((Disclaimer: See other stories.))
After The Storm.
~**Let me take you back a few years...**~
Ruto blinked sluggishly and groaned. She sat, pressing her back against the stone wall, and rubbed her forehead ferociously, trying to dull the searing pain that lanced through it. She recovered slightly, enough to stand and glance fearfully over to the tank. The tank that was now filled with vibrant red water, so bright that it burned Ruto's eyes. She stifled a sob at the horror that floated on the surface of the gory scene, and stepped shakily out of the broken doorway.
The Zora princess fled to the frozen water as fast as her quavering limbs would allow. Finding a crack in the ice used for fishing by the Hylians, she dove and swam swiftly to the bottom of the Lake, trying to leave it all behind. Her love was gone, cruelly ripped to pieces at the enormous shark's jaws. And it was all *her* fault. Hatred rose, swarming over the grief and pain, cold, absolute hatred against the Sheikah. All of them. Even the Sage of Shadow - it was her brat who had tipped her from the table onto the floor amongst shards of glass!
Ruto propelled herself downwards, streaking through the water. She landed gracefully at the entrance to the Water Temple, but to her surprise, she could not gain entry. The familiar tingling of her powers had deserted her, along with the effervescent colour of the symbol of the Water Medallion on the back of her left hand. The image was now a dull blue, devoid of power. Ruto raised her head and screamed in a cloud of bubbles that rose through the shimmering water.
***
~~~~~ Ruto gave birth to her son in the summer, in her new home deep in the crevices at the bottom of the Lake. Alas for him, she did not survive the birth, but slipped into the next world to be with her Kiren forever. She died in exile, disowned by her family and the Sages, filled with hatred and remorse.
The baby boy, half drowned, was pulled from the Lake by a small girl, previously unknown by the Hylians. She caught everyone's attention due to the delicate webs between her fingers, and her long, straight, blue hair. The child infiltrated Hyrule Castle, and placed the son of Princess Ruto and Kiren at the door to the nursery of the Royal Twins, Keiko and Tamasine...
~~~~~
Impa was woken by Keiko wailing. She rose and put the girl to her breast, but the child refused and seemed to be trying to communicate something. Then Impa heard it too: a plaintive cry from outside her door. She placed Keiko back in her cot, where Tamasine, her brother, awoke and stared curiously. Then Impa went to the door and opened it.
Her gaze swept the passageway and then fell to the stones. A tiny baby boy lay there, wrapped carefully in a blanket, whimpering. Motherly instinct rising, Impa picked him up and looked at him, displaying the same reaction as her namesake all those years ago.
The boy was blue-skinned, with wisps of red hair. If this apparent clash wasn't strange enough, his eyes were two distinct colours: in the centre, bright blue; on the outsides, silvery like the surface of a pearl.
Impa mind leapt, racing back a year or two to the fateful conflict on that winter night. ~Ruto...~
With Moth in the Spirit World for the next two seasons, what else could she do? Impa hugged the boy to her and placed him in the cot along with her darling twins, where he promptly fell asleep in the warmth. The twins exchanged glances, confused, and Impa sang softly as they followed suit and dropped into slumber...
***
Impa crept back to the bed and lay on top of the sheets, for the warmth of the season was beginning to take hold of the lands. Her mind went to work on what to do with Ruto's boy. Firstly, how had he got to be outside her door? What had happened to Ruto? Could she handle three babes?
The warm sun streamed through the light drapes, giving the room a golden glow. The heaviness of the air and the heat worked its magic upon the Princess, and her lovely blue eyes flickered shut in sleep...
~*~ Impa stood amongst the long grass of a field, her hair blowing in a wind that she could not feel. Her beloved Moth stood a short distance away, and Impa grinned.
"Impa, how did Ruto's son wind up with us?!" he asked incredulously.
Impa shrugged, "I haven't a clue. We can't just leave him, Moth, he'd die."
"I know, love, I know. Can you handle three, though?"
"I'll have to, won't I?"
Moth smiled proudly, "That's my girl. Good luck Impa, and keep going! You're doing wonderfully; I can't wait for Winter!" With this usual sign- off, Moth's image faded, and Impa awoke... ~*~
After The Storm.
