Amaterasu had asked a favor of Midoriko, and she was all too happy to oblige. Since Kagome was of a different world, there was no way for her to be born naturally in Hyrule. This posed an obstacle for the Gods, leaving them to come up with a plan. This is where Midoriko came in, acting as a chauffeur for the girl to get her to where she needed to be.
Midoriko smiled down at the babe in her arms who cooed at the woman happily. Who would've known the young priestess was such an adorable baby! Midoriko had never had children as a rule for her kind to remain pure and holy, but often she had seen the young babes and children during her travels and couldn't help but yearn for such a bond as that of a mother. She figured this would have to suffice as she tightened the swaddle and gently poked the baby's nose, eliciting a giggle. Kagome stared up at her with bright eyes the calm and cool color of blue steel, framed by dark ebony curls.
She sighed at the babe, looking up to see the looming gates of Hyrule castle. Their trip was coming to an end and Midoriko was sad to depart with the priestess. She had come to care greatly for the girl, watching her through the jewel and then acting as her surrogate mother when the Gods had teleported her to Hyrule with an infant Kagome in tow. It was chilly out so she'd swaddled the babe in her Kosode, wondering if it would be left behind when she was removed from this plane of existence or disappear along with her. Tucked safely into the Kosode was a scroll, detailing Kagome's part in the prophecy. After Midoriko delivered the infant to the castle it was up to its inhabitants to care for the girl, and whether they heeded the warning was unknown to her.
The guards didn't seem to notice her as she crept to the large double doors of the castle. She wondered why that was, but she didn't pay it any mind as she knocked at the doors. The moon was high in the sky, and she'd be lucky if anyone was even awake at this hour.
To her surprise a tall woman with short white hair and red eyes answered her call. She had her weapons at the ready, but quickly lowered them when a cry from Kagome reached her ears. The woman peered quizzically at the babe, then at the woman who held her. Midoriko gave her a sad smile.
"Greetings, ma'am. I come to you with a gift from the goddesses themselves. A young girl born of prophecy." She bowed her head and knelt to her knees. The woman stared at her with suspicion.
"A gift from the Goddesses? What could we need from a child?" She asked, wary of the odd-looking woman knelt in front of her. She didn't look like most Hylians, tall and slender with long bone straight black hair, and mysteriously light pink irises that held a faint glow. She'd guess that the woman and her child weren't from around here.
Midoriko locked gazes with the woman, who took notice of her round ears. "In time you will know. For now, I beg that you care for her and heed the warning of the scroll with her." Midoriko looked down at Kagome, placing a kiss on her forehead. Left behind from the kiss was the same marking Midoriko had, but much lighter and faint in color. This was her own parting gift to Kagome, a reminder of where she came from and who she was, the Shikon Miko. With reluctance she held the baby out to the woman who took her into her arms, befuddled. She rose to her feet.
"W-What's her name? Who is she?" She asked, looking over the child for any injuries. Midoriko smiled.
"Her name is Kagome, a powerful Priestess devoted to the Goddesses. Please, take care of her." Midoriko whispered and closed her eyes. When the woman looked back up at her, she was gone.
Impa gaped at the empty space where the mysterious woman was just standing, now vacant with no proof of her being there except the babe in her arms. Wind howled through the doors, and Impa ran out to see if the woman was there. She glared at the guards who looked at her quizzically.
"Guards! Did you see a strange woman?" Impa asked, annoyed that the men hadn't even budged. The guards, confused, scratched the backs of their necks.
"No? Nobody has come through here... Hey, where'd the kid come from?" One of the men asked. Impa scoffed, ignoring him, and retreated back into the castle, hurriedly making her way to Princess Zelda's chambers where her midwife was fast asleep. Impa shook her awake, the child in her arms beginning to fuss.
"Nan, wake up! We have a situation." She whispered, keeping her voice low as to avoid waking the sleeping Zelda. Nan, a plump, short older woman startled awake.
