Ok, well this chapter drained me, but here it finally is! (and its really long!) Anyway, this time around we're gonna be covering the entire Eldin Caves stage, though I had originally intended to split it up into two chapters but I figured why not give you guys a little extra (that and I couldn't think of a good splitting point) Before we go on I would just like to say THANKS to all 109 of you who have followed and everyone who as favorited! I am so impressed by your super awesome support guys! Now onto the reviews!
OkayDokey33: I know what you mean about HW's plot! And yes, my writing is serious, so I do take it quite seriously! As far as the thing with Link and his former officer, I couldn't think of a way to squeeze it into this chapter, but I could definitely take that idea into consideration for a future chapter! After all, everyone else will have other things on their mind in this chapter...
Boom: Yeah, I'm not great at writing action, but I do try! And yes, I do have every intention of finishing this and I also intend on Ghirahim being a total creeper cause he is! :D And yes, everyone is going to have their own unique reactions to Link (and in some cases Zelda too, though her case is different)
CupcakePride101: Yeah, there are already sparks between the two of them! Hahah... And Impa is just a little exasperated cause she thinks Zelda should have other things on her mind than romance as princess of Hyrule ;P
GO ZeldaXLink: Aw... Thanks a ton!
NoSignalBlueScreen: Glad you liked both Forever and this!:D
Darkrai6534: I plan on giving everyone at least some development, especially the side characters cause they're so great! I'm personally a die-hard Zelink shipper, but I think that Link and Lana would also make a nice couple (and I do plan on ship teasing them here a little... ;) As far as incorporating the other Links... you'll see... ;) And yeah, the intros will be changed a little, given more depth, and whatnot... ;D
Legendoffun: Glad you like it!
Stlyin80: Thank you!
RandomButLoved: Glad you liked the romance and yes, there will be a few chapters set in between stages... Though we aren't going to have one for a while yet... and yes! Lana is coming the chapter right after this one, so hooray!
Ezakiel: Yeah, typos are a pain... hahaha... And yeah, the battle may have been a little short, but action has never been my strong suit, though I do try to do my best. And yeah, Ruto's reaction to Link, as well as Midna's and a few other characters is going to be great :D And Agitha will have a place here, just like the rest of the warriors. As far as Sheik goes... you'll find out in this chapter, how I plan on handling her... And yes! I do know about Navi's little cameo and I'm certainly gonna put it in here! And believe me, Link is going to be right in there fighting, even despite his newfound status. As far as the bombs go... I dunno, they weren't really my main concern in the last chapter so... hehehe...
Pikatwig: Glad someone caught the Link to the Past ref! Hahahaa ;D I just figured that Link really needed more backstory in HW, instead of him just coming completely out of nowhere... T_T As far as HW's place in the timeline, I actually think its set post TP, which is where I plan on placing it in this story, but eh, to each their own theory!
Skydragon74193: Thanks!
Link The Hero of Light: Uh... ok!
Jack: To an extent I do plan on incorporating some parts of Cia's tale... I just gotta figure out how... ;)
Zelda the Wise: Glad you like it! And Sheik is on the way in this chapter! :D
mega-dark: Yeah, I deviated a little, but I'm glad you enjoyed it! And I can't wait to write Cia either (she's my new fav Zelda villain! :D)
Flameshield: Hahaha my friend, that is exactly the sorta interactions between Sheik and Impa that you are gonna get in this chapter! Enjoy it! :D
ultimateCC: Oh boy... ahahahaah XD
R-king 93: Thank you
Elemental-Aura: Glad you noticed that ref.! And yeah, I feel like there was not nearly enough romance between Link and Zelda in the game, so of course I plan on changing that! And I dunno... Sheik might drop a few hints here and there... ;)
Lady Kiridia: Thank you! I can't wait till we get to Lana and Cia either!
Beforethedawnbreaks: Yeah, its kinda ironic, isn't it? ;D
DarthPheonixFire: I do plan on covering Zelda's escape in a later chapter, so don't fret! As far as Impa not knowing who Sheik is, I'm going to give a more logical reason here, I hope!
mysteryfriend16: Ask away! :D
KPGirl1227: Oh yeah, bring out the Sheik!
Wooo... SO MANY REVIEWS! I am utterly awed you guys! We're almost at 100 already and I've barely just begun! Love ya'll let's get started!
Chapter 4: The Sheikah Tribesman
Two weeks later…
Impa slammed her fist down on the map of Hyrule that laid in front of her in frustration, muttering growled curses under her breath as she glanced over the kingdom once more. Two weeks had passed since Princess Zelda's mysterious disappearance, and there had been no word of her fate or location since. The whole kingdom was in an uproar without their wise, benevolent young leader, and the strange, sudden outbreak of monsters certainly didn't help. The Sheikah guardian had much on her hands in light of this, and her army was spread thin and wide across the vast land, each faction seeming to deal with a different issue. Nearly half of her forces were working across the various regions of Hyrule, fighting to quell the flow of invaders that were besetting the land and its people. Many small towns and villages had been attacked and there had been a few that had not been able to be saved in time, much to Impa's displeasure. Innocent people were being hurt, monsters were running amuck, Hyrule's natural beauty was being ravaged, and all the while, the princess herself was missing; all of these troubles were quickly adding up into an almost insurmountable issue, one that the Sheikah guardian had no solid answer for. Even with her troops divided among staving off the monsters and searching for Zelda, it seemed as though things were getting worse by the day as Hyrule, the kingdom that had known nothing but peace and prosperity only a few weeks ago, was quickly starting to fall into decline and ruin.
