Ok, so thanks to Thanksgiving break, my whole writing schedule got thrown off, but whatever. Its all good. Here we have part 1 (of 2) of the Valley of Seers stage (sorry, I know i promised Cia in this chapter, and while she is kinda here, there will be much more of her in the next chapter! Plus, I REALLY wanted a chapter entitled Eclipse of the Sun, so I can have another chapter entitled Eclipse of the Moon (my FAVORITE song from HW) later on!) Anyway, firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who has followed/favorited! Now onto the reviews!
Shiro Arceus: Aw, thanks so much! I'm really glad you're liking everything! And its kinda my intent to make the game's story more fleshed out and better, so I'll keep trying at it! And I am also SUPER glad you noticed the mother-son thing going on between Link and Impa! That was my intent from the get-go! She's like his momboss! I love it!
GuestC: Thanks! I enjoy fleshing out the rather bare-bones plot of HW into something entertaining for readers, so I'm glad I did my job! Kudos to you for reading it all in one sitting (I know I never would be able to, my attention span is too short, ahhaha!) And as far as Sheik (Zelda)/Link goes, I dunno if she's gonna reveal herself accidentally to everyone, but she may end up tipping at least Link off a little, though he won't know for sure until she finally reveals herself like in the game!
Ezakiel: Yeah, Lana's gonna pretty much tell everyone everything in the beginning of this chapter, but it won't spoil Cia as a character hopefully, cause I have so much planned for her! And Volga kinda takes center stage in this chapter, so I hope you'll like it! I do plan on having at least one or two chapters focused on Cia, Volga and Wizzro alone, so in them, I do plan exploring them all more. And yes! I can't wait to write Ganondorf, especially cause he is just so epic in this game (and I plan on making him even more awesome and evil than he already is!) As far as the Great Fairy goes, I'd like to think that she can only really do something when she is called upon, which kinda sucks for our heroes, but hey, if she could just go about willy-nilly, it would make things way too easy. And as to why Volga and Wizzro keep trying to kill Link, well, as the DLC implies, they aren't necessarily 100% loyal to Cia. I mean, in her story mode, Wizzro seemed to turn against her like every five seconds! It ticked me off so bad! :P
Sigma73: Hahaha yeah, I getcha. Don't worry, I'll be as tasteful as possible. And you're right! Whoopsies! I guess I'll have to go back and fix that eventually!
Black Scepter: Whoo, okay. Lots of reviews to answer, but I don't mind! :D So, I'll try to be concise. I can understand your fear of Link taking a back seat here, but I can promise you that I have NO intention of that happening. After all, Link is my favorite Zelda character, so its only fitting that I give him the proper attention he deserves. Now, this chapter, I must admit, focuses much more on Sheik and Impa than Link, or even Lana, but the next chapter will be much more on them, as well as Cia. And as far as him becoming useless, I'm trying to make it seem as though he's still learning, but in time, he will come to be much more heroic and befitting of the title of hero. I doubt he'll make another slip up like setting the Deku tree on fire any time soon, but he will still make some slip ups (specifically, in the Temple of Souls, but that's part of the game, so...) As far as making Sheik a girl, I'm pretty sure she is, at least in HW, mostly because, as you said, her feminine design. Going back to the Zelink parts of her hugging him, it is because I am trying to write this Zelda with expression, kinda like SS Zelda, only with a bit more regality thrown in because of her position. And yeah, part of the reason why Impa promoted Link was because of his status as the hero; after all, as we've clearly seen, he lacks experience befitting a general, but I think he'll grow into it in time. Finally getting to the first review, I don't intend to character bash (even if I personally don't like Proxi that much, though I think Lana is awesome!), not even to characters like Agitha (who I personally think has no business being in this game, but whatever). Anyway, thanks for all of your super nice words, as well as your constructive criticism! Everything helps me get better after all! :D
Legendoffun: I love both Korra and Avatar, so I just had to make some sort of reference to them! Glad you caught the hints of foreshadowing... ;D
OkayDokey33: Glad you kinda explained my approach with Lana and Cia, since that is kinda what I'm going for. After all, I'd like to think that Lana is not 100% good and Cia is not 100% evil, so that sort of thing will certainly come into play here. And yes, Lana's drive is centered around the fact that she was unable to help Cia withstand Ganondorf corrupting her, something that I think, makes Lana and Cia both very tragic, very interesting characters. And yea, you have to feel bad for Impa, and what you said about everyone else who gets close to the heroes is very true as well. Midna specifically came to my mind, espcially since she tried to stand up to Ganondorf, but ultimately, Link was the only one who could defeat him. Its kinda sad, really... :(
Pikori78: I do plan on incorporating some of Cia's tale, but in some interesting ways... ;D
Dusk Mind: He sure does! And I plan on foreshadowing it a lot, since its a HUGE part of his character development later on!