"What in the-" She started before being hushed. She immediately took notice of the baby in Impa's arms, her bright eyes regarding her curiously before she starts fussing once again. Understanding, Nan snatched the child, cradling her against her ample bosom. Without saying a word Nan makes her way around the chambers, gathering clothes, a bottle, a diaper, and a blanket.
Impa shakes her head at the woman, 'she could've let her hold the baby while she got everything ready'. Having gathered everything she deemed necessary, Nan gestured Impa to follow her to a neighboring room to avoid waking Zelda. Impa stood silently while Nan examined the child, taking the Kosode and setting it aside as she clothed the babe, swaddled her in a fresh plush blanket and began feeding her. In no time the babe fell asleep, and Nan set her aside in a spare crib. Impa sat next to the woman who gestured for her to explain what happened. Impa grabbed the Kosode, finding a scroll tucked inside of it. She set it aside to be read later.
"Well? Who is this child, where did she come from?" Nan asked.
"Her name is Kagome, and her... Mother, I'm guessing, got past the guards to knock at the doors. I couldn't sleep for some reason, and it was during my walk through the castle I heard her knocking." She paused, Nan watching her closely, completely invested in the story.
"She said something about a prophecy, and that the babe was a gift from the Goddesses, a priestess in fact." Nan gasped at this.
"Do you believe her?" She asked. Impa shrugged.
"I assumed she was a desperate citizen looking for a better life for her child, but. She looked nothing like anyone I've ever seen. Tall, dark hair, pink glowing eyes, and rounded ears. When I took the child into my arms and looked up, she was gone. The guards had never seen or heard her, she was nowhere to be found." Impa conveyed the disturbance she felt at the woman's disappearance, as if she was a ghost. Nan rubbed her own arms, chasing away the chill. Her eyes caught the scroll and she pointed to it.
"What does the scroll say?" She asked. Impa shook her head.
"I haven't read it. I imagine his Majesty will want to read it. The woman said it was a prophecy and a warning of evil to come. Surely our Lord will want to prepare for it, should he heeds its words."
Nan nodded in understanding. "His Majesty will be interested in such a tale, surely." She muttered. Impa agreed.
... Ten years later
Kagome groaned in exasperation as she was once more knocked to her backside. She glared at the woman laughing mischievously and scrambled back to her feet.
"Come on Kagome, you got this!" Came an encouraging cheer from beside her. Kagome grinned at the other girl, her cheers motivating her to try again. Impa waited patiently as Kagome stanced back up, her shield held in front of her and her practice sword readied at her side. With a nod to show she was ready, Impa threw down a smoke bomb, leaving Kagome to trust her other senses to anticipate where the next attack would come from. With a grunt she whirled to her left, deflecting a swift attack with her shield and stunning Impa with a whack of her sword. The smoke cleared and Zelda excitedly clapped and cheered for her friend.
"You did it Kagome!" She squealed. Kagome huffed, grinning victoriously. She had successfully guard countered her attacker, a move she'd been struggling with for weeks. Impa gave her an encouraging smile, dusting off her pants as she got back onto her feet.
"Well done Kagome. You've been improving greatly the past few weeks." She praised, eliciting a blush from the girl. Impa was worried Kagome's choice of fighting style would be too difficult, the girl going against her wishes of learning strictly the art of the Shiekah and wanting instead to fight as a Knight. After all, she was being raised as Zelda's personal Knight, so why shouldn't she fight as one, the girl had said to her. Impa couldn't argue with that, so they settled on a mixture of the two different fighting styles, and Kagome was a prodigy at only ten. She smiled fondly at the two young girls as they celebrated. She couldn't help but to remember that fateful night that brought her the child. The King had granted her approval to raise the child alongside Zelda, with the promise of raising the girl to serve Zelda faithfully, as a protector and as a friend. The girls had become attached at the hip instantly, and with the help of Nan, Impa raised the girl as her own.
