A/N: . . . I'm sorry about not updating yesterday. But in all fairness, I did warn you . . . Don't hate me?
Anyway, this is one of my ABSOLUTE favorite chapters. I just love it so much.
Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda.
Read, Review and Enjoy!
~Shard of Freedom
Legend of Zelda: Shadow Reign
Chapter Twenty-Four: Remained
Impa stood and looked Link up and down. "You look different from the way that I last saw you. Have you lost weight?"
Link paused. "I think that you have me confused for someone else."
Impa paused for the slightest of moments. "Nonsense. You're Link, aren't you? I can sense your presence."
"Well, yes, that's true . . . but I'm not the Hero you're thinking of. I assume you mean the Hero of Time?"
Impa looked a little confused and guarded. "Of course . . . you're not him, are you?" Impa said with realization dawning.
"In my time, I'm known as the Hero of Twilight. I'm the reincarnation of the Hero many centuries past. You know about how the times have changed, don't you?"
Impa looked up at the carvings that adorned the circular chamber. She had an odd look on her face. "Of course. It will silly of me to think that you could have had the Hero of Time's memories. It's just . . . I've been alone for a long time." Despite the mask that she wore, the mask that all of the Sheikah wore, Link could see through the cracks into the lonely woman that she still was. But there was a certain inner strength that she carried in spite of that.
Link released his hand from the Master Sword even though Impa was still toting her own large blade across her shoulders. "Why are you here?"
Impa moved her sword off of her shoulders and slammed it into the ground, leaning against the guard carefully. "Like all Sheikah, I'm doing my duty." Impa paused. "I assume that you've made contact with your past life? That's why I can sense his presence so strongly on you."
Link nodded.
"Before my time ended, I was known both as the Sage of Shadow and the First Shadow. As the clan chief of the Sheikah, I changed the clan for a better. In the past, we had been racked with poor leadership and bad choices. In order to combat such things, I set up a new system—known as the Judgment of the Spell-Woven Pit. I would pass judgment on those who wanted to become the clan chief. In this way, the Sheikah would never fall into such ruin again."
For a moment, all Link heard was the soft buzz of the magical particles around him.
"However, I don't think that you're here because you want to become a clan chief."
"No. I was tried and found guilty by the Sheikah. I came here as a last resort to spare my life."
"And you are not guilty?" Impa asked.
"No, I'm innocent. There was something off about the trial. As if they had already decided that I was going to die."
Impa paused. "There is a tradition in the Sheikah. It is known as 'guilty until proven innocent.' It was a custom back in the old days, when there were powerful enemies and we couldn't take the chance of someone walking free. Even after the wars, we never dropped that custom. It was a way of insuring that our clan would stay safe and free of spies. However . . ." Impa looked like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it.
"And if I actually am innocent?"
"Well, I'll be the judge of that." Impa pulled the carved blade over her shoulders once more, giving it a few practice swings before resting it across her shoulders. "I have answers for your questions. That is . . . if you can beat me."
Link's eyes widened. "A fight?"
"The Judgment of the Spell-Woven Pit is a unique trial. I will face you in whatever type of combat that you are most comfortable with. In your case, it would be swordplay. However, within these boundaries, your strength depends on your conviction, your strength of will. If you have a weak soul, Hero or not, you will not leave this pit alive. After our battle, I will decide if you are worthy of being a clan head."
"I don't want to be the clan head—according to the trial, that's Tempa's job. I just don't want to die. I'm still needed out in Hyrule."
Impa adjusted her feet into a strong stance. "If you only think like that, you'll never defeat me."
Link just had enough time to rip the Master Sword out of his sheath before it slammed down on his blade. Link buckled under the weight of the blade.
It was as if he was carrying a boulder on his arms as Link tightened his stance against the gridlock and felt the cold scraping of Impa's pitch black sword. How was she so strong?
"Here," Impa said, perfectly at ease despite Link's efforts, "I reign supreme. You pass this trial at my mercy. I was the most loyal clan chief that the Sheikah had ever seen. In order to be a Sheikah, you have to have the willingness to fight for Hyrule and all of the people within. Do you carry that conviction?"
Link gritted his teeth and pushed back against her blade with all the strength that he had. Impa, sensing danger, jumped back quickly. But while Link's breathing turned ragged, she was at ease.
Impa placed her blade across her tan shoulders once more. "In that aspect, at least, your convictions are strong—at least as strong as my own. That is the only way that you were able to throw off my blade." Impa's lips turned up in a smile. "But I can sense so much more than that. Have you heard the saying, Hero, that one can tell a person's heart through their blade? It was a popular phrase during the old wars with the Hero of Time. Back then, there was nothing but animosity between the four races of Hyrule. For one moment, we came together as a nation, in order to defeat the Demon King Ganondorf, but after that, the Gorons, the Zoro, the Sheikah and the Gerudo went their separate ways, with the Hylians standing on neutral grounds.
