₀₂. ᴹᴱᴵᴰᴼ

ᵃⁿᶜⁱᵉⁿᵗ ᵈʳᵉᵃᵐˢ ⁱⁿ ᵃ ᵐᵒᵈᵉʳⁿ ˡᵃⁿᵈ.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY   :    𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴 + 𝙴𝙽𝙴𝚁𝙶𝚈 ( OR THE SHEIKAGE-FIED GUIDE TO THE TIMELINE FROM ANCIENT HYRULE UP TO NOW )

INTRODUCTION: it is no secret that me and the official zelda timeline are in our It's Complicated era, also known as the era of wilds, but that will not stop me from drawing up a little cheat sheet on how sheik's story and the timeline(s) get interpreted on my blog for the sake of consistency. the general gist remains the same. there are two timelines that end up converging, and this timeline gets levelled to start a new one, and out of all of this comes one that merges with modern times where hyrule no longer exists. this meta will deal with making sense of the times mentioned, where sheik fits into those and what is taken away from the timelines concerning the sheikah tribe, and how that directly ties into the sheikah's magic and energy and how this slightly differs to what we see the three triforce wearer wield. ( warning: there are some canon divergences ahead that are not in line with the official timeline or canon hyrule shenanigans. because i deserve peace. )

THE FIRST TIMELINE, BEFORE LINK DIVORCES HYRULE:

thus we invite my own worst enemy onto the stage right away, to get it out of the way first, which is the era of skies that starts just a little while after the three goddesses create the world that we now know to become hyrule. [ needless to say i have my issues with how skyward sword resets a lot of established lore just to make fit its silly little game, but fine, if we want to play we will play by the rules. ] during the era of the skies the sheikah tribe is established as some of the only humanoid people living on the ground after surviving the first attack on the land goddess hylia has inhabited. they have lived there for an extended amount of time, long enough to have built and maintained the temple of time and the sealed ground in response to their first fight against demise and hylia's binding of this evil force into the earth. the sheikah have existed before the hylians and gerudo we will later know to inhabit the kingdom, before ganon has even been put into the equation, and they are the ones that have used the technology from the ancient robots on the ground as well as kept guard of the holy locations left behind by hylia and the first humans she lived among. the sheikah are guardians of these places and await for the sky-sent humans to return and put the prophecy of a reborn hylia in place.

sheik, as well as impa and other sheikah, exist to keep the temples safe and to await the arrival of the blessed princess and the chosen hero. whereas impa acts as a protector and guardian to zelda while she is being hunted by ghirahim, sheik is a monk-esque warrior that protects the sealed ground and the temple of hylia. the sheikah that have survived and remain on the ground are already users of magic and have prolonged lifespans, as they have been favoured by the goddess. they are the closest mortals there have ever been to hylia and therefore have their own culture and their own set faith towards hylia, which is slightly different ( and will keep differing ) from the hylians that will make up the bigger part of the ground's population. after link saves zelda and they remain on the ground with the other residents of skyloft, the sheikah are installed as the guardians of the royal family, just how they would continue to be. the significance of hylia's favour towards them prevails even in this new population and the formation of hyrule as a kingdom, with the sheikah becoming historians, mages, and protectors of hyrule and its royal family.

what follows is a time of chaos, including the battle for the sacred realm as well as the banishing of the twili. these are the only noteworthy events for this meta before we make it to our big split in the timeline, as the twili are some of the strongest sorcerers in hylian history and used to descend from a tribe of sorcerers in hyrule. it is canon on this blog that the aforementioned tribe are the sheikah, thus starting the long push and pull between hylians and sheikah ever since the hylians have taken over the surface, the royal family starting its trend of favouring a population that looks like them and punishing especially those that are more advanced than the family and the common people. the sheikah the twili originated from turned into shadow beings, known as interlopers, and their banishment led to the existence of the twilight realm. the magic of the twili creates a civilised world within this realm, letting its people exist in peace and among themselves to establish their own kingdom and advancing their powers among themselves. similar to that the battle for the sacred realm includes the first sign of a sage in hylian history, with rauru as the first sage banishing the triforce as a whole from the surface and locking it in the temple of light in the sacred realm, employing several other sages to help him keep this powerful magic force contained. impa, as one of the sheikah, becomes one of these sages and all of her descendants of the same name will follow in her footsteps.

the kingdom of hyrule lives in prosperity with the sheikah now a shadow folk hidden away from the rest of the kingdom's citizens. while the royal family ushers them into hiding they keep employing them as secret agents to keep the peace installed in the kingdom and to fight any magical or non-magical foe that wants to attack the royal family and the kingdom. a civil war ensued after some time that nearly split the kingdom, instead not soon later ending with gerudo prince ganondorf stealing the triforce and splitting it in three, securing the triforce of power for himself while the one of wisdom situates itself with hylia's descendant and the one of courage goes to the chosen hero's descendant. impa remains the guardian of princess zelda, hylia's power of light now secured in her every version as well, and the sheikah warrior that used to be there to protect the temple of hylia is now the guardian looking over the hero of time, known more obviously from then on as link just like his counterpart from the sky. after ganondorf's attack on hyrule ends in the decimation of the sheikah tribe, this sheikah warrior will only ever be known as sheik, proclaimed as the last of the sheikah besides impa. the sheikah and the gerudo are now the known wielders of magic in hyrule and it is the sheikah specifically that can use shadow magic as well as using the power of music or enchanted objects to manipulate the elements, time, as well as energy.

the events of ocarina of time ensue and the timeline splits. for the sake of this meta's length as well as my mental health, we are solely focusing on the timeline that follows link defeating ganondorf and then returning to his childhood self that first started fulfilling the prophecy, and the timeline of the great flood. from here on out, there will be no mention of the third timeline splitting from the original one.

THE TIMELINE DIVORCE #1: TWILIGHT PRINCESS. ( and majora's mask, i guess, because we love portals. )

while much reduced in numbers, a few of the sheikah have survived the attack on their tribe and remained in their home village kakariko. over time the village fell into decline and became infested with dangerous beasts, driving the last few sheikah that remained away which only left one of impa's descendants, impaz, as the last woman standing to meet link during the era of twilight and let him know of the legends passed down through the tribe over time. legends that speak of a species in the sky that has helped guard hylia and the royal family alongside the sheikah, once more strengthening the sheikah's role as the royal family's connected agents to hylia as well as establishing a connection to skyloft that was previously undocumented. with the old village of kakariko having dwindled more and more over time and with residually no sheikah left, there was little left of their magic either until the recreated connection to the twili showed some of the ancient power the sheikah used to possess as interlopers before being banished. twilight magic and the bodies of the twili hold the distinct blue tint that is known as energy connected to the divine forces, proving the origin of the sheikah's magic as a gift from the goddess. it is also a different road sheikah magic took when cultivated in a place where they have transformed from their past selves to what is known as the twili race. the era of twilight is vital proof for the sheikah's distinctive and powerful magic and its roots in hyrule's ancient history as well as expanding their influence across two realms with the skies and the twilight realm.

the era of twilight also introduces the concept of differently illustrated magic even whent the absence of the sheikah is felt througout this time in hyrule's history. whereas the three leading figures of the prophecy are already coded in their own colours, the hero's green now speaks to the force of life presiding in hyrule as it is while the blue associated with the princess speaks of a direct divine influence from the gods. it is also during this era that the last remaining sheikah warrior is hidden from view of the prophecy and begins their lonesome state of becoming hyrule's chronicler, noting down all events that they have witnissed and that would unfold the further time goes along ...

THE TIMELINE DIVORCE #2: THE GREAT FLOOD & A NEW KINGDOM ( siri, play waterloo by abba . . . or something )

ganondorf, who was sealed in the sacred realm by zelda and link, breaks free to take his revenge on hyrule once more but the three golden goddesses intercept and flood the entirety of the kingdom while choosing a select few hylians to go to the mountainous regions of the land that wouldn't be touched by the flood. these mountaintops end up forming 49 islands that make up all that is left of hyrule while the great sea covers what was once known as the mighty kingdom. with the hero of time lost to the sea and not much hope left, princess zelda incarnated in the form of young pirate tetra who isn't aware of who she is, the gods have taken hold over the kingdom's fate amidst the ocean, waiting for both to return to banish ganon and decide the new fate of hyrule once and for all.

the importance of this era lies in its origin ( as we discard most of what happens in the follow-up games past wind waker for consistency's sake ) and its central island / connection: above the sunken hyrule and near the great sea's centre is the tower of the gods, a testing ground for the hero of time's reincarnation and a central portal to the old hyrule. the tower of the gods also exists as the great sea's central force of magic and the converging of its most prophecy-touched locations and characters. the era of wind keeps with the tradition of sages and puts even greater weight on the goddesses and their hand in the making and unmaking of hyrule as well as the people's connection to them. this era also continues the themes of elemental magic, whereas the magic of conduction is used as link's primary source of magical and power are based on the wind he also needs to sail the sea. that is directly in line with the guidelines of magic first established by the sheikah and is a direct extension of its power, the sages also being able to harness time-and-element-manipulating magic through their instruments just like sheik first did. tetra is also a key-player in this as this reincarnated version of zelda is sheikah in appearance and would end up being the ancestor of the new princesses that would rule from here on out. while the sheikah are not present in the explored world, it can be said that a few hid away ( among impa's crew ) and waited for the goddesses' next move, and that the tower of the gods is very much foreboding the engineering they would establish in the new version of hyrule much later. it all comes from the gods and returns to them in equal measure as they have the final say over hyrule's existence, so much that even the prophecy runs second to their verdict.

once ganondorf is defeated and the old hyrule is sunk to the bottom of the great sea, tetra, her crew, and link set sail to a new land to form a new kingdom of hyrule. this new hyrule is the one that the era of wilds is going to exist in, spanning a timeline of ten thousand years and a new beginning for the people of hyrule, now led by the arrival of zonai on the land and descendants of the old hyrule's royal family leading a kingdom closer to the gods and the wheels of magic and power than ever before.

