***ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY**

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In Sotto Voce

By The Wolfess

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Chapter 6

As Impa and Zelda tiptoed around one another, the world outside was increasingly gray. It rained more often than not, and the sun refused to shine. There were reports running through the soldier's barracks of movement in the Eldin Volcanic Fields where Stalfos and Darknuts made their home. Others reported upheaval in the Bulblin camps out in the distant reaches of the Gerudo Desert. As long as these creatures stayed in their respective lands and didn't harm anyone, military policy dictated that they be monitored and left otherwise alone. If they were moving, as the rumors were indicating, then surely the Crown would send the army to beat them back.

Unfortunately, the Crown didn't do anything. King Daphnes shut himself up in the Great Hall day after day. Some days he missed dinner because he was meeting with someone. Most days he was alone, presumably drawing up plans and reading proposals. Every now and then he called for Impa to ask after Zelda's dreams. He never called for Zelda herself. Impa watched all these things and worried. More than anything, however, she worried about Zelda.

Impa knew something was wrong the night that the princess didn't say goodnight when she lay down to sleep. It would only take time, she had told herself, but for some reason time did not seem to be helping the princess. Between the troubles in the kingdom, her father's continued silence, and Impa's distance, Zelda was more isolated and troubled now than ever. Every day there were more rumors and signs. Every day Ruto tried to cheer up the Hylian princess by encouraging her that the signs were nothing, and that she should invite some of the lords to spend time with her, or noble ladies to lunch with her. None of it affected the princess. Zelda just listened and watched and studied and went through the motions of the life she was supposed to live.

On the night Zelda didn't say goodnight, as the Sheikah went to her own bed she thought that she could hear quiet sobbing from within the bigger room. Her heart ached. She thought back on her course of action and its effects on Zelda. Could maintaining appropriate distance hurt her princess more than just crossing those boundaries and breaking down those walls? If breaking down the walls that she had carefully constructed would result in the princess doing something about those electric shocks, though, Impa knew that she would give in to Zelda's desire, and then they would both be in the biggest trouble of their lives. Gritting her teeth and steeling her heart against the sound of Zelda's muffled sobs, Impa closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.

She woke in the middle of the night to hear Zelda screaming.

Impa sprang from her bed, Great Sword in hand instantly, and looked about the room. She quickly saw that nothing was out of place, and no one was around. The princess was trashing about in her bed, the quilts all tangled around her legs, and she was screaming and crying. Impa put her sword down and went over to Zelda, getting onto the bed without a second thought.

"Hey," she whispered, taking a hold of Zelda's hands and rubbing the backs of them with her thumbs. "Hey, Zelda, it's okay. You're safe. Shh…" The princess's body stopped thrashing and her eyes fluttered open. She seemed to be looking without seeing, as if visions from her sleep were still swimming before her eyes.

"A beast in the forest," she said, tears still streaming from her eyes as she looked past Impa at something only she could see. "The servant raises her master's horde. The shade wears a royal skin. A song from the shadows is silenced. The beast in the forest is unchained…" Her eyes closed and her body went completely limp.

"Oh Goddesses, Zelda, hey…" Impa patted the girl's cheeks, but the princess wasn't responding. She pulled Zelda into her arms and leaned her cheek down over the princess's mouth. She could feel breath coming out, steady and strong, although the girl wasn't responding to any outside stimuli. Sighing, Impa eased the princess back down onto her own pillows and began to get out of the bed to write down the prophecy that she had just spoken. That is what the king had instructed her to do when this happened, after all, and now that Zelda was calming down she might as well take care of it right away. However, the moment that her hand left Zelda's skin the princess started whimpering again, as if something in her dreams was hurting her, and Impa's touch was the only thing that could protect her from it.

Impa hesitated only for a moment, but Zelda was beginning to thrash again. It appeared as if she were fighting invisible foes. Impa gritted her teeth got back into the bed. The moment her hand touched Zelda's shoulder, the princess began to still. The Sheikah committed the prophecy to memory, word for word, so she could write it down in the morning. For now, she settled in next to Zelda and drew the girl into her arms. The shaking in Zelda's body seemed to ease, and her tears slowed to a stop. In her sleep, she cuddled closer to Impa's warmth and twined her fingers through those of her bodyguard. She pulled Impa's hand into her chest and promptly began snoring softly and peacefully.

The Sheikah's heart was beating so loudly in her ears it was like the roar of a waterfall. Every carefully constructed parameter and wall that she had been developing these weeks shattered. As Zelda lay spooned and tucked into her chest, Impa knew that her resistance was over. She could not sit by while Zelda was in pain and do nothing when her arms could bring the princess peace. Resigning herself, kicking herself, Impa pulled Zelda a little closer and soon fell asleep.

!

"Impa?" The Sheikah's eyes slid open, and the first thing she saw was Zelda's sleepy blue eyes looking back at her. Startled, Impa jumped and moved to sit up, realizing that she was still spooning with the Princess of Hyrule, but Zelda's hand was firm and commanding as it pulled her back down. "It is okay," Zelda whispered, smiling. "I do not mind."

