Hello dear readers! It has been a couple days since I mass-posted, so I figured I would give you another chapter.
So, here you go. The continuation to the previous suspense.
Enjoy!
Link steps behind me and places his hands on my hips for support. I stare in disbelief. This woman, Impa, both was my mother, and couldn't be her. My mother was dead. But she still looks like her, sounds like her, and has the same calming presence about her. Needless to say, I am thoroughly confused. Impa, my mom, simply smiles.
"Zelda," she repeats. "You have been very brave. I am so proud of you. Your father is, too," she adds. I walk out of Link's grip and slowly wade into the pool making my way over to her.
To Impa. To my mother.
I notice subtle differences between this woman and my mother I knew. My mother had long brown hair and eyes, a slightly curvier figure and slightly paler skin. The woman in front of me, Impa, had long blonde hair, red eyes, tanner skin, and a tattoo under her eye shaped like a tear drop.
Once I reach her, I continue to take her in. She smiles sympathetically, as if she knows that I doubt her claim to be my mother.
"So my father is okay," I say. She smiles and nods in return.
"Yes, he is. I personally made sure of it."
What did she mean by that?
"I do apologize, Zelda," she continued, dropping her arms to her sides, "I had to keep my true identity a secret from you. 'Helena' was a mere creation. A false identity I could hide under. See," she folds her arms in front of her, "we Sheikah have been hunted down for the past hundred years. The King of the Sands, Ganondorf, had us all slaughtered until there were only a few remaining. We eluded him, escaped and created alternate lives for ourselves. That is how 'Helena' came to be. I used a simple transfiguration spell to help with my physical appearances.
I was young when we first went out on the run from Ganondorf. I came here to Skyloft and enrolled in the military school. That way, I could keep tabs on everything going on around me. We Sheikah have a way of communication similar to telepathy. It was the easiest way to stay in contact with everyone.
"Then I met your father in the North Mountains. He was on an expedition there, trying to find a lost city. He was injured in the search, and was left behind. Now Zelda," she warned, "you must know that the Sheikah are loyal to the goddess Hylia, whom we all know to be your ancestor. I learned this when I found your father in the woods at the base of one of the mountains. The descendants of the goddess call to us in great need. I nursed him back to health, under the appearance of 'Helena' and brought him back to his village.
I can say this: I never expected to fall in love, marry, and have a child with him. I was so focused on my duty as a Sheikah to protect the descendant of my mistress, that I was blinded by the fact that, in reality, I truly was becoming accustomed to the Hylian way of life, and no longer following the traditions of my people. Your father was rubbing off on me and I had to make a choice. Once you were born, there really was no going back for me to the way of the Sheikah. I made up a back story about an abusive-alcoholic father so it would give me an excuse to tell the villagers who have lived there all their lives. I still served my mistress, but in a different way I wasn't expecting. I continued her bloodline. I was your mother. I still am, and I will always be proud of you, Zelda.
As the years went by, I heard my fellow Sheikah calling to me, telling me that the King of the Sands was dead and that his successor continues his mission. His mission was to find you and end the bloodline. I think you can guess who this person might be," she looks at me expectantly. I nod, still trying to absorb everything she is telling me.
"It's Ghirahim, isn't it?" I nearly whisper. She nods.
"Good. That makes explaining things a bit easier, then. Link," she beckons him into the pool. He wades in to stand next to me, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Descendant of the Hero of Time. That is strong blood you have in your veins. I know you will use it for the greater good."
"Thank you," he says with surprising confidence.
"Now, Zelda," she turns back to me, "I will give the gift of the knowledge of Sheikah magic, just as I did Link years ago. I think it will answer many of your questions. Like how you can control your sudden strength with magic, and simply your physical strength, the way your body reacts in certain situations." I see her pointer finger light up with a round light about an inch each direction from her finger. I take a deep breath, closing my eyes as she brings her finger to my forehead.
Stunning me to silence, I see so many things. It is exactly how Link described getting this knowledge. Colors I never knew existed flashed before my field of vision. Knowledge instantly poured into my head—techniques, strategies, cultural knowledge of the Sheikah. Her memories she shared with my father. With that I am convinced she is my mother.
There is something else, too. It feels wild, untamed, and free. It is the core of her magic. It is rough, but powerful. If I could master this magic, I could become quite the threat to Ghirahim.
Just as soon as it began, it stops completely. My head throbs. I lift a hand to my forehead, covering one of my eyes and look up.
Impa looks at me with sympathy, as does Link. I couldn't imagine gaining that knowledge when I was seven. Maybe that's why people treated him differently. Because he has had so much knowledge about different topics since he was so young. He had different approaches to the same situations that some people would consider to be radical. He thinks like a Sheikah.
Now I do, too.
Throwing myself at Impa, she wraps her arms around me and I openly sob. I can't decide if I am happy, sad, or somewhere in between, but I know this is my mother, and she is back to help me out with the problem of Ghirahim threatening to take my life.
I sit next to the pool, hugging my knees to my chest, feeling more whole than I have in a while.
My mother is alive. I couldn't even believe it.
Now that I have seen her in the clothes of her people, I really can't picture the mother whom raised me. Seeing her as Impa just felt so right. Even some of the mannerisms she taught me as a little girl seemed odd at the time, now in light of my new knowledge make more sense as to why she taught them to me. Another reason I loved my mother so much was that she embraced the fact that I wanted to learn how to fight, how to protect myself. I see now why she thought that way.
Impa was my mother, not Helena. I smile.