THE CONVERGED TIMELINE: A NEW HYRULE ( new powers, the clear distinction of energy, and the sheikah's advancements)

the era of wilds is much documented and covered, so the calamity as its most decisive event is well evident, as the chronicler of hyrule's history has continued their thorough work in this new hyrule as well. besides this turning point what needs to be noted of importance is how this new kingdom of hyrule has thousands of years of rich sheikah history before the calamity hit and the royal family once more decided to exile their own most valued and trusted guards. as the people of the kingdom settled into a new reality ever since crossing the great sea, the sheikah built a new kakariko in hyrule as well, just off the centre of hyrule and in the western part of necluda. the village is located close to one of the great fairy springs and much bigger than kakariko used to be, it also showcases more of the sheikah tribe's own traditions and culture that they have carried over from old hyrule instead of leaning into a more hylian aesthetic.

having a more settled home means the sheikah have time to pursue avenues beyond guardianship of the royal family, something they have not done before. in the era of wilds after the kingdom was helped built by the zonai, the sheikah take over as leading scientists, engineers, and scholars building the ancient security system of the castle, the sheikah towers, the the resurrection chamber for the hero, and creating the ancient research center to study the ancient technology and ancient energy the zonai has left behind. this is vital for the advancement of hylian society and comes in as a saving grace during the calamity, where she divine beasts created by the sheikah harness divine energy and life force of its champion to help defeat ganon. even when the sheikah get banished for the destructive potential their technology and magic have wrought during the calamity, as no matter their hand in saving the kingdom the royal family wouldn't let a power like this remain on its own, their effort isn't in vain. one hundred years after the disastrous events of the calamity, the hero returns and he brings back the sheikah's technology and with it acknowledgement of their voice as one of the defining ones in hylian society.

the sheikah technology and their shrines are both powered by the same energy the sheikah have used and studied, the ancient energy that shines light-blue. it emanates off the walls of the divine beasts, is everywhere the shrines, powers the sheikah towers and the ancient weapons, and a blue flame needs to be lit to restart the ancient tech laboratory in hateno. this ancient energy, which was brought by the zonai and then harnessed by the sheikah, has its power centre underneath hyrule castle in the place ganon was once first sealed by the first king of new hyule, rauru. meanwhile the zonai islands themselves, as well as some of the mechanism seen in the temples during the era of wilds, shine with bright green light and usually indicate the response of the hero's touch to be activated. this green light speaks of the general energy ( or spiritual force, as in japanese it indicates the concept of life force in hyrule ) that can be seen all over hyrule and that indicates the presence of the spiritual energy that exists all over hyrule. both of these sources of energy originate from the zonai or come alive when in contact with the triforce wielders and are in stark contrast to the energy and magic used by demise / ganon, whose magic is a dark purple, seen in his malice, and all concentrated life matter is red.

the ancient blue force is also seen in the temple of time during the events of ocarina of time, even before the first timeline split, and showcases just how ancient it is and how the first evidence of it ever seen in hyrule is in the place where the line between the realm of hyrule and the sacred realm is at its thinnest. this force is old, the first version of rauru had a hand in creating it, and it proceeded to show up in any of the split timelines. in the era of wilds, where magic and energy can be seen intersectional, it might be the strongest remainder of where the people of new hyrule come from. the fact that the sheikah are the ones to use it and harness it the most in their shrines is evident of their renewed spiritual connection to hylia and the land of hyrule as a whole. add to this that the sheikah are more open with their faith in hylia then they ever were since the era of the skies, their utilisation of this life force and its ancient origin makes the most sense. the monks are also surrounded by divine energy in their stasis, just as the ancient zonai temples glow in the spiritual life force the hero can harness as well ( pretty much just showcasing rauru's connection to link. )

beneath hyrule castle, rauru's seal on ganon emanates the same divine energy before being transformed into the softer green energy. this is made possible by the sheikah's invention of the purification stone which filters out the divine energy and turns the power from ganon's body into usable energy, as if siphoning only the energetic matter out of it while leaving the chaos that is contained in demise's power with his corpse. these forms of energy power all of the sheikah technology, as there is a central vein running from beneath hyrule castle to the first sheikah tower in the fields of hyrule, whose activation reinstalls functionality in all other sheikah towers. the sheikah have managed to not only to hone their magic, as the sheikah of the era of wilds are just as powerful in using the magic associated with them since their origin, they have made it possible to use the divine force the gods have given them and power their technological creations and their shrines with it. not only that, by the time the era of wild turns into the era of tears, it becomes obvious that while the sheikah have taken their cues from the zonai, they have also taken their cue from their past tribe as sorcerers and guardians to build a bridge between their own abilities and better hyrule and make it safer. their spiritually powers their technology, it powers their access to the energy all over hyrule, and even when the royal family tried to bury it, their flourishing prevails without hylian imput.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY   :    𝚆𝙰𝚁𝚁𝙸𝙾𝚁.   (    ON COMBAT SKILLS AND WEAPONS   )

INTRODUCTION: sheik is the most powerful of the sheikah warriors,  which means they are a master of using their magical abilities and blending them with their combat skills to a frighteningly effective and seemingly effortless degree. when they have grown up in the era of the sky, they have been trained to be a guardian of the holy temples in hyrule's ancient land, first the forest temple and sealed grounds and later on the temple of time. because of that sheik has been trained in hand-to-hand combat as well as the usage of classical sheikah weapons from early on in their life. over lifetimes sheik has been undergoing more and more training alongside impa and other sheikah warriors, to ensure protection of the royal family and work in the shadow temple, as well as their guidance of lunk during the era of time.  to be able to guide and train link, and look after him on his journey, sheik has been focusing their studies on swordsmanship alongside their more hands-on approach of fighting. and where impa specialises in absorbing other’s magical powers and the manipulation of elements,    sheik is more prone to hone into enhancing their strength and stealth abilities as well as their healing powers. sheik uses the sheikah runes on their body rather than work with sigils, directing their magic inwards to increase what their body can do in a battle rather than use enhancement through surrounding and outside forces like impa does. in this way, they mirror impa and zelda's abilities.

COMBAT SKILLS: similar to ancient sheikah monk maz koshia, sheik could be seen as something of a warrior monk through the first few of their lifetimes. they focus heavily on hand-to-hand combat and scarcely fight with weapons. they rely on their stealth abilities and their magic and use those to their advantages in battle. sheik is a close combat fighter first and foremost and rely on proximity in direct battle situations. as seen with other sheikah warriors or even members of the yiga clan, sheik's fighting style is distinctively martial arts and in particular based on judo, jiujutsu techniques, taekwando and shōrinji kempō. there is alo a reason sheik is not zelda's guardian, as impa is the guide for a defensive fighting style while sheik is the guide for an offensive fighting style, almost always opting to engage in battle and confrontation or assassinate their opponents while impa fights to guard and protect. sheik's primary focus when they fight is to combine their attacks with their magical abilities - using their ability to teleport, increase their speed and strength and enhance their hits to get as close to their opponent as possible and end the fight as soon as possible. sheik's years of meditation and ancient training have made them almost impossible to pace out, attack fatally or kill.

