Mother's Last Words

Distantly I heard Link's and Impa's voices above me, and I could feel something cold and wet on my forehead. Blearily, I opened my eyes and moaned.

"I… what happened?" I grunted, trying to sit up. I found myself in my bed, wrapped in blankets.

Impa gently pushed me down. "You passed out," she told me. "Don't sit up too quickly." Her voice held no emotion, which was quite normal for her, but I couldn't help but sense that Link had already told her about my confession. She had a more darkened expression now than I had ever seen her with before.

"Take this," she said, handing me a small vial with a dark-colored liquid inside. I began to drink it, but I was suddenly seized with horror. Suspicions permeated my brain and I panicked.

"W-What is this? I don't want it!" I cried.

"Calm down," Impa said firmly. "It's just a medicine to calm your blood." Her expression softened a bit. "I know what you're thinking, and we have no desire to hurt you. We want to help you, Kiran."

Glancing at Link, who couldn't seem to set his eyes on me for even a moment, I gradually relaxed and my breathing returned to normal. Impa turned toward Link. "I will be right back," she told him. "I wish to check on Zelda." With that, she gathered her things and walked out of the room, leaving us in complete silence. I waited a few moments before I spoke to Link.

"Are you going to tell Mother?" I asked, subconsciously trying to hide the dread and fear that I held in my heart.

He looked away, running his hands through his hair as he pondered. He shook his head. "No," he said, glancing back at me. "I won't tell her. I'm afraid of what it will do to her. She doesn't need anymore pain or stress now. What she needs is peace and comfort."

I nodded worriedly and waited a moment longer to ask the question that was truly plaguing my mind. "Wha… what's going to happen to me?" I asked hoarsely.

I glimpsed his grimace as he tore his gaze away from me and stared at the door. "I… don't know yet," he replied quietly. "I don't know what's going on… I…" he trailed off. I propped myself up and tried desperately to glimpse his expression, but all I viewed was his backside.

"I just can't understand…" he continued, whispering now, "why… how you could do such a thing to… to your own mother, for Din's sake…"

I felt my heart clench inside my chest and I lost my breath for a moment. "I'm sorry," I managed to whisper. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

He chose not to acknowledge me. "I'm… going to go see her," he said instead, and quickly left the room, shutting the door brusquely behind him and slamming my hopes back down into the depths of my heart. I was once again left alone to wallow in fear and misery.

I dozed on and off for the rest of the night, waking the next morning to rain pounding against my windows. I slowly rose and bathed myself, dreading leaving my bedroom and facing the garish light of day. I sat at the table alone and ate my breakfast mechanically. After pecking at the food for awhile I gave and headed straight for the sitting room just outside of my mother's bedchambers. And I waited.

A couple of hours passed by, and just as I was about to doze off, Link entered the room so quietly that I hadn't noticed him at first. I glanced up anxiously at him, and he once again refused to meet my eyes. "She asked to see you," he stated, looking away from me to hide his pained expression. For the first time, I felt like Link's apparent hatred for me was justifiable at that moment. I felt the stabbing pain of guilt and sorrow as I thought of how I had single handedly taken his life away from him.

I stood up slowly and walked languorously past him to my mother's room, as if in a dream. Standing in the doorway for a short moment, I took a deep breath, and then entered.

"Hello, Mother," I greeted with as much cheerfulness as I could muster.

She slowly opened her eyes, seemingly straining with the effort to do something so simple. Her pale face began to shift until I could see that she was smiling. Or at least attempting to.

"Kiran," she whispered weakly. "My son."

"Yes," I said, moving to her side and holding her hand. She breathed in deeply, shutting her eyes tightly as the waves of pain coursed through her body. Tears sprang to my eyes as I witnessed what my father and I had done to her.

"I must tell you… some things... very important."

"Yes, yes Mother, I'm here."

"First... you must know that I love you," she began. "I have always loved you since the day you were born, and I always will. Nothing will change that. Nothing," she emphasized.

I nodded slowly, more for her benefit than anything else. It was almost as if she knew what I had done and was actually reassuring me, but I decided that it was just my imagination. I secretly doubted that she would still love me if she truthfully knew.

"I want you to listen to Link," she continued. "I know you don't think so now, but he is a very important part of your life. He will help you tremendously. And he'll be all you have when I'm gone."

I shook my head as more tears came to my eyes. "No, Mother. Please don't."

"There is no point in denying the inevitable," she said, sounding surprisingly firm for her condition. "I am going to die. But I have no regrets. I especially don't regret you, Kiran." Her smile returned, and she reached for my hand.

"You're not like your father. You're stronger than he was, emotionally stronger, and that will enable you to persevere," she preached. "You have love and compassion in your heart. There is a light in your eyes that is unmistakable."

I cringed inwardly as guilt consumed me. I hastily wiped a tear off my cheek, hoping she wouldn't notice me grimace as I choked back more tears.

"And take care of your sister," she added softly. "Love her… if not for your own sake, than do it… for me."

I nodded. Her eyelids were drooping, and I felt her begin to slip into a deep sleep.

"I love you, Mother," I whispered, not caring anymore about the tears rolling down my cheeks and falling. I stared at her sleeping form for a few more moments, and then left the room.

Stop that ridiculous crying. My father's voice echoed in my mind. You are not a child anymore.

 My father's voice echoed in my mind.

I willed him to go away and leave me alone, even though I knew in my heart that I had lost all control over him a long time ago.

I won't have a weak-minded fool for a son.

Awash with feelings of shame and regret, I retreated to my room for the rest of the evening.

I had a frightening dream that night. I saw my mother, smiling happily and appearing as she had before the dark poison had invaded her body. She was beckoning for me to come to her. As I drew nearer, she began to visibly wither and fade away before my very eyes. Her smile disappeared, replaced with a scowl and two accusing eyes, glaring at me before she completely vanished.

I woke with a start, sitting up in bed. The dream had seemed so vivid, so real, that I had to pinch myself to be certain that I was awake. I couldn't get the image of my mother's condemning stare out of my mind. Unable to go back to sleep, I got out of bed and walked down the stairs toward the kitchen. I heard the shuffling of feet and frantic whispering from all different directions as I descended.

Entering the kitchen, I saw Impa sitting at a table, her back hunched over and her shoulders slumped, appearing heavy with a great burden. She cradled her head in her hands. Her normally straight and perfect silvery hair was noticeably disheveled.

"Impa?" I whispered.

She lifted her head, and what I saw filled my heart with dread. Her red eyes were wet with tears, and she was gripping the edge of the table tightly. I had never seen Impa cry, or show much emotion of any kind, for that matter. Nor had I been able to imagine such a sight. But there she was, sitting in front of me, with tears streaming down her face. She was no longer the strong, obstinate Sheikah warrior that I had always known, but a being with feelings and emotions.

I struggled to speak, to ask the question that my conscious screamed in my mind, but nothing came out. The silence between us that lasted for only those short moments was filled with fearfulness and trepidation. And then she told me what I already knew, deep within my heart.

"Your mother is gone."

A/N: sigh This story is getting harder and harder to finish. I'm liking it less as I go along; the one thing that mainly bothers me is that Kiran is so feminine sounding sometimes, the way I have him think and deal with things... I guess that's what you get when you're a female and you try to write from the point of view of a male :(

Anyway, because of all of the great reviews I'm going totry my best tostick it out until the end. Thanks a lot to all reviewers out there!