Ocarina of Time Chapter 45

 

Chapter 45
The Last Sheikah

"Never forget who you are, Zelda Elanna Nohansen."

Zelda closed her eyes as she recalled her last conversation with Impa. She took a breath, fighting back the urge to sob. Grief clenched like an icy fist around her heart as she thought of the woman who was like a mother to her. Impa. She meant everything to Zelda, and now, she was gone.

No, Zelda thought, a part of her screaming in denial at the truth she desperately wanted to deny. She can't be dead.

She clenched her fingers around the piece of paper in her hand. The parchment contained a message: Impa's final note. It told her what happened the night the village was raided, and how to proceed should Impa fail to contain the evil within the Shadow Temple.

Zelda bowed her head, struggling to keep hold of her emotions. Normally, she would have retreated to meditate rather than risk being seen in this state, but she'd tried that.

They were so close.

All Zelda had to do was find the last Sage with Link's help. Then, they could prepare their final strike. Only the Shadow Medallion was needed, the same amulet that Zelda had entrusted to Halvard's care. The other medallions were in Zelda's possession; during her brief trip back to the Desert Colossus, she had retrieved Nabooru's amulet shortly after the woman went to the Sacred Realm.

When Zelda returned from her short debrief, the Zora gave her Ruto's medallion along with their condolences on Impa's death. A part of her still refused to believe Impa was dead. Try as she might, Zelda couldn't deny the truth; the escape of the Shadow Demon, the Necromancer, only meant one thing- Impa was gone. She would have done everything within her power to stop the Necromancer from leaving his prison.

Impa's letter explained that she'd gone to the Shadow Temple. Before Kakariko could rally and fight back, the Necromancer managed to kidnap almost half of the village's inhabitants.

After her debrief with their commander, the few remaining members of the Queen's Banner who knew Impa had offered Zelda their condolences, but she barely heard them. To them, veiled in her Sheikan disguise, Zelda was just Impa's student, and her eventual successor as the leader of the Sheikah clan- except there were no Sheikah left. Zelda- or rather Sheik- was the last remaining member of Impa's ancient clan.

Halvard might have taken Impa's position, however doubtful that might have been, but the last anyone had seen of him was when he'd arrived and taken off to the Shadow Temple to find Impa.  When he failed to return, the commander of the Queen's Banner sent some of his men after him. Now, they too were amongst the missing.

Goddesses, we were so close.

Of course, Zelda would tell Link what happened when he finally woke up, but she considered leaving out the fact that Impa and Halvard were presumed dead. She couldn't have the boy hero acting like a scared hound. In fact, she hoped he was over that. She couldn't blame Link under the circumstances. Forced to witness and endure horrors no child should suffer, he'd been robbed of his childhood. The very though made Zelda sick with guilt. It was partly because of her that Link would bear more scars than the ones maring his flesh. She had destroyed his life.

He's not a boy anymore, Zelda reminded herself. He's a man, one of the last of your kin, and the Hero of Time.

Rauru was her only other kinsman, but illegitimate as he was, nobody recognized him as a member of the royal household. Of those who knew of his true identity, only Zelda and Halvard remained. It was very unlikely that Rauru would ever agree to the idea of being recognized as the rightful heir of Hyrule's crown. Though he'd argue that his past was well behind him, Zelda was certain that the memory of how he'd been treated by the Royal Family still pained him. He had essentially been swept aside, an embarrassment to be kept out of the eyes of the court lest he shame the Nohansen name. In a way, keeping out of the court's scrutiny had kept him alive.

There was one other person who could take the throne should Zelda fail, and she was far away. It had been a year since Zelda had last seen her. It was painful, but Zelda knew she had to keep her as far from her own thoughts as possible. If Ganondorf ever found out...

Zelda's chest tightened, sharp daggers digging deeper into her core. The memories of what she saw inside the Spirit Temple weren't helping. Was this the legacy she'd leave? Naught but a shattered kingdom forever lost in a great cataclysm? Zelda closed her eyes and took a long breath, imagining a candle flame. Feeling her heartbeat slow, she opened her eyes again, beholding a scene of desperation. Along Kakariko's wall, banners fluttered in a wind that carried the scent of ash and burning flesh.

It had been a long night for the armies sprawled across Hyrule Field. The undead had struck there as well, spreading panic, destroying supplies, burning tents, and slaying scores of soldiers. It was bedlam; nobody expected an attack to come from inside of their camp's confines.

Zelda sighed. She wasn't going to find any solace here. Eventually, somebody was going to wonder if she was ill. Her gaze wandered to the path towards the graveyard, a part of her clinging to the slim hope that Impa would appear at any moment. She'd even be happy to see Halvard, despite the misgivings she had about him.