WEAPONS: while sheik's fighting style has started out with an addendum of weapons, they have advanced their fighting abilities alongside the development of several sheikah weapons. it is not far-fetched to assume that most of the sheikah weapons still around during the era of the wild are ones deemed sufficient for battle and training because of sheik's long-lasting usage of them. ( as well as impa's, as the two differ in some of their weapon arsenal. ) sheik's small arsenal of weapons can be divided into swords / any blade-weapons they use as an extension of their arms and hands and weapons they can use at short to middle distance. when fighting with weapons, sheik's fighting style is distinctive to kenjutsu and iaido. as stated sheik is not a reactionary fighter and usually remains on the offence, though their swordsmanship includes defensive blocks to counterstrike and those blocks are more common than any defensive techniques sheik uses without weapons as they are simply not used to having to block enemy attacks in close-range combat and neither do they plan to. blocks and counter-attacks in sword fights exist to block another sword rather than solely defend themselves against their opponent as they will always use these techniques to find moments to attack in the same moment.

sheik's best-known and most used weapons are their katana and kodachi and thin needle blades. the kodachi sheik wields is similar to impa's own devoted kodachi and zanshin kodachi newer sheikah warriors fight with - but where impa and other sheikah have opted for purple and gold accents, sheik's kodachi has a black hilt that is only intercepted by thin sigils wrapped around to strengthen the connection between sheik's hands and the sword. sheik uses the kodachi in a similar style to impa as they have both been trained together and at the same time. where impa would then specialise on using a naginata, sheik later got trained in wielding a katana alongside their kodachi. while some of the warriors and monks fight with a tachi and kodachi, as is more common, sheik opted for the shorter blade length of the katana to match the fighting style they already developed with the kodachi. sheik's katana is once more similar to the zanshin long-blade seen in modern kakariko, as it can be understood that their swords are somewhat legendary among younger generations of sheikah warriors and therefore are modelled after sheik's weapons. matching sheik's kodachi, the sword handle is kept simple with sigils wrapped around it all the way to the end of the hilt to the beginning of the blade. using both swords at the same time, sheik fights in a two-sword style that isn't very common among young sheikah warriors but that is highly compatible with impa's fighting style with the naginata as well as link's with the master sword.

the thin needle blades sheik uses are some of their oldest weapons, if not the oldest. they were one of the first weapons sheik ever used and are the ones that work first and foremost as an extension of their weaponless combat style. sheik foregoes throws and other usual attacks they would usually use to instead wield the thin needles between their knuckles and slash their opponents from up close. sheik can also throw the needles at extremely increased speed, an attack known as 'needle storm' among sheikah techniques. just like they can teleport themselves, sheik can throw the needles and hit their target and the needles return to them almost immediately afterwards for further usage. besides these needles, sheik has used a thin metal chain for short and middle-distanced attacks similar to their needle throws. sheik can use the chain to reel their opponents in as well as loop it around an opponent's limb and drag the person off their feet. in rare cases sheik also attaches spark bombs to the chain to increase the throwing distance of them to attack a sole enemy or a small group of them from a further distance - and use the element of surprise as well as stunning of their enemies to get close to them and finish the job.

LEGACY: in the end it comes down to how sheik sees the battle or fight they are in to go down and who their opponent is. over time they undoubtedly have an advantage over most battle scenarios as they can see any and all avenues the fight could take and the moves their enemy could make, not to mention the all-seeing fate allows them to manipulate the flow of time in reality in some aspects. while sheik has started out with hand-to-hand combat, and this is undoubtedly where their biggest strength lies, they have become one of the strongest and most advanced warriors in hyrule and the most powerful warrior among the sheikah besides impa and maz koshia. as most of the older monks have been in meditative stasis for thousands and thousands of years, sheik has the advantage of spending part of the same time actively engaged in training themselves and being trained by younger generations of sheikah warriors as well. in this way there is a cycle with sheik - they are so powerful because they continuously have kept advancing over their lifetimes and in myths they are seen as the most powerful and ideal sheikah warrior to aspire to alongside impa because they have proven themselves to be times and times before. the legend of the last sheikah warrior during the era of time persists because there was and is proof, even if that is unbeknownst to many people. and there are only few enemies sheik could not or can't defeat.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY  :   𝙵𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝙸𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙾𝚆𝙽 𝚀𝚄𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽. ( IMMORTAL CURSE AU )

A PERFECT WORLD? far before the 21st century, there was a kingdom on the land that would later be spoken about in folktales and the most fabled parts of history, a place one wouldn't be able to make sure was real. in the kingdom of hyrule, there was the royal family and their closest guards - the sheikah. the sheikah, hidden from the public eye and only known to the members of the family, were select member of the royal guard that held stations between protectors and secret regents to ensure the safety of the royal family as well as protection of the kingdom's citizen without them knowing. but conflict was brewing from all sides, with the gerudo prince of one of the smaller states in the kingdom questioning the rule of the royal family, as well as tension between the sheikah and the royal family. the regent guards' improvements in the regions in hyrule they presided over were seen as threats to the royal family's superiority and with the pressure on their reign rising, they cast out the guards for fear of being overtaken by them. leaving themselves defenceless against an attack from the gerudo prince and without aid, the kingdom soon fell into disarray. during the civil war, one of the sheikah guards that has been particularly close to the royal family, was seen as a traitor for how they turned their back on the family they vowed to protect but as a hero among the guards for letting the daughter of the royal family, princess zelda, know of the impending attack from the gerudo prince and getting her aid in making sure most of the guards would be safe by the time the royal family would have exiled them to fend for themselves. while many of the sheikah fled amidst the war and bloodshed, the last remaining guard stayed behind - to protect the princess, if no one else.

THE ALMIGHTY SIMPLY QUESTIONS: after asking the princess to take mercy on them and kill them before they'd be killed by anyone else on either side of the civil war, the sheikah guard accepts their fate of being the one left behind and lets the princess kill them with the very arrow she would later use to kill the gerudo prince. as both a reward for protecting their own people and the princess and a punishment for the deaths they caused among the civilians with the way they selfishly turned their back on the royal family and the kingdom, the almighty goddess grants the sheikah guard immortality. returning to the world after their kingdom has long disappeared into obscurity, the guard has to figure out the terms of such rare immortality - where they have been blessed with a second chance, and a body that could do much more than it could when they were only a mortal guard, they have now been cursed to see everyone they attach themselves to over time die before them, leaving them alone in a similar manner they have been at the end of their first life. it takes an extraordinary person, and uncovering the secret of why the guard first turned their back on their own people to save the princess of a family that regarded all of them as traitors, for this curse to be lifted and for the immortal to move on into the afterlife.

YOU CAN FIND THE ANSWER: it is the 21st century and hayato kawada lives in the very same house they have been living in for the past two centuries. having been taken in by a woman they helped save during one of the country's wars, hayato has promised her and her ancestors to look after them and aid them while the woman's family would keep them and their identity hidden from other mortals. hayato lives on the upper floor of the house, usually existing removed from the family they used to protect but do not need much of such protection in the modern age - there is a running joke that hayato is a tsukumogami to the family, a utensil that has been granted a god's soul and conscience after living for a hundred years and now lingered around. unbeknownst to hayato and the current descendant of the family, paya, one the family's first ancestors is one of the guards hayato used to work with in their first life, impa. keeping their magical powers and their identity a secret from everyone else, even paya, hayato buries all memories of their first life and now works as a historian for the local university, accepting their fate while not holding out hope that they'd meet anyone to break their curse and lift their immortality off of them. having become cynical and jaded over time, stoic to the point of rarely striking connections besides the one to paya, hayato has resigned themselves to their fate. even hayato themselves knows that the person to save them is not someone to randomly become the one to break their curse, but is predestined just how hayato's immortality has been destined when they chose the princess's life over their own.

VERSE NOTES: this verse can be open to anyone. any muse interacting with sheik would not know them as sheik but as hayato, unless there is a connection shared in the first life of either muse. even then, hayato would not want to be referred to as sheik, and it would take both muses audibly admitting to the fact that a connection from the previous life exists. muses can interact with hayato / sheik as colleagues in the faculty, a roommate that sublets a room in the house hayato and paya live in ( though hayato would have to agree to that more or less first ) or as someone integral to hayato's immortality. zelda is not the person to break the curse, but a reincarnated version of her or ganondorf, or related to either of them, can see hayato's past version and sense their powers. hayato has the same magic powers in this verse as they usually do, just that they can summon the arrow they have been killed with, and use it as a weapon if needed. FYI: the depths of the connection between hayato and other muses is as always up for plotting!

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY: 𝙳𝙸𝚅𝙸𝙽𝙴 𝙰𝙵𝙵𝙸𝚁𝙼𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 ( NOTES RE: TOTK #1 )

01. when link meets impa, she mentions to him that an ancient scholar has written down the connection between the dragon's tears locations and the geoglyphie murals seen all over hyrule from the sky since the upheaval. that ancient person has apparently also documented the connection to the forgotten temple. undoubtedly and in line with the extended canon on this blog, this person would be sheik.

02. the tears and zelda's powers (the powers of the triforce of wisdom, or of the ones blessed by hylia) contain the ability to move backwards in time, or ' recalling ' as it is so fittingly called. link and zelda are downright communicating with each other through time, something that i presume zelda to be aware of as she is the one talking to link's future from early hyrule's past while knowing what happens to him. totk is back to the future for uber nerds (me) and i am going to implement this ability right into sheik's already convoluted relationship towards time itself and hylia. dreams are visions and visions are the past.

