Fan Fiction ❯ Hymn to the Night-Mare ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Author’s Note: I am now on a campaign to make my chapters longer! No more will innocents have to suffer my short chapter wrath! ….if anyone suffered. I just know that whenever I find titty-bitty chapters I feel shorted, so I feel like a bit of a douche doing it myself, especially at the pace that I write. This chapter’s goal: 3,000 words. Not much, really, but more than my other chapters so far, so it’s a start. I’ll make them get progressively longer as I get used to writing progressively longer things. Anywho… part four!

Disclaimer: Nullus Mei. ((Phear my bad Latin skillz)) The information about the meanings of lapis lazuli was found on various websites, none of which I can remember.

Additional Note: As always, plea for beta.

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Chapter 4-

Link dreamed.

In his dreams he saw a forest, a volcano, a lake. He saw a desert, a tomb, a temple. He saw a dark castle reaching towards the blackened heavens, surrounded by a stream of fire.

On a rock in a sea of mist, he saw himself. He was sitting on the rock, one knee raised almost to his chest. In his hands was an instrument, not too dissimilar from a flute. As he played, a lullaby that carried sweetly through the surrounding air, light played off swirls of blue and star-like flecks of gold on the instrument.

But this was not himself.

This other self was older, perhaps Tetra’s age, but dressed in clothes like those that his grandmother had given him three years ago. There were a few differences. The brown, fingerless leather gloves for one. The golden gauntlets for another. The stitching of the cloth was more intricate, and the fit better; he wore the clothes as if they were a part of him. Silver hoops hung glistening from his ears.

The other Link’s melody came to an end, the last note hanging in a curtain around them even as he drew the instrument away from his lips. He turned his eyes towards Link and smiled a little. “You’ve never come this far before.â€

Link blinked. “Where am I?â€

The other Link stood and walked smoothly to him. The mist parted before his feet and tendrils rose to caress his boots and legs before retreating. He held the instrument in front of Link, letting him examine it. “An ocarina. It’s made from a single piece of lapis lazuli.†He shook his head and smiled ruefully. “Do you have any idea how long it took to find that out? It was only found in a land far across a great sea. It’s a stone of royalty and is said to strengthen the mind and bring spiritual awareness.†He tossed the ocarina lightly into the air and caught it. “If you think about it, it makes sense.â€

Link reached out hesitantly to touch it, but the other Link drew it away. “You’re not ready yet. Even though you’ve made it this far, you’re not ready.†He rested a couple fingers on Link’s chin and raised it gently so their eyes met. “I have demons you couldn’t imagine.†The other Link’s solemn eyes, far too ancient for the young face, held a vague, haunted look.

“I- I don’t understand. Where am I? Who are you...? You’re not me- but,†Link shook his head. “…I don’t understand.â€

The other Link smiled sadly. “You will, in time.†He tilted his head slightly and leaned forward to brush his lips against Link’s. “I look forward to your next visit, Hero of Winds.â€

=-=-=-=

Link woke abruptly and touched his lips with shaking fingers. “…what the hell was that!†he whispered harshly to himself.

A muffled sniff drew his attention to his right. A boy was on the other bed, lying curled around the stuffed keaton and trying to stifle his crying by pressing his face into the animal’s belly. It was a hard to see him in the dying light of evening.

“Hey, kid, you okay?â€

The boy – oh, what did that woman say his name was?- shot up from the bed wide-eyed and tried in vain to hide the keaton behind his back. “Y-yeah. I’m fine.†He sniffed and wiped his face on his sleeve. “Did I wake you up?†he asked, his tear-reddened eyes almost pleading him to say ‘no’. “I’m sorry if I did…there was just no other place to go and-“

Link waved his hand. “No, no. You didn’t wake me.â€

The boy breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.†He took the keaton out from behind him and set it on the bed. He caught Link’s amused look and blushed. “Not a word.â€

Link laughed softly, fearing retaliation from his stomach if he did more, and decided to let it rest. For now. “What’s your name? The old lady mentioned it, but I can’t remember.â€

“Sheik,†the boy said, smiling a little. He crawled onto the bed and leaned over to light a lamp resting on the nightstand with a box of matches he had pulled from his pocket.

The light reflected off of Sheik. His skin, though a couple of shades darker than Link’s own, was still amazingly pale for someone who must spend much of his time outside. His rumpled, corn-fair hair created a halo around his head. Sheik looked like he was made of spun sunlight, and his sanguine eyes glowed with a light all their own. Otherworldly.

Link stared, captivated by the illusion created by a simple lamp.

Sheik coughed and looked away, a hint of blush high on his cheeks. “What’s yours?â€

“Huh? Oh, Link.†Sheik stared at him as if he’d just grown two heads. “What? It’s not like it’s a really weird name.†Yeesh, what was his problem? He moved on to a new subject. “Hey, those knives over there- are they yours?†Link was curious, and now was as good of a time to ask as any.

“Knives?†Sheik sounded confused.

Link pointed to the throwing knives still resting on the chest.