Zelink4321: Oh you better believe there will be some zelink kisses up in here! And cuddling and possibly even some lemon and yes, even hand holding and hugs, as basic as that is. I ship it so hard that I wouldn't be able to justify not including my OTP having some love!
Tolazytologin: Glad for that! :D I'm also glad you're liking the story! :D
alexhacker39: Thanks! :D
Pikatwig: He very much does! And yeah, Lana kinda caught onto Sheik's identity, but then again she did see OoT Zelda do the same thing so... And yeah, actually your idea kinda makes sense. If Cia was smart, she'd go back to the beginning and just make her move then instead of doing it in HW Hyrule (which I think is at the very bottom of the timeline!)
Flameshield: Yeah, it only makes sense that Impa gets frustrated every now and then instead of remaining consistantly level-headed... ;)
mega-dark: Basically summed it up perfectly! And yeah, the last chapter was kinda all over the place, mostly cause Smash did distract the heck out of me (its soooo good! as was the turkey! :D And yeah, I might be compelled to put Twili Midna in here... ;D
Libby8980: Hahahah, Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it and I will gladly help myself to that taco, cookies, and "piehs" hehehehe! :D
R-king 93: Thanks!
Lord Darth Yoda: Oh yeah ;P Hahahah jk. And yeah, I had some writer's block with that last chapter, but hopefully this will be better!
gandalf42: Very true. And it would be funny to see Wizzro get knocked off in such an ironic way, but I think I'll mostly stick to the game for that. And indeed, things totally go to the next level now... ;D
ultimateCC: Yep! Here we are!
Skydragon74193: Glad your recognized it! And thanks!
mysteryfriend16: As am i! :D
RandomButLoved: Hahaha, already responded to this one, but thanks for the review anyway! :D
Ok, guys. You know what? Answering all these reviews at once is getting really taxing for me, so how would you guys feel if I just started PMing responses instead? I think that would make things easier for everyone, so that's what I'm gonna start doing (at least for this story) with the next chapter. But for now, let's get started!
Chapter 7: Eclipse of the Sun
The Hyrulian army was on an advance to the very northeastern corner of Hyrule, where Lanayru Valley, a place that Lana referred to as the Valley of Seers. Fortunately, though the morning had been spent taking care of the disaster in Faron Woods, the troops had finally been able to move on with the entire afternoon ahead of them, and thankfully, they had not worn themselves into exhaustion quite yet, all of them eager to push forward. Of course, Link, Lana, Impa and Sheik were among the most anxious to arrive at their destination, all of them wanting to cut off the flow of monsters at its apparent source.
As the troops steadily marched along to their destination, the white sorceress made good on her promise to divulge more information to her newfound allies about their common foe.
"I think it'd be best to begin with the Triforce…" Lana said with a sigh after Impa prompted her to tell them more about Cia. "You all know at least a little about it, right?"
"The Triforce…" Impa said with a cryptic nod. "Hyrule's holy relic and the source of its providence… There are many legends out there about it. I suppose that it is Cia's ultimate goal then, yes? After all, its power is great and unrivaled throughout the land."
"Well, the Triforce is only part of what she wants…" the white sorceress said a bit apprehensively. "There's something else too… But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Like I said before, Cia and I were from the same clan. We were taught the art of magic from a very young age, and… well, we pretty much grew up together…"
"So, you were close to her?" Link asked with a pitied frown upon hearing the clear sadness in Lana's tone.
The white sorceress sighed. "More than you could ever know…" she said as she kept her violet gaze upon the ground while she walked. "For years, everything was just fine. We both grew in power and skill and eventually, both of us received a message from the goddesses themselves… They wanted the two of us to watch over the Triforce and make sure that its power was protected from evil and misuse. Its balance is very fragile, and it was our job to keep it safe from the eyes of those who might seek to take it for themselves.
