Ok, so Merry (late) Christmas everyone! I personally had a great (but very busy) holiday, which was why this chapter took so long. You know, spending time with the family and whatnot. Not to mention both a terrible writer's block and abysmal internet connection. And yet, I managed to get this long, mostly not even canon to the story of HW chapter done for you all to enjoy, so yay! But yeah, like I just said, most of this chapter is not actually part of the game, all of the backstorish stuff came out of my brain, but I hope you all will like it, since its good for character building! Now onto the guest reviews!
sigma73: All will be revealed in due time, my friend... Let's just say I have it all planned out and the Hero's Shade may appear, but not in the way you may think... ;)
GrayishGirl: I'm really glad you're enjoying it!
ShadowRouge: Hahaha, he really does though! I'm also glad you like the detail! Personally, I love playing as Link and Midna, but I think Zelda is only good with her dominion rod and Darunia's a little clunky for me, but that's just me.
CiaFTW: Putting the different Links and Zeldas in? Who would ever think to do that? (wink wink) But yes, I do agree that would be super cool... We'll just have to see if it will happen though... And, depending on what's in the MM pack, we might see some stuff from it in here... ;)
Tragedymakesahero: I'm very glad that you like it! When i write, I always try to make things cinematic, so that it plays out in the reader's mind like a movie! The very next chapter after this one just so happens to be TP, so I'm excited for it too! In answer to whether or not i plan on including the other Links... We'll just have to wait and see! ;D I do understand what you mean though about TP Link having a sort of darker character, as I think so too. And as far as a tragic backstory for HW Link goes, I think you will be quite pleased with this chapter, then! I agree that tragedy makes a hero, something that I always try to incorporate in my writing, something that I hope shines through here! I also agree that Link is great and versatile to play as, and he does really have sort of an anime dynamic going on, which is really cool!
Ok, well that's it for now! Let's get started!
Chapter 9: Separate Ways
The land of Hyrule had been torn asunder to the point that it hardly resembled the unified, consistent kingdom it had once been. Now, it much rather resembled a patchwork quilt, with large portions of it replaced with lands from other times entirely, all of which seemed quite out of place when viewed as a bigger picture. The aura of ominous darkness that had fallen upon the land was quite noticeable, certainly a product of the powerful magic Cia had spread across the kingdom. The shockwaves had finally ended, and it seemed as though Hyrule was stable enough, but thanks to the black witch's strike, monsters were pouring forth from the different eras more heavily than ever. It was clear that the source of the rampaging creatures were the Gate of Souls located in each era, spreading out across Hyrule and most likely bringing chaos to the time periods that they originated from as well.
Lana had explained all of this to her allies in full detail as soon as they were sure that the Hyrulian troops were safe and sound in the aftermath of the shockwaves, which most of them fortunately were. A scout team had been sent back into the now-empty Valley of Seers to hunt for Cia, but she had mysteriously vanished without a trace after time was united, as did all of the monsters under her command. With no clear lead on the location of their foe, the Hylian forces were left with no choice but to regroup and come up with a new strategy, one that would hopefully bring peace to the battered kingdom at long last.
"If we can go to each of the three eras, maybe we'll have a chance of closing all of the Gates of Souls in them and stop the monsters from coming," the white sorceress informed the hero and the two Sheikahs as they convened together near the entrance of the valley. "And, if we're lucky, then doing that should also close up all of the portals as well."
"But where do we even start?" Impa asked as she glanced around at the portions of the different eras, all of which could be clearly seen from their vantage point. "That's an awful lot of ground to cover and we simply don't have that kind of time on our hands anymore. This situation is getting worse and worse with each passing day and if we don't put a stop to it soon, then there may not be a Hyrule left to save."
"Maybe we should split up," Link suggested. "We can all take a few troops with us and close each gate at the same time. That way we can go in and get out quickly, before things can get any worse."
"Great idea, Link!" Lana chimed with a bright smile. "And once we're done, we'll come back here and stop Cia in her tracks once and for all! Now, let's decide who's going where…" The white sorceress turned from the rest of the group to face the isle hovering above them in the sky to the west. "Over there is the ancient island in the sky, which the old goddess Hylia lifted up from the earth herself during the great war," she said, calling upon her vast knowledge of Hyrule's history. "Its inhabitants called it Skyloft and they say a peaceful, prosperous city rested up there, but I'm sure it's being attacked by all sorts of monsters now, thanks to Cia…"
"I'll go up there," the hero volunteered with resolve, also looking up to Skyloft.
"Ok, then," Lana said with a nod to Link. "There should be a pillar of light somewhere below the base of the island that will get you up there. Next is that huge mountain near Faron, which comes from the period of the Hero of Time. It's called Death Mountain, and it was an ancestral home to the strong Goron tribe."
"I can travel there," the Sheikah guardian offered, already knowing that such a dangerous terrain was well-suited for her skills.
"Ok, then," the white sorceress nodded in agreement. "I guess that leaves the Era of Twilight to me!" she said, referring to the lands to the southwest that were blanketed in shadows before turning to the only member of the group who was undecided. "What about you, Sheik?"
Though the Sheikah warrior seemed to ponder this question for a moment, it was apparent that her mind was already made based on how she responded. "I'll go to the Era of the Hero of Time with Impa," she said in her constant mysterious tone, though the Sheikah guardian was more caught off guard with this decision than anyone else.
"What?" Impa asked a bit too sharply, catching looks of confusion from both Link and Lana, though Sheik's expression remained as calm and stoic as ever.
"Is there a problem, Impa?" the hero asked with a frown, knowing nothing about the first general's distrust for their ally.
