Hey, all! Scrap here! It's The Sages Wait! Long time no see! Hey, get ready, because this chapter. I didn't like the way it was coming out, but now I like it again! It's 3 AM! Gotta go to bed. (Don't worry, Nabooru's chapter is already underway.)
Impa, Sage of Shadow
The chamber stilled as the light faded and Impa was left standing among the other Sages. She had long known of her status as a sage. It was a destiny thrust upon her since birth, a fate chosen for her by the forces that shaped the world. And so she would carry out her duty with pride.
Looking around the chamber, she observed the other Sages, all gathered in a circle, all staring curiously. A Goron, Kokiri, Hylian, and Zora. Such a collection of races was no surprise to her, of course. Impa expected the sages to be a group of diverse and cultured people. As she was a Sheikah, so it stood to reason there would be a Zora or Kokiri. Although the Goron was a little unexpected, if only because 'sagely' was the last word anyone would use to describe a Goron.
She gave them an acknowledging nod, and without another word, closed her eyes for some quiet meditation. All there was left to do was to wait patiently.
Impa was accustomed to waiting. Her formal title as guardian of the princess was nothing if not a test of patience. Zelda's parents, the king and queen, had little time for her as when she was a young girl. They were not neglectful, of course, on the contrary, they loved their daughter deeply. They were simply too busy to give her the constant attention a small child required. So the task fell to Impa.
In the early years of it, Impa and Zelda despised each other. Impa was disciplined and strict, and expected the princess to behave at all times. Zelda was rambunctious, curious, and above all, ill tempered. She would disobey Impa at every chance, to the point where Impa nearly considered quitting her post and returning to her home village. As time went on, however, Impa and Zelda began to reach an understanding. The time that had been spent arguing had also been spent learning to tolerate each other, and over time, an unbreakable bond was formed. The days they spent together were evenly divided between 'Zelda time', playing games that Impa never saw herself playing, and 'Impa time', studying, learning etiquette, and other more official things. That was the understanding they came to agree upon.
As Zelda grew, so did the time the two spent studying, and eventually, training. Impa and Zelda both new of the disaster that threatened the kingdom, and Impa refused to leave the princess defenseless should such peril befall the kingdom.
But none of that mattered anymore. All that mattered was that Zelda was safe. On the run, perhaps, constantly on guard, but at least alive. She had come a long way from the young girl Impa used to know.
Yet, as happy as she should be that she was now safe, something lingered on the edge of her mind. A nagging feeling that ate away at her piece of mind. She thought of the village she left burning, and the monster that set it ablaze that she had failed to defeat. Such mistakes hung over her like thunder clouds. She shook them from her thoughts and brought her mind back to Zelda.
But such thoughts only made her think of the night she escaped with Zelda from the castle. The night everything changed. The memory was not a happy one.
Her rumination was cut short by a low, grumbling voice clearing its throat. Before Impa even opened her eyes, she had identified it as belonging to the Goron sage. She knew he was approaching before he even made a sound. She had trained her senses to detect the slightest movement around her. And besides that, Gorons just weren't very subtle. She opened her eyes just a crack to see the massive rock man standing in front of her, accompanied by a small Kokiri and a beautiful Zora. She waited for them to act.
"Uh... Hey there." The Goron spoke lowly. He had a deep, gentle voice. His speech alone indicated that he, like all Goron, was softer than a kitten, despite his cold, stony exterior.
"Hello." Impa replied, indifferent. She cast her gaze to the Kokiri riding a top his head, and to the Zora in next to him. A rag tag group to be sure. Once she had fully taken in the sight of the other sages, she returned to her meditation.
"Not very friendly, is she?" The Zora asked her comrades rhetorically. Impa wasn't about to reply to the sarcastic remarks of a stranger, but she didn't need to. An older man, who she recognized as Rauru, guardian of the Temple of Time, came to her defense for her.
"Naturally, she was never trained to be." The old man stated as he joined the others. "A pleasure to see you again, Impa."
"An honor, Rauru." Impa replied. What he said was true. Impa's job was to protect and serve. She was always on guard, and there were few people in the world she would ever call a friend. The Princess was a friend. Link, who had saved her life, was a friend. The king, who was now deceased, had been a friend. But she didn't mind not having many people close to her. It made her safer. She had taught herself to ignore the sting of loneliness long ago. Such was the way of a Sheikah warrior.
"You two know each other?" The kokiri asked, looking down on Rauru's balding head from a top her perch. Rauru looked up and nodded to the girl, whose curious look has spread to her companions as well.
"This is Impa, royal guardian to Princess Zelda. She and I met the same day I was introduced to the princess herself. I'm proud to say I've always been close to the royal family." Rauru beamed proudly. The others didn't seem too interested in the details.
"Well, alright then!" The Goron boomed in a voice that shook the chamber to its core. "I'm Darunia, Chief of the Gorons and Sage of Fire. Any friend of Rauru's is a friend of mine." Impa's eye twitched slightly at his informality, and she didn't respond. She was not a friend of Rauru's, and she certainly wasn't a friend of Darunia's.
"The tyke up on my head there is Saria, Sage of the Forest." The girl waved happily, a kindness Impa felt no need to return. "And this next to me is-"
Darunia was cut off midsentence by the regal Zora woman. "I can introduce myself, Darunia, thank you. I am Ruto, Princess of the Zora people and Sage of Water. You can address me as princess, if it's all the same." She smiled a bright, alluring smile, but Impa remained stone faced. Her mind was elsewhere.
"I am Impa, last of the Sheikah tribe and Sage of Shadow." She introduced herself plainly. Saria's eyes grew wide with curiosity. Impa sighed when she saw that look. She had seen countless times before on Zelda's face as a child. It meant there would be questions. Impa hated questions.
People were constantly asking her inane things. She was an informed individual, of course, but she didn't have much to say. She hardly ever cared to strike up conversations, and when people asked her anything, she gave them quickest, shortest answer. She knew a lot, but she wasn't anxious to share it with people who could just as well look in a book.
