Volume One: The Rescue of the Saviour
By Gabriel B
Chapter Fourteen: The Fall of the Kin
"What in Nayru's Love just happened?" Saria screamed as Lieutenant Daled disappeared down the stairs. "Who were those people, why did they want to find Impa, and why didn't they know who she was?"
"They were part of the Hylian Army," said Nabooru, scowling, "but I couldn't tell which –"
"That was a new formation of the Ivrit Division," Impa said, in a tone that gave away her unease. "I recognized their armbands from my days as a protector of the Royal Family."
Saria looked at Ruto, who nonchalantly shrugged, as if saying, 'I have no idea what's going on, either, if it makes you feel any better.' "But why were they looking for you?" Saria asked. "And who's Yrma?"
Impa looked away from the stairs and at Saria. "They weren't looking for me," she said. "They weren't looking for me, they were looking for Yrma; she's my sister."
Saria suddenly felt a gnawing in her stomach, and looked away awkwardly. It seemed that today was conspiring against her to relive painful memories. Sure, it was eighteen years ago, but it was what had driven her to where she was today; it had given her purpose. And being reminded in the unpleasant way that she was made it sting.
Ruto broke Saria's train of thought, to her relief. "I thought you were the 'last of the Sheikah', though. At least, that's what you told us, isn't it?"
"I thought that I was," Impa said, barely concealing her sadness, and began walking towards Anju's house, the rest of the Sages in tow. "When I found her, when I found everyone, they were all dead, save a few, who didn't survive the night. I remember digging the grave for my parents, for my sister; I remember burying her body. If that's not enough to make me believe that my own family is dead, then I don't know what is."
The pain in Saria's gut grew stronger, and it took Ruto's comforting hug to help alleviate the tension. "It's okay, Newt," she said. "She wouldn't have wanted you to get upset over her like this, so keep your chin up, and make her proud."
"You don't know that," Saria said with a sour expression, but returned the hug.
Ruto crouched down and looked into Saria's eyes. "I know that Mother wouldn't have wanted me to get depressed by her death, especially this long afterwards." Saria sighed and nodded, and Ruto asked, "Do you want to wait here for them?"
"No, let's go inside," Saria said and hurried after the others. It was, after all, eighteen years ago; she wouldn't let it bother her anymore.
Saria walked inside, and was struck by how peculiar it seemed to her. The inside was much more ornate than the homes back in Kakariko Village, which were merely used for shelter. Instead of a simple straw bed, there was a large mattress on an equally large wooden frame with an elaborate design. There was a beautiful table, with stools to match, and a rather comfortable-looking couch, on which Yrma was resting.
And as for Yrma herself, Saria was struck by a peculiar sense of resemblance to Impa without actually seeming all too similar. While they both had the same darkened but white hair, red eyes, and a similar complexion, that was it – where Impa was tall and lean, Yrma was a stout and somewhat short woman. Impa's face wore what seemed to be a permanent look of seriousness, but Yrma's face seemed jovial and warm. And yet, something about her screamed 'Sheikah', and Saria couldn't shake the feeling.
"What happened to your people?" Nabooru asked, concerned. "How did they die?"
Impa shook her head, and said, "I don't want to talk about it now."
"Come on, Impa," said Saria, who put a consoling hand on Impa's shoulder. "We're all here for you; there's no need to keep it all bottled up to yourself. Trust me, it hurts after a while." Impa turned to look at Saria, who gave her a friendly smile, and then turned back to Yrma.
"We were betrayed by our Guardian Spirit, Bongo Bongo, twelve years ago. I don't know why, though; before then, Bongo Bongo had always been a benevolent spirit. Back then, Kakariko Village was the home to my people, the Sheikah, and had been for centuries. I wasn't there for most of it, so I don't know the details, but I heard this… this song…" She pulled out a broken piece of jewellery and looked at it sadly. "It was beautiful, but sad, and it was coming from this."
Hyre reached over and took it in his hands. "May I?" he asked, and Impa nodded. Saria looked over his shoulder, and saw that it was a pendant, with the Sheikah's symbol on it, except without the teardrop. It had been broken, with a solid crack running clean through, which had split it into two pieces. "What's this?" Hyre asked, and Impa turned to look.