~**Let me take you back a few years...**~
Ruto blinked sluggishly and groaned. She sat, pressing her back against the stone wall, and rubbed her forehead ferociously, trying to dull the searing pain that lanced through it. She recovered slightly, enough to stand and glance fearfully over to the tank. The tank that was now filled with vibrant red water, so bright that it burned Ruto's eyes. She stifled a sob at the horror that floated on the surface of the gory scene, and stepped shakily out of the broken doorway.
The Zora princess fled to the frozen water as fast as her quavering limbs would allow. Finding a crack in the ice used for fishing by the Hylians, she dove and swam swiftly to the bottom of the Lake, trying to leave it all behind. Her love was gone, cruelly ripped to pieces at the enormous shark's jaws. And it was all *her* fault. Hatred rose, swarming over the grief and pain, cold, absolute hatred against the Sheikah. All of them. Even the Sage of Shadow - it was her brat who had tipped her from the table onto the floor amongst shards of glass!
Ruto propelled herself downwards, streaking through the water. She landed gracefully at the entrance to the Water Temple, but to her surprise, she could not gain entry. The familiar tingling of her powers had deserted her, along with the effervescent colour of the symbol of the Water Medallion on the back of her left hand. The image was now a dull blue, devoid of power. Ruto raised her head and screamed in a cloud of bubbles that rose through the shimmering water.
***
~~~~~ Ruto gave birth to her son in the summer, in her new home deep in the crevices at the bottom of the Lake. Alas for him, she did not survive the birth, but slipped into the next world to be with her Kiren forever. She died in exile, disowned by her family and the Sages, filled with hatred and remorse.
The baby boy, half drowned, was pulled from the Lake by a small girl, previously unknown by the Hylians. She caught everyone's attention due to the delicate webs between her fingers, and her long, straight, blue hair. The child infiltrated Hyrule Castle, and placed the son of Princess Ruto and Kiren at the door to the nursery of the Royal Twins, Keiko and Tamasine...
~~~~~
Impa was woken by Keiko wailing. She rose and put the girl to her breast, but the child refused and seemed to be trying to communicate something. Then Impa heard it too: a plaintive cry from outside her door. She placed Keiko back in her cot, where Tamasine, her brother, awoke and stared curiously. Then Impa went to the door and opened it.
Her gaze swept the passageway and then fell to the stones. A tiny baby boy lay there, wrapped carefully in a blanket, whimpering. Motherly instinct rising, Impa picked him up and looked at him, displaying the same reaction as her namesake all those years ago.
The boy was blue-skinned, with wisps of red hair. If this apparent clash wasn't strange enough, his eyes were two distinct colours: in the centre, bright blue; on the outsides, silvery like the surface of a pearl.
Impa mind leapt, racing back a year or two to the fateful conflict on that winter night. ~Ruto...~
With Moth in the Spirit World for the next two seasons, what else could she do? Impa hugged the boy to her and placed him in the cot along with her darling twins, where he promptly fell asleep in the warmth. The twins exchanged glances, confused, and Impa sang softly as they followed suit and dropped into slumber...
***
Impa crept back to the bed and lay on top of the sheets, for the warmth of the season was beginning to take hold of the lands. Her mind went to work on what to do with Ruto's boy. Firstly, how had he got to be outside her door? What had happened to Ruto? Could she handle three babes?
The warm sun streamed through the light drapes, giving the room a golden glow. The heaviness of the air and the heat worked its magic upon the Princess, and her lovely blue eyes flickered shut in sleep...
~*~ Impa stood amongst the long grass of a field, her hair blowing in a wind that she could not feel. Her beloved Moth stood a short distance away, and Impa grinned.
"Impa, how did Ruto's son wind up with us?!" he asked incredulously.
Impa shrugged, "I haven't a clue. We can't just leave him, Moth, he'd die."
"I know, love, I know. Can you handle three, though?"
"I'll have to, won't I?"
Moth smiled proudly, "That's my girl. Good luck Impa, and keep going! You're doing wonderfully; I can't wait for Winter!" With this usual sign- off, Moth's image faded, and Impa awoke... ~*~