Prologue
“You’ll have to leave Hyrule as soon as possible, you can’t change the path time took; even if you’re trying to help, you would only create a paradox, and that would be even more destructive than Gannondorf.” Zelda smiled at him then. “You know already how things will turn out. Don’t worry.”
“Is something wrong?”
Link came back to himself, realizing, to his chagrin, that he’d gotten so caught up reminiscing that he’d stopped walking altogether.
“Sorry,” he said, with a laugh. “I got a little caught up in my thoughts.” His traveling companion regarded him seriously, before turning to face him fully.
“You seemed sad,” the boy stated. “So I’ll reiterate: Is something wrong?”
“I was just thinking of home,” Link told the other blonde. “A little homesick, you know?” The other boy’s crimson eyes clouded slightly.
“No,” The boy said softly, turning and continuing along the path. “I wouldn’t know.”
“Smooth, Link.” Navi commented, from Link’s hat. “Real smooth.”
Link resisted the urge to whack his head against the nearest tree, settling for cuffing himself upside the head instead; then he ran to catch up.
“Sorry! I wasn’t thinking! That was insensitive of me.” Link caught the other boy’s arm. “I’m sorry, Sheik.”
“It’s not like it’s your fault,” Sheik replied. “I’m lucky just to be alive; so loosing my memory is a small price to pay, I suppose.”
“Still...” Link sighed as they continued walking.
“We’ve been traveling together for how long now?”
“Um...” Link thought about it. “Seven months, I think...maybe eight... Why?”
“You don’t talk about your home or your family much,” Sheik observed. “If you’re homesick, why don’t you go back?”
“Well,” Link said. “I kinda can’t right now.”
“What? Are you in trouble or something?”
“No, nothing like that...well, actually...sorta yes...but probably not the way you’d think... It’s really complicated.”
“How much trouble can a twelve-year-old get into?” Sheik asked, amused.
“You’d be surprised,” Link said, shaking his head. “And I was ten when I left, actually.”
“This would be easier if I remembered what I used to know about you,” Sheik said. “We’re supposed to be best friends, right? But it’s like I’ve only known you for these last three weeks.”
Link looked at his feet guiltily before responding. “Like you said, you’re lucky to be alive; I’m just glad for that. You’ll probably remember eventually.”
Just don’t remember too soon...please Sheik, not until Gannondorf has been defeated. Don’t remember at all; I don’t want you to hate me for lying to you...about everything...
Feed the Muse!