If it hadn't been for Impa's reassurance, she would never have trusted the man. His fascination with malevolent and powerful objects was both troubling and an invitation for disaster.

Zelda looked out at the black tower, and then at the armies spread throughout the valley. The banners continued to flutter, bearing the Nine Kingdoms' colours and sigils. Seven of those armies would ride out to surround Castletown in the evening, their sorcerers still hoping to break the barrier protecting the fallen city.

The nearest tent to Kakariko bore a banner with a red lion and a phoenix emblazoned upon its blue fabric: the House sigils of Harkinian and Nohansen. Further afield, flags of grey and white marked the Mithiran's camp. Griffins, naught but pinpricks from Zelda's vantage point,  were led through the camp by their keepers. 

Zelda's eyes strayed to another tent where a steady stream of healers came and went. She admired them- they hadn't slept much the last two days, yet they kept going as best they could to aid the wounded. She'd taken a moment to visit them and wander in their midst, her heart aching as people wondered where the queen was. She knew some of them considered her a coward for hiding. It took all her strength to keep quiet and her face straight as she walked by with an air of feigned confidence.

Your queen has not forgotten you. She is closer than you know.

Zelda was not yet queen, but that hadn't stopped the people of Hyrule from calling her that. Nearly everyone believed she was living her days in exile, though they could not decide on where. Zelda wished she could remove her mask, to be rid of this veil and not be burdened by walking amongst shadows and secrecy. It would be foolish, especially since she had managed to stay hidden this long. The two witches might have figured out her secret, but they weren't alive anymore. Revealing herself would invite any of Ganondorf's hired assassins to kill her or use a portal stone to carry her into the usurper's hands.

She surveyed the men on the wall, her expression grim. Everyone was tense, wary eyes directed at the sky or towards the distant horizon. Once the sun sank beneath the western mountains, the dead would stir again. Already, many people had fled into the woods' protected confines. They were well away from the Kokiri's groves, which was fortunate, for the forest guardians protected their ancient groves fiercely. Despite reassurances from the Great Deku Tree's descendant, Zelda still worried that something might invoke their wrath. She didn't need that on top of the problems she already faced, and that was without taking into account the ramifications of her alliance with the Gerudo.

Earlier that morning, Aveil's emissary had arrived as promised, bearing white flags and flanked by a large escort. Zelda had been surprised by their promptness, not expecting them to have already received Aveil's message. Yet, they'd come, seeking a meeting with Zelda's council. Their emissary was nearly thrown into a cell, but Zelda managed to step in before that could result in a diplomatic incident. Instead, she'd had them escorted to a tent where the Queen's Council assembled. She was the only one who wasn't surprised by the Gerudo's request for an alliance; the rest of the council was a different matter.

"An alliance?" Toru sputtered. It was a wonder he didn't swear.

The reactions from the six council members, including General Toru, were not surprising. Zelda knew Ganondorf tricked his people, but this was unlikely to elicit any sympathy from her council or any of the nobles within the alliance's army.

She past the letter bearing Aveil's own signature around the table, watching as each council member read it. Their expressions quickly turned sour, and everyone began speaking at once. They argued and mentions of treason and heresy quickly went flying.

Predictable, Zelda thought.

Only the Gerudo emissary remained quiet, sipping a cup of tea and looking calm and controlled. This only seemed to annoy several of the lords even further, but the emissary maintained her composure.

When several council members rounded on her, declaring that she did not speak for the queen, Zelda felt her temper flare. The emissary met her eyes, lips twitching ever so slightly in what Zelda assumed was sympathy.

"We could have spoken one on one," the woman seemed to say, fingers tapping lightly on the table. "It would've been so much easier."

Of course, surrounded by a bunch of jabbering lords, that wasn't an option.

"Heresy," one lord cried. "Our queen would be turning in her grave!"

I am your queen, you lummox! Zelda thought irritably, growing impatient with this display. A less patient woman, and one with no measure of decorum, probably would've resorted to slapping the man for that insult. Unfortunately, the future queen of Hyrule could not resort to such behaviour, certainly not while disguised.

And the bickering went on.

"This is madness!" another man decried. "Have you taken leave of your senses? Did you forget that it was the Gerudo who murdered King Nohansen and his family? You insult their memory, Sheikah."

That comment struck a savage blow, more than the last, and Zelda almost blanched. Her cold stare burned holes in the man's coat, and he swallowed, realizing his error. Toru looked livid, and the Gerudo emissary, Farida, was staring at the offending lord with keen interest. Goddesses, that woman could've been watching a theatre performance for all the concern she showed!