Impa blushed and looked away, her facial expression slightly angry. "I shouldn't…I'm sorry, Princess. You were screaming and looked so scared, but when I touched you it seemed to…ah, I'm sorry. I should go."

Zelda shook her head. "No, you should stay," she said.

"Why?" Impa replied, her voice almost a whisper.

"Because no one has been able to calm me while I was having a prophetic dream before," Zelda replied. She looked down at Impa's hand and rubbed her thumb over the Sheikah's fingers. "They have tried. Kishla even tried to cradle me, like a mother would, but nothing worked. The dreams just had to play out, and I would scream all night and wake up exhausted. But last night, amidst the darkness of what I saw…" she shivered a little as she remembered her dream. "Within the darkness, I could feel you."

Impa's eyes widened a little. "You could…what?"

Zelda smiled, shyly, and lowered her eyes. "I could feel when you touched me. As I walked through the dark forest I felt as if I were not alone. That has never happened before. I have always been alone."

The last wall in Impa's heart melted like a block of ice dropped in boiling water. She sighed and pulled Zelda close again, running her fingers through the princess's tangled golden hair. "You're not alone," she whispered. "I'll always be here."

For a moment, they stayed in each other's arms and didn't speak for fear that spoken words would somehow make them realize how inappropriate this was. Finally, Impa had to move. She disentangled herself from Zelda's arms and sat on the edge of the bed. Tall as she was, her feet still dangled over the side. She hung her head and stared at the floor, the reality of the situation finally dawning on her. Things would be different now. A part of her was happy about that, but the other part remembered Ruto's words of warning. When she asks herself….

She felt Zelda come sit beside her. Her hands were folded in her lap and her hair was draped over one shoulder. Her nightgown was smoothed over her knees, her bare legs dangling off the side of the large bed. "I know it is not proper," the princess murmured. "I do not understand, I just…" she sighed and let her thought hang in the air unspoken.

Impa reached over and took Zelda's hand in her own. She waited until the princess's eyes met hers. "I know," she said. "Me too."

They were quiet for a while more, their clasped hands sitting on the bed between them. "Perhaps if we keep our distance in public, then we could…" Zelda held their hands up between them to indicate what she meant without having to say it out loud.

Impa nodded. "If it would please you," she said. "Then yes. Anything you desire." There it was. She had said it, and there was no taking it back. Whatever the princess wanted, her servant would do. Even if it ended in the detriment of the royal line or her own broken heart.

They got up and got ready for the day as if it was just a normal day. At breakfast, the king commented on how lovely Zelda's smile was that day, and Ruto shot Impa a secret, questioning look. Zelda was chipper again and talkative over breakfast. Although she and Impa spoke and acted with all the same formality, every now and then the Zora princess caught a look that went between them or saw one of them almost touch the other's hand under the table before thinking better of it.

Zelda and Impa left breakfast together, as normal, but when Ruto left them to grab something in her room, the princess reached over and took Impa's hand in her own. She looked up at her bodyguard with an unspoken question in her eyes. Impa just smiled and squeezed her hand a little, which made Zelda blush.

"Well, here you are," Impa said, standing outside the classroom alone with Zelda. "Have a good day in class, Zelda."

Zelda grinned. She looked around and hugged Impa quickly. "Thank you," she said. "I will. And Impa?"

"Yes, my Lady?" Impa said, taking a deep calming breath.

"I like this a lot better," the princess said.

There was a sadness to Impa's smile when she replied. "As do I, Zelda."

Once the princess was safely in class, Impa went to the king instead of to her training. It was only a few moments before he let her inside. "You had something to tell me, Captain Impa?" King Daphnes said once he saw her.

Impa bowed. "Yes, your Highness. I will be quick. Princess Zelda had a prophetic dream last night." She relayed the things that the princess had said.

The king frowned. "She has had this same dream ten times now," he looked deeply troubled. "Each time there is something new. 'The shade wears a royal skin' is a new detail, along with the beast being unchained. This does not bode well. I have had my scouts looking over Hyrule's forests and they have not found anything. And we still do not know the location of where the servant is raising her horde." He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Thank you, Impa. Keep me apprised of any further developments."

Impa bowed again. "Yes, your Majesty." She took his words for the dismissal that they were and hurried out of the room. Instead of going to the Master's training room, like she was supposed to, Impa found herself wandering back to toward Zelda's classroom. After the scare of last night, the Sheikah didn't feel confident being away from her charge. She just wanted to get one last glimpse, to make sure she was safe before going her own way.

As she approached the hall, Impa found herself being cornered by none other than Princess Ruto. "Hey, you just wait a minute Sheikah," came the princess's watery voice. Impa froze and turned to find Ruto hiding behind a statue.

"What are you doing there?" Impa asked, furrowing her brow.

"Not going to class," Ruto said. "Or waiting for you. Whichever you want to think. I had a feeling you'd be coming back this way."

Impa walked over to the alcove where Ruto hid behind a statue. The Zora princess motioned for her to come in, so Impa glanced around and slid into the alcove as well. "Great," Ruto said. "Now, tell me what happened."