The Sheikah guardian held her tongue upon hearing this question, exchanging a subtly shifty glance between the hero, the white sorceress, and the Sheikah guardian, her expression cross yet unreadable. Even though Sheik had come to her aid in facing Volga earlier, Impa still had her doubts and suspicions about the Sheikah warrior, feelings that only grew upon hearing that she wanted to go with her, but for what reason, the first general had no idea. Impa couldn't help but be wary of the strange sort of fixation that Sheik seemed to have on her, one that apparently prompted her to try and follow the Sheikah guardian anywhere she went. But as much as Impa didn't like or understand it, she knew that the other two members of the group, in all of their apparent innocence and trusting, would most likely not sympathize with the Sheikah guardian's desire to not have the Sheikah warrior go with her. And so, she simply decided to let the matter be for now. After all, perhaps if the two of them were to travel together, then Impa would be able to keep a close eye on Sheik and finally uncover any sort of ruse that she might still be putting up. Even though it might have been somewhat risky, it was a chance that the Sheikah guardian was willing to take to finally get to the bottom of this.
"There's no problem," Impa said succinctly, averting everyone's gaze as she glared off to the side. "I'll spread word to the troops. We'll split up at daybreak. For now, start setting up camp; we'll need our rest."
The other three nodded in agreement with this, none of them even giving the Sheikah guardian's hesitation a second thought whatsoever. Without any more deliberation, the group slip up to different tasks as twilight began to fall upon the empty, barren area that the Hylian troops were going to spend the night within. It seemed safe enough of a spot considering the fact that Cia's forces had seemed to have moved on, but even so, once the Hylian soldiers were settled in, they made sure to set up a watch around their encampment, just in case there was a chance they could be assailed in the middle of the night. By the time all of the tents were set up and several small fires had been built, night had fallen and everyone had started to rest, knowing that their next mission certainly called for it, especially considering the battles of the past day alone.
Though the grounds near the Valley of Seers were arid and warm during the day, the temperatures dropped significantly at night, something that Link and Sheik were quick to discover as they sat near one of the fires alone, as both Lana and Impa were preoccupied. The white sorceress was busy using her magic to tend to some of the wounded soldiers while the Sheikah guardian prepared a convoy to send back to the castle so that the rest of the kingdom would be properly informed about the events of the war thus far. Since they had relatively little they had to do, the hero and the Sheikah warrior had both opted to rest near the warm fire and yet, even after they had finished off their meager dinner rations, there had not been much conversation between them. Though Link had tried multiple times to start one, Sheik would only ever answer him with a nod or a simple "yes" or "no". While the hero didn't distrust the Sheikah warrior like Impa did, he couldn't help but be curious about her, especially since she came off as so mysterious and fascinating, even if she wasn't much for conversing like he was.
"So…" Link began somewhat awkwardly, glancing over at Sheik as she intently watched the fire before them. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"
"As far as I recall, you've been doing that very thing for the past half hour," the Sheikah warrior said not with annoyance, but with joking sarcasm instead. "But you may ask whatever you wish."
"Why did you volunteer to go with Impa earlier?" the hero asked curiously, simply wondering about the reasoning for such a choice and little else.
Sheik didn't answer his question right away as she continued to gaze into the fire, the flames making her crimson eye seem to burn even more. And, when she finally did answer, her response was surprisingly complex and detailed. "Because I noticed the exact same thing that you did in the woods earlier," she said, her voice carrying a bit more emotion than it normally did. "She is greatly troubled by the princess's disappearance, more than anyone else is. Of course, it only makes sense; after all, she practically raised Princess Zelda from childhood. They are quite close. Like sisters almost…" The Sheikah warrior let out a small, wistful, almost regretful sigh before she went on. "I fear for what might happen to Impa if she travels alone. She may try to overexert herself in trying to locate the princess and get into serious trouble. As we both know, she has years and years of experience and service behind her, but even the very best need assistance from time to time."
Link smiled softly and nodded upon hearing this, knowing that even though they had just met, it was clear that Sheik cared for the wellbeing of the first general, just as he did. "I'm glad you're going with her," he said. "Hopefully, it will help her trust you a little more and maybe between the four of us, we can find Zelda out there somewhere."
Sheik was silent for a beat upon hearing this, especially upon hearing the resolve and determination in his tone, but before too long, she finally let her words slip out. "The princess is not as far as you think…" she said in a voice that was almost a whisper, though the hero certainly heard them nonetheless. And yet, he did not say anything in response, but rather looked over at her with even more bewilderment than before. The Sheikah warrior made sure to avert his intense, blue-eyed gaze as much as she could, already wishing that she could take back her words for she had just said far too much.
"Sheik?" Link asked with a frown, knowing without a doubt that she was hiding something from him. "Do… do you know where Zelda is?"
Sheik shut her eyes tightly upon hearing this question, as it was one that, if she was perfectly honest, she could answer with a yes. And yet, she knew that it was still too early to tell anyone, including both the hero and the Sheikah guardian. In time, the truth would finally be revealed, but for now, it was better for everyone if the Sheikah warrior kept her secrecy up, just as she had been doing this whole time.
"Sheik?" the hero pressed once more, reaching out a hand to touch her shoulder, but before he could actually get anywhere, they were interrupted by the white sorceress joining them, perkily plopping herself down near the fire without even realizing that she had broken through a rather tense moment.
"Well, everyone should be all healed up and ready to go tomorrow morning!" Lana said cheerfully, a bright grin on her pink lips. "So… What were you guys talking about?"
"Nothing," Sheik was quick to say as she turned back toward the fire, ignoring the somewhat suspicious glance that Link was giving her because of how shifty she seemed to be acting.