“I thought I’d put those away...,†the boy mumbled to himself. He shrugged. “Yeah, those are mine.â€

“You any good?â€

“About as good as fish are at swimming,†Sheik replied confidently.

Link raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Prove it.â€

Shiek grinned. “All in good time. I’ll wait until you can go outside again.â€

Link shivered. Those words brought back the echo of those last spoken by his other self in his dream.

“In time…â€

=-=-=-=

Tetra and Komali sat on the floor of her room with the food Sheik had brought earlier spread between them.

Komali bit into a vegetable pastry and made a contented little chirp. “That boy was right. This is much better than anything the tavern was offering.â€

Tetra nodded. “The very smell of that stuff was making me sick.†She nibbled on a slice of cheese. “Komali, what made you let him into my room?â€

The Rito closed his eyes in thought. “I can’t put my finger on it…it was almost like I was compelled. I felt like I should, so I did. I’m sorry, my Captain. I was careless.†He bowed his head.

“No,†Tetra shook her head, “Don’t worry about it. That’s just how he is. Or was. I was just curious if it was the same way.†She grinned a little. “I swear, Sheik could convince the sun not to set and the stars not to shine while saying almost nothing at all.â€

“You didn’t seem to like him much.â€

Tetra raised a thin eyebrow. Now that was tact. It was true when she had told Sheik that Komali didn’t ask many questions. Instead he stated what he wanted to know in such a way that most people didn’t even know he had requested something from them. “Was it that obvious?†she asked dryly. “I thought I was being polite.â€

“Hm,†he said noncommittally, and sipped at his cold tea. “Last time I checked, ma’am, ‘puppet’ and ‘mindless servant’ aren’t polite ways to address someone.â€

She chucked a roll at him. “You’re impossible.â€

“It’s the inbreeding.â€

Tetra snickered and took a bite of her pastry. “Makes sense,†she said while chewing. “You know,†Tetra said softly, in a more serious tone, “you’re my First Mate now.â€

“WHAT! Ma’am, surely-“

She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “No. Gonzo’s dead†she closed her eyes as a wave of grief rolled over her and suppressed a shiver, “and I want you to replace him.â€

“Ma’am, with all due respect, there are others much more qualified than me. I’ve only been with you for three years! The rest of the crew won’t like it. Even Link would be a better choice.â€

“No, no he wouldn’t. Link is many things, but not a leader. Never a leader. You, Komali, have been trained to lead people your entire life. I mean, have you heard yourself talk? It’s like listening to a damn diplomat sometimes.†She rolled her eyes. “You’d have to do double-duty, I’m not willing to give you up as my Sailing Master.†She reached over and took one of his hands in both of her own. “Komali, you’ve learned almost everything there is to know about running a ship. I’ve never seen anyone more suited to it, and I’d be proud to have you as my First Mate.â€

“But- but- I’m only fourteen!†he said desperately.

“And I became Captain when I was twelve. Your point?â€

Komali whimpered. “Nothing’s going to change your mind.â€

“No.†Tetra knew she had won. She had known before she’d even said anything.

He bowed his head. “I accept, my Captain.â€

“Now that’s over,†she reached for a berry tart, “did you see what was on his hand?â€

“There was something imprinted in pure gold. The Legendary Triforce of the Goddesses.†He looked confused. “It couldn’t have been the real thing, though I have never seen a shade of gold that real on a person’s skin.â€

She sipped her glass of cider thoughtfully. “It was. There’s no doubt in my mind that was the Triforce.†She shifted and rested her weight back on one arm. “But that raises a couple of interesting questions, doesn’t it? Why has the Triforce stayed together? Why has it gone to him instead of the Goddesses? Did it forsake the Goddesses because Din has been corrupted, or did Din become corrupt because the Triforce forsook them?â€

“I don’t know.†Komali took a bite from a tart of his own. “This ‘Sheik’ must be special for you to not ask ‘Who is he to receive the Triforce?’†he said carefully, as though weighing each word before he spoke it.

Tetra snorted. “You heard what he called himself. He’s their avatar. No, more than that really. He’s their son. You wouldn’t know it from how he’s treated, though. Sheik really is little more than their puppet. The Goddesses are unable to make little differences in the world. Their presence alone can bring great change.â€

“So they created someone to do the small things for them,†Komali finished.

Tetra nodded. “Precisely. He’s led armies, and been an advisor to kings, among other things. He created the way of the Sheikah, though he told me that it didn’t turn out quite as he had planned.â€

“I have been told that the Sheikah were a legendary tribe devoted to peace and the protection of the Royal Family of ancient Hyrule.â€

“Sheik called them ‘a bunch of egotistical, narrow-minded twits’,†Tetra laughed. “He said they were meant to be more like monks instead of a people who thought themselves more blessed than anyone else because of how easily they could kill a man. No matter how many times he got reborn with them, he could never fix it. The Sheikah didn’t care that it was their founder who had problems with their ways.â€

Komali looked at her oddly. “I don’t understand how you can act as though you dislike him, yet speak almost fondly of him.â€

“It’s complicated.â€

“Ah.â€

=-=-=-=

Sheik had walked back from the Gilded Fish in a daze. His mind was filled with betrayal, anger, and sadness; but mostly he felt fear. He was afraid for Din, for what she had become.

