to get moving. Slowly, she backed away from Link. The man heard her footsteps, and whipped his head around to see her preparing to jump.

"Wait, Sheik!" he yelled.

She froze. The girl didn't realize how fast his reflexes were now.

"Yes?" she asked while standing up.

"Why are you leaving?" he asked.

Sheik crossed her arms. "There's another task that needs my attention."

Link innocently held out his arms. "Can't we just spend a little time together? I always see you and barely know anything about you."

Sheik glanced at him, but quickly turned away. "Let's keep it that way. Besides, you still have two more temples to visit."

She began walking away, not feeling the need to use a deku nut.

"I'm sorry," Link said. "I just…thought we could talk for once."

At that moment, she stopped in place. The girl couldn't just leave him with that impression.

"Link," she said while turning toward him. "It's not that I don't want to chat. The chaos in Hyrule is overwhelming. I don't want to prolong it anymore."

"The world's been waiting for seven years," Link countered. "A few more hours won't hurt, right?"

"Fine," she said. "What do you want to do?"

Link lowered his eyes in thought. Smirking a bit, he took out his ocarina. Underneath the white cloth, Sheik smiled. Even with everything he had been through, the man retained his innocence. She took out her harp, and both began to play the Serenade of Water. Her red eye locked with his blue orbs. Every time she stared at them, it seemed like all her troubles were washed away.

The two finished the song, and Sheik noticed that the sun was starting to be concealed by the outer walls. She sat on the ground's edge, gazing up towards the bright light. Link sat beside her.

"At least this world still has beauty in it," Sheik commented.

"That's part of what we're fighting for," Link added.

The two sat there, silently gazing at the amber sky. The man looked towards his guide. Throughout his journey, Sheik had always been an enigma to him. Helpful and wise, but mysterious. Link couldn't help but wonder about the other details of the Sheikah.

"Hey, Sheik, your clan protects the royal family, right?" he inquired.

Cautiously, the girl nodded her head. "Correct."

"So that's your job too, right?" he asked.

"It is," Sheik told him.

"In that case…where's Zelda now?" Link asked.

Sheik mentally groaned. She knew that at some point he'd ask that. After all, Zelda was the reason Link was a young adult now. But she couldn't reveal the truth. Ganondorf could be spying on them at this very moment, and she refused to throw away all her hard work. But how could she lie to Link? He was so loyal, so compassionate, so dreamy…

The girl stopped that line of thought. She had to stay focused. So which would she choose? The truth…or a lie? Then again, perhaps she could tell Link some of the truth.

"Zelda…is in hiding," Sheik answered.

"From Ganondorf?" Link asked.

The girl nodded. "If the Evil King found her, she'd be captured or killed. I can't allow that to happen."

"Where is she?" Link asked.

Contemplating in thought for a bit, the girl developed yet another explanation. "Zelda isn't in a single spot. She moves from place to place, which helps her elude Ganondorf & his minions."

"Am I going to see her again?" the man asked.

"…yes," Sheik said. "When you find the last two medallions, you'll reunite with her shortly afterwards."

The guilt surged through her yet again. The Sheikah was baiting him yet again, fueling him even more to finish his quest. She would keep her word though. After the other temples are cleared, they can have their reunion. Yet Sheik couldn't help but wonder why he was worried about her. It could just be out of curiosity, but she felt there was more to it.

"Why are you so concerned about her?" Sheik inquired.

"Well, even though we've only spoken to each other once, I feel like we're connected," he remarked.

Sheik couldn't help but prod further. "Do you…have any feelings for her?"

Link shook his head. "No! I mean, maybe something could happen, but I was only eleven when we met! I didn't see her like that back then."

His logic was understandable. Sheik couldn't help herself though. The more she spent time with Link, the more attracted to him she became. The girl had to be realistic though. In their situation, they could never be lovers. They had to focus on saving Hyrule. Plus, Link thought she was a MAN! Since he was straight, he'd never fall for her.

"Sheik…are you hiding something?" Link asked.

Shocked at first, the girl whipped her head towards him. "What makes you say that?"

He held out his hand, counting off his fingers. "Well, you always wear that cloth that covers the lower half of your face. Plus you style your hair so I can only see part of your face. And you always use deku nuts to disappear right after you give me advice."

There was no easy way around this. Sheik needed to be careful with her words.

"The rest of my face is scarred by an early mission I embarked on," she replied. "And I use deku nuts so that even if we're being spied on, nobody will see where I went."

"Oh," Link said. "I just…thought it was something else."

Sheik narrowed her eyes. "What did you think it was?"

The moment she said that, the Sheikah wanted to slap herself. She should have just let the topic die. Then again, she was curious to know how much he suspected.

Link awkwardly rubbed his back. "Well…I thought you were…a girl."

The two stared for a moment, and suddenly, Sheik laughed. Link glared in confusion. The laugh was somewhat masculine, but it sounded fake.

"Trust me, Link, I'm a guy," Sheik assured him.

The red-eyed warrior flexed. "Women can't get biceps like these, no way!"

"Speaking of your body…what are those two orbs sticking out of the center of your chest?" Link inquired.

Sheik glanced down, realizing her breasts were outlined underneath the shirt. "That's just the costume design. It gives an illusion of depth, and it's customary for this illusion to be on all insignias of the Sheikah."

"And the back of your pants have that same illusion?" the man skeptically asked.

"…yes," Sheik lied.

"Sheik…are you sure you're not lying to me?" he asked.

"I'm telling the truth!" she replied.

Still uncertain, Link crossed his arms. "Are you su-"

Finally, she snapped. "YES!"

Suddenly, the girl covered her mouth, realizing that she had just yelled in an incredibly feminine voice.

Link looked at her with a stunned gaze. "So…so you ARE a girl?"