"The two of us moved to the seclusion of the Forbidden Woods to make sure that we could carry out our task in peace, without any influence from the outside world. However, our time wasn't idle. As payment for taking care of the Triforce, the goddesses granted us the ability to see across the ages. We were able to watch history unfold in every era, but most of the time, it was very boring. Cia often complained about it, only taking any real interest whenever there was a war or some big happening... Until…"
Lana paused as she finally looked up, casting a long glance over in Link's direction as he, like Sheik and Impa, continued to listen to her tale carefully. The white sorceress let out another small sigh, knowing that they all needed to know this information, as much as it brought her shame and guilt. "Until she saw… you, Link…"
The hero gave her a look of absolute confusion as the two Sheikah women also glanced over at him in wondering. Link had no idea what to make of this, so he simply prompted Lana to continue her story so that he could understand it better. "What do you mean?" he asked evenly, though he had no idea what he had to do with any of this.
"As I said, Cia and me were able to see the lives of everyone who ever lived, both now and in the past, but not the future," Lana explained, now averting the hero's confused gaze. "And as we watched time play out, a soul that was unlike any other caught her attention: a soul that has come to be called the Spirit of the Hero, one that is always reborn whenever Hyrule is facing certain doom. The Spirit of the Hero has had many bearers in the past, and Cia watched all of their adventures and battles with immense interest, and so would I. They were all just… so special… The way they would always so selflessly save Hyrule, triumphing over evil no matter what the cost… It was beautiful… And yet… it quickly became clear that Cia was way more enticed with them as I was… Eventually, she started falling in love with them, and with the very idea of the Spirit of the Hero itself. It was only as that love turned into obsession that things went from bad to worse…
"As much as Cia admired the Spirit of the Hero, she knew that she would never be able to be with any of its bearers; it just wasn't fate's design. She was heartbroken and angry, and it was because of that anger that darkness started to fill her heart. She cursed the very goddesses that gave us our responsibility I… I tried everything I could to convince Cia not to listen to the evil that was calling out to her, but… nothing worked… Darkness took over her soul, and her obsession and desire for the Spirit of the Hero only deepened. All the light and purity that used to fill her was gone… and in its place, only resentment and lust remained…"
"I couldn't stand to be near Cia any more after that… The evil inside of her was just too much for me to bear… And so… I left. But, before I did, I made sure that the Triforce would remain protected from her. Before she could lay her hands upon it, I cast a spell on it that split it up into three parts. The Triforce of Power unfortunately remained with her, but the other two were sent out to those who would keep them safe… like you, Link," Lana said with a small grin as she nodded to the Triforce of Courage on the his hand, something that Impa had made sure to give the hero all the details she knew about not long after she had appointed him to second general.
"You still haven't mentioned what any of this has to do with me yet," Link said, still confused about Lana's earlier statement, even though both Sheik and Impa were starting to catch on.
"Ah… well…" the white sorceress bit her lip somewhat awkwardly. "It's a little hard to explain… Like I said, Cia wants the Triforce, but… even more than that she wants the Spirit of the Hero, or more specifically, its bearer, all to herself. It's why she started this war in the first place. She'll do whatever it takes to get what she wants, including take over Hyrule… She caused all of this chaos and violence just so she can get to bearer of the Spirit of the Hero, which, in this era, just so happens to be…" Lana paused as she held her gaze on the hero, her expression telling him everything, but she said it aloud nonetheless. "You…"
Link was admittedly stunned speechless upon hearing this, mostly because he wasn't really sure what to think of everything that Lana had just implied. Before they had set out on their search for Zelda, Impa had mentioned something to the hero about him having a special sort of spirit, most likely the fabled Spirit of the Hero that the white sorceress had explained, but that wasn't what surprised him the most. What bothered him was the fact that he had somehow aroused the affections of a woman he had never even met before, and in turn, those affections had somehow incited the war that Hyrule was currently facing. He couldn't help but feel that the entire catastrophe was partially his fault, even if he had done nothing at all. For so long, everyone had been wondering what this war was being waged over, and now Lana had made it clear; indeed, it was a battle for both the Triforce and control over Hyrule, but even more than that, it was being waged over one person alone: the very hero helping to save it.
After a prolonged moment of silence from both the surprised, slightly sickened hero and the remorseful white sorceress, the Sheikah warrior, who had been silent throughout most of the journey, spoke up. "So, what exactly is her strategy then, if you know anything of it?" Sheik asked, though there was a hint of some type of unreadable emotion in her tone in the aftermath of what Lana had just revealed.
