Groose

I walked through the time gate with Zelda's body. She looked so peaceful and beautiful. But I couldn't stop thinking about what the Sheikah's words. Link can't lose, he would never fail Zelda that way. He loves her, and so do I. But he always deserved her more than me, maybe that is why I was always so mean to him. I was always jealous, but that changed when I saw him fighting that monster three times his size, but I deserve some credit; I mean, he never would have beaten it without me and the Groosenator. He's a good friend and he helped me when I came down here. He could have left me to figure things out myself, but he didn't. I feel really bad for the fact that he has to deal with that Demon guy, the one obsessed with diamonds …(Damn…it still hurts where he kicked me…and he made fun of my pompadour! I hope Link makes him pay!)

I felt eyes on me and looked up at Grannie. She was watching me with that wise, all knowing look she always seemed to have.

"Where is Link? Still in the past?" She looked unconcerned, but not because she didn't care. She has major confidence in Link, just as nearly everyone did. "Yeah Grannie, he's still in the past. He's fighting the scale-y guy with fire for hair. He went into some portal after him and I thought it was best to bring Zel back here where it's safe. Oh, and Link said thanks for the info on Zel's soul and it absorbing into that Demon thing and stuff."

"He's fighting Demise, and yes, she would be safer here. All we can do now is wait my friend, please, sit. You may rest Her Grace beside you on the floor."

"Thanks Grannie." I gave her a smile and sat down; I put Zelda's head in my lap, she was so warm. Her eyes were still closed, yet I felt like her beautiful blue eyes were still watching me. Grannie looked at me and her wise eyes missed nothing.

"Something wrong, child?" Her eyes scrutinized my expression, I couldn't lie to the old girl, (even if I tried she would notice…) "I'm worried, I feel like something bad is going to happen…" (Zelda's body was starting to get colder, why would it be getting colder?) "That Sheikah girl asked me too. She said everything would be fine, but then she stopped me and told me that if you said to run, to do it without question and…" I stopped; something seemed off-more than usual-…how would the old girl know to tell me to run if something happened in the past? It didn't make sense. I was looking at Grannie's hands, and then noticed that bracelet. The one I dropped? But how….

"Grannie, how would you know if something bad happened in the past…and how did you get that bracelet?" My question carried a hint of curiosity mixed with suspicion as I pointed to her wrist. She seemed surprised and looked down at her wrist. She chuckled a little bit and looked up at me with an amused expression. Well, it seems that you've discovered me secret child. I am Impa, after Link defeats Demise, I stay in the past to watch over the temple. But of course I have aged quite a bit…you dropped the bracelet and I kept it up till now so I could return it to you and Her Grace."

"I dropped it on purpose, I wanted you to have something to remember Zelda by while she was gone…" She seemed to understand now. She got a look of recognition in her wise eyes.

"Ah…child, that was sweet of you." Her heartfelt words were flowing from her mouth. "It has given me many memories to cherish while I waited here. However, it was not yours to give, Groose." Now she had a chastising tone now and I knew she was about to reprimand me. "Well, she is…sleeping, and I didn't think she would mind…" I know my face had a sheepish look to it as I tried to stop her from chastising me more; I also hesitated before I said sleeping, she's more like she's …comatose.

"Ah well. It is best to return it, I have had it for many years now…here." She placed the bracelet back on Zelda's wrist. Just then, the Gate of Time opened and Link ran through…but Zelda hadn't woken yet. What the hell? He looked terrified and like he was about to past out. I stood up and pulled Zelda up with me.

"Link, what happened?" I was beginning to get afraid, dear goddesses, please tell me my feeling wasn't right.

Link

I ran like my life depended on it and it kinda did…when I arrived back in the present I saw Groose, the old lady, and Z…her body. "Link, what happened?" Groose was looking at me and near panic. He should be! I had failed…we were all going to be enslaved, at least that's what Ghirahim implied…I think…it's all my fault! "Link!" I was pulled from my thoughts by Groose who was still looking at me and desperately waiting for an answer. He was definitely scared now; I could see it in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Groose, I-I lost." Goddesses…it hurt to admit it out loud, especially to someone who was counting on me; it left a foul taste in my mouth and wouldn't go away. God; what have I done! I've doomed everyone I know and care about to slavery and/or death!

