The Legend of Zelda: the Hero of Time

By: Pharaohs Queen

Chapter 3

"A Sheikah Has Red Eyes"

Leather squeaked quietly as Link tightened the guards on his arms. His farming clothes lay, neatly folded, on the large table in front of him. Who knew? Maybe, once this was all done, he might need them again.

He arranged the sword bandolier across his left shoulder. It was empty, but obviously meant to hold a sword as well as a shield.

He adjusted the guard on his arm once more, causing the leather protecting his sleeve to squeak slightly. Feeling nervous, he took a deep breath to calm himself, and headed back the way he had come.

The walk back didn't feel any different, or look any different. It took him a few moments to get used to wearing the chain armor, but his new outfit felt… natural, though he had never worn it before.

After another unknown length of time, he reached the giant doors again. He frowned, remembering what Zelda had said: "When these doors open again, it will be seven years in the past… go, and find me again."

Did he really just go back seven years? His slim eyebrows furrowed slightly as he frowned again. Even if he had time traveled back, how in Hyrule was he supposed to open this door?

The back of his left hand tingled. He looked down, and noticed the three triangles glowing slightly. He paused, thinking, then raised his hand and placed it flat on the door.

The doors swung ponderously open, away from him. Sunlight streamed through the door, bright compared to the rather dark Temple of Time. Once his eyes got adjusted to the light, he stepped outside.

The courtyard looked the same; the statues and the stones all had the same time-worn feel. He looked around, but Princess Zelda had gone. His pointed ears twitched as he listened hard. There were no sounds, with the exception of a light breeze ruffling the grass and the leaves of the trees all around.

Link followed a little path that he hadn't noticed before, leading to a smaller building tucked behind the Temple of Time. It was the same grey color as the Temple was, but much smaller, with a double wooden door, one of which was cracked open. Adjusting his left arm guard this time, Link silently headed in.

Slim, beautiful stained glass windows sat every few feet in the walls, throwing brightly colored shapes on the floor. At the other end of the aisle down the middle was an open area raised up a few steps. Three more, grander stained glass windows sat in that wall, and standing in front of the middle one was a robed figure, with his back to Link.

As Link walked slowly down the aisle, admiring the windows, the man at the front turned. He was old, with long white, wavy hair framing his face. He was dressed in a simple brown robe, with the hood up, underneath which was a grey tunic that shimmered slightly in the light from the windows. The short, neatly-trimmed beard around his mouth was grey, edging close to white. Around his forehead he had a simple double leather band, with beads resting near his temples. He waited until Link was standing in front of the steps, then held out his hand.

"Let me see your hand boy." He quietly asked.

Confused, Link held his left hand out, palm up. Quickly, moving faster than his age appeared, the man grabbed it, turned it over and pulled the glove off, pushed the sleeve back, and revealed the mark of the sacred Triangles on the back of his hand.

"I welcome you, Hero of Time…" he whispered, letting go of Link's hand.

-0-

Impa groaned quietly, shifting slightly as she came awake. Her face was resting against a cool surface, and her shoulders ached badly.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open as she remembered what had happened before she blacked out.

"Ganondorf…" she growled.

She tried to roll her shoulders, to stop them from aching, but that only succeeded in hurting her more. The ropes that had been tied tightly around her wrists cut into her skin, and her upper lip curled against the pain.

She twisted her head around and dug at the corner of her shirt with her teeth. Slowly, she was able to pull out a small metal blade from the hemline in the cloth. She rocked her body back and forth until she could roll over, dropped the blade from her teeth and rolled back over, feeling carefully around with her hands before she found the blade again.

Quietly, she worked away at the ropes with the blade, stopping and pretending to still be knocked out anytime a guard passed by, which was more often than she would have liked.

As she slowly cut the ropes, she remembered when she had first learned this lesson. It felt like so long ago…

"I don't understand Master… why should I keep this here? With all the skills you taught me, I'll never get caught!"

Her old master glanced at her, frowning. "Impa, don't let the pride of youth and skill blind you. You are a Sheikah yes, you will protect the Royal Family, yes, but you won't be able to do your job very well if you are stuck in a dungeon somewhere, will you?"

Impa felt her cheeks burn red, and she was sure her face was the same color as her eyes. "No… I won't."

"Even the best Sheikah find themselves in difficult situations. Always be prepared for the worst, and you will be fine." As he spoke, the Master rubbed a scar on his wrist.

Impa almost smiled with fondness at the memory. Her master may be now long dead and gone, but she still remembered his lessons well.

She felt her progress with her fingertips and was relieved to find that she was almost through. She had been at this for longer than she had hoped, and she wanted to get out of here quickly, so she could go find the princess. She grit her teeth as she realized that she had no idea how long she had been out after Ganondorf's attack, and she fervently hoped it hadn't been too long.

