"Are you ready yet?" Sheik asks, leaning against the wooden door of his house while I scramble to improve my appearance.

Unlike usual, he's taken off his cowl and scarf-like wrap around his neck. His dirty blonde hair falls free, and his angular face is full of expression that usually hides beneath the fabric.

I can't really change my outfit, it's my only one. I run a brush through my thick, silver hair and straighten out my eyebrows. The rest will have to be good enough. Walking up to Sheik, I flash a smile.

"I'm ready."

His red eyes glint with joy. "Good. But if you don't mind, I'll be needing this," he says, and takes the Sheikahn tapestry off of my chest. It feels the barren draft again, and I flinch a little.

"Are you 100% sure that you're ready?" Sheik asks. Apparently, he's been around women before.

But, there is one more thing I want to--no, need to do. I hold up a finger to signal for one more moment, and walk up to the table next to the bed. It has a small, rectangular mirror strung on the wall above it. I take a breath, and reach my hands behind my head. My fingers grasp the knots of my bandana, and pull. The sheer fabric falls loosely, and floats to my lap. This will be the first time anyone's seen my face. Not even Luck or Hope have seen me without it.

For a moment, I look at my face. It's been awhile since I've seen it last. A straight, normal nose, and thin, rosy lips beneath it. Your normal face, just more... open.

I put my head down, and walk to the door. Sheik stands up, and uncrosses his arms. Shyly, I look up until my eyes meet his. His widen a bit, and Sheik's cheeks get a little rosy.

"Y-You look great," he says, and looks away. My cheeks break out into furious heat. Why did I ever take my bandana off?

"Thanks..." I murmur, and he opens the door for me to walk through. I whisper a thank you, and step out.

Sheik walks up next to me, and leads me through the alleys between houses and shops. People smile at me, and some actually blush. I keep my gaze focused on the ground, but even then, someone calls my name. When I look up, they say,

"Good luck, Karma." My eyebrows quirk in confusion, and I say a thanks anyways. But it continues.

"Great job, Karma."

"Karma, you look good."

"You'll definitely fit the role."

"Good for you! I'm so happy! I knew you could do it!"

Sheik chuckles at my expression, and he gently puts his hand on my wrist, reminding me to move my feet forward. It may be as simple as left and right, one foot in front of the other; but I still manage to make it look difficult.

People are lighting those paper lanterns and hanging them, and it looks like people are setting up for a party. The sun is starting to go down, so the lights bathe the village in colors and hues.

I look up at Sheik again, and he smiles. His hand moves down from my wrist to my hand, and entwines my fingers with his.

"Here we are," Sheik says, and I gaze up.

When I do, I see the elders tent in front of us. He opens the flap of it, and I step inside. Why would Sheik take me here? When I walk inside, my heart stops.

All the Sheikah are sitting in chairs around the room, so there's probably more than four hundred. And in the middle of the circle stands all five elders. Sheik's hand rests on my shoulder, and he whispers to me,

"Don't be afraid. Go up to them."

I nod and gulp, and slowly walk up to the center of the circle. Everyone is smiling, and the little kids look even happier. The elders have full grins, to my astonishment.

My feet finally take me to the edge of the pedestal that the elders stand on, and I stand there; unsure what else to do. They smile, and then I remember that they have the most power. Therefore, I should probably get down.

I crouch down, with one knee on the floor, and lower my head. I really wish that I knew what was going on.

"Karma," the elders say in unison. I'm pretty sure that my breathing stops. "Today, we have acknowledged you as one of our people. You have shown the determination required to be seen as a Sheikahn."

Oh, no. I know what's going on now.

"Do you, Karma, wish to become one of the royal family, one of the Sheikah?"

My voice shakes, but I answer, "Y-Yes."

"Very well then. We will begin."

One of the elders holds a box, and another one grabs whatever was inside. Turns out to be a dagger.

"Do you pledge to protect and serve the royal family as one of the Sheikah?" They ask.

Once again, I feebly answer, "Yes."

The elder that took the dagger bends down and grasps my hand, holding it in his. He takes the dagger, and makes a two curved slashes across the back of my left hand. Small drops of blood bead and roll down my pale skin.

"Do you promise to never betray, insult, or think of yourself superior to the Sheikah?" They question again.

My answer is slightly delayed. But then again, I've already decided that I wouldn't go through with the attack. I'll live here until the day Ganondorf kills me.

"Yes."

Another slash runs across my hand, between the two curved ones before.

"Will you grow here, learn here, and die here?"

I swallow. "Yes."

This time, the dagger makes three small nicks in my hand above the curved shape.

"And finally," the elders announce, "will you love the Sheikah with all your heart?"

"Yes!" I say, louder this time, and my lip trembles.

A final slash runs down my hand, under the other ones. The elder lets go of my hand, and I look at it. Below the beading blood and red streaks, the traditional Sheikahn Eye of Truth has been carved into the back of my hand.

The elders lower the dagger to me, and they say,

"Take it, child. It is now yours."

It had a cool blue blade and navy hilt with white designs stretching across. When I turn the dagger in the light, I can see the red Sheikahn eye reflecting in the wide blade. This one is much more decorative than my black daggers. But that only means that I'll love it more.

Sheik walks up to the elders, and onto the pedestal with them. He hands them his tapestry, and they murmur a thank you in their cracking voices.

"Karma." One puts her finger under my chin, and raises my face up to their smiling ones. "You are now one of us."

They drape the Sheikahn cloth over my shoulders, and my eyes widen. The elders take my hand and raise me until I'm standing, and I stand there, in shock. Everyone in the tent gets up and hollers, clapping and celebrating.

I look to Sheik, and he smiles. He walks to me, so close that we are inches apart. He puts his hands on my cheeks, and wipes away... Tears?

I rub my cheek with the back of my left hand, and see it come back wet. And bloody. Crap, now blood smears cover my face.

But at the same time, I've never cried before. I only cried once, when my parents died.

Sheik takes a small cloth from his pockets and wipes my bloody face.

"Why are you crying, Karma?" He asks, looking deeply into my eyes.

Because I don't want to kill you.

That's what I'd like to say, but I have to keep up with this lie until the day before the attack. Only then can I tell them, and get them to either fight or run. As long as they're safe.

"Well, whatever it is," he says, and rubs my cheek with his thumb one final time, "it doesn't matter. Because you're one of the Sheikah now."