Before the End
by tir-synni
Link heard
Zelda's thanks as if from a distance. He
felt numb, unaware of the injuries he had received in battle. The inevitable was coming, and Link felt
utterly unprepared for it.
"Because
of my selfishness," Princess Zelda continued quietly, "seven years of
your life was stolen. Now, with your
victory over Ganon, I will be able to give them back. Return the Ocarina of Time to me, and I shall
send you back to your time."
Link closed
his eyes tightly, for the moment closing out the image of Zelda and himself
floating above
"Princess,"
Link murmured, opening his eyes, "I know I must return to my time. Only then can I truly help bring peace to the
land. However, I have a slight request
first."
Zelda's
beautiful face softened. She reached out
and clasped his hand. "Link,
anything you ask for, you can have. You
have done so much for my kingdom. I
could deny you nothing."
Link smiled
sadly at her. "A day more in this
time. That is all I wish."
Zelda squeezed
his hand. "Of course. Tomorrow, at sunset, return to the
Link bowed his
head. "When I return to my original
time, Ganon shall be the one trapped in the Sacred Realm, and I shall continue
my destiny as the Hero of Time. The
Triforce shall be split among us, but beyond that, there shall be no evidence
of what has occurred. No one shall
remember these seven years."
Including you,
Sheik, Link thought sorrowfully.
Including you.
~~~~~
Link forced
his weary legs to stumble in the direction of Sheik's home. Zelda had offered to let him rest in the
castle, but he had refused. He only
wanted to be with Sheik, alone with Sheik, in the time he had left. Everyone would forget these seven years, he
had reassured Zelda. After all, how
could you remember something if you had not lived it? However, as Hero of Time, Link knew these
memories, and the wisdom he gained by having them, would stay with him
forever. So if he was to leave the love
of his life behind, he might as well have some last memories of them together
to take back, as well.
"Link!"
a familiar voice shouted, and Link felt someone grab him by the waist. Link's blond head shot up, and he smiled at
Sheik's worried face.
"Sheik,"
Link breathed, throwing his arms around Sheik's neck. "Sheik."
Just saying
his lover's name gave Link a thrill, and he held Sheik tightly. He could feel Sheik's hot, lean body pressed
against his own, and he buried his face in the other boy's long neck. Link sought to absorb everything about Sheik,
his smell, the sound of his voice, the feel of his body, his beautiful, crimson
eyes...he wanted to remember it all.
"Link..."
he heard Sheik murmur, and then Sheik was holding him like he never wanted to
let go.
~~~~
He was all
right, he was all right! Sheik felt like
whooping to the stars as he hugged his beloved.
Time had slowed to a crawl since he had awoken with Link's ocarina in
his hand that morning. Impa had gone as
well, to help the other Sages, and Sheik was left alone to await Link's return.
Link's soft
moan alerted Sheik that Link was not totally all right, and Sheik pulled away
slightly to examine him. There was no
visible cuts or marks, so Sheik suspected that Zelda had done a light healing
spell. Still, judging from Link's pallor
and limp, Sheik knew that it had not been enough.
"Come
on," Sheik urged, helping Link inside.
"You rest, and I'll go buy some potions. I shouldn't be gone long--"
"No!"
Link's hand clutched his own, and Sheik blinked in surprise. "No.
Stay with me. I'm just tired,
that's all."
Sheik's bright
red eyes narrowed at Link. The youth
smiled back weakly.
"Just
tired," Link repeated. His hand
tightened on Sheik's, and his blue eyes were beseeching. "Please, stay with me."
Sheik frowned
worriedly at him. He had the feeling
Link was hiding something from him, but he couldn't bring himself to ask
anything of his weary lover. Link had
done enough for one day. With a sigh, he
found himself relenting.
"All
right, but you must rest. Let's get
inside and lie down, ne?"
Link smiled
brilliantly at him, and Sheik felt himself melt. Link had returned, alive and whole, to him,
and Ganondorf was defeated. What could
possibly go wrong?
~~~~
As exhausted
as he was, Link still couldn't sleep.
Instead, he curled himself tightly against Sheik, breathing in his
scent. Sheik's arms wrapped around him,
and Link huddled closer.
Night's
fallen, Link thought with a small shiver.
A couple hours have passed already.
By Farore, I don't want to leave yet.
"Link,"
Sheik's hot breath tickled his pointy ear, "what's wrong? Something's troubling you, I know it."
Tears burned
Link's eyes behind closed lids. He slid
one lithe leg between both of Sheik's, and nestled further in Sheik's
arms. He didn't want to think about
it. He only wanted to think about Sheik.
"Link..."
Sheik cupped Link's chin and forced Link to face him. Link opened his eyes reluctantly, and he felt
Sheik start as a single tear rolled down his cheek. "Link, please, what's the matter? Was it the fight earlier? It's over now, and everyone's safe. Everything's all right now."
Sheik's words
were like a knife to Link's heart.
Against his will, Link began to weep.
He felt Sheik bundle him close, whispering words of comfort in Link's
ear, and for Sheik's sake, Link tried to calm down. It was difficult, with the knowledge that
this would be there last night together working against him, but Link's will
was strong. Slowly but surely, the tears
stopped.
"Link,
please, tell me what's wrong," Sheik whispered huskily, and Link felt the
older youth stroking his hair and back.
"You're hurting, and I want to help."
Link sucked in
a deep breath and met Sheik's eyes.
"You said it's over," Link forced himself to say, "but
it's not. At least, not until
tomorrow."