03. we got mines up in the sky. we got so many round portals, as a portal and cyclical trope believer i am having a ball in here. zonai technology in general seems fully in line with the earliest sheikah technology. rauru mentioned at one point the zonai guardians were smarter than the zonai themselves and with what is shown in skysword and twilight princess, it is pretty safe to assume that at least the knowledge of this technology feat was taken to the ground and shared with the other skyfolk - hence the technological inventions we have already seen in both games despite being so far apart in the timeline.

04. queen sonia, first queen of hyrule and wife to rauru, has the sheikah eye on her forehead and sheikah crests in white paints all over her arm. this is very lovely aligned with my meta on sheik's own tattoos and the fact that the paint on sonia is a mixture of sheikah crests and the royal crest speaks of these being the first instances ever of someone significant painting them on their skin. the first queen of hyrule doing so, with the sheikah historically following suit to this day, and it being a tradition taken from the zonai .... oh, the circle is really closing in on itself.

05. the new skyview towers are fully embedded into sheikah architecture and imagery. they even hold the sigils in the same style impa used in age of calamity all over the wooden structure and nets, as well as protective paper lanterns. purah taking over the lookout means the entire camp is also architectural aligned with kakariko. knowing the sheikah are actually back to be seen by other folks ever since hyrule has a prolonged period of peace is finally some much needed positive world-building for them. the mention of heavy zonai ruins falling around / in kakariko is not as positive, but the heavy connection between the two tribes remains even with that symbolism. overall the off-screen story of rebuilding hyrule is very much in line with what i had as sheik's default verse for the era of the wilds, where they help rebuild hyrule in the background once the calamity is over.

06. okay, not to go back here because it has nothing to do with sheik but with the meta on portals i posted ... rauru's first form in this version of hyrule being the first king of hyrule, a zonai deity (presumably) that then turned into the sage of light is not leaving my brain. as of now i don't believe this rauru is not connected to the one seen in ocarina of time or is a different person altogether. at least his essence must have been passed down, similar to impa or zelda or link, because the hand that held back ganon and sealed him during the first war is this rauru's hand, and historically it has been beaten like a dead horse that the sage of light created the sacred realm and sealed ganondorf there. HM. i am keeping my eye on this bc this is an answer to a long-standing question of who is exactly who in the entire story.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY: 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙻𝙳𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙿𝙾𝚁𝚃𝙰𝙻𝚂 ( HYRULE AND BEYOND )

while there is little known of hyrule's neighbouring kingdoms ( there was only one called textilia that was known during the era of oracles, but anything past this time is unknown and subject to change ) the most common connection hyrule's world has to other places the hero or anyone from hyrule has visited are other worlds. there are two different type of worlds for that. one would be parallel realms and worlds that directly mirror hyrule, and are usually connected to it either through someone dreaming them or thinking them up - think the horror kid and termina - and the others would be through interception from the heavens and the sacred realm - think new hyrule or the twilight realm. while different connections, hyrule's ability to recognize other worlds is always connected to the spiritual base of the kingdom. either the world in itself is created through spiritual means or originated from the heavens, just like hyrule itself, or it has crossed some of the gods or spirits within hyrule, may that be the goddesses, hylia, or some of the elemental spirits. even the one neighbouring country that was documented is only reachable because of the triforce being a stepping stone.

fig 01: overview of hyrule and all known worlds and realms. the only physical land adjoining hyrule is the land of the spirits of the good, which originated out of the great flood when ganon destroyed the sacred realm and the light world. even the open sea was created by the goddesses and is under the reign of the ocean king, an elemental ghost that is a descendent from the goddesses and fairies.

digression: while most worlds mirror hyrule in setting or fashion, even in government and monarchic structure, the realms linked to it most closely have their own set of ruling ( the twilight realm and termina ) which came to fruition due to their direct involvement with hyrule's history and the light world. the minish world is an outlier, as it is closest to the heavens and not part of the light world but one established before, and it is one to influence hyrule instead. besides the twilight realm and the dark world being direct opposites and therefore having their own influence on hyrule over time, the minish world is the one that didn't need the hero of time to cross it to interact with hyrule and be aknowledged by hyrule. in the same vein, the new kingdom of hyrule amidst the open sea is not really a parallel world or a different realm, but hyrule placed on new land ever since the past one sunk. it is the hyrule we see through the hero of wind's experiences and the one closest to the hyrule seen during the era of the wilds. suspiciously, the land would be extremely singular in its appearance and regions until it remains for longer, due to the mending of the timelines. and both old and new hyrule are directly connected to distant nebula, giving legitimacy to both versions of the land under the creation myth of hyrule.

fig 02: the mirror of twilight, visual accompaniment to the circular symbolism of portals in the universe of hyrule and beyond. it perfectly showcases the expected design for a classic portal, and matches the time portals during the era of sky. the nature of hylian portals goes as far as being three-dimensional, to the point the portal to termina as well as the tower of the gods during the era of wind ( fig 03 and fig 04: the historical depiction of a roundel and the tower of the gods ) are of distinctive roundel shape. the tower is used for regional and beyond regional travel both in the time after the great flood and during, functioning as a bridge from old to new hyrule. also it looks sick. if a portal is needed, it will most definitely be of circular shape.

portals are mandatory in the world of light to connect with all other worlds, even the door to the minish world has a circular finish at its very top. the circular image used for all of these portals gives it a design of competition as well as a fluidity that tells the hero ( or anyone else stepping through ) that there is a bending of boundaries and borders happening. the portal to termina might be the strongest contender for how far one can bend a realm from its creation to the path towards it. termina is an invention of dreams by the horror kid, causally aligned with the creation myth needed to bridge hyrule to other worlds: he has dreamed it and used the ancient power of majora's mask to create it, and the lost woods are the only place to bridge the gap between hyrule and this dreamed world. the lost woods holding portals, holding the space for passage to created realms and other worlds, makes perfect narrative sense. neighbouring the deku tree and korok forest, they are influenced by the magic of the korok and faeries. they hide and prelude the most spiritual and fantastical places of hyrule, of course they are a bridge towards other as well.

what the horror kid can do, and what rauru and the interlopers have managed as well, has made hyrule's staple of visited worlds within and beyond their realm of light, given a connection to the triforce and the spirits or the power of a hylian dreamer, full-fledged and more or less independent places. as long as the magical or spiritual connection is present, one can go anywhere in hyrule, and one may solely follow the cyclical shape of nature and the divine paths and labyrinths to make it to their destination. considering the sheikah, gerudo and twili are some of the very few folks who have successfully travelled to and from different realms, there is no doubt about their shared connection towards the heavens. the heavens are also the place directly mirroring the underworld, which all of them have access to or are connected to. while hyrule exists in a domain of light, and neighbouring realms are influenced by it too, it is once more the strongest of spiritual and magical forces that interconnect the darkest parts of hyrule with its divine origin. it is no stretch to guess that anyone of these tribes, if strong enough and versed in the making of hyrule's world, could not only traverse realms and boundaries past the ocean or the sky, they could dream their own realms and create them accordingly. or move into realms they have known before, creating the connection themselves.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY : 𝙰𝙻𝙻-𝚂𝙴𝙴𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙵𝙰𝚃𝙴 ( ON THE SHEIKAH EYE , PT.2 )

GROWING PAINS: after beginning to map their way through their improved sight, sheik learns that they can see reality in dreams and dreams while being conscious. the more powerful they become in their manipulation of time and in navigating their sight, the stronger the overlap between their visions and their normal sight becomes. their visions are directly linked to the improving powers connected to their sight. the all-seeing fate is literal in every sense of the world, so is the lens of truth its powers have first been seen in. considering sheik is a living mage and not an object, the abilities of the lens of truth are extremely amplified with their eyes being active organs, their sight being an active and constantly stimulated sense. sheik's tattoos of the sheikah eye and corresponding teardrop embed so deeply into them that over time their vision is so heavily distorted between normal sight and their all-seeing power that they overlap and becomes one and the same, two at once. in more modern times, it exhausts them to let both merge once they learn trying to split it is impossible, as is shutting out any prophetic dreams. additionally the only thing they could do is lessen the power over time through learning how to use it, creating a scale on how strong their vision would be impacted by their magic, as not to manipulate time / realms etc. and actually pull prophetic visions from them into reality for others instead. to know how to use their abilities in a more targeted way. over time, sheik will learn how to navigate active overlapping of dream spaces and consciousness, so that both are reality to them and not one is more than the other. the more they allow their eyes to become accustomed to it, the faster they will be able to pull someone else into these visions alongside them. they could even meet a different version of themselves placed in time while navigating this overlap of dreams and reality.