With an aggravated sigh, Impa looked over her map once more, shaking her head in disappointment. Anything could be happening to the princess, and yet the Sheikah guardian, the one who was entrusted with her care and protection long ago, was at a complete loss over what to do. Zelda's disappearance had been so sudden and strange that no one could really explain it, something that bothered Impa even more. "It just doesn't make any sense…" she whispered to herself in confusion, futilely scanning the map for places that had not been searched yet. "Where could she be?"
"Good question," a voice from behind the Sheikah leader said. She turned around to see Link enter into the war room, joining her in her otherwise solitary studies. The looks of weariness and concern, most likely for the princess's wellbeing were apparent on the recruit-turned-hero's expression, things that Impa realized were probably reflected on her own face, as well as stress and frustration.
"I see you're finally wearing those clothes like I've been telling you to for the past week," the Sheikah guardian said dryly as she looked him up and down, seeing that instead of his recruit uniform, he now wore the green tunic of the hero, along with its matching cap, as well as the metal left-side shoulder armor that came with it and the blue scarf signifying his newfound status as second general. In truth, Link wasn't quite used to not just the clothes and the honor that they meant, but the fact that many of the soldiers he once served under now called him general and looked to him as a leader was something that he was still having a hard time believing. Several times over the past two weeks, Proxi had jokingly told him not to let it get to his head, but the hero really couldn't even if he tried. He was so used to being at the bottom rung of the ladder that now that he was at the top, he had no idea how to feel or act. Everything had been thrust upon him so suddenly, and yet, even if he was having a hard time adjusting to all of these changed, one thing was still certain: he was as determined as ever to help find Zelda.
It was for this reason that he had been tiringly helping Impa search all over the kingdom, going on scouting missions with her and her elite forces, and aiding in researching the geography of the kingdom to see if there was anything they might have missed or overlooked. Perhaps, both Link and Impa were starting to theorize, if Zelda was found and returned soon, then the disasters befalling Hyrule would finally come to an end.
In answer to the Sheikah guardian's comment, the hero simply glanced down at his outfit and shrugged nonchalantly. "I figured it was about time," he said before changing the subject. "So, are you any closer to finding her?"
Impa frowned and shook her head as Link joined her in examining the map. "Not at all..." she admitted with a fretful sigh. "I just don't understand it. How does someone, the princess of Hyrule no less, vanish without a single trace! Certainly, she would have tried to contact us by now if she's out there somewhere, even if she was captured by the enemy."
"Maybe we've just been looking in all the wrong places…" the hero mused as he glanced down at the map. "Where haven't we sent troops to yet?"
"Just about everywhere," Impa said, crossing her arms. "They've checked all throughout Hyrule Field, Gerudo Desert, Lanayru Valley… I'd say the only two major regions we haven't searched through are the Eldin Caves and Faron Woods…"
"Well, why don't we try searching there?" Link suggested.
"The Eldin Caves are a death trap," the Sheikah guardian said stoutly. "Soldiers have gone through there in the past and very few have made it out alive. I wouldn't risk even going there unless we had an absolute lead. And besides, I have no reason to believe that Zelda would go to such a dangerous place on her own. As for Faron… well, it's plausible. But right now, we're spread so thin that sending a search party out that way is going to have to wait."
A bout of silence filled the room for a moment, before the hero spoke up once more. "Do you think she's ok?" he asked, clearly concerned for the princess's safety.
Impa sighed, her worried frown betraying her dread well. "It is my constant prayer to the goddesses that she is…" she said softly, her rough, firm exterior starting to break through to a more vulnerable side of the hardened general that Link had never seen before.
Before either of them could say anything else however, a knock sounded at the doors to the war room, to which Impa responded with a command to enter. A captain of one of the scout teams that was charged with searching for the princess entered in, bowing respectfully before both generals before speaking. "Lady Impa, General Link," he began with a hint of urgency in his tone. "We have just received a report that comes to us from our outposts near Faron Woods. Apparently, there's a small resistance being led there against the invading enemy that is not directly affiliated with the Hyrulian army. But what's more is that this force is being led by a young woman, though no one knows who she is or what she looks like."
"A young woman!" Impa exclaimed, her scarlet eyes growing wide at this sudden news. "It could be Princess Zelda!"
"See?" Link said jokingly, with a bit of a sarcastic grin. "You should have had soldiers stationed there a long time ago."
