Shadow of the Sheikah
A shimmering arrow flew from the Bow of Light as the champion Link delivered the final blow to the vile Ganon. Freed from her 100 years of imprisonment, Zelda raised her hand, calling upon the power of the Triforce of Wisdom. She could see the terror, the understanding in the monstrous eyes of the beast that had once been Ganondorf. Together, Link and Princess Zelda ended the Calamity as Ganon suffered his final death throes, thrashing and twitching in the sky. Attempting to somehow escape his fate, he crawled toward the clouds, toward the blazing sun and then he was gone. Hopefully forever this time.
"We've done it, Link," Zelda said breathlessly. For a century she had kept Ganon at bay, waiting for Link's return. She was beyond tired, even exhausted didn't quite encompass how she felt. "Ganon has been defeated…"
Now she could face her champion, now she could thank him properly for once. She had dreamed of this moment, when she could wrap her arms around the knight who had protected her until he was near the brink of death. She might even kiss him if she could work up the courage. He deserved at least that. And so the girl in white robes, smudge marks on her pale face and dirt in her golden hair, turned toward the silent champion.
She found him gazing at her with a sad look in his eyes and the Bow of Light aimed at her heart…
"Link, no!" she cried as he unleashed one of the blessed Arrows of Light. She winced, anticipating the pain that would soon follow. Instead she heard a familiar bellow, a man made of rock and light deflected the arrow.
"Run, Princess!" the spirit of the Goron champion, Daruk, hollered at her. She caught a glimpse of Link battling against the other champions or rather their spirits. The fish-like Mipha, the feathery Revali and the tall, tanned woman Urbosa circled Link, their shimmering forms flickering in the sunlight. For a moment, she thought she even saw the majestic yet thick form of her father as she ducked behind a tree.
Her thoughts raced as she hid to protect her life. Why had Link turned on her? What had she done? Before she could think of an answer, a loud gong resonated through the valley and a creature on tentacle legs with a crab-like metallic body approached. Its glaring red eye focused on her from its domed head, it locked onto her and a buzzing sound drowned out everything else. She knew this machination, it was a Guardian created by the Sheikah to protect the people from the Calamity but they had been subverted to serve the vile Ganon instead. The Guardian clearly intended to end her life and there was nothing that Zelda could do to stop it. She squinted her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable.
"Take this!" a voice cried and when Zelda reached down, she found a Sheikah Slate resting against her hip. She knew how to use the device, probably better than any Hylian in the land and so she teleported. Turning into the very essence of light, Zelda escaped to the only place she thought might still be safe in this world gone mad.
She arrived on a hilltop in front of a black and orange glowing structure, this was the Shrine of Ta'Loh Naeg. Zelda clambered down from the edge of the shrine and stood atop the hill, looking down onto a bustling village. Children played on the road, a dog barked at them playfully as they chased around a flock of chickens. It was Kakariko Village and it was a sight for sore eyes, she thought.
Zelda maneuvered her way down the path to the village, her sandaled feet easily traversed the steep trail. She passed silently through the village, no one seemed to take notice of her. Zelda paused before a set of wooden steps that led to a rectangular house atop another hill. A sleeping guard lulled near the base of the stairs, Zelda slipped past him and scampered up the steps. At the top, she allowed herself inside.
"Princess?" a shriveled elderly woman called from her perch.
"Impa!" Zelda cried as she fell to her knees at the old woman's feet. She had thought only of Kakariko Village and the woman who had been her guide before and after the Calamity befell Hyrule.
"What has happened?" Impa asked, her voice trembling whether from concern or old age Zelda could not be sure.
"It's Link. He's…he's gone mad!" Zelda cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. The princess felt embarrassment when she imagined how awful she must look.
"Rise, child, do not grovel. Tell me what has happened, please…" Impa said. Sniveling, Zelda wiped away the tears but it took some time before she could speak. Finally when she had calmed, driving away the terrible memory of Link's betrayal, she told Impa what had happened.