Glad to move away from the most awkward part of the tale, the white sorceress answered this much more promptly. "I'm not entirely sure…" she said with a frown. "All I know is that, as I was leaving Cia, in a fit of rage, she used her magic to tear open the Gate of Souls, the magical doorway that connects all eras of the past. That's where all the monsters flooding Hyrule came from: all the different periods of Hyrule's past. She's using her magic to control them and she's the one who commands them to do her bidding, with Volga and Wizzro working under her, I guess. Ever since this all started, more monsters have been appearing every day, causing so much chaos and ruin… I've been trying to fight against them ever since they appeared, hoping that I can stop Cia, but I know I can't do it on my own. Even the small resistance force I came across near Faron hasn't been enough to leave a major dent in their armies. There's just so many of them…"
"We'll stop them," Link said, finally breaking his stunned silence of the past several minutes. His tone immediately caught Lana, Impa and Sheik's attention in how firm and resolved it was, no doubt burning with the desire to put an end to something that was apparently centered around him. The Sheikah leader couldn't help but subtly grin at how, for the first time, he no longer spoke with the uncertainty of a recruit, but the authority of a general as he continued. "We'll keep fighting against them like we've been doing and we'll close the Gate of Souls so no more will come. We'll put an end to this war, and most of all, we'll find Princess Zelda."
"Well said, Link," Impa said with a nod of proud satisfaction. Sheik remained quiet, keeping in her mysterious nature of only sparing words when she needed to, but it was clear from the look that her crimson eyes were giving him that she was thoroughly impressed as well. However, unlike them, Lana was able to see the hidden intention and motivation behind the hero's words, as well as the hint of shame and guilt that had filled them.
"Link…" the white sorceress said with a frown after Impa and Sheik had moved on past them towards the entrance of the Valley of Seers looming nearby. "You… you know what none of this is your fault… right?"
The hero's steady, determined expression finally faded into an apprehensive one, though he did not backpedal on what he had said. "I feel like it is…" he admitted guiltily. "You said it yourself: the only reason Cia's doing any of this is because she wants me. Maybe it would just be easier if… if I just surrendered myself over to her. Then, no one else would have to get hurt and the war would finally end."
"Oh, Link…" Lana said, feeling even more remorse than ever upon hearing this incredibly selfless suggestion, one that she could not allow him to do. "You know you can't do that. Hyrule needs you. And besides, it's still far too early to give up now! The only reason why I became a little discouraged earlier was because I had been fighting against Cia's forces on my own. But now that we're all going to fight her together; we can do this. You can do this, Link. I know it. After all, you've done it before…" she said with a reassuring smile, referring to the untold courage of all of his past lives that she had observed.
The hero smiled in gratitude to the white sorceress, feeling comforted by her words. After all, there wasn't really any way that he could have known about Cia, or her obsessive feelings for him. And yet, at the same time, he still felt somewhat guilty, especially when he thought about how this war had caused Zelda's disturbing, prolonged disappearance. Link knew that he would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to Hyrule's wise, benevolent ruler, especially after the care and kindness she had shown him. And yet, as the hero thought of the princess, he was invigorated with inspiration and determination once more, his resolve to fight for her safe return, and for Hyrule was a whole, rekindled, renewed and burning brighter than ever.
The Valley of Seers was a place that, like any place that evil and darkness touched, an area that had once been full of life and light. The grass had once grown green, the lush trees stood tall, and the skies blue and clear. But now, it was a mere shadow of its former self. The grass had all but vanished into barren, dusty earth, the trees had shriveled and their foliage had vanished into unnatural yellow orbs of light that still clung to their curled branches, and the skies were now painted in permanent clouds of darkness. The entire region had clearly suffered from widespread earthquakes, as deep chasms had formed throughout it, leaving the remaining pieces of earth to be isolated and cut apart like pieces of a puzzle. The ruins of once strong and sturdy stone structures, most likely temples and other sacred places, now lay in crumbled ruins all over the area. And, what all of the Hylian troops noticed as they entered into the desolate valley, was not just the overwhelming presence of bokoblins and other monsters on guard, but the strange violet aura that light up the summit of the northern crest, the location that the leaders of the army already knew their foe had to be.