"Princess Zelda, my princess, tried to stop as much of the fighting as she could. Although she may be different in your time, my Zelda would do anything to ensure that there was peace. But despite her efforts, there was nothing but tense and unsafe relationships between the four races. Especially the Gerudo. After Ganondorf was defeated, the Gerudo had a closer relationship with the Hylians. Their clan grew exponentially over the next few years, adopting Hylian girls who had been orphaned in the wars. Unfortunately, the desert could not contain the size of their clan anymore. There wasn't enough water and the oasis was running dry. In desperation, they asked Hyrule if they could have part of Zora's River as a water source.
"Zelda wanted to, I could tell. But back in those days, the banner of Hyrule was nothing but a pretty name. It was that connecting force between the four tribes that didn't want to be connected. The royal family had little to no authority over the other races, unlike today where they all bend to the royal family's will. Even if Zelda wanted to give part of Zora's River to the Gerudo, she couldn't—because she didn't have the right to that land. To the Zora Tribe, the water of the river was sacred. That the Gerudo would even ask such a thing was blasphemous for them to do. Tensions only increased. After only three months without a steady source of water, the Gerudo did the only thing that they thought would be beneficial to their survival—they invaded Hyrule. The Zoras were backed by the Hylian royal family and the Sheikah, who were their bodyguards even then, in order to uphold the law. The Gorons, who always had a shaking relationship with the Zoras, decided to back the Gerudo. It was all out war between the four races."
Link regained his breath before he spoke. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because, Hero, who do you think led Hyrule's armies against the Gerudo? It was the Hero of Time, who became the general. The Hero, who had friends in every single race, who respected all of the nations and their people. More than once, Link would act as more of an ambassador between the races than a general, simply because he had some many relationships in different places. How do you suppose he felt about going to war against the people that he cared about, the people that he loved?"
As a magical glowing particle came closer to his face, Link blew it out of his eyes silently. "That's intriguing, but does it have to do with the trial at all?"
Impa sighed and shook her head. "So impatient. The Hero of Time gave up his friendships and his commitments to the other nations so that they could stand at Hyrule's right hand. Being a Sheikah means not only do we have to protect Hyrule, but we also have to obey her. This is your trial. Do you have the conviction to release your pride and bow down to the loyalty of Hyrule?" Impa removed her blade from her shoulders and took a stance. "Answer incorrectly and I will kill you."
Link reached behind him for his shield, only to find his back free of all except for his wooden and leather sheath. He grimaced at the lack of protection. He wasn't a two handed swordsman and he always felt better protected when he had a shield.
"I don't know how to answer you, Impa," Link said carefully. "The Hyrule that I know is weak, much different from the one that you had known. How can I bend my will to a weak country?"
"Hyrule is eternal. Perhaps you have misinterpreted my trial."
Link didn't get a chance to answer her; in that moment, she lunged forward and snapped the colossal blade towards the Hero with shocking speed. Without doubting himself for a moment, he shoved the Master Sword between them and took a step back, locking his stance and determined to win their gridlock.
The sword can down with the blow of an avalanche. Link pushed back, but there was a sudden, unexpected kick from Impa to his side.
Goddess, that woman had strength. As Link jumped back from the locked swords, he placed his free hand against his side and confirmed that yes, Impa had just broken a couple of his ribs.
Why was he so weak? Link didn't analyze his fighting style as much as his opponents, but he knew that he wasn't supposed to be suffering this much at enemy hands.
Impa's mouth gave a twitch that was probably the Sheikah equivalent to a smile. "Here, strength depends on will. I told you that before. I am famed in the Sheikah because of my strong determination and prowess. It is the reason that I am proctor of the Judgment. You are wavering in this trial. Can you not be loyal to your own nation? The one that you swore to protect?"
"I never swore."
"It does not matter if you did or not. You are the Hero. It unfortunately comes with the occupation."
Their blades connected once more.
It was a simple chart planning room—one square table in the center, maps hung on the walls, a large chart spread across the table. A man leaned heavily against his palms on the table, sighing and having his deep red cape fall across his shoulders.
There was soft knocking from the corner of the room. A young woman, with bright yellow hair and a pretty diadem on her head, walked through the door. The man looked up from the charts and, upon seeing the woman, a twinkle entered his blue eyes.
He waved a hand to the woman, who walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, underneath his cape.
"There's no good news, is there?" The woman asked softly.
"No, nothing. I can't convince Nabooru to stop. She cares for her people too much to pull them back now."
"What will you do?"