The Sheikah guardian, not impressed with his tone, sent him a sharp warning glare. "Watch your tone, boy," she cautioned, though it was clear that she was too elated by this report to be outright angry with him. The possibility that this young woman could be the missing princess filled the Sheikah guardian with hope and excitement. After weeks of pointless searching and constant worry, there was a chance, however small that all of this uncertainty and anxiety could finally come to an end. And, even though it was only a small lead, it was enough to get Impa motivated into acting upon it.
"Rally the other scout troops!" she commanded firmly to the captain. "Tell them to set a course for Faron immediately. We move out tomorrow at dawn!"
Faron Woods laid miles to the north of Hyrule Castle. And yet, the path to get there was anything but simple. The most straightforward route of getting there was to head through the mountains, though with the legion of soldiers that Impa intended on taking with her, such an arduous, uphill journey could take weeks, weeks that Hyrule didn't really have to wait for the return of its ruler. However, there was another, much faster way to get to the woods, though it certainly wasn't the most ideal: the Eldin Caves. The entrance to the caves was to the northeast, and the mining tunnels that they were composed of eventually led out near Faron. Yet at the same time, they were rife with danger; since they ran through the Eldin Mountains, they were volcanic, littered with countess pools of molten lava. The environment was sweltering and unbearable, even in the tunnels that were relatively bereft of magma and lined with rare crystals instead. Very few who had ever entered into its mazelike passageways made it out on the other side to tell the tale, but both the Sheikah guardian and the hero hoped that they would be able to lead their troops through with both safety and speed.
Of course, the Hylian troops, consisting of more than two-hundred foot soldiers, found that an all new danger awaited them as they entered into the steamy caverns. Like every other location in Hyrule, the enemy monsters had happened to find their way into the Eldin Caves as well, making an already difficult trek even more challenging. Stalchildren ran rampant, and every now and then the occasional Stalfos and big poe lined the way as well. The troops would not only have to pass through miles of treacherous terrain in the devastating heat, but they would also have to deal with this pressing infestation if they wanted to make it out alive.
As the leaders of the army, Link and Impa were the first to pass through the cave's entrance, and by the time their entire squadron was inside, the first few monsters had been spotted but not approached. Before any fighting could begin, the Sheikah guardian turned to her troops to relay them instructions, though she could already tell from their expressions that they were uncomfortable in the unsavory conditions of the humid caverns. "Listen up!" she shouted over the soldiers, hoping that it wouldn't draw to much attention to them from their nearby enemies. "We need to get through these caves as quick as possible. There are monsters up ahead, and so I want you all to be on top your guard. I know that the intense heat in here doesn't make circumstances any better, and so try not to overexert yourselves and remember to ration your water and supplies. I want as many of us to make it out of here alive as possible. Travel with caution and watch each other's backs. We'll all rendezvous at the cave's exit before moving on. Now move out!"
The soldiers were quick to follow the command of their general as they scattered, rushing forward along the path that led towards the mining tunnels. It was possible to get lost within the Eldin Caves, and thanks to the presence of the monsters throughout, many of the easier passageways were closed off, making the route much more inconvenient; but nonetheless, the allied troops began to steadily push their way through them, with both Link and Impa bringing up the rear to make sure that no one was left behind.
"Goddesses, it's hot…" the hero remarked with a deep breath as he ran alongside the Sheikah guardian, wiping the sweat from his brow with one hand and holding onto his sword with the other.
"You get used to it," Impa said astutely, having conditioned herself to such extreme environments as this for years. "For now, our main priority is getting everyone out of here in one piece. The exit is quite far from our current position, and with things looking like they are now, we'll have to go the long way up north to get there…"
"Sounds easy enough," Link said, watching as Impa took down a few monsters that were heading their way.
"Easier said than done," the Sheikah guardian replied, her focus unwavering as she continued to dash towards a group of foes. "But, if you remember nothing else from this battle, Link, then I want you to remember this: keeping a cool, level head is vital to success in any fight. Especially one in a place like this."
The hero nodded, taking the advice of the wise Sheikah guardian to heart as he joined her in opposing the stalchildren that were approaching them. Already interspersed throughout their number was several Hylian soldiers, though quite a few of them had ignored the creatures and went on ahead. But nonetheless, Link and Impa remained fighting off the rather large group, both of them showing their impressive skill in battle. With strong, broad swipes, the hero tore his knight's sword through the skeletons, shattering them upon each heavy impact. At the same time, the Sheikah leader landed her own devastating blows, her giant blade nearly crushing all who stood in her path as she executed her skillful moves with both precision and agility.
Once the block of monsters had been relatively thinned out, Proxi, who had flown a little ways ahead to check on the status of the Hyrulian troops for Link and Impa, flittered back to the hero and reported her findings dutifully. "The troops have gone ahead without us!" the fairy exclaimed to both of them, though the hero was the only one who could understand her words. "Link, we have to catch up!"
'Looks like we're the ones getting left behind," Link translated for Impa, who nodded and took a glance behind her to make sure that no straggling soldiers were left in the entryway only to find none, much to her relief. There was no going back now, but at least that meant that the first portion of the caves were clear.