He had stumbled up the stairs leading to the temple more than once, scraping his knees. He’d snuck past Lady Ira up to his room, and had crawled into his bed to cry some more into Keaton. He hadn’t even remembered that Link was in the bed next to his.

The Wind caressing his hair did little to console him.

When Link asked him if he was alright, the shock he got had calmed down the turbulent seas in his mind. He found himself acting like someone his age should, stuttering and hiding his tears in shame. It had been to his utter horror to realize he was still holding Keaton, albeit behind his back. Especially behind his back. Link had laughed, and the warm sound had been a balm to his nerves, more relieving than any of the crying.

Sheik had crawled back onto his bed and leaned over to light his lamp. Since both of them were awake, there was really no point in sitting in the dying light. For some reason, Link had stared at him until Sheik, certain that he was blushing, had coughed and continued their small talk.

He had been almost floored to learn Link’s name was actually still Link. Zelda’s name had changed, so he’d assumed Link’s had too. After all, unlike himself, they were true reincarnations. Zelda -he could never think of his Lady as anything other than Zelda- had only gotten back her old self’s memories because she had needed them to unlock her power. Link had no idea of his past at all. This was the way of true reincarnations; rebirth of the soul and the heart, but not the mind. Except in certain cases, of course. There were always exceptions to every rule. Those souls that had been chosen by the Triforce were a special lot and circumstances sometimes forced their old memories to the surface.

After a couple of minutes spent on the subject of Sheik’s knives, their conversation hit an awkward silence.

“So, um,†Sheik shifted ‘til he was sitting cross-legged, “do you need anything? Food? Something to drink?â€

Link swallowed and coughed. “Water, please.â€

“Okay. I’ll be right back.†Sheik got up and trotted downstairs.

“Oh, there you are,†said Lady Ira from where she was folding bandages and preparing poultices at the kitchen table. “You were at the Inn a long time.â€

Sheik looked away. “Yeah…â€

†39;Sheik, love, is something wrong?â€

He looked back up and caught her worried gaze. There was no way he could tell her. Sheik bit his lip and shook his head. “No, nothing. I need to get some water for Link,†he said, walking to the ceramic barrel that he filled everyday from the well.

“That lad’s a handful. It’s going to be your job to take care of him.â€

Sheik turned towards her. “What? Why? Not that I mind, but…â€

“We only have a couple of other people we need to take care of, but they’re so covered with burns –we’ve already had to take the leg off one poor man- that all of the rest of us are needed just to keep them clean. That gut wound of Link’s is dangerous, but you alone should be able to take care of him.†She handed him a couple of the poultices she had just made. “It’s probably time to change those again.â€

Sheik nodded and turned to fill a glass from a spout attached to the water barrel. “I’ll go do that now.â€

Lady Ira smiled. “There’s a good lad.â€

Sheik walked back up the stairs glass in one hand, poultices in another. He opened the door with his foot, “We’re in for a bit of fun.â€

Link turned his head. “Oh?†Sheik held up the poultices silently. “Oh.†Link groaned.

Sheik walked over to him, set the poultices on the nightstand, and wormed an arm beneath his shoulders. “Drink some water first, in case you pass out.†He lifted Link only just enough that he was able to drink from the glass without spilling any on himself. When Link was done, Sheik set the remaining water on the nightstand. He reached to the drawer and pulled out some bandages and adhesive. “I hurt myself a lot,†he said to Link’s questioning look.

He pulled the sheets down to just below Link’s waist and pulled up a shirt that had probably come from his collection of hand-me-downs. He peeled the weak adhesive from bandages holding the old poultice to his stomach and stripped it off as gently as he could, which still left Link gritting his teeth.

Sheik eyed still swollen stitches with distaste. He sighed and poured some water on one of the smaller bandages to wipe them clean.

“How does it look?†Link asked.

“Clean.†He pressed the poultices to the wound, making Link hiss, and secured it with the bandages and adhesive. Light glinted off the Triforce, and in the next second he found himself pulled off his feet towards the head of the bed. He landed badly on his scraped knees and muffled a startled cry in his hand.

Callused fingers tickled the back of his hand where the Triforce was embedded. “Why do you have this?†Link asked in a brittle voice. Another hand gripped his wrist in a hold almost tight enough to make his bones scrape together.

Sheik growled and twisted his hand out of Link’s grip. He skittered over to the other side of his bed and glared. He rubbed his sore wrist with his fingers, soothing the pain away. “That was a bit of an overreaction,†he said coldly.

“With the Triforce, nothing is an overreaction.â€

“Tell that to my wrist,†Sheik muttered to himself.

“Why do you have it?â€

Sheik didn’t know how to answer. He didn’t know the reason. It had just come to him.

But the Wind offered a reply, the answer to a question that he had never asked aloud.

“To keep it safe.â€

AN: Yay!