Ch.10-Guarded by the past

Hey, guys! :D Here's the newest chapter of Dream. :3 I hope you enjoy it.

I don't own LoZ. :/

Please read and review. :)

Zelda woke up for once without the sun attacking her face, but she could still tell that it was early morning.

With a small yawn, Zelda straightened and rubbed her eyes, ignoring her back protesting the awkward sleeping position. She noticed immediately that Impa was siting to her left, her back facing the princess.

"You…protected her."

"Yes," Impa slowly opened her eyes. "I did."

"But you…died."

"You must understand, Your Grace," Impa turned her head to look at Zelda, expression as detached as always. "I was prepared for death every moment I traveled with Her Grace."

"But…" Zelda frowned slightly, her ears lowering. "But that still isn't fair."

Impa stared at Zelda for a few seconds, her crimson orbs still impassive, before she finally looked away.

"I know…" she murmured quietly.

Upon her father's request, Zelda reluctantly joined the king for breakfast.

Impa silently stood behind Zelda's chair, as if to give her support, as the two ate without a word.

Of course, the Sheikah could tell that Zelda was having trouble trying to maintain her composure while she ate.

Of course after being at the lake house for about two weeks, it was only natural that Zelda didn't want to eat slowly and with poise; it was slowly killing her inside hat she even had to in the first place.

"So, how is Link?" the king suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Zelda glanced up from her staring contest with her breakfast in surprise. "Oh, uh, he's fine."

"That is good," the king nodded as he glanced at his daughter in an almost sly manner. "He hasn't…tried anything, has he?"

Horrified at the hidden meaning behind her dad's words, Zelda choked on her forkful of eggs before she glared at her dad once she had regained her composure.

"Father!" she protested. "We're friends! Nothing more!"

And he's my cousin! Zelda added in her mind.

"May I please be excused?"

Without even waiting for a response from her dad, Zelda stood and strode from the dining area.

"Does your father not know that you and Link are related?" Impa questioned as she trailed after the frustrated Zelda who was heading back to the library.

"Not at all," Zelda shook her head. "And I'm going to keep it that way as long as possible."

Zelda gave an annoyed huff as she turned another page of the ancient, leather bound book that she was reading, her chin resting on the desk.

It had only been a few hours after breakfast and Zelda had already looked through several books; it all ended the same—nothing.

I'm never going to find something to break the curse. Zelda thought miserably as she turned another page.

Resurrection.

Surprised, Zelda lifted her head slightly, staring at the word before her.

Isn't resurrection…bringing someone back from the dead?

Gradually, Zelda glanced at Impa who sat nearby, an open book in front of her.

Zelda looked back at the book and stared at the title for a few seconds before she grinned.

This…could work.

Excited, Zelda began reading.

Resurrection is a tricky subject; many have tired, but few have actually managed to accomplish it.

The items needed for a resurrection differ.

Annoyed, Zelda began skimming the paragraphs, searching for something important.

Resurrection for a cursed.

Zelda smiled.

Yeah. That was what she needed.

To find the items to begin the resurrection for one who has been cursed, you must search underneath a vast lake, inside the sanctum of the piscine people, within a deep forest, inside a burning mountain, and across a scorching desert.

Below the waves of a loch in an area of a time gone by is the glittering scale dropped by a great water dragon.

Inside the piscine abode is a special fish whose tail is sacred, but whose flesh reeks.

Within the vast, tangling forest, inside a giant tree is the spider of gold; grab its body.

In the melting mountain, talk to the rock-eater who bears name to a special person and take a piece of his shell.

By an oasis sits a flower that has survived time itself; but be warned—so has another desert creature.

To complete the spell, a drop of blood from a hero and a goddess are needed to help destroy the evil the curse has wrought.

Zelda began writing down the places the paragraph mentioned before she suddenly noticed something.

These sound like the five provinces! She realized as she wrote down the region that she was reminded of. Lake Hylia, Zora's Domain, Lost Woods, Death Mountain, and Gerudo Valley.

Zelda jotted down the items that she needed, grinning to herself.

Could this really be that easy?

Around lunchtime, Zelda headed back to the lake house, much to her father's disappointment, but the princess did not want to spend lunch with her dad.

As Zelda neared the house, she spotted Link coming out of it.

