Clearer in Time

VIII. The Shadow of Truth (pt.I)
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The village of Kakariko was nestled beautifully in the hills of Hyrule, at the base of the Death Mountain range. Many of the villagers who had lived in the Hyrule Castle Town prior to Ganon’s reign now lived their days in the quiet village. Amongst the darkness and plight of present Hyrule, Kakariko Village seemed different, somehow. Almost as if it was untouched by Ganondorf’s evil.

Link smiled to himself as he, Sheik, and Malon passed through the village, hoof beats sounding quietly from their horses. Many of the villagers were outside enjoying the sunny sky, waving amiably as Link and his company passed. The entire village was so serene and peaceful, just as he had remembered it from his childhood. Even with the dramatic increase in population, it still held a rural feeling, much unlike the fast city feel of Castle Town.

The travelers approached the Kakariko Inn and secured Epona and the other horse outside. Malon and Sheik whispered among themselves. From what Link’s ears could pick up, it wasn’t a friendly conversation. They had been at it the entire ride here, and still showed no signs of slowing. They argued still as they followed Link into the tavern.

It was quiet inside, almost deserted. A few people sat at tables about the place. Anju, the barmaid, was wiping down the bar with a rag. She turned to see who had come in and smiled cheerfully.

“Hey you,” she said in her perpetually flirty voice. She walked over to greet him, the other two women finally silent and watching intently.

“Did you bring my horse back?” She asked, gazing at Link intently. She reached out and touched his arm. Sheik fidgeted around in an annoyed fashion. Malon smiled at her despair.

Link nodded to Anju. “Good,” she said. “It’s been a while. I was starting to worry.” She flashed Link her flirty smile again. “Is there anything else you need?”

At this Link motioned to Malon, who had been whispering to Sheik again. She snapped back to attention, suddenly very solemn. “I was told a man named Talon is here a lot,” she said to Anju.

Before Anju could reply, a voice came from behind them. “Malon?” They turned to see a short, fat man in blue overalls. Malon stared, her eyes welled with tears.

“Daddy!” She cried, running full speed to her father. They embraced tightly, tears now flowing from Talon’s eyes as well.

…

The four of them sat at the bar throughout the day, talking still as the hours passed and the bar began to fill with regulars. Malon told her father the entire story, of Ingo and how Link had rescued her. She of course, left out her and Link’s intimate encounter, which Sheik noted to herself with irritation.

It was almost dark out by the time Malon had finished with everything, her eyes puffy and red from crying. Empty plates and cups littered the table, Anju having brought them lunch earlier in the day.

“So now everything is back to normal,” Malon finished happily. “We can go back to the ranch together.” Talon smiled. How he had missed his daughter.

“Well,” he said. “I suppose Ingo can’t be left with all the work to himself. Better be off.” Malon nodded, and the two ranchers rose from the table. She turned to Link with a smile and hugged him warmly, leaning over an infuriated Sheik to do so.

“Thank you so much for your help, Fairy Boy,” she said to him. “Come back and visit us again, sometime?” Link nodded.

“Hold on, now,” Talon said. “You’re not going anywhere.” Malon turned to her father, a confused look on her face. “Daddy?”

Talon grinned. “You’ve been through quite a bit over at the ranch,” he said. “And even so, you came all the way to Kakariko to get me. You deserve a break.” He approached his daughter and hugged her fiercely.

“Me and Ingo will take care of the ranch,” he said. “You stay with your friends for a while. You can come home when you’re ready. How does that sound?”

Malon’s eyes widened with excitement. “Really? Oh, that would be wonderful!” She squealed. She turned to Link and Sheik. “That is, if it’s alright with you two?”

Sheik said nothing. She looked to Link. He nodded his head. Malon shrieked again.

“Oh, Yay!!!” She cried. “Thank you so much, daddy! I love you!!!”

Talon smiled. “I love you, too, Malon. I’ll see you soon.” He gave her one last hug and turned to leave.

“Goodbye, you two,” he said to Link and Sheik. “Take good care of my daughter, now.” With a final wave, he turned and left the bar.

Malon turned back to the other two and smiled. “Looks like I’m around for a while longer,” she said. Link smiled and nodded. Sheik said nothing, her arms crossed over her chest. Malon bent down towards her and, surprisingly, planted a kiss on the side of her face.

“Oh, don’t pretend like you weren’t going to miss me,” she said teasingly. Sheik’s eyes were wide with surprise, her cheeks blushed under her wrappings. Malon turned back to Link.