"He…he tried to kill me," she said at the end of her tale. Impa looked at her with her pale blue eyes, almost hidden beneath a wrinkled brow. Her white hair hung about her face in wild tangles. Impa had been old before Zelda began her century long fight with Ganon but now she seemed almost ancient.
"This is most disturbing," the old woman finally whispered and then she looked away from Zelda and toward the door. Zelda followed her gaze and discovered a young woman with white hair lingering in the doorway.
"Paya! How long have you been eavesdropping?" Impa admonished. The girl's eyes were locked onto the floor, but she hesitantly looked up and then quickly looked back down.
"Long enough, Mistress…" Paya shyly replied.
"You always know when to stick your nose in at the most inopportune times," Impa grumbled and then beckoned for the girl to join them. "Well, now that you know, you might as well try to be part of the solution. Zelda and Link managed to defeat Calamity Ganon, but now Link apparently is trying to murder Zelda. There must be something that might provide some insight as to this sudden madness that has overtaken the lad…"
Paya thought about it long and hard. Zelda found the meek woman a little annoying as she stood there tapping her foot, an index finger tucked under her slender chin. Finally her impatience got the best of her.
"Look, when I last saw Link, he was battling the ghosts of the champions and someone gave me this…" Zelda said, gesturing toward the Sheikah Slate at her waist. Impa looked down at the device.
"Two Sheikah Slates? This is strange indeed…" Impa said. "I'd say the best thing to do is go to the source. Return to where Link was revived, there may be some clue as to what made him turn on you there."
Zelda nodded, it made sense but a sudden dread threatened to overwhelm her. If there were two slates still in existence, Link could materialize near the village at any moment. Would he kill innocent people in order to get to her? She prayed to the Goddess that it wouldn't come to that. And to make matters worse, Zelda knew Link was a master with any weapon he picked up and she was a master of none. What chance did she stand against him in a fight?
"I see you are afraid, Zelda, and rightfully so… Link was the chosen champion for a reason," Impa explained. "And if he still lives, you are not safe anywhere as he can instantly travel to any place you can go. But I think that might also give you an advantage too."
"How so?" Zelda asked.
"If memory serves me correctly, and I hope it does, isn't there a way to reveal the Hero's path? You can view where Link is and where he is heading?" Impa said.
"It's true, Princess, the Sheikah Slate does have such a feature. Here let me show you," Paya interjected. She nervously approached Zelda and gestured toward the slate at her hip. "Open your map and I'll show you how to find it."
With a flick of a finger, the map of Hyrule materialized on the ancient device. Paya then pointed at an icon on the bottom of the screen. Zelda pressed on it and the map changed, lines materialized revealing where Link had been and where he was going. It took a moment to decipher all the intersecting lines but soon she realized Link was right where she had left him.
"He's still outside Hyrule Castle, in the valley where we defeated Ganon," she said breathlessly.
"Good, good…" Impa said.
"Unless he's dead," Paya muttered and this gave Zelda pause. The princess gazed over at the old woman, her once mentor.
"If he's dead, then at least you're safe, but we still must find out why he turned and I believe the answer can be found in the Shrine of Resurrection…" Impa insisted. Zelda nodded and gazed down at the slate, her fingertip hovered over the marker that represented the sacred temple where Link was revived.
The princess was about to touch the screen, to teleport to the chamber when she saw the Hero's path change. It moved from outside the ruins of her family castle and it spread across the map, zipping southeast until it stopped at Ta'Loh Naeg Shrine.
"Goddess, he's here!" Zelda hissed and Paya looked at the map with wide eyes.
"Princess, there is a bit of a delay I'm afraid…" Paya whispered and at first, Zelda didn't understand what she meant. Suddenly, she cried out when she heard the sound of shattering glass. Something blue and glowing crashed through a nearby window and rolled directly in front of Impa. The glowing blue orb stopped in front of the old woman and Zelda immediately recognized it.
"NO!" Zelda screamed, her index finger involuntarily landing on the slate. There was a blinding white light followed by an ear-shattering boom.