Chapter 16: Moving on

"This is all about hiding you aura Zelda! All people can sense others presence and warriors are really good at it and magically gifted persons can use their powers to sense others. A true Sheikah is always hidden and shouldn't be found by any of them so concentrate!" Impa scowled at Zelda who couldn't at all understand how she would make her own aura disappear. She was good at sensing others but some of these things she had to learn were a little too much. Was this how life was supposed to be when you were fifteen years old?

"You must also be able to have a cold mind. No feelings, they're in the way. You are a tool and you may never hesitate to do anything cruel", Impa continued the lesson.

"I bet you didn't have any problem with that", Zelda mumbled.

"There is actually only one way I think is good enough to be more open to being cruel later on, since it's hard to be it in the heat of the action the first few times, especially with your nature. So we are going to the Lost Wood today", Impa stated and ignored Zelda's comment.

"When you told me about the Sheikah dying you said that almost everyone panicked", Zelda said.

"True, in the end we are all the same. Vulnerable for betrayal and death but you still have to try and become a true Sheikah. Just because they failed it doesn't have to mean that you will. You must learn. You will have use of your calm and you'll get knowledge and understanding and deep sorrow."

"Why would I want deep sorrow?"

"Why are you arguing Zelda? You chose this yourself. If you want to understand your mother you will have to go through this. It's worth the sacrifices."

They rode to the forest and entered. It was sunset and Zelda noticed that it began to darken and that Impa brought her further and further into the forest, to the darkest parts.

"Impa, what exactly are we going we practice here?" Zelda asked. She guessed that it would have something to do with fighting without seeing. They had practiced that a few times before.

"Impa?" She asked again but she didn't get any answer. She stretched out her hand but she didn't feel her guardian. By now it was pitch dark around her. She calmed down and closed her eyes to sense Impa instead but she couldn't. Zelda was getting worried. Impa was probably hiding on purpose. She would never lose the princess in the forest.

Zelda resisted the urge to use her magic to find Impa or to give some light to the dark forest. It was comparable to cheating and she would combine her powers with her abilities first when she was skilled enough in battle. Besides she wasn't sure it would do any good in this cold mist she could feel wrapped around her.

She moved silently, not even the leaves on the ground rustled when she walked. She was at the moment in her form as Sheik and had wrapped her breasts to keep being able to appear as a man. She had had to wrap harder lately and it had been uncomfortable in the beginning but she was getting used to it. She had gotten a real Sheikah outfit that clung tight to her body but in return let her move freely.

She stopped when she sensed something in front of her. She stood still and waited for it to make the first move. It seemed to sense her too. She tried to hide her aura but it didn't seem to work since she still could feel the lust for blood from the other being and its presence waiting just like her.

She tried to see the other one but it was impossible in this darkness. Then suddenly two glowing gems seemed to appear in front of her. She became stiff but relaxed again as she kept her gaze locked onto the soaring, shining lights that didn't move. Then they disappeared for half a second and then she understood. That was someone who blinked. It was eyes and they were looking straight at her but whatever it was couldn't have noticed her. I couldn't see her, could it?

Both were waiting. She swallowed but it seemed like that small sound confirmed that she was there and the glowing eyes flung forward towards her. On instinct she pulled out a short knife and dodged. She held a deku nut in her hand and threw it to blind her opponent. In the light she could see that it was a wolfos. When it didn't see anymore it shook its head and started to cut everything near it with its terrifying, long claws. It ran around aimlessly and changed direction several times. Zelda regretted making it unable to see but it seemed as if it was beginning to recover. Zelda expanded the gap between her legs to get better balance and waited. She was in a corner and it was too late to run. The wolfos sensed her again and gritted its teeth as it flung at her again with amazing speed. She continued to try to dodge and get away but after only a short time she had some pretty serious wounds even though it had only been able to scratch her. She was trapped again and knew she was running out of energy. If she could dodge its next attack she could be able to run. It flung at her again. She dodged but it was too late and its paw hit her shoulder so hard that it brought her to the ground. She gritted her teeth in pain but kept focused on the situation. She used her hearing, feelings and instinct to predict the wolfos's moves and made a try to push it off its position on top off her. It was too heavy and howled as it made itself ready to slash her but it was hit by her knife and pulled back with a cry of pain, but it still didn't get off her. She wouldn't be able to make it if she didn't… Zelda gulped, she would never.

Tears burned behind her eyes when she barely dodged its claws aiming for her face. She held a couple of needles in her hand and made another try to get it off but it was no use.

"I'm sorry", she whispered and stuck the needles hard into its throat. Its claws dug deep into the ground and it howled. Then it gasped for air, a gurgling sound as its throat became filled with blood, and fell down lifeless on top of her. She had killed it. She couldn't bring herself to push it off of her or move. The tears fell freely down her face and she dug her hands into the thick fur. She had praised her own life higher than another being's. She knew that it would have been either it or her but now she was a killer and it was dead because of her. She didn't now for how long she lay here but then she felt a hand stroking away her tears.

