Link, watching Impa walk to Gannon, was hit by a sudden dread. Impa was no match for Gannon. Once, she might have been, but now he was too powerful. He would kill her as easily as he had...
As easily as he killed me.
Link heard their voices clearly across the distance. He breathed in the hot air and felt a cold, unfamiliar hurt stir. Their words weren't meant for his ears, he knew.
Gannon looked helplessly at Impa, "Is it true that you once loved me, Sheikah?"
"Is it true you once served the same king as I?"
"Once."
"Then yes."
Link felt as if Gannon's sword were striking him again. He strained to hear as Impa stepped even closer to the Gerudo King.
"Is it so hard to remember, Gannondorf, who you were?"
In the shining sun, Link could only see silhouettes of the Gerudo and the Sheikah. Something glinted for a moment and then faded... sweat on Gannon's face.
A whisper from Gannon...
"I'm sorry, Impa."
Gannon raised his hand slightly, and suddenly Impa stumbled backwards. Gannon's grip held the Master Sword. Impa looked down at the smooth edge of metal that disappeared into her stomach. A small cry echoed.
Link gasped as Impa fell. The Master Sword slid from her body, bloody end glittering.
Gannon vanished.
Link began running.
"IMPA!"
Zelda screamed somewhere in the back of his mind. He let himself slide to his knees in the sand, hads hovering uselessly over Impa's face.
"Ha... Link... I wasn't expecting that... haha..."
"Impa, don't speak, I can warp to the Temple of Time, we'll get you help."
"From who...?" She coughed. Link saw her tongue was red with blood.
Zelda reached Link's side, and knelt to her guardian.
"Impa... Nayru... Impa..."
Impa coughed again, body shaking. Link looked at her wound and realized that covering it with his hand wouldn't do any good.
Zelda moaned as Impa coughed harder, sending a trickle of blood down her cheek. It rolled into her silver hair and spread into a dark stain.
"Link... Hero... watch over her."
"I will."
Impa's body shook violently one more time, then settled. Zelda stood rapidly, making Link look up.
"No... No! Not you, too, please!"
"Zelda!"
"Impa..."
Zelda fell back down. Link wiped something wet off his cheek as the Princess took Impa's hand and cried into it. Link noticed too late that Impa's eyes were still open, staring sweetly at the sun. He brushed them closed with his fingers, wondering abstractly if Zelda had done the same for him.
The Hero of Time sat back. The Princess of Hyrule was crying before him, sobbing over the dead body of the Last Sheikah.
Link closed his eyes. He didn't feel like anyone's Hero.
