Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ A Man's Duty ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Beta'd By: Sparda's Kitten (fanfiction.net)

Note: Stalchild's only come out when Link is a child in the game. However, I'm changing that in this story. So... yeah.

To The Reviewers:

- Devilish Child: Thank you very much for your review. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. Getting feedback really keeps me wanting to write. Sheia did die rather quickly, but she had to be dead before the 'official start' to the story :(. And I didn't want the prologue to be epic, lol. Thank you so much again! *hugs*

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Sheik stretched out and gave a harsh sigh as the door to Impa's home closed behind him. He hung his head low, his sandy hair covering what little of his face wasn't covered by the cowl he was now wearing. He kicked his foot at the ground and began walking towards his home, his mind racing all the while.

"I get to be myself again," he thought, "But I have to hide myself while doing it. Someone out there really must not like who I am."

He sighed again, grumbling somewhat to himself. He could hear the villagers whispering now, at his new clothes, at his bad mood, it made his head hurt. But while they were talking about him, they were really talking about who they thought he was. He wasn't sure he could find comfort in that thought.

When he reached the door to the home he still lived in with his parents he took a deep breath, centering himself. He reached for the door knob and turned it, entering his home.

"Mother! Father! I'm back from Lady Impa's home." He announced, his voice cracking a bit as he coerced a more feminine sound from his throat.

He smiled faintly, pushing his hair from his face as his mother came in. He frowned a bit when he saw the puffiness of her eyes and the fresh tears staining her cheeks. "Mother..." he said softly, biting his lip, thankful for the cowl covering it.

"My daughter... my sweet daughter. Today is the day you leave us... isn't it Sheia?" Liana says through a sniffle, new tears threatening to fall from her ruby eyes.

"Yes mother. I'm sorry, but it is." Sheik says shakily. No matter how long he had been playing the part of his sister, it was hard for him to keep his voice in check. And now that tears threatened to fall and sobs tried desperately to force their way from his mouth, he found it much harder to keep it up.

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to do what was needed. He smiled faintly, "The potions mistress bade me to tell you hello. She's fond of your chats mother, you should visit her."

Liana gave a sad smile to her 'daughter', lip quivering faintly. "I will. I will visit her, my daughter. W-when must you leave?"

"As soon as possible I'm afraid." Sheik answered sadly, a slight sob escaping his lips before he could hold it back. Breathing deeply he swallowed hard, holding back his tears. "But, I'll return as often as I can. I promise."

Liana moved forward, sweeping her child into a tight hug. She held on tight, as if her child were once again a toddler who had just fell and scraped their knee. She presses a kiss onto her 'daughters' cheek and pats the same spot softly with her hand, "You better. I will be most upset if you don't. Now, go on. Your father's packed your things."

Sheik nods and presses his face into his mother's neck, holding her tightly for a moment before pulling away. With a faint sniff, he gave another nod. "I'll go get my things..."

He walked around his mother slowly, head hanging once again as he made his way to his room, or his sisters room as the case may be. He ran his hand over the sturdy wood door before pushing it open, revealing his father, sitting on the bed inside.

Alavan smiles as his son's form appears in the door frame. He pats the bed beside him, "Come. Sit with an old man, Sheia."

Sheik gives a sad chuckle and enters the room, closing the door behind him. He walks over to the bed and takes a seat beside his father.

"So, you're leaving today?" Alavan asked.

Sheik nodded, "Yes Father, I am. But you know this already." He says, motioning to the bag his father prepared for him.

Alavan laughed and gave a bit of a shrug and a nod, "Yes, I knew it already. But sometimes, we must ask despite what we know."

Sheik nods slowly and turns to his father, a frown showing in his eyes as his mouth is hidden. "Father, I'm afraid. I do not think I am strong enough to do this."

Alavan smiles faintly and pulls his son into a hug, clapping the young man on the back lightly. "You will do wonderfully, my son. You are more than strong enough to do this." He whispers, just barely audible.

Sheik pressed his face into his father's shoulder, the tears that had been begging to fall finally allowed to do so. Hearing his father address him as 'son' rather than 'daughter', even if so softly it was almost missed, tore down his pillars of strength. For the first time in nearly two years, his father had called him son and all Sheik could do was bawl.

For what seemed like an eternity, Sheik sat with his head pressed against his father, letting almost two years worth of tears and frustration pour from him. Finally, after a while, Sheik took a deep shuddering breath and pulled back from his father. He gave a bit of a rueful laugh before whispering, "I'm turning into a woman."

Alavan laughed and shook his head, patting his son's shoulder lightly. "No, even men need to cry my son. It is a sign of true character when the bravest and mightiest of warriors can cry freely." He whispers in return, just as faint as before.

Sheik gave a bit of a nod and turned to look at the bag his father packed for him once again. "What is in the bag, Father?" He asked as his sobs faded away.

"Tools to keep your weapons sharp, a few blank books, wells of ink, and quills. Mostly things that will keep your mind occupied. But there is some food and supplies as well." Alavan answered. He picked up the bag and handed it to Sheik. "When you leave, place the items in your other bag. It will be easier on you."

Sheik nodded faintly and took the bag, throwing it over his shoulder under the cloak he was now dressed in. He took a deep breath and stood up, letting the breath flow from his mouth slowly. "I should be going, Father."

Alavan sighed before nodding slightly. He too stood from his place on the bed and took his place beside his son, "I know." He said simply, moving to walk out of the bedroom with his son following behind him.