EXPANSION OF THE EYE: the longer sheik lives with the all-seeing fate, they become the all-seeing fate. their body accustoms itself after their eyes have done and begins to shape itself around sheik's power to accommodate the sheer scale of it. once sheik is past being too exhausted to permanently see with this multi-layered form of enhanced sight, they start to have more eyes. two smaller eyes appear beneath their normal (first) eyes - these two can stay open when they sleep or dream, too. there will be an eye on the back of their neck, where they have the sheikah eye tattooed, and that one can disappear if they want it to. usually it remains where it is once they learn of it and how to fully use its potential. it absolutely aids them in their stealth. they have respective eyes on the palms of their hands, and those eyes can see any magic or supernatural beings for them and enhance their magic. in dreams, these eyes can navigate every path ahead as long as sheik knows where to go among the visions. another pair of eyes is in the middle of their spine, right among their healing rune / tattoo. these eyes usually pull inwards to access the flow of sheik's mana and life force, and once sheik know how to use them, they helps to aid them when they're in danger or hurt. this change to sheik's appearance is be canon in advanced + plotted modern verses, any loz verse past the time jump from tp to botw, and their grishaverse au.

A NOTE ON THE CONDITIONAL FORM: it goes without saying that it takes time for sheik to adapt to these changes to their body. they are used to changes in their environment and the outside world, but the effects of the all-seeing fate are something uncharted and unknown to even them. also when they use their enhanced vision to see between worlds / realms and to manipulate time to bend reality , their eyes become more accustomed to existing. which is why these different eyes appear at different points of time, depending on how long and to what extend sheik has used their powers.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY   :    𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚂𝙷𝙰𝙳𝙾𝚆 𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙿𝙻𝙴.

the shadow temple remains the most compelling location in the ( second ) earliest map of what we know hyrule to look like.  it is at the far back of kakariko,   far more sinister than the well,  and it is the only witness to what the sheikah were forced to do.   the shadow temple is maybe the worst manifestation of the sheikah’s oath to goddess hylia   -   a woman and entity they have sworn their life to long before the hylians came to the ground,  making their lasting promise to her even more complicated with the way it has been twisted by hylians and especially the hylian royal family.  the sheikah’s promise to the goddess is absolute,  it has been a made point again and again that it is unshakable and it is the sole reason the sheikah consistently return to their post as silent watchers and protectors of hyrule,  no matter how much they have been exiled,  ostracized or downright attacked and killed for it.  all their actions are to keep hyrule stable and to honour hylia,  and the shadow temple is proof there was a time when there was little they wouldn’t do - and little they weren’t forced to do to comply,  the royal family knowing fully what the rhetoric of their station implies for the sheikah to comply no matter what.

the shadow temple is in its own way the doorway to the underworld in hyrule.  the symbolism of heaven as the place of all origin is canonical in hyrule and deeply in line with several religious myths of creation.  the creation of hyrule in itself is a direct allegory to 天地開闢 (tenchi-kaibyaku),  the japanese creation myth where the land as it exists now came from a place where light moved fastest in a realm of chaos and everything else followed,  so there was a plane of light and the mass beneath it turned into the earth as it was known first, to then be shaped and reshaped by other spirits and deities. where the material plane extended beneath the ground became the land of the dead .  sounds familiar?  *insert entire ocarina of time lore on the three goddesses and the light world here* but hyrule’s religious history also heavily relies on some semblance of monotheism,  where one shall rule above them all and absolve you of any sin,  so even the godesses that created this world created ground for this theological concept to thrive.  even the dark answers to hylia.  and where there is light,  darkness follows,  a natural reaction that is in line with so many natural phenomenons being mirrored in hyrule’s world-building.  it is the sheikah who are the only ones made conscious of this darkness,  acting within its perimeters,  and acting as guards to this light and holiness and rid the land of any darkness it could befall.   in the dark,  everyone will be judged the same.  in the dark,  human eyes can’t see how faith is enacted.  it just is.  and just like the land of the dead commands it,  to leave once you made it there is hardly possible for mere mortals. 

in a perfect blend of historical retelling and aesthetic inspiration,  it is no surprise that the shadow temple’s architecture is based on tomb-structures found in real life  ( for example:  the capuchin crypt as well as the tholos tomb ) and befitting hyrule’s history some of the most ancient ones at that.  the temple’s usage of circular rooms is in line with some of the most ancient tombs built on the japanese peninsula , once more evoking immediately with what it needs to portray in the most fitting aesthetic context.  some of this fits perfectly into the narrative that what happened in the shadow temple has happened long ago, so long ago that the sheikah’s expression of who they are culturally still persisted. and what happened there been hidden away for a long time, and is an act so far gone in history the royal family forbids any documentation of it while the sheikah have forcibly locked any entry unless one is aware of the nocturne of shadow and has acquired the lens of truth.  what was done here was done without public knowledge.  what was done here was only done by a select few.  the shadows are not going to tell a random visitor of the horrors that lie within them,  it takes someone who can see the truth  -  someone who was given an item specifically created by the sheikah to survive the shadow temple as well as any uncanny darkness.  the message is more than clear:  this is not a truth handed over willingly or without effort.  this is a secret that was meant to rest where the dead know it and only they do.  this is the price paid for peace,  and no mortal shall see it.  they will do what is necessary in times of war all for the kingdom to be kept away from harm.  there is no beauty to it,  just the necessity of work.

there is no personal gain or vendetta in what the sheikah did.  the temple is almost absent of their individual personality,  besides the constant presence of the sheikah symbol among paintings and wall art that evokes a sense of horror and dread as well as paints back to depictions of the underworld as far back as the greeks have thought of it.  if the sheikah eye as a symbol is there,  but it is often absent of the tear that was added to the symbol to illustrate the painful lengths the sheikah would go to just to protect hyrule and the royal family. this place existed even before this tradition ,  where the sheikah were only there as harbingers and instigators of the truth,  and where there was no remorse for their actions depicted yet.

the sheikah are a tribe of warriors first  -  they were made to fight and to protect in the name of hylia,  as is the sole base of their continued existence in hyrule.   first they protected hylia and then they promised her to protect the land and people created from her presence and in her image.  all sheikah warriors had to be agents for the royal family over time,  more so than even scientists or simple mages.  this is where the sheikah’s faith becomes tricky,  because it can be easily manipulated and can force their hand in a way that seems personal with how intense it is but is absolutely lacking personal stake at all for them.   it is the way anything relating to what sheik had to do as a covert agent for the royal family had no personal stake to them either,  no personal or political tie to ever evict all of it in the first place.

as many sheikah (  and in sheik’s case much more than most  )  sheik is so deeply devoted to their faith and trust in hylia,  to her power and presence and keeping their oath to her alive,  that any action they did at the time has been fulfilled with devotion that could be easily mistaken for personal vengeance or rage.  the thing about sheik is that they are neither vengeful nor a rage-filled person at all,  if ever.  it is simply the power their faith holds over them that drives their hand before anything else.  agency lies in enacting it,  and it is the only way for them to even justify having done it,  though they do not seek justification from any mortal being or anyone outside of hylia.  she is the only one who they plead justice to,  who they may ever ask for absolution,   but sheik specifically knows that there is none needed,  for they are freed of that sense of guilt,  knowing they have done what they did during that time in her name.  it would be centuries later when a semblance of shame comes to fruition  -  for how could they? how could any of them?  but they bear it,  knowing who they did it for.  this is the only way to even make forgiveness a possibility.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY    :    𝚂𝙸𝙶𝙽𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚂𝙸𝙶𝙸𝙻𝚂   (    ON SHEIK’S MARKINGS    )

01.  ORIGIN :  as depicted especially in skyward sword and breath of the wild,   the sheikah in general are seen with tribal paints    -    usually the teardrop beneath one or both of their eyes  ( as seen on impa or paya )  or the full crest of the sheikah eye covering parts of their forehead or face  ( as seen on the monks. )   it is factual that the sheikah have these markings tattooed to either ward off great evil or to mark their rather pious and devoted state within the tribe,  though such tattoos are only common among those with a long sheikah lineage.  on the other hand,  from impa’s fighting style it is implied that the sheikah also use their own runes and symbols for their magic,  using specific runes marked on sigils to invoke elemental and healing magic in equal measure.  once more,  these powers connected to the importance the sheikah put on their own language and symbols, goes far beyond simple action and symbolize their belonging to their tribe as well as their devotion to hylia and the powers granted to the sheikah.