Kagome had always known that she wasn't Impa's biological child, Impa had made sure to teach the girl what little she knew of her, which unfortunately wasn't much at all. Kagome had grown to be a strong-willed child with mysterious abilities that Impa assumed were her spiritual abilities, and with some guidance from other priests and priestesses across the Kingdom she had learned how to harness and grow her powers, though they were unlike anything anyone had seen before. Speaking of such, Impa was reminded of the prophecy. It seemed the two young girls had a difficult life ahead of them, and she had a feeling the beginning was fast approaching. Zelda had been having dreams, horrible visions of darkness and death, and yet the King foolishly continues to brush her off. Impa knew better and heeds the warnings the strange woman had given her years before, the scroll she entrusted to her, and now poor Zelda's terrible dreams.
She sighed, gazing at the girls from her spot in the courtyard when a green figure catches her attention. A young boy crept in the shadows, approaching the unaware duo who were peering into the Throne room through a window, unaware of the boys approach. Impa's eyes widened and her heart dropped as she spotted a fairy fluttering behind him. This was the boy from Zelda's dream! Then that meant they were running out of time. She slunk into the shadows, giving the three children the illusion that they were alone, and watched over them.
Kagome glared at the man she was spying on through the window. This was the man that was causing Zelda so much terror! She had half a mind to deal with the ugly man herself, but she knew she was far too young and weak to face him and would likely just get herself separated from Zelda. She shook her head, she couldn't allow that to happen so instead she settled with glaring at him through the safety of the window. Zelda sat beside her, worry in her eyes and Kagome grabbed her hand to comfort her, eliciting a grateful smile in response.
Behind them someone cleared their throat and Kagome jumped into action, coming between Zelda and the stranger. Seeing that it was a strange boy Kagome instinctually shoved him away with her shield and drew her practice sword. With a thud and a shout the boy toppled over, clutching his nose. A strange orb with wings fluttered angrily from behind him, getting up in Kagome's face.
"Hey! Why did you do that to Link?" The orb demanded. Kagome glared at it, ready to defend her Princess.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Kagome demanded back. The boy only groaned in response, lifting himself up off the ground. What was this girls problem? Zelda gasped and laid a hand on Kagome's shoulder, pulling her back.
They were unaware of the silent laughter of Impa watching from the shadows.
"It's you! The boy with the fairy!" Zelda shouted. Kagome looked at him in confusion. This little boy was the one Zelda was dreaming about? She didn't know all of the details about Zelda's dreams, but she knew a forest boy with a fairy was supposed to save the kingdom. Maybe Zelda was wrong, surely the boy she had just slammed into the ground was no hero.
Link glared at Kagome before addressing the Princess. Kagome huffed, still standing at her side protectively. She listened in as the two conversed, her eyes widening as she learned about the details of Zelda's dream.
Ganondorf, the first Gerudo born in one hundred years sought access to the Sacred Realms where he would find the Tri-Force, and with it he would rule the world, casting Hyrule into a permanent blanket of darkness and death, monsters would roam freely and the innocent people of all races would perish. In Zelda's dream two heroes would fight against Ganondorf, freeing the world of his reign and restoring order. One of those heroes was Link, but Zelda didn't say who the other hero was. Kagome assumed it was Zelda herself, after all she was the Princess. The Princess gave Link instructions on how to begin their saving of the lands, telling him he must find the other two Spiritual Stones so they could beat Ganondorf at his own game.
Having heard enough Impa made her presence known, slinking from the shadows and smirking down at the three children who appeared sheepish.
"I see you've made a friend Princess, Kagome. Care to introduce us?" She laughed. Zelda blushed and gestured to Link.
"Impa, this is Link, Link, this is Impa, my mentor and protector. Link is the boy from my dreams." Impa nodded gravely.