Impa's eyes widened. "Nothing," she said quickly. "Nothing happened. Why do you ask?"

Ruto rolled her eyes. "I heard Zelda's screaming. I always hear it. I'm right down the hall. But it stopped sooner than normal. And then you two are all 'best friends' again. I know too much already, and I can tell when something happened between you two, so might as well just tell me. Maybe we can help each other."

Impa sighed. "Fine. The princess and I have come to an understanding. That's all you need to know," Impa started getting out of the alcove.

"Really? That's all I get? Geez," Ruto crossed her arms over her chest and started pouting. "No recognition from you, you know that?"

Impa ignored her. At the end of the day, Ruto was just a troublemaker and a gossip monger. She already knew too much. To be truthful, Impa was beginning to think the Zora princess was somewhat suspicious. She always seemed to know what was going on, whether you told her or not, she had a lot of secrets, and she was remarkably good at acting.

Impa slid out of the alcove and continued down the hall. When she reached Zelda's classroom, she peaked around the corner to look inside. The princess sat at a desk in the middle of the room, her blond hair falling over one shoulder as she chewed on the end of a pencil. It must be test day, Impa realized. But she did look beautiful with her face scrunched up in concentration as the sunlight drifted from the open windows and set her golden hair alight. Impa leaned against the door jam, content to just watch for a moment.

Impa thought back on the night's events and the king's comments. She wasn't stupid. She could piece together the puzzle as well as anyone else. Something or someone was amassing an army—a horde if the vision was true—and its master, "the beast", has been unleashed. The king's meetings must have to do with tracking down this beast, but he was apparently unsuccessful. Then there was the matter of the shade in royal skin—but there were so many royals in Hyrule. Which one could be an imposter, and how to tell? Not only that, but how long before the master found the servant? How long before they came knocking on the doors of Hyrule Castle, and Zelda's life was threatened? The king's men had not been able to find the master in the forest. If he was unleashed now, then there was no purpose in continued search there. They would not stay put for long.

What was it, exactly, that Zelda had said? The servant raises her master's horde and the shade wears a royal skin. But what could it mean? Where in Hyrule could a horde hide without being seen? Impa shook her head. There just wasn't enough information yet. Meanwhile, the enemy was out there somewhere, and there was nothing Impa could do but wait and prepare. Or was there? Any good protector of the Princess of Hyrule must have eyes where hers cannot be. Impa had to create a network of eyes throughout Hyrule—and she would start today, right here in the castle, with Zelda's old protector and a certain blond recruit.

!

Impa found Elder Kishla in the garden, amid a ring of red roses, meditating. She had lived in the castle guarding the Royal Family for most of her life, so the king granted her a permanent room in which to live out the rest of her life. Upon recruiting Impa to the position, the first thing that Elder Kishla had done was return to the Sheikah Tribe and spend some time there with her own family and spiritual leaders, preparing herself for this next change in her life mentally and spiritually. She had just returned a couple days ago, so Impa had heard.

Impa stood on the edge of the circle where Kishla was meditating, silent as a shadow as she waited on the elder's convenience. It wasn't long before Elder Kishla turned around, her long white hair free and draped over her shoulders, her dark-hued red eyes still sharp in her old age. She wore a simple salmon-colored gown and a teal head covering, very different attire from the armor she had worn in the Princess's service.

"Greetings, my child," Elder Kishla said.

Impa bowed. "Greetings, Elder."

Kishla patted the ground next to her. "Come, sit, meditate with me. We will talk when the time for talking comes." She closed her eyed and returned to her meditating state. Impa sighed, feeling too twitchy and anxious for meditation. The young Sheikah had never been good about practicing Sheikah spiritual arts, and she didn't think that was going to change. Nonetheless, she sat beside Kishla and did her best to try.

Impa managed to go a half hour before she couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, please Elder Kishla, time is of the essence. Has the 'time for talking' come yet?"

The two Sheikah were sitting on their knees across from each other, a kneeling position common for Sheikah meditation. Kishla opened her eyes and frowned. "Apparently it has come whether the spirits were ready or not. Impa, you must breed more patience in your soul. This constant urgency will only take you so far."

Impa inclined her head. "Forgive me, Elder. I will try."

Kishla eased herself into a more normal sitting position. "Oh, these old bones have more trouble meditating than they used to. The constant pain is ever a trial for my soul. But, one must do these things for the sake of the spirits." Settling herself, she turned an appraising eye on Impa. "So, I assume you have come to discuss the princess."

Impa nodded. "Yes, Elder. I would like to discuss your previous methods of observation throughout the kingdom and the castle."

Kishla laughed. "How succinctly put, young Sheikah. And I will instruct you, yes, but first my Eye tells me that there is something troubling you that you do not want to discuss with me." She squinted her eyes, as if trying to look inside Impa. The Sheikah squirmed in discomfort. She had not mastered the art of seeing truth with the naked eye, as the more spiritually learned Sheikah had. It was difficult to keep secrets around those who were masters, such as Elder Kishla.