"What is – oh that, I don't know, I found it inside when it broke this morning." She turned away, and Hyre unfolded a small leaf of paper.
"It says 'To Hyrule: Good Luck'," he read softly, and had a distant, disappointed look in his eye, as if the luck had never come. "May I keep it?" he asked, holding up the page.
Impa shrugged and said, "Sure, I suppose; it's of no use to me, but I want the pendant back, thanks. Anyway, I heard this song, and I knew something was wrong, that something was happening. I got here as soon as I could to see if everything was okay, but the Sheikah were gone." Impa stopped, and Saria noticed she was shivering. "I heard this sound, and just outside the border, th-th-they were…"
Saria could see that she was crying, and gave Impa a comforting hug. Even Nabooru had uncrossed her arms and was looking at the women with a hint of sadness on her face.
"Everyone, th-they-they were just lying there, bleeding and dying, and th-that's when I saw them." Her face looked disgusted by her memories, but she kept talking. "I saw my parents' bodies, lying gracelessly on the ground, horrified and broken." She put a hand on Yrma's forehead, and wept unrestrainedly. "None of it felt real, none of it seemed like it was really happening, until I saw her next to them."
The gnawing sensation in Saria's stomach lurched again, and she tightened her hug on the Sheikah. Saria remembered the panic, the sadness, and the anger she had felt, all those years ago, but she continued to push it back.
"I will never forget the expression on her face, either; a look of sadness which I'd never seen her wearing before, and she was cold, oh so cold…" Impa shook her head, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "One of the Elders barely survived, and told me that our guardian spirit, Bongo Bongo, was the cause, and I immediately sealed it inside the well. But I also had to… I had to bury everyone."
"In my defence, it wasn't my idea," Yrma said, and Impa bolted upright, throwing Saria off. Yrma opened her eyes, and gave her startled sister a weak smile. "Our parents wanted to protect me, b-but couldn't wait for you to realize that we needed you." She sighed, and laid her head back on the pillow. "It was Ganondorf, actually – he was the one behind everything; he just used Bongo Bongo as a way of getting to us. Ganondorf was waiting, under the guise of trying to help unite the races of Hyrule. But he was looking for someone, a Sheikah by the sound of it, with a sword, which is absurd, anyway, because Sheikah don't use swords…" Impa shot a glare at Hyre, who slowly backed away.
"But our parents, they decided to protect me. They knew that Ganondorf would notice if one of us disappeared, so the Elders created a double and sent me away…" Yrma plopped her head back onto the pillow again, and closed her eyes.
The door opened, and a portly man hobbled inside. "Am I interrupting, Anju?" he asked, looking at the unusually large number of people inside the house, and Anju shook her head. "I've just come to let you know that the three soldiers we captured – wait, why are a Zora, a Goron, and a Gerudo here?" he looked, wide-eyed, at the guests, and Anju shrugged. It was true; their ensemble of races seemed fairly out-of-place, but Anju seemed to be taking it in stride. "Anyway," Mutoh continued, "Aleph, Beth, and Gimel aren't talking, so they've been taken to the Temple. Dampé and I are waiting for – Farore's Wind, you're alive!" he added, at recognizing Impa, despite her facing the other way.
"Ah, you must be Mister Mutoh," Hyre said, interrupting the reunion before it started. "I heard you're in charge here, so we have a question to ask of you, if it's not too much trouble. I assume you remember the young man, Link, from about three years ago, correct?"
Mutoh looked at Hyre, then at Anju, and said, "Who-who are you, exactly? We haven't been properly introduced yet; my name is Mutoh, and you would be?" He offered his hand, which Hyre grasped quickly, then dropped.
"Who I am isn't important; I'm a friend who's very concerned about the well-being of this kingdom and its inhabitants, and right now, my biggest concern is finding the Hero of Time, so if you have any information that would help us find him, I implore you to tell us."