Sheik
froze. "Tell me," he coaxed,
his voice strained.
So Link did.
~~~~
Sheik listened
in disbelief at the words coming from Link's lips. Tomorrow...tomorrow at sunset...Link would
return to the past. These past seven
years...seven years of horror under Ganondorf's thumb...would never have
occurred. The land would be at peace
once more...but the cost.
In this time,
Sheik was well aware of his destiny. To
stand by the Hero of Time, as his mother stood by the Princess of Destiny. How could he not be, when the legend came to
life, and the King of Evil ruled over their land? But, without Ganondorf's intervention, would
Sheik be aware? Would he be able to be
with Link again?
"What
about you, Link?" Sheik interrupted Link's rushed explanation. "And what about us?"
Link swallowed
hard. Sheik knew he wasn't going to like
this part. "I'll be a kid
again," he said quietly. "I'll
remember everything that occurred, so as to better protect this land when evil
does arise. As for us...I don't
know. You won't remember any of this so
you may not..."
Link's voice
trailed off, and Sheik stole a kiss from those parted lips. "As much as I wish I could promise you I
will find you, I know I cannot. But you
can find me. You know where I live
now. Come find me. I'll be there."
Link only
nodded, trembling. Sheik gently enfolded
the youth in his arms and pressed his lips to Link's. "I'll always be waiting for you,"
Sheik murmured against Link's lips.
"Always."
~~~~
For the first
time, Link took control of their lovemaking.
He mapped out every inch of Sheik's body, studying every reaction,
wringing out and listening to every cry he could, when he wasn't lost in his
own pleasure. Link sought to make the
experience last, to hold him for another seven years. They made love long into the night, and slept
till the dawn.
~~~~
"Ride
with me," Link requested, leading Sheik out to the field with a hopeful
smile. The tentative glint in his
blue/violet eyes made something in Sheik's chest ache, and he returned Link's
smile warmly.
"Where
to?" Sheik asked. He walked
alongside Link to where the creek gurgled in front of Kakariko's entrance. He snaked a hand out and entwined Link's hand
with his. Link's fingers tightened
around him own.
"The
lake," Link replied instantly. He
squeezed Sheik's hand before letting go to pull out his ocarina. He played Epona's Song, oblivious of the look
Sheik was giving him.
The lake, Sheik
thought, swallowing hard. That's where
this began. Do you realize that,
Link? Is that why you want to go there?
Sheik pulled
out his harp from behind him and began to call for his own horse, but Link
stopped him as Epona came into view.
"Ride with
me," Link requested as Epona trotted beside him. "Sit behind me."
What sane
person would say no?
~~~~
Link relaxed
against Sheik's chest, enjoying the feel of his strong arms around him, as
Epona carried them to
Link shoved
that last thought aside before it could continue, and he snuggled further into
Sheik's heat. He would only focus on the
present, this moment. This moment was
all that mattered.
Drifting
pleasantly, he didn't really notice when Sheik's hands rose from his waist to
his chest. Link only noticed when Sheik
tweaked his nipple. With a gasp, he
straightened, and he felt Sheik's lips brushing against his neck.
"I want
to make love to you," Sheik breathed huskily in Link's ear, making him
shiver, "in the middle of the lake, above the
Link swallowed
hard. All he could say was, "Hell,
yeah."
~~~~
Link felt sooo
good. Achy and hot and moist and real
good. Link purred contentedly and leaned
back further into Sheik's sweaty embrace.
Heated, naked flesh met him, and he sighed.
"Love
you," Sheik whispered lazily against the back of his neck. "Love you so much." Lips brushed the top of Link's spine, and the
youth shuddered. "So sweet..."
"Sheik...."
Link sighed. His back against Sheik's
chest, Link could see the brilliant ruby eyes of the early sunset on the
water. Link twisted around, turning his
back on the sun. "I love you so much. I will find you again, I swear it."
Teary crimson
eyes met his own blue ones. "I'll
be waiting," Sheik breathed, capturing Link's mouth in a fierce kiss. Link let himself go, let himself be conquered
in a way he could never allow himself to be in battle. In battle, it meant certain death. In Sheik's arms, it meant victory.
"Sheik,"
Link breathed, breaking the kiss and slowly rising to his feet. He smiled sweetly at him, holding his clothes
behind his back. His closed his eyes,
and when he opened them again, they were glistening with tears. "Throughout time's passing, destiny
entwines the lifestrands of mortals to form true love, soulmates. It doesn't matter if the weaves change, for
the pattern that balances the heart will always be the same. If it is our fate to truly love one another,
if our lives our thus intertwined, in your heart of hearts, you shall remember
me this way."
In the fading
light, Link stood in all his glory, an angel basking in the coming stars. Link smiled sadly at Sheik, slipping on his
clothes, his vivid eyes shining. As
Sheik watched silently, Link raised the Ocarina of Time to his lips and played
the Prelude of Light. Then Link was gone.
~~~~
When Link
opened his eyes again, Zelda's gentle smile greeted him. Link smiled sorrowfully back and handed her
the ocarina.
"Go to
the pedestal," Zelda whispered.
"Replace the Master Sword.
Reclaim your lost time."
Link didn't
say a word. He just obeyed. Weary feet carried him to the resting place
of Evil's Bane. He raised the Master
Sword high, remember Sheik's face as he lay on the small isle.
Goddess of
Time, Link beseeched, be with us.
Please.
And then he
slammed down the Master Sword, and blue light became his world.
Be with us....