"Oh ho ho, how unexpected," Elder Kishla laughed, as if she had discovered something delightful. "And yet, I should have foreseen. Each Impa is born at the appropriate time to serve her Zelda in the manner that the goddesses deem appropriate, and each incarnation is different. Some Zelda's need a mother or grandmother, some need a sister or friend, and others…well, rarely in the Cycles do other Zeldas find that they need a lover. As the next incarnation of the Spirit of the Guardian, you were born surprisingly close in age and complementary in temperament this time around. The Council of Elders thought perhaps sisters this time, but we should have foreseen that this Cycle was different. You are a lucky Impa indeed."

Impa blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Uh, I have no idea what you mean. I am simply her guardian. And if you all knew all this time that I was the next incarnation of the Guardian in the cycle, twenty years, then why was I never told?"

"So you are not ready to admit your relationship yet?" Kishla nodded. "That is fine, perfectly fine. I will not press you. These things can be delicate when dealing with Hylians and their strict cultural regulations. The Goddesses will straighten it out in time, don't you worry. As for your destiny as the Spirit of the Guardian, why, we didn't tell you because you weren't ready. Upon my recent visit home, the Council of Elders decided that now you ARE ready, and so I have told you."

Impa suppressed the urge to groan. She had almost forgotten how frustrating dealing with Elders could be. They knew everything and talked in vague circles. It was already giving her a headache. "Can…can we just move on from this…uncomfortable topic? That is not why I came here today, and frankly I don't feel comfortable at all with the Elders knowing more about my soul than I do."

Kishla sighed. "Yes, we can move on child. But one word of caution before we do: you are young yet and still prone to rash emotions and quick decisions. You are bold and forceful. You MUST learn to temper that fire within you and practice your Spiritual Arts. If you do not bring the three parts of your soul—Mind, Body, and Spirit—into balance, and soon, then I fear you will come to great harm should she not intervene."

Impa groaned out loud this time. "Fine, I will meditate more to strengthen my spirit if that will make you happy. And I'm not even going to ask who this 'she intervening' is because I know you won't tell me. Are you satisfied?"

"No, but that will do. I have said my peace, and now you may say yours."

"THANK you," Impa said. "So…informants, secret passages, all your secrets. You know about Zelda's prophecy. King Daphnes said that this was the tenth time. I need the network to keep eyes out for this darkness that is coming, and I cannot do that when my eyes are constantly on Zelda herself."

Kishla nodded. "A wise realization. I wondered how long it would take you to seek me out on this matter. You are self-confident, and I thought it would take longer." She moved to stand and held out a hand for Impa to help her. Impa stood and helped the Elder to her feet. "Now," Kishla said, "I will show you the hidden passageways as we talk about the informants. They already know that you will contact them, but when and how is another matter. A little-known fact, some of these families have been informing for many generations, and their names pass down from protector to protector. Others are in very dangerous situations and dealing with them can be difficult."

They spent the rest of the morning in this manner. By the time that Impa was to meet Zelda for lunch, her head felt like it was going to burst with all the new information. They determined that she would meet with Kishla once a week until she had the information and passageways down, as well as to (begrudgingly on Impa's part) work on "strengthening her Spiritual Third". Until that time, she was to begin to contact some of her new informers and collect the information that they have been saving up.

After their quiet lunch, Impa dropped Zelda off at class and made a bee line for the training grounds. After all, she still had one more person to talk to: Link. She found him in the practice square training with his sword and shield. His tunic was damp with sweat, and he looked like he was working on some pretty advanced maneuvers. He was coming a long way, she realized, and it was happening fast.

"Hey," Impa said, drawing her Great Sword and stepping out into the square. "Need a sparring partner?"

Link blinked and turned to where the voice was coming from. "Impa!" He exclaimed once his eyes landed on her. He came over and took her hand, giving it a good shake. "Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked.

Impa grinned. "On princess business. What else?"

Link laughed. "I suppose so. Hey, one round for old time's sake?" He stepped back and stood in a ready position, flipping his sword in a cocky circle a couple times.

Impa stepped out to face him, getting into her own ready stance. "It would be my pleasure," she said.

They got right to it, and it wasn't long before the clash of sword on sword, or Great Sword on shield, was heard ringing through the courtyard again. Impa pressed the attack for a while, and then dropped back to defend. Link kept her on her toes more than he used to, and she found herself wishing that she were training with him every day instead of the Grand Masters. As their bout continued, other trainees soon trickled out of the woodworks to watch. More and more came, even some captains and nobles who happened to be passing by.

As they got near the end of their session, Link crouched down low and drew his sword hand back as far as it would go. It glowed a little, a little swirl of light coming out of his hand. She came at him, and he released just when she thought he would. He usually ended their fights on a great spin. This time, however, was different than the other times for one simple reason: when he released his spin, a trail of light shot down the length of his blade from his hand, dissipating into the air when Impa guarded with her Great Sword.

Impa was panting a little and grinning from ear to ear. "Light magic?" she said, nodded her head a little. "I should have realized that would be it. You have a similar shine as the princess to your personality. When did you find out?"