"Sage of Shadow? That sounds so..." The Kokiri trailed off. Impa could tell she was searching for the right word so as not to offend. A thoughtful notion, but Impa didn't feel it was needed. There was little that offended her these days. She had seen a lot in her lifetime, she took it all at face value.
"Nefarious?" Impa finished for her. "I assure you, there is nothing to fear from the shadows. Just as light and life are part of the natural cycle, so too are darkness and death. They are neutral. Just as fire can provide warmth," Impa gestured toward Darunia, "but also raze a town, so can shadow provide safety and solitude, not only to you, but to your enemies." Impa explained matter-of-factly. She had always been a friend to the shadows. It was the way of Sheikah warriors to stay concealed and strike in the darkness. For that reason, they were known as the shadow people.
"I couldn't have said it better myself!" Said Rauru, nodding his head in agreement. Impa knew he couldn't have. He was not the Sage of Shadow. But she let Rauru have his moment.
"I've always wondered," Ruto said, making apparent her disinterest in the topic of shadow and what not, "what the difference between a Hylian and a Sheikah was. I've heard of the tribe before, but from what I've seen, they all look the same."
Impa furrowed her brow at the Zora's ignorance, but she couldn't place the blame solely on her. The Sheikah and Hylian races were closely related, and to the untrained observer, may not appear distinctly different. Still, she was sure Ruto only really saw Zora, and everything else blended in to the background.
"The Sheikah people have leaner, more naturally muscular bodies with longer ears and red eyes. That's really the only difference." Impa stated. Ruto looked bored and unamused and gave Impa an indifferent shrug. Impa stood there, awaiting her response.
"I suppose not every race can be blessed with the beauty and grace of the Zora." She said with a twirl. Impa could see that Ruto put a lot of time into her looks, she was strikingly beautiful. "Still, though, you could put a little more effort into your wardrobe. This... Chest plate thing is awfully drab."
Darunia and Saria shot Ruto a look of irritation, which she returned with an innocent smile. "What? It's true."
"Don't insult our new friend, Ruto!" Saria scolded. There was that word again, friend. Impa didn't remember becoming friends with any of these people. "Don't mind her, she doesn't mean it."
"It's okay, I don't mind." Impa reassured. "My people put little value in aesthetics. What I'm wearing now is armor. Sheikah armor is tight and allows for a lot of mobility, while still offering some protection."
Sheikah craftsmanship was second to none, and unique in every way. Every detail of Impa's armor was hand made to suit her. Many parts of her body were not given the protection of armor, but this was to allow her to move around with relative ease. To a sheikah, movement in battle is more important than protection.
"I like it!" Darunia exploded. "Just like a Goron! Sturdy when you need it, loose and cool when you don't!" He laughed. Impa would never have drawn the comparison, but she supposed it was accurate enough.
"Comparing Impa to a Goron? Now who's insulting the new comer?" Ruto retorted, filling the air with a delicate, high pitched laughter. Darunia looked at her, then down to his feet. "Oh, relax, Darunia, I'm simply teasing, you know I love your people." The Zora Princess comforted him. It seemed to lift his spirits a bit.
With the others seemingly distracted for the moment, Impa returned to her thoughts. Somehow, the sages were different than what she had expected. They were so jovial and casual. Impa was planning to spend the duration of her stay in the chamber quietly reflecting. Instead it seemed she would spend it answering incessant inquiries. Still, she didn't mind it as much as their assuming she was a friend of theirs.
It wasn't that she was against making friends. But to do so, one must lower their guard. That wasn't something Impa would ever be accustomed to. She knew these people meant no harm, if anything, it was the opposite. But there was little point in getting attached to people who she felt she would never see again.
She swore to herself she would not show weakness, and keep her guard up at all times. It was necessary after the attack by Ganondorf. She was averse to letting people get close to her. It may cause another slip up, and she could never afford such a thing.
Her thoughts were interrupted again by Saria, who reached up to tug on Impa's arm. Impa opened her eyes to peer down at the little girl, who was no doubt wiser than she looked.
"Before you got here, we were all talking about folk tales. You should join us! I want to hear some stories from your tribe!" Saria exclaimed. Looking down at her, Impa noticed the vibrant youth that came from her eyes. She reminded her very much of Zelda at that age.
"Thank you, but I'm fine where I am." Impa shook her head and returned to her meditation.
Saria stood there, looking up at Impa with both confusion and concern. Impa braced herself for the protest that would no doubt come. She brushed Saria's hand, which had lingered there, from her arm.
"But... Why?" Saria questioned innocently. The Sheikah tried to think of a way to explain her reasoning so that someone as young as her could understand. No doubt, her true age was much higher than it appeared, but Impa knew all Kokiri had youthful spirits, no matter how old they got. An innocent, inquisitive soul like Saria's craved input from friendship and company. Impa, however, had grown up learning to be alone. She had few relations at the village where she came from. She was her own best friend.
"I just..." Impa began, "prefer to be alone, if it's all the same." A fib, but an effective one. The forest sage seemed a bit disappointed, but backed off none the less. She plodded over to join the other sages. Impa didn't prefer being alone. She didn't care either way whether she was alone or not, but she didn't want to get too familiar.
The others had gathered on the other side of the chamber, sitting in a circle and discussing the rich oral histories of their respective people. Darunia wove a rather straight forward tale about a Goron chief in ages passed that conquered a great and terrible dragon. Saria, Sage of the Forest, weaver a chilling tale about the fates of children who lose their way in the twisting labyrinth of he Lost Woods. Ruto, princess of the rivers and seas, told glamorous tales of the deity Jabu-Jabu, who watched over every last drop of water, and whose maw was large enough to swallow the world. Finally, Rauru spun stories of heroes long since past, who had wielded the Blade of Evil's Bane to vanquish evil.
Though Impa tried to ignore them, she couldn't help but find herself engaged in these old stories. Her mind wandered as she envisioned great Goron heroes and lost little children. Still, she kept to herself. She was content to simply listen.
"Impa." Called an aged voice from the group some time later. "I'm most interested in the ways of your people. Surely, your people have recorded tales older than the kingdom itself!" Rauru implored, but Impa only shook her head.