"Oh… well… um…" the white sorceress bit her lip somewhat awkwardly, trying to figure out how to start a new conversation out of nothing. "Anyone know where Impa is?"
"I'm right here," the Sheikah guardian said, as if on cue as she approached the fire and also took a seat, making sure she was in a position that would make it easy for her to keep a careful eye on Sheik. "Messengers are on their way back to the castle as we speak, so soon everyone will know about the portals and about Cia. The last thing that is needed during a war like this is for wild rumors to be breaking out among the common people."
"Good," Lana said with a relieved smile. "Hopefully people won't be too frightened by the portals, and they'll know to stay out of the monsters' sight."
The conversation once again drifted away after this as the only sound that could be heard for several minutes as that of the warm fire crackling. However, if there was something that the Sheikah warrior certainly noticed even as she avoided it was the hero still staring at her as he had been doing for quite a while now. And, even though she knew it would only give her away more, Sheik eventually did turn back towards Link and met his gaze, holding it firmly with her fierce red eyes until she could remain silent no longer.
"What?" she asked a bit to sharply than she had wanted to, something that had caught the attention of both the white sorceress and the Sheikah guardian, but as much as the Sheikah warrior wished he would, the hero still did not back down.
"Can I ask you something else?" Link asked as he gave her an examine look, clearly not ready to let this matter go, much to Sheik's chagrin.
"Link-" the Sheikah warrior tried to diffuse him, but it was clear that he intended on continuing no matter what she said.
"Where are you even from?" the hero asked suspiciously, even though he had quite a few other questions he wanted to pose to her, but this one was the simplest one at the moment, and he knew there was much more of a chance that she would actually answer this one directly.
"Hyrule, of course," Sheik said with an unconcerned shrug, something that Link only frowned in disappointment at.
"I don't think that's what he meant, Sheik," Lana said with a giggle, trying to lighten the tight mood that this conversation seemed to be taking. Impa, on the other hand, simply remained silent, observing the Sheikah warrior carefully and trying to interpret her answer as best as possible, realizing that perhaps Link was also starting to catch onto their supposed ally's hidden intentions.
Sheik hesitated in answering once more as she cast a brief glance Impa's way, something that the Sheikah guardian certainly noticed but wasn't sure how to interpret. "The Sheikah tribe is a nomadic one," she answered accurately, something that caught Impa admittedly off guard. If Sheik wasn't a true Sheikah, then she certainly had done her research on them and their rather obscure, secretive culture. "We travel from place to place across Hyrule, protecting the royal family wherever we are needed. Most of us have very little knowledge of our place of birth, and I certainly do not."
The hero looked to the Sheikah guardian for a confirmation on whether or not this fact about the Sheikah tribe was true or not, and though Impa had a bitter scowl on her face, she could not deny that it was as she gave him a small nod. "Ok… well… What about your family? Do you have one?" Link asked, treading carefully as he tried to inquire even more about the Sheikah warrior.
"No," Sheik said, this time immediately, her voice soft yet strangely emotionless. "Most of my kin have been dead for years…" she said with an almost silent sigh as she met Impa's eyes for just a brief moment, still leaving the Sheikah guardian just as confused as ever.
"Oh…" the hero said, feeling a bit guilty about how he had just interrogated her after hearing that, as it was something that he sympathized with quite a bit. "I… I'm sorry… My family's gone too…"
The Sheikah warrior's expression also softened as the two of them exchanged an apologetic glance for the undertone of distrust and harshness their conversation had carried. Silence came over the group yet again as everyone avoided eye contact, each of them occupying themselves with different activities as they sat together to avoid talking; Impa took out her small knife and began to sharpen it, Lana let out a small sigh as she pulled her knees to her chest, Link began to absently prod the fire with a nearby stick, and Sheik glanced up into the starry skies above until she finally looked towards the hero again and raised a question of her own.
"What happened to them?" the Sheikah warrior asked, her voice a bit more tender and vulnerable than it usually.
"Who?" Link asked in slight confusion as he looked up at her.
"Your family…" Sheik said as her eyes met his once more, slightly trying to get divert his attention away from focusing on her but also out of curiosity. "Unless… You'd rather not discuss it, which I would understand…"
The hero frowned upon hearing this request, knowing that the very question was reopening many old wounds that he had worked for so long to close up and move past. And yet, he had come to realize years ago that the past was ultimately something that could never be hidden. After all, pain, even if it is old, demands to be felt. "Until I was about ten years old, I lived with my parents and my little sister in a small village to the west of the woods," he said reminiscently, starting at the beginning. "We didn't have that much, but we had enough to be happy and comfortable, and my parents loved me and my sister a lot. For the longest time, everything was great… That is, until those bandits showed up…"
The other three members of the group all gave Link a pitied, yet intrigued glance. "What… what happened?" Lana asked hesitantly as she gently placed her hand on his arm, urging him to continue.
The hero closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, before looking to the fire once more with both bitterness and deep, hidden pain. "It's not a day I like to remember…"
The summer sun was falling low upon the serene little valley as a father and his son, a boy no older than ten, racing through the nearby meadow in a carefree game of tag, a game that they often partook in when the man did not have to work. To say that the two of them were close was an understatement, as the two were nigh inseparable, something that anyone could see and every member of the small town they lived in knew. The boy followed his father around like a shadow whenever he could, and whenever he had to stay home with his mother and sister, he always showed visible disappointment. After all, the boy saw his father is his sole role model, nothing less than an everyday hero in his young eyes.