Link sheathed his weapons. He was grinning from ear to ear with pride. "A week ago," he said. "Captain Raltz wants to test me to move me into the ranks. He thinks you and I were well-matched, so it would make sense. Although, I don't know as MUCH magic as you so I don't think my personal showcase will be quite so special."

"Don't put yourself down," Impa said as she walked over and clapped Link on the shoulder. "We may be well-matched, but you have advanced faster than I did. You have a natural gift. I'm eager to see you put them to real use someday."

Link blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Aw, Impa, I don't know about that. But thank you all the same."

The crowd started to disburse, and Impa followed Link back to the barracks. "Actually," she started, "your skills are what I'm here to talk to you about. I'm relieved to hear they are testing you soon. You'll have more freedom after that...and I have need of that freedom."

Link looked puzzled. "Well, whatever way I can help the princess," he said. "One second, let me change into something not quite so stinky." Impa waited outside the door for him to finish. He came out dressed in a simple green tunic over chainmail with cream-colored under garments. He wore the same bracers and boots that he wore with his trainee uniform. "So," he said as they started walking. "What can I help Princess Zelda with?"

"Actually," Impa started, "you'll be helping Zelda by helping me."

"How's that?" Link asked. They were turning a corner in the Knight Academy's campus, just walking the once-normal guard rounds that they had shared so many a night.

"Let me put it this way. What do you think I do all day Link?"

Link shrugged. "Watch the princess I guess."

Impa nodded. "Pretty much. And don't get me wrong, I love it. There's no one else I'd rather watch," her voice grew soft then, her face contemplative. "Still, as my eyes are on the princess and my sword and my body is at her side, protecting her, I cannot go out and protect her out there, from the things that are unseen and moving in the shadow." Link looked confused. Impa tried to explain it a different way. "There is a prophecy, Link. A great darkness is coming, and it's coming for Zelda. The servant has gathered a horde that we cannot find, and the master has been unchained. They will come here if we let them. They will come knocking on her door. I have hunches as to where to look, but I cannot go explore them. That's where you come in, if you're willing."

Link nodded. "Anything I can do," he said. "Just give me a command."

Impa smiled. "I knew I could count on you," she said. "Look, I'll push to get your test moved up if I can. As soon as you're a soldier and free to leave campus whenever you want, I have some places I want you to go. You'll to have to be stealthy. If you do find them, they can't know you've seen them or they will kill you. They want to catch us by surprise."

"Great," Link said. "I'm ready for anything, just send it my way."

Impa inclined her head. "I knew I could count on you. I have eyes and ears all over Hyrule now, but no one to be my legs and hands. When it comes to that, I couldn't trust anyone but you."

Link stopped and bowed a little. "I'm honored," he said. "You're the most powerful and skilled warrior that I've ever met, Impa. I'm honored that you would put your faith in me."

Impa shook her head. "Oh, stop bowing," she said, laughing a little. "I'm still just a trainee, like you. At heart at least. I miss these guard walks and sparring times of ours. You pushed me farther in my own training than anyone, which is not something I admit lightly, and I consider us partners."

Link stopped walking. He grinned and made a proper salute. "I'll await your orders, Captain Impa," he said.

Impa rolled her eyes, but she saluted him back. "At ease. I guess I should let you go. Keep practicing, and I'll see what I can do about moving that test up." Link nodded.

"Hey," he said as she started to walk away. Impa turned around to hear him. "Thanks for stopping by. It was great to see you."

Impa nodded in return. "Likewise."

!

While Impa was off making connections and laying plans, Zelda was finishing her schoolwork early. It would be hours yet before Impa would return to join her for free time, and the princess had a certain book that she wanted those hours to be devoted to. Hurrying up to her room, Zelda closed the door behind her and looked around the room to make sure Impa wasn't there. Finding no one, she fished around in her pouch for the small key. She unlocked the drawer and took the book out, leaving it open and the key on top of the nightstand in case she had to put it away quickly.

The princess had sent a servant ahead to prepare a fire for her, as it was a chilly day for late spring. They were saying that a late freeze might even come which didn't bode well for the harvest. Zelda wondered if it was another sign, however subtle, of the coming darkness, but she couldn't be sure. All she could do was wait, sneak a few chapters of this book whenever possible, and hopefully enjoy the presence of her new bodyguard.

Zelda wondered about Impa's change of heart this morning. It was still so new that she wasn't convinced that it would last, and the Sheikah had seemed preoccupied during their lunch together. She talked of meeting with Kishla and learning the older woman's secrets, so the princess assumed that she was just occupied with the new information. After all, it was a big lifestyle change for Impa and it was natural that the Sheikah might experience some transition pains.

At least, the princess hoped it was just the transition into the new role that had kept her so distant. Their first two weeks together had been...painful, to say the least. Every conversation was strained when they had been so casual and natural when they met. Impa didn't let them touch anymore, not even in those small ways that she had at first. The princess's skin had tingled every time they touched, and something about just looking at Impa too long made her breath come short. She had thought that the Sheikah felt the same way, but Impa jerked away. To top it off, Kishla seemed to be just gone. They went from spending every day together to nothing at all, and just when Zelda could have used her council and comfort most of all. Sure, the older Sheikah had been more busy than usual of late, and she had retired, but the princess had thought that her old bodyguard would at least visit her every now and then. This was proving to be a false assumption, and it stung.

