Reunion
Zelda awakened to the sound of rustling downstairs. Judging from the dim rays of light poking through the windows, it was not long after sunrise. She cautiously got out of the bed and looked over the edge. Her mother was not sitting by the bookcase, as she had been last night. Zelda looked under the overhang she was on and saw the vague, but thin form of her mother wrapping herself in bandages. The darkness covered her well, but her gleaming red eyes and white hair made her visible. The only things she wore were tight black shorts, much like Impa's. She had wrapped the bandages as high as her lower ribs. Zelda hopped down as quietly as she could.
"Ingrid… Are you okay?" Zelda asked in a hushed voice.
"I'm fine," Ingrid replied. "Did I wake you?"
"Sort of," Zelda said, approaching. "You don't wear a bra, do you?"
"No. It's not necessary. Is that a problem?"
"No," Zelda smiled. "I just…nothing. Why are you wrapping bandages around yourself?"
"I see neither Sheik nor Impa ever explained our culture to you."
"…I never asked."
"They serve a dual purpose," Ingrid said as she finished wrapping around her neck. "The center of one's self is the where the soul dwells. These bandages bind the soul and keep it pure. The Shadow Folk were not always so readily accepted by the Hylians, mostly because of our dark rituals and ways. These bandages represent the purity of light that the Hylians favored."
"They represent chastity," Zelda said, seeing through her words. Ingrid paused a moment. Zelda noticed a slight, brief mark of sadness on her face. "Peach wore almost the same thing at…my wedding…"
"Yes… Also, the bandages are excellent for those moments when battle decimates the clothes we wear." Zelda giggled slightly.
"Why don't you ever laugh or smile, or even show any emotion at all?" Zelda asked. "Why do you hold back?"
"My ways are of an age that has long passed," Ingrid said, walking to a cabinet and opening it. She took out a black choker and put it around her neck. It had the Eye of Truth embroidered in blue. "They are the ancient ways that were instilled by the Fierce Deity, Oni. Oni's laws began to die around the time that this insignia was introduced by the Hylians. They did not like Oni. They considered him evil and used light magic to seal him into a mask. For ages, the mask was lost…until Link retrieved it from another world."
"Termina," Zelda whispered.
"That was another land where the Sheikah supposedly lived," Ingrid said, sitting in a chair. "Once the Eye of Truth was accepted by the Sheikah, Oni's power came under the control of the Hylians… Do you see the teardrop?"
"Yes," Zelda said, looking close. "Doesn't it represent fealty to the Royal Family?"
"It represents the sorrow of betraying the Fierce Deity," Ingrid corrected. "However, what you said became the official reasoning as ordained by the Royal Family…"
"Oh…" Zelda said, feeling a bit awkward.
"I was an outcast, even among the Sheikah," Ingrid spoke, inviting Zelda to sit with her. "It was because my parents strictly taught me the ways of Oni. 'To show the inside is to show weakness,' I was taught. Happiness invites sadness. Sadness begets anger. Anger leads to hate. And hate…leads to suffering. That is why my face has no expression."
"But you still suffer," Zelda said. "I can see it inside you."
"My parents died in battle a short time after Impa was born," Ingrid said. "I raised Impa with the help of the dwindling number of Sheikah in the village. Eventually, I was obligated to join the army myself. I enjoyed my work, as dangerous as it was. Though I disliked the Royal Family for its past actions, I was satisfied to do my duty. My respect for Hylians, however steadily dropped. Their men are chauvinistic. Their women are weak and frivolous. Their government was at senseless war with every other race in the country. But to serve for my masters…it was fulfilling. Then, I met your Father… He was polite, but foolishly idealistic. He sought to unify the races of Hyrule. Slowly, but surely, he made treaties with other races… Somehow, we fell in love. It was a foreign feeling for me. I had never loved anybody besides my parents and Impa…but it was different. We saw each other more often than I liked. We had a secret affair that was known only to the highest-ranking officials…which did little for my reputation behind the scenes. I did things that were…less than honorable with him. I disliked what I was doing. He never forced me…but he knew that I was uncomfortable with it."
"Have you ever cried before?" Zelda asked suddenly.
"When I was a baby, I sup…"
"I mean, after you accepted the ways of Oni," Zelda said.
"Thrice," Ingrid said, frowning briefly. "The first time was after…I shamed myself with your father. The second time…I was fighting the Wanderer for the final time, determined to kill her once and for all. I had grown ill for some time recently. The Wanderer made it apparent to me…that I was pregnant." Her eyes narrowed in bitterness.
