Fan Fiction ❯ The Link/Sheik Saga ❯ He Never Spoke A Word ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda.

Author's Notes: Okay, basically this takes place after Ocarina of Time. Events in Majora's Mask are irrelevant…because…well, I haven't played it yet. ^^; One shot, minor shonen ai, bla, bla, bla. Slightly based off of and inspired by the Epilogue from Ghosts of the Past by tir-synni. Read it! It's good! Oh and, I'm making Sheik real this time round. HE IS HIS OWN PERSON, AND HE IS A GUY!

He Never Spoke A Word

Once clear, but now clouded, crystalline blue eyes stared blankly out over a sea of green grass, brown mountain and blue sky. The horrifying trauma and ghastly memories from the battle with Ganondorf still followed him. A worried Saria sat next to him. Partially she was worried because of the semi-catatonic state her friend had been in, but partially her anxieties were due to their seeming helplessness out in the middle of Hyrule Field. She had noticed the silent boy grown young man leaving the Kokiri Forest and had followed him, assuming that he would not notice nor care.

"Link?" She murmured, shooting a worried glance at the seventeen-year-old Hylian. Link hadn't said a word in the past seven years. Sometimes she wondered if, wherever he'd gone, whatever he'd done, if something had happened to him, something bad. But that couldn't be. Link had only been gone two weeks…hadn't he?

"Link?"

Slowly, very slowly, the blonde man nodded. Acknowledging her presence for the first time in six months.

"Link, where'd you go after you received the Spiritual Stone of Forest?

Once again, very slowly, Link nodded, this time in the direction of Hyrule Castle. Realization sunk in when she realized what going there would mean. Link had gone to see the Princess Zelda. And that could only mean…

"She sent you to go and kill him, didn't she? The Black Man, the one who haunted the Great Deku Tree's slumber?

Once again, a slow nod, then he stood and walked off, she didn't know where, she was scared to follow him much further from the Kokiri Forest. Something had happened to him, and she was determined to find out what.

Princess Zelda stared calmly through a small window in the wall of her Garden Room. She wasn't expecting any company, today anyway, and Impa had gone to check on the Kakariko Village that day. So when she heard an angry female voice issuing from the doorway, she was, naturally, confused.

"What did you do to him?" A young girl with short green hair demanded of her. "Seven years and he hasn't said a word." She continued. "Not since he went to see you." The girl's eyes were burning with deep, passionate green fire, out at the princess.

"You really wish to know, Saira?" Zelda inquired patiently. "Are you sure?"

Nodding impatiently to the affirmative, Saria continued to stalk closer to the blonde girl.

"He fell in love." The princess replied softly. "Pity it wasn't destined to work out. He had to leave Sheik when he went to fight Ganondorf, I can only make assumptions on the rest, but I'd guess that poor Sheik was grief stricken." Her crystalline blue eyes, softened, as she continued on the Hylian's sensitive subject. "I know Link was." She added quietly. "The first thing he did when we returned to this time was come to me and ask why he had to leave. I told him the truth, of course. I told him that they wouldn't have been accepted when Hyrule began to recover from the attack-"

"Why wouldn't they have been accepted?" Saria interrupted. "What were they doing that might have possibly been so wrong or immoral?"

"Don't you know?" Zelda questioned her coldly. Her eyes momentarily hardening annoyed at the faerie girl's outspoken nature. "Didn't he tell you?" When she got no response she continued. "They were both male." She stated matter-of-factly. "As I said before. Pity it didn't work out."

Saria's expression changed from anger and annoyance to bitter realization. That's why Link hadn't told her. He was afraid to, afraid she wouldn't understand.

"I have to find him!" she shouted suddenly.

"Try Lake Hylia." The princess suggested absently. "I can teach you the Serenade of Water, if you do not wish to walk." She added, noting the hesitant expression on the Kokiri girl's face.

Saria nodded and took out her Ocarina. Then Zelda began to play.

Link sat silently on the shores of Lake Hylia, watching absently as the cool water lapped gently at his boots. Sadness and pained, traumatizing memories floated around in his mind, occasionally bouncing off of one another. Link knew he was worrying Saria to death, but he just couldn't bring himself to speak, afraid of letting something slip. If the Kokiries were to find out about Sheik and him…he felt sure that, while they were accepting towards most things, this wasn't one of them. So caught up in his musings, was he, that he didn't even notice Saria walk up to him, nor did he notice her sit down until she spoke up.

"Link…" she fumbled. "I…I went to see Princess Zelda today." Link didn't acknowledge her. "S-she told me about y-you and Sheik." Link just sat there, staring blankly out across the waves of Lake Hylia. He didn't let her know about the slight pang he felt in his heart. "Link-I…I'm just so sorry!" She managed to choke out amongst her balling tears, throwing her arms around his neck. Link didn't move.

Saria wasn't sure how long they sat there, but eventually Link stood and walked off. Sadly she watched him go. The Kokiri girl didn't know where he was going, but she did know one thing. He wouldn't be returning to the Forest.

Sheik sat atop Death Mountain, glumly watching the Kakariko Village move about as they always did. They didn't know that the Hero of Time had left them forever, they didn't even know who he was. Sadly he brushed a blonde strand of hair out of his eyes, it didn't do much good, but it gave him something to do with his hands. Sheik heard the footsteps behind him, but he didn't move. Somehow he knew who it was, and his suspicions were confirmed when the person sat down beside him, rapping his arms gently around the Sheikah's waist.

"Hello, beautiful." Sheik whispered, pulling Link from his side into his lap.

Link just nodded. Link had found his love again and yet, Sheik never truly knew why, he never spoke a word. The two lived together a good fifteen more years, yet the Hero of Time stayed in silence. Even as Sheik watched his love be put to rest in the Kakariko Graveyard he noted, somewhat sadly, that it had been over twenty years since he had heard that one, simple phrase, "I love you." Far from blaming the Hylian man for not speaking he vowed to find out why. He didn't know how though, Zelda had mysteriously vanished seven years ago, and he couldn't open the Door of Time to go to the past and find out, but he would find a way, and when he did he would join Link once again.