Work Text:
The sky was black. Not the soft midnight blue of the night sky. Nor the silent yet peaceful darkness of the early morning before the sun rose. No, here the sky was pitch in the midafternoon. Lightning flashed, and the world was seen in horror for a blink of a moment before being shadowed again.
Chaos was all around. Soldiers yelling out, citizens looking out in terror before racing for their homes, a voice yelling out that they must hurry. A figure stood at the head of it all, darkness his armor and cruelty his weapon. There was only a glimpse of him. Menacing and deadly.
There was a pull and a shift and a screech of a horse at the flash of light and the roaring of thunder. It mixed with the galloping of a chase that only grew in intensity as a home grew distant.
A flash of green, a toss of a sacred treasure, an echo of a haunting laugh.
And then she was awake.
* * *
Zelda arose with a gasp. She clutched at her chest, desperate for breath to fill her lungs and release her from the nightmare. Visions of evil and terror of long past slowly crept away from the forefront of her mind. The erratic rise and fall of her chest evened out and she gained her bearings once more. It was midmorning. Birds were bright in their morrow song tale and the quiet bustle of life was heard outside the window of her room. She was not a child. She was not running for her life. She was safe, just as she had been these past seven years.
A knock roused her from her thoughts and a voice called out, “Sheik, breakfast is ready. Hurry, we have things to do.” It was Impa, ever the dutiful friend and attendant. The woman didn’t wait for her to respond and left.
With a huff and a groan, Zelda pulled herself out of bed and began readying for the day. In the past, she would have had a handful of handmaidens help her dress. They would talk about the excitement within the castle, telling her of any new gossip. Impa would scold them for their chatter but the princess always loved hearing it. Hands of care and love would adjust her dress and fix her head covering so it did not irritate her ears.
“Oh you’re just beaming, Princess!”
“There is no girl more beautiful than you, Your Highness.”
“Here Princess, I snuck in the kitchens and got you an extra honey candy. I know they’re your favorite.”
Now the only hands that helped were her own.
The garb of the Sheikah, once an uncomfortable outfit, was now her second skin. Transitioning from exclusively wearing dresses to trousers and then leggings had been a bizarre experience. Having her legs exposed had been a slow process of getting used to. Impa was insistent though that her identity would remain hidden and that meant changing into something that a princess wasn’t. Including a changing of name. Sheik, a survivor of the Sheikah, a protector of the royal family. She laughed to herself about it now, but the change had been mortifying at ten.
Zelda pulled her hair up into its tight braid and hung her long scarf loose around her neck. She looked over herself to ensure everything wasn’t amiss before heading down the stairs. Their home in Kakariko village was a modest one. A main floor holding the kitchen and living spaces while the upstairs held two bedrooms. It wasn’t much, but it was safe. It was home.
Impa was already at the table eating her fill of fresh fruit and hard boiled eggs. Zelda went to the kitchen to grab her own plate and sat down across from her mentor. She looked up when the other sat and took a sip from her drink.
“Nightmares again?” She asked, taking note of the girl’s dark circles.
Zelda sighed but nodded, “Same ones again. Darkness and… him.”
She didn’t need to elaborate on who, Impa knew. The man that had ruined their homeland and plunged it into devastation. The man who had been tracking Zelda since she was small. Who’s power seemed to grow with every passing day. She took a large bite of her apple and chewed in thought.
“Have you…heard anything lately?” She asked after a moment. Impa shook her head.
“Nothing yet, but have patience. It will be soon,” the elder explained.
Zelda frowned and nodded. She knew that all she could do was wait, but that didn’t stop her from asking every morning for news. It had been seven years. Seven long years. Surely it would be time. They’ve waited so long.
A decisive thump of a cup was placed in front of her and pulled her away from her brewing mind. She looked up to Impa as she stood above.
“Eat, you need the energy. We’ll be on the mountain today,” she explained. Zelda sighed and went back to her breakfast with a nod. Impa watched over her charge for a few extra moments before deeming her alright and went off to prepare for their day.
* * *
Death Mountain had been bitingly cold that day. For a mountain that held the fires of the world, you would think it could heat up its surface just slightly. It seemed to do the opposite just to spite Zelda, though. The wind thrashed her braid around like a whip as she climbed. Her training, as Impa decided, would be to scale up the goddess forsaken mountain with no climbing hooks and no rope. It wasn’t the first time she had done such a task. There had been plenty of times where Zelda had risked her life all in the name of training. She understood it. That didn’t mean she appreciated it though.
“Remember to use your legs. If you use your arms too much you’re going to tire out quickly,” Impa called down. Some yards above, the elder Sheikah watched from a ledge.
Zelda looked up with a furrowed brow, “Yes I remember how to climb just fine, thank you!” she called out in frustration. The moisture from her mouth accumulated against the scarf around her face. It only made her groan further.