Mutoh frowned at Hyre, and said, "The young man, Link, you said? I do remember the boy, very well – wore a green tunic most of the time, had a little annoying fairy, but I haven't seen him in a long time. No, I'm afraid I can't help – and who says 'implore' these days, anyway? Listen, Anju, go to Dampé when you're done; we need to talk. And Impa, it's good to have you back." Something he said struck a chord with Saria, but she couldn't place it, and before she could mention anything, Mutoh had already hurried outside. Hyre, meanwhile, looked crestfallen, and turned back to the window, thinking whatever it was he thought. Saria recalled her conversation with Hyre that morning, and realized that she still wasn't quite sure what Hyre's deal was. But the more she thought about it, the more the strange anger welled up inside her again, so she, once again, repressed her thoughts. It had been a very peculiar day so far, and it was getting weirder.
Yrma opened her eyes and looked up, and said, "Young man – Link – maybe twenty years old by now, dressed in green? I'm not sure about the annoying fairy part, but I do remember the bit about the hero, if that counts for anything."
Saria snapped her head up as she remembered, and she looked around wildly, but was disheartened to discover that her own fairy was not around. She pointed a finger at Ruto, and said, "Remind me to find Leif." She looked around, and saw the others staring at her and she blushed. "Sorry about that, I just remembered an old friend that I've to find. Please, continue."
Yrma looked up in thought, and said, "Oh, it feels like it was forever ago, but it was only about eight years. Mum and Dad had told me to keep my identity hidden, so I wasn't using my real name; everyone called me Impa, because I wanted to remind myself of my sister, and that I had to find her one day." She smiled up at Impa, whose tears returned at Yrma's recollection.
"I was friends with one of the Oracles – the harpist, Nayru – at the time. However, recently, I'd been under the possession of Veran, a sorceress who sought to control, well, everything."
Veran looked around the house, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything significant. Satisfied that there was nothing left of importance, she stepped outside and closed the door. This body is helpful, but I need something a bit more powerful for me, Veran thought silently. The body of the woman, who called herself 'Impa', while strong in its own right, didn't suit her desires for control; only Nayru, and her gift as an Oracle, would suffice.
Veran looked out at the Forest of Time and let out a low growl. Everything seemed to be a cheery shade of green, and it disgusted her. Her favourite colour was blue, and a dark blue, at that; bright colours were for the weak. She awaited the day of her final victory in this world to arrive, when she would acquire the powers of the Oracle of Ages, allowing her to rid this land of its wretched joy, allowing darkness to smother everything. Merely thinking about it filled her with an immense pleasure, but thinking would not bring it to pass; she needed to act, and for that she needed to get close.
She made the first left, and hurried through the forest, preparing her boast of success. Veran knew she always had a thing for gloating, but that just made the success that much sweeter. It had to be something grand, something that screamed both 'evil' and 'extravagant', something that would make her audience cower in fear and helplessness as she not only completely destroyed their future, but their past, as well.
But first she needed to get past the rock.
It wasn't a particularly big rock, no more than two feet tall; though she supposed that was slightly on the large side for rocks, but the important part was that it was in the way. And normally, such a rock wouldn't have been such an issue; even without upper body strength, she would usually climb over it. She was not, however, so fortunate this time.
As it would appear, this particular rock had been blessed – or, from her standpoint, cursed: only those not born of darkness could touch it, and Veran being who she was, that included her.
That was why she took this body; someone who was not affected by the spell would be able to grant her the access she needed to achieve her goal. And so, as she finally reached the only obstacle in her way, she smiled a malicious smile; Veran's ultimate glory was dawning: an eternal age of darkness, with her in complete control! Veran cackled madly, and the grass beneath her feet withered as she walked, and she thought it curious. Perhaps this person was stronger than Veran gave it credit, but it was nothing in comparison to what was waiting on the other side.
She approached the stone, finally ready to remove the last barrier in her way. She reached a hand out in an almost loving way, and–
"Argh!" she screamed, as a blue lightning struck her, radiating from the carving on the rock, and forced her backwards. "This was supposed to work!" Veran yelled, and, in a fit of rage, assaulted the boulder with a barrage of fiery-red orbs, each exploding with enough force to level the Maku Tree itself, but the boulder remained firmly in place, unmoved by the frenzy. As the smoke faded, the rock showed a resolute blue glow that taunted her, as if saying, "You'll never get past me."
And then she heard it: a strange buzzing noise from the southeast, and she suddenly felt a powerful presence nearby. An idea struck her; she was certainly desperate now, but if she could use this person to grant her access to Nayru, then perhaps this body would not be totally useless.