"And the last time?" Zelda said, growing somewhat scared.
"After eighteen hours of labor," Ingrid said as her eyes softened. "You were born." She closed her eyes. Zelda could see that she was crying on the inside, despite her outward appearance.
"You regretted having me," Zelda said sadly. "I ruined your life."
"No," Ingrid said, opening her eyes while maintaining her monotone composure. "I was sad that I would not be able to see you grow up. Your aunt was the one who hated you."
"Impa?" Zelda said, shocked.
"She wanted to kill both you and your father to avenge me. But as I lay dying, I made her promise to care for you. As you know, she became your mother-figure. She even nursed you…"
"Did you?" Zelda asked shyly.
Ingrid sighed with a note of annoyance. "No…I could not…at least, not sufficiently. As you can see, I do not have a fertile figure. You are somewhat lucky to have the blood of the Royal Family within you."
"Everyone makes fun of me behind my back for being…like this," Zelda said. "Especially Peach."
"She is just like her mother," Ingrid said. "Think of yourself as a woman who needs no endowments. We may be beanpoles…but they are cows." Zelda giggled.
There was a soft knock at the door and Nabooru stepped in. "They're ready," she whispered to Ingrid.
"Good," Ingrid said, taking a cloth from nearby. She used it as a headwrap, making her look more casual. She took her cloak and wrapped it around her waist, using it as a long skirt. She took Zelda's hand and led her outside with Nabooru.
"What is it?" Zelda asked.
"There are some people you might want to see," Nabooru said, as they went to the graveyard. They stopped immediately in front of the large gravestone just outside the fence. Nabooru pressed her palms together and closed her eyes. Ingrid placed two fingers against her forehead and closed her eyes as well.
"What are you…?"
"Souls…come unto me," Nabooru spoke, glowing orange.
"Wretched spirits of the forsaken, rise from the depths of Hades," Ingrid spoke, somehow gaining a black aura. Zelda watched as the wispy forms of souls flew out of the sky and into Nabooru. The Gerudo sighed, and the spirits flew out and curled around Ingrid. "Can you fix her?"
"Yes," Nabooru said. One of the souls moved away from Ingrid and became a dark purple. It took the ghostly form of the original Impa.
"Impa?" Zelda gasped.
"Hello, Zelda, Ingrid," Impa nodded with her normal countenance intact.
"The nature of this meeting is rather ironic, isn't it?" Ingrid stated.
"That it is," Impa said, smiling slightly. "I am glad that you spared Zelda's life."
"How did you do that, anyway?" Nabooru asked.
"Ing may seem calm and collected," Impa said, folding her arms. "But she is extremely stubborn. I remember all those times she insisted on cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
"Impa…" Ingrid said.
"Sorry… Zelda, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Zelda said, getting teary-eyed. "I just…missed you so much."
"I know… I am sorry you saw that side of me. Please, forgive me for all the pain I've caused you."
"It's not your fault," Zelda said. "I should have known better and…"
"No…it was a part of me," Impa said somberly. "I will be watching you from the other side…where I can no longer harm you." She faded.
"Impa!" Zelda cried.
"Don't worry," Nabooru said optimistically. "She'll be alive once we see this all through." Another soul moved away from Ingrid and turned sapphire. Ruto appeared, looking completely normal now, if a bit unhappy.
"Hey, Zelda," Ruto said, forcing a smile.
"Ruto…" Zelda said nervously. "I'm sorry for…"
"Don't worry about it," Ruto said. "I could see clearly once I was no more…And Sheik explained things to me… I'm kind of glad he did that…otherwise…I might have done something I would regret even more. You see, Zelda… when we went crazy, we only had two things on our mind: Get revenge on you and protect the Triforce. But if you think about it, we can't protect something that we don't have access to. We really did go mad…but it's worse that we influenced our own people… My mother should be able to set the Zoras straight though… Take care."
"Wait, I have a question!"
"Hmm?"
"You said that you would never force Link to break a promise… There's more to that sentence than there is at face value. What were did you mean?"
Ruto smiled sadly. "I'll give you a hint… I'm not the one Link is in love with…" Then, she faded away as well. The next spirit turned red and took the form of Darunia.
"I've made a fool of myself," he said. "Don't bother apologizing… I'm with my son, now. He was the first to tell me that it wasn't you."
