Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda

Chapter 26

Judgment Falls

It only took a few moments for Link and Sheik to untangle themselves, hop to their feet, and draw their weapons. Sheik drew his sword – not wanting to reveal their plan to use the Blade of Judgment yet. But by that point, the shadow had already disappeared and reappeared, sitting haughtily on the red velvet throne, leaning on an elbow propped on the arm of the chair. His platinum hair fell to one side, revealing a single crimson eye above his ashen cowl.

"Like I said, I've been expecting you," said the shadow, standing and opening his arms as if in a gesture of welcome. Sheik tensed and took a quick sweep of the room with his gaze, looking for hidden enemies. The room was huge with columns towering against the walls between stained glass windows. A strip of blue carpet ran beneath their feet and up to the throne where the shadow sat. Above that hung a sculpture of the Goddesses and the Triforce. And in the center of that…

"Zelda!" yelled Link. The Princess that hung lifeless in the center of the stone Triforce, suspended by magic. "Let her go," he snarled.

"And where would the fun in that be?" said the shadow with a smirk visible in his eyes.

"If you were expecting us, why all the guards? All the wards?" cut in Sheik. He wanted to save Zelda just as much as Link – he was pretty sure the urge to serve the Princess was coded into both of their genes – but he didn't want Esra's attention on her. Where he might think of hurting her to get to them.

"Oh, I've already thought of that, Sheik," said the shadow, "But don't worry, torturing others is not a show of power, but a show of cowardice. And, right now, I want power." He said the word as if power were his drug, his craving. His addiction.

Link looked back and forth between his Sheikah and the dark one, confused. Sheik just stood, stunned that the shadow could so easily read his thoughts.

"Proximity," said Esra, "Although even far away, you light up a beacon in the darkness. That's how I was able to track you."

Sheik shot him a look. "So that Bulblin… It was you."

"Who else? Do you think any of your pathetic friends," the shadow spat those words, "are strong enough to do something like that?"

Sheik felt Link twitch beside him at the dig, but the Hero made no move to attack, probably biding his time until he knew what exactly was going on.

"Faust too," said the shadow, "Do you think that idiot would have known where to find you, if I hadn't told him you'd gotten past the wards?"

"What about Kess?" shot back Sheik.

Flames flickered beneath Esra's crimson eyes. "She was," he said slowly, "Especially good at hiding her mind from me. You could learn from her," he added with a smirk before saying, "But she did save me the trouble from having to dispose of Faust later. A hitch in the plan, but nothing major."

"Why not just let him kill us?" asked Link, "Isn't that what you're planning on doing now?"

Esra shot Link a look that clearly said your questions are not worth my time. But, he answered anyway. "Things get messy when you leave important tasks up to others. He might have killed Sheik, and we couldn't have that, now could we?" The shadow took a few steps down from the plateau where the throne sat so that he was on even ground with Sheik and Link.

Sheik tensed at this. He couldn't stomach the thought of Link dead. "You will not hurt him," said Sheik through gritted teeth.

"Really?" said Esra, sounding amused, "I don't think that's up to you to decide. I think I will kill him, and you will watch."

Sheik practically growled. The shadow continued. "And then I will kill Zelda, and I will lock you away where you cannot harm yourself, or be harmed by others. And Hyrule will fall, and I will rebuild, as its leader. As the most powerful entity in all the Kingdom. Perhaps then, the Triforce will see where the true power lies." With me, were his unspoken words.

Over my dead body, were Sheik's.

Link paid no heed to their silent conversation. "Die shadow!" he snarled, and he attacked.

And so the battle began. Sheik followed Link at a dead sprint across the throne room and towards the shadow. Esra hissed and tensed. Two long ebony blades flickered into existence – one in each hand. From the ground behind him grew two long, black tentacles of dark magic, twisting and writhing as they towered to a height above the shadow's head. Crimson streaks snaked their way through the dark appendages, and Sheik got the distinct feeling that it would hurt a great deal to be touched by one of those.