"Then let's get a move on," Impa said with resolve as she sheathed her blade for the moment and went on ahead, her mind set on little else than escaping from the caves. Link followed suit, trusting that the experienced Sheikah leader knew the way better than he did. And soon enough, they were able to reunite with the bulk of the troops since the path had been mostly clear of monsters thanks to their prior advance. However, upon regrouping with the troops, both of the generals were able to see why their advance had been abruptly stopped. A towering stone spire rose high above the troops, blocking their path in one way while the flow of lava impeded their northward progress even more. Though most of the soldiers were eager to press on, they all smartly took this brief impasse as an opportunity to catch their breaths and allow themselves to recuperate from the still oppressive heat that they already couldn't wait to get out of.
"What are we supposed to do about that?" Link asked Impa as the two of them approached the spire and examined it carefully.
The Sheikah guardian pondered this for a moment, but before she could answer it, a sudden uproar sounded throughout the back end of the legion of troops. Another large group of foes, this time led by two big poes, was quickly coming up on the soldiers, and this time, they had nowhere to run. Cornered, the Hylian troops were forced to fight, even though many of them had started to grow exhausted from the heat. Link was quick to join in the fighting without hesitation, but Impa remained near the spire for a moment, giving it another brief glance as a sudden idea came to her, one that brought a small, clever smile to her face.
"Link!" she called out to the fighting hero. "Stay here and keep leading the troops in this fight. I have a plan!"
"Got it!" Link called back as he thrust his blade into one of the commanding poes, destroying it almost instantly. Impa called a few of her elite soldiers out of the group and cut a path through the stalchildren until they were out of the thick of it.
"Lady Impa," one of the captains said to the Sheikah guardian as they headed to the southwest. "These caves… No matter how many monsters we cut down, more keep coming out. What are we going to do about it?"
"Well, fight of course," Impa said stoutly. "And, if my plan works, then we shouldn't have so many monsters to worry about. I figure that if we can break that spire, then we should be able to get across the lava. All we need is a little help from our Goron allies."
"But Lady Impa," another soldier said with a frown. "We have no Goron allies here!"
"That's where you're wrong, soldier," the Sheikah guardian said with a grin. "It's not smart to go into a battle like this alone. That's why it's always a good idea to have some allies wherever you go."
The group of soldiers all glanced at one another in confusion, but they didn't question their general's idea as the continued to follow her loyally. However, before Impa could make it to her intended destination, a sudden voice echoed throughout the caves, catching all of the Hylian troops, including the Sheikah guardian and the hero, by surprise as it cackled wickedly.
"Getting you all into these caves was so simple!" the voice that both Link and Impa knew belonged to the dark wizard that had been leading the strike on Hyrule Field said smugly from his unseen position. "Now they shall become your tomb!"
A sudden rumble sounded throughout the caverns, and no one even needed to look to see that the way to the final exit of the caves had been blocked off. Impa huffed a sigh of aggravation, knowing that certainly the meddlesome wizard would need to be dealt with if they ever hoped to make it out alive. But for now, she could not worry herself with that; she had a plan to carry out first.
A small smile of relief claimed the Sheikah leader's face as her and her troops approached the entry keep, seeing that a group of Gorons were arriving there exactly as planned. Impa had made arrangements early on for the Gorons to give them backup if needed, and sure enough, the rock-solid warriors had appeared right on schedule, when the Hylian forces needed them most.
"You've made it right on time," Impa said with a nod of gratitude to the Goron captain as she entered the keep. "Allow me to cut to the chase. Knowing your people's expertise with explosives, I trust that you would have something big enough to take down an impressively-sized piece of rock, right?"
"Sure!" the Goron captain chimed heartily, motioning to a large, blue and yellow mouse-like device towards the back of the keep, being led in by a few other Gorons. "No rock out there is a match for a good ol' Bombchu! And just for our good Hylian friends, this one's on us!"
With a nod, the Goron captain set the Bombchu in motion as it rolled forward, its path set towards the northward spire. "Thank you," Impa said, giving a small bow of thanks. "I don't know what we would have done without your aid. Now we can fall back to the north and let that Bombchu do the heavy work. Let's go!"
With a morale-raising cheer, Impa and her soldiers hurried up towards the north, carefully guarding the Bombchu against enemy attacks along the way, lest it explode prematurely.
"Destroy that eyesore of a rat!" the wizard's angry voice commanded the enemy forces. "Show these fools the depths of despair!" Even despite his disparaging words, Impa continued to pay him no mind as she remained as focused on her mission as ever.
When the Sheikah leader and her task force returned to the the juncture that the rest of the troops were still stuck at with the Bombchu in tow, they found them in dire straits; the soldiers were quickly starting to tire themselves out, including Link, though the hero was resolved to fight through it. Many of the men had even collapsed out of heat exhaustion or injury, and the stalchildren were still pressing them as aggressively as before. It was certainly a blessing from the goddesses themselves when the tiring soldiers heard Impa shout a firm command to them to clear out of the area and allow the Bombchu to do its work. And sure enough, it did; the mobile explosive came to a halt right in front of the spire, and no more than a second later, it detonated, taking both the giant slab of stone and all of the nearby enemies out with it.