Zelda's thoughts had spiraled these past days. She wondered if she made the right decision or if she should have spent more time getting to know Impa before they committed. She wondered if there was something about her that repulsed people. Perhaps she had no friends because she was unlikable. Perhaps there was something wrong with her. Suddenly her motherly old bodyguard wanted nothing to do with her and the Sheikah who replaced Kishla was an unyielding statue where before she had been a warm-blooded human being, and the princess felt alone again. For the first few days of this solitude, Zelda had thought that she could go back to being alone and be fine. She had been living in solitude while being surrounded by people for many years. The only problem was that she wasn't actually alone now, and she could remember what it felt like when Impa's lips brushed the skin on the back of her hand. Zelda tried to ignore the memories, but when she fell asleep her dreams replayed those happy days. Upon waking, though, Impa's emotional distance would still be there. She was only an arm's length away, yes, and belonged to Zelda, yes, but she was never hers to touch. It had started to feel like a kind of torture.

But this morning was different. The princess had woken in Impa's arms. She laid there for a while just watching the Sheikah sleep, not daring to move too much or breathe too hard. Finally, though, she couldn't help herself. She touched Impa's hair and whispered her name, and those piercing red eyes opened. Zelda had run through that moment in her mind multiple times that day, trying to burn it on her soul. The Sheikah tried to leave, at first, her 'duty' done, but when Zelda had asked her to stay—fearing, deep in her heart, that she would be rejected again—the Sheikah surprised her. She stayed. Not only that, but then she agreed to Zelda's wordless proposal. If today's change is heart lasted, despite the rockiness of their first couple weeks, the princess thought they would be fine. She wouldn't be alone anymore.

Pushing the bodyguard from her mind, or trying to at least, Zelda opened the book and picked back up to where she had been reading. Truth be told, she had already finished it and was reviewing certain sections in an attempt to figure out what it is about this old scientific comparison between the races, one of which was mostly extinct, that Impa wanted so badly to keep from her. It wasn't like Zelda didn't already know most of it. Perhaps the only detail she was rusty on was when the Professor described the way that the transient elements shared by the three races influenced their opinion of sexuality and gender.

She flipped back to that section today and began to give it a deeper read. In an effort to have it finished in case Impa found it, the princess had gone through the book so fast the first time that she didn't pull as much information out as she wanted to. This particular section was interesting to her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it yet.

"Due to their deep relationship with their elements, as discussed in chapters one through five, the Sheikah tribe, Gerudo tribe, and Zora tribe have each developed similarly flexible relationships with gender and sexuality," she read. "Most Zora are inherently androgynous, not exhibiting any particular trait that identifies them as male or female. This leads to Zora individuals not particularly caring about the gender of others. Sheikah are particularly gender fluid as well. It is not uncommon for a Sheikah individual to declare that they are to be addressed by other gender pronouns than those that coincide with their sex at birth, citing that their Spiritual Third only becomes balanced when aligning with a different gender. The Gerudo take an alternate path all together. Although they all identify as female and look or dress female, they do not follow the gender roles considered traditional in Hylian culture. In Gerudo partnerships, each Gerudo may perform both activities and roles traditionally defined as female as well as those traditionally defined as male."

He spent a few pages delving into specific examples of these behaviors, which Zelda merely perused. She remember what he said about them and didn't need to read them again. Instead, she skipped down to the section where he goes into Sheikah, Gerudo, and Zora sexuality. "Along with their flexible ideas on gender orientation and expression, Zora, Sheikah, and Gerudo share a belief that sexuality is not fixed. Rather, it is a spectrum that fluctuates within each person. Picture it as a number line, or timeline. On one end of the line is traditional attraction to the opposite sex. In Hylian culture, we believe that this is the only type of attraction. Our teaching and literature on the subject is black and white, and many young Hylian boys and girls never think it could be otherwise. However, young Gerudo, Sheikah, and Zora children are not raised this way. They are taught the spectrum of sexuality module shared by the three races, and on the other end of this line are those individuals who are attracted to members of the same sex. Relationships and marriages between men or between women are common. The Gerudo race, in fact, is a society in which same-sex relationships are almost exclusive. See chapter twenty for a thorough discussion of Gerudo reproductive habits. To focus on the timeline concept, however, Zora, Sheikah, and Gerudo all believe that a person can fall anywhere on the spectrum of sexuality. They could be attracted to opposite sex exclusively, or the same exclusively, or mostly, or a little. They could even be attracted to all genders equally, or to none of the genders. Sexual attraction flows as freely as water, sand, or the shadows themselves."

Zelda paused. Attraction between women? She furrowed her brow, remembering something later on in the chapter concerning Sheikah same sex relationships in particular. She flipped to it and found the section. "In Sheikah culture, same sex relationships are considered sacred, particularly those between women. They believe that those who find themselves on the female-leaning half of the spectrum are touched by the goddesses and their desire is a manifestation on earth of the perfect balance shared between the Holy Trinity.