“So,” she asked. “Where to, now?” Link shrugged and looked to Sheik, who was still staring off into space. She finally snapped back to attention.

“Oh,” she said. “Follow me. I don’t know where the next temple is, but I know someone who does.” She rose from the table and headed to the door, Link and Malon following her.

They left the Inn and paced through the village. The sun just barely peered over the peaks of Death Mountain, casting an unreal glow over Kakariko. To Link’s dismay, he saw that Sheik was leading them towards the graveyard. He wasn’t scared of much, but he had never liked the Kakariko Cemetery. Something about it was strange and creepy, even more so than other graveyards.

Sure enough, Sheik lead them up the winding road and through the gate of the cemetery. Link perked his ears to the air. He could hear strange sounds in this place. He assumed they were the whispers of the dead. Malon clung anxiously to Link’s side, scared out of her wits. Sheik smiled at this. Perhaps the farm girl wasn’t so perfect, after all.

In the center of the graveyard, amidst the mass of tombstones, was a small house. It stood out of the ground like a dead thing. They approached the house, Sheik in the lead. She knocked at the door and it creaked open ominously. They entered.

The inside of the house was dark, lit dimly by candles. Their shadows danced against the walls like ghosts. Their was an old wooden staircase leading to a second floor, and a small closet against the far wall. Other than that, and the candles against the walls, the room was completely bare.

Link’s sensitive ears picked up a sound. A creak of the stairs. He turned to the stairway. Another creak. This time they all heard it. Malon let out a small, terrified squeak and buried her face into Link’s chest. He reached up to his back, ready to draw his sword at any second. Sheik stood calmly before the staircase, arms folded across her chest.

As they watched, a figure appeared. A tall figure, shrouded in a long dark robe, slowly descending the stairs. It stopped just before Sheik. Link watched in anticipation, unsure of what was about to happen.

Then, to his surprise, Sheik knelt down before the figure, bowing her head.

“Rise,” the figure said. A powerful voice. A woman’s voice. Sheik rose before the figure, still for a moment. Then to Link’s further surprise, the two embraced in a fierce hug. He released his grip on the Master Sword. The two pulled away from one another, and the robed figure pulled back her hood, revealing a strong, beautiful face. She had long silver hair, pulled back in a ponytail, and deep, mysterious amber eyes, very similar to Sheik’s. Sheik spoke, an unmistakable smile in her voice.

“Impa, how I’ve missed you.” The two embraced once more.

…

Impa.

Link remembered her. She had been Zelda’s surrogate mother and bodyguard. She was a full-blooded Sheikah, one of the last.

The four of them sat on the floor among the candles. Link, Malon, and Sheik listened as Impa spoke.

“Listen well, Hero of Time,” she said. “We’ve much to do.” Link nodded for her to proceed.

“Since the fall of Hyrule, I have lived here in the graveyard. I am the Sage of Shadow and protector of the Shadow Temple, and Kakariko, in turn. Sheik is a student of mine, trained in the ways of the Sheikah.”

“Ganondorf has grown furious of your triumphs. He will only intensify his efforts to see you dead. The only two trials remaining before the Evil King himself are the temples. Shadow and Spirit. They are unlike the other temples. There is more to the evil there than monsters and traps. There is a deep, old magic within these temples. Something that can only be combated with another type of magic. I will train you to this power, and we will cleanse the Shadow Temple together. Do you understand?”

Link nodded. “Very well,” Impa said. “The training will take many days. You will reside in this house with me, not leaving until the training is complete. Your companions will stay in Kakariko and wait for your return.”

Link nodded and turned to the other two. Both of them looked thoroughly disappointed. Impa spoke again.

“We will start tonight. You may say your goodbyes, and then meet me upstairs.” Impa turned and ascended the wooden steps, disappearing from sight. Link turned to the two girls. They gazed at him sadly. He noticed Malon was extremely fidgety. He eyed her questioningly.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” she said bashfully. “I almost wet myself in the graveyard.”

“That little door is a lavatory,” Sheik said, pointing to the small door against the far wall. Malon nodded quickly and rushed to it, shutting the door behind her. Sheik turned to Link.

“Well,” Sheik said. “It looks like me and the farm girl will be spending some quality time together.” Link said nothing. He stared intently at Sheik. He wouldn’t see her for days, maybe even weeks.

He approached her, gauging the look on her face. She watched him confusedly. They were only inches apart. Link’s hand crept up to Sheik’s face, slowly pulling away the wrappings covering her. Her eyes widened in surprise as Link saw her face for a second time, but she did not protest.