"Oh, don't be such a grump, Impa." Ruto urged. "Come over here and have a little fun!" The Water Sage beckoned with her hand as the rest of the group looked on. All except Saria, whose gaze was curiously averted.
Impa was beginning to feel abused. She was not a child, and she didn't appreciate being treated like one. If she said she wasn't interested, then that should be the end of the argument. Instead, her wishes were being ignored like the buzzing of flies.
"I'm sorry, but I have nothing to add." Impa replied stoically as she folded her arms and sighed. The others didn't look appeased, which was not especially shocking to her. The other sages meant well enough, she knew, but at this point, Impa would refuse on pride alone. She would have it be known that she stuck by her word.
"Is this about that wardrobe comment I made?" Ruto inquired, the slightest hint of worry filling an otherwise confident voice. "I think you may have taken it a bit harder than it was intended." She said, without the slightest intention of apologizing. Impa was beginning to become quite irritated with her prideful, arrogant tone.
"It's not that, not at all. Truly, it's nothing personal. I have nothing against any of you." Impa assured. She spoke the truth, how could she have anything against these people who have done her no harm? Still, something made her squirm about the situation. These strangers knew nothing about her, and yet they insisted on acting like they were owed something. Like Impa was supposed to feel obligated to socialize. Why would she? She did not know these people, and her desire to was waning quickly.
"Then why?" Darunia inquired. He seemed like the sort who would ask a lot of questions, but forget the answers. Still, like most Goron of Death Mountain, he seemed harmless. Impa knew that many people feared Gorons simply for their look, but in all her years living in Kakariko Village at the base of Death Mountain, she never had any trouble with Gorons.
"I..." Impa began, searching for the right words, "I just wasn't expecting all of you to be so informal." Impa stated. Ruto and Darunia's eyes met and for a moment, they were both very quiet. Impa was about to break that silence when the two of them began howling with laughter and glee. Rauru on the other hand, simply cleared his throat and gave a wry smile.
"What were you expecting? We've been stuck in here forever! Nothin' to do but make friends, right?" Darunia gasped between laughing fits. It seemed the very idea of a quiet, solemn, somber group of sages was cause for hysterics. Impa's face flushed red with embarrassment. She took a deep breath to keep from getting flustered.
"I was just expecting something a bit more organized and silent. Maybe some leadership as well. Meditation and quiet dis-" but before her words could even come out, she was interrupted by Ruto, who tried to speak while catching her breath.
"No wonder Rauru has taken a shine to you! You're like a younger, prettier him!" Ruto laughed, causing an uproar in all other sages but Rauru, who stroked his chin, unamused.
"Yes, well," Rauru retorted, "anything is better than a second Ruto!" The joke caused Darunia to fall on his back, and Ruto to flush pink. The only two in the room who weren't cracking up were Impa and, for whatever reason, Saria. The Shadow Sage grew increasingly irritated with each obnoxious chortle.
"We tried 'leadership' not long ago, Impa." Ruto said, collecting herself and subsequently calming the others, "but it didn't work out. We're all friends here, there's no need for a leader!" The aquatic lady exclaimed, nodding to Rauru, who nodded back, agreeing.
"Either way," Impa responded, "I'd find more comfort in being alone with my thoughts than..." But Impa didn't finish her sentence. She didn't want to imply the others had done anything wrong, or that they were unpleasant, but she suspected that message may have gotten across none-the-less.
"You just don't like us then?" Darunia asked, his voice filled less with anger and more with concern. Impa would have felt sorry for the guy, has she not been so totally annoyed with him and his comrades.
"No, of course not. Don't get the wrong idea. What reason could I possibly have not to like you?" Impa argued. She waited for a response, but Darunia was cast deep into his thoughts by her question.
"...I don't have a reason not to like you, Darunia. That question was rhetorical." She assured, snapping the Goron back to reality. Darunia looked at her a bit slack jawed, but the smile returned to his face quickly enough.
"I knew that!" He said with a laugh. "Anyway, there's no better way to get used to that than rubbin' elbows." Darunia began, attempting once again to convince Impa. It wouldn't work this time either. "Why don't we all just sit down and-" but the voice of a small girl rose up to cut Darunia's sentence short.
"If Impa wants to be alone, let her be!" Saria screamed, her voice ringing out through the chamber, freezing all in the room. All eyes turned to the little girl, who fiercely stood her ground. Impa, still stunned, thought she looked like a little warrior, much like herself when she was a child.
"She told you to leave her alone, so leave her alone!" Saria persisted, in what seemed to be genuine anger. The others, including Impa, were all taken aback. Though, no one would admit it, the sight was a little bit frightening.
"Saria, I..." Impa began, but she couldn't find the words. Such a bold defense was so kind and generous, but at the same time, it made her feel weak. Impa didn't need anyone to come to her rescue. At least, she never did before, but now it seemed she was constantly in need of saving. First by Link, now by this strange little girl. The more she thought of it, the more it scarred her pride as a warrior and a protector.
"I shouldn't need to explain this," Saria continued, shaming the other sages, "but you're all just making yourselves look worse! All this constant badgering, I'd want to be left alone too!" Saria cried as the sages awkwardly averted their gaze. No one dared to make eye contact with the furious green clad sage except Impa, who was hypnotized by the fierce display.
"I think you may be blowing this out of proportion, Saria." Rauru began, readying a counter argument. But the rest of his words never came. Saria would not be argued against.
"Shame on you, all! Leave this poor woman be!" Saria cursed, crossing her arms and glaring at her friends, who took one last forlorn look back at Impa and returned to their pedestals. Impa simply stared in utter amazement at the sheer force that the Kokiri commanded. She wanted to feel gratitude, but instead, she only felt helplessness.
Here Impa had been told there was no leader of the sages. Rather, she surmised, each of the sages was a leader. Rather than no leadership, each of the sages led each other, and when part of the group went astray, the others whipped them back into shape. Thinking on it, it came no surprise that a group of princesses and chieftains should lead each other.