"This belief goes back to how the Sheikah envision the relationship between the Great Golden Goddesses. In Hylian culture, it is said that the Golden Goddesses are like sisters and exist in perfect balance, though they are above small things like biological relationships and sisterly love. They are perfect and omniscient. The Sheikah Tribe, on the other hand, clings to a more primal view of the goddesses that dates back to before the earliest written myths. Their goddesses are jealous beings who hate and love and war with each other, not unlike the mortals they created.

"Let me give a concrete example of a Sheikah Legend that pertains to the topic at hand. This story was told to me with great hesitation, which was unusual in my experience with them. Believing themselves to be stewards of the goddesses in the mortal world, they see it as their duty to share that knowledge with others to increase worship of and devotion to the divine. However, these more primal legends, I gathered from my time with them, are seen as ancient and sacred. In these legends, they say, lies the creation of the first Sheikah and the origin of their tribe. They are personal to the Sheikah, and therefore more guarded. I will do my best to quote the legend, though my memory is fading in my old age.

"The primal legend that the Sheikah Matriarch, Impa, told me began like this: 'In the Sheikah Tribe, it is said that the goddesses did not always live in harmony. As they, themselves, were all that existed in the universe, they had only each other for company. There were times when Nayru and Farore found their mutual love of peace and life formed a particular bond between them, and Din was left out of this closeness because of her love of chaos and material things. Other times Din and Farore united over their mutual love of battle, weaponry, and acts of great valor. Nayru, the gentlest goddess, was left out. The rarest alignment, however, was the alignment of power and wisdom. Water and fire, darkness and light, Din and Nayru have the most opposite natures of the three goddesses. They butt heads over their opposing ideals, and some stories say that the stars and other burning celestial bodies in the heavens were created by their battles.

"Legends say that a day came when that fire between the two goddesses caused them to come together rather than fight. As the old saying goes, 'opposites attract', and such was true of Din and Nayru. Nayru discovered that Din had great thoughts on ruling over the life of the earth, a notion that Farore was against. As a goddess of Law and Order, Nayru appreciated Din's perspective. Were life to be created, it would need law and order, and it would need to be governed by someone stronger and wiser than themselves.

As Din and Nayru discussed their thoughts on what those laws should be and how creation should be governed, the goddess of love found herself falling in love with the goddess of passion. Nayru admired Din's strength, and Din liked being admired. As she spent more time around the goddess of wisdom, Din found herself appreciating the grace and beauty of the goddess of perfection. A jealous goddess, Din sought to tease Nayru away from Farore to have the goddess all to herself, and Nayru welcomed the excuse to spend time alone with her loved one. Nayru would play music and sing to pass the empty time, and Din would dance. They spent eons this way, caught in the passion of the art they made together, and legend says that eventually Din fell in love with Nayru as well."

The princess paused and raised an eyebrow. Two of the goddesses in love? Really? But then, Zelda thought, if they were seen as celestial being that chose to remain together as allies and friends rather than sisters who had to remain together due to a genetic bond, then that dynamic changed things. They were three independent beings. Not to mention that if all that existed was each other, who else did they have to fall in love with except each other? And of course they would end up amusing themselves with petty arguments and alliances as ages and eons passed. It was a different view of the goddesses, for sure, but an interesting one.

Accepting the possibility of love between two goddesses as possible with these independent, humanoid versions of them, the princess continued reading. "When Din and Nayru came together in love, art and self-expression came into being. Creation is a product of the union of passion and beauty. They created light and sound together. They created the sun and the moon together, and they designed how they move in the sky opposite of one another and yet always in harmony, much like the two goddesses themselves. These were the first of many things that Din and Nayru designed together in this period of love.

The story goes that the creative energies birthed by Din and Nayru's love eventually led them to begin designing the ultimate act of creation: the world itself. Din, with her strong, fiery arms cultivated the red earth, and Nayru created the laws that governed the world, like gravity and time. At first, they were proud of the world they had created. But as they walked its red surface, the two goddesses realized that it was missing something, something that neither of them could provide: life. The very lifeforms who would live on the red earth and uphold the law. The only one who could create life was Farore.

Now, it is said that when the Goddess of Power and the Goddess of Wisdom first asked the Goddess of Courage to create life in their world, Farore refused. She was lonely and jealous of the love the goddesses shared. Finally, after much coaxing and pleading, she agreed to create life for Din and Nayru's experiment, but on one condition: Din had to agree to keep Nayru at an arm's length. The goddess of wisdom was to be given over to herself, Farore, to laugh and play as they once had, and selfish Din could rule over the lifeforms as she saw fit.

Din and Nayru refused of course. They were in love, and life wasn't that important. In fact, Din said, they could create their own lifeform, a perfect lifeform like themselves. A goddess. They would do this, she said, to show that they didn't need Farore. A part of Nayru felt bad, but for the love she had for Din she agreed. Din created the lifeform's body to look like Nayru. It had hair spun of gold, like the sun they had created, and wings of pure white, like the moon. Nayru made her beautiful, with eyes as blue as the sky and a smile that radiated grace, and she made her very wise.