As the two of them were playing, the boy finally caught up with his father, who was clearly giving his son a fair chance, and plowed into him, knocking them both off their feet. They collapsed to the ground together, laughing warmly all the while as they rolled around in the warm grass, covering their clothes in stains that the boy's mother would certainly scold them both for later. At a glance, everything seemed to be well and good with the world as the father and son enjoyed their time together, just as they always did.
Until, all at once, everything went wrong.
A sudden, frighten scream tore through the calm of the early evening, one that the man immediately recognized. His eyes grew wide as he quickly picked himself off of the ground, already lifting his confused son up as well. "Come along, Link," the man said with a kind of seriousness in his tone that his son had never heard him use before. "We have to hurry home, now."
"But why, daddy?" the boy asked with a frown as his father took him by the hand and quickly began to rush back towards the village.
"Because," the man said with grave worry and fear in his voice. "I think your mother and sister are in trouble…"
The boy's blue eyes widened upon hearing this, and much like his father's, his own heart began to pound with adrenaline and dread, especially as the two of them cleared into the main street of the village, half of which had somehow caught fire. But the man knew that there was no time to stop there, as much as he wanted to help his neighbors, especially as he heard his wife's terrified scream louder than ever. In almost no time at all, they made it back to their humble home, which had thankfully not burst into flames just yet, but the sounds of breaking glass and yelling voices inside were clear indicators that those inside were not safe. Even before they burst into the house, the man could hear what the invaders who had broken into his home were shouting as his beloved wife, who simply responded to each of their harsh questions with tearful sobs.
"Where is he!?" one of the marauders asked with a deep, hateful voice.
"I… I don't know who you're-" the woman began to respond, before she was cut off by the sound of a brutal slap and another scream, this time accompanied by the sound of a young girl crying.
"Yes, you do, you wretch!" another male voice barked. "Now, just tell us where he is! We know he's here!"
"P-please," the woman begged desperately. "Take a-anything you want! Please, just d-don't hurt my family…"
"Oh, we'll do a lot more than hurt you if you don't tell us where the boy is!" a third man growled, but this was the last thing anyone said before the woman's husband finally burst through the front door, both rage and horror filling him at the sight he saw.
Three rugged, well-armed bandits stood within the main room of the house, which was completely ransacked from their raid upon it. The couple's youngest child of about four was being restrained by one of the robbers, who held onto her by her long blonde hair as she cried loudly, having no idea what was going on as her and her mother were attacked. The woman herself was sitting on her knees in front of one of the bandits, who stood with a deadly knife in his hand as he interrogated her, even as blood was already streaming down her chest from the deep cut across her collar bone.
The woman gasped in both shock and fear as her husband and son arrived on the scene, but as she glanced at the boy, her heart was filled with an unspeakable terror. "Quickly!" she shouted to her husband, not even caring about the cost it would be to herself so long as her son remained safe. "Get Link out of here before it's too late!" However, the very moment after these words left her mouth, the woman let out another scream of immense agony as the third bandit's knife plunged into her back, causing her to collapse to the ground in a puddle of blood and allowing both her husband and son to watch with incredible heartbreak as the life all too quickly faded out of her eyes.
"No!" the man shouted in absolute fury as he lunged towards the bandits, tears streaming down his cheeks at the loss of his wife. The little girl's screams and cries only grew louder upon seeing her mother die right in front of her in such a brutal way, but she was quickly silenced by a heavy blow to the head by the bandit holding onto her, and she quickly crumpled to the ground unconsciously. While his father struggled in vain against the knife-wielding bandits, the boy merely stood in the doorway and stared at his mother's dead body in complete shock, frozen in place by both fear and devastation. Unlike his father, he was not brave or strong enough to battle with these murderers, which was why he could do absolutely nothing as the man was ran through in the chest by one of the marauders, knocking him to the ground in semi-consciousness and leaving the boy virtually alone with these brutal killers.
"He's the one," the leader of the trio said to his companions as he nodded at the boy, who merely stared at them with wide, terrified eyes. "He has the treasure."
"That kid?" one of the others asked incredulously. "He doesn't look like he could be a hero! He doesn't even have the mark of the treasure on his hand like he's supposed to!"
"That's 'cause it's inside of him!" the third bandit said, holding his bloodied knife up. "We'll just have to rip it out!"
"Not yet," the leader said, holding up his hand to stop his companion. "We need him alive… for now…"
The boy had barely heard most of what the bandits were saying about him as he turned his gaze back to his dazed, injured father once more, desperately hoping that he was alright and would save him from these horrible men. And, as the bandits were still conversing, the man just so happened to open his eyes weakly to look at his son, before coughing out his next, and quite likely last, statement. ""Link…" the man said quietly, unable to pick himself up off the ground as he quickly bled out. "R-run…"
Tears had finally started to stream down the boy's face as he looked upon his dying father, his hero, who had sacrificed his life in trying to save him. And, as much as his heart was breaking over the fact that he was losing his family so quickly, he followed his father's final command and, before the bandits could even prepare to take him as they planned, he was running through the smoke-filled streets of the town, pushing his way through the crowds of frightened, fleeing people. His heart was pounding and burning as he ran for his life, but he did not look back upon hearing the enraged shouts of the bandits following after him, and he did not see as his house burst into flame with his unconscious little sister, who was helpless to save herself, inside.
However, even as fast as the boy ran, he was ultimately too slow for the trio of bandits, who had taken to their horses to chase after him. And, before he could break out of the threshold of the village to head into the safety of the woods nearby, the leader managed to catch him by the color of his shirt, pulling him up onto his racing horse roughly and tying his wrists together tightly.
"L-let me go!" the boy cried shakily, knowing that he could not allow himself to be captured by such evil men for whatever purpose they wanted him for.
