The Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ A Ruby Surrounded By Sapphires ❯ Strength of the Body ( Chapter 4 )

A Ruby Surrounded By Sapphires

 

Warnings: Um...Angst, yaoi, angst, cute little girls, angst, inner monologues..Oh, did I mention angst?


Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. No more places to hide bodies.

 

Chapter 4

Strength Of the Body

 

I had less than a month to bring my skills back to par. My training had to be intensive and nonstop. The only place I could think to go was the Gerudo Valley. I had heard no news from the secretive colony of warriors, but knew they would still be prosperous in their home. That was their way. Whether they would welcome me was a completely different question.

Standing before the chasm, I stared at the recently build bridge over it. It felt very strange, looking at it. The bridge had been destroyed years ago, before everything started. During the seven years, I remember going frequently to the Valley, using that beautiful melody to guide us to the Temple of Shadow. I doubted I would ever move through the colony as easily as I had now. They had not known my true predicament, but Zelda still communicated better with them.

At last, I crossed the bridge, leaving what was and entering what was to be. The wind seemed hotter on this side, blowing through my hair and clothes. I loved the feel of it, as if the land was welcoming me back. So much like those other times with Zelda, returning to this valley, never soon enough. It was true that my home was and probably always would be in Kakariko Village. But my heart...my heart lived within the Gerudo. It was where I was born, after all.

I shook my head. These thoughts were better left to another day. I didn't have the time to stand around, pondering about the past. With almost stubborn steps, I walked on through the red sands to my birthplace. I had only been walking an hour when I came upon someone. I recognized her immediately as one of the Gerudo. Her clothing and coloring was a dead give away. She noticed me soon after and jumped to the ready, her hand at the sword on her hip.

"Wait," I said quickly. "I mean you no harm."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked me over, pausing on my clothing and hair. Her voice was suspicious when she finally spoke to me. "What is it you want here?"

"I come for training," I told her. She glanced at my head and raised a brow.

"Flowers aren't exactly a very good helmet," she smirked. My face stayed impassive.

"It was a going away gift," I murmured softly, "from a little girl in my village."

She folded her arms over her chest. "What are you called, stranger?"

"My name is Sheik."

Her eyes widened for a moment before she smirked again. After, she led me back to the Gerudo settlement. As we walked, I could feel the eyes of the other female warriors on us. A male had not entered this land since Link. Their voices were hushed, but I heard them. They spoke of my red eyes and blonde hair, of a child born here. It made me remember what I wished not.

My mother's name was Kyanite. She was a warrior, one of the last Sheikah. Our kind had been slowly disappearing from Hyrule. Too many of us died in battle. Too many took risks to protect what we stood for. Our lust of battle was our downfall. After me, there would be none left. Impa would probably never find a life mate. Soon, I would be killed in this new fight. I was too much of a realist not to know that.

The Sheikah used to be Gerudo. However, many hundreds of generations ago, we broke off to travel from the Valley. After breeding with the other humanoid life of the Field, the bloodline turned to what it was now. Kyanite was one of the few Sheikah to ever return to the Gerudo Valley. She had been badly injured on a job for the Royal Family, disposing of a malicious group near the Valley. She was the only one to survive, even being pregnant, but the group was defeated. After that, Kyanite dragged herself into the village. They took pity on her and tended her wounds. She only lived long enough to bare me. Then, I was left to the Gerudo. The leader of them then, Shaden, decided to raise me as her own, along side her older son, Ganondorf. Ganondorf ignored me much of the time, but slighted me anytime he could. I ran away at eight years old just to get away from him. I was found in the field by a traveling merchant and brought to Kakariko Village where I lived until Zelda came.

I was fourteen when Zelda and I got word of Shaden's death and Nabooru's subsequent rise to power. She and I had been friends when we were younger. I only hoped Ganondorf had not poisoned her mind. Fortunately, she was unmarred by him. This is found to still be true when I came to her this day.

The quiet Gerudo led me straight to their leader. Nabooru was lovelier than I remembered. She looked over me, dark eyes suspicious as she took me in. Then, she set a level glare to my face.

"Hello Sheik," she said.

"Nabooru," I greeted with a nod. Nabooru was one of the few who knew of mine and Zelda's symbiotic status for seven years. Of course, she also knew that Zelda no longer resided inside me. How long had it been since she met me alone? I didn't wish to figure it and apparently, neither did she. A second after I said her name, her arms enveloped me. I was too surprised to react to her. Her tight embrace was dropped as she stepped back and grinned at me.

"I knew you would come," she said. She dismissed the other woman before returning her attention to me. "The Queen sent a message to us. Your training will begin immediately. We have you for two weeks. Then, you will journey to the Gorons and continue. The last week will be with the Zoras. I hope you are ready."

