((Disclaimer: See previous chapter.))
WINTER ~Five years later.~
"No, Impa, sight with both eyes!"
"But Moth. . ."
"No 'but's! Come on, two more shots. . ."
Impa sighed and drew her arm back again, squinting determinedly down the length of the arrow. Moth stood behind her, observing her posture. In the five years of training he had given the princess, she had improved admirably. Her accuracy with the bow and arrow was unmatched; her skill with a long dagger near-perfect. Moth wouldn't admit it, but he had grown attached to the teenage princess in more ways that he would dare to tell her. It was winter, and the ground was compact and hard, frozen by the frosts. Pale sunlight streamed over the training ground of the Sheikah Village high in the Mountains, just beyond the Realm of Hyrule.
Impa loosed off two more arrows in quick succession, each finding the targets pinned to the trees. Moth clapped softly. "Well done, lass. What do you fancy now?"
The girl turned, long golden hair strung in a high ponytail glinting in the weak sun. "Spar with me."
Moth smiled wryly and drew his sword from the sheath on his back: a thin bladed weapon that gleamed in the light. "As you command, your highness."
Impa grinned good-humouredly as her long knife appeared in her hands; she crouched slightly and tensed, ready.
Moth feinted to the right and lunged at her left. She was unfazed by the attempt to trick her, having noticed his balance shift to the left before he moved. She blocked it in a spin and brought her blade downwards. Moth dropped to one knee and parried gracefully. Impa sensed the challenge and dodged his next swing in a high back flip.
Moth's eyes lit up, and he jumped high, twisted his body and vanished, appearing above the princess and dropping, sword outstretched. Impa somersaulted forwards to dodge and sprang up in time to block Moth's next strike and reply with three of her own in series. Moth parried all three, but his arm dropped slightly on the third block. Impa's left hand found the net coiled in her belt, and she flung it over the unfortunate Sheikah boy. The weights dropped to the grass, and Moth was covered in the mesh, laughing.
"Well done again, Impa! Hey, nice idea to use the net. Now could you help me out?"
Impa laughed in turn and gathered the net back up, folding it skilfully and replacing it at her belt. She extended a hand to Moth and helped him stand up. Their eyes met.
Each ripped themselves from their thoughts and tried to speak at the same moment,
"Impa. . ."
"Moth. . ."
Impa smiled shyly, "You first."
"I was just going to ask if you feel ready enough to try. . . you know. Tackling your step-brother now?"
Impa paused. She was ready physically. The lithe body underneath the tight black-blue Sheikah clothing was not the problem. The real problem had been growing in her mind over the last year. He was her step-brother. As evil as he was, despite the fact that he had murdered her father and tried to kill her, she couldn't kill him. They shared a mother. Actually she was in two minds, the one peaceful and unwilling, the other red with rage and eager. The training period had honed her skills, and also the anger against the Gerudo. In battle, it was not truly Impa fighting. Surely, once they got to fighting, she would be able to do it. . .
She realised Moth was looking at her, and that she had taken too long over the question. His expression was sympathetic, as though he understood. He crossed the silver-white grass to the girl and took her into his arms.
"Impa. . . I never told you what happened to my father, did I?"
Impa shook her head. Moth continued,
"He too was murdered. Killed by Ganondorf during the Reign of Evil so many years ago now. My mother tells me I have his looks, but I only have faded memories, like autumn mists. His name was Moth too. He and my mother tried to spirit Zelda away together. When Ganondorf discovered them, my father tried to hold him off. He never made his way out of the Castle."
While Moth talked, a light snow had begun to fall from the pale grey skies. The fragile flakes settled on them both.
Impa discovered she was holding Moth as much as he was holding her. They needed each other to fill each void in each heart. With Zelda and Moth's mother, Impa, mustering more magic to take down Kiren, whom did they have but each other?
Moth appeared to be thinking along the same lines, for he let her out of his arms gently and spoke quickly and low, "Impa. . . We both have feelings for each other, but we cannot be together until Kiren is gone. You understand, don't you?"
"Yes Moth, I understand." Impa swallowed the lump in her throat as a pleasant warm feeling spread from her face into the whole of her body, driving out the chill the snow was working on her.