02.  INDIVIDUAL CUSTOM : with age sheik follows suit in this practice and adheres to the tradition the sheikah have kept,  allowing themselves to have the sheikah crest tattooed onto the back of their neck and a light line of the teardrop beneath their left eye.   alongside the traditional tattoos,  sheik also has runes to enhance their magic abilities as well as ward off evil.  the palms of their hands have command runes to aid them with their shadow magic ,  enhancing the root of their magic in combat more than anything but also in general if ever needed.  the soles of their feet have runes for stealth tattooed into the skin and they improve the haste of sheik’s movement as well as the quietness of them.  on their spine is a finely-inked rune to aid with healing,   in a way that it is central and nearly grazing a parallel to where their heart is located,   actively helping the blood flow and therefore helping the strength of sheik’s restorative abilities.   they also have markings that are temporary and fade after a while,  but those are the ones that stay all the way into the modern times.   all but the teardrop line are hidden from view,   but anyone close to them would see them sooner or later.  it serves as a way for sheik to remain conscious of their faith and powers,   but also to be able and wield those powers in a time where their customs and practices have long disappeared.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY    :    𝙰𝙻𝙻-𝚂𝙴𝙴𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙵𝙰𝚃𝙴    (     ON THE SHEIKAH EYE    )

THE ANCIENT CREST:    it is a well-known identifier when it comes to the sheikah tribe     -      the opened eye with its singular teardrop painted on the tribe’s clothes,  may it be armour or civilian clothing ,  as well as their shrines and any form of ancient technology   ( even painted on the entire back of the sheikah slate link and zelda carry around during the era of the wilds. )   it has been around for thousands and thousands of years and brands the sheikah a part of each other as well as the highest honour of anyone in hyrule beyond the royal family themselves:   that is to see and protect the truth of hyrule and carry out any lengths they have to to achieve this overarching goal.  the signs carries deep importance and significance to the sheikah to the point it means more to them as a group than it speaks of their connection to the hylian royal family.  through time,  it is the eye of the sheikah first and foremost than anything else,  and most sheikah even tattoo it onto their skin as a sign of who they are.  it is the most common denominator for the sheikah even to those that just think of them as an old folktale or a long-gone tribe ,  and it is in direct connection with the covert undercover work the sheikah have been doing for hyrule as well as well as their strong faith   -   most monks and elders are seen covering their eyes or hiding them at least when in public spaces,  or in temples.  sight is instrumental as it is holy to the sheikah   their entire existence revolves around being all-seeing and perceiving while they are never seen.

ESTABLISHED VISION:  one of the most important items link carries with him once he returns from the bottom of the well in kakariko is the lens of truth    -    what essentially can be as a physical manifestation of the sheikah’s own rumoured powers,   as well as a direct imitation of their crest.  the lens of truth shows spirits and magically hidden passageways as well as magically hidden enemies.   it directly correlates with seeing beyond the veil and seeing the true magic existing in hyrule,  no matter which purpose it aids.  and there is even a time when sheik themselves was in possession of a mirror-likened lens of truth,  using it to aid link and zelda in another fight to save hyrule.  but even beyond the item, over time sheik cultivates their own powerful abilities to seek and sense the magic and illusions hidden in hyrule (  and the rest of the world.  )   this is something no other member of the sheikah tribe can do,  as no one else has lived this long and has seen sheikah magic evolve this far for obvious historical reasons  .   sheik carries within them all the power of the sheikah,  the purest magical parts of hyrule,  and this manifests inside of their body more and more over time.   sheik uses the curse time put on them to become stronger themselves.

THE DEPTHS OF SIGHT:   it would take centuries for the tattoo and crest sheik carries on their skin and armour to become something more,  to manifest itself as literal magic.  but the eyes of the sheikah have always been one of their most striking features and for sheik they they take on the literal powers the lens of truth had before ( because what has been engineered and magically infused by the sheikah is just another part of themselves. )  sheik’s eyesight is naturally enhanced from the beginning,  but they cultivate the ability to not only sense other magical beings and realms but to see them too.  they can see magically enhanced locations and tricks,  can uncover mirages and illusions mortal can’t see,  and can cross through realms by seeing the cracks in between worlds  -  as well as time and light,  more than anything.  sheik’s vision can manipulate time and light and when used alongside their shadow magic or other elemental magic can create strong illusions themselves,  to the point they can bend reality into divinity  (  as in enhancing their own abilities and weakening other magical beings at will. )   this is not a bend of space as it is one more of time,  as they simply create a space where time is reverted and then halted to when the goddesses and spirits were still on earth and magic was still at its most powerful.  this is sheik’s most powerful skill and the one they mastered the latest.  they will only use this rarely and usually just use their enhanced vision to seek out other sheikah or magical / divine beings in a mortal world.  that being said,  sheik’s sight and abilities concerning their perception naturally enhanced when in other magical realms.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY    :    𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚂𝙷𝙰𝙳𝙾𝚆 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙼𝙾𝚄𝙽𝚃𝙰𝙸𝙽   (   GRISHAVERSE AU  )

SNOW-PEAKED  :   while shu han is known for its perpetual summer,  it is the mountain range that encompasses the country’s northern border that stands in opposition .  the sikurzoi are known as the largest mountain range on the mainland eastern to th true sea  .   not much is known about the mountains except for the unforgiving weather at its peak as well as the dangers of trying to climb any part of the mountains .   of course  ,  such terrain is surrounded by its own legends  :   this is where the first taban queen supposedly originated from and where the legendary monastery of sankt feliks is hidden away     -    these mountains are a place of divinity   ,    of miracles    ,    and it is said not much else survives up there   .    it has not been long that new tales were told about another divine  ,  monk-like figure granting passage to those that usually would not survive the journey .   there are whispers about this person being half-animal and half-human  ,   or a saint come down to save travellers from a worse fate  ,   or a mountain god possessed by rare benevolence  .   either way ,  there is the unanimous similarity to all of these stories    -   a lone saviour lives somewhere within these mountains .

BLANKETED IN SILVER MIST  :  what has become a legend has started as a mere heartrender in a village close to to the sikurzoi  .   once a young child blessed with abilities to cure   (    and to hurt   )   ,   their name has been forgotten ever since they left their home after much of it was attacked ,  ransacked ,  and destroyed by the very own people they thought would protect them and their family   -    but it turns out what has been lost to war is not only blood but sympathy too  .   on their own with nothing but the little training they had ,  the heartrender , not yet known by the title stories would give them ,  set out into the mountains .  it is through their powers that they survived the first few years of fighting their way up to the mountain peaks ,  and after gaining shelter among the order of sankt feliks the lone heartrender soon made home in the snow-capped hills  .   solitude bode well for one thing only ,  which is the study of their craft  ,  and sheik has spend years and years working on realizing the depths of their grisha powers     -    not only a heartrender or a healer but the perfect hand to touch the making of this world .   where it would take others generations to realize this  ,  sheik’s intrinsic connection to their surroundings has opened up a flood of understanding their self as well as every other living and dead being around them .  and it takes them generations to master their craft .

SIGNS OF SPRING  :   the snow is brutal and everlasting ,  the wind howling across the mountains so awful only saints or those truly desperate would ever traverse the sikurzoi  ,   but soon those who do try and make the pass are aided by a lonesom figure dressed in lilacs and silvers   (   a hint of snow  ,  glistering visuals of a broken night   )   .    sheik uses their powers to locate those lonesome travellers trying to pass amidst wars and civil fights as well as other reasons and helps them survive the tough passage across the mountains .  they make sure the travellers never freeze ,  never shiver ,  and neither are too exhausted to make it .  soon the suli and shu tell tales about this saint-like figure ,  the guardian of the mountains ,  almost revered to saint-like status .  but no one has ever seen them ,  and those who passed them barely remember the encounter as much as they remember making it past the mountain .  people talk about a white-haired ,  amber-eyed stranger   . . .  but no one has ever seen someone like that   ,   the image almost too fantastical to believe .  meanwhile sheik remains where they are ,  the most capable corporalki ever existing hidden from living saints and governments in equal measure     . . .   preferring to be a ghost rather than a saint .

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY   :     𝙷𝚈𝙻𝙸𝙰   ( ON SHEIK’S RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR FAITH )

01.  ORIGIN:   it is imperative for my portrayal of sheik that they have only ever existed once in the entire timeline of hyrule.  they were part of the very first sheikah,  the warrior monks meant to protect the sealed temple after hylia has left the ground,   and similar to other sheikah trained to protect hylia’s sacrifice they have been chosen by her,  and blessed by her,  to carry forward not her responsibilities or existence but the power among her and the other goddesses    -    manifested as the magic sheik wields.  they have been tasked to protect the sealed temple until the prophecy would come true and it is through that time that sheik has been living wholly in service of the goddesses,  hylia most of all.  sheik does not only merely believe in hylia as they know her to have existed,  but they revere her,  they find strength in her past presence and alluded one returning back to the ground,  and they trust her.   for why would you not trust someone who chose you with her divine gift?  sheik lives in service of hylia,  and of the role she has given them:   which is that of the protector,  of the soul of a land that needs protecting and more so the people who will soon save it.  sheik and the sealed temple become a connected force during the era of skies,  sheik’s abilities especially catered to uphold the seal during these times as well as sense any shifts in the environment.   and one of their tasks is to look after the goddess’ harp as well  -   until the rightful princess would arrive to claim it to carry it into times of peace.