"Head for the exit!" one of the commanders shouted once the way was finally free of lava. "Like we've been trying to do this whole time!"
The soldiers heeded this command as they went on ahead, but before Impa began to follow them, she took a glance over at Link, noticing the clear exhaustion on his expression. She was quick to stop him before he could blindly rush on, knowing that he was far more winded than even most of the other soldiers. "Link, what did I say before?" the Sheikah guardian asked, a hint of chastising in her tone. "Don't overexert yourself. You're not the only solider here. Stop acting like it."
"But… Lady Impa… I'm not..." the hero struggled to say between his shallow, lost breaths, the strain of both the heat and the battle clearly taking its toll on him.
"You are," Impa scolded, clear aggravation with him in her tone. She understood that he was new at this, but that was no excuse for the kind of foolhardy extravagance in his fighting he was showing. "Clearly, you are still quite under experienced and you have a lot to learn, but it's too late for you to go back to the training yard you're used to now. You're second general; these men look to you for leadership now. You can't be showing them this sort of example. I expect more intelligence and care and less useless waste in the future, understand?"
Link said nothing as he merely cast a glare to the ground, feeling belittled and insulted by her harsh words. While it was true that he had been overexerting himself and using up too much of his waning energy, he was only doing it to ensure that everyone would make it out of the caves safely. He wasn't trying to be extravagant or selfish as the Sheikah leader was implying. He was only working as hard as he could for the good of everyone else around him, just like she was. But, he knew that it was certainly not his place to correct her. After all, even though he was second-in-command of the army now, Impa was still above him, and he still trusted that even though her words were biting and cold, they ultimately meant well.
"Do my words anger you, Link?" Impa asked with a hint of challenge in her tone as she crossed her arms and looked him up and down. "Do my words sting? Let them. You must understand that this is a war, and in a war, you must act with both intention and precision. Every ounce of your energy must be spent effectively, otherwise you will fall." At this, the Sheikah guardian's stern expression finally softened as she placed a hand on the hero's shoulder and handed him her full canteen of water, which he took and drank from gratefully to rehydrate. "I hope you know that I'm not trying to denounce your efforts, Link," she said with a sigh. "I just want you to learn that this is what a real battle is like and there's no better way to learn than through experience. And I also want everyone to get those these nightmarish caves alive, including you, got it?"
Link nodded respectfully as he gave Impa her canteen back, feeling a bit more energized for the path ahead now that he had a chance to take a brief breather. "Yes," he said, preparing to move ahead with her. "Thank you, Lady Impa. I'll be more careful next time."
"I trust that you will," Impa said with satisfaction. "And enough of that 'lady' nonsense. You don't see me going around calling you 'general', now do you?"
The hero couldn't help but smile along with the Sheikah leader at this, realizing that the respect that he had for her was actually returned, even despite the chastising that she had just given him. As amazing as it was for Link to believe, Impa, the honored and esteemed general of the army and second hand to Princess Zelda herself had trusted him enough to appoint him to the high position of second general. And that was the sort of trust that the young hero was not about to disappoint.
Link and Impa were quick to catch up with the other soldiers, still heading to the north with the hopes of getting into the cooler mining tunnels. However, as they both led their troops into the nearest keep, they were both stopped in their tracks by a new wave of monsters heading their way. The poes and stalchildren crept towards them at a slow pace, but their blood thirsty intent was clear. The hero was quick to draw his sword and, remembering what he had just been told, backed up and waited instead of making the first strike, something the Sheikah guardian did as well as she kept her hand carefully on the hilt of her blade. The two generals soon found themselves both back-to-back and surrounded by foes on all sides, their large numbers seeming to never let up. A fight was clearly about to ensure, but how much more the Hylian soldiers could take was uncertain.
However, before their side could attack, a sudden, unexpected sound echoed throughout the caves from nearby. The sound of a light, gentle song being played on harp strings.
Confused, both Link and Impa glanced around the area, wondering where the source of this strange music could be coming from, until the hero was the first to spot it. Standing atop a large rock formation to their left was a young woman, although her unpronounced figure and clothing made her gender slightly more vague. In her hands she had the harp, the source of the music, poised as she continued to play her song with skillful, bandaged fingers. She was thin and lithe, her facial features mostly obscured by the white cloth covering everything up to the bridge of her nose. Blonde hair peeked out from underneath the while turban she wore atop her head, and from behind came a long braid wrapped in white bandages. She wore sturdy armor, including small shoulder pads, upper arm guards, backhand guards, fingerless gloves and black shin guards, and attached to her thighs on each side were duel kunais. However, what struck both Link and Impa the most upon a first glance about this young woman was both the fact that her one eye that was not obscured by her hair was a sharp, piercing crimson, and that upon her chest plate she bore the timeless red Sheikah emblem, something that the Sheikah guardian wore proudly on her breastplate as well.