A cheerful voice made them both look up, and Fara danced out of the icy skies and circled around Impa's head twice. "I'm back!"
Impa's face gained a smile, "Good! What did you find out, Fara?"
The little fairy babbled excitedly, "Zelda, Impa and the other Sages are ready now! They say for you to move as quickly as possible. Did you know Kiren is with the Zora Princess Ruto?"
Moth's eyes widened, "No, we didn't know that. We've had no news from the rest of Hyrule for five years. Has anything else happened?"
"Kiren tried to take the Forest and enslave the Kokiri, but it didn't work. Saria turned all the Fairies against him, so he ran. They've made a base on the shores of Lake Hylia. He tried to get the Gerudo Warriors to help, and Nabooru managed to convince most not to go. But some did, including their sword mistress, Katin. Dear Impa, you have no idea how powerful that Thief really is! He killed a Fairy with a flick of his fingers, and knocked Mido out for three months! He's stronger than he ever was before!"
Impa shuddered, "Has he made any moves elsewhere?"
Fara took a deep breath, "Dodongo's Cavern has been infested again, so the Gorons are on the brink of starvation, and Kakariko is a mess of ReDeads, Poes, Wallmasters, Mummies, and all sorts of half-dead creatures! Only the Gerudo Valley and Zora's Domain are untouched. You really must move now. The five remaining Sages will sort out the problems elsewhere if you can take out Kiren, but we must strike together."
Moth was silent for a moment, calculating. He raised his head and looked at Fara, "Where is Kiren now?"
"At Lake Hylia. He thinks Ruto is with child, which, incidentally, she is. Curse that Zora! If she hadn't sided with the Thief we could have taken him without question! Instead, Zelda and Rauru stripped her of her powers in the hope it would tempt her back. Alas, no dice. She's smitten with Kiren."
"So the bloodline will carry on?" said Moth, alarmed.
"Looks like it. . ." murmured Impa, sadly.
"Unless. . ." began Moth, then stopped at the horror of his own thoughts.
"What?" demanded Impa.
"Unless we. . . " Moth struggled for words, " 'Take her out too' , is what I was going to say, but that's out of the question. A Sage; a Princess. . . The cost would be too great."
"Maybe we won't need too..." said Fara slyly.
Impa turned to her sharply, "What have you seen?"
"I looked ahead, and. . . well, let's say it would be easy for you to take the child."
Impa's eyes lit up. Moth allowed himself a smile. "Alright. Shall we go and sort out this Gerudo Thief once and for all?"
Impa licked her lips nervously, and the gesture made Moth's heart skip a beat, "Do you think I'm ready? From what Fara's said, maybe we need to train harder. . ."
"Impa. . . you saw the Fairies in Hyrule before you came here, didn't you?" asked Fara
"Of course," replied Impa, a little puzzled.
"Well then. You have Nayru's Love - use it!"
Impa smiled, "Thank you for your wisdom, Fara."
"Hey, I'm the courage one, don't get us mixed up!" joked Fara.
Moth and Impa dressed in the dark assassin colours of the Sheikah, black face wrappings hiding all but their eyes. Impa took her bow and quiver, a pouch-full of needles, her net and her dagger. Moth took only his long sword and a chain. He noticed Impa's questioning glance and grinned, "I intend to test myself." Impa did not point out the fact that he might not get the opportunity to learn from the confrontation.
Her heart set fluttering as she and Moth grasped a Nut apiece and stared at each other for a moment.
Impa saw a tall handsome young man, finely built and well suited to the close fitting attire of Sheikah. Strands of white hair fell over his intense red eyes, glowing in a pale, pale face.
Moth saw an extraordinarily beautiful young woman, the curve of her hips and breasts setting his heart on fire. Strands of gold hair fell across her intense blue eyes, set like jewels in her tanned face, shining with anticipation.
Simultaneously, both disappeared in flashes: Moth with a simple bend of one knee; Impa with a spin. Fara hung in the cold winter air for a moment, and then disappeared with a small shower of green sparkles, which settled over the snow and took root as the new grasses. . .