"I see. Well Link, I think it's time you take your departure from here. If the guards were to find you the consequences would be dire." She gestured for link to follow her. Kagome, still not completely trusting of the boy decided to follow along. Together her and Impa dodged the guards with Link in tow, leading him out to the field of Hyrule.
"Link, you have a very serious quest ahead of you. It would be best for you to start in my home village, the village of Kakariko to make your way to Death Mountain, home of the Gorons." She instructed. He nodded seriously. "Before you go I will teach you the song only the royal family knows. It will aid you on your quest." Impa took out her Ocarina, instructing Link to do the same. She played Zelda's Lullaby, her fingers nimbly flitting between notes as she swayed left and right. Kagome fought the sleepiness that came with it as the two played it together
"I will make my way there, then." He said. He'd eyed Kagome warily, his nose still hurt from her earlier assault on his face. Impa saw his look and hid a smile.
"Kagome, I believe you owe this boy an apology." She hinted. Kagome crossed her arms stubbornly.
"I was doing my job, Impa. It's not my fault he snuck up on us!" She argued. Impa gave her a stern glare.
"Be as it might, he held no ill intentions towards Princess Zelda. After all, he is the boy she enlisted to help us."
With a sigh Kagome begrudgingly approached Link and held out her hand. Confused Link put his hand in hers, grunting when she shook it roughly.
"I'm sorry for doing my duty to protect the Princess, Link. Next time don't sneak up on us." She offered a half-hearted apology to the boy who just stared at her blankly. Impa sighed. That was the best Kagome was going to offer up. With an apologetic smile Impa crouched to his level and whispered, leaving Kagome to stand awkwardly unable to hear them.
"One last thing, Link. Take this scroll with you. When the time is right you will know when to read it. Until then, keep it safe and hidden." At his nod she stood back up.
"Good luck on your travels Link. We will meet again." Kagome and Impa watched him walk away until he was out of sight, then returned to the castle.
Waiting for them back inside the courtyard was Zelda accompanied by Nan. They greeted them cheerfully, Zelda eager to reconnect with her friend who ran to her to hold her hand.
"Kagome, Nan made lunch. It's one of your favorites." The blonde girl sang. Kagome's eyes lit up in excitement.
"Cabbage soup?" She asked hopefully. At Zelda's nod the girls ran towards the dining room, leaving Impa and Nan behind. Impa sighed heavily, her eyes sad as she watched the girls forms disappear. Nan looked at her in concern.
"Did something happen, Impa?" She asked. Impa nodded and stopped, making sure the girls were out of earshot.
"It's time." She said simply. Nan gasped, her hand coming up to rest against her heart.
"Already? But they're still so young." Nan said, following Impa as she sat at a bench positioned out of earshot of any would be listeners.
"Indeed. Zelda's dreams have become more frequent, and the boy she's been having visions of came by just now. we must prepare the girls without letting them know what is to come."
"What do you need me to do?" The older woman was all too willing to help in anyway possible. Impa was a great friend of hers, and together they'd raised the two girls as if they were their own.
"Zelda must be hidden away, I sense a great evil swiftly approaching. I will take her and raise her under the lifestyle of the Shiekah, and though it pains me I cannot bring Kagome with me. She would be in too much danger if she were to come with me and Zelda which cannot happen, as you know she is also an integral part of the prophecy. I will be sending you two to my home village of Kakariko where you will raise her until she is fit to battle her foes." Nan looked away deep in thought at Impa's words.
"I understand. What do I need to prepare for?"
Impa shook her head. "To pack up and move. You will be settled into my old home where you will be accommodated for anything you and the girl may need, and I will keep in contact as much as I can." Nan nodded, understanding.
"How will I know when she is ready? How long will it take?" At Nan's question Impa sighed.
"Only the Goddesses will know, Nan. Surely they will send a sign."
Nan gave a hearty laugh. "You know, none of this was part of my job description." She joked and her and Impa shared a laugh.