Her eyes met Zelda's again, and yes, there was definitely a small sympathetic smile this time.

"The Gerudo were not acting of their own free will, Lord Fenn," Zelda said flatly, stopping short of letting a little menace creep into her tone. There was a flurry of discontented murmurs, and yet Zelda ignored them. Now her voice was deadly calm. "You would do well to remember that it was Nohansen's desire to seek peace with his enemies. To deny them this chance would be an insult to his memory!"

"Also, be a fine chance for them to stick a knife in us while we're sleeping," somebody else muttered.

Zelda ignored him too, her eyes fixed on Fenn. She'd deal with the other offending lord later. Did her father have to put up with this? No. Probably not.

"Please," Fenn scoffed. "The Gerudo were brainwashed? So you told us, but that doesn't change what they did!" he gestured at Farida, who just stared flatly.

"You're right," Zelda agreed, earning a wary glance from Farida. "It doesn't change what happened, but given the circumstances, they deserve a chance to help us. We need their help if we're to win this. Otherwise, Ganondorf will pick us off one by one. He is still capable of that, as you have learned these past few nights."

"My... lady," Lord Fenn managed, sounding as he'd swallowed a lemon. "This alliance is a mistake, and it will cost us dearly. You must consult with the other monarchs. We need their resources far more than we need the help of these butcherers!"

He gestured to Farida, whose lips were now a thin line.

"Throw her in chains!" someone cried.

"Make an example of her!" another yelled. The sheer vehemence in those words, the utter delight at the prospect of yet more bloodshed made Zelda cold, but that was nothing to the chorus of agreement that met those words.

"You call our guest a butcherer, and then, in the same breath, you suggest I butcher her?" Zelda asked coldly. "She is under the protection of the royal house, and unless you would dishonor the queen you so claim to follow, you will not lay a finger on her!"

Farida watched her, expression still guarded.

"Do I make myself clear?" Zelda demanded, raising her voice. The lords just stared at her, surprised by the ferocity of this diminutive girl.

"Who put her in charge?" somebody asked, but nobody answered, because Toru was looking at the offending man with an expression close to murder.

"You've been unusually quiet, Toru," Lord Fenn said in the brief silence that followed those words. "What do you think of this sham?"

Toru's face was grim. There were dark shadows beneath his bloodshot eyes, and he sounded exhausted. He wore the colours of the Queen's Banner with the red lion emblazoned on his breastplate. His armour was in an abysmal state, marred with dents and scratches.

"We face a fight on multiple fronts. We could do with a few more spears and one less foe to contend with."

"Don't tell me you agree with this load of moblin trash. An alliance with these heathens?" Lord Fenn rasped, gesturing at Farida who bristled like an angry cat.

It was a good thing, Zelda thought, that she had ordered the majority of Farida's guards to remain outside. Otherwise, things might have turned nasty. She was about to reprimand Lord Fenn when, to her surprise, somebody beat her to it.

"You would all do well to remember that with the untimely loss of Lady Impa, Sheik speaks for the queen," Toru said, his voice calm but threatening. He pointed at a letter on the table, supposedly written by Zelda and delivered to Sheik. Zelda would have laughed if someone had accused her of forging the queen's letter. "If she chooses to accept the Gerudo's request, then so do I, and in time, I believe we can make the other monarchs agree as well."

Zelda tilted her head, uncomfortable with how close Toru came to revealing her secret. Only he knew who she was, and to the rest, she was just Zelda's advisor. Nobody else seemed bothered by her, and instead, they proceeded to bicker amongst each other.

When the bickering finally came to a close, almost the entire council consented to the alliance. Some took their time adding their signatures to Zelda's own, hesitant when quills touched the parchment. When it was Fenn's turn to add his signature, he refused to give it. Instead, he denounced Zelda's proclamation of a peace treaty as both reckless and outrageous, before storming out of the tent.

Farida rode away with her escort, along with some of Impa's own guard, bearing the terms of Zelda's treaty.

When that arduous meeting finally came to a close, Zelda left the tent and went to the Dancing Goron Inn. The building looked disheveled these days, with paint peeling from shuttered windows and dust accumulating on the walls. Link was only beginning to stir hours after the Necromancer had attacked him, so Zelda left him in the care of three people who knew him well enough and slipped away to get some privacy.

As was often her luck, that was not about to happen. Perhaps, she reflected, she would've better of playing the Minuet of the Forest and slipping away into the Lost Woods.