***
WINTER ~Five years later.~
"No, Impa, sight with both eyes!"
"But Moth. . ."
"No 'but's! Come on, two more shots. . ."
Impa sighed and drew her arm back again, squinting determinedly down the length of the arrow. Moth stood behind her, observing her posture. In the five years of training he had given the princess, she had improved admirably. Her accuracy with the bow and arrow was unmatched; her skill with a long dagger near-perfect. Moth wouldn't admit it, but he had grown attached to the teenage princess in more ways that he would dare to tell her. It was winter, and the ground was compact and hard, frozen by the frosts. Pale sunlight streamed over the training ground of the Sheikah Village high in the Mountains, just beyond the Realm of Hyrule.
Impa loosed off two more arrows in quick succession, each finding the targets pinned to the trees. Moth clapped softly. "Well done, lass. What do you fancy now?"
The girl turned, long golden hair strung in a high ponytail glinting in the weak sun. "Spar with me."
Moth smiled wryly and drew his sword from the sheath on his back: a thin bladed weapon that gleamed in the light. "As you command, your highness."
Impa grinned good-humouredly as her long knife appeared in her hands; she crouched slightly and tensed, ready.
Moth feinted to the right and lunged at her left. She was unfazed by the attempt to trick her, having noticed his balance shift to the left before he moved. She blocked it in a spin and brought her blade downwards. Moth dropped to one knee and parried gracefully. Impa sensed the challenge and dodged his next swing in a high back flip.
Moth's eyes lit up, and he jumped high, twisted his body and vanished, appearing above the princess and dropping, sword outstretched. Impa somersaulted forwards to dodge and sprang up in time to block Moth's next strike and reply with three of her own in series. Moth parried all three, but his arm dropped slightly on the third block. Impa's left hand found the net coiled in her belt, and she flung it over the unfortunate Sheikah boy. The weights dropped to the grass, and Moth was covered in the mesh, laughing.
"Well done again, Impa! Hey, nice idea to use the net. Now could you help me out?"
Impa laughed in turn and gathered the net back up, folding it skilfully and replacing it at her belt. She extended a hand to Moth and helped him stand up. Their eyes met.
Each ripped themselves from their thoughts and tried to speak at the same moment,
"Impa. . ."
"Moth. . ."
Impa smiled shyly, "You first."
"I was just going to ask if you feel ready enough to try. . . you know. Tackling your step-brother now?"
Impa paused. She was ready physically. The lithe body underneath the tight black-blue Sheikah clothing was not the problem. The real problem had been growing in her mind over the last year. He was her step-brother. As evil as he was, despite the fact that he had murdered her father and tried to kill her, she couldn't kill him. They shared a mother. Actually she was in two minds, the one peaceful and unwilling, the other red with rage and eager. The training period had honed her skills, and also the anger against the Gerudo. In battle, it was not truly Impa fighting. Surely, once they got to fighting, she would be able to do it. . .
She realised Moth was looking at her, and that she had taken too long over the question. His expression was sympathetic, as though he understood. He crossed the silver-white grass to the girl and took her into his arms.
"Impa. . . I never told you what happened to my father, did I?"
Impa shook her head. Moth continued,
"He too was murdered. Killed by Ganondorf during the Reign of Evil so many years ago now. My mother tells me I have his looks, but I only have faded memories, like autumn mists. His name was Moth too. He and my mother tried to spirit Zelda away together. When Ganondorf discovered them, my father tried to hold him off. He never made his way out of the Castle."
While Moth talked, a light snow had begun to fall from the pale grey skies. The fragile flakes settled on them both.
Impa discovered she was holding Moth as much as he was holding her. They needed each other to fill each void in each heart. With Zelda and Moth's mother, Impa, mustering more magic to take down Kiren, whom did they have but each other?
Moth appeared to be thinking along the same lines, for he let her out of his arms gently and spoke quickly and low, "Impa. . . We both have feelings for each other, but we cannot be together until Kiren is gone. You understand, don't you?"
"Yes Moth, I understand." Impa swallowed the lump in her throat as a pleasant warm feeling spread from her face into the whole of her body, driving out the chill the snow was working on her.