"Don't worry, kid," the leader laughed greedily, giving the boy a dark grin. "We'll take real good care of you... as long as you behave!"
The boy let out a small sob, having never been this afraid before in his entire life. He had no idea what was to become of him at the hands of these bandits, but he knew that if he didn't find a way to escape them soon, then he would meet the same tragic fate that the rest of his family just had, as much as it pained him to think that. His family was dead, and it was all because these bandits wanted him for something, though he had no idea what. And yet, as much as he knew he needed to get away, he was again reminded of the fact that he was just a child, far too small and weak to stand up against such burly, dangerous men. However, just as the boy was starting to lose hope altogether, something that was no less of a miracle happened.
One of the bandits following behind the leader let out a sudden cry of pain as he collapsed off of his horse completely, falling to the ground to reveal an arrow plunged into his heart from the back. However, even though their companion had just died, the remaining two bandits did not stop, knowing that they could not let go of the prize that they had just collected. While the leader did not look back for a second, the other bandit did, as did the boy, and both of them were able to see a new figure on horseback quickly approaching them, their speed incredible as its rider mounted yet another arrow upon his bow.
Looking back proved to be the other bandit's fatal mistake as he soon found an arrow running him through, killing him instantly just as his companion had been. The leader, however, knew he was safe so long as he kept the boy behind him as leverage, for certainly this pursuer, whoever they were, would not bring harm to the child. And yet, what the leader had not been expecting was the speedy feet of the pursuer's horse, for sure enough, they soon pulled their way up in front and blocked the leader's path, forcing his horse to halt for there was no other way to go.
Only now was the boy able to discern the identity of his supposed savior and once he did, relief instantly filled him. The pursuer was none other than his uncle, a former commander in the Hylian army, who lived in the same village as him and his family had. While the boy was not as close to his uncle as he had been to his father, the two still got along famously, and on many occasions, the former soldier would show the boy some of his skill with a blade, skill that he clearly intended on using here as he drew his sword in offense against the bandit.
"Let the boy go," the former commander said with a firm, resolved glare. "Now."
"Never!" the bandit shouted in fury, pulling the boy up in front of him in order to use him as a human shield against his foe's attacks. "Once I get my hands on the other two treasures, this kid and whoever has the other two are going to make me very rich and very powerful…"
"He doesn't have a piece of it!" the commander said, his tone still as unwavering as ever even though he must have known that his brother was dead. "He's just a child. He knows nothing about it and he has nothing that you want or need."
"Well, if you want the brat so badly, then why don't you just take him from me?" the bandit asked haughtily, drawing his dagger once more and holding it against the boy's throat. The commander's glare tightened as he rose his bow once more, something that frightened the boy immensely, but his uncle merely reassured him with a confident grin before letting his arrow loose. The projectile missed the bandit by a great deal, flying high over his head, but the marauder was foolish enough to watch it go past him, so that he completely missed the second arrow, which struck him squarely in his exposed neck, sending him tumbling to the ground, finally dead.
The boy also fell of the horse and onto the ground, letting out a small cry of pain as he landed on his back, but thankfully he sustained no injuries. His uncle was quick to dismount his horse and rush over to his nephew, cutting through the bonds around his wrists and pulling the boy into a tight, comforting embrace. And, now that he was in safe, loving arms once more, he couldn't help but finally let his pressing tears that he had been holding back for so long loose. He wept into his uncle's shoulder for what felt like ages as he realized that his parents and his sister truly were gone, that it was his fault that they were gone. And yet, the commander simply let his young nephew mourn as he gave him a consoling pat on the back, knowing his incredible pain well.
"Don't worry, Link…" the commander said consolingly, making a promise to both the grieving, orphaned boy and his deceased parents that he would not be alone after such a tragedy. "I'll take care of you…"
"So, my uncle took me in," Link continued, hiding the grief of losing his family in such an awful way well, though all three of his allies could tell that it still pained him even eight years later. "Since our village had been destroyed in the fire, we moved closer to the castle, and for the next several years, he taught me everything he knew about fighting. The more I learned from him, the more I was inspired to join the army just like he had so I could make him proud, and so, when he died from illness a few months ago, that's exactly what I did."
The other three were silent for a moment as all of this sunk in, none of them having thought before that the usually upbeat hero could have such a dark, sad past. And yet, even despite all he had lost, he had apparently found ways of coping and overcoming, showing that he was certainly resilient indeed. But of course, what he hadn't mentioned was that the certainly did still haunt him, especially since he had been so young with this had happened and he had seen it all firsthand. However, as the silence was broken through once more, Sheik was the only one not to speak this time as she kept her scarlet eyes on Link intently, not showing anything through them even though she was feeling a million things at once.
"I'm sure he would be proud of you," Impa said, placing her discretion for Sheik aside for the moment as she gave the hero a sincere smile. "You have certainly proved your skill and bravery in this war thus far."
"Oh, Link, I'm so sorry…" Lana said as a few stray tears slipped down her cheek from the tragic tale she had just heard. "Something like that shouldn't have to happen to anyone, especially not you…"
"Did you ever find out what those bandits wanted with you anyway?" the Sheikah guardian asked with a frown.
"No," Link said with a sigh as he finally looked up from the fire he had been intently staring at this whole time. "I think my uncle knew, but he never told me for some reason..."
"I think I might have a hunch," the white sorceress said. "They were after the Triforce of Courage."
"But… I didn't even have it back then," the hero said in confusion, knowing that the first time he had ever seen the mark of the golden power on the back of his hand was just a few weeks ago.