With a mere commanding nod from the Sheikah guardian, the Hylian forces sprang into action, rushing headlong into the hordes of enemies and cutting them down as they did in both Faron and Eldin. However, before Link, Lana, Sheik or Impa could take a single step forward into the fray, a female's voice suddenly echoed out across the valley, its tone smooth, sultry, and greedy all at once.
"Oh, so the hero has finally come to see me at long last, has he?" the voice of the black witch called out, specifically to Link as he glanced around warily like the rest of his allies, just in case she was somewhere nearby. "Well then, my darling Link…. Please don't keep me waiting…"
Cia let out an icy laugh, but said nothing more. However, before the seductive words of the black sorceress could really get to the hero, who was still disturbed by the situation at large, Lana quickly intervened. "Cia's at the top of the ruins," the white sorceress said, holding her tome of sorceress close in preparation to fight. "If we can strike her down, then we can stop her from summoning any more monster and close the Gate of Souls!"
"Easier said then done…" Sheik mused as they all looked ahead to the vast hordes of monsters covering the valley laying before them. Indeed, there were many of them, but it was nothing that they had not faced before. "Perhaps we should split up so that we can spread our efforts further. If we manage to capture the ruin keeps, it may provide a foothold against the enemy."
"Great idea, Sheik," Lana said with an agreeing nod. "We might have more success if we split up into two groups. Link, you and me will head for the west keep, okay?"
"Got it," the hero said as he drew his sword, opting to use it much more than the fire rod after what had happened in the woods.
"In that case, Impa and I shall attack from the east," the Sheikah warrior said, not reacting to the caustic look the Sheikah guardian was giving her upon this suggestion, though she said nothing a the moment since Link and Lana were nearby. "Let's go."
With a final nod of parting, the group split off, the hero and the white sorceress forging a path through the monsters towards the west ruins keep, leaving the two Sheikah women alone. However, as Sheik began to advance towards the east keep, she quickly found that Impa was not going with her. She stopped in her tracks as she turned to face the Sheikah guardian, who merely stood in place with her arms crossed, giving the Sheikah warrior a sided glance. Even after the battle in Faron Woods, Impa still had her share of misgivings about Sheik. After all, no one knew anything about her at all, and every time anyone asked her to divulge more information about herself, she would merely answer with vague words and riddle-like phrases. The Sheikah guardian had never liked people who passed themselves off as mysterious and indirect, but even more than that, Impa truly believed that Sheik was hiding something from all of them. Of course, the Sheikah warrior had fought alongside them and spoke as if she was on their side, but what if she was only acting in such a way to gain their trust, when in actuality she could turn out to be a spy or assassin for their enemy? From the moment Impa first saw Sheik, she doubted that she was actually a true member of the Sheikah tribe, whose numbers were now small and widely spread out throughout the world. Certainly, it would be an appropriate disguise for a traitor; after all, the duty of the Sheikah tribe was to serve the royal family, and so it would be enough to convince Link and the other soldiers of her authenticity, but Impa wasn't so easily persuaded. The Sheikah guardian wasn't about to take any chances of being subject to a betrayal, especially in a place such as this, right at the enemy's front door.
"Aren't you coming?" Sheik asked with confusion as Impa still did not move, but instead, only glared even more harshly at the Sheikah warrior.
"Actually, no," Impa said as cordially as possible so that Sheik wouldn't figure out that she was onto her if her suspicions were correct. "I have my own attack plans."
"What?" the Sheikah warrior asked, looking taken aback, which she admittedly was. "But… we'll cover more ground if we work together."
The Sheikah guardian simply remained resolute as she shook her head. "Sorry," she said with an unconcerned shrug. "But not this time."
Sheik simply looked at Impa with absolute shock, and perhaps the slightest bit of hurt in her scarlet eyes, but the Sheikah guardian was unmoved by it. Instead, she simply took off on a different route without sparring any more words to her supposed foe, leaving the Sheikah warrior at a complete and utter loss about what had just happened.
Having taken a more winding path towards the west ruins keep, Impa glanced over her shoulder every now and then between taking down monsters, just to make sure that Sheik was not following her. She stood by her decision to leave the Sheikah warrior on her own; not only did she not trust Sheik, but Impa believed that taking a simple keep was something that she could easily do on her own. However, she could have never known what was waiting for inside of the keep: the dragon knight himself.