A cheerful voice made them both look up, and Fara danced out of the icy skies and circled around Impa's head twice. "I'm back!"
Impa's face gained a smile, "Good! What did you find out, Fara?"
The little fairy babbled excitedly, "Zelda, Impa and the other Sages are ready now! They say for you to move as quickly as possible. Did you know Kiren is with the Zora Princess Ruto?"
Moth's eyes widened, "No, we didn't know that. We've had no news from the rest of Hyrule for five years. Has anything else happened?"
"Kiren tried to take the Forest and enslave the Kokiri, but it didn't work. Saria turned all the Fairies against him, so he ran. They've made a base on the shores of Lake Hylia. He tried to get the Gerudo Warriors to help, and Nabooru managed to convince most not to go. But some did, including their sword mistress, Katin. Dear Impa, you have no idea how powerful that Thief really is! He killed a Fairy with a flick of his fingers, and knocked Mido out for three months! He's stronger than he ever was before!"
Impa shuddered, "Has he made any moves elsewhere?"
Fara took a deep breath, "Dodongo's Cavern has been infested again, so the Gorons are on the brink of starvation, and Kakariko is a mess of ReDeads, Poes, Wallmasters, Mummies, and all sorts of half-dead creatures! Only the Gerudo Valley and Zora's Domain are untouched. You really must move now. The five remaining Sages will sort out the problems elsewhere if you can take out Kiren, but we must strike together."
Moth was silent for a moment, calculating. He raised his head and looked at Fara, "Where is Kiren now?"
"At Lake Hylia. He thinks Ruto is with child, which, incidentally, she is. Curse that Zora! If she hadn't sided with the Thief we could have taken him without question! Instead, Zelda and Rauru stripped her of her powers in the hope it would tempt her back. Alas, no dice. She's smitten with Kiren."
"So the bloodline will carry on?" said Moth, alarmed.
"Looks like it. . ." murmured Impa, sadly.
"Unless. . ." began Moth, then stopped at the horror of his own thoughts.
"What?" demanded Impa.
"Unless we. . . " Moth struggled for words, " 'Take her out too' , is what I was going to say, but that's out of the question. A Sage; a Princess. . . The cost would be too great."
"Maybe we won't need too..." said Fara slyly.
Impa turned to her sharply, "What have you seen?"
"I looked ahead, and. . . well, let's say it would be easy for you to take the child."
Impa's eyes lit up. Moth allowed himself a smile. "Alright. Shall we go and sort out this Gerudo Thief once and for all?"
Impa licked her lips nervously, and the gesture made Moth's heart skip a beat, "Do you think I'm ready? From what Fara's said, maybe we need to train harder. . ."
"Impa. . . you saw the Fairies in Hyrule before you came here, didn't you?" asked Fara
"Of course," replied Impa, a little puzzled.
"Well then. You have Nayru's Love - use it!"
Impa smiled, "Thank you for your wisdom, Fara."
"Hey, I'm the courage one, don't get us mixed up!" joked Fara.
Moth and Impa dressed in the dark assassin colours of the Sheikah, black face wrappings hiding all but their eyes. Impa took her bow and quiver, a pouch-full of needles, her net and her dagger. Moth took only his long sword and a chain. He noticed Impa's questioning glance and grinned, "I intend to test myself." Impa did not point out the fact that he might not get the opportunity to learn from the confrontation.
Her heart set fluttering as she and Moth grasped a Nut apiece and stared at each other for a moment.
Impa saw a tall handsome young man, finely built and well suited to the close fitting attire of Sheikah. Strands of white hair fell over his intense red eyes, glowing in a pale, pale face.
Moth saw an extraordinarily beautiful young woman, the curve of her hips and breasts setting his heart on fire. Strands of gold hair fell across her intense blue eyes, set like jewels in her tanned face, shining with anticipation.
Simultaneously, both disappeared in flashes: Moth with a simple bend of one knee; Impa with a spin. Fara hung in the cold winter air for a moment, and then disappeared with a small shower of green sparkles, which settled over the snow and took root as the new grasses. . .
***