"Impa, if you ever want to," Saria said sweetly, "you're welcome to come join us! If not, that's fine too." With that, she smiled, nodded, and walked back to join the rest of the group. She seemed proud to have helped. Impa was left standing there, blinking in disbelief.
She wanted to thank the girl. But at the same time, she wanted nothing more than to be left alone. She had had enough of being rescued. It wasn't something she would ever get used to or even feel was necessary. It made her feel small and useless. She had already seen a lot of terrible things happen as a result of her own weakness, she didn't need that feeling to grow.
Hours passed. Impa looked on silently, observing the lives of the other sages from afar. She found it was quite amusing to watch, as they engaged in what could only be called antics. Occasionally, one stole a glance over their shoulder at Impa, who stared in to the distance of closed her eyes, and pretended not to notice. Still, it was fascinating to her what great friends they were.
At one point, the sages took a break during their conversation, and Saria attempted to teach Darunia how to play 'rock, paper, scissors'. Darunia got upset and quit, however, when he learned that paper beat rock, calling it 'utter nonsense', which Impa couldn't help but laugh at. Another time, Rauru made the mistake of falling asleep in front of the others, who posed his hands in silly, compromising positions while he dozed. Impa was reminded of the tricks that Zelda would play on her when she was a child. It made her smile warmly.
Though all this observing did tempt Impa to join them, she stayed adamant. All this revelry was fine, but once their duties as sages were filled, they would go their separate ways. No doubt each would miss the other dearly, and that was a pain Impa had no desire to experience. She wondered if the others would even like her once they got to know her, serious, disciplined and stoic as she was.
More time passed, but Impa wasn't certain how long it had been. The chamber had no sun or moon, and no day or night, and it was impossible to track the passage of time. At the same time, the chamber staved off hunger and thirst, no doubt thanks to some ancient magic, and in some ways it was as if time wasn't moving at all. Impa watched all the other sages go to sleep, and she too dozed off.
In her dreams, she returned to her post in Hyrule castle. Things were not as they should have been however. The castle was dark, its halls were twisted and its rooms crawled with evil. It was almost like some cruel mockery of the once proud, beauteous palace. She ran through the halls hand in hand with the princess, fleeing some dark force that followed close behind. Together, they escaped into Hyrule field, only to find that the once green, fertile land had become a dry, desolate desert that Impa could not recognize. As she searched for a place to run to, she could hear the sound of whatever force pursued her. In seconds it grew so deafening that it shook the ground and roused the wind.
She jolted awake in a sweat. It took her a moment to realize where she was, but as she gazed around the chamber, she began to recognize the faces of the other sages. They had already woken up. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she stood and beat the dust from her clothes.
It had not been the first time she had such a prophetic nightmare. Zelda had them all the time as a young girl, and they were the first indication of the fate of the kingdom. Impa did not know why she had them too, perhaps because she was a sage, or perhaps because she spent so much time with Zelda, but it mattered little to her. She just tried to forget about them, and all the various emotions they invoked.
The others greeted her as she woke up, and went about their business. It was a small chamber, featureless and devoid. It was easy to get bored, but the purpose of this place was to protect the sages, not entertain them.
"Still," Ruto whined, "they could have put something in here. Maybe a pool of water, for the sages with a more aquatic nature. I'm feeling so dry!" Impa smiled at that. She had gotten used to Ruto's dramatics over time, which was odd. It felt like only a few hours had passed since she's arrived.
"Try not to get your weird fish stuff on me again." Saria yawned. Ruto apparently took offense to that, because she huffed and folded her arms.
"My 'weird fish stuff' is just as beautiful as the rest of me! You should feel honored to even witness it." She stated, entitlement dripping from every word. Saria rolled her eyes and sat down to relax.
"Hey, come on. You sweat, I got rocks on my back, and Ruto... Does whatever it is that a Zora does. It's all the same to me." Darunia stated, indicating the numerous stones that lined his back and allowed him to roll like a boulder without fear of injury. His entire form was hard as the mountain that he came from, but his back in particular was solid like metal.
"I excrete." Ruto corrected, giving Darunia a doting nod. Darunia shrugged indifferently.
"Don't act so unimpressed. There's a difference! You wouldn't want someone thinking you were some kind of monster, I wouldn't want someone thinking I sweat." Ruto nodded indignantly. The others narrowed their eyes at her.
"I believe Darunia being perceived as a monster may be slightly worse than someone thinking you sweat." Rauru noted, to which, Ruto also shrugged indifferently.
"Besides!" Darunia began with a grin. People already think I'm a monster!" Darunia laughed, indicating just how little he cared about what most others saw in him. He was the opposite of Ruto in almost every way.
"I said I was sorry..." Saria reminded him, apologetically bowing her head.
"No, no," Darunia shook his head, "I'm not talkin' about you! But there's this village down at the base of my mountain. They're all shakin' in their boots about us Gorons! Not that I care what they think. If you guys thought I was dangerous, that'd be a problem, but those people don't mean much to me." He beamed with pride.
Now Impa's full attention was centered on the other sages. They began to discuss the village that Darunia had brought up, and Impa listened intently. She was born and raised in that village, but she hadn't had many opportunities to revisit it, except for one occasion, recently.
An old evil, trapped by Impa herself, at the bottom of a well, had been freed. Impa returned to her village, only to watch, horrified as it burned to ash. She steeled herself and pursued the creature, only to be beaten, then rescued by the Hero of Time. It was an odd feeling, being rescued. A mix of relief and guilt. To find herself in such a vulnerable position plagued her thoughts, but at the same time, she knew she wouldn't be standing in the chamber without the aid that she was given.
"One day, I want to meet the chief of that village. See if, you know, they're people can be a little less... Terrified of us." Darunia mused. He was a good chief to his people, always putting their needs first. His want for diplomacy was admirable.
Impa smiled to herself when she heard him discussing the 'chief' of Kakariko Village. The village, of course, belonged to the Sheikah people and, by extension, Impa herself. As the last of her tribe, she was the sole owner of that land. Of course, she had opened it to the public once she took her position as royal guardian at the castle. Those too poor to live in the Castle Town could make their homes in Kakariko Village and live rent free. Those even poorer than that could use Impa's house itself, which was open to all. This was her gift to the people of Hyrule, from the Sheikah people.
