1 A Shadow of the Past: A fanfic by Sheik
Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
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Right before Impa left the house, Shira stopped her with a single word:
"Wait."
Impa stopped dead. She had never heard Shira use that tone of voice before. It sounded…almost….as one in despair. One who has already accepted fate's cruel judgment. Impa shuddered. She did not like that voice. Slowly she turned around and returned to her guardian's side.
"Yes, ma'am?"
Shira gently lifted Impa's chin so that the two were looking in each other's eyes. Impa's showed anxiousness and a little fear, but Shira's showed grave depth: a silent respect for one who goes knowingly, at their own peril, against a power much stronger than they.
"I want you to listen to me very carefully. You know that Zelda is the Leader of the Sages: the Seventh, right?"
Impa nodded.
"And you know that I keep her powers safe until she is old and strong enough to claim them for her own?"
Impa nodded again. She already knew this. Where this was leading she did not know.
"You realize, Impa, that if anything were to happen to me, those powers would revert directly back to Zelda, don't you?"
"I guess so…I never really thought about it. Nothing is going to happen to you--- Right?"
Shira sighed. She seemed to be doing that a lot today. Something was definitely bothering her.
"I just don't know, Impa. I really don't. But just in case…"
She reached under the chair and pulled out a bundle neatly enclosed in a blue velvet bag. A strange symbol of the triforce and of a strange birdlike glyph was embroidered neatly in gold thread (A/N: This is the same symbol that we see on young Zelda's dress in the game). She held the parcel closed to her heart and lowered her eyes. Then she spoke.
"In this bag," She said, "are some very important things, including official documents and a few other items. I want you to take this straight up to your room and hide it beneath your pillow. Then come directly back here and sit down. I must talk to you right away-before the battle begins."
Tenderly she placed the package into Impa's hands and laid her own in her lap. Impa scampered upstairs, laid the parcel under her pillow, and ran back down, where she found a chair set facing Shira. Impa sat down in it. Shira continued.
"Did you do as I asked?"
Impa nodded.
"Very good. Now, listen to me very carefully. As your guardian, I am fully responsible for anything that happens to you, so no getting into trouble, all right? If you need to hide, you may use the Nocturne of Shadow to go as far as the top of the Stairs of the Dead. Upon your peril, you must not go further. Even though that temple is your charge, your powers are still underdeveloped. You can get seriously hurt in there. Is that understood?"
"Yes, I suppose. But I don't want to run! I want to protect Kakariko as much as you do! How can I help if I'm running scared into a hiding-hole?"
Shira looked at Impa, her eyes no longer grave and solemn: they were caring, and worried. She spoke to Impa in a much different voice she had used just moments before: she sounded worried, and almost sad.
"Impa," She said, "I love you as if you were my daughter, and you know that. I am honored that you will fight to save your home, but you are still not sufficiently trained. If anything happened to you, I would blame myself."
"And if anything happened to me, I would get over it! I don't see why I have to run away, yet you spare your own bodyguards! I would be ashamed if I were to run!"
"That is the way advice works: 'Spare yourself, and let me do the fighting.' But you must understand: I am more trained than you, and a teenager in her first battle is a preferred target by the Gerudo."
"With all due respect, you're the Queen of Hyrule!!! Don't you think that you would be the preferred target!? I mean, they are after you, aren't they?"
"I know, but if they see you, their interests might change. The Gerudo did not used to be like this: ruthless, uncaring, crazed warriors bent on destruction- not since before the arrival of that wretched man Ganondorf. You may fight, but the minute things get hot, you run. That is a direct order. Got it?"
"Okay, okay. You win. But what was in that bag, anyway?"
Shira sighed. "Listen, Impa. If anything happens to me, out there….If anything happens, open that bag very late tonight where and when you can keep it a secret. Look through it entirely, and read everything there is to be read. That is all that you need to know for know."
At that very moment an alarm sounded. I worried Hylian soldier dashed in and bowed low. He was Anolan, the General of Hyrule's army.
"Your majesty!" He panted. "The Gerudo have been sighted in the Shadowed Glade, nearing the Stair. They are much more than we expected."
Shira stood up straight. Tall and fell she was, yet fair beyond all other beauty in Hyrule. Her crimson eyes were flaming as she drew a bright sword. Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke:
"Now we attack."
Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Right before Impa left the house, Shira stopped her with a single word:
"Wait."
Impa stopped dead. She had never heard Shira use that tone of voice before. It sounded…almost….as one in despair. One who has already accepted fate's cruel judgment. Impa shuddered. She did not like that voice. Slowly she turned around and returned to her guardian's side.
"Yes, ma'am?"
Shira gently lifted Impa's chin so that the two were looking in each other's eyes. Impa's showed anxiousness and a little fear, but Shira's showed grave depth: a silent respect for one who goes knowingly, at their own peril, against a power much stronger than they.
"I want you to listen to me very carefully. You know that Zelda is the Leader of the Sages: the Seventh, right?"
Impa nodded.
"And you know that I keep her powers safe until she is old and strong enough to claim them for her own?"
Impa nodded again. She already knew this. Where this was leading she did not know.
"You realize, Impa, that if anything were to happen to me, those powers would revert directly back to Zelda, don't you?"
"I guess so…I never really thought about it. Nothing is going to happen to you--- Right?"
Shira sighed. She seemed to be doing that a lot today. Something was definitely bothering her.
"I just don't know, Impa. I really don't. But just in case…"
She reached under the chair and pulled out a bundle neatly enclosed in a blue velvet bag. A strange symbol of the triforce and of a strange birdlike glyph was embroidered neatly in gold thread (A/N: This is the same symbol that we see on young Zelda's dress in the game). She held the parcel closed to her heart and lowered her eyes. Then she spoke.
"In this bag," She said, "are some very important things, including official documents and a few other items. I want you to take this straight up to your room and hide it beneath your pillow. Then come directly back here and sit down. I must talk to you right away-before the battle begins."
Tenderly she placed the package into Impa's hands and laid her own in her lap. Impa scampered upstairs, laid the parcel under her pillow, and ran back down, where she found a chair set facing Shira. Impa sat down in it. Shira continued.
"Did you do as I asked?"
Impa nodded.
"Very good. Now, listen to me very carefully. As your guardian, I am fully responsible for anything that happens to you, so no getting into trouble, all right? If you need to hide, you may use the Nocturne of Shadow to go as far as the top of the Stairs of the Dead. Upon your peril, you must not go further. Even though that temple is your charge, your powers are still underdeveloped. You can get seriously hurt in there. Is that understood?"
"Yes, I suppose. But I don't want to run! I want to protect Kakariko as much as you do! How can I help if I'm running scared into a hiding-hole?"
Shira looked at Impa, her eyes no longer grave and solemn: they were caring, and worried. She spoke to Impa in a much different voice she had used just moments before: she sounded worried, and almost sad.
"Impa," She said, "I love you as if you were my daughter, and you know that. I am honored that you will fight to save your home, but you are still not sufficiently trained. If anything happened to you, I would blame myself."
"And if anything happened to me, I would get over it! I don't see why I have to run away, yet you spare your own bodyguards! I would be ashamed if I were to run!"
"That is the way advice works: 'Spare yourself, and let me do the fighting.' But you must understand: I am more trained than you, and a teenager in her first battle is a preferred target by the Gerudo."
"With all due respect, you're the Queen of Hyrule!!! Don't you think that you would be the preferred target!? I mean, they are after you, aren't they?"
"I know, but if they see you, their interests might change. The Gerudo did not used to be like this: ruthless, uncaring, crazed warriors bent on destruction- not since before the arrival of that wretched man Ganondorf. You may fight, but the minute things get hot, you run. That is a direct order. Got it?"
"Okay, okay. You win. But what was in that bag, anyway?"
Shira sighed. "Listen, Impa. If anything happens to me, out there….If anything happens, open that bag very late tonight where and when you can keep it a secret. Look through it entirely, and read everything there is to be read. That is all that you need to know for know."
At that very moment an alarm sounded. I worried Hylian soldier dashed in and bowed low. He was Anolan, the General of Hyrule's army.
"Your majesty!" He panted. "The Gerudo have been sighted in the Shadowed Glade, nearing the Stair. They are much more than we expected."
Shira stood up straight. Tall and fell she was, yet fair beyond all other beauty in Hyrule. Her crimson eyes were flaming as she drew a bright sword. Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke:
"Now we attack."