The man pressed his lips to her temple. "I don't have a choice. I tried to avoid it, but there's no meaning to it. I have orders. I'll march with the Hylian and Zora armies the day after tomorrow. I didn't want to have to take the fray myself."
The woman sighed. "You know that you might see Nabooru if you go, you know."
"I know. There's no avoiding this, no matter how much I tried to avoid it. I will not run away from this battle."
The woman stepped away and placed one hand over his heart. "Come back. You promised me."
He brought his lips to hers carefully. "Of course, Zelda. I'll never break a promise."
Link was brought of the memory forcefully and found that he was in a different position than he was when he had entered it. He had obviously kept fighting even through the memories actions. Link gritted his teeth as he stared at Impa forcefully.
"What was that?"
"Oh, you saw? Unsurprising, considering that you are the Hero. Our battle is made up of pure will. You happened to see one of the memories that I carry within my soul. Fight through them and make your decision while you see the hardships of the man who preceded you."
"Hyrule is weak in this time, Impa!"
"Then protect it! That is the ultimate goal of the Sheikah! Protection! Not running away from your fears!"
Link blocked a quick strike once more.
A battlefield stretched before them. The man in the previous scene was on his knees, holding the head of a Zora woman who was bleeding profusely through the webbed fingers on her side. Her eyes were glassed over but she murmured words to the man who know held her.
"You have to stop them, Link. . . T-that river . . . It means everything to our people. . . W-w-we c-can't . . ."
"Ruto . . . I'm so sorry . . ."
The Zora woman slowly brought her hand up to the man's cheeks. "D-doesn't matter . . . A-alth-though, I n-never said g-goodbye. . . P-protect . . ."
Her hand fell away from his face. The man closed her unseeing eyes with a smooth gesture before letting the head drop from his arms.
Approaching footsteps behind him. The man turned around to see a young woman, with swords on her back and her hair loose around her. Bells were strung around her ankles and make light sounds as she moved.
"The bells . . . an old Gerudo custom of peace on the battlefield. I allow you to know where I am at all times in order to ensure that I come peacefully," the woman said softly.
"Nabooru . . . what are you doing here?" the man said coldly.
"I knew that Ruto was injured. It might sound false, but I had to see her."
The man closed his blue eyes tightly before opening them slowly once more. "There's no way to convince you to stop this, is there?"
The woman looked back at the Zora's dead body.
"Link, with how deep this has all gone, how could you even think that we could ever stop?"
Link blocked another blow from Impa. He was reeling from the memory. He could feel the pain from the man, the suffering burden of being on opposite sides. That echoing feeling of loss that he had known for a long time.
Impa continued speaking. "You do not run from your fears, Hero. In the Sheikah there is no such thing as a deserter. You serve or you die. There is no way for you to disappear for years on end when you are within the Sheikah."
"Are you talking about how I ran from my village?" Link asked as he dodged her blade once more.
"You did not face your duties as a Hero! You may have meant to do you duty to Hyrule but you didn't. You ran from your fears in that village of hurting someone else. You never truly have controlled your instincts have you? You denied the princess's request of becoming a general because you were fearful of the leadership in your hands."
Impa battered Link's blade once more. "A Shadow—no, a Sheikah—can never falter the way that you have!"
"You can't do this!"
Link closed his eyes tightly. "Unfortunately, I have to. You can't go back into the desert. Nabooru, it just doesn't work like that. That desert can't support your population anymore. The Sheikah have discovered a desert to the south-east of Hyrule's borders. As long as you promise not to return, the Zora will be placated for the invasion and the destruction of their entire royal family."
Nabooru grimaced. "Never to return from our exile? How cruel can you be? Some of the Gerudo have laid down roots in Hyrule!"
"Well, what did you think was going to happen when you invaded us? Just so you know, the Gorons aren't any better off than you. It will probably be decades before we establish trade with them again and they are forbidden from leaving Death Mountain without specific permission!"
"Well, why don't you just exile them too?!" Nabooru gestured wildly. "And for your information, when I decided to invaded Hyrule, I was trying to preserve what little life we had left. It wasn't easy from me to do! Do you think that I'm happy about Ruto? Or Darunia? Or all the others that died?" There were tears in her eyes now. "It was the option left for our people!"
"And this is the only option left for me and Zelda!" His voice softened. "Please, try to understand."
Nabooru didn't speak for the longest of times. She sighed and headed out of the door. ". . . I'll miss you, Link."
She slammed the door behind her.
Link dropped his face into his hands.
Nabooru had no idea how hard that was for him.
" . . . I'll miss you too."
"You cannot run away from what is hard! You must protect Hyrule! Can you do that?" Impa swung furiously once more. "Do you have the right to anymore, after leaving it for three years? Because of what, because you were afraid?"