She was born there, the only child of two great warriors. She never knew her mother, however. She died shortly after Impa was born. Her father raised her to inherit the role of guardian. The Sheikah tribe had sworn fealty to the royal family. Their tribe has been servants for generations, and Impa would be no different.
"And just who do you think the chief of that village is?" Impa found herself asking, as the others turned to her in disbelief. It had been quite a while since she had spoken to anyone, and she didn't really know why she was starting now. Perhaps because the discussion directly related to her, or maybe because she was simply tired of not speaking. Either way, it was too late to back out now.
"Whoa!" Ruto exclaimed, "Impa, is that you? I sort of forgot you were here." She said with a wink. Impa didn't respond. She was more interested in what Darunia thought of her home town.
"Well, uh..." The giant began, "If I know chiefs, and I think I do, he's probably strong, old, with a beard. Friendly, too!" He continued. Saria jumped up on his back and pounded his head with a fist in annoyance.
"You're just describing yourself, you big oaf!" She teased, to which Darunia responded with a chortle. He rubbed his head where the girl had hit and thought for a moment.
"Okay, well, then they're probably something more like a smart young girl that wears all green and plays the ocarina!" Darunia retorted. Saria agreed wholeheartedly that that was most likely.
Ruto rolled her eyes, all four even, at the two of them. Then with a smile, she began describing her idea of the village owner.
"A beautiful young woman, elegant and graceful, with a charming air. She's very kind and just, and everyone loves her." She beamed, a vain smile stretching across her face.
"Doesn't sound like anyone I know!" Saria cooed, grinning mischievously from atop her favorite perch.
"Don't make me come up there!" Ruto threatened. Darunia and Saria giggled in delight as Ruto sighed and disregarded the two.
"Darunia," Rauru spoke, slowly. "If you want to speak to the owner of Kakariko Village, I suggest you go ahead and take this opportunity to do so." He chimed in as he beckoned toward Impa, who nodded to Darunia in affirmation.
"You know him?" Darunia asked, raising an eyebrow. Impa sighed and folded her arms.
"Yes, I know her." She stated, emphasizing 'her', "I am her." She confessed. It was surprising to all but Rauru, whose vast knowledge left little he did not know.
"Ha!" Ruto laughed, giving the others a jump. "I told you two! A young woman. Of course I was right." She boasted. Darunia cleared his throat and offered a shy apology to Impa.
"Sorry about all that 'he' stuff, I just uh..." He paused to find the words. "I guess I kind of assumed." He said, fidgeting anxiously. Impa looked up at him confidently.
"As I understand it, you come from a race without women, of course you assumed. I take no offense." She assured, putting the Fire Sage at ease.
"As I was saying, it's true, my people own Kakariko Village. I opened it to the public when I left for the castle." She sighed, and unease filled her thoughts and flooded her mind with worry. "I'm afraid there isn't much left to go back to though. The last time I saw my village, it was burning. I'm afraid there may not be much to go back to."
The others gasped but Impa remained calm, at least on the surface. Deep down, the state of her home concerned her greatly, but what truly upset her was her failure to protect it. It was just one of a number of recent failures on her part which kept her mind in constant unease.
"What happened?" Saria inquired. The others gathered around to listen as well. Impa wasn't used to the attention, but she welcomed it all the same.
"Well," Impa started, "As I mentioned, I used to live in Kakariko Village. I stayed there with my father, who I trained with every day. It was..." She paused. "A simpler time." Impa looked to the others as they listened intently. Even Rauru, who knew more than anyone of them ever would, looked curious to hear how her tale unfolded.
"One day, when I had reached adolescence, the village was attacked by an old, twisted being which my ancestors had sealed away in the labyrinth beneath the graveyard." She continued. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "I suppose they didn't do a very good job."
"Hey, I know how that is." Darunia mused, half talking to himself. "It's always the old things you forget that come back to bite you." He said, referring his own tribe's troubles.
"Literally, in your case, Darunia!" Ruto mocked. The Goron reared its head and scowled at her.
"I'd rather be eaten than frozen." He retorted. His remark was met with cheers from Saria, and, with Ruto having been thoroughly trounced, he folded his arms and relished in self-satisfaction.
"I'd rather listen to Impa's tale than you the two of you babble." Rauru scolded, shutting the other sages up.
"Thank you, Rauru." Impa said, resuming. "Anyway, I managed to seal the creature away at the bottom of a well, but..." She paused, breathing in deeply, "Not before it took my father."
The others said nothing, only frowned. The silence in the chamber grew, and for a moment, the sages were unified in a moment of quiet grief. Each recalled their own woes, and all the suffering that the last few years had brought.
"Several years later," Impa muttered, breaking the silence, "Ganondorf broke the seal on the creature, and as an act of retribution, it set my home ablaze." Impa finished, mournfully. She stood quietly for a while with the others.
They all had their own worries, of course. Darunia, Ruto, and Saria all fret for their people. Rauru's greatest concern was the state of the kingdom itself. But Impa's thoughts lay soundly in a more personal matter; the state of herself.
"I went after the beast to trap it again, but..." Impa's gaze drifted wearily to the floor, "I suppose I'm just not as strong as I once was." She confessed, letting her arms fall to her side, limp.
"That's depressing..." Ruto blurted out. The others nodded as they digested the story that had just been told.
"Hey, but," Saria shouted, making every one jump in surprise. "Link rescued you, right? So your village is probably doing fine! Everything is going to be fine!" She assured, gleefully. The others voiced their mutual agreement, but Impa was not so joyful.
"I shouldn't need rescuing." Impa muttered almost silently under her breath. There was a furious anger brewing inside her. It was the kind of desperate, fuming anger one feels when the world shows just how cruel it can be. The kind of righteous anger that can only be seen after a cruel twist of fate, after the knife has been jerked in he wound. The kind of anger that mingled with sadness as tears stung the eyes and rolled down the cheeks. It made her hate herself.
