Prologue

Sheik bolts upright from restless sleep, his eyes wide with fear. It takes him a moment to realize 
that he is safe within the walls of Hyrule Castle and that Ganondorf has been defeated. After 
about an hour, he gives up on trying to get back to sleep and decides to go for a walk. His 
wanderings take him to the east wall, the wall facing the area where his tribe had once lived. His 
tribe. Tears sting his eyes as he remembers the faces of friends and loved ones seven years buried.

"Sheik? Is that you?" Link asked, as he walked out onto the parapet.

"What are you doing up so late, Link?" Sheik asked, hiding his sorrow beneath a mask of calm.

"I couldn't sleep. What're you doing up so late?" Link asked, as he sat on the smooth stone and 
took out his ocarina (he was now working on tunes of his own, so he could play the ocarina when 
he wanted).

"I also could not sleep. I am haunted by nightmares." Sheik said, as he sat down beside the Hero 
of Time.

"Nightmares? You sure they are not destiny telling you to become a hero?" Link joked, then saw 
that Sheik's eyes held an extremely sad look. Sheik shook his head.

"No. These are nightmares of events that happened seven years ago. At the beginning of the time 
of shadows." Sheik said, as he looked back at the east.

"The time of shadows? Is that what you call the beginning of Ganondorf's bloodbath?" Link 
asked, noticing when Sheik shuddered at the mention of the late Gerudo King's name.

"Yes. My entire family perished seven years ago. I was the only one of my tribe to survive the 
slaughter." Sheik said, as memories clamored for resonance in his mind.

"Would you mind telling me what happened? What happened while Kage and I were asleep?" 
Link asked, hoping that the Sheikah would confide in him as a friend.

"I you want I will. But, mind you, some of the events are too horrible to describe." Sheik warned. 
Link nodded his understanding and silently waited for Sheik to start telling his story.

"My nightmare begins seven years prior to this night, in a glen about twelve miles from 
here......"