Sins of Darkness REWRITE || an SSB Fanfic

Chapter 27: Lullaby for A Princess

Sheik sighed as he slipped between the sheets of his bed, preparing himself for yet another sleepless night. He stared up at the ceiling in a daze after having spent the whole afternoon crying and wallowing in his own misery. He wanted to believe Ike's words, and he did in some ways, but that paranoia still hammered against the back of his brain.

He glanced at the harp that sat on his night table, frowning as he did. Back when they were younger, he used to play the harp whenever Zelda or their father weren't feeling well; he doubted that it sounded good now that he thought about it, but regardless it was a cute, harmless act of a toddler. After the divorce, however, he never got the chance to play it again.

It's been several years, but... perhaps he still had some muscle memory? Hesitantly, he sat up and reached for the harp, grasping its gold frame in his hands. Clearly, that muscle memory was already failing him because he couldn't even remember how to hold it properly. Curses, could he really not do anything right? One frustrated sigh after another, he finally recalled that he should hold it at his side, almost as if giving it an awkward side hug. Once he finally got that out of the way, now came the biggest challenge: actually playing the damn thing.

He put his fingers against the strings, surprised to feel that they were quite tightened. He figured that, after so many years of being unused, it would've fallen into disrepair. And yet, as he struck one of the strings, the harp made a beautiful, clear, and gentle sound. Suddenly, all those memories of playing this small yet precious instrument came back to him, and it only took another strike at a string for him to begin to play a song.

It was one he'd written, actually. One time, when Zelda was really sick, nothing could get her to fall asleep due to the pain she was in. Not medication, not bedtime stories, nothing. Then, Sheik had the wonderful idea to make a song for her. It was a soft and sweet melody, just what Zelda needed in order to get a full night's rest.

This wasn't the first time Sheik had played it since they were young. He had recorded it once before, whilst he was playing guitar back in his teenage years. It was the same song he had put on Link's SUV when they were coming back from Korok Forest, and once again the song had lulled her into a peaceful sleep. And he couldn't blame her, for as he played it, he too felt his eyes growing heavier, the uneasiness in his mind fading, a sense of calm washing over his body.

Soon enough, the song slowed into a gentle halt.

~~~

Sheik slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the bright light he was met with as he blinked himself awake. He sat up with a groan, rubbing his eyelids as he looked at the space around him. It was all white, save for the blue lake that he was laying on. A dream? He thought, feeling his stomach twist into itself. What cursed prophecy would it show him this time, he wondered? Would it foretell the death of another person he cared about, and would he be unable to do anything to prevent it once again?

"You finally fell asleep."

Sheik's eyes went wide as he felt his heart skip a beat. That voice... it couldn't be... He stood up, slowly turning around and feeling his heart race with glee, fear, and anxiety. This wasn't real, there's no way that voice had been real. This was a dream for Goddess' sake, what he heard was likely nothing more than an auditory hallucination or something.

And yet, once he fully turned around, he was met with clear, crystal blue eyes that shined so radiantly with warmth and kindness. Her chestnut curls flowed in the wind, as did the white fabric of her dress, and her ever loving smile turned into a teasing smirk as their eyes met. "Who would've known that the prince of going to bed at eight PM sharp would miss several days of sleep?"