"What was that?" Somebody asked. She didn't really know who, her ears were ringing and her sight was beginning to grow blurry. Discreetly, she wiped the tears from her eyes. No one had ever seen her cry before, and the thought of it made her cheeks flush a bright shade of scarlet.
"I should not need to be rescued!" She exploded in a sudden, passionate anger. The others took a step back in raw shock and watched as the warrior began a heinous tirade.
"My life's sole purpose was to protect. This fate was chosen for me by my parents before I had even been conceived. It was chosen for me the day my people swore an oath to the royal family. It could not be any other way." She ranted, barely breathing as the words flowed out like wine from a tipped glass. She found she no longer had control over her actions as she swung her arms like a wild marionette.
"But have I succeeded? Has anything under my watch been kept safe? No!" Impa roared as the other sages eased away slowly. Saria, sweet and gentle as she was, hid behind Darunia out of fear, and Ruto looked prepared to do the same. She took a step toward them, and in turn, they backed away.
"First, the King. I watched as that mad man, that backstabbing thief, plunged a sword through my king's heart. The man he had sworn an oath of loyalty to! In a single, deceptive act, he plunged this beautiful land into anarchy, and where was I? Fleeing. I took the princess and I ran." She admitted, her heart pounding in her chest as she remembered each painful moment in agonizing detail. She thought she heard Rauru respond, perhaps trying to calm her down, but she had already began shouting again.
"But even then, I couldn't keep her safe!" She sobbed, tears blurring her vision as they welled up in her eyes. "Staying with me only served to put her in greater danger! As long as she stayed by my side, she would be recognized as the princess. She would be found before a week! I..." She paused, sniffling and again wiping the tears from her eyes. "I had to leave her alone. That girl, just a ten year old girl!" She whined sorrowfully.
"Then what?" She asked, pointedly. The others did not make eye contact, much less respond. "My village? Myself? I could do nothing! Everything I knew in this world, everything I was, shattered in an instant. I have failed my people, I have failed my king. I am a sham!" She hung her head, looking down at herself. Her hands were red from clenching her fists. Her nails cut into her skin. From her eyes poured a seemingly endless stream of tears. "Look at me! Once a proud warrior! Now what? Crying! Moaning like a lost child! I disgust myself."
She crumpled into a heap on the ground, shivering. The others, stunned, looked to each other in confusion and concern. Impa's stomach churned as she begged her body to get up. She willed it to regain composure, but the tears didn't stop.
She hated herself. She hated what she was doing now, and what she had become. A quivering mess on the floor. She would never forgive herself for what she had allowed to happen, and even if she did, she would never forgive herself for this sorry display in front of the others.
A few short moments passed and no one spoke. Impa stayed where she was, curled up on the floor. The other sages, completely at a loss, looked to each other to act. Ruto took a step forward. Slowly, gently, she approached and kneeled to Impa's level. The sages behind her didn't move or speak, only observed.
"Impa..." Ruto sighed softly, reaching out a hand to comfort the broken woman. Impa jerked away from her hand and shot a foul gaze up at the frightened Zora.
"Don't touch me! I don't want your sympathy!" She hissed. Ruto drew her hand away, crouched still as a statue next to her. Impa rocked a bit, weeping quietly as she reflected on the failures that had led to this point.
People had lost their lives because of her. People were left without shelter in the smoldering ruins of Kakariko. A kingdom had been usurped, and she did nothing to assist. The girl she had spent her life raising and teaching was now hunted by a man whose sole purpose in life was to spread destruction through the land. Here she was, sitting in the chamber of sages, waiting for the world to collapse around her.
She recalled the night the king died clearly. She worked through the memory countless times in her head, imagining what might have gone differently. If she had stayed to protect the king, it might have cost her life. But on the other hand, she may have succeeded. Had she stayed to stop Ganondorf, she couldn't help but feel she may have prevented this whole sordid affair. As long as that possibility existed, she would never find peace.
The Demon King's face from that night was burned into her memory. His golden eyes, his twisted, malicious grin, she recalled each detail clearly, like a pictograph. It was not a face she feared. When she thought of it, she only felt anger. To Impa, he was irredeemable. As the kin of his desert tribe, he had sworn a sacred oath. She did not know what an oath meant to a Gerudo, but to a Sheikah, it meant the world. Any proud sheikah would sooner give their life than break a promise. To see something so honorable, so pure as a vow, be broken without a second thought, made Impa's blood boil. Had she the means to do so, she would hunt him down, chase him to his last days. But he was too powerful now. He had claimed a piece of holy power for his own, and was now virtually unstoppable. It made Impa feel so powerless.
Since then, her life had spiraled out of control. Though she attempted to meet each day calm and collected, that hopeless feeling grew like a cancer, filling her mind with doubt over seven long years. How could she live with herself, knowing she sat idly by while Hyrule was twisted into a cruel reflection of the man that conquered it?
This break down may have seemed sudden to the others, but in truth, it was a long time coming. Though Impa tried to hide her feelings away, she was flawed, and she knew one day her emotions would get the better of her. Acknowledging this only made her feel worse. She groaned again when she saw the other three sages approach, joining Ruto low to the ground.
"I..." Impa began, choking on her words. Her gross, pained sobbing had given way to a gentle, sorrowful weep. "I swore an oath."
"I know…" Ruto comforted her with a motherly tone. It sounded more genuine and caring than Impa had thought the Zora princess capable of being. Still it brought her no comfort.
"All I ever wanted was to serve! How could things have gone so wrong?" Impa asked no one in particular. This time, it was Rauru who answered.
"You are serving. By simply being here." He replied, his voice, normally cold and analytical, was now soft and gentle.
"It's not enough." Impa moaned. "Sitting in here, twiddling my thumbs while Zelda is out there, and fearing for her life! There is so much more I could be doing!" She protested. Surely, she thought there must be more that she could do. There must be a way to lend a hand both as a sage, and as a warrior.