"Where are you going?" she asked as she stared at his clothes; thankfully he wasn't wearing his tunic.

"If we're having anything for dinner tonight, then I need to get some foodstuff," Link said as he walked past his cousin. "So I'm heading to Castle Town for a bit."

"You know that I could have picked up some things."

"Yeah, but I had no way to contact you," Link waved his hand as he got farther away. "Anyway, whatever's in there you can have for lunch. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"I won't!" Zelda waved back at Link when she saw him glance at her seriously as if to get his point across.

Once she was certain he was out of range, she grinned and headed inside the house.

"Your Grace, what are you doing?" Impa questioned as she observed Zelda quickly shimmying out of her dress and into her normal shorts and shirt, pulling off her cap to allow her hair to cascade down.

"Nothing," Zelda responded rapidly, pulling the Zora tunic over her head before picking up the quiver full of arrows and strapping it to her back.

"This is not nothing, Your Grace," Impa commented as Zelda rested the bow against her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just going into Lake Hylia," the princes sighed as she began to head outside.

"Armed?" Impa inquired with a raise of her eyebrow, following closely behind Zelda. "Why?"

"Better safe than sorry, right?" Zelda paused at the lake's shore and faced Impa with a smile. "I'll be back, all right? I'm just going to look for something."

Before Impa could even question what it was that Zelda was searching for, the princess had already leaped into the water.

Worried, the Sheikah watched as Zelda swam into Hylia's depths then glanced to her left where the Sealed Grounds was hidden by the large rock.

She could see the barrier covering the area, preventing her from joining Zelda to protect her.

Impa moved closer to the barricade, keeping her eye on the gliding Zelda.

I gotta hand it to the Zora…Zelda thought as she swam even deeper into the lake. They did a bang up job with this tunic. No wonder Link adores it.

Zelda paused and straightened herself, kicking her legs to keep herself steady, as she stared at a wall that appeared to be made of multiple brown stones stacked together.

Huh…has Link noticed this before?

Swimming closer to the wall, Zelda spotted a small hole that was large enough for her to squeeze through.

Gazing at the wall for a few more seconds, Zelda finally shrugged and slipped through the gap with little trouble, emerging into an area that she had never seen before.

She stared around the area in awe, peering at the gigantic boulder just inches above her head.

Is this the Sealed Grounds that Impa told me about?

Zelda glanced down at the bottom of the area before she frowned and began heading down.

The water got colder as she reached the depths and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up despite being underwater.

Cautiously, Zelda glanced around as she hovered just a few inches from touching the ground.

Something…was there with her. Something evil.

"Well, hello, Hylia," a chilly voice greeted from somewhere behind Zelda. "Fancy meeting you here."

Zelda rapidly gazed behind her to see a large figure standing near the beginning of the sloping land a few feet away.

She scowled as she recognized the form.

"Demise."

Demise smirked, still wielding his sword in his right hand before he let his gaze drift upward.

Impa gasped slightly when she noticed that Demise appeared to be staring straight at her.

"Oh, you're still here?" the demon asked with a cruel grin. "How have you been, little guard dog?"

Impa scowled, her gaze turning piercing.

He was mocking her.

Demise stared back at Zelda.

"And what about you, Your Grace? What brings you down to my level?"

"You're not even alive," Zelda replied, feeling more confident than she probably should have, being faced with the powerful demon. "You're just a fragment of his soul. You're not as strong as the original."

Demise grimaced slightly.

"Well, if you're so self-assured of your prowess, you wouldn't disagree to a battle with me."

I have to search for the item that's probably down here… Zelda thought, resisting the urge to look around for whatever it was that she was searching for. But his arrogance grates on my nerves; I'd like to knock him down a peg or two.

"Sure."

With a wild grin, Demise raised his left hand and Zelda began to notice that the water level in the area was gradually beginning to decrease.

Zelda sighed as her feet touched solid ground and she gazed around in fascination, wondering how Demise had done such a thing without affecting the rest of the lake.

Demise growled, catching the blonde's attention, who frowned as she slid the bow from her shoulder and equipped an arrow.

The two stared at each other, waiting for the other to move.

Zelda finally released the arrow, but Demise lazily held up his sword to deflect the weapon.