When Sheik and his father reached the sitting room, they came upon Liana filling a small pouch with a kind of jerky. She looked up from the pouch and smiled sadly, tying the small bag off before walking to her 'daughter' and husband.

She placed the bag in Sheik's hands lightly, "A snack for you, Sheia. Think of your Mother when you eat it. Maybe share some with the Hero... okay?"

"Yes, Mother. I will." Sheik said softly, holding the small pouch tightly in his hands. Bandaged fingers sliding against the soft brown material. He quickly moved forward, embracing his mother. "I have to leave now. But... I'll visit soon. Whenever I can spare the time, I'll return."

Liana pulled back and nodded, "I know you will my daughter. Be safe. Please, Sheia... be safe."

Alavan moved to his wife’s side, draping an arm over her shoulders, "She will be fine, love. She is strong and she has her brother's spirit to look after her."

Sheik moved forward placing a soft kiss on the cheek of each of his parents before turning away. He walked over to the door and sighed as he turned the knob and opened the door. Glancing back briefly to wave at his parents he walked out of his home and shuddered as the door closed behind him.

With a deep breath and his head held high he began to walk, out of his home, out of his village, and into a new chapter of his life.

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When Sheik reached the bottom of the stairs leading from his village to the Fields of Hyrule he sighed. While it wasn't but maybe a 15 minute trek to the gates of Castle Town from his current position, the sun was setting and the Stalchild's would be out. They weren't exactly strong, but they liked to come at you in groups and were very annoying.

He took what little time he had before the sun set to remove all the items from the bag his father had packed for him and place them all into his sister’s wondrous little pouch. When he reached the last item in the bag he stalled, chuckling sadly at the sight.

It was a lyre, golden body and shining strings. Sheik had always loved to play the lyre; many hours were spent sitting with his sister and Zelda, laughing merrily as he plucked out jovial tunes. He hadn't played since Sheia's death.

For one, Sheia had never been able to play, so he couldn't rightly do something the person he was pretending to be couldn't. But, even in the times away from everyone with Zelda, no longer his sister, he couldn't bring himself to play.

He slid his bandaged fingers against the strings and closed his eyes, plucking out a quick song from memory. When he finished, he wiped a single tear from his eye and slid the lyre into the pouch carefully.

Just as he finished sliding the lyre in the pouch a small bony hand wrapped itself around his ankle. He groaned and looked down to see a Stalchild poking its way out of the ground followed by five or so more.

He quickly pulled a longer dagger from his armor and moved at the small skeleton like beasties. One hit to each and they dissolved into the ground from whence they came. He sighed and began to sprint towards Castle Town. "I could use my teleportation spell," he mused to himself, "But… That would drain my reserves. Better just to go on foot."

He sighed again, alternating between sprinting towards castle town and running his dagger through the crowd of Stalchild's amassing around him. When he finally reached the drawbridge to Castle Town and ran inside he groaned. What should have been a 15 minute trek at most, had been closer to an hour.

He looked down at himself and sighed, "Great. Here I am going to meet the Hero of Time and I'm covered with dirt. That'll make the impression of someone knowledgeable." He dusted himself off as best he could and made his way into the square of Castle Town.

Another groan fell from his lips as he saw roughly ten to twelve ReDead's stalking and moaning around the fountain in the middle of the square. If there was one thing that scared him, ReDead's were most certainly that one thing. Just the thought of the hideous beasts made his skin crawl.

He took a deep breath and braced himself. Slowly and very silently he began to walk through the square, using every bit of stealth he had, the stealth the Sheikah were prided for having, to make his way through without being spotted.

When he was almost to the gates to the Temple of Time a ReDead spotted him. When the beast screamed its heart stopping screech Sheik broke into a run and didn't stop until he reached the doors of the Temple.

Sheik took a moment to catch his breath when he was sure the zombie-like ReDead didn't follow him to the steps of the Temple. When he regained his composure he took a deep breath and made his way inside.

He smiled faintly at the image around him. "At least the Temple hasn't changed like everything else," he thought idly. He walked forward standing before a pair of massive stone doors, the seal of the Triforce under his feet. He nodded to himself and opened his pouch, pulling out his Lyre.

The sound of Zelda's Lullaby, the first song he was taught to play, filled the chamber. The soft lilting tones reverberated and echoed about the room as the massive doors ahead of him began to open. He stepped forward, entering the chamber which until seven years ago housed the Master Sword.

He held his breath as seconds passed, seconds which turned into minutes. For what seemed like an eternity, Sheik held his breath. Until finally there was a rush of air around him and the small chamber was filled with an immense light.

When the light faded away, Sheik was sure that he had just died and been accepted into the Sacred Realm. The sight before him was surely not that of a mortal. A god or an angel perhaps, but a mere mortal? No, Sheik didn't believe it to be possible.

The angel before him wobbled on his feet a bit, pushing silky locks of gold out of his face. He shook his head, blinking before smiling sweetly up at a flying blue orb. "He has a fairy..." Sheik mused silently.

Just as quickly as Sheik's silent reverie about the beauty before him started, it ended when said beauty noticed him standing to the side and came at him with Master Sword. The long blade sang as it sliced through the air at Sheik, who just barely made it out of the way with his head still attached to his neck.

Quickly, Sheik back flipped away; when he landed on his feet he held his hands up high in the air, "I am not your enemy, Hero. I am called Sheik and I have been charged with being your Guide."