Chapter Eight

True Confessions of the Heart

"We changed because I changed!" Her deceleration came without warning. Without thought, Impa spoke quickly when she saw Zelda's determined steps falter. "I changed Zelda. My...my heart has changed."

"Really?" Scorn dripped from her words as the previous rejection continued to tear at her broken heart. "Well, it sounds like something you'll have to tell those new people you want to meet." Jealousy laced her statement as she continued to walk. "Since your heart has changed. Thank you for telling me."

"It changed towards you!"

"So you hate me then...thank you for telling me."

"Damn it Zelda!" Once more, Impa wrapped a hand around Zelda's wrist. She held tightly, ignoring the younger woman's attempts to pull away.

"You forget yourself, Maderone!"

Flinching at the use of her three-fold status, Impa tugged gently on the bond. "No," she whispered. "I haven't. That's the problem. I haven't forgotten who and what I am to you. Please...look at me."

Despite the voices within her being telling her to pull away, Zelda slowly turned to face the Sheikah. She said nothing as she waited.

Hearing the silent begging of a shattered heart, Impa sucked air through her teeth. She raised a hand to touch Zelda's cheek and felt her own heart crack as the other woman recoiled. The damage she had done stared her in the face...the damage she had tried to avoid, she had caused. Cursing herself, she released Zelda's wrist, idly wondering when she became so thin.

"I have always taken care of you. Since before you were even born, I was there for you. I watched you grow from an inquisitive, bubbly child to a passionate adult. I've watched your mind mature...I helped you nurture it into the sharp blade it is today. I have trained you to be a warrior of unsurpassed skill," she stated without pride. "Above all else, I have done everything in my power to make sure you could survive if I wasn't with you." She began to pace again.

Zelda bit her lip as a flicker of hope began to melt the ice within her spirit. Crossing her arms, she said nothing as she continued to wait.

"My entire existence is based upon you. Hate you? Never...it is impossible. I might become angry with you, for sure, but never could I hate you. Nor could I want to. I love you. I breath for you, my heart beats for you. Everything I was, am and ever will be is for you."

"Then why—" Biting her tongue, Zelda shook her head and scolded herself to be silent.

"Why did I say I wanted to be with other people? I lied," she said with a laugh as when she saw Zelda's unguarded shock, "I lied to you. I wanted you to believe it. Spend time away from you?" Barking with laughter, she continued to pace. A sardonic smile graced her lips when she spoke once more. "Oh Zelda...what about this do you not understand? Maderone, Guardian, Protector...no matter what title you use, I exist. For. You. My entire world begins, ends and revolves around you. Always. End of story. It can never change, and I don't want it to.

"You know how loyal we Sheikah are. Multiply that by an infinite amount and you still will not be able to grasp how I feel about you. I am more than a mother, more than a friend, more than a sister, tutor, healer. When you were unconscious after battle at thirteen, I almost killed myself. When I found you that monster had even thought about touching you, and to know he tried, I was ready to tear my heart out. I failed you!"

"You didn't!" Zelda howled as she cut through the explanation without hesitation. "You never failed me! Ganondorf was a monster. How could you know what he was going to do?"

"It doesn't matter what I know or not, I failed to protect you. Even you, my keta, cannot understand how I feel when it comes to you," Impa said with a sad smile of resignation. "And I know you would never feel the same. Why speak of it and bring you pain?" The faster she paced, the louder her footsteps became. Leaves and branches cracked under her feet as the air grew heavy with emotion. Anticipation ran between them like lightning, searing their nerves to the point of icy-hot chills. Both women panted softly, struggling for air as words previously unspoken threatened to break free.

"No," Zelda replied with a snap. Her voice, laden with emotion, was like fire to Impa's ears. "I can't. But I know how I feel about you. And damn it all, I love you! Not as a child, but as a woman!" Prying the bond open with her love, Zelda tore through every filter, ever barrier each of them had ever placed on their soul-deep link and let her emotions flood through. "I love you Impa! I love you like Link loves Shad, like Navi loves Midna! I love you like my parents loved, like Mikal loved his wife!"

Her voice broke as tears spilled unnoticed down her cheeks in a mourning for time passed in silence. "I love you in ways that only happens in story books. I refuse to marry for my country because I can't have you! And I want you! You, and only you! You are the only person I've ever loved, have ever trusted enough to love! You're right, you have been there since before I was born. My mother gave her life so you could care for me, love me! She was a seer, Impa, you know that! She gave you-us her blessing!

"So tell me I don't understand how you feel. But never, ever presume to know how I feel!" she yelled without stop. Her words echoed through the trees as she stared at the frozen, blurry image of her Guardian.

Not daring to breath, unwilling to even blink, Impa returned her stare. As Zelda's heart poured through the bond, her own tears gathered. How could she have been so wrong? "You're too young, Zelda."

"It doesn't matter what my age is! I know what's in my heart!" she shrieked before sobbing.

Her thoughts remained quiet as she closed the space between them. Wrapping an arm around Zelda's waist, she laid her head on the shaking shoulder and took several deep breaths. When Zelda's arms returned her embrace, she let her tears fall. "I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry..." Pressing a kiss to Zelda's forehead, she hugged her tightly. Her resolve crumbled around her as she whispered the words she had been longing to speak for years. "I love you too my darling. Oh what words could never say..." Mimicking Zelda's previous actions, Impa released her heart from its cage, mixing her emotions with those of her Charge. A nearly silent gasp made her smile.

"I love you as others love. Not as a child, though I tried to convince myself as such for a long time, but as a woman. I want you as my wife and no one else's. You were my Queen long before your father passed. Your majesty comes from your heart, not from any title you hold. You are the only ruler of my heart, of my being. You captured my love long before I knew I loved you."

Any other words they hoped to speak became silenced as they fell to their knees, clutching each other as sobs of relief and happiness tore from their throats.

For once, if just for a moment...all was right in the world.

The Goddesses smiled upon their daughters with joy. Golden sunlight filtered through the trees to wrap around them in approval, shielding them from the reality of past and future pain.

If only for just this moment, they would have nothing but each other...and they were fine with that.

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Songs:

There For You by Flyleaf

All Around Me by Flyleaf

Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Crashed by Daughtry

Again by Flyleaf