02 .  ENDURANCE:  once the prelude has passed and the hylians have made home in the land now known as hyrule,  sheik’s faith for the goddess firmly in place like stone set into the earth,   they find their role much more active than it was before.  what was a long test of patience becomes one of engaged endurance   -   while sheik returns to their people and sees what they have become under the royal family of hyrule,   which is an arsenal of blades hidden in a dark corner of the land,   they are sharpened to the point of imminent danger all with one goal in mind:   keep the spirit of the hero alive,   through the war that is not waged on the people at large but on him.  and sheik does,  appearing out of the dark and imparting link with the advice needed,  making sure he becomes once more what hylia has once said he would be, what this land would need over and over again.  sheik leads in their effort with faith,  praying to the goddess as they used to and playing the melodies carrying her light,   but for the first time their faith is tested:  what goddess hurts so many of their most devout followers?  what goddess would impart a girl over and over with a burden too large for her to carry?  the cycle would repeat itself,   and sheik would help to keep the land safe while burrowing themselves deeper into it,   but the question would remain   . . .    why is it like this when it used to be different?   where there was once only reverence,  there is now a chosen blade gaining autonomy for a moment.

03 .  THE BITE:   what has festered over time is like the cut against weak skin,   but soon sheik would realise they would only cut away at themselves.  no one would question their service to the goddess,  the ruling bestowed to them that has shrouded them in darkness over and over again    -    a home made willingly amidst a role given long before the choice could become a choice.  the sheikah are the ones who keep the temples safe. they would hold out in promise and protection of the goddess through times of peace, of darkness, and even when hyrule rebuilt itself out of the sea.  they are the ones who begin to scatter shrines across the land in name of the one force that would always unite hylians:  a goddess they have served and fought and died for,  they have been exiled and killed for.  a goddess, who they would spend hundreds of years devoted to no matter how much their number would dwindle.   in the middle of this timeline used to be a warrior carrying the weight of one part of the triforce for some time,   the sign of approval of their role to keep the living remains of hylia save,    but soon the warrior would exist at the fringes and become archivist, become shadow. what cannot die is hard to make sense of,   even for those prone to magic.   what cannot die bears suspicion.   sheik does not understand that this is not the blessing but the choice made for them without being asked to.  fate is the hand that feeds you scraps,  faith are the teeth that bite the very same hand.  sheik may be meant to carry through,   but long gone is the steadfastness of their faith towards the goddess    -    now their faith is harboured for a princess burdened with even worse divinity and a boy never asked to be a hero.  they find more strength in the knowledge of their return than they find in the many shrines harbouring the same words for the same goddess.

04 .   A MUTUAL DISTURBANCE:  sheik exists over and over again,  loses everyone and gain some of it back over and over again,   their roots sunken into the land of hyrule even thousands of years after the first time they have seen the princess or spoken to hylia.   they are not an acolyte of the goddess anymore ,  but an extension of her natural presence and her existence to begin with.  their songs are collected memory of history long gone,   and they keep the land they have returned to over and over again alive like this:  if you hear the docile notes of an old lullaby,  you may find the one who has preserved its existence hidden away in the dark under a heavy moon.  when they speak to the goddess ,  they speak on a footing almost equal:   look what has remained of this land till now. you and me,  the very same people we were when we came here.  the very same ghosts.  the blood of the goddess may have survived amidst the royal family and the spirit of the hero may have made it to the wilderness,   but even beyond them what remains is this:   a plum tree with heavy blossoms by the side of the road,  ruins of an ancient stature with wings sinking into the earth beneath it.    one may not outlive the force of divinity,  but time is a great rival at making yourself known to it, of making someone almost divine themselves.  a long time ago,  sheik has been chosen by the goddess to carry out work no one would ever remember,  and they did all of it.  long after sheik has made the choice to own what they were given,  having bitten pieces off of it with teeth and a snarl.   a ghost can be a stupidly persistent thing ,  more persistent than a prayer. and a ghost has so much more time to pray than the living too. at this point sheik's faith is non-negotiable and steadfast, hylia's missteps a forgiven non-issue, and a lot of the time sheik feels far closer in proximity to the goddess and the spirit realm than they do to actual people. their faith is their person, hylia and their magic proof of it, as they have arrived on the other side of her after realising what she asked of them was more bloody than it was peaceful.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY   :    𝚂𝙷𝙰𝙳𝙾𝚆𝚂.    (     ON SHADOW MAGIC   )

there are rarely people in hyrule who so openly practice magic as sheik or impa do ... besides maybe zelda herself obviously.  the sheikah are called the shadow folk because they have been trained to remain hidden and because most hylians really do not even know they existed in the first place    -    though also because the sheikah are one of the few tribes in hyrule were most if not all of them can or could actually practice magic,  as they work in favour of the goddess and that is her favour to them.   their magic is different to the one zelda can practice,  that being magic that is steeped in holiness and light,   or even the one ganon can practice,  that being magic drawn from his calamitous being as well as the split triforce of power. 

sheikah are not singular in their magic among each other as most of them can practice it,  and it can take up several forms of visibility, endurance and manifestation.  so while it is unique to each mage or even just each sheikah among the tribe and across history,  the magic itself is not a singular or lonely experience for them.  they see it as a blessing,  of course,  and hold it in high regards because of that,  but they also see it as an extension of who they are,  another part of their people and of their individuality among each other.  the magic of the sheikah is shadow magic,   and it was used to create the shadow temple as well,  but throughout history it has mostly been used among each other   -   which makes impa and sheik the exception of a rule and not the rule in itself.

sheik is one of if not the strongest mage among the sheikah,  and among the entire history of the tribe.  while their magic is also shadow magic  (  and that should not be confused with calamitous magic or hylia’s magic that lives within zelda ... or even terminal magic as seen in majora’s mask.  )  their magic is not only shadow magic that is known by every sheikah of the time,  due to their connection to zelda and the oath they have sworn to the goddess but also to zelda and link specifically,  their magic is infused with the power of the triforce,  specifically the triforce of wisdom.   they are the shadows to the light of zelda’s magic,  as well as to the courage carrying link’s destiny forward.  their magic is an extension of them and they are an extension of their magic,  which makes them the strongest amongst their folk,  besides impa,  and makes them an example for other sheikah to follow down the line.

while sheik can use sheikah magic as it is,   they have individual abilities going beyond what most sheikah can do    -   and what most magic practitioners in hyrule can do,  as that is part of their destined role but also how they have grown as a hidden presence in hyrule,   which includes carrying the sheikah forward and ensuring their mark on this land does not wither and neither will they.   sheik can not only bend light and work with it as much as they are truly an extension of the dark,   the other half of the sun at all times,   that is where their magic excels.  they are bound to the shadows not by oath but by nature,  and they can infuse themselves with them as well as use them to their own liking   (   though to an extent and always in the realms of their natural surroundings unless strengthened by their runes.   )  their teleportation abilities and some of their elemental magic falls into this,  but most of all this is how they enhance their stealth abilities and how they are so one with hylian land.  shadows are everywhere,  in the presence of light and the absence of it,  and this is how sheik is connected to the land.  they are hyrule’s shadow.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY   :    𝚆𝙰𝚁𝚁𝙸𝙾𝚁 .   (    ON MANNERISMS AND HABITS   )

01.   they use their teeth and mouth for almost everything,   which sounds as weird as it is   .   they will rip things with their teeth, bite through stuff they need to tear in two,  hold onto things between their teeth .  menial tasks get solved by their teeth first if they can do it .   it is a bit hilarious considering they are very taciturn most of the time and the lower half of their face is hidden from view too most of the time .  as it is  ,   this is something they usually do when alone .

02.    they don’t like standing a lot,  but since they are used to waiting they also became used to crouching .  no kneeling since it is inconvenient for fighting or if anyone were to sneak up on them   (   though unlikely   ),   they will usually hide out and wait crouched somewhere .  they can hold out for hours  .

03.    they can be quite fussy over their uniform .  they won’t let anyone else wrap it or put it onto them if they were ever out of it   (   also highly unlikely  )  .  that also shows in their mandatory check-up on it after battle or journeys to the point of an almost daily ritual of them making sure everything is where it’s should be and they are comfortable .

04.  they make a habit of collecting plums / plum blossoms /  and plum seeds from where they can find them back to their home village .  they have planted their own little garden a bit further from the village too where they grow plum trees ,  since the fruit and the trees are seen as divine among the sheikah . they also know rare recipes with the fruit that they would occasionally cook or bake for other people .

05.  they cut their own hair .  they usually keep it to shin length at most  with a bit of an asymmetrical cut to their bangs considering they don’t heed much importance to appearance of that kind .  sometimes they will grow their hair long and wear it in a braid only ,   but even then they will find a point where they chop it themselves . they basically learned to chop their hair with about just anything with a blade  .

06.    once they found all the shrines their people left behind,  they tend to visit the ones furthest away from civilisation .  it brings them peace to stay there for hours if not days , meditating or just walking the shrines,   even just being in the surrounding area  .  they also tend to visit the three springs a lot  ,  and no matter where in the timeline they have almost perfect sense of direction to find them .  these are the places sheik will usually unveil their face in  ,  as they would see it disrespectful to hide themselves from the goddess ,  other gods  ,  and spirits .