"No, you didn't," Lana said knowingly. "But you've always had the essence of one who could bear it: the Spirit of the Hero. Those bandits must have somehow found out about it and confused it for you having the Triforce of Courage already. After all, the Triforce wasn't even separated until I split it apart to keep it safe from Cia…"
"How did you manage to do that anyway?" the Sheikah guardian asked as she looked towards the white sorceress.
Lana bit her lip a bit anxiously for a moment, figuring out exactly how she wanted to tell this story. "Well…" she said, glancing up into the starry skies above before she delved into her tale. "It was only month or so ago…"
"Cia! What are you doing!?"
A cold smile crept across the black witch's lips as she slowly turned around to face the white sorceress, who let out a surprise gasp at her changed appearance. "Ah, Lana…" Cia said, a hint of annoyance in her tone. "I'm so glad you're here…"
"Cia… what… what happened to you?" Lana asked as she took in her partner's revealing outfit, something that was a far cry from the chaste guardian's clothing that she usually wore. "Why are you acting so strange?"
"Why am I acting strange?" Cia scoffed, rolling her eyes at the white sorceress. "I think the better question is why are you being such a little goody-goody, Lana? You can't deny that we both feel the exact same way. Why don't you just embrace it like I have?"
"Because it's wrong!" Lana said with a worried frown, holding her book close to her chest. "Cia, I know you have feelings for the hero, but you don't see that you're being manipulated!"
"Manipulated?" Cia asked, clearly not believing her for a minute as she kept up her coy smile. "By who?"
"By the darkness in your own heart!" Lana said firmly, resolving to stand strong against her partner, even though it pained her greatly. "You've been corrupted by it, but you need to find yourself again before it's too late! Please, Cia; just let me help you. Together, we can-"
"Enough!" Cia shouted, glaring at the white sorceress hotly. "I don't need your help! I have plans to become more powerful than you could ever dream, and once I do, then I will finally make the hero all mine!"
"Cia, please!" Lana begged desperately, tears threatening to fall over how low the black witch had sunk. "This isn't right, and you know it! We're supposed to protect Hyrule and the Triforce, not endanger them for our own selfish desires!"
"How dare you stand there and lecture me about being selfish!" Cia growled darkly. "I know why you're trying to stop me, Lana. Don't think I haven't seen how you look at him whenever we observe him. You just want him all to yourself!"
"W-what?!" Lana exclaimed, trying to hide the rush of embarrassed red that flooded her cheeks. "No! Cia, you know what we're not the one for him! He's bound to another, and he always has been!"
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that silly little bond for much longer…" Cia said, her sadistic grin returning. "Especially once I get rid of the princess once and for all…"
Lana let out a frightened gasp upon hearing this, knowing that she had to stop the black witch now more than ever. "I won't let you do that, Cia!" she proclaimed courageously, holding her book up as she prepared to attack her close partner.
"What are you going to do to stop me?" Cia asked haughtily, placing a hand on her hip as she grasped her scepter.
Lana hesitated for a moment as she seized her options. She could already feel the dark aura of strong power emanating from Cia, even if she didn't know where it was coming from. The white sorceress knew that she wouldn't be able to take the black witch on by herself, especially not withal of that power and her own meager amount, but, as she looked up towards the Triforce glimmering right behind Cia, an idea finally came to Lana, one that she prayed would work.
Her heart pounding with adrenaline, the white sorceress kept her eyes solely on the black witch as she held her hand out, a blue glow emanating around it. Cia gave her a confused look for a moment before her eyes widened in realization as to what Lana was doing.
"Lana, no!" the black witch shouted in fury, but it was already too late. With a powerful shout, the white sorceress threw her hand forward, letting her magic loose as it sailed towards the Triforce. Cia's jaw dropped in horror as she watched it strike the golden relic, which she was just about to add to her own power to become unstoppable. Almost immediately, the Triforce split apart into its three pieces, but the black witch wasn't about to let it go that easily. She was quick to raise her scepter into the air, however, her dark magic only managed to hit the Triforce of Power before the other two pieces shot up into the air and disappeared far out of her reach.
"No!" Cia screamed in rage as only the Triforce of Power landed in her hand. With fire burning in her eyes, she spun around to face Lana, who had been severely weakened by the strong spell she had just cast. "Lana! I'll destroy you for this!"
The white sorceress let out a frightful gasp as she did her best to recover from the spell, especially as the black witch held her staff up in preparation for an attack. Panicking and out of ideas, Lana held her hands up over her head as she used her magic to vanish into thin air, not even hearing Cia's enraged scream of frustration as she teleported out of the Palace of Souls.
Lana rematerialized within the depths of the Forbidden Forest outside of the palace, not even needing to see it to know that it was being twisted thanks to Cia's dark magic and perverse desires. With a sad sigh, the white sorceress looked in the direction of the palace one more time, knowing that she had failed the black witch, and because of that, now all of Hyrule would have to pay the price. "I'm sorry, Cia…" she whispered as one of her tears finally fell. "I'll find a way to save you… Somehow…"
"I wandered around Hyrule for a few weeks, looking for a way to stop Cia, until I came across a group of ragtag Hylian soldiers who were working to get rid of the invading monsters," Lana said, her expression sad and wistful over what had happened to the black witch. "They joined me, and together we began helping out wherever we were needed, until we ran into you guys in the woods."
"So, did you know that Sheik and I would get pieces of the Triforce when you split it up?" Link asked curiously, glancing down at his hand before realizing that the mark of the Triforce of Courage was no longer there thanks to Cia.
"No," Lana said, shaking her head. "But, based on how history likes to repeat itself, I figured that the chosen hero would get the Triforce of Courage, and you did, Link. The Triforce of Wisdom, on the other hand, is traditionally possessed by members of the royal family…"
"It is," Impa nodded, knowing the secrets of the royal family well. "So, if that's the case, then why did you have it?" she asked Sheik pointedly, glaring at her suspiciously.