"How did he know?"
"He said she could sing beautifully," he smirked.
"Uhhh-huh," Zelda said, somewhat embarrassed as Nabooru chuckled.
"Plus, she didn't think twice about using her powers to toss Gorons about," Darunia said, becoming serious again. "Since you're my Sworn Brother's daughter, I'm counting on you to get back at that witch for me. You can do it!" He faded away.
"She sounds quite powerful," Zelda commented as another spirit moved away from Ingrid and turned green. It became Saria, surprisingly in her adult form. "Saria? Why are you…?"
"I wasn't lying when I said I lost my innocence," Saria said. "And unfortunately, you have too. If I had still been alive and under the influence of that curse, I probably would have been glad to hear it…but I'm just really guilty right now."
"Of all the Sages, you've suffered the most," Zelda said sympathetically. "I can hardly blame you…"
"But you should," Saria said. "I was jealous when Link visited you or the others instead of me. I don't even know where I stand with him…Am I just a surrogate mother? A sister-figure? Or something else? I'm not even sure how I feel about him myself… I know I love him…but I don't know in what way…"
"When we revive you, you'll be sure to gain his attention more."
"Maybe…" Saria said unsurely. "Thanks, Zelda. You're a good person. And so is Peach…I just hope we can be friends from now on."
"Sure," Zelda said. "…You seem closer to Link than I'll ever be…at least, with the real one."
"If you're asking who I think he likes most, I don't know… Ruto is the only one who knows that…" Then, she smiled mischievously. "I'll tell you what…When this is all over, we'll surround him and ask him ourselves."
"Sounds good,"Zelda agreed, smiling.
"Save him, Zelda," Saria said as she faded away.
"It is done," Ingrid said.
"What about Rauru?" Zelda asked. "Didn't Impa kill him?"
"Yes," Ingrid nodded. "He is beyond my reach, however."
"Same here," Nabooru said. "I can't even go to the Chamber of Sages for some reason. It's as if it's being blocked off."
"We have more immediate concerns anyway," Ingrid said, walking back to the village. "Come along and I'll prepare breakfast."
Zelda, Malon, and Peach sat at the table waiting for the meal Ingrid had prepared. Apparently, Ingrid truly enjoyed cooking, but she preferred to keep the meal secret until it was ready. Because of this, she cooked inside another house. The door finally opened and she walked through. A pot of stew and a covered plate floated in after her and were set on the table.
"Eat your fill," Ingrid said with the slightest of smiles. The lid and cover were lifted and the diners were somewhat surprised by what they found. The plate had a roasted bird of some sort and the pot had a strangely colored liquid with various chunks of meat and vegetable floating inside. The stew seemed to be glowing a color that was a mix between brown, green, yellow, and purple.
"What is this, anyway?" Malon said, as she ladled some stew into her bowl.
"My own personal concoction," Ingrid said. "I'm always trying something new."
"And the bird?" Zelda asked, cutting off a piece.
"Roasted Guay."
"…Guay," Zelda repeated, looking down at the cut of meat. "Those birds that try to skewer you in Lake Hylia."
"Taste before you judge," Ingrid said. Each of them tasted and Ingrid awaited their judgment. "Well?"
"…It's…good," Zelda said uneasily.
"Wha?" Malon said incredulously, when Zelda elbowed her. "Oh! Yeah…this is pretty good."
"Really?" Ingrid said with a note of surprise. "Do you like it, Peach?" Peach was chewing slowly and simply nodded. "Well, then try the stew," Ingrid said, having an increasingly hard time hiding her smile.
"Okay," Zelda said, glancing at Malon. They sipped the stew and held back a shudder. Malon was forcing her cringe into a smile.
"This…is…great!" she said.
"Yes…excellent," Zelda gulped, feeling her stomach turn.
"It isn't too spicy?" Ingrid asked.
"Just right!" Malon said.
"Or too sweet?"
"No…it's…fine," Zelda said.
"Well, eat up," Ingrid said, failing to hide her smile at all.
Malon glanced at Zelda woefully. Zelda responded, "Here, Malon. Let me get you another bowlful." Zelda reached for the ladle and "accidentally" knocked over both Malon's and her own bowls, spilling the stew on themselves. "Oops…"
"Oh, well," Malon said. "We'll just have to change."
"Yes, it would be impolite to eat in such messy clothing," Zelda said, as they both rose up and left the room.