Finally finished with her song, the young woman leapt from her perch with agility and landed squarely within the keep, instantly strumming her harp once more. This time however, instead of a mere song, waves of light also emitted from the golden instrument, and as they collided with the nearby stalchildren, the monsters were nearly sliced in half, obliterated and defeated in one fell swoop.
The entirety of the Hylian forces, including both generals, turned to look at this young woman with awe, wondering who in the world she could be and where she came from. "The princess isn't dead," the young woman said in a smooth, calming voice as she began to step towards Link and Impa. "You'll reunite with her at some point during your journey, but not quite yet…"
"How do you know that?" Impa asked as she looked the young woman up and down suspiciously. "And who are you?"
"You can call me… Sheik," the young woman said, her tone still unreadable.
"Sheik?" Link repeated, also examining this mysterious warrior who had seemed to come out of thin air.
"It's a name that comes from the Sheikah tribe…" Sheik explained. "They were servants of the Hyrulian Royal Family."
"The Sheikah tribe?" Impa asked in disbelief, knowing that there were few survivors left in her tribe, and that she had certainly never seen this young woman among her remaining people. "But that's impossible…"
Before Sheik could explain herself further, however, a sudden rumble reverberated throughout the caves, either a sign of volcanic activity or of oncoming foes. Either or, none of the Hylian soldiers were too keen on sticking around to find out. "We can talk more once we get out of these caves," Sheik said with resolve. "For now, let me join you!"
"Wait!" Impa said, before anyone could move an inch. "Why should we trust you? We don't even know you!"
"Because I saved you," the Sheikah warrior said with patience, holding her harp close to her in preparation for battle. "If I was your enemy, then certainly, I would have let you perish, wouldn't I have?"
"She's got a point," Link said to Impa, having no reservations about letting Sheik join them. After all, each hand fighting meant one less dying as far as the hero was concerned. But still, the Sheikah guardian was suspicious of this strange young woman, apparently trying to pass herself off as a member of her tribe. Impa wasn't sure if trusting Sheik was the wisest course of action in the long run, but she relented for the moment, knowing that above else, everyone's priority had to be getting out of the caves.
"Alright," she said stoutly, leading the charge onward towards the tunnels. "Let's move!"
The Hylian forces were quick to move out as they entered into the significantly cooler tunnels. While the stone walls were mined with beautiful blue crystals of all sizes, there was no time to admire their natural wonder. The wizard had already ordered more monsters onto the battlefield and already they were starting to beset the allied troops aggressively. Impa, still as levelheaded as ever, even despite her misgivings about their mysterious new ally, led the way this time, plowing through the stalchildren with both her giant blade and her Sheikah water magic. Sheik and Link weren't too far behind, fighting with just as much resolve and passion. The hero continued to charge is sword through any monster that blocked his path, while the Sheikah warrior used an interesting mix of martial arts, her kunais, and the magical music that her harp provided to easily ware the enemy forces thin. Both Link and Impa could tell that Sheik was a skilled fighter; her speed and accuracy unmatched and her attacks were solid and strong. Each one of the tunes she played seemed to have some sort of elemental affect, and many of them Impa recognized as melodies passed down by the Sheikah tribe, though where Sheik might of picked them up, she had no idea. Perhaps this young woman really was a Sheikah, though Impa still didn't want to believe it with so little information to go off of.
As Sheik quickly strummed a tune known as the Bolero of Fire, she summoned a fireball out of nowhere to singe their nearby enemies and let out a small breath of exasperation, noticing that Link was watching her a few feet away, clearly impressed and confused. "They're really getting fierce, aren't they?" she said, giving him a small grin though he couldn't see it because of her face coverings. "C'mon. We've got to keep moving."
The Sheikah warrior began to run on ahead and the hero followed her, but his curiosity was too peaked not to question her. "Where'd you learn how to fight like that?" he asked her, running alongside her all the while.
"The art of utilizing combat magic through music is an art well known to my tribe," Sheik answered as she tossed her kunai ahead into the skull of a nearby Stalfos.
"Your tribe," Impa scoffed under her breath, having overheard the conversation as she led the way into the northeast portion of the caves.
"Wow," Link said with a duly impressed grin, having not heard Impa's derivative comment as Sheik had. "That's amazing."
"Thank you, Link," Sheik said with a humble nod of her head.
"Wait…" the hero said, his smile fading into confusion. "We just met… How do you know my name?"
The Sheikah warrior hesitated for a second in answering, but before she even could, a sudden rumble echoed from behind the Hylian forces. The gateway to the first half of the caves suddenly slammed shut, trapping the troops within the mining tunnels with all of the monstrous forces.
The wizard chuckled malevolently once more, his voice sounding out throughout the cave walls. "Now they have nowhere to run!" he shouted to the monsters under his command. "Crush them! Beat them! Grind them to dust!"
Once more, the seemingly endless legions of stalchildren began rushing towards the tiring Hylian troops, meaning that they had to fight with everything they had just to survive. "Enemies are coming out from all over!" Proxi shouted warningly to Link. "Maybe the Spirit of the Caves is in there… I bet if we were to defeat the spirit, it would slow the flow of monsters!"