Annoyed, Zelda reached back for another arrow only to quickly dodge to the side when Demise suddenly rushed at her, swinging his thick sword.

With a small hiss, Zelda stared at the superficial cut on her bare left arm before she glared at Demise and nocked three arrows.

She loosed them, but as she had predicted Demies used his blade to block them.

When the demon had lowered his sword, Zelda had already let loose another arrow.

Demise grunted when the arrow pieced his left shoulder which jerked back from the force of impact.

The demon snarled as he yanked the shaft out, snapping it in half and glared furiously at Zelda who smirked.

Zelda readied three more arrows when she suddenly noticed something glittering behind Demise in a small patch of grass.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to see what laying the grass, before she released the arrows.

Demise laughed as he deflected the arrows once more, amused by Zelda's predictable tactics.

"Is this all you have, Hylia?" he questioned delightedly as he slowly dropped his sword down. "This is all too easy."

Demise's eyes widened when he noticed Zelda directly in front of him.

Impa gasped when she saw how close Zelda was to Demise.

"Your Grace, what are you doing?" she inquired, placing her hands against the barrier only to hiss and pull back when it shocked her.

Zelda used the flat of Demise's blade to get into the air, her foot connecting with the demon's forehead to vault herself over Demise and behind him.

Zelda landed neatly on her feet next to the sparkling item she had seen and rapidly grabbed it.

It was a blue scale of some sort that looked like it would have radiated with an otherworldly light, but the scale had long since lost its ability.

With a grim smile, Zelda placed the scale in her pocket then rapidly rolled out of the way when she heard a furious yell.

Immediately hopping to her feet, Zelda glanced down at her side, noticing that the edge of Demise's sword had cut right through the Zora tunic.

"You know Link's gonna kill me when he finds out what happened to this? !" Zelda questioned indignantly as she glared at Demise who was staring at her fiercely.

The princess nocked two more arrows, this time merging some of her power into the metal tips.

Light Arrows.

Zelda wanted to finish the battle.

With an enraged growl, Demise charged at Zelda, raising his black blade above his head.

When the demon was several feet from where she stood, Zelda fired the arrows and watched in satisfaction as they embedded themselves deeply into Demise's chest and stomach.

With a gurgling groan, the demon sluggishly brought down his sword, the sharp tip lightly cutting a diagonal slice into Zelda's collarbone, splitting the tunic even more.

Demise clutched at his chest as the magic from the arrows began to destroy his body.

"You will regret ever planning this!" the demon hissed as he glared at Zelda hatefully.

Zelda watched impassively as the demon's body shattered in a scattering of light before she stuck out her tongue.

"That was for Impa, you bastard."

Impa sighed with mild relief when Zelda gave a thumbs up as if she knew that the Sheikah was watching.

That was when Impa noticed something.

"Your Grace!"

Zelda glanced down when she felt frigid water around her ankles and gasped as she recognized that the water was swiftly rising.

The Sealed Grounds was starting to replenish the liquid that Demise had displaced.

Lolz, cliff hanger! :D I think... o.0

So, how'd I do with the fight scene? -.- It was my first one and I felt I sucked at it.

Review time!

GhiraLinkLover4Ever: Yes, she does have to kiss up to her father. 0.0 Cause her father's all strict and everything. And OF course Impa's worried for her little Zelly!

SophieSynthetic: I'm sorry. . Umm...here, let me tell you a chapter that might have some Shink fluff and ZelImpa fluff...chapters 11 is ZelImpa and chapter 12 is Shink. :3 Hope that makes you happy.

Ai Shiteru Soul: It is so canon! The ending of Skyward! That was just... *tears up* So sad! D: Go with Zelda, Impa! She LOVES you! :)

Msfcatlover: You can make predictions. :3 I don't care. I suck at making predictions to some things, too, but it doesn't stop me. :) And yes, confused Link is cute!

Breaking-Benjamin-Rules: I'm glad that you enjoyed it! :D

TwiliYoshi: Lol, but Zelda's dad...he doesn't like Sheikah! D: Not even his own half-son. And, uh, no...SS Zelda is NOT haunting OoT Zelda. Ever hear of Awakened Souls? And yes, your review amused me to lovely heights! :D

Anywhoo, hope you can't wait until the next chapter! :)

Please remember to read and review. :D