Sheik and Link skidded to a halt just outside of the tentacles' reach. "It seems only fair," said the shadow with a cold laugh, "That if you have four arms combined, I have four, as well."

Sheik eyed the tentacles – they looked like whips snaking through the air – and whispered to Link, "I don't want to risk losing the Blade to one of those… things. We'll have to get him away from them."

The shadow snorted a laugh. "Good luck with that," he said and suddenly a hundred more of those tentacles erupted from the floor around him. They waved menacingly through the air for a moment before retreating so that only the two original remained. "You were saying?"

Grimacing, Sheik amended, "Maybe if we can get him to drop his guard…" He trailed off. Esra's smirk was so smug, Sheik could practically feel it emanating from the shadow's general direction.

"We'll wing it," said Link definitively – although what was definitive about winging something was beyond Sheik - and, without further ado, he charged.

Sheik sighed and followed his Hero into battle.

xXx

The shadow was fast, like dark lightning, striking at random but with precision and speed that left Sheik's nerves frayed for the amount of close encounters both he and Link had.

The Hero charged at the shadow, attempting to take the offensive, while Sheik hung back. The dark tentacles lashed at him like whips and it was all Sheik could do to dance around their cracks, all the while trying to catch one with a wild swing of his sword. But the tentacles were as fast and unpredictable as the shadow.

Sheik caught a glance of Link's offensive against Esra as he rolled to his feet after a particularly close lash by the dark appendages. He was disheartened to see that Link had taken up a defensive stance. The shadow hacked with one blade after another, moving so quickly that the movements blurred. Link threw up the Master Sword to haphazardly catch each one. Sheik saw the sweat beads on his forehead…

And then his vision suddenly filled with black and crimson. Sheik bent backwards and the dark magic tentacle sliced through the air where his head had been moments before. Back-flipping out of the way, Sheik brandished his sword. If he couldn't help Link attack the shadow, he could at least draw these things away.

They followed him, circling like demonic sharks, fins sticking out of the marble floor as if it were water. Sheik had yet to land a hit on one of them, and he wondered if he did, if Esra would feel it and falter. Chancing a glance at the shadow and the Hero, he saw that Link was back on the offensive. He swiped low at the shadow's legs, but Esra just jumped to avoid the blade, back-flipping away in a manner very similar to the dodge Sheik just made.

Sheik vaguely wondered if the shadow learned that move from him, but was distracted when a tentacle lashed for his arm. Spinning, he dodged out of the way. But he didn't account for the fact that the other tentacle was behind him. The dark appendage stretched low and Sheik tripped. His flesh burned, shocked as if hundreds of those jellyfish that parasitically inhabited Jabu-Jabu had stung him at once, as his right ankle brushed against the tentacle.

Hissing, Sheik fell backward, managing to somersault back to his feet. He chanced a glance at the back of his ankle. His exoskeleton had been burned away and the patch of skin bared had blistered into an angry red. He made a mental note to not touch the tentacles again. Speaking of tentacles…

Where were those demonic appendages? Oh, thought Sheik calmly before letting off a string of mental curses. The tentacles had abandoned him to aid the shadow in attacking Link. And it was very clear that Link was not having a good time of it. It was almost fortunate that the shadow was so cocky, sure that he would win, for his attacks were half-hearted, unlike the maniacal laughter erupting from his lips with each blow of arm or tentacle.

Quickly, Sheik loosened his bandages and pulled out his daggers – all four of them – fanning them out between his fingers, before preparing to launch. Sheik threw the first one. It spun through the air before narrowly missing its mark. It hit the stone wall with a loud clang and dropped to the floor. The next two met similar fates.

Sheik closed his eyes for a moment. He could hear Link's heavy breathing, almost feel the soreness in his arms with each block. He needed help. And Sheik was here to give it. He launched his final dagger. It spun through the air. And hit its mark. Sheik could have punched the air in triumph, but instead contented himself with surprise that the tentacles were made of enough substance that the dagger could sink into it up to the hilt. The shadow looked very surprised that Sheik had managed to hit it at all.

