Impa was praying in the Goddess's temple when she first met the famed Chosen Hero. As a Sheikah, she knows everything the Goddess Hylia has done so far, yet she hasn't met her Goddess's chosen hero yet. She's certainly heard of him though.
Apparently the young man was a hero who was wrongly imprisoned for many months, possibly a few years. He had recently been released from his imprisonment when Hylia and her Loftwing arrived. He had stopped the attack on the Loftwing and the Goddess, and back talked the Loftwing when it had insulted his people. The Loftwing then chose to watch and test the man's worth, while Hylia blessed the man with the Master Sword. Then, according the the townspeople, he had recently reforged the blade.
Footsteps interrupted Impa's musings. She turned around to find a young man with blond hair and bright blue eyes, his ears were pointed. He wore a green tunic with a red scarf around his neck, golden shoulder pads of armor and sturdy leather gauntlets. On his head was a matching green pointed hat, and strapped to his back was the reforged Master Sword. Blue earrings shone in the lighting of the temple. This was Hylia's Chosen Hero, Link.
"Has anyone ever told you that you look like an idiot?" Impa yelled from where she stood up. Link looked up at her from the entrance of the temple, she could hear his snort echo through the empty temple as he smirked.
"Not that you look any better." She could tell in that instant, they'd get along quite well.
They ran into each other many times after that, may it be in battle, or they just happened to be in the same tavern. Impa had been spreading messages throughout the fighting force of Hylia's soldiers while Link had been leading them through many battles. Impa herself had been through her fair share of battles, but when she saw Link again in the tavern, he looked like he just hopped out of a pile of Bokoblins. Knowing him, he probably did.
"Well, don't you just look like a hero in shining armor." She greeted him as she sat down next to him. He snorted and looked at her, and although he didn't show it on his face, she could tell he was a little glad to see her.
"You're still alive? What am I talking about, no monster would want to munch on someone as scrawny as you." He retorted, ordering her a drink on him. The bartender handed her the drink and Impa smirked.
"Nah, they didn't get me because they were all too busy getting a swing at you." She prodded his arm with her elbow and Link smirked.
"Well they're dead now. We've recovered a lot of land back, if we continue at this pace, the monster forces will be minimal." He took a big drink from his mug and sighed. Impa placed her mug down and looked at him, taking in the bags under his eyes.
"Take a break, you look like you're dead on your feet. Besides, if you die, Hylia will skin me alive for letting her precious 'hero' die." Link looked at her with a raised brow before Impa smirked, "Stupid idiot."
"Crazy lady." Link bit back and Impa leaned forward, satisfied.
Hylia had sent Impa forward through time to protect her reincarnation. Impa knew Hylia was still saddened over her hero's death, when the Goddess approached her with this mission she looked weary and sad. Impa was also saddened, having attended the big funeral in Skyloft after having taken Link's Loftwing up. His body was taken up there and buried rightfully in the Statue of the Goddess, right under where the Master Sword was laid to rest. Impa wanted to spend more time mourning her friend, but the Goddess's mission took top priority as a Sheikah.
She had met the young girl, Zelda, in the forests and had taken her through the temple to pray at the Statue of the Goddess. Once Zelda had finished purifying herself in the springs, Impa felt a familiar presence enter the temple, the same presence that would frighten monsters in battle and warm people in time of need. Although much weaker, Impa recognized it and choked back a sob, masking it as a cough. "We need to hurry." She told Zelda and they left, Impa only spared one glance back where she saw the doors that led to the spring and statue open and a green clad figure run through.
"Next time.." She whispered, like a broken promise to see her old friend.
Impa watched as she stood guard as Zelda finished her prayer. What she didn't expect, and mentally whacked herself for, was for Link to burst through the doors. She looked down at the younger version of her old friend and pushed back her emotions, forming a stone mask on her face(Link always made fun of her for that, teasing and mimicking it terribly).
"You're late." She told him, looking into those familiar, but unfamiliar eyes. Link narrowed his eyes at her, his arm going towards the sword strapped to his back(Impa's mind went back to when Link had fully shown her the sword as she took in his craftsmanship). She fought the urge to roll her eyes, this Link isn't like the one she knows, knew. Impa took a moment to convince herself that this wasn't her old friend, but a child taking on a destiny that was planned out many years ago.
She takes Zelda away, telling Link to finish strengthening himself and the sword.
That night, as Zelda slept, Impa stared into the fire and wondered how her Goddess was faring back in the past.
When she met that Link again, they were about to head into the past. But then Ghirahim interrupted them. She ran forth and intercepted him as she watched Zelda give Link the harp. A flash of a memory appeared of a night when she, Hylia, and Link sat together under the stars as Hylia played her harp. The memory went as quickly as it came as she threw Ghirahim back and quickly grabbed Zelda, pushing her into the Gate of Time and taking out a bomb. After saying their goodbyes, Impa spared one last glimpse of Link before destroying the gate.