I nodded, face set. "I have been so. Let it begin."

To cite every instance of my month would take too long to catalogue. However, it was the most intensive time I was ever subjected to. I awoke well before dawn each morning to with a sword in my hand to ward off the morning attacks. Every moment I was not sleeping or eating was filled with fighting. My skills came back quickly then steadily increased. If they hadn't, I would have died. Nabooru herself conducted my most challenging training. Each day, I was taken to the training grounds. I practiced riding, archery, swordsmanship, and hand-to-hand combat. At sunset, I fell asleep instantly on my bed, covered in bruises and cuts. It was difficult to get used to. I was only grateful that I had not let my body weaken anymore than it had.

By the end of those long two weeks, I could best every Gerudo in the village. My skills had surpassed even Nabooru's wildest notions. On the last day, she escorted me back to the bridge.

"Well," she murmured softly, her voice proud, "I suppose this is goodbye for now."

"I suppose it is," I replied, though neither of us looked at one another.

"You're welcome to come back when you like," she continued. She looked at her hands and paused. "You could even bring back that annoying Hylian boy, if you wanted."

I sighed softly. "If I did come, it would not be with him, Nabooru."

"Really?" She chuckled softly as if she knew some great secret. I glanced at her, locking my eyes with her own. She smiled at me. I could not return it. Slowly, she stepped up to me and put her arms around my neck, drawing me down to her shorter height. Her lips at my ear, she whispered softly to me. "You are a stupid boy to lie to yourself so. You know where you happiness lies, yet you let it fall away from you. If you do not capture it in this battle...it will be lost to you for all time. Remember that, boy."

With that, she shoved me away and stood quietly a moment. I understood her words perfectly. However, there was nothing I could do. My happiness...I knew where it laid. I also knew that I would never attain it.

Nabooru called out to the warrior that followed us. I was surprised to see that she came holding a rope in her hands. Attached to the rope was a harness. In the harness was a horse. He was tall and fair, the purest of white covering his strong form. Muscles ripped beneath his fur, his legs long and ready for whatever I put him through. He had intelligent eyes of pale brown that seemed to greet me as I stared. Speckled along his back were black spots that matched the darkness of his mane, tail, feet, and nose.

I went to him, reaching out to stroke his nose. He stared back at me impassively, but didn't move away.

"His name is Evalus," Nabooru murmured proudly. "He is the strongest of his brothers and has agreed to assist you. He simply wishes you not use a saddle."

"Thank you," I murmured softly to him. Evalus gently butted his head against mine. When I looked up to speak with Nabooru again, I found her walking back down the path. The last visage of her crimson hair was gone moments later. I stood in silence for a moment then quietly led Evalus across the bridge.

Back to the Field. I did not ride him at first. Evalus walked beside me for a long while before he finally stopped and stared at me. With a sigh, I pulled myself onto his back. He seemed to smile at me with those brown eyes. I could only stare back and wonder what went on in his head. Evalus began slowly but soon sped up until we were flying across the grass. I held on tight, eyes open despite the wind that bit at them. I wanted to see the world pass by. The feeling...It was unimaginable. I had never thought I would feel that good. Evalus left the ground with every stride and it seemed an eternity we spent in the air. I could hear his voice crying out with happiness...and was amazed to recognize it as my own.

Evalus didn't need me to guide him. He knew exactly where we were going. I nearly wanted to yell for him to continue running when he slowed before the mountain path. I stared up it from his back and sighed softly. Climbing off his back, I gave him a gentle stroke on his nose and undid his harness. He smiled at me again in that strange way of his before backing off and running on to wait for my return. I watched him and wished I could join him in that mad running...Alas, I had a destiny to deal with. With heavy heart, I turned and shouldered my bag, beginning the trek upwards.

It wasn't a difficult climb. However, my nerves were on edge. Something watched me the whole way. I could feel their eyes burning into my shoulders. Still, I didn't allow them to know. The climb was continued, but my hand strayed closer to my sword. At last, when I thought I'd be at my wits end, there was the entrance.

And, of course, there was a group of tektites waiting for me. They stared at me, red bodies shivering as they kept themselves at bay. Slowly, I pulled my sword from it's scabbard. Narrowing my eyes, I waited. One of them got bored of waiting on me and leaped forward with a howl. I let my sword sing through the air, hitting home within the tektite's body. The others jumped at me with this signal and the battle began. I slashed and stung, dodging the spider like creatures' attacks. One cut across my shoulder, but it soon met death on my blade. The last finally fell and I stood panting and covered in their blood.

After resting and wiping as much of the putrid stuff off my skin, I entered the Goron city. Immediately, I had to dodge a rolling Goron who wasn't watching out at the doorways. He stopped and uncurled, staring at me. I was sure I looked frightful, covered in greenish black blood with messy hair and fierce red eyes. The Goron got up and stepped cautiously to me.