“What are you do-” she started. She was silenced as Link pressed his mouth against hers. The rest of her sentence melted into a sigh as he kissed her, his tongue gently exploring her mouth. She kissed him back, reveling in the feel of his soft lips, in the moment she had been waiting for since she had first seen him. Link’s hand caressed the side of her face, as her arms wrapped around his back, lips locked all the while, tongues gently massaging each other. Sheik felt a wonderful heated sensation in the very center of her, growing ever stronger as Link kissed her. She felt his free hand moving over her body, touching her everywhere. She moaned into his next kiss, pressing against his body, her heart quickening.

Then came a sound from the bathroom. The door handle fumbled and Malon appeared in the doorway. She looked to see the other two standing far from each other, staring away awkwardly. She eyed them curiously.

“Did I miss something?” She asked, already knowing the answer. She could guess what had happened. Sheik hastily lied.

“We were just waiting for you,” she said, trying her best to sound annoyed. “What took you so long?” Malon smiled and shook her head.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” She approached Link and embraced him in a tight hug. She kissed him on the cheek, for once not eliciting anger from Sheik.

“Good luck, Fairy Boy,” Malon said. “Hurry with your training. I don’t want to be stuck with Little Miss Jealousy for too long.” Link smiled and nodded. She let go of him and walked to the door where Sheik was waiting for her. The two waved a final time and then exited the house, closing the door behind them. Link was now alone in the room.

He sighed as he turned towards the stairway. His body was aching with tension. Kissing Sheik was unlike anything he had expected. Now it would be days before there would be even the slightest chance of continuing where they had left off.

At the top of the stairs a was single doorway on the left hand side. Link raised his hand to knock before it creaked open on it’s own.

Inside was not a room almost identical to the one downstairs. Completely bare, with candles about the floor. Impa was seated in the center of the room. As Link watched, she motioned for him to sit.

Link approached and sat across from the mysterious woman. He waited patiently for her to speak.

“Tell me, young Hero,” Impa said. “What do you know of the Sheikah?”

“Little,” Link replied. Impa nodded, then spoke.

“The Sheikah tribe has served, since Hyrule’s infancy, as the protector of Hyrule’s Royal Family. As your remember, I served as the princess’s attendant. With such an important responsibility, our tribe has been forced to perfect certain skills and techniques, such as the ninjitsu fighting style and stealth techniques. In addition to sword training, I will be teaching you a special technique.” Impa looked at him sternly. “Do you know why the crest of our tribe is an eye?” Link shook his head.

“It is because of our special technique,” she continued. “A trademark, that only the Sheikah practice and few others know of at all. It is called the Eye of Truth. This technique is used to see through the shadows of deception, in more ways than one can imagine. It is very difficult, but will prove invaluable to your quest through the temples, and eventually against the Evil King himself. Are you ready to begin?”

Link nodded confidently. Impa smiled.

…

Sheik and Malon opened the door to their room at the Kakariko Inn. There was only one bed. Sheik hardly noticed. She was replaying her moment with Link over and over in her mind’s eye. The feel of his lips, his hands, were still fresh upon her body. If only that insufferable redhead had not been there. Her body ached with need.

She looked to Malon and gasped, face burning red. The farm girl was completely nude, save for her panties. Sheik had a second to marvel at the redheads beautifully curvaceous body before she looked away in embarrassment.

“What’s wrong?” Malon said in a puzzled voice. Sheik continued to look over her shoulder. “Is it because I’m naked?”

“Don’t you have a nightgown?” Sheik asked bashfully.

“No. They’re uncomfortable.” She hopped into the bed, exhausted from emotional stress. Seeing her father again had been a happy thing, but the entire ordeal had left her worn out. She looked to Sheik, who was still standing with her head turned away. What a strange girl, Malon thought.

“I’m covered? Are you going to stand there all night?” Sheik turned cautiously, as though Malon could have been lying. Then she reached into her side bag and retrieved a small folded cloth, it looked like. Sheik looked to Malon.

“Could you look away, please?” Malon rolled her eyes but did as she was asked. After a few seconds, Sheik spoke again.

“Okay, I’m changed.” Malon turned her head back and saw Sheik. She wore a beautiful blue silk nightdress. The smooth fabric clung to the swells and curves of her lithe body. It was attractive somehow, Malon thought to herself.

As she watched amusedly, Sheik awkwardly got in the bed next to her. I have days of this to look forward to, Sheik thought with a grimace.

Malon put out the lamp next to the bed and the room went dark, leaving the two women in the same bed and an awkward silence.

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