He also looked in pain. The swords disappeared from Esra's hands and he clutched his left shoulder as if the tentacle had just been an extension of it. The shadow hissed before flickering out of existence. The single tentacle left disappeared with it.

Sheik ran over to Link, who spun warily, but Sheik could see the slight tremor in his stance, the weariness in his arms and legs.

"This isn't working," said Link, eyes bouncing around the large room, wondering where their attacker would appear next.

Sheik nodded. "We need to take him by surprise."

"Like this?" said Esra. The voice sounded like it had come from behind them, so both Sheik and Link turned. The shadow was nowhere to be seen.

A moment passed in silence before Link screamed. Sheik whirled towards the Hero. He had never in his lives heard a sound so pained and it made his heart pained to hear it come from Link's voice. He quickly understood the cause.

The second dark tentacle had appeared behind Link, wrapped itself around his torso and lifted him into the air. The red in the black flashed like crimson lightning and Link jerked and trembled as if electrocuted. The Master Sword slipped from his slackened grip and fell to the floor.

It took less than a moment for Sheik to draw his sword. He lunged for Link, swinging wildly, trying to cut the Hero free. But suddenly his way was blocked. The shadow appeared out of thin air right in front of Sheik. With lightning fast speed, Esra drew back a bandaged fist and punched Sheik right in the jaw.

The force was unreal. Pain seared its way through Sheik's jawbone as he went flying backward. His sword dropped from his hand and clattered away. He hit a stained glass window across the room and heard the glass crack before he slid to the floor. A moment later, a pane of blood-stained glass followed. It shattered into a thousand glittering shards of cut glass around Sheik. He shut his eyes tight, but still felt the sting of shattered glass etching a myriad of cuts through his exoskeleton and into his skin.

When he opened his eyes, the room danced in Sheik's vision. The light streaming through the broken window and glittering off the shards of glass did not help matters. But through them he could see Link still tethered to the tentacle and Esra still standing with his fist raised. And then suddenly the shadow wasn't there anymore. He was standing over Sheik with an expression of triumph on his face.

Sheik blinked the stars out of his vision and tried to push himself to his feet, but his still stunned body wouldn't cooperate. He felt more cuts form on his hands as he pushed. His white bandages stained red.

Esra grinned, a malicious expression that held an almost crazed look of joy. "It looks like I win, my light," said the shadow and then he lifted a foot and stomped on Sheik's left leg.

A spasm wracked Sheik's body and pain flared, radiating outward from his shin. He felt bones snap. His leg was fire. His breath left him. He gasped for air.

The shadow still grinned. "Now stay here like a good little light, while I deal with him."

Esra disappeared. Tears stung at Sheik's eyes but he could still see the shadow reappear beside Link. Esra snapped his fingers and the tentacle disappeared. Link dropped to the ground, trembling and coughing. His tunic had burned to shreds falling off his shoulders. Blisters burned an angry red ring around his torso. Esra laughed. The sound reverberated through the room; it was chilling.

An ebony dagger flickered into existence in Esra's outstretched hand. I have to stop him, thought Sheik frantically. He tried to push himself to his feet, again, ignoring the cuts, but the pain in his leg was excruciating; it crumpled beneath him. There was no way he would make it to Link in time.

That's when a thought struck him. Sheik pulled himself up into a sitting position and leaned his back against the wall. His left leg splayed out at unnatural angles before him. He knew he'd never be able to walk on it in this condition. He had nothing to throw, his weapons were gone… save for one.

Sheik slid a hand to right thigh, fingers brushing lightly over the sheath holding the Blade of Judgment. Supposedly if he stabbed Esra with this, the shadow would die and he would live. But what if he stabbed himself?

Across the room, Esra approached a still trembling Link who was trying and failing to get to his feet. Blood dribbled from his chin as another spasm rocked his body. The ebony dagger in Esra's hand reflected no light. Like the shadow, it was an embodiment of darkness. An embodiment of darkness relishing in the fact that it was destroying its light, one piece at a time. Starting with the most important. Starting with Link.

Sheik wasn't about to give the shadow that chance. In one swift movement, Sheik pulled the Blade from its sheath and positioned it over the dark spot on his heart.