"What's the Spirit of the Caves?" the hero asked the fairy in confusion.
"It's a ghost that's said to live in the deepest parts of the Eldin Caves," Proxi said, making use of the wellspring of knowledge that most fairies were said to have. "It looks just like a poe, only much bigger. Maybe the wizard's using it to control the monsters!"
"We need to find a poe called the Spirit of the Caves and get rid of it," Link said to both Sheik and Impa, translating Proxi's findings for them.
"Ah, yes," Sheik mused, having heard the legends of this ghost before. "The Spirit of the Eldin Caves… Defeating it might just open up the exit… We should check for it in the deepest tunnels."
"Alright," Impa said in agreement with this plan. "I'll stay here with the troops and guard them while you to go search for that spirit. And hurry it up! Many of them are starting to reach their limit!"
Link and Sheik nodded in compliance as they headed off into the tunnels together. The further they got into the mazelike corridors, the less cluttered with monsters it was, making their travels much easier. They decided against splitting up, lest they not be able to find their way back to Impa and the Hylian troops. They both ran quickly, not taking any time to converse as they rushed to the heart of the caverns, and sure enough, waiting there for them was a rather large poe, which Proxi confirmed to be the Spirit of the Caves itself.
It attacked much like a normal poe did, with bursts of violet flame and elusive disappearing defenses. However, also like every other poe, it was still susceptible to the same attacks. Sheik utilized the magic of a song she called the Prelude of Light, which blinded the ghost enough for Link to get a few swipes in with ease. However, as the spirit began to regain its vision, it attacked wildly, sending out several uncalculated flames, one that managed to catch Sheik on her shoulder and another that hit Link squarely in his leg. Naturally, the hero panicked as the fire began to burn though his clothes, but the Sheikah warrior was quick to use her harp to remedy the situation. Grabbing Link roughly by the arm, she hurriedly strummed a song called the Serenade of Water, which created a large whirlpool of water that not only doused them both and put out the flames, but it also drowned the spirit into submission and defeat.
"Thanks," the hero said, breathing in a sigh of relief as he realized how refreshing the cool water she had soaked them both with was.
"Don't mention it," Sheik said, giving him a small wink as the large doors in front of them cracked open, revealing a path ahead. Already the Hylian troops were on their way to catch up with them, and so the Sheikah leader and the hero decided to led the way. "Now come on! The end is in sight! We'll be out of these caves in no time!"
"Right," Link nodded as he followed after her, having no distrust towards her like Impa seemed to. After all, there was no reason not to trust Sheik; she had already proven her usefulness in this battle and then some. Clearly, she was a worthy ally.
At last the Hylian troops had reached the southeastern end of the caves, meaning that the end was in sight, though it was still blocked off and that path ahead was still filled with monsters. However, exhaustion was clearly mounting upon the Hyrulian forces, and it was becoming quickly obvious to Link, Impa and Sheik that they couldn't take much more of this intense heat, mixed with this seemingly never ending fight.
However, before the troops could start making a direct advance towards the exit, the wizard's aggravated growl sounded from quite close this time, giving everyone the impression that he was closer than he seemed. "What a bunch of pests!" he hissed angrily. "I guess I'll just have to come out and deal with you all myself!"
No more than a second later, the dark wizard himself appeared, rising out of the ground with a cackling laugh as his glowing red eye glared at the trio leading the army.
"You!" Impa shouted angrily, gripping the hilt of her sheathed blade tightly. "I've had just about enough of your tricks! Tell us where the princess is or else!"
The wizard simply laughed mockingly, which was only fueling the fires of the Sheikah guardian's frustration. "Please, call me Wizzro," he said, finally revealing his name. "And as for the princess… well isn't that the question of the century? Just like you, my mistress is also looking for her, but not for the sake of capturing her. Killing her will certainly suffice…"
"Who's your mistress?" Link demanded, holding his sword aloft in preparation to attack.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"Wizzro mocked. "But I'm sure that you'll be meeting her soon enough. After all, she won't shut up about how she's just dying to meet you, hero..."
"Enough!" Impa cut in, her red eyes fierce and heated. "I'm tired of you toying with us! Call your forces off and let us pass, otherwise I'll take you on myself!"
The dark wizard simply guffawed once more, not taking her threat seriously. "I'd like to see you try!"
The Sheikah guardian's grip on her blade tightened even more upon hearing this. "Fall back," she commanded rigidly to both Link and Sheik. "I've got this one."
"Are you sure, Impa?" the hero asked with concern, though he didn't doubt that the skilled Sheikah guardian could handle a foe such as this.