"How about you, Peach?" Ingrid said, looking to her. She had never swallowed the small bit of Guay, instead spitting it into her bowl of stew while Ingrid was not looking. With the spotlight on her she tasted the soup.
"Mmm," Peach smiled. Then her stomach rumbled loudly. "Ooh…" she groaned slumping over. Then, she covered her mouth and ran out.
Ingrid's smile disappeared and her face became expressionless again. She thought to herself, "…Well, that went better than expected." Then, she dipped a piece of Guay into the stew and tasted it herself. Her stomach growled immediately. "Too spicy and too sweet…"
After Peach had gone through some unpleasant bodily functions, she insisted on making breakfast. She prepared a meal in five minutes and everyone was enjoying it greatly.
"Wow, Peach!" Malon exclaimed. "You can really cook!"
"I wish I had that sort of cooking skill," Zelda said, impressed.
"Exactly how did you do that?" Ingrid asked blankly.
"Just follow a recipe," Peach said humbly. "Only master chefs can hope to make their own creations on the fly… Plus, they taste their food before they serve it."
"What did you do with that stuff anyway?" Malon asked.
"I dumped it into the Royal Tomb," Ingrid said.
"You what!" Zelda exclaimed. "That's sacred ground!"
"Yes, but you've obviously never been down there," Ingrid answered. "The shadow lurkers will probably eat it themselves."
"Shadow lurkers?"
"ReDeads."
"I thought those were evil zombies…"
"Only the ones Ganondorf set loose in Hyrule Castle Town," Ingrid said. "They are pure magic. The ones in the temples and most of those scattered about the land are actual zombies, but not evil. The ones around here are Sheikah. Their job is to guard the dead here."
"What makes a Sheikah become a ReDead?"
"Usually a spell," Ingrid said. "…Or being killed by a ReDead. You'd be quite surprised about the histories behind many of the so-called 'monsters' of Hyrule. The Gibdos, for instance, tend to vary between Hylians, Sheikah, and Gerudo. The Armos statues are of Goron craftsmanship. Iron Knuckles are all created by ancient Gerudo."
"What about Like-likes?" Malon asked.
"World leaders and shield eaters have many likes alike," Ingrid replied. "…Or so the saying goes."
"What does it mean?"
"It may just be a political statement," Zelda said.
"Or that Like-likes used to be ancient kings," Ingrid said.
"This is actually rather interesting," Zelda smiled. "How do you know so much about monsters?"
"I had to fight many creatures in my travels and campaigns," she replied.
"Okay, then here are some hard ones," Zelda said. "Explain the origins of Stalchildren, Skull Kids, and Stalfos."
"Stalchildren and Stalfos…Ancient servants of a King…I can't recall the name very well," she said, rubbing her chin. "It was the one the Sheikah served in another world…long ago. The kingdom of…Ikana…I think. And the Skull Kids are just the results of cursed children…perhaps from getting lost in the Lost Woods without a fairy. I hear adults turn into Stalfos, though."
"Did the Sheikah ever simply keep to themselves?" Zelda asked.
"To put it bluntly, Sheikah tend not to fornicate as much as other races," Ingrid said. "Fewer illegitimates as well as a lower population in general puts us at a disadvantage in some ways."
"Where are the Sheikah anyway?" Malon asked. "They didn't all die in the wars…did they?"
"No…They're around… They served Ikana around the same time they served Hyrule. They've probably just moved beyond this country."
"Beamos?" Zelda asked.
"Gerudo and Goron," Ingrid said.
"Peach, you're being awfully quiet," Malon said.
"Don't mind me," she smiled. "I don't really know what you're talking about anyway…"
"Well, some of the beings from your land have appeared here," Zelda said. "Like the Shamans."
"Or the 8-bits Club members," Malon said, surprising them. "What? Two months, remember?"
"The 8-bits…" Ingrid said. "That name sounds familiar. I believe they had something to do with rivals of the Sheikah…Garo Robes…Yes, both the 8-bits and the Sheikah were constantly at odds with the Garo, among others."
"You're very well read in bestiaries, aren't you?" Zelda said, impressed once again. "I wish I had known you earlier so I could know as much as you."
"Thank you, Zelda," Ingrid said, finishing her meal and rising. As she picked up her black cloak, she spoke, "I will be outside once you are ready to leave. Remember to dress or pack warmly for our destination. This shouldn't be too hard."