"I know how you feel." Darunia began, before Impa could get any more out. "We've all asked ourselves if we could be doing more. I mean, I've got a whole tribe out there that needs guiding. I have a son I miss every day, and, uh, if I'm doing things right, he misses me too. But I have to stay here. We all do, even you. Just being here means we're doing more than anyone else in the kingdom." He added, thoughtfully. Impa weighed his words carefully. They may have been true, but even so, Impa couldn't help but feel the way she did. Still, it helped that she wasn't alone on feeling useless.
"...If I had stayed to protect the king," Impa began, but she was shortly cut off. Rauru, back to his stern self, was apparently not having any of that argument.
"He still would have died, and you would have too." He said, sharply. The others glared at him with intense spite, but he ignored them. "The man we are dealing with is more dangerous than any give him credit for. He is strong, a fierce warrior. But he is also cunning. His mind is as sharp as his blades. There are very few weaknesses to exploit." He said, matter-of-factly. Impa stared up at him, mouth slightly agape as the soft kindness he displayed vanished from his words.
"But..." Saria continued for him, "We all agree that we hate him. And there is one weakness he could never be prepared for: us. If you really want to face him, you're in the right place!" She said with a smile so innocent and sweet, it would put anyone at ease. Impa looked at each of their faces, and then down at the ground.
These people, the way they were acting, it was all so tender and genuine. Impa didn't know how to react. It felt so good to have someone care that much, to have someone to listen to her when she ranted. It was something she hadn't had for years.
"You're right." She gave up, "I... Don't know what to say, but thank you." She sighed, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. She searched for more words but they didn't come. Ruto rested a hand on her shoulder and smiled.
"Why don't you get some rest, okay?" She said in such a soothing way that it became plainly obvious why he others put up with Ruto at her worst. Impa smiled at her, and at all the sages in the room. Then she yawned. Even having just slept only a while ago, she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and drift away. The others all stood up and have her some space, and she, tired from the weight of seven years, close her eyes and went to sleep.
While she dozed, she dreamt of Hyrule, and of the royal family. She was tending to the princess, as she did every day. She gazed out a window at the verdant fields of green that typified the Kingston's landscape. She could see for miles, and all was as it should be.
She awoke to the sound of music. In a daze, she looked around. Where was it coming from? She was still in the chamber of sages, did she miss something? Bleary, she rolled over, falling off of her pedestal with grunt. Opening one lazy eye, she leered at the other sages. It was quite a scene. Saria sat in one corner, playing an upbeat tune on a small green ocarina. Darunia took center stage and danced wildly, shaking his fists and stomping the ground. Rauru, smiling, bobbed his head to the music while Ruto hid her face in her hands.
"Every time you dance," she groaned, speaking over the music, "it takes a year off of my life."
The Goron ignored her and continued dancing, hollering like a wild animal. Impa watched this wild display for a long while, smiling. She wasn't certain whether she found it humorous or just strange, but she was enjoying it all the same.
The music came to a sudden stop when Saria noticed Impa was now conscious. All that remained was a faint echo and the ruckus from Darunia, who had not yet realized that the music had stopped. When he finally noticed, he joined the others in welcoming Impa back to the waking world.
"You're finally awake! How'd you sleep?" Saria asked, running over to the shadow sage, who got up to stretch her legs. Ruto, Darunia, and Rauru all happily joined Saria by Impa's side.
"I slept well, thank you." Impa said, stretching her neck. "What do you mean by 'finally'? How long have I been out?"
"It seems like forever!" Saria replied, mimicking Impa's motions childishly. Impa furrowed her brow. She slept soundly, that was certain, but without any point of reference, she would never know for how long.
"You must have been fast asleep. Not even Darunia's dancing woke you." Rauru smirked. Darunia laughed as well, and even Impa, generally stone faced, shared a chuckle with them.
"That's less 'fast asleep' and more 'comatose.', Rauru." Ruto chuckled, causing a fit of laughter among the sages. Impa regained her composure and bowed her head to them.
"My apologies. It's been sometime since I had such restful sleep." Impa said solemnly. The others assured her there was no need to apologize, but Impa remained somber. "I should also apologize for my outburst earlier. I suppose I have a few issues I need to work on."
"Don't apologize about that either!" Saria insisted, "We were all just worried about you!" She exclaimed. Impa blushed and averted her eyes.
"You shouldn't have to worry about me, really." She sighed, cursing her weakness once again.
"There is no shame in vulnerability." Rauru stated. "Every stone reveals a crack when examined." He declared, displaying how sagely he could be.
The others just stared, mystified at how one man could say something so wise and yet so pedantic.
"I think what Rauru's trying to say is that... Uh..." Darunia rubbed his chin, decoding the message that Rauru had given them, much to the elder's irritation. "You're strong, we all know it. So it's okay to let your guard down sometimes."
"After all," Ruto continued for him, "we all have flaws. Even me, to a lesser extent. You don't have to get everything right."
Impa crossed her arms and sighed. Their words did bring some comfort, but still, she could not excuse her failures. Not when they affected a matter as grave and important as the fate Hyrule.
"Thank you, all of you." She said, nodding to them. "But I made mistakes that I can't ever live down." With that, the others groaned, collectively disappointed.
"Impa!" Saria shrieked in her ever high, childish voice. It made Impa wince. "You did so well! You keep saying you failed, but you're actually a huge success!"
Ruto and Darunia looked to her in confusion, but Saria kept her eyes firmly trained on Impa, who seemed just as confused as the others. Rauru, however, smiled and nodded, fiddling with his facial hair.
"I'm inclined to agree, Impa." He added. "Why, everything that has led to this point has been your doing. You are the key that has lead all of us here." He explained, eyes closed and smile growing as he made the sudden realization.
Impa was unconvinced. She had done nothing as spectacular as what Rauru claimed, not knowingly, anyway. She was a Sage herself, but that was the extent of her influence on the events that had transpired in Hyrule. She joined the sages of fire and water in confusion.
"You saved the princess!" Saria exclaimed suddenly, throwing her friends off guard once again. Impa nodded. It was true, she had saved the princess, but only at the cost of a king. And even then, it had little bearing on much else.
"The princess would not have been able to give the Ocarina of Time to Link, had she been trapped in the castle with Ganondorf." Rauru elucidated. "Without that Ocarina, there would be no way for our hero to find any of us. And that, Impa, is how you saved Hyrule singlehandedly."