"It was soulless. It's happier now."

Zelda's vision was still blurry from tears and she couldn't see the person when she looked up. The girl helped her out from her position under the dead monster and then caressed her.

"It's so sad. You all do this so often. What's the meaning of it? There was a time when it wasn't necessary, I know this because here we don't do it and here time stands still."

"W-what?" Zelda uttered dazedly.

"Your hands are so beautiful, why do you use them for something like that?"

"I… I didn't…" She couldn't get the words out.

"I know, but I know that you'll do it again Sheikah."

Zelda understood that the person must have noticed the Sheikah symbol on her clothing. The Sheikah were assassins and nothing more, worth as much as a simple tool. Something you could easily throw away. It was so much pain.

"I don't want to, not again…" She sniffled and acted like a child as she snuggled up to her savior, she knew it.

She lifted her tear streaked face to see this comforting person and met a pair of green sparkly eyes.

"Do…I…know you?" Her voice trembled because she had cried.

"No, but I recognize your eyes… Do you have a blue-eyed sister?"

Zelda looked at the girl. She could be anywhere between ten or thirteen years old and she spoke like she had a great understanding for life, greater than that of her own. She was sure she had seen her before.

"I'll help you out of the forest." The girl smiled warmly.

"No… please…"

"Since you are not a child you'll get killed here…"

"I am a child…"

The girl didn't answer. She lay Zelda down carefully on the ground and then she rose to walk away.

"Heal him…" She whispered to a fairy hovering near her.

Oh, that was right, she was Sheik now. The girl must have mistaken her for a man, which was good. Then Zelda remembered. Hadn't this girl been with Link when they visited the forest? The girl remembered her eyes but they had been blue. She shouldn't reveal her other self for anyone but she felt herself give in to her true self.

Saria, the forest girl, watched as small sparkles surrounded the young man on the ground and then a beautiful young woman suddenly lay in front of her. What was left of the sparkles rained down over the woman and made her look even more enchanting. She looked as if she was sleeping peacefully.

The fairy flew over but couldn't see any of the wounds that had been visible on the young man.

Zelda opened her blue eyes.

"I'll be fine", she said softly. "If it's true as you say that time is standing still here I want it to see me now and remember me like I am now because I don't know what I will become."

The forest girl listened silently to her words than she turned around and walked away slowly.

"The forest will surely remember and so will I…"

Zelda waited for the girl to come back before she got up. Crying made you tired and she stretched her arms when she got to her feet.

She tried to call out to Impa but the older Sheikah didn't show up. In a sour mood the princess walked through the forest when her ears perked up the small sound of something flying towards her. She easily turned around and caught the small object in her hand. It was a deku nut.

She looked up to see a skullkid hide behind a stump. It quickly pulled back to hide better when it noticed her looking. She began to approach it but when it noticed it shoot a deku nut towards her with a small whistle-like object. She dodged instead of catching it since she didn't want to scare it.

She remembered when she had gotten lost and how the skullkids had made her feel better. How ironic that she would have turned into such a sad creature by accepting comfort. It was obvious what a child would do in such a situation.

Her eyes saddened. They had either been abandoned or gotten separated from the ones they loved. Small children.

She sat down and the skullkid didn't shoot any more nuts at her. She didn't look directly at it and could sense that it dared to take a look at her.

Skullkids took care of children that were of their own kind but they kept away and were frightened by everything else, especially grownups. Because of that Zelda was surprised when it stepped out from its hiding place and took a few careful steps towards her. She didn't want to scare it away so she didn't move. She hadn't understood what it was the last time she saw a skullkid but now she knew better.

It took some time but soon it stood right in front of her. She hesitated but then she smiled as friendly as she could. The skullkid stretched out its hand but it hesitated to touch her. Then it carefully let its hand touch her cheek and let it rest there against it.

Zelda hardly dared to breathe. She didn't know why she did it but this sad creature moved her in a way she didn't know was possible. It was as if someone else had taken control over her when she allowed herself to hug the skullkid and pull it close to her.

"Don't be afraid", she whispered without knowing why she said it.

"There you are!"

The skullkid struggled free in panic at the sound of Impa's voice and quickly ran away.

"Impa!" Zelda got up from the ground and glared at her.

"You shouldn't take too much notice in them… they're not important…"

"That's not why I'm angry!" Zelda exclaimed as she gave Impa an icy stare.

"Then what's the problem? You had to disappear and I've been looking all over for you!"

"Through the whole forest in such a short amount of time and you lost me?" Zelda said with doubt. Then she shook her head. "That doesn't change anything! All that happened is your fault!"

"What is my fault? And change back to Sheik!" Impa scowled and started to walk away. Zelda followed.