Groose was just staring at me. He seemed to be dumbstruck, just frozen in that shocked expression. His eyes were wide, mouth slightly ajar, and pupils dilated and staring straight ahead, not really seeing anything. Thankfully he still had enough awareness to not drop Zelda's body; which was looking pale, lifeless and…dead. I started to shiver in horror and fear as I looked at Zelda's lifeless body. Her golden locks were turning paler, her skin was getting whiter, and even though I couldn't see her eyes, I knew they must have been losing their color.

The old woman was shocked as well, but at least she hadn't completely frozen like Groose had. But she was also staring at me with her mouth agape…just as Groose was.

She talked to herself hysterically, "Oh, Dear Goddesses. All is lost. What will happen now…everyone is doomed." She then refocused and came back to herself. " Link, where is the Demon King? And his Lord? How did you escape?"

"Fi, she saved me. Demise and Ghirahim tried to capture me, but I escaped. I was running from them and they could show up at any second." Groose was coming out of the Deadpan he was in and now started to pay attention to the conversation. A few minutes have gone by since I ran; they actually should have already been here… " Well, they should have already been here, unless something stopped them…"

"Was Impa still there? She was when I left. She was injured and couldn't get up. She told me to go ahead with Zelda's body. Wait…" His expression dropped even more into shock and despair "does this mean Zelda is dead, like and not coming back?" That just now seemed to dawn on him. Was Impa still in the past? I don't remember seeing her, but I did run through there pretty fast…oh god no! Please don't tell me I'm responsible for another death! It was already too much.

And then I did something I haven't done since I was very young…I cried. Well I wouldn't call it crying, more like silent tears of despair rolled down my face and I sniffled a little; but it wasn't crying.

Was Impa the reason they weren't here? Was she somehow holding them off? Was she being tortured?

Or was she already dead?

"Link, she's so cold!" Groose was horrified. Well, he was holding the …corpse…of a girl we both dearly loved. He was crying, too. I walked over and touched her cheek; it was cold as ice. I began to shake as the reality set in. 'She was really gone. She's not coming back…' My breathe sped up and I felt the beginnings of hyperventilation starting.

But I was brought out of my panic by a strange sound.

"Ahg- ahh!" We were so distracted be Zelda's body that we hadn't notice the old woman fall to her knees in the middle of the temple. She had blood coming out of her mouth and she was gagging while she gripped her throat. I ran over and she tried to talk. She was trying to say something, but it was impossible to understand while her throat was full and she choked on her blood. We watched as her jaw broke on its own accord and clothing gained slashes in it, as did the skin beneath as whip marks appeared on her body, even though there was no one harming her. And finally, we watched as a long slit appeared on her throat.

"What's happening?! Grannie!" Groose was yelling and running over. He had laid Zelda's body on the piece of upraised stone in front of the Gate of Time.

"What is wrong with her Link?!" He was panicking

"I dunno Groose…it's like someone's torturing he." We were both on our hands and knees in front of her, trying to figure out what we should do, when she fell over onto Groose's lap; she landed facing up and as her eyes rolled into the back of her head she released her grip on her neck, and I looked closer at the thin slash at her throat. It wasn't very deep, but it was enough to kill her. How did…?

"How did her throat get slit and all of these other injuries?!" Groose was looking at the old woman in panic. "No one was around to harm her, we were both here!"

"I don't know Groose, but we have to do someth-" We both felt it at the same time. We were so close to her that we could feel her ragged breath as she struggled to breathe, but it had stopped. We both exchanged horrified looks and I reached down to her wrist.

She had no pulse. "She's gone Groose." I felt my heart break and the tears were threatening to break out again. I had killed many Bokoblins, I had watched them die. But they were the enemy and had quick deaths by my hand. It was different when Zelda died, she felt pain, but she was unconscious and didn't know she was dying. I had heard about death in skyloft, too. But I had never known anyone who died, I never knew my parents, and no one I was close to had ever died.