I truly am part Sheikah. At least, it answered a lot of questions.
Watching the water's surface ripple with the wind, I take a deep breath and feel the night's cool air. The moon's reflection moves with the water like fabric in the wind—sporadic and unpredictably. The crisp wind blows my hair subtly around my body, and I eventually get goose bumps. Not because of the wind, but because of my mother's plan to take down Ghirahim. She left shortly after telling the plan to us. She said she had to gather more information about Ghirahim—to see if he had any weaknesses. I ponder, trying to remember if he mentioned anything that could be a potential weakness or flaw in his plan.
A splashing sound brings me back to the present. Link has found some skipping pebbles and is using them to skip across the small pool and off the edge into the bigger pool underneath. I uncurl myself and sit cross-legged, digging my fingers into the sand, smiling.
I can't believe Link went through what I just did when he was only seven. How could he manage it? Maybe his bloodline is stronger than the old legends imply? Possibly. He seems like a strong man. I glance at him again taking in his lean muscles, tall figure and sandy blonde hair. His hands are big, but not overly burly. They are hands for deft movements. Warm hands. Hands that, with the right weapon, could potentially take down any enemy he may have without malice, blood lust, or judgment, but with sympathy and unbelievable courage to do what is best for the greater good. Link is truly someone unique.
I didn't even notice that he ran out of rocks and was gazing at me. He straightened himself to walk over to me. I didn't look away. I was already looking at him and, well, when he looks back my heart does tend to betray me. I blush.
"What are you looking at there, Zel?" He sits next to me, close. His legs out in front of him. I place my hands in my lap.
"Just wondering how in the world you went through that when you were seven."
"Ah," was all he said. He didn't need any explanation, and simply took my hand from my lap and rubbed circles into my hand with his thumb. We fell into silence and watched the night sky. There were a few shooting stars and not a cloud to be seen. It was a perfect night. I start to get tired and lay down, resting my head on his leg, placing my hands on my stomach, and closing my eyes. He starts playing with my hair and a tear sheds from my eye. He wipes it away with his thumb, not asking why it happened, and continues to play with my hair. I smile.
Just before I fell into the blackness of sleep, I feel the tug of his hands in my hair stop mid-brush, and shortly after the touch of his lips on mine. I reach up and run my hand through his hair holding him to me. I feel his hand run down my arm to find my hand—or so I thought.
He placed his hand open palmed where my leg meets my hip. His thumb rested on my stomach. It gave me goose bumps in the best way. I push up with my other leg to get into a more comfortable sitting position, breaking off the kiss for two seconds too long in my opinion. I face him, folding my legs behind me, and wrap my arms around his shoulders. He trails kisses up my neck and finds my lips again more fiercely this time.
I have never been kissed like this before, with as much passion as he puts into everything he loves. I feel warm despise the cool air.
He wraps his arms around my lower back and trails them upward to the back of my shoulders. I sigh as I bring one hand down to feel his chest, splaying my fingers out to feel his muscles, his strength. The thought that he would use his strength to protect me is amazing to me. He told Impa before she left that he would do whatever it took to do so. I wasn't expecting his help, but my mother smiled knowingly at Link. Like she knew something I didn't. I don't dwell on it for too long, though, because his hands are moving again. They find my hips and bring me flush against him as he leans back to lie down, resting me on top of him. I place a leg on each side of his hips. I break the kiss to look at him. I know I am blushing like an idiot, but I see no shame on his face. I see his feelings for me. I blush harder, resting my head on his chest. I hear his heartbeat, steady and strong—maybe a bit faster than usual.
I smile to myself, knowing I give him the same feeling that he does to me.
I feel his arms encompass me again as he heaves a sigh, kissing the top of my head.
"What was that depressing sigh for?" I ask.
"We can't stay out here much longer, no matter how much we want to. We do need to get some sleep tonight, believe it or not."
"But we can stay for a little longer," I whisper, bringing my lips to his.
"Yeah, a little longer," he says between kisses.
We walk back hand in hand through the dormitories. Link walks me back to Karane's room, and even though these cloaks conceal our sound, we walk in silence. At the entrance to her room, I begin to take off my cloak, but Link stops me by placing his hand on mine.
"Keep it," he says, giving me a light peck on the lips. "You might need it to help prepare for the fight with Ghirahim."
"Thank you," I smile. "Now go get some sleep, mister."
"Yes, ma'am," he says, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into a deep kiss. I fall into it instantly, but shortly after remember where we are. I slap his shoulder.
"Hey!" he tries to grab my hand, to pull me back, but I grasp the handle for the door and hold up a finger to silence him. He rolls his eyes.
"Sound concealment, remember?" He laughs. I do, too.
"Goodnight, Link." I smile.
"Goodnight, Zel." He turns around and walks down the hall, placing his hands in his pockets. The picture of ease. I smile and quickly shut the door removing my cloak. I hastily fold it up and place it under the cushion of the makeshift bed I am currently using in Karane's room. Once it is taken care of, I look over to her bed.
It's empty. Great.
She must be going to the bathroom and noticed that I wasn't here all night. Before I could think of a reason I was out so late, I hear the knob turn. I see a very sleepy Karane, rubbing her eye and smacking her lips after her big yawn. She nods to me and plops down on her bed, immediately snoring softly.
Wow, I was lucky.
But that might change tomorrow morning.
With a small smile on my face, I turn to my bed, turn down the covers and climb in. I don't even bother changing out of my clothes, since these are the only accessible ones to me at the moment, and fall immediately into a deep sleep.