When Link arrived, she explained the situation and he ran towards the room behind her. When he reemerged, she told him that she will come back, just not in this time.
He ran off and Impa was reminded of when she once saw her Link do the very same thing when he found out Hylia was going after Demise on her own.
It was also the last time she saw her Link before his death.
Repositioning herself on the floor, Impa sat there, and waited.
The next time she saw Link, she had just recovered from being ambushed from Ghirahim. She knew this was the end of his journey and smiled fondly at him. Zelda quickly turned back towards her before they left and handed her one of her bracelets, which Impa put on.
As she watched them leave, she sat down and continued to wait as time passed.
When she saw him again, it was the beginning of his journey. She watched him fondly as she explained that she's been in this temple for many years, waiting for him. She pointed the way he needed to go and he left.
When he returned, he carried the golden harp and Impa smiled to herself. Her smile soon vanished when she noticed another with him, a tall bulky young man with a red pompadour. The young man claimed he was going to be the one to save Zelda and Impa sighed before explaining that Link has to be the one. The young man marched off in anger, leaving Impa and Link alone. She taught Link the Ballad of the Goddess(once she walked into Link's tent to him whistling it) and the second Gate of Time appeared. But then the ground shook and the young man from before ran in, frightened.
They all headed outside and Impa swore to herself as she explained what was happening to Link. As expected of him, he defeated the Imprisoned and resealed it.
After she explained that he needed the flames to open the Gate of Time, he ran off and she sat there, waiting for him to return.
The young man looked at her and she sighed mentally, this is going to be a while.
When Link returns, he has all of the flames, but because of that, he ends up awakening the Imprisoned once more. When he and Groose reseal it, Impa smiles at the pair, remembering her time when she helped the Chosen Hero, before watching Link awaken the second Gate of Time and entering.
Impa had gotten a better look at the sword when he raised it skyward to awaken the Gate of Time. It looked just like when Link reforged it and gained the three dragon's blessed flames, but not yet fully blessed by Hylia. A sad smile slowly appeared on her face when the image of a young man with blond hair and fierce blue eyes appeared in her mind.
She missed her old friend.
When Link returned, she knew where he was going and saw him off.
Groose looked at her when she returned to her seat and he asked the question she knew he'd been wanting to ask for a while.
"Why do you look at Link like you know everything about him?"
"It's a long story. Instead, I will tell you a tale passed through the generations. Have you heard of how Skyloft came to be? I was there that day." She answered, and began to tell him the tales of Hylia's Chosen Hero.
After Link's third battle with the Imprisoned, she explained to Link that she had placed a seal on the gate to the woods so the Sacred Grounds would not flood. Then Groose came up with an idea and set it to work. He flung Link towards the flooded area and Impa raised a brow, that was indeed one way Link could get there.
When they return inside, they sat down and Impa continued her tales.
A huge crash outside shook the ground as Groose fell over. Impa stood up and slowly made her way outside to see the Statue of the Goddess from Skyloft has returned to the ground. She then felt something inside shift and she knew Zelda was awakening. Touching the bracelet on her arm, she walked inside, followed by Link and Groose. She watched the reunion between Link and Zelda before feeling an evil presence.
One she has not felt in quite some time.
But before she could react, she is shoved out of the way and onto the floor, her old bones yelling in protest as she winced. She watched silently as Ghirahim made his way through the gate. Cursing herself for being so weak, she prayed for Link as she watched him follow after, Groose helping her up.
When Link returned for the final time, she smiled at the trio's reunion.
When she revealed herself to be Impa, she gave her old signature grin.
Then, she froze.
Behind Zelda, Link, and Groose, stood two figures that she hasn't seen in many years. One was a woman with long, blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a beautiful white dress and her hair was in a regal style. The second figure was clad in a green tunic and red scarf, with a green pointed hat, leather gauntlets, and golden shoulder pad armor. They smiled at her and the woman spoke.
"Impa, your quest is over." She smiled and Impa realished in the warmth it brought. The Goddess of Light Hylia was standing there waiting on Impa, along with her Chosen Hero Link.
With one final smile, she stood up, separating from her old body which disappeared into light particles. Now in her old body, she walked towards her two friends.
"My Lady." She greeted the Goddess before turning towards the hero, "Stupid idiot." Then, looking at both of them, she smiled, fighting back tears, "I've missed you both, surprisingly."
"What do you mean?" Her Link asked with a smirk, "We've been here the whole time." He said, indicating towards their reincarnated forms.
"You know what I mean." Impa said, hitting Link's arm. Hylia smiled at them before all three of them disappeared for the final time.
Hi yes hello, I'm alive.
Also I love Impa.
And I love my hc of Impa and Hylia's Chosen Hero, aka Link, being besties during the Ancient Battle/War.
And I love the ancient trio of Impa, Hylia, and Link.
:)