Zelda is a capable young woman and a competent spell caster… she will be fine.

Finally, the last thread broke and the ropes fell from her wrists. Impa smiled tightly in triumph and was about to stand up when she heard voices down the hall.

"Really? I've never seen a Sheikah before!"

"They're really not all that great. They're a dying race, unlike us."

Impa grimaced. Two female voices, most likely Gerudo. She went limp, making sure to keep her unbound hands behind her back out of sight of the door.

The door creaked open. "That's a Sheikah?" said the first voice. The girl sounded relatively young.

"Not impressive huh?" Replied the second. There was a quick whoosh, and a foot connected solidly with Impa's stomach, taking her by surprise.

"Oof!" she coughed, nearly doubling over.

"Wake up Sheikah! King Ganondorf wants to see you!"

Impa looked up, taking shallow breaths to try to ease the pain in her stomach. The two were Gerudo all right. Both had pieces of cloth hanging over their faces from the nose down and were wearing the traditional Gerudo outfit. The younger one had one scimitar strapped to her waist, and the older one, who honestly couldn't have been much older than Zelda, carried two.

The younger one's eyes went wide as Impa looked at them. "She has red eyes!" She said, sounding somewhat excited. "I didn't think that was true!"

Impa couldn't help but smirk, and the older Gerudo snorted. "Idiot, that's how you tell them apart from regular Hylians."

She turned back to Impa. "Get up. King Ganondorf wants to see you. You should be honored."

"Honored to see a traitor? I don't think so." Impa bit out.

She couldn't see the Gerudo's entire face, but she could sense the snarl beneath the cloth. "How dare you call our king a traitor!" She aimed and swung her foot to kick Impa again.

The Sheikah had been waiting for this. Her hands snaked out from behind her back and caught the foot before it connected with her body again. The Gerudo gasped with surprise as Impa quickly sat up and jumped to a standing position bringing the foot up with her and throwing the Gerudo to the ground.

The younger one panicked for a second, and that was all the time Impa needed to pull the small daggers out of her boots. She rushed forward, jumping over the grounded Gerudo's attempt to grab her legs, and charged into the other one. She fell on the ground to join her sister, hitting her head hard on the stone floor and going limp. Impa grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up, and pushed her into the other Gerudo, who had stood up and was just drawing her scimitars. Both Gerudo crashed to the ground again, as the first tried to keep from stabbing her sister. Impa shut the door and slid the heavy metal bolt across, then dashed off to her left.

Once she was in the hallway, she recognized where she was: the castle dungeons. Good. She knew her way around here.

She ran towards the exit, thinking hard.

If Ganondorf managed to get a hold of Zelda, he wouldn't keep her in the dungeons; she's too valuable. She would most likely be held in the throne room or even in her own room. If she managed to escape, then she would be waiting at our meeting spot outside of the castle. I will check her room while I am here, then the throne room, and then leave.

Impa dashed to the exit and stopped, taking a moment to breathe and to see if anyone else was around. Two more Gerudo were standing watch at either edge of the door, talking quietly with their pikes held loosely at their sides.

Impa took another silent breath, then pulled the door open, hiding behind it. The guards looked at each other, then the open door. The grabbed their pikes and slowly wandered in, looking around. Impa waited until the second one was two steps beyond the door, then she leapt out, kicking the one closer to her square in the back and shoving her into the guard in front of her. She used her kick to push off the Gerudo and launch herself out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind her and locking it.

"Pathetic." She muttered, then ran off to where she knew a back staircase to be.

After a few minutes, she was up on the floor where all the royal bedrooms were. She kept her daggers out and ready, staying far in the shadows and staying as silent as she could be while running.

Impa paused for a small moment in shock when she reached the princess' room. The door had been blown off; it was blackened and splintered and resting against the wall opposite the doorway. Impa crept closer and peered inside.

The edges of the room closest to the door were also blackened. The large window was shattered, and the large bed was broken, its sheets tattered and charred.

Impa walked in, frowning. A small breeze came in through the open window and something fluttered in the corner of her eye. A corner of something was hiding under one of the few intact pillows. Warily, Impa removed the pillow. Underneath was a small scrap of paper. She picked it up; on one side was an "I" and the other held a short phrase: "You know where to find me." It was signed "Z."

Impa sighed with relief; she knew where the princess was now. All she had to do was get there.

She turned to go, then stopped, curiosity filling her, and she headed to the window instead. She looked out and gasped.

Hyrule Castle Town, which had once been full of life and beautiful, was now a dark and charred black. Smoke rose from several homes, and some shops she could see were still burning steadily away. She could see Gerudo moving through the streets, and the bodies of palace guards slumped, lifeless, in the castle courtyard. The smell of smoke and blood hung thick in the air, adding to the gruesomeness of the whole view.