You've always had the power to end him, Sheikah. But do you have the courage? The Great Fairy's words reverberated in Sheik's mind, and suddenly he understood them. Sometimes this Link's and the Link of his own time's actions had seemed, well, foolhardy. But they were never unwarranted, just driven by something Sheik had never quite grasped before.

Courage. And suddenly in the face of Link's death, he had found it.

"I love you, Link," Sheik whispered.

And he plunged the dagger into his heart.

xXx

Pain. Sheik was pain stretched on for eternity. Pain and darkness. Dying had hurt, but the darkness had dulled it into oblivion. He had ceased to be and so had the pain. But now, now the pain remained with the darkness for Goddesses knew how long. And Sheik suffered. Wondering when it was all going to end.

xXx

When the pain finally faded, so did the darkness. In fact, when Sheik finally opened his eyes, he was no longer in the throne room with the vaulted ceilings carved from marble stretching above his head. He was someplace leeched of all color. He was nowhere. He was…

"Neutral," said a voice Sheik recognized. He was standing, although he had no knowledge of getting to his feet. His leg seemed unbroken. And he was no longer alone.

"Great Fairy," said Sheik softly, and, as if his vision suddenly focused, the Great Fairy came into view. Her long blue hair covered her naked body as it did back in the grotto, but the skin that still showed looked positively… inhuman. It glittered with an iridescent green sheen like the smoke she disappeared into from time to time.

She nodded as if in acknowledgement before stepping closer and saying, "You are in Neutral. The Blade of Judgment brought you here."

Sheik stared. Neutral didn't sound like any place he had ever heard of. It didn't sound like any place at all.

"That's because it's not," said the Great Fairy. Sheik was getting used to people being able to hear his thoughts and did not react in the slightest to her words. "A place you've heard of or really a place at all. It's the in-between to two different states of being. Good. Or evil."

Suddenly, Sheik's white world widened to include another inhabitant. He knew who this person was before he turned, but did so anyway.

"Esra," said Sheik as his eyes focused. The shadow was on his knees, hands somehow bound with invisible bonds to the ground behind his back.

He looked up, platinum hair falling away and revealing crimson eyes that looked ready to kill. "My light," he snarled. His voice sounded strained as if the invisible bonds wrapped around more than just his wrists.

Sheik felt a presence appear in his hand. He looked down to see the Blade of Judgment clutched in his bandaged hand. He wasn't sure if it had been there the whole time or magically appeared. He held up the knife and examined it. It still looked as if it were carved from glass and the Triforce on the hilt still glowed. However, Sheik noticed, two of the triangles were lit up this time, instead of one.

"Power and Courage," said the Great Fairy. "You already bore the mark of Power. And you showed courage by enduring the end and the pain that followed all for another. The Blade recognizes those traits within you."

"What do I do now?" asked Sheik. He had a feeling he knew the answer, but asked nonetheless.

"You judge," said the Great Fairy simply. "Choose a path and see which gate it takes you through. To Good or to Evil." She vanished into thin air, not even smattering of green smoke left behind. Sheik and Esra were alone.

Sheik looked at his shadow and his shadow snarled. "I couldn't sense it," said Esra, "The Blade. That damn Fairy must have done something."

Sheik contemplated this for a moment. The Fairy had explicitly stated that she could not directly meddle in this affair, and that seemed like meddling to Sheik. It seemed possible that the shadow could not sense the Blade because it was a relic meant to be used for good. Could something so evil sense something good?

Did that mean, to choose the path to good, Sheik must eliminate the shadow once and for all? But if the shadow was a manifestation of his own darkness, would killing the shadow kill him too?

"One can only hope," snarled Esra in response to Sheik's thoughts.

Sheik ignored his shadow, but it didn't change the fact that the thought worried him. He had killed many during the seven years the Hero of Time had been asleep during the war. He had been sent on countless assassination missions to murder targets in their sleep. He never once questioned whether these men and women he killed could possibly have been innocent. Sheik had so much blood on his hands, he was sure they were stained permanently crimson.