The Sheikah warrior had not said a word for quite a long time, as she had spent the past several minutes still pondering the story Link had told about his family being slaughtered right in front of him, something that filled her heart with unspoken sympathy. She was somewhat taken off guard by the Sheikah guardian's sudden question, but she was quick to compose herself in order to answer it. "I did not know that I possessed the Triforce of Wisdom until Cia took it from me," Sheik said succinctly, though Impa's glare sharpened as she suspected her of lying. "As to the reason of why I would possess it, I do not even know that myself. One would think that it would be the proper birthright of Princess Zelda herself, wouldn't it?"
The Sheikah guardian curled her hands up into fists upon hearing this, but she knew that there would be more time to confront the Sheikah warrior about what she was clearly hiding when they traveled together the next day. But all the same, it still bothered her; after all, why in the world would someone like Sheik, who had seemed to come completely out of nowhere and be as mysterious as the wind itself, would have the Triforce of Wisdom, one of the royal family's most protected treasures. "It should be…" Impa muttered as she thought of the princess with worry, though she still gave the Sheikah warrior a look of distrust. "In fact, when I first started to care for the princess years ago, it was widely believed that she would get it…"
"When did you start working for Zelda, Impa?" Link asked inquisitively, realizing that he had never asked the first general this before, even though they had been working together for the past several weeks.
The Sheikah guardian let out a small sigh as she smiled slightly, looking back on what was a rather fond memory for her. "It was about thirteen years ago…" Impa said, her smile widening as she recalled the exact day. "I was around twenty, and Zelda was only about five. The queen had just passed away and her father needed someone to take care of her while he performed his royal duties. And so, the king called upon the Sheikah tribe to find a guardian for her."
The young Sheikah woman stood alone within the king's study, somewhat concealed by shadow as she waited for his highness to arrive. She was quite anxious about this meeting, especially since the elders of her tribe had given her very specific instructions on how to behave and speak. Of course, she had been honored upon being chosen out of her people to be stationed at the castle, a high position for anyone of the Sheikah tribe. The Sheikah woman knew that she would faithfully preform any duties asked of her, no matter what they might be.
The door to the study finally opened and the middle-aged king, who's expression revealed that he was quite stressed, yet at the same time, sad, which only made sense as his dear wife had recently died from a horrible illness. And yet, he kept up his professionalism, even as the Sheikah woman bowed low to the ground in respect before her ruler.
"I apologize for being late," the king said, sitting behind his desk as he gave the Sheikah woman permission to rise and take a seat as well. "I have been quite preoccupied as of late, which is part of the reason why you are here…"
"You are quite alright, your majesty," the Sheikah woman said, inclining her head to him as she excused his tardiness.
The king nodded as he looked over the Sheikah sitting before him. "So, the letter that the Sheikah elders sent ahead of you says that your name is Impa, right?"
"Yes, sire," the Sheikah woman said with a nod, being as formal as possible.
"Hm…" the king mused for a moment as he continued to examine her. "You seem to be a bit young for an assignment such as this… How old are you?"
"Twenty, sire."
"Twenty…" the king repeated thoughtfully, stroking his beard. "Do you have any experience with children?"
"I often tended to the young ones in my tribe," the Sheikah woman said.
"And the letter said that you are skilled in the combat of your people," the king said. "I trust that you would be able to stand in as a bodyguard if that is needed."
"Of course, your majesty."
"Very good," the king said, finally cracking a small smile. "I trust that you understand that this job will entail you both protecting and caring for my daughter, yes? After all, she is my most precious treasure, and while I wish I had more time to devote to her, my position takes away most of my time."
"I understand that, sire," the Sheikah woman said with a sincere nod. "And if I am appointed to the position of her guardian, I promise you that I will care for the young princess as if she were my own."
The king's smile deepened as he nodded once more. "I trust that you will," he said. "After all, the Sheikah have been the trusted caretakers and guardians of the royal family for generations, and they have not let us down yet. But of course, it's not up for me to decide whether or not you get the job…" The king paused and looked towards the door of the room, calling out to the child waiting behind it. "Zelda, dear, you may come in now!"
The door hesitantly creaked open and the young princess entered in, her blonde hair flowing past her shoulders and her light pink dress dragging past her feet on the ground. The five-year old girl looked to her father expectantly after glancing towards the Sheikah woman inquisitively, having never seen a Sheikah in person before. "Papa?" she asked, her dark blue eyes asking why her father had called her here.
"Zelda, this is Lady Impa," the king said, referring to the Sheikah woman with a proper title, even if she didn't officially have one yet.
"Hello, your highness," the Sheikah woman said with a kind smile as she rose to stand, kneeling before the young royal as she approached her with curious eyes. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Are you a Sh-shakah?" the princess asked, trying to pronounce the name as correctly as possible, even if she did fall short.
The Sheikah woman laughed warmly at this. "Yes, I am a Sheikah," she said with a grin.
"Wow!" the young princess exclaimed, her bright eyes alight with excitement. "Mommy used to tell me stories of the Shakahs! Can you run really fast?"
"Fast enough," the Sheikah woman nodded, too humble to brag about herself.
"Can you fight with needles?"
"I have before," the Sheikah woman said. "But I like to use a weapon called a naginata instead."
"Ooo," the girl said, growing more interested by the moment. "Can you show me?"
"Well, I don't have it with me right now, but I could," the Sheikah woman said, already growing to care for the adorable, innocent child before her. "That is, if you want me to stay…"
"You're going to stay?" the princess asked, her voice hopeful as she glanced towards her father.