Nayru was happy with the being they had made, but Din was not satisfied. The being was missing something. She was made of the perfect materials, shaped perfectly, and looked perfect, but she was hollow. As a sign of their love for one another, Nayru and Din decided to take a piece of each of their divinity and give it to the creature they had made. Each taking a small portion of their life-force, they placed the divinity inside their creature, and she was filled with the essence of a goddess. She was a lesser goddess, that was true, but one of them nonetheless. Happy with what they had done, Din and Nayru named the new goddess Hylia and declared it theirs.

Time passed, and as it did the lifeless, soul-less state of their love child began to bother Din and Nayru. They began to feel as if the empty goddess was just like their empty world—meaningless and shallow. Finally, one day Din stole away to Farore in secret while Nayru was trying to teach the empty Hylia how to walk.

"I will agree to your terms, if only so that Nayru and our child will not suffer any longer," said the Goddess of Power, "but on one condition: I want a people of my own. A people to watch over our child as she grows and learns in the world. A race to guard her and love her and keep her company. I know they can never be with her, such as I cannot be with Nayru anymore, but they can guard her from the shadows as she stands in the light." Farore agreed to this, and thus the First Sheikah was created, although it did not yet have life either.

Being a kind goddess at heart and knowing how painful it would be for Din and Nayru to be at odds for the rest of eternity, Farore allowed them to have one last moment alone. Nayru was furious about what Din had done without consulting her first, but eventually she understood. After all, life is the most precious gift of all.

What the goddesses said then is not known, but our legends say that in their final moments together, Din and Nayru shared their final kiss. It was a kiss so passionate and so beautiful and so full of pain and longing that Farore, watching from a distance, shed a tear. That tear floated over and touched the lips of the goddesses, and from that kiss the Breath of Divine Life appeared as a vapor. It flew into both the shell of the Goddess Hylia and the shell of the First Sheikah, Impa. They breathed their first breaths together. Their first sights were of each other, and in that moment they were bound eternally by a bond deeper than simple love or duty. They shared the same spark of life.

And so it is said that the Sheikah exist to serve the Hylians, for they are the children of Hylia in this world. When the Goddess Hylia is reincarnated, so, too, will her servant Impa be incarnated alongside her, for they share the same spark of life and cannot exist without each other. This is the story of the First Sheikah and the Goddesses' Love.'

Elder Impa went on to tell me that although the Gerudo are believed to be the Chosen Race of Din, they were, in fact, created later in the world's lifespan. The Sheikah claim to be the Goddess Din's original Chosen Race. On a personal note, it was one of the greatest honors of this researcher's life to be told this origin story by one of the reincarnated Impas herself. She seemed to have a deeper understanding of this 'shared spark' than any researcher could fully understand."

Zelda closed the book. She set it aside and gazed into the fire, her brow furrowed in concentration. She thought back on Impa's intimacy their first few meetings. Her sudden distance afterward. Her intense reluctance to share physical contact or emotional intimacy, even now. Not to mention her intense desire for Zelda not to read that book. Was Impa...attracted to her? Like Din and Nayru? It wasn't just common in Sheikah culture, it was revered as holy. Zelda blushed just thinking of it. However, the more she thought about it the more likely it seemed. Why else would she be so afraid of a simple touch unless she was hiding her own attraction?

Zelda picked the book back up. She turned it over in her hands a couple times. Should she confront Impa with this new knowledge? Should she take different actions with her? After a little while, Zelda walked over and locked the book back in its drawer. She would not say anything. What did it matter if Impa was attracted to her? The "shared spark of life" wasn't about attraction, not all the time, and she was an honorable woman. Zelda trusted the Sheikah. Theirs was a different culture. As the future monarch of Hyrule, Zelda felt it was her duty to honor such cultural differences. In fact, Zelda mused, she didn't really feel affronted by the realization at all. The more she thought about it the more Zelda felt...intrigued. And flattered. And excited.

Zelda felt herself blushing and she took a deep breath to calm her suddenly racing heart. Her mind started to bring up examples of her own feelings. How her heartbeat quickened when Impa was near. How her skin tingled when they touched. Her intense desire to be with the Sheikah in any way, doing anything. Zelda shook her head to banish the thoughts. She was the Princess of Hyrule. It wasn't possible for the Princess of Hyrule to be attracted to a woman. Surely not.

Casting the train of thought from her mind, she decided to take a walk and get some fresh air. If she was going to act as if there was nothing different between them, then the princess was going to need to calm down. She was a master of controlling her expressions, she reminded herself, and Impa would return to find everything just as kosher as before. The only difference was that Zelda had figured out her secret…and what a secret it was.

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Author's Notes: Revised chapter uploaded May 2022. Please find original author's comments below.

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See what I said about hanging in there? I didn't make you suffer too long. :) There won't be another update for a while—this is the last of the pre-edited chapters, and I have to finish writing the damn thing! It's over 200 PAGES! What happened?

Ah well. It's 200 freakin adorable pages. I hope that you will all stick with me when the next chapter is ready to go. Thank you for reading and please review!