"Because I didn't have control!" Link burst out while he blocked another strike. "I lost control, Impa. I hurt someone close to me . . . and my transformation slowly slipped away from me! In that state, I couldn't protect anyone! I couldn't even protect myself!"
"Why did you ignore Zelda's first option of becoming her general, her protector?" Impa pushed after yet another strike. This one clipped Link's arm, drawing a thick line of blood.
"I was a vague figure of the war. Most people knew my face, not my deeds. I was a poor farmboy from a run-down village. How could I be a general?"
"You ran back to the life you once led before discovering you were a Hero," Impa said calmly, attempting to sweep Link's feet. "You did not show the loyalty required to make difficult choices and always fight for Hyrule. And you ran from that life once you realized that you were not the person that you once were."
"I know!" Link suddenly spat.
Impa kicked him straight in the stomach and Link fell on his back.
"Then you have to understand what kind of Hero we need."
Zelda watched as the dead body of her once-husband was brought off of the battlefield, followed by nearly all of the soldiers in his command.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
After they announced the exile, there was a small rebellion within the Gerudo. One that had headed straight for the castle. Link was supposed to subdue them quickly. He was supposed to help the Sheikah lead the Gerudo to their new home in the desert far from Hyrule.
Link wasn't supposed to die.
Zelda felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned slowly to see Nabooru standing next to her, looking grim. Like herself, Nabooru did not shed any tears. That was for when she was alone.
"Zelda, I . . . I was there when he died from the poisoned knife. . . I heard what he said as last words."
The princess looked up at the taller woman slowly.
"He said that I had to leave. That my people had to leave. It's for the best, Zelda. I'm sorry that I can't be here to help you, but I'll honor Link's last wish. My people and I will leave."
Zelda hiccupped. "Loyal to Hyrule and its interests to the end, wasn't he?"
Nabooru smiled sadly. "Yes, he was. He also said something about reforming trade with the Gorons . . . and that perhaps the Sheikah should move away from Kakariko Village since they're so close."
The princess laughed while tears found their way unbidden down her cheeks. "That's an old argument between the two of us. I guess . . . I won't win that one after all . . ."
Nabooru wrapped her arms around the princess's shoulders once more as she cried. When Zelda's tears dried, the Gerudo leader didn't pull away; instead she tugged Zelda closer and whispered into her ear.
"He also said that he loved you."
Link pulled himself up off of the ground with strength that he wasn't completely sure that he possessed.
"Impa, I will only tell you this once." Why was his voice so much stronger now? "I am the Hero that Hyrule should have. Because I am the Hero. And I made mistakes by leaving Zelda, by leaving my village, by avoiding everything that I was.
"But I am the Hero, and I protected Hyrule once, and I will protect it again, for however long they need me! I may have avoided leadership, but I have never avoided that fact. I have always been the Hero!"
Their blades connected roughly, and for the first time, Impa didn't speak as Link fought against her attacks. She allowed him to speak freely.
"I didn't want leadership! I still don't want it! But don't you dare accuse me of not being the Hero that Hyrule deserves! Because I have done everything for this nation and will gladly do it again!"
Link brought the Master Sword down in a deadly arch and with strength that Link didn't know that he had, he knocked the sword out of Impa's hands. There was dead silence in the room as the huge black blade crumbled into dust as soon as it made contact with the rough floor.
For a moment, all was still as the tip of the Master Sword brushed against Impa's throat. Link was panting heavily; that sudden flurry of strength was gone from his body.
Impa smiled slightly as she placed a hand to Link's cheek and brushed across it slowly. It felt as though it was on fire, but Link didn't flinch away.
"I am granting this because I see what you are, Link." That was the first time that she had ever called him by name. "Because I can see more clearly than ever before. You may not like the spotlight, but remember that Sheikah always remain in the shadows. You will do well here."
Impa removed her fingers from Link's face. "Protection and loyalty. Never forget those. Maybe they had been lost now, but in my day, they were the motto of the Sheikah. You will need both of them in the days to come."
The light that had radiated around Impa ever since she had appeared to him seemed to dim slightly as she walked away. In fact, she looked nearly transparent.
"Outside the pit, there are three Sheikah waiting outside. I assume that they don't want you to make it out alive."
Link bowed towards Impa formally. "Thank you for everything, Impa."
"I only give it to you because I know all of what you are. During those lapses, you were not the only one experiencing memories."
Link looked to Impa in shock.
"If you ever see that little imp again, tell her thank you for saving my princess."
As Impa's body turned transparent and disappeared fully, Link gave a small, sad smile. He turned away from the pedestal that had once held a gigantic black sword, ignored the floating pieces of magic that surrounded the air.
He didn't ignore the last piece of advice that floated towards him on a nonexistent wind.
"Protection and loyalty."