He was just as guilty as his shadow, all things considered. And if they really were one in the same, wouldn't a killing blow to the shadow kill him as well?

Sheik had been about to turn away when the shadow muttered, "I had been so close, too. Blocked out all your idiotic emotions that had gotten in the way last time. A few moments more and Link would have been dead."

In a flurry of movement, Sheik had turned and lunged. He caught himself with the Blade a hair's breadth from Esra's throat. With the shadow's words something within him had clicked. Sheik knew he could never think such thoughts about Link. He could never block out his own emotions. And that's how he knew that he and his shadow were different. That Sheik could kill his shadow and still live on.

Darkness flooded up around them, coloring the white with the inky black of a moonless night. Sheik didn't notice that he was slowly approaching the gates to Evil.

"Kill me, then," breathed Esra. The movement was just enough to touch the Blade. The fabric of his cowl shredded at the merest touch and a thin line of crimson stained the material.

Sheik hesitated. He knew the shadow deserved death for what he had done. He knew that the shadow, if given a trial in the Kingdom would earn an execution that even Zelda couldn't argue with. But who was Sheik to decide?

Sheik didn't know how long the thoughts had been chasing each other in circles around his mind. The darkness fluctuated between white and black. Shades of gray floated like clouds around the Sheikah and his shadow.

Eventually Esra broke in to his thoughts. "It's what I would do," said the shadow.

And as quick as Sheik had pressed the Blade to the shadow's throat, he backed away, staring down at the monster before him. The monster I created, thought Sheik, The monster I will become if I do this.

In that moment the path became clear. The inky black dissipated. The white returned, but Sheik could swear he could feel the rays of an invisible sun on his back.

And then he sheathed the Blade of Judgment, and turned away, decision made.

The white world exploded into a frenzy of color. Grass grew from the ground and flowers sprang up in every shade of every color imaginable. A hot yellow sun burned brightly in the purest blue sky. Somewhere in the distance, a brook babbled happily.

"Welcome to Good, Sheikah," said the Great Fairy. Sheik focused his vision away from the infinite expanse of meadow to see the Great Fairy reappeared. Her wings were no longer translucent, but like a butterfly's, colored with shades for which Sheik doubted he could find enough names.

For a moment, Sheik was vaguely aware that the shadow was still tethered to the ground behind him, but that moment passed when people… hundreds of them, came into vision. They appeared from all directions. Some marched solemnly and stately over the fields, others skipped and frolicked and bent down to smell the flowers.

He squinted to make out the first line and was surprised to see that he recognized them… well relatively. He recognized the masked faces and robed figures as the pinpricks of white light that had appeared when they had put the Mirror of Twilight back together. The Ancient Sages, Sheik's mind supplied. But if the Ancient ones were here did that mean…

"Sheik!" yelled a young, feminine voice. And suddenly the Sheikah was tackled lightly from behind. A pair of tiny hands wrapped around his waist, for that was as high as they could possibly reach.

Sheik whirled and his eyes widened. Behind him stood an impossible vision, but he had the feeling that in this realm, nothing was impossible. Behind him stood six people he recognized… the six Sages that had aided the Hero of Time.

"S-Saria?" Sheik stuttered eyes drifting first over the young girl with the green hair. "Darunia? Ruto? Nabooru? Im-"

His eyes drifted over the final person – an older woman with steely gray hair and silvery markings under her eyes. "Aunt Impa?" said Sheik weakly.

She smiled at him. "You've done well, Sheik. I'm proud of you."

Sheik felt his eyes begin to water.

"We all are, brother," implored Darunia in his deep bass voice.

There were so many things Sheik wanted to say. To ask. Why? How? But what came out in the end was, "Is this… real?"

No one answered immediately. Finally Impa said, "Those chosen by the Goddesses are not bound by the normal laws of life and death."

Sheik wasn't sure if that was an answer, or not, but did not press the matter. Another question weighed heavily on his mind. He automatically scanned the crowd that had formed around him. There were people of all races and even a few beings, larger than the rest that looked to be made completely of light. He wondered if all these beings were sages at one point in time. He wondered if…

"Yes," said Ruto, this time, "The Hero of Time is here."