She saw Toru walking towards her. The sentries, some of whom were nodding off to sleep, stood erect, saluting him as he walked by.

"I wasn't sleeping, sir," one man announced. "I was just resting my eyes a little."

"You'll get all the rest you want if something sticks an arrow in you," Toru growled. "You're not the only one who'd rather be elsewhere right now, but we all have tasks to do and that includes you."

"Of course, sir," the man stammered apologetically. "It won't happen again."

"Good." Apparently satisfied, Toru continued his steady stride towards Zelda. "My Lady, I've been looking for you. You're near impossible to find at the best of times, you know that?"

"You have something for me?" Zelda asked pensively.

"There is news from the company I sent into the Shadow Temple-"

That immediately got Zelda's attention. Her eyes met his, and she knew from his haggard and drained expression that it wasn't good news.

"What is it?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"One of the men returned from the necropolis..." Toru admitted, his voice grave. "I don't know what happened to him, but he was babbling like a madman." Toru shook his head as if unable to believe what he said. "He didn't want anyone near him, and just about took out one man when they tried getting his knife off of him."

"Was anyone else hurt?"

"No. We knocked him out-"

Zelda shot him a questioning glare.

"We didn't injure him," Toru continued. "Well, not permanently. Bloody ashes, the man has seen some horrible things in the last few years, but to lose it like that... The look in his eyes could've frightened a ReDead! He was yelling something about disembodied hands trying to strangle him."

Disembodied hands? In a land that was crawling with the strange and otherworldly, this did not disturb Zelda nearly as much as it should have. Still, she had a few ideas as to what the offending creatures might be, none of them pleasant.

"Where is he now?" she asked.

"With the healers. I doubt there's much they can do. We tried questioning him, but got nothing out of him."

Silence fell as they stared towards the black tower in the distance. There was a translucent, dome-like barrier surrounding the structure, which shimmered and rippled like water. Dozens of mages were working to try and dispel it; they worked in shifts so that nobody killed themselves from drawing too much magic. So far, nothing they did worked.

"If you don't mind me asking," Toru asked. Zelda didn't mind him dropping formalities so long as nobody else was in earshot. "What the flamin' hell are the Sheikah keeping inside that temple?"

"I don't know," Zelda said.

She knew it was nothing pleasant. Impa never spoke of what was inside and avoided most of Zelda's questions in a way that was unlike her.  Zelda sensed a tinge of fear in her mentor's voice whenever the Shadow Temple was mentioned. If Impa was frightened by it, Zelda shuddered to think what other evils it held beside the Necromancer. Even before Hyrule fell, there were few records within Hyrule's libraries on the Sheikah or the Shadow Temple. Somebody, or rather something, had destroyed every single volume and scroll detailing the last three hundred years of Sheikan history. She did know that the Shadow Temple had once been known by a different name. The Necromancer had turned it into a prison to both humiliate and discourage the rebel Sheikah. Few who went inside, save the wardens, were ever heard from again. Those that did were given over to their kin who quickly realised that something was horribly wrong.

It was a cruel and brutal act: the freed prisoners were devoid of everything that made them who they were. They didn't recognize their family, not even their own children, and appeared completely insane. Many chose to slay the Necromancer's victims rather than let them suffer, while others cast them onto the streets where they either starved or died from exposure. The rebel Sheikah's morale suffered a devastating blow, and it nearly crushed them. In the end, the prison's creator became the imprisoned. Impa didn't think the Necromancer had always been evil, something... possibly even experimenting with Shadow magic, had corrupted him.

"Doesn't seem like a wise move going down there without knowing what you're up against, if you don't mind my saying so," Toru commented. "If the legends are true-"

"There isn't much of a choice," Zelda said quietly. "The blessing of Nayru will protect me."

She glanced down at her hand absentmindedly, as the scar, the mark of the Goddesses, tingled. Given the proximity to one of its two counterparts, she wasn't surprised by the slight discomfort.

"Aye, so you've said," Toru remarked. "Forgive me if I do not share your faith in the Goddesses, my Queen. Despite the people's pleas for their blessings, they haven't exactly stopped Ganondorf from trying to wipe Hyrule off the map." He gestured towards the distant barrier impeding the way to Ganondorf's tower. "We have no idea what is waiting for us beyond those walls, nor how to get that barrier down."

Zelda knew Toru was not a particularly religious man, nor did she blame him. He had lost almost everything, as had so many of his countrymen. He wouldn't take kindly to any sympathetic words, so she tilted her head and listened. When Zelda didn't respond, Toru sighed, looking more tired than she had ever seen him.