"Nan! We're hungry!" Came an impatient shout, and Nan and Impa rolled their eyes, making their way to the girls who waited for them.
...A week later...
Kagome sat silently in the royal garden, eyes closed and her hands clasped in prayer. Before her stood a statue depicting the three Goddesses, Din, Farore, and Nayru. It took all of her effort to quiet her mind so she could reach out to the goddesses with her spirit to call forth the gifts bestowed upon her.
"Kagome, stop shaking your foot." Came a stern reprimand. Kagome groaned, rolling her eyes and flopping onto her back.
"I can't do it!" She huffed. Her mentor, a plump old graying man garbed in orange ritualistic robes smacked her gently with a stick forcing her to jump up and straighten her back. Muffled giggles sounded behind her and she turned to stick her tongue out at Zelda who sat next to Impa, observing her studies.
"The Goddesses blessed you with a gift given to few others, you will do it, young priestess." Her mentor scolded. Kagome's shoulders slumped. She never asked for these gifts or special attention from the Goddesses. "Now, again. Close your eyes, clear your mind, and envision the Goddesses erecting a protective barrier around you. Even a baby could do it."
With another argumentative mumble Kagome did as he said. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, clearing her mind as the air left her lungs.
In the blank void of her mind Kagome envisioned the Goddesses conjuring a dome of energy around her, the power crackling softly around her. It was pink in color and had a distinct scent Kagome couldn't name, like the smell of heat or lightning.
Kagome's eyes snapped open to the sound of a quiet gasp. Her vision was clouded with a pink mist though she could still see the statue and her mentor in front of her.
"Very good Kagome! Now try shaping the barrier. Or transferring its energy." Her mentor instructed.
With her brow furrowed in concentration Kagome envisioned the barrier returning to her hand and forming into the shape of a shield. She felt a tug deep in her chest and the light shimmered, morphing into a triangular shield. She grinned in delight, she'd never been able to do this.
The priest nodded in approval. His pupil was learning and advancing in her studies, despite her distaste at practicing her talents. Impa watched on in pride as the girl slipped into her defensive posture, pretending to block blows with the shimmering shield of light.
"Beautiful. Now, another role of a priest, or priestess, is to heal the followers of the Goddesses should they come to you sick or injured." He paused, withdrawing a blade and slicing the palm of his hand. Not a severe wound but enough to make blood bead and trickle down his palm. Kagome gasped.
"How do I even start?" She asked.
"Imagine the light flowing through the wound, much like flowing water, and when the water flows it knits the wound closed, back to its normal state."
Kagome bit her lip anxiously. Unsure of her ability to heal she grabbed the priests hand and closed her eyes.
Shimmering pink water flowing through a dry and dead creek bed, the water bringing forth relief from the drought and healing the land, and when the water left all that remains is lush green grass and wildflowers.
She anxiously cracked an eye open, feeling a warmth spread from her chest to flow down from her hand and transferring to the wound. Before her eyes the wound disappeared from view and the priest smiled, squeezing his hand closed to demonstrate that his wound was in fact gone.
"I did it." She whispered in wonder. It'd taken her a long time to be able to summon her powers at will, and it felt great to see that she had been in fact improving.
"Kagome that was amazing!" Zelda shouted, catching the other girl in an embrace. Kagome laughed in response and hugged her back excitedly.
Impa and the priest smiled at the scene. The two girls were adorable in their celebrations, always cheering each other on and acting as an encouraging force.
Their celebration was cut short as suddenly the world grew dark. In the sky dark clouds roiled in, blotting out the sun at an unnatural speed. They looked up in fear, there wasn't a cloud in the sky just moments ago and in the matter of seconds the sun was gone, leaving them lost in the shadows. Guards and the inhabitants of the royal grounds scrambled to light the torches, slowly lighting the way from the garden to the castle so Zelda, Kagome, and Impa could retreat safely. As they approached the doors they could hear the sounds of fighting coming from the Throne room where Zelda's father was sure to be residing.