Upon emerging into the west keep, Impa growled in indignation and fury at the foe she had last encountered in Hyrule Field weeks ago, especially upon seeing that he was using his fiery breath to strike down several of her soldiers all at once. "Worthless…" Volga scoffed to himself as he struck down more Hylian knights with his spear, having not noticed the Sheikah guardian's presence yet. "These vermin barely qualify as exercise!"
"Hey!" Impa called out to him with her giant blade already brandished and ready to strike. "If you want a real fight, why don't you leave them alone and face me instead!"
The dragon knight turned to face her with a dark grin, finally allowing the injured Hylian soldiers who were still capable of standing to flee to safety. "Oh, look," he said, his tone haughty and prideful. "The Sheikah wretch from the field… I'd think that you'd be smarter than to challenge me so boldly, but if it's a battle you want, then it is a battle you shall get!"
Neither Impa nor Volga said anything else as the duel between them commenced, both of them striking out at once. The Sheikah guardian's blade was met with the dragon knight's pike as they clashed weapons several times, before both of them decided to go for different strategies instead. As Volga let loose a fireball, Impa was quick to extinguish it with some of her water magic, deftly dodging out of the way of a slash of his clawed hand. The Sheikah guardian attempted to gain the offensive by trying to cut her blade through the dragon knight's side, but he countered by blocking it with one of his hands, while using the tip of his spear to finally land a hit on his foe. Impa let out a sharp grunt of pain as the spear cut up her left arm, but she did not relent even despite that the long cut was pouring with blood. She attempted to hit Volga with some water arrows next, but now that he had gained the upper hand, he merely moved out of their path before they struck him. The dragon knight gave the Sheikah guardian a sinister, triumphant grin as he backed away a bit, a new plan formulating in his mind. Volga made a high leap into the air and, much to Impa's surprise, he almost instantly transformed into his dragon form, hovering above the keep as he kept his sights still set on her. Her heart pounding with adrenaline, the Sheikah guardian barely managed to dodge several of the fireballs he sent her way, some of them actually managing to catch onto her, but not causing any severe damage. However, even she could have done nothing as the dragon began to dive-bomb towards the center of the keep at an alarming speed. Impa leaped out of the way as much as she could, but the resounding explosion was enough to send her pummeling into the hard stone wall of the keep, knocking the wind out of her and sending her into semi-consciousness as her head bounced off the wall.
Returned to his more human form, Volga didn't hesitate to lash out at his downed foe, landing a deep, heavy cut across her stomach with his spear. Impa was unable to contain her cry of pain as she desperately tried to rise and lift her blade against him, even though she was far too weak and injured to. "Hm, you're no fun," the dragon knight said mockingly as he prepared to come in for another attack, knowing that the Sheikah guardian would be unable to defend herself properly. "You're not much better than any of your other weak soldiers. Don't you have a stronger warrior for me to duel?"
Impa, who was unable to rise past her hands and knees, glared daggers of fury up at her enemy for reducing her to this. She knew that, since both Link and Lana were preoccupied with taking the western weep, they would be unable to come to her aid, meaning that she was all alone in this fight, but even so, she refused to give up or show any signs of weakness other than physical, which she couldn't really help. "Go to the Dark World, you bastard!" she hissed hatefully, spitting some of the blood that had filled her mouth his way.
Volga wiped the blood off his armor with disgust, glaring down at her just as burningly as she was scowling up at him. "Why don't you go first?" he asked quietly, his voice dripping with venom as he raised his spear to strike her down once and for all. Impa kept up her unyielding dignity though as she simply held her sharp crimson gaze at him, wishing that she could rise to strike him down with all her pent up rage and fury.
However, before the dragon knight could land his hit, he suddenly let out a sharp cry of pain as several small knives hit the back of his arm. Quickly turning around, he was met with a burst of electricity, a simple, quick-paced harp tune entitled the Song of Storms accompanying it.
Sheik moved so quickly that Volga barely even saw her as she continued to pluck of several devastating melodies in fast succession. As the dragon knight tried to hit his elusive new foe with a burst of flame, she countered with a large splay of liquid from the Serenade of Water. When he attempted to strike her down with his spear, she blocked its path using a small, temporary group of trees by playing the Minuet of Forest. With each new attack, the Sheikah warrior could tell that she was wearing him down, but the injured Sheikah guardian simply watched the duel in amazement, unable to believe that Sheik, of all people, had come to her rescue.