Sheik sighed. The plan had failed. She may as well just quit with a shred of dignity left. She pushed her hair out of the way, revealing the whole upper half of her face. Then, the Sheikah lowered her white collar, revealing her entire face…revealing ZELDA's face.

The hero could only stare. "You're…you're…"

She silently waited for it, eyes closed in shame. Zelda knew that he had discovered her true persona, and now she needed to accept that fate.

"You're beautiful," Link said.

Sheik opened her eyes, surprised at his reaction. "What?"

Then she glanced at her glistening reflection in the water, and the girl began to understand. The Zelda Link remembered was a little child. In the past 7 years, Zelda's features had completely changed, and now she was a fully grown woman. Even without her disguise, she still didn't resemble Zelda, at least not the image of the princess that everyone had. Plus, her eyes and skin were different shades than those of her true self, which only disguised her more.

"I've never seen such a pretty face," Link said.

She blushed. "Thank you."

"Why have you been so secretive about your face?" he asked.

She could tell the truth. She could finally be completely honest with him. With three simple words, she could reward Link for all his hard work and vigilance.

No. Such thoughts were unrealistic. Ganondorf would capture her the minute she truly revealed herself. The best thing she could do was tell another small lie.

"I didn't want to attract unnecessary attention," she explained. "Men always try to take advantage of women, even those they don't know. The last thing I needed was a flock of males chasing after me."

Link nodded in agreement. "Good call. Someone would have done that."

The two sat there in silence once more. Zelda breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she wasn't on thin ice anymore. And even if Ganondorf was watching her at this moment, he wouldn't be able to discern the truth. Sheik looked like her own person, and gave no indication that she was someone else.

"Sheik…you've always been there for me," Link stated.

She turned to him. "Well sure. I need to help you on your journey."

"But you go beyond that," he argued. "Every time we meet, you teach me a new lesson about life. Whether it's friendship, time…or even love."

"I'm not all-knowing, if that's what you think," the girl assured him.

He gazed into her eyes. "But you share what you do know with me. You've helped me in so many ways. Teaching me songs to teleport with, instructing me on how to use the Master Sword…"

"Tricking Ruto into thinking that sages couldn't love," Sheik added.

He widened his eyes. "What?"

The girl smiled. "I realized she was obsessed with you, so I convinced her that sages can't love or marry."

The hero sighed in relief. "Thank you! She's nice, but way too bossy. Plus, I'm not into fish."

The two of them laughed, and this time, Sheik's laughter was genuine. Calming down, their gazes locked again.

"Do you remember what you said in the ice cavern?" he inquired.

The girl looked at him quizzically. "Which part?"

"You said new love was forming," he reminded her.

The girl looked away in embarrassment. Could he know? Was it that obvious? And if it was, how did Link feel when he still thought she was a man?

"It was just a generalization," she told him.

Link held her chin, turning her towards him. "I think it was a prediction. You're the closest person to me, Sheik. I've always thought of you as a brother…but only because I thought you were male! But now…I'm starting to understand the way I really see you."

The warrior's red eyes joyfully glistened underneath the sun. "You mean…"

He nodded. "I've been trying to find a way to pay you back for all the help…"

Link softly held her hand. But Sheik wanted to make sure he was serious about this. She had to know that there was nobody else who he considered a romantic interest.

"Are you sure there's no one else?" Sheik asked.

"Who else could there be?" the man asked.

"Well…what about that girl Malon?" she inquired.

Link shook his head. "Definitely not. She's nice, but really not my type."

"What's wrong with her?" she prodded.

"Well…her room is full of chickens, and she gave me a cow for a present," Link explained.

Sheik couldn't help snorting a bit. Hearing this, Link laughed. "It seems like the stone cold Sheikah has more of a sense of humor than I thought."

"You're one of the few people who can make me laugh," she remarked.

He softly grasped her shoulders, smiling. "I can do more than that."

Blue and red eyes locked, and their faces slowly grew close. Submitting, Sheik pressed her lips against his, both of them sitting beneath the sunset. Nothing else mattered to her at this moment. She didn't care about Ganondorf, the Sages, Hyrule, or anything else. All that mattered was spending this time with Link.

Sheik wasn't the only one relieved by the kiss. Link had been under huge amounts of stress, both physical and emotional, over the past few weeks. Suddenly, he had gone from being an innocent boy to a man charged with saving the world. If he slipped up once, if he let a single enemy land a critical hit on him, he could easily be killed at that moment, and Hyrule would live in darkness for eternity. But his opponents were so numerous and powerful that they didn't have that disadvantage. In fact, some of his opponents took nearly a dozen strikes from his Master Sword before dying. Every time he had purged the creatures within a temple, the Hylian had to rest and recover throughout the next day. And even though he was more than halfway finished, it seemed like the end of his quest was so far away…

But none of that concerned him. The only thing on his mind was Sheik.

The two broke the kiss, still smiling happily. Link leaned back on the grass, his arms wrapped around the woman.

And as she blissfully sat with her love, the girl realized that if living a lie meant having Link, she'd much rather be Sheik than Zelda.

I've been playing Ocarina of Time nonstop, so I HAD to write this oneshot. I know the Sheik gender thing is a big issue, but I'm convinced she's a girl. In Ocarina of Time, she has two spheres sticking out of her chest (most likely breasts), huge eyes identical to Zelda's (except they're red) with big eyelashes, and sounds like a girl when she's attacked by Bongo Bongo and every time she uses a Deku nut. Plus, Nintendo gave the green light to officially make her a girl in Super Smash Brothers Brawl. And if she for some reason DID make herself a guy, she wouldn't have kept that garb over her face because she would have had a male's face.

Whatever your opinion is about this, however, I'll respect it. This is just my take on it. Hope you enjoyed the story!