"Hello," it said. I nodded a greeting.

"Hello," I answered. He (I didn't know then, but was later told it was a he) was quiet a moment, big brown eyes staring innocently towards me.

"Can I help you?" he asked quietly with a blink. I reached up and tucked a few bangs behind my ear.

"I'm here for an audience with your leader, Darunia."

The Goron looked surprised for a moment, but eventually led me down. Others stared at us and I was reminded of that day weeks ago when I first entered the Gerudo Valley again. Before the door to Darunia, I pulled out my lyre and sighed softly as I let the strains of melody play. I had barely finished when the door jerked open and I came face to face with a very different looking Goron.

"That song!" he said with a growl, grabbing at my shirt. "You are not Link but you must have connections to the Royal Family."

I nodded. "I was sent by Zelda for training. My name is Sheik."

He let me go and glared at me, thinking. Finally, he nodded and walked back through the opening, absently motioning me to follow. I hesitated only a moment to glance about before I did. I wasn't sure what to expect with the Gorons. With Zelda, we had had no contact with them. I was expecting another week of hard training. I was expecting my heat resistance to be tested. I was expecting the most trying use of my physical skills ever.

So of course, walking into a room that smelled of incense with nothing but a cushioned table threw me.

"Lay down," Darunia said sternly. I silently complied and laid out on the table. It was surprisingly comfortable and I caught myself trying to drift off. I refocused my eyes onto the Goron leader when he gave a soft chuckle. "Drink this."

I did, then laid back down. My eyelids were growing heavy and my limbs were as stone.

"Don't fight it, young one. This week, you will not be training your body. You will be training your soul."

Even as he said these words, his deep voice was growing more and more distant. My eyes fluttered then softly closed as my body relaxed. When I opened my eyes again, I was somewhere else.

Satin caressed my body, making my skin sing with sensation. The air was pleasantly warm and a contentedness filled my being. I didn't know how long I laid there, but when I rose, I still had no want to leave the warmth of the bed. I was in a room, richly furnished but elegant. There was a balcony. I slowly got up from the bed, ignoring the naked status of my body. Just beyond the curtains of the balcony, I could see a form. My feet took me there before I realized it. My hand drew back the curtain. Before me was a green clad form. Beautiful blonde hair was illuminated in the white light that I could not see past. Slowly, he turned and set his gaze on me. A small smile played at his lips.

"Hello Sheik," said Link as he stepped right up to me. Then, he kissed me. It was glorious. No other words could describe that moment. His arms wrapped about me, one hand at my waist while the other pulled the band from my hair. I moaned softly into his lips, his nimble fingers making sparks of pleasure streak through me by the simple massaging of my skull. His tongue flicked across my lips and I allowed him access. There was no fight. I simply reveled in the taste of him as he took complete control of me. He pressed his clothed body against my naked skin, leading me back to the red satin (I didn't notice the color then.) As my knees hit the bed, I let him to push me back upon it, himself sliding over me. He broke the kiss and pulled back, staring at my face with such a serene look in his own. I lay helpless beneath him.

"I'm your guide," he said softly before laying a soft kiss to my lips. "My form was the one you wished for. Your feelings for this form...they are the truth, as your feelings for everything you see will be."

He slid one hand up to capture both of mine and hold them above my head. I turned my head as his descended to kiss and nip at my throat. A sensitive area pulled a moan from my lips and a chuckle from him. I stared half lidded at the bare ceiling, not fighting any of what he's doing to me. I cried out when his lips journeyed over my chest. I writhed and moaned as he touched me. I wanted so much to believe it was real.

At last, I could bare it no longer.

"Stop," I gasped before he could take it too far for me to call back. "Don't."

He pulled his lips away immediately and leaned over me to look at my face. I allowed my eyes to meet his. He smiled at me sadly.

"You want this, yet you don't allow yourself to have it," he murmured softly.

"It isn't real," I said.

"It could be," he replied and leaned down to me again. His lips worked against mine but I resisted. It wasn't real. It never would be real. At last, he seemed convinced and let me up. "You've passed your first test, warrior. You know your duty. Fine then. It's time for the next obstacle."

The world melted abruptly. I was left in a void of black. The warmth vanished to fill my entire being with cold. I hugged my arms, shaking. My guide stood before me, still in the guise of Link. His face was colored with sadness.

"Are you ready?"

"Can I have clothes first?" I asked desperately. My lip shook with cold and feeling was starting to fade from my limbs. He nodded to me and black cloth spread from the darkness to cover my body. However, it brought no relief.

"Are you ready?" he repeated. I nodded and willed myself to be strong.