For a moment, no one spoke. Everyone in the chamber simply stood, agape, as Saria and Rauru, who both wore satisfied grins. Impa stood aghast, trying to process their argument.
It was a stretch, but it made sense. Impa had saved Zelda, and Zelda put Link on the path to saving the kingdom. The logic seemed sound, but Impa had never thought of it that way. She gave this a lot of thought.
The first one among them to even make a sound was Darunia. Up until that point, everyone was so still that when the giant laughed, everyone in the chamber jumped. It was great, howling laughter, characteristic of Darunia. When he had settled down, and wiped the tears out of the corners of his eyes, he spoke in a voice so joyous it was almost cute.
"Guess that makes sense!" He erupted, "they oughta start callin' you the hero!" He said to Impa, giving her a playful punch in the arm that nearly knocked her off of her feet.
"Agreed," Ruto added, "there's really no arguing with that! Although, we can't forget about Link. And all the that work he's put in." She sighed dreamily. Impa looked to each of them, still in disbelief. They each met her looks with a smile.
"That..." She started, unconvinced, "that doesn't count. That can't count!" She protested. Rauru laughed heartily.
"And why not?" He countered. Impa just stood there, hoping a reason would come to her, but none did. She ran her fingers through her hair, sighed, and gave an exasperated chuckle.
"She smiled!" Ruto shouted, genuinely surprised. The others exploded in laughter, and Impa became red in the face.
All this time, she had believed herself to be one colossal failure. Throughout the last seven years, she had made a number of terrible mistakes that haunted her thoughts. One simple statement of fact could not undo all the errors she had made, or erase those years of guilt.
Still, she never did try to look on the bright side. Perhaps a shift in perspective could change things for the better. After all, every other mistake seemed incalculably small compared to that one good move. It even made her feel a bit relieved.
Before she could snap out of her thoughts, Darunia had scooped her up and lifted her above his head. Accompanying such an action were cheers from the others. She heard the words 'hero' and 'best' thrown around, but she was too stunned to really understand.
"Put me down!" She demanded, fighting the smile on her face. The others ignored her and continued their romp, parading her around the room.
"This doesn't make me feel better!" She cried through laughter. It made her feel a little better, truthfully. It was hard not to feel good when people were singing your praises.
Their parade lasted for a good long while. The chamber was alive and full of sound. Impa was even enjoying herself, but more than that, she was enjoying the company of others. It was the first time in years that she had truly relished in someone else's friendship. Though she thought the festivities were a bit unnecessary, she didn't complain. It was fun, something her life had sorely lacked. She never envisioned actually enjoying something so childish.
When everyone had calmed down, and Impa was lowered to the ground, she found that warm smile still plastered on her face. Though she tried to hide it, she couldn't keep a straight face for long.
"Thank you all. It's rare that I see such kindness." Impa laughed, still wobbly from being carried about. "I feel so foolish for crying earlier, knowing how trivial it all was."
"Why?" Saria questioned, still catching her breath from the shouting and dancing. "There's nothing wrong with crying!"
"It shows weakness." Impa replied, stalwart. The others glared at her, and for a moment, she didn't know why. "Oh right, sorry, I must have forgotten. Weakness is... Fine."
It would take her a long time to get used to that mentality. Her father had taught her never to show weakness. It provided an opening for the enemy. But now she saw it closed the way for allies as well. Without weakness, there is no strength.
"Who says crying is a weakness?" Darunia asked, rhetorically. "If you can cry in front of other folks, it means you're stronger than anyone! You shoulda seen me when I got captured by Volvagia!" He guffawed.
Impa raised an eye brow.
"Er... it's a dragon that lives in the volcano. Or should I say, used to live!" He said with a mighty laugh. "Anyway, it got its claws on me, and I was totally trapped. Could have sworn is was all over for me right there. I was bawling like a baby!"
Ruto and Saria both stared, neither believing that the Goron would be caught crying. He scoffed at them.
"What? Yeah, I admit it! I cry. I cry a lot! There's a lot of stress, being the leader of my tribe! So what? You think that makes me weak? Nah! I'm stronger than rock, especially when I got the tears flowin'!" He said, grinning proudly. Impa smiled at the lovable oaf, who smiled back.
"Well, while we're on the subject," Ruto began, unusually quietly for her, "there have been times in the last few years where I've missed certain individuals dearly. And I've cried about it." She admitted, not making eye contact. "But then I pick myself up and keep going. Everyone cries, even I'm no exception!"
"I cried a lot when my forest was attacked." Saria added. "And I cried when Link left my village! And the other day, I stubbed my toe and cried! I cry all the time! It actually makes me feel better." The young girl smiled innocently. Impa was impressed. For someone with such a young spirit, she felt no shame on crying. When Zelda was a child, she would always deny crying, even when it was plainly obvious.
All the sages looked to Rauru expectantly, who stared back blankly. Then he shook his head, cleared his throat, and began to speak.
"If you're looking for specific instances, I cannot recall. However, I have lived for an unreasonably long time. In that time, I have shed enough tears to fill Lake Hylia, cool Death Mountain, and water the Great Deku Tree. Sadness is no stranger to me. And yet, here I stand, still going." He explained, neutrally. The others had a laugh at his attitude, so indifferent over the strangest things.
"I suppose you are right." Impa nodded. "Fine then, from now on, I'll cry whenever I feel the need! I will cry buckets of tears, should I have to!" She declared, flooding the room with her proud tone. The others didn't respond.
"That was a joke." She clarified, filling the room with her awkward tone. "If I do have any more problems, and I assure you, I will, I hope that I can lean on you for support."
"Of course!" Replied Ruto, immediately.
"Any time at all!" Darunia added, vigorously.
"This means we're friends, right?" Saria asked, full of bright, youthful optimism.
Impa hesitated. She wasn't very familiar with the process of making friends. We're these people her friends now? If this wasn't friendship, she didn't know what else qualified.
"Yes," Impa confirmed, "this means we're friends."