She acted quickly – summoning a few octoroks would certainly get his attention, and if the courage she felt emanating from him was any indication, the brave person he was would come to her aid. "HELLLLP!!!" she screamed.
A young boy, no older than twelve, and clad in a green tunic barged forward, and Veran silently gave the signal for the octoroks to flee. She put on her most convincing scared expression, and said, "That was frightening! I was attacked… thank you, traveller. What is your name?"
The boy nervously ran his hand through his hair and stuttered, "Uh, my name is Link."
"Link, is it?" Veran said and smiled. She saw a faint glimmer of light reflect off his left hand, and knew that this boy's arrival was the doing of the Goddesses. "I see a Triforce symbol on the back of your left hand. That is the sign of a Hylian Hero! That must be why the beasts fled.
"I am Impa," Veran lied, using the supposed identity of the woman she possessed, "nurse to Hyrule's Princess Zelda." The boy frowned, but didn't respond. "I am looking for a singer named Nayru. Will you help me look, Link? I'd feel safer with you nearby." Veran put every ounce of sweetness she had into her voice, and almost wretched from the sound.
Link nodded, and Veran followed behind him as Link pretended he knew where he was going, but there was really only one path to follow: forward. As they reached the rock, Veran leapt with glee. "Oh, that's it!" she shouted, feigning surprise, and hurried over. "This rock with the Triforce symbol is a sign!" Link curiously poked his head around Veran's back and saw. "Could you move this rock for me, Link? I'll, umm, I'll just… I can't do it." She backed away from the rock, and Link, shrugging his shoulders, pushed it out of the way without a second thought.
"Thank you," Veran said, trying to hold back her excitement. This was it, she told herself; all she had to do was not arouse suspicion in Link for the next few minutes, and the ultimate victory would be hers. "Now, let's go," she said, and Link walked forward, with Veran in tow
The sound of soothing music echoed through the forest and into their ears; it filled them with a peacefulness that Veran despised, but Link seemed to love. It was only a matter of time before Veran squelched it and everything like it forever.
Link, intrigued by this music, ran towards the beautiful sound, and found a group of animals and people, all gathered around a gorgeous, singing woman with flowing blue hair.
"Nayru," Veran whispered to herself, as she eyed her prize. All she needed was a touch, and all that power would be hers…
"Nayru's the best singer in Labrynna!" one of the people in the crowd said, as Link gazed in awe at the woman.
"Shh, I can't hear Nayru sing!" his friend said to him, and they both returned to watching he performance.
One of the animals moved to the side, allowing Link and Veran to move closer. Veran watched in anger as Link obscured her path, entranced by the sound of this woman's voice.
"You're Hyrule's messenger, aren't you?" a man said, pulling Link over to the side. "Your name's Link, isn't it? A bird brought message of your arrival. My name's Ralph; I'm an old friend of Nayru's. We—"
Veran couldn't contain herself any longer, and laughed maniacally. "You are correct! Not bad for a diva… not bad for Nayru, Oracle of Ages! Something terrible will happen right now before your very eyes!"
Useless body, Veran thought to herself, and the body of Impa collapsed before them. The blue tint on Impa's skin spilled off, and pooled into a figure that, in front of Link, morphed into the true form of Veran – flowing blue robes, pale skin, dark blue eyes, and black hair in a style that would have made even Ganondorf jealous.
"Thank you, Link! You allowed me to pass through the sacred barrier! I've been waiting for this moment for such a long time! My name is Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, and it's time to claim my reward! Nayru, Oracle of Ages: I will make your body my own!" With speed that impressed even herself, Veran charged forward and grabbed hold of Nayru's hand. There was a blinding flash of light, followed by the most sinister laugh Veran had ever uttered…
"When I awoke, Ralph and Link told me that Veran had used Nayru's power to go back in time and corrupt Queen Ambi, but on some level, I'd already known. Since I knew that Link was a Hylian Hero, I led him to find the Harp of Ages in Nayru's house, and he used it and did Farore-knows-what. But it worked; he saved all of the Labrynnans – Nayru, too. So when I went to Holodrum with the others, I invited him with me.