"Insolent whelp!" Volga growled to the Sheikah warrior as he managed to block off a few of her kunais. "Stand still already!"
Sheik merely grinned under her face coverings as she shook her head, throwing down an unknown projectile at her feet, vanishing into thin air upon the burst of smoke it had created. No more than a second later, she reappeared, only this time, she was positioned several feet in the air above her enemy. The Sheikah warrior dropped down gracefully, ripping the kunais in her hands deep into the dragon knight savagely and eliciting a heavy shout of pain from him.
Clearly damaged quite a bit by this brutal attack, Volga collapsed to his knees, leaning up against his spear to keep him upright as he scowled up at his triumphant foe. "I was careless…" he admitted, clearly seething with rage. "But next time, it won't end like this!" With another furious shout, the dragon knight's wings appeared and he flew off, thankfully retreating from the keep as the Hylian troops took it at last. However, as he was leaving, Volga cringed at the sound of Cia's disappointed words echoing throughout the valley, clearly aimed at him.
"Why don't you cool down?" she asked bitingly, her words cold enough to the point that the dragon knight could practically see the glare on her face. "It's embarrassing to hear you talk so big and preform so poorly."
Volga, though shamed by this statement, didn't reply to his mistress's admonitions as he simply left, going back to their main base of operations in the Temple of Souls as Cia had instructed him. With an aggravated scoff, the black witch addressed the invading Hylian troops as a whole, her unseen voice dripping with clear bloodlust. "I suppose I will just have to deal with you all myself then…" she said with a sinister chuckle. "So, come on then, all of you! I don't like people dawdling at my doorstep! You want a welcome party? Fine!"
With another cruel laugh, Cia's voice went silent once more, though it was clear to everyone that she had the intention of sending more monsters out their way. But for the moment, Sheik merely ignored that fact as she rushed to Impa, kneeling down beside her and checking over her wounds.
"Are you alright?" the Sheikah warrior asked with concern for the suffering Sheikah guardian, who was still looking at her with disbelief.
"Why… why did you follow me, even when I told you I didn't want your help?" Impa asked evenly, not showing how confused she really was.
"Because you were in need of aid," Sheik said simply as she began to pluck a melody known as the Song of Healing upon her harp, one that somehow helped to ease the pain and bleeding of the Sheikah guardian's injuries.
"That doesn't really answer the question," Impa said with a frown as she denied Sheik's help in standing. "Why do you always refuse to explain anything beyond the simplest of levels?"
"I only said what you wanted to know," the Sheikah warrior said, though her tone was not defensive. "But if you'd like to know why I came to help you, even after you rejected my assistance earlier, that is because I do not believe in abandoning anyone in the battlefield, certainly not the general of the army herself."
Impa said nothing in response to this as her glare slightly softened. Though she still didn't trust Sheik entirely, perhaps, she was starting to realize, she had been wrong about the Sheikah warrior. Maybe she was not a spy or undercover worker for Cia; maybe she truly did want to help the Hylian forces win this war. But even despite this, the Sheikah guardian wasn't willing to give her complete trust to Sheik just yet, even though she had very well saved her life. In fact, the only person that Impa really trusted completely was Princess Zelda alone, not any of her soldiers, or even Link or Lana. And while she still didn't believe that Sheik was truly a member of the Sheikah tribe, Impa decided to at the very least cooperate with the Sheikah warrior for now, knowing that they would all live longer if she did.
"The east keep has been taken," Sheik said with a nod as she glanced around the keep, now full of allied troops. "Link and Lana should have the west covered. We should rendezvous with them as soon as possible." Turning to leave, the Sheikah warrior glanced back at the Sheikah guardian, who was still mulling over her origins and intentions, and beckoned for her to follow her deeper into the battlefield and ever closer to the enemy. "Let's head out!"
Well, sorry if this is a bit short, but I wanted to get this stuff outta the way for the big drama in the next chapter. As this was mostly centered on Sheik and Impa, the next chapter will be more about Link, Lana, and of course, Cia! Yay! I can't wait! So, for now, don't forget to drop me a REVIEW and in them, I would very much appreciate it if ya'll gave me your input on something: What characters from the other Zelda games (SS, OoT, and TP) would you like to see appear when the different eras enter into the story, aside from the ones that are already playable characters? Give me your imput, and I'll see what I can do. Just thought a little audience input like that would be cool! Until next time!