Sheik felt his heartbeat pick up.

Nabooru started to say something along the lines of, "You can see him, if you'd like, kid," but Sheik didn't hear her. Suddenly all noise had cancelled out as a flicker of movement caught his eye.

His shadow had been tethered to the grassy ground behind their little reunion group, and then, bonds apparently broken, he had disappeared.

Sheik whirled around, scanning for the shadow in the throngs of people. As if his gaze was drawn to the darkness, in the same way that Esra's was drawn to Sheik's light, Sheik saw his shadow. His shadow stood behind the back of a certain green-clad teenager, ebony dagger flickering into and out of existence between his bandaged fingers.

The path to his shadow was short and suddenly clear. Esra raised the dagger, ready to shove it into his target's back. Sheik lunged, Blade bared and time froze.

Sheik felt as if he were in that lunge for eternity, watching as Esra's hand slowly lowered. And then he landed. Time sped back up. Sheik didn't hesitate before wrapping an arm around the dark Sheikah's neck to pull him back, and then using his other hand to plunge the Blade of Judgment into his chest.

Esra's ebony dagger disappeared. The shadow fell back and Sheik caught him in his arms. Link turned, a look of horror crossed his face at what almost came to pass, before settling on Sheik's face with a smile.

"Thank you, Sheik," said the Hero of Time. Behind him, the blonde Princess Zelda smiled, and then everything washed out of existence.

xXx

Sheik was standing once again in the place he had come to know as Neutral. The shadow lay beside him, very still, the Blade of Judgment still protruding out of his chest. Threads of black snaked through the crimson blood that spilled out of his wound with every beat of his dying heart, and pooled around him.

Sheik had killed the shadow. Nearly, at least. And he was still alive.

"Congratulations, Sheikah," said the Great Fairy. She appeared on the far side of the dying shadow. Her wings were back to their normal translucent selves.

Sheik wasn't sure that he deserved congratulations.

"I am not congratulating you on killing your shadow," she clarified, "I am congratulating you on how you did so." The Blade suddenly disappeared from Esra's chest and reappeared in Sheik's hand. All three sections of the Triforce glowed brightly. "You have found Wisdom, Sheikah. You did not kill unnecessarily, but gave the chance for redemption. You judged with Power, Courage, and Wisdom. Your Judgment was true, and that is why you live."

"And he dies," said Sheik emotionlessly.

"It is the way of light and dark," said the Great Fairy, "To be at odds. That is the way it always has been, and that is the way it always will be. From now, until eternity."

Silence hung as Sheik and the Great Fairy looked down at the shadow. An overwhelming sense of fatigue washed over Sheik. He had done what he'd come here to do, and more. He considered asking the Great Fairy if what he'd seen past the gates of Good was real.

She smiled, hearing the question in his mind, but all she said was, "Goodbye Sheikah. Perhaps we shall meet again one day."

And the white world faded into darkness.

xXx

"Sheik! Sheik!" were the words that Sheik awoke too when the darkness lifted. He opened his eyes and blinked, taking in the vaulted marble ceiling above him and recognizing that he was back in Hyrule… if he had ever even left.

"Zelda! He's awake!" Sheik heard Link call from somewhere very nearby, before being pulled into a bone crushing hug. Literally, as the movement jostled the broken bones in his leg and pain seared through his body.

Sheik let out a moan of pain. Link pulled back and grinned sheepishly at him. "Sorry," said Link.

Sheik couldn't help but grin dazedly back at the Hero – whose torso was utterly bare other than a thin strip of bandages wrapped over his blisters, which was causing Sheik to blush profusely. But Sheik decided he could get over it. He was alive and so was Link! But… "Where is the shadow?" Sheik asked. His voice sounded hoarse.

"Gone," said Link with a grin. His blue eyes sparkled. Sheik loved the way they sparkled.

"Are you sure?" asked Sheik, snapping out of his Link-induced mind wandering.