This was the first time anyone innocent had died, and she was in my arms. The only positive thing I could think right now is 'At least it isn't my fault'. Groose was different, he had seen death before.

( His mom died during his birth, but his dad died when he was 5; they were riding his dad's loftwing and they crashed into a floating island, a knight caught Groose, but it was too late for his dad.)

"Groose, I'm so sorry. I don't know how this could have happened." I was sorry. But I can't be held responsible for this; I hadn't done anything that could have caused this to happen.

"It's okay… I-" He suddenly got a "something just clicked in my head" look. "Link, what would happen, say, someone went into the past and killed you…how would it affect you in present time?"

"I guess you would die, but what does that have to do with this?" He looked at me and the words he said sent horror and grief straight into my core, all the way to my already aching soul.

"You left Impa in the past…and while you were gone, Grannie told me that she was Impa. Her young self stays in the past and she aged…she was Impa, just older…" He was staring at me the whole time he said this, his expression holding a diverse mix of shock, sympathy, pity, fear, horror, and grief.

So… this was my fault. My mind cruelly kept repeating those first few words in my mind, 'You left Impa…You left Impa...' it just kept repeating over and over again. Goddesses, why won't it stop! This can't all be my fault.

First Zelda, now Impa…how many more innocent people are going to die before I finally can't take it anymore? How long can I take this before I shatter?

Just then, old Impa's body disintegrated into smoke; just like all the other creatures of the surface did. No! She isn't just an animal! She deserves a proper burial, not to disappear like all the other creatures on the surface! She doesn't deserve to go the same way as the hideous and monstrous Demons go; she's better than a Bokoblin or Moblin. I pounded the floor with my fists, willing her body to come back.

"Groose" I spoke in a dead monotone, I didn't have the heart or the strength to put any emotion into my voice. "We need to go, they will be coming here soon." He was staring at the space where her body just was, and anger filled his eyes. Just because he had had loved ones die before, it doesn't make it any easier to accept it; especially when they die in your arms.

"I'm not going anywhere." He had a determined look on his face, but it wasn't in his eyes; they were just hollow and dead looking.

"Groose, please, just listen to-"

"NO!" He yelled at me and I saw more tears slip their way past his eyelids. He was distraught and I could tell he was hurting. So was I, but that doesn't mean I want him to stay here and die; I on the other hand, deserve no less than death…maybe worse.

But against my better judgment, all of the buried anger and sorrow I had pushed down erupted like a dam. I wouldn't take shit from Groose today, or any day; he's coming whether I have to drag him out and to a bird statue. I will not let another person die because of me. "GROOSE! WE HAVE TO GO! Unless you would rather stay here and die. Either way is fine by me 'cause you're coming no matter what you say!" In a rush all of the anger left me. " I don't want to lose you, too…" The last part I whispered, my voice filled with pain and fear. He instantly looked up and his hollow eyes filled with understanding, sympathy, and acceptance, but they still looked dead and lifeless.

"Okay, Link." He talked in a monotone. "I guess you're right, there is no point in staying here and being killed." He gave me a small smile, but there was still no emotion behind it, or any of his actions. "Especially when we can get revenge later…" The last part was so quiet and to himself that I don't think I was meant to hear it, but it did. It was so full of malice and violence that I didn't think was possible out of Groose.

We were just about to go out of the temple when we remembered Zelda's body; we looked at each other and I could tell we were thinking the same thing: 'How could we almost forget her body, I know we just had an emotional moment, but really?'

We turned back around to go and get her, and we stopped frozen with what we saw. Ghirahim was standing over Zelda's body with his foot placed on her abdomen and his arms crossed over his chest, a smug look plastered on his face. Demise was standing right beside him, looking amused at our expressions. How long have they been there?

"Well, pet" What the hell did he just call me?! "it seems you are just as unobservant as ever…I have to admit, it did fill my heart with rainbows as I watched you snivel and weep over that stupid sheikah women. Poor Grannie, serves her right for always being in my way!" Ghirahim was looking at me, but when he said "Poor Grannie" he was looking at …Groose.

I caught on to what he was trying to do a little too late. I wasn't fast enough to stop Groose from charging Ghirahim in his anger.

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