"It died Impa and I…"

"It was you who killed it. Then how can it be my fault?"

"You knew it was there, you left me to fight it on my own unprepared and…" Zelda felt that she had a hard time getting the words out.

"Yes, I knew it was there and that it would attack you but it's not my fault that it's dead. You didn't take any of the chances to run and you didn't fight well enough to get away without hurting it. This is all because of your own lack of skill!"

Zelda eyes darted to the ground. That was true.

"Besides you were supposed to kill it. If your hands haven't been colored by blood you will never be able to be cold, hurt someone or kill… A wolfos isn't much of a challenge or something to care about. You'll learn that…"

Zelda had her hands clenched into fists by now.

"How can you take it so lightly? I don't know if I ever will…" Again a knot appeared in her throat and she couldn't get the words out.

"Stop acting like a weakling and change into your alter ego!"

Zelda changed and all the wounds were still there. She felt how little energy she had and surely she had lost a lot of blood.

Impa looked her over silently.

"Sad…"

Zelda looked up at her.

"… Sad letting something as pathetic as a wolfos wound you this much." Impa continued.

Zelda was feeling nauseous and changed back before she collapsed.

"The princess can't walk around like this in Hyrule! We better take care of those wounds instead."

After much arguing, uncomfortable silences and nagging, they finally got back to the castle.

Zelda frowned as they walked past the training grounds.

"It was a long time ago since I last saw Bonooru… My best friend."

She smiled as she thought about the night when her magic had made him come to life.

"Second to Link of course, he is my only real friend…"

Impa stayed silent.

"Highness?" A guard walked up to them, yawning. "What are you doing outside at this late hour?" He bowed.

Zelda recognized this guard with his thick brown hair and fringe that was a little too long. She had talked to him several times through the years, about Bonooru too.

"I couldn't sleep and I noticed that Bonooru wasn't here so I came down to check if any of you guards could have the answer."

The guard laughed. "Princess, this much concern about a scarecrow? For the first time ever I'm jealous of those sticks dressed in rags."

He obviously wasn't bothered by speaking informally to the princess. He was a bit rough, she thought, but still charming.

"Well?" She asked.

"Bonooru, the one that always was forgotten outside and looked like it would fall apart at any second?"

Zelda nodded.

"He was cut to pieces for about two years ago. There's always some guard who's breaking them in one or another way, it happens…" He shrugged. "I remembered that you were fond of it when I cleaned up what was left of him."

Zelda didn't know what to say. It felt like someone had died. She could still see the lone scarecrow's silhouette against the red sunset. She had always felt less lonely when she saw him.

The guard scratched the back of his head, obviously feeling a bit uncomfortable by her silence.

"W-well then highness…" He made a deep bow and left.

Zelda dragged her feet to her room. Her head hung low.

"Zelda?" Impa asked while the princess sank down onto the bed.

"It's nothing… It's easy to have an object as a friend. They can't tell your secrets or hurt you… It makes them easy to trust… I guess that's why I miss him so much!"

Impa watched her in silence with crossed arms.

Zelda looked at her hands. She had decided long ago that she wouldn't become a weak and crying princess. Still she felt like she didn't want anything else than cry now. She could feel the tears welling up.

"You have nothing to cry about", Impa said harshly. "You can't seek comfort in things… You have to learn how to stand on your own. Don't see it as a friend."

"I know", Zelda whispered. "I guess it was time to let go. I haven't even thought about him in such a long time… I guess that all I can do now is put all my trust on Link. I must learn to reach out to others. I'm not afraid to trust him because it's what I want to… I must put Bonooru behind me and open my eyes to how valuable Link is to me…"

Zelda felt Impa's hand on her shoulder.

"Zelda, cry all you want!"

Today's fact: Link forgot all about Bonooru and broke him.

That took quite some time. I was in a really bad mood a few days ago. Didn't feel like doing anything. I had a great trip and got to see a lot of both Venice and Rome.

Oh, and about Link being of noble blood. Well, I don't know anything about how it worked in those older times so this was to expect… I guess we can say that Link's father got a leading position in the army because of the role he played in the war. However, he has never been knighted and even though he is of great importance when it comes to anything involving battle he wouldn't be invited to the court. Besides the king haven't had any big parties or something like that for years because of his current state. Link should be known as his father's son by the guards that his father is in charge for (no other guards), and he doesn't get any special treatment (mostly because his father trains him, others in the army would probably have some respect for him if they knew whose son he is). People might know him by name but they don't know his face, and even if they did he isn't considered a noble. Since he also tries to sneak into forbidden parts of the castle he has probably got a rumor going that he's a thief or something too. Let's say it works different in Hyrule in my story… yes… now I got it! It's my story so everything can be wrong and weird! I like these kinds of attentive questions. It's fun to make up answers!

I feel so bad for England! I cheered for them second after Sweden in the World Cup.