Impa clenched her daggers until her knuckles were white. Ganondorf would pay dearly for his destruction, she silently vowed. It was not her place to carry revenge through, she knew that. She was not the chosen hero and so could not banish the evil. But she would help in any way she could to make sure peace returned to Hyrule. But first, she needed to find Zelda.

Tearing her eyes away from the window, Impa turned and jumped in shock.

"I am impressed that you managed to make it this far." Ganondorf said, glaring down at her.

How did I not hear him? Impa thought, shifting her grip on her daggers and sliding into a defensive stance.

Ganondorf smiled, and it sent a shiver up her spine. That smile was filled with pure malice and evil.

"The king sleeps, the princess is gone, and you have no one to protect anymore Sheikah." His grin widened and he started to slowly walk forward. "Hyrule is mine!"

Impa stepped back until she was pressed up against the window sill. "Enjoy your traitorous victory now, Ganondorf. The Hero of Time will come and stop you."

The Gerudo King laughed. "The Hero of Time! You still believe in those childish tales?"

Impa jumped onto the sill; her eyes were at the same level as Ganondorf's now. "Yes. I've seen him. The Hero—the one chosen by the Triforce of Courage—will come. He will strip you of your Power, and end your evil."

Ganondorf's face, which was almost handsome when he was smiling, suddenly split into a snarl. "Enough! Your time ends now, Sheikah!" He raised a hand to shoulder level; a purple-black ball of magic shot from his palm towards Impa.

She jumped and flipped backwards out of the window. The magic missed her, and she pressed her dagger and feet against the stone wall, slowing her fall enough for her to safely roll away once she hit the ground.

Panting, she dashed into cover of some trees that had mercifully been left standing, and sat in the shadow of one. She took deep breaths, trying to slow her heart, which felt like it was trying to beat itself out of her chest.

After a few minutes, she felt a little better and was able to take a tally on her injuries. Her stomach still hurt horribly from the Gerudo's kick, and she would probably be bruised for a while. Her wrists were cut and rubbed raw from the ropes, and now her shoulder and legs were starting to ache from her round landing and rolling on the ground. But, she had had worse before, and she felt good enough to continue on.

She dashed out from the trees, grateful for the falling darkness. Any time she passed a guard, she would take a moment to shut their eyes. "I'm sorry I can't do more for you…" she would whisper to each one before hurrying on.

Eventually, she made it to the city stables. They were mostly empty, but held the bodies of the keepers and a few horses. Impa's eyes flashed dangerously when she saw the slain keepers. Innocent people, killed because they were in the way! Silently, she cursed the entire Gerudo race until she finally found a horse cowering in one of the very back stalls. She calmed him enough to get on him and rode out.

They kept away from the main roads of the city, and away from any large groups of light until the main gate was finally in sight. A large group of Gerudo and other hired thieves were gathered just outside the main gate in Hyrule Field, enjoying themselves around a large bonfire.

"Are you ready to run friend?" Impa whispered to the horse. He glanced back and whinnied quietly.

"Right. Let's go!"

They shot out of the dark, startling a pair of Gerudos that were just about to walk past. The horse jumped over the broken drawbridge and took off east under Impa's guidance, heading for the forest. Startled yells and shouts followed them, and a couple of arrows flew past, but they made it out and away from the group, running hard until the glow of the fire was long out of sight.

Impa slowed the horse to a trot, rubbing the side of his neck. "Good job. Take it easy now. It will take us a while, but we must make it to the Lost Woods before tomorrow night."

At mention of the place, the horse whinnied and snorted nervously.

"Don't worry." Impa said soothingly. "There will be a guide to help us. We will be safe."

As they trot forward toward the dark shape of the trees, Impa looked back at the castle. Dark clouds still hung over its ruined shape, and the smell of fire and smoke was still present even out here in the field. Impa closed her eyes, and finally let the tears she had been holding back spill over.

After a moment, she took a deep breath and rubbed the moisture from her eyes and face. The time to let emotions takeover would come later, but not now. She had to find Zelda.

As they rode on, she sent a silent prayer up to the goddesses. Peace to the king's soul, hope to Zelda, strength and courage to Link. They would need it.

Oh hey yeah, this story. Remember? XD

It's been quite a while since I've updated… but here it is!

I've been playing in a Zelda Pathfinder RPG campaign lately, and my character is a Sheikah rogue. Sheikah are AWESOME, hands down. That's kind of why most of this chapter follows Impa… ^^

I don't know how quickly I'll update again; I'm in the middle of my roughest semester yet, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel! I'm graduating in December! :D I will write and update when I can, I promise, but I can't say how often that's going to be until I'm done with school and have more time. Thank you readers, for sticking with me. (ah, that makes it sound like I'm almost done! I'M NOT! XD)

Next time! Link is told of his mission, and destiny. Oh, and he might talk. I think I like that idea. *nod*

Thanks for reading! Leave a review please!