"Yes," she said firmly, and both Link and Sheik, along with the rest of the troops, were quick to follow her command, knowing that it was unwise to disobey her when she was this angry. Impa and Wizzro circled one another for a few tense moments, but ultimately, the dark wizard was the first one to strike, sending out a burst of violet flame that the Sheikah guardian was quick to dodge. Even despite her apparent fury, Impa did a good job of keeping her cool in the heat of battle as she maneuvered her way out of the path of even more attacks, every eye in the crowd of Hylian soldiers watching their general and respecting her clear, finely honed skill. When Wizzro finally relented, the Sheikah guardian took her opportunity; slipping her huge blade out of its sheath as though it were nothing, Impa cleaved into the dark wizard, not defeating him, but definitely pushing him back. She scarcely gave him a chance to recover as she summoned some of her magic down in the form of arrows composed of water, which rained down upon him relentlessly. Wizzro cred out in pain and frustration, sending another dark burst of magic the Sheikah guardian's way, but it was too late; she had already gained the upper hand. Preforming a swift slice, Impa used some of her magic to keep the wizard suspended in their air in paralysis after she cut him, and, as she clicked her heavy blade into its sheath, it somehow landed a critical blow upon her foe, knocking him to the ground in defeat.
The Hylian soldiers cheered in support of their general's victory and Impa merely smirked in satisfaction, placing her hands on her hips and standing tall before her troops. The dark wizard had put her soldiers in grave dangers by trapping them in these deadly caverns, but the Sheikah guardian was resilient, and was willing to do whatever it took to not only find the princess, but also keep her men safe no matter what the cost. And she made sure that every foe she encountered that dared to cross her knew that.
A moment or two later, Wizzro shakily picked himself up off the ground, battered and weakened, but not taken out entirely. "This… isn't over!" he screeched angrily. "None of you will be able to stop my mistress's plans in the end! You'll see!" With another sinister laugh, the dark wizard used his magic to sink into the ground, teleporting out of the caves and taking his legions of foes with him. The nearby doors to the exit of the caves finally rumbled open, revealing the fresh, cool air of the outdoors at long last.
"Finally!" Link exclaimed in relief as him and Sheik started for the exit, with Impa bringing up the rear to ensure that everyone made it out. In less than a few minutes, the entirety of the Hyrulian forces had passed out of the caves and into a small, lightly wooded valley. A small stream ran through it and most of the soldiers thirstily partook of its pure, cool waters as they recuperated from the heat and began to set up camp for the night, knowing that they would reach Faron in the morning.
"Well done, everyone," Impa said with a pleased grin. "Glad to see that most of us were able to make it out."
"We owe it all to your efforts, Lady Impa," Sheik said with a respectful bow as the troops all dispersed, leaving only the hero and the two Sheikah women standing near the cave's exit. "Your skill and leadership on the battlefield is quite admirable."
Impa's smile faded as she looked towards the Sheikah warrior, glaring at her suspiciously. "Alight, we're out," she said, crossing her arms and frowning. "Now, it's time for answers. Who are you anyway and where did you come from?"
"I told you," Sheik said calmly, strumming a few casual notes on her harp. "I am a descendant of the Sheikah tribe, just as you are."
"You can't be," Impa said warily. "There are hardly any survivors of my tribe left. Certainly I would have heard about you before if you really were a Sheikah."
Sheik was silent for a moment, giving the Sheikah guardian an unreadable look. "You do not trust me," she mused with little emotion.
"Well it's kind of hard to, considering the fact that you came out of nowhere," Impa said harshly.
"Lady Impa, you will find in our travels together that I am certainly one to be trusted," the Sheikah warrior said easily. "I mean you and your troops no ill will. In fact, my sole intent is to help you locate the source of the darkness that is plaguing Hyrule and bring it down, so that we may restore peace."
"So you say," the Sheikah guardian said dismissively as she turned to walk away, clearly done with this conversation as her caution and distrust were still set in stone. "But I've come to learn that you can never trust words. My main concern at the moment is finding Princess Zelda and returning her to safety. As far as I'm concerned, everything else can wait."
With that said, Impa abruptly turned on her heel and headed off into camp, her mind still swimming in confusion and misgivings about the strange Sheikah warrior. Sheik merely sighed in disappointment as she watched the Sheikah guardian leave, wishing she would understand.
"Don't worry," Link said, giving Sheik a small smile of encouragement as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "She's a little tough some times, but I'm sure she'll come around to you eventually."
The Sheikah warrior turned to face the hero, giving him a piercing, almost examining gaze with her rose-red eye. "Do you trust me, Link?" she asked, her voice still devoid of most emotion.
"Well… yeah," the hero said with a shrug. "I don't see why I shouldn't. After all, why else would you have helped us like you did?"
Link gave her a small smile to show that he was sincere, and even though he couldn't see it, Sheik returned it, her heart warmed by the sentiment. "Thank you," she said softly, a hint of gratitude and respect in her otherwise stoic tone. "Thank you for your trust…"
Such a long, detailed chapter! But now we got Sheik along for the ride! She's one of my favorite characters to play as in HW, mostly for her speed and power! Gotta love epic Sheikah ladies (of which this chapter was full of!) Next time around, we'll be heading to Faron Woods and meeting Lana of course, and so I'm excited about that! But for now, I must be off! Don't forget to REVIEW (let's see if we can bump this baby over 100!) Until next time!