"Yes," said Zelda coming up behind Link, "His spell on me broke, and his magic was strong. The only way that could have happened was if he had died."

"He also sort of… melted," added Link. Sheik shot him a questioning glance and the Hero added, "Not like the way he would normally disappear, more like his very being started coming apart at the seams. There's nothing left of him now… Anyway, how'd you do it Sheik? I mean kill him when you were all the way over here?"

Apparently Link didn't see the whole suicide thing. Sheik liked it better that way, not having Link think that he was in Sheik's debt.

But apparently he was not that lucky. Zelda grinned. "I may not have been able to move, but I could still see and hear…" She paused for a moment before bending over to put her mouth against Link's ear and whisper something Sheik couldn't hear.

Link's draw dropped and his eyes widened. Zelda stood and said, "I think I'll just leave you two alone for a minute." She grinned wickedly at Sheik and then walked away.

"Did you really? I mean, did you really do that… for me?" asked Link.

Sheik shifted uncomfortably for a moment, but said quietly, "Yes."

And suddenly the Hero's lips were against his. This time, however, Link was being careful not to jostle Sheik's broken leg – the pain in which had dulled with time and distraction. Sheik felt himself turn pink when Link cupped a hand against his face and stroke a thumb softly along his cheekbone, eliciting a content sigh from the Sheikah. When Link pulled back, Sheik found himself leaning forward, wanting more. Link smiled and Sheik leaned back, turning red.

"Thank you, Sheik," said Link, and Sheik was jarringly reminded of the Hero of Time, but he found the thought much easier to push from his mind than he thought it would be. Sheik may have once loved the Hero of Time, but it was clear to him now that this was the Link for him.

"I," Sheik began, and then paused, hesitating, before spilling out in a rush, "I just couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to you." He paused again. "I love you, Link."

Link grinned the biggest grin Sheik had ever seen cross the other boy's face. "I love you too, Sheik."

They each leaned in to kiss again, but a none-too-subtle, "Ahem," from Zelda forced them apart, both blushing.

"That was adorable, really," said the Princess, "But I think you might want to see this." She gestured to the doors that opened up to the outdoor plateau outside the throne room.

Link stood then and, before Sheik could react, scooped Sheik up bridal style and carried him to the opening. Sheik blushed, but couldn't help but to enjoy the feeling of Link carrying him. Link's hold was both delicate and fierce. The sort of grip that said if anyone tries to kill you (again), they will be dead in moments. The sort of grip that said I would be perfectly content if you never left my side for the rest of our lives.

Sheik leaned into Link's chest and let out a breath he'd felt he'd been holding since he'd came back to life. A breath of anticipation, anxiety at over what would happen after all of this. After the monsters had been slayed and the world returned to normal. Sheik didn't know exactly what would happen now, as Link, seemingly unable to keep his lips from Sheik's, leaned down to kiss the Sheikah once again, but he knew that whatever the future held, he and link would face it together.

And that was the sort of future Sheik could get behind.

Zelda giggled into her hand at the two of them when they reached her at the top of the stairs.

"Look," she said, regaining her composure and pointing down at the streets below.

They had a magnificent view of Castletown from up here. The streets were littered with people, soldiers and civilians alike. There were no enemy soldiers in sight, and Sheik wondered if, when the shadow died, his mind control did as well, and the once-enemy soldiers had rejoined their brethren from the Resistance.

"Can you hear them?" Sheik heard Link ask. He looked up at the boy holding him to see him grinning.

Sheik strained his ears. The faint rumblings of a chant, like thunder in the distance reached their ears. Sheik smiled, as well.

"For Hyrule," he said.

The End.

Thank you to everyone that has stuck with me through this incredible multi-year-long writing experience. To all of my readers and reviewers, you are all amazing and I truly appreciate all of the feedback and encouragement you've given throughout this journey. I also want to apologize for the lack of an epilogue... I know I mentioned the existence of one in a previous author's note, but it is still unwritten and unlikely to make its way from the recesses of my mind to reality any time soon. So as of now, Sheik and Link's journey is complete. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I did.