07.   they talk to dragons .  to fish .  to stray cats and dogs . to the glowing blue rabbits of the lord of the mountain  .   and the lord of the mountain .  you will find them talking to animals   …   as well as  (   plum   ) trees and other natural things too .

08.   very stoic and aloof,  as is known,   but impa really cracks them open .  especially when they train together or even duel.  it is amusing to see s.heik be taunted by one person and let impa taunt them , though also fascinating to see these two seamlessly fight each other as well as together  .

09.  they have a gorgeous singing voice.    it can appear a bit nasal ,  but it is very strong and bright when they sing .  usually , they will softly hum or sing old songs quietly under their breath .  they are one of the reasons so many songs are continuously remembered across hyrule considering they were the first one to teach them to the hero   .  sheik rarely sings outright ,   it is an action filled with almost too much devotion outright ,   but they will sometimes do so quietly for themselves  .

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY    :   𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙿𝚃𝚂  .     (     ON ANCIENT HYLIAN AND SHEIKAH    )

by the events of breathe of the wild,   a hundred years after the calamity and even longer since ganon first attacked hyrule,    sheikah are the only ones using old hylian besides their own language.   the language has died otherwise,   as it preferred characters closer to the runes the sheikah used for their own ancient technology and those aren’t widely used anymore if used at all ever since the kingdom had shunned the sheikah during the events of the calamity.   sheikah  (  and ancient hylian )   is the first language sheik ever learned  and they will prominently use it and write it compared to younger forms of hylian,  and will use it just as frequently as sheikah.    sometimes they tend to use it more,   but only because it is still more spoken than sheikah,   which at that point has been a dead language for thousands of years.

in that vein there are many words,  especially those similar to sheikah runes and sheikah names,  that aren’t written in modern hylian and also can’t be written in modern hylian.  ancient hylian is based on what we’d know as japanese hiragana most of all,  while modern hylian is more aligned with romanian spelling and letters.   that is in line with how hylians are portrayed across the games,  as in general hylians are based on caucasian people while sheikah are a tribe based on asian esp. japanese people,  and the language does reflect that.  while sheik speaks all languages that have ever been spoken in hylia,  they prefer sheikah and ancient hylian.  furthermore their own name(s) can only be written in those language.

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY    :    𝙼𝙰𝙶𝙸𝙲   .    (   ON SHEIK’S ABILITIES   )

01   .    GODDESS CHOSEN   .    it is well-known that the sheikah are chosen by goddess hylia herself to serve as the guardians to those reincarnated in her name as well as those leading hyrule     -    not so coincidentally both being the royal family   ,    especially zelda   .    furthermore    ,    the sheikah are a very secluded tribe and very low in numbers and their existence is often kept a secret from many other folks in hyrule and beyond the land   ,    which makes the sheikah usually be known more as a legend or myth rather than a casual sight    ,   though this eases over time   .    the reason for their secluded existence is that they originally work as covert agents for the family    ,    fulfilling any task or duty bestowed to them without question due to their frightening loyalty    ,    which made them the best at protecting the royal family and therefore the remnants of the goddess .

02   .    GODDESS BLESSED   .    unlike many common hylians   ,   sheikah are one of the most advanced folks in their land   .    they not only created highly advanced and powerful technology   (   see the ancient location towers   ,    their weaponry and armoury    ,    the sheikah slate and shrines   )    ,    but they also combined their technological and theoretical knowledge to save the land multiple times   .    beyond their extremely vast knowledge and adaptability   ,    they also have magical powers like most hylians blessed by the goddess or descending from her  .   much is unknown about their powers   ,   but it is said that they use them alongside their highly coveted stealth training to make them them a perfect troupe of guardians for the family   .    their magical abilities blend with their combat abilities as well    ,    seen especially among sheikah known as warriors like impa or sheik   .

03   .    GODDESS FAVOURED  .   while magical abilities are largely the same across sheikah    ,    warriors are usually the most powerful mages and fighters among them   ,   having the vastest knowledge and skill set to use use and adapt their magic   .    some of their showcased abilities include    :    teleportation   (   aided by seeds of the deku tree    )      ,     manipulation of the elements (  aided by the sheikah signs   /   ancient technology or weapons like the naginata  ,  kodachi  ,  or  other blade like weapons    )  and especially water and fire    ,     absorbing and mirroring of other’s magical abilities  (  enhanced if these are nature - based   )    ,    sensing and recognising other magical beings in h.yrule    ,     passing through barriers that common folks would not be able to like the sacred realm or the lost woods     ,    using their magical power to enhance their strength in battles   ,    enhancing their stealth abilities in general to make them appear entirely silent and undetectable    ,    understanding and speaking of other ancient languages   ,    healing abilities on themselves and others   ,    prolonged life-span and extremely slow ageing   .

04   .    GODDESS RAISED   .    sheik is the most powerful of the sheikah warriors   ,    which means they are a master of using their magical abilities and blending them with their combat skills   .   where impa specialises in absorbing other’s magical powers and the manipulation of elements    ,    sheik is more prone to hone into enhancing their strength and stealth abilities as well as their healing powers    ,    and sensing other magical beings and places  .   they are known as one of the few people who has access to every place in hyrule as well as an extended knowledge of how to get there swiftly with or without teleportation  .   furthermore due to their closeness to zelda  and the triforce of wisdom  ,   sheik is finely attuned to zelda’s own powers and can mirror those the easiest     ,    which makes them ideal for protecting the princess as well as understanding her  .   sheik’s fighting style and usual usage of their magical powers in battle can be seen as opposite of impa  .   the both of them make up for what the other is not so instinctually prone to   .    they always prefer fighting and using their magic with their hands  .   sheik is a highly advanced warrior and mage   ,    and while they might not revert back to one of the ‘ more ’ fantastical of their powers    ,    they excel at those too  .   they are deeply entwined with the land and nature surrounding them and can use that to their advantage accordingly   ,   almost working and moving as an extension of it   .    it is unclear how far this goes   ,    though sheik’s fate to reincarnate aids them as they build on their abilities and particularly this one over their lives  .  sheik only gets stronger and wiser over time  .

[sheikaeh]

ENTRY   :   𝚄𝙽𝙺𝙽𝙾𝚆𝙽 .    (   ON SHEIK’S LOCATION   )

01 .   OCARINA OF TIME    :   after having trained amidst one of the first tribes of the sheikah  ,   sheik is shaped into one of the most skilled warriors among the sheikah  .  being blessed by the goddess with the divine fate to protect link and zelda  ,  they are in hiding for seven years with zelda   ,    and then trailing link through h.yrule to aid him on his journey .   they vanish afterwards    ,     mostly to help rebuild their home village while also travelling to look for missing sheikah .

02 .   MAJORA’S MASK   :    they have made it to termina even before link since they are one of the few who can navigate the lost woods and use the traveling portals in the trees .   though once they realize the fate of termina and the parallel world they know not to interfere  .  they leave once they know link has made it to the giants  an report back to zelda about termina’s own prophecy mirroring theirs  .  they report back as well when they see link return to hyrule hrough the portal .

03 .   WIND WAKER   :   they are frozen in time below the sea like everyone else or due to them aiding link and zelda on the previous quest to save hyrule   .  breaking through to the surface similar to zelda and the king  ,   they become a mysterious reappearance on most islands link goes to as well as a member of tetra’s crew  .

04 .   TWILIGHT PRINCESS    :    they are hiding away together with zelda once twilight strikes hyrule   ,   taking over impa’s role to look after the princess .   after link meets with zelda   ,   she gives sheik the task to trail him similarly to how they did during the earlier timeline of ocarina of time .   they keep a constant distance and are fully disguised    ,    letting midna lead link first and foremost   ,   and spending the time link travels to the sky as well as into the twilight realm  ,   hiding out in snowpeak and by zora’s domain to keep themselves hidden from zant’s shadows as well as ganondorf .  they hardly show themselves in kakariko .

05 .   SKYWARD SWORD  :    separated from link and zelda at the beginning of the timeline   ,    sheik helps the other monks keeping the sealed ground below .  once the prophecy begins and zelda has made it onto the land   ,   they stay at the sealed grounds until link has made it down as well  .  then  ,  they move to the lanayru desert    ,    now one of the warriors tasked with protecting the temple of t.ime until the hero arrives …

06 .   BREATH OF THE WILD  :    having survived demise’s attack   ,     sheik has stayed in complete hiding behind the waterfall in kakariko until the hero awoke again .   while not tasked with leading link this time   ,    they do remember fighting with him and zelda a hundred years ago and follow him from afar as he frees the champions .   they also trail the whole kingdom looking for other sheikah who are scattered beyond the hidden village   ,   preserving their work and their tribe’s memory after so much of it got eradicated again .   they help rebuild hyrule once the demise is defeated again and patrol the borders of hyrule for any foreigners and travellers passing through .

TBC   . . .