Her fingers dug into the cliff face, sweat beading along her forehead. She reached out for the next hand hold, gripping tightly before lifting up with her feet to push up. Her shoulders ached as she moved. She’d been climbing for hours now, the sun had reached its peak and was heading towards its descent.
“Come on now, Sheik, this is the last stretch. Finish this and we’ll be done for the day.”
“You’ve been saying that for the last three sections, Impa!” She called back in frustration.
Zelda couldn’t see it now, but she was sure her mentor was looking down at her with a well known smirk. How she wished she could wipe that smirk off the other’s face. Someday, it would happen. Maybe when she finally won in a sparring match or out quipped in their usual teasing. For now, she would take it being gone once she was off this damned mountain.
She continued her huffing and puffing, hand reaching up and then pushing with her feet. It became her new mantra as she went. Soon enough she grabbed onto the top of the ledge and pulled herself up. At Impa’s feet she laid there and caught her breath, letting her muscles finally have a break.
Impa crouched down on her heels and held out a waterskin, “You did good. Better time than your last.”
“And less blisters,” Zelda replied with a smile though all Impa saw was a scrunch of her eyes. Impa returned the gesture with a laugh and a nod. The younger sat up and loosened the scarf. She grabbed the waterskin and took long gulps.
She looked out on the horizon and the view of Hyrule. She could see just about everything from here. Ahead lay the field and furthermore lay the entrance to Gerudo Valley. Nearby was Castletown, covered in dark clouds and a magic that made Zelda’s stomach roll. She darted her gaze away quickly and found the Kokiri forest. She looked out on the neverending trees and a green that could only pull her into memory.
A boy, similar in age yet as foreign to her as any other. He stood there like he was just as surprised to have arrived. There was a fumbling of her excuses and introductions, shocked how a boy would be able to get past the soldiers that constantly patrolled the gardens.
“I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. What is your name?” She asked.
He was quiet, at first she worried that she didn’t hear him at all. After some puttering he finally offered a response.
“Link.”
She wondered how Link was doing. All alone, stuck within the temple with no explanation of what has happened and what is to come. When young, she had fretted over him constantly. Impa had grown so tired of her antics and wonderings.
“I wonder if he’s alright. Do you think he is safe? Is he just waiting? Will he really save us?”
Zelda had stopped voicing her worries eventually, but that did not mean they left her. They had only met briefly. Her memories were mainly just fleeting memories of childhood. She held onto them all the same, though. He was to be the Hero to save them all, and she would be the one to help guide him. She knew this in her heart.
She let out a long sigh and shook her head of her thoughts. She took another drink before capping the waterskin and stood. She dusted herself off and readjusted her scarf back to its rightful place.
“So, was that really the end or are you gonna make me climb the entire thing?” She asked and Impa chuckled.
“No, Sheik. You’ve done enough for today,” She replied.
“Good because if I don’t get any dinner soon, I think I might keel over on this mountain,” Zelda laughed. She stretched her arms above her head, trying to release all the tension that had built up throughout the day.
Before she could finish though, Impa reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. The princess looked towards her advisor, brow raised.
“You have excelled in these last months, Sheik. Far more than I could have ever hoped for. I know these years have been hard, and I have never made it easy for you. You have grown into a strong individual, both in mind and body. You have become a true Sheikah,” Impa spoke softly, her stoic face softening its hard gaze.
Zelda looked at her with wide eyes. Heat bloomed from her chest and she couldn’t stop herself from pulling the other woman into a tight hug. Impa let out a surprised huff, but did not pull away.
She squeezed her just as tight and whispered softly.
“I am proud of you, Zelda.”
The princess could only hold onto Impa tighter, her once soft blue gaze now turned crimson stung with unshed tears.
She tucked her face into Impa’s shoulder, voice quivering with emotion. “I could have never done it without you, Impa. Thank you.”
The two women held onto each other for some time, deep emotion and unsaid words translating into tight squeezes and silent tears. Eventually Zelda gave one final squeeze before releasing Impa and stepping back. Only the scrunch of her eyes was seen of her happiness.
“Come now. Let’s get off this dreadful mountain and back home,” She jested and started down the path.
Impa followed along behind.“You know it is not that terrible once you get used to it,” she called back.
“Oh really? How about you go and climb half of it with nothing but your strength then hmm?” Zelda returned and laughed.
The pair followed along the path with leisure. All Zelda wanted was to get home, get clean, get some food in her belly, and perhaps finally get some rest. For now though, with the sun setting a soft orange against her back and Impa by her side, she didn’t mind the time they took in their walk.
Yes time was passing, but it did not make her anxious or impatient for it to happen. Instead she let it be, at least for this moment. In this moment there was no impending evil for her kingdom, nor was she even a princess with the heavy weight of her kingdom’s future on her shoulders. She was just as she was, and she would carry it with her along with her hope that things would return once to the peace that once was.