Zelda called out to father to be silenced quickly by Impa.
"Zelda, do not call attention to yourself. Come, we must find Nan and escape as soon as possible!" She commanded. Kagome latched onto Zelda's hand, terrified. Behind them screams rang out and the wet sound of metal slicing through flesh followed them as they sprinted to their chambers where Nan already had their bags ready to go, having heard the start of the battle in the Throne room.
The four women grabbed what they could hold without encumbering themselves and made their escape as the throne room doors slammed open. Ganondorf stood in the doorway, blood spattered on his dark armor.
"Stop!" He shouted at the four retreating women who paid him no mind. He growled and took chase. He thrust his arm out in front of him, and from the tiles of the castle floor broke out a shadow that morphed into a hideous mockery of a wolf. With a flick of his wrist he sent the shadow after the women.
They reached the stables, Impa throwing Zelda and her bags onto a white horse before helping Nan onto another, placing Kagome behind her. As shadow beings approached them Impa mounted her horse with Zelda tucked safely in front of her. "Go!" She shouted, kicking her horse into a furious gallop with Nan following closely behind her.
As they raced through the kingdom they witnessed the shadows coming to life, tearing into the citizens who screamed and fought back with what they could. Kagome watched on in horror as a shadow ripped through the town baker, his screams cutting off into a gurgle as he fell. Impa shouted for the drawbridge to come down, and as it was hastily lowered Ganondorf came into view, his shadowy steed gaining speed until he was so close Kagome could see herself reflected in Ganondorf's dark red eyes. Ganondorf raised his massive sword intending to slice through her and Nan.
As the sword came down Kagome felt like time slowed. She felt as though she could reach out and touch the blade as it made its descent towards her face. With a shrill scream she thrust her hand out and in an instant Ganondorf was thrown back by a ball of light, his steed left paralyzed as Kagome's powers wrapped around its hooves tripping it and causing it to fizzle away in a puff of smokey shadows. Ganondorf was knocked out long enough for them to get far enough away it would be impossible for their assailants to catch up to them. Zelda caught sight of the fairy boy who watched dumbstruck as they made their escape. In a last second decision Zelda threw her Ocarina of Time at the moat, knowing Link would find it and know what to do with it.
They rode hard and fast until Kagome noticed Impa and Zelda were no longer beside them, instead they were riding in the opposite direction of Nan and herself.
"Zelda!" Kagome cried out uselessly. Nan laid a comforting hand on Kagome's. She looked behind her with a sad expression.
"They must journey separately from us for a while, Kagome. Fret naught, you will see them again." She soothed the girl. They had a little while left to go before they arrived in the village of Kakariko.
Kagome buried her face in Nan's back, soaking her dress with her tears. She couldn't understand what was happening, and why it was happening to her. Where was she going, and why couldn't Zelda and Impa come with? Still clutching tightly onto Nan she cried until eventually she fell asleep, the rhythmic gait of the horse under her lulling her to sleep.
AN:
A bit of a lengthy chapter filled with lots of interesting stuff. I wanted to build a bit of backstory before thrusting Kagome straight into the trauma lol.
Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I genuinely did not believe anyone would read this since it's such a niche and odd crossover with only 32 other stories (that I know of) written about it.
Some answers: No, Link and Kagome will not have an Inuyasha/Kagome type of relationship, Link is way too wholesome to treat her like Inuyasha. However that doesn't mean it's going to be an easy peasy love story, they'll have their own share of difficulties and bumps.
Yes this fic is mostly based off of the events of Ocarina Of Time, I say loosely because it's been about 13 years since I've played it and I definitely don't remember everything. I'm going to be taking a lot of creative freedom and inspiration from the other games, and adding a bit of my own rules/interactions/quests etc-you get it.
If you have any suggestions or things you'd like to see I'd love to hear them! Again thank you so much for reading 3