"There, we met Din, the Oracle of Seasons, but as fate would have it, we were just in time to see her get captured by General Onox, minion of the Twinrova sisters, who then cast the kingdom of Holodrum into turmoil. Link, being the hero that he was, sought to save the Holodric people, and most importantly, Din herself. I'll never know how he did it, but that boy did more in those few months than anyone I've known, except for the Sheikah. And then he wanted to go home, back to Hyrule. I told him that it wasn't safe there, because he told me about his exile for… whatever, but he wouldn't believe me; he insisted on returning."
"Wait a minute, Link was exiled?" Saria said, shocked. Yrma's story had certainly been a lot to take in at once, and it finally occurred to Saria that, while she had been waiting patiently for ten years, Link had been off on his own adventures, been through hardships, and probably met other girls. Surely he wouldn't feel the same way now as he did before the catastrophes began, right? Saria looked away in slight sadness.
Yrma nodded. "He tried warning King Daphnes about Ganondorf, probably the same one that did that to our people, but I think the King suspected he was a bit crazy. But when he kept insisting on speaking to the Princess, that's when I think King Daphnes had enough, and had him forcibly removed from the kingdom. Anyway, I told Link that if he ever changed his mind, if he ever returned to Holodrum or Labrynna, we'd find him and protect him. And he did. About three years ago, Ralph got a message from one of the animals, 'By the rock.' I assume that he kept his message brief because he was in trouble, but I knew he meant the Triforce rock that Veran had him move. Sure enough, two days later, Link showed up, saying something about being hunted, so we took him in and travelled."
"That must have been when he abandoned his horse, Epona," said Hyre, who was apparently listening very intently, "and probably when her leg broke. Please, Miss Yrma, continue."
"There isn't much else to say, I'm afraid. We visited loads of places, but never for more than a week or so. And it's a good thing, too; we would sometimes get news from villages or lands we visited, just days after we left, saying that they were raided, and often torn down in some massive, coordinated manhunt, but we always managed to stay ahead of them, until about a month ago. I still don't know how they found us, but I remember waking up to muffled cries early in the morning, and I saw some of our group being dragged away by a sizeable group of men. I and a few of the lucky ones got away, and I've been running ever since. A few days ago, I wound up in Termina, and realized that I was so close to home, but the soldiers were right behind me, so I couldn't stop to rest…"
Yrma closed her eyes, and Anju stood up and went to the kitchen. "She got here last night; one of the guards saw her, half-walking, half stumbling, down Death Mountain a little after midnight." She brought back a glass of water, which Yrma drank greedily.
"You're lucky, Miss Yrma," Hyre said, looking out a widow at the cucoo pen, and Yrma looked at him strangely.
"And why is that, mister...?"
Hyre ignored the request for his name, and said, "It's because for you, walking can take you home; I am rather less fortunate in that aspect."
"You've been saying that for a while," Impa said, and Hyre turned around, "but you haven't actually told us anything about your home! I'm beginning to think that you're just saying everything you have for pity."
Darunia stepped forward, and said, "Impa, please, this is hardly the time or the place!"
"Thank you, Mister Darunia," Hyre said, "but Madam Impa is right, I have been going on about that much more than necessary, and I am sorry."
Impa glared for a moment at Hyre before turning back to her sister, neither of whom could resist the urge to laugh, cry, and smile, all at once.
Saria found a chair and sat down, her back turned to the others, because she couldn't bear to watch the two sisters' reunion. She hated herself for it, but deep down she felt more resentment than happiness for her friend. But what concerned her most was something she felt stirring inside of her, feeding on this emotional reservoir.
"You okay over here, Newt?" Ruto said, giving the Kokiri a hug, and the pit in Saria's stomach subsided. When Saria didn't answer, Ruto tugged her arm and said, "C'mon, let's go outside and get some fresh air. Saria let herself be pulled up and followed Ruto.
"What if she's still alive?" she burst out as soon as they were out of earshot of the others, and Ruto sighed. "What if she's in trouble, and she's been waiting on me to save her this whole time?"
Ruto frowned, and said, "I'm sorry, Newt, but we both know that she's gone –"
"But what if she's not?! It doesn't seem fair, why does Impa get relief when I never even got closure for my sister's death?"
"It's not fair, Saria! It doesn't work that way; you know that and I know that, and nothing you or anyone else does is going to change it!"