Impa stood at the highest point of the battlefield watching the Hylian guard fight against the neighboring Goron, Zora, and even the underground Deku forces. She watched as one by one each sentient life fell, their souls flying up to the sky leaving behind what was once peace to death, destruction, and chaos. This is the story of the fall of Hyrule.
8 Months Prior.
Zelda looked out to the people of Hyrule from her castle. The town market was looking as lively as ever and she smiled at the thought that these were her people. She looked around for her telescope and found it on her nearby desk. She walked back to the window and propped herself up to watch the festivities.
The bombchu alley was having lines out the door because of its newfound popularity. Ever since Link won that heart piece people have been trying their best to win another, not knowing that there were actually none left. She giggled at the thought and directed her attention to the woman who constantly badgered her dog. She laughed as the woman raised her arms beckoning for her little Richard. What an odd name for a dog.
Link always told her fabulous stories about the people of Castle Town, and watching them interact with one another she wondered why she didn't notice them sooner. They all had their errands they would run every single day in an endless cycle, unlike her life that was ever changing; especially since the disappearance of the Gerudo King, Ganondorf.
The Gerudos were beginning to appear in Castle Town every day, rioting at the gates of the Castle demanding King Daphnes, Zelda's father, to release Ganon. He did not have him of course. Seven years into the future Ganon was trapped by Link in the Sacred Realm to stop him from taking over Hyrule and the rest of the world with the mighty power of the Triforce.
The Triforce was a relic of the Gods hidden in the Sacred Realm for centuries. But that fateful day when Link pulled the Master Sword out of the pedestal of time, Ganondorf managed to jump into the realm with him in an attempt to seize the Triforce. The Triforce was then split into three pieces and hidden in three different beings: Link, holding the Triforce of Courage, Ganon, holding the Triforce of Power, and Princess Zelda, holding the Triforce of Wisdom. Ganon fought to unite all the beings so he could reclaim the power and after seven long years of Zelda in hiding as the brave Sheik and Link being trapped in the Sacred Realm he had them where he believed was the palm of his hands. But Link fought valiantly and as a hero always should, he saved the day. Ganondorf was defeated but, evidently, not forgotten.
Zelda had forgotten, however. These facts were ones told to her by her brave hero Link when he returned to her. She had dreamed of him so she knew that by his walking into her castle that he was a child of destiny. She accepted his friendship just as she did that first fateful morning.
Day by day she flashes back to a time she didn't but had lived. She saw herself training, breaking limbs, and bleeding from cuts that used to scare her. She feels how brave she was then and how simple she felt now and knew that she held two very different people inside of her. She loved and accepted them both.
Zelda watched as the guards pushed away the women that crowded the gates. Since technically Link never made peace with them because of the time switch it left a large amount of angry and confused people behind. Where were the sages that were once so important to their lands as ordinary people? No one in this little landmass of Hyrule would ever be able to understand what happened between time and the Gods unless they had experienced it for themselves.
Zelda's father questioned her mood changes. Before she was always so wary and cautious but now she was more happy and carefree. Her father had been slain in that alternate timeline but here he was,, the jolly old man she always loved him for being. She was grateful and all she could tell him was that the nightmares simply stopped. Eventually he stopped asking and embraced it, becoming the excellent father she always knew he was.
"Seven years," she said, retracting her telescope and dropping it onto the floor next to her. "Seven years have passed again but this time the world is bright and I can finally see myself as a queen."
Zelda looked down upon her left hand. Her mark was gone, long gone into the Sacred Realm locked away in the Temple of Time where it rightfully belonged.
Impa quietly standing behind her began to speak. Her full voice was strange to hear in what once was dead silence.
"Essentially, princess, you are queen."
"I mean-" Zelda spun around pressing her clasping hands against her chest. "Hyrule is finally my home. These are my people and not the people of-" Zelda stopped herself. Impa did not know of the struggle. "I do not know what I mean but I believe I can just say that I have beautiful towns people that serve under me. I am very honored."
Impa walked towards her with a sincere smile. She reached a hand onto her shoulder.
"Where is all this chivalry coming from? Perhaps that boy Link from so long ago? Has he returned?"
"He has a duty of his own and he will come back when he is good and ready. I will wait for him as promised because I am his friend," Zelda said, nodding her head strongly as if to confirm this with herself.
"So strange that a boy from such a secret forest could have such a hold on my lovely princess. Especially a boy who snuck into the castle. I would think you would banish him from Hyrule for such a crime."
"He had no crime for wanting to meet a princess and I'm glad he did," she partially lied. "He was the only childhood friend I had even though our time together was exasperatingly short. I treasure that."
She looked off to the chest by her bed where she kept the few letters he sent to her. What strange worlds he's been to, she thought. Then the letters eventually stopped. Where was Link?
Impa chuckled.
"I hope he arrives from his travels soon. Does he not know that it is impolite to keep a lady waiting?"
Zelda held back the urge to roll her eyes.
"I'm not just a lady," she murmured, kicking at the hem of her dress.
"That you are right, Zelda. That you are right," Impa said as she left the room with a small smile. "Dinner will be served soon."
When the coast was clear Zelda opened her chest. She looked down into it and stared at the treasures Link had given her. All his weapons from his Hylian travels were tucked away for his return and a small piece of fabric was hidden at the bottom. She stared at it. A white cloth with small red marks that were indecipherable due to age and damage could be made out. She searched the chest for any sort of clue but could not figure out for the life of her what was so important about this shredded cloth.
She dropped the cloth back in with frustration and discovered it wrapped around the bottom of the chest in a strange formation. She went to pick it up and found an item she had overlooked for seven years. She picked it up and examined it. What was it for?
She held what appeared to be a handle and upon further examination found what appeared to be an eye.
She looked through its glass like structure and found that she could see clearly through it. When she looked at the chest she found that it had disappeared and all she could see were the contents inside. What was this? A lens? How strange…
She held it out in front of her and saw a familiar shape. The cloth!
The cloth held a similar eye on it and upon recognizing it she instantly saw herself as the man Sheik from a different world ago. Before the thought escaped her Zelda grabbed a quill and ink and jotted the form on her hand. She wanted to relive this.
She ran around the castle searching for fabric; tablecloths, bed sheets, draped, anything she could use to recreate this costume.
She thanked the Gods for blessing her with the ability to sew and began the project. Three days of lacking sleep later she stood before a mirror at who she had become. Her chest was wound tight against her body with fabric and her hair was disguised in a braid and bangs. She would not be recognized. She would not be Zelda. She could escape into town without guards following her every step or danger from the Gerudos. She could slip into shadows and be an ordinary man.
She would be Sheik of the Sheikah and she would hide her secret well.
From where he stood by his window, Sheik climbed through and crouched on the sill. He would trust his instincts would guide him to be who he was another world ago. He would trust his instincts to not let him fall or fail.
And off the sill he let himself drop.