Zelda // Sheik
Notes on two characters inhabiting one body. Much of my thoughts on Sheikah and, more specifically, Zelda and Sheik, are derived from hints of canon, some OoT manga information, and a whooole lot of headcanon. If interested in the full extent of said headcanon, check out my fic Minuet, a retelling of Ocarina of Time from Sheik's point of view.
Zelda
Not deviated too far from Ocarina of Time's Princess Zelda, this version comes from the tail end of her seven years of exile. Forced to hide for the sake of survival, Zelda, with her handmaiden Impa's help, made a pact with a Sheikah for protection and took his spirit into her body. To evade Ganondorf's subjects she allows him to disguise and control her body, watching the world from behind his eyes. As an adult she has not yet revealed herself to Link.
Sheik
Sheik, like all Sheikah, is an emissary of the element of shadow in Hyrule. As "shadow people" Sheikah are called into existance by Hyruleans in need of their service; to live, Sheikah must have masters. They take sustenance from their masters' existance--a shadow can't exist without anything to cast it. Sheik has no body of his own. He shares Zelda's, but he is wholly, completely his own person, with his own thoughts, feelings, and motivations. He's extremely willful and can take control of Zelda's body by force when he desires. Although he is fully and irrevocably Zelda's servant, he doesn't always obey her.
As a Sheikah Sheik is extremely acrobatic, practicing warrior arts similar to that of ninjas. He's also capable of small illusions and shadowplay.
Zelda and Sheik
The relationship of these two is an odd one. Although both inhabit the same body, they are separate persons. They can converse together without speaking aloud, and although they're able to hide their thoughts from one another, they can often sense each other's emotions and powerful desires. While one is in control of the body they both inhabit, the other is often in a dormant kind of state, sleeping within their minds, but not always.
The single physical characteristic that changes depending on who controls the body is eyecolor. When Zelda is in control, her eyes are blue; when Sheik takes control, Zelda's eyes turn red. The rest of the Sheik disguise is simply a clothing change and Sheikah illusion.
Zelda
Not deviated too far from Ocarina of Time's Princess Zelda, this version comes from the tail end of her seven years of exile. Forced to hide for the sake of survival, Zelda, with her handmaiden Impa's help, made a pact with a Sheikah for protection and took his spirit into her body. To evade Ganondorf's subjects she allows him to disguise and control her body, watching the world from behind his eyes. As an adult she has not yet revealed herself to Link.
Sheik
Sheik, like all Sheikah, is an emissary of the element of shadow in Hyrule. As "shadow people" Sheikah are called into existance by Hyruleans in need of their service; to live, Sheikah must have masters. They take sustenance from their masters' existance--a shadow can't exist without anything to cast it. Sheik has no body of his own. He shares Zelda's, but he is wholly, completely his own person, with his own thoughts, feelings, and motivations. He's extremely willful and can take control of Zelda's body by force when he desires. Although he is fully and irrevocably Zelda's servant, he doesn't always obey her.
As a Sheikah Sheik is extremely acrobatic, practicing warrior arts similar to that of ninjas. He's also capable of small illusions and shadowplay.
Zelda and Sheik
The relationship of these two is an odd one. Although both inhabit the same body, they are separate persons. They can converse together without speaking aloud, and although they're able to hide their thoughts from one another, they can often sense each other's emotions and powerful desires. While one is in control of the body they both inhabit, the other is often in a dormant kind of state, sleeping within their minds, but not always.
The single physical characteristic that changes depending on who controls the body is eyecolor. When Zelda is in control, her eyes are blue; when Sheik takes control, Zelda's eyes turn red. The rest of the Sheik disguise is simply a clothing change and Sheikah illusion.