The Goddesses hadn't abandoned them, or so Zelda willed herself to believe, but their aid came at a terrible price for those who wielded their power. Some called it a curse, no doubt inspired by old tales of a demon who long ago began the wretched cycle to which Link, herself, and Ganondorf were bound.

"I guess I'm not talking you out of this madness," Toru said, pitch gruff. Zelda didn't mind his tone. "Damn it, what if something happens to you in there? I have no doubt Impa will kill me in whatever afterlife awaits us." He bowed his head, face sombre. "You really think she's gone?"

Zelda never doubted her mentor's ability to survive; Impa had lived through two wars before this one: the Sheikah Schism and the Gerudo Rebellion, two events which had boiled over into the Hundred Year War. "As much as I don't want to believe it," Zelda said, fighting to keep any emotion out of her voice. "I don't think the Necromancer would have kept her alive. She rebelled against him and sealed him in the Shadow Temple, after all." The words left a bitter taste on her tongue. It was almost as if Zelda was admitting the very truth she fought so hard to deny.

"I'm sorry," Toru said, his voice quiet.

"As am I," Zelda replied. She fought against the feelings constricting around her chest, breathing becoming difficult.

Toru's arm twitched, as though about to place a comforting hand on her, but he thought better of it. It would not be proper etiquette to do so, not that it really mattered when she was clothed in her Sheikhan garbs.

"I must check on Link. Hopefully, he is awake now," Zelda announced pleasantly. "I don't intend to wait much longer before entering the temple."

"Be careful," Toru told her.

"Always."

Zelda looked back at the sun, which was nearly reaching its zenith.

Link better be awake now. If he wasn't, Zelda would find some means of getting him out of bed. The undead would return at nightfall, and unless they were stopped soon, the final strike on Ganondorf's tower would be over before it even began.

She left the wall, wandering amongst the houses towards the Dancing Goron Inn. People watched her from windows, many eyeing her with fear. They blamed the Sheikah for the trials they had suffered the last two nights, and for the kidnapping of over half the village. A few confident souls strayed out from their homes, begging for news regarding their loved ones. Zelda's heart ached as she heard their desperate pleas; it pained her deeply to usher them away. It pained her even more to maintain a cold and stoic exterior, which earned her a fair share of angry and hurt looks.

I can't falter now.

As she approached the stables, Zelda's heart lifted at the sight of a familiar horse with a rust-coloured coat and silver mane. Her tail looked like it had been docked. She couldn't recall how it had gotten so badly scorched in the first place.

"Epona!" Zelda exclaimed. "Where'd you come from?"

Epona buzzed her lips and neighed in recognition. Link's mare hadn't been seen since last night. Zelda was half afraid he might insist on looking for her before venturing into the Shadow Temple. She barely noticed the lanky man with the greasy moustache leaning against a pitchfork, a pair of small beady-eyes watching her.

She glanced down the road. The streets were almost empty, except for one person coming out the door of Impa's house. Zelda looked at Epona and then did a double-take.

Someone was leaving Impa's house. Zelda caught a glimpse of them before they took off down the road, slipping around the corner of a building. In that fleeting glance, she recognized who it was, and her mind reeled with confusion.

There was no mistake, for she would have recognized that figure in his trademark tunic anywhere. He carried a sack, but that wasn't the detail she caught most of all.

A chill ran through her.

There was no doubt about it; the tunic was the exact same design as Link's. There was just one difference.

It was jet black.

Next Chapter

Reviews

SunPraiser31 chapter 46 . Mar 13, 2017 I really liked this chapter. Seeing things through Zelda's eyes for the first time in a while puts a lot of things into perspective with all that she's had to deal with over the last seven years. Seeing her try to cope with Impa's loss is hard. As I said in my last review, great job on the characterization. Zelda is less of a blank slate than Link, but that doesn't make it less impressive. And now it seems Dark Link is back. Because they didn't have enough to worry about already.

HelixHero chapter 46 . Sep 8, 2015 Best. Cliffhanger. Ever.

Lord Darth Yoda chapter 46 . Jul 4, 2015 Nice calm before the storm. I like seeing Zeldas thoughts here, she's got so much on her mind it's almost suffocating in a way. I enjoyed Zelda wanting her identity in everybody's face, hope she gets a chance to in the end.

Shaveza chapter 46 . Jul 3, 2015 And things go from terrible to horrible in very short order before night even falls...I'd been so hoping Dark Link had been seen the last of... It was nice to get a little Zelda-time though and see some of her perspective on things. I see you over there, Ingo. I wonder if Malon was one of those taken...