"Only if you want her to," the king said with a smile upon seeing the two interact, already noticing that a bond was beginning to form.
"Oh, yes!" the princess said almost instantly, taking the Sheikah woman by the hand. "Please do, Lady Impa!"
"Of course I will, your highness," the Sheikah woman said, still smiling kindly. "But please, you can just call me Impa."
"Ok!" the young princess said cheerfully, already beginning to lead the Sheikah woman on a tour of the castle as the king merely nodded his approval of his daughter's new guardian. "But only if you call me Zelda!"
"As you wish…" the Sheikah woman said, knowing that she would be glad to do whatever she had to in order to keep the darling young princess safe and happy, even beyond the fact that it was her new duty. "Zelda."
"And I've done my best to care for her ever since," Impa said, succinctly concluding the story of how her and Zelda met. This sweet tale had significantly lightened the mood that both Link and Lana's tragic stories had set earlier, to the point that both the hero and the white sorceress were smiling softly to themselves. Sheik, however, simply averted the Sheikah guardian's gaze, her crimson eyes seeming to shine with hidden tears that thankfully no one noticed. There was much that she wanted to tell Impa, but she knew that now was not the time for it. But all the same, she could feel her emotions beginning to well up inside of her, and she knew that if she let them go, there was a large chance that they could give her away far too early.
"It's getting late," the Sheikah warrior said as emotionlessly as possible, even if it was quite difficult after all she had heard. "I think I'm going to retire for the night."
"That's probably a good idea," Lana said, standing up as she let out a tired yawn. "After all, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Good night everyone!"
"Good night," Link said to both the Sheikah warrior and the white sorceress as they left, though both him and Impa opted to stay near the fire a bit longer to get warm.
As soon as Sheik was out of earshot however, the Sheikah guardian leaned in closer to the hero, who sat just across the fire from her. "So, what do you think?" she asked knowingly, keeping her voice low so that she wouldn't be heard.
"About what?" Link asked in confusion, having no idea what she was talking about.
"Sheik," Impa said with a scowl. "I noticed how you seemed to be wary of her earlier. Do you suspect that something is off about her too?"
"Well… yeah, I guess…" the hero said with a frown as he lowered his voice as well. "She was kind of acting strange a while ago."
"I'm glad that you finally have started to catch onto it too," the Sheikah guardian said, her eyes glancing off in the direction that Sheik had headed off into. "I believe that her intentions don't really match what she says they are."
"I don't know about that," Link said, not wanting to be overly paranoid about someone who was supposed to be their ally. "But I do think she's hiding something."
"Like what?" Impa asked, raising an eyebrow.
The hero leaned in even closer to the fire as his next statement came out in a whisper. "I think she might know where Zelda is," he said with a frown, wanting to trust Sheik, even if her suspicious behavior made it difficult to.
The Sheikah guardian's glare sharpened even more upon hearing this, knowing that if the Sheikah warrior certainly was working with their enemy, then there was a good chance that she would know of the princess's location. "I'll keep a close eye on her as we set out tomorrow," she said with resolve, knowing that she was going to put a stop to this treachery before it could begin. "If she does know where the princess is, then I'll find a way to make her tell. At the same time, I want both you and Lana to keep a close eye out for her too. She could be literally anywhere, and any time now…"
As dawn was just starting to crest over the entrance to the Valley of Seers, the Hylian army was all gathered together, split into three even faction as they prepared to move out to their separate assignments. At the very front of the companies stood the hero, the white sorceress and the two Sheikahs, all of them meeting together one last time before they split up.
"We can regroup in Hyrule Field as soon as we're all done closing each Gate of Souls," Lana said with confidence that they would succeed in this venture. "Without their support, Cia will be more vulnerable, and from there, we can think of a plan to take her down."
"Let's plan to meet up in three days time," Impa said firmly. "That should be enough time for each of us to do what we have to and return."
"Sounds good," Link said, already prepared to leap back into action. "So, we're all ready to go, right?"
"I believe we are," Sheik said with a nod, not noticing the looks of derision that both the hero and the Sheikah guardian were giving her.
"Ok then!" the white sorceress said, her tone bright and chipper. "Let's head out! Good luck everyone!"
The other three members of the group nodded and exchanged their well wishes before the finally broke apart, each of the warriors leading a different faction of soldiers to their decided destinations. Even despite the feelings that they may have had to each other, the task before the heroes was clear: to travel through each portal and to each separate age, and close the gates before any more chaos was caused, so that they could finally begin to repair the damage Cia had inflicted on their land. With time growing short, they parted ways to do their important work simultaneously, each of them vowing to close the Gates of Souls and return safely.
Ok, so I may have some explaining to do now that this chapter is over, especially since i set up a lot of stuff that isn't really canon to HW, but hey, that's the power of fanfic, right? Expanding on the known! So, I think the flashbacks for Lana and Impa are pretty self explanatory, but allow me point out some things about Link's real quick. So, him having a little sister was a concept I took from the HW Prima guide, in which there is concept art for a design for a female Link (by the name of Linkle), who was actually supposed to be Link's little sister, or something like that. Of course, that was scrapped here, but I'd like to think that he had a little sister all the same, so there. Also, those bandits looking for the Triforce sort of were a reference to a Link to the Past (as is Link's uncle taking him in), in which the prologue states that many bandits and thieves have gone after the Triforce in the past. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I just thought I would explain a few things to make things clearer. Now, for next time, I think we're going to start off with Twilight Princess, which means we'll get to meet everyone's favorite princesses of both Twilight and insects! Hahahah! Well, for now, don't forget to review! Until next time!