Living With Myself

Chapter 31

Sheik stared at Impa's arms as she bandaged them.

"If you would at least let me use a red potion on you," said Sheik, reaching for her arms.

Impa moved away from him. "It won't help," she said with a pained smile. "I am falling apart, and so must be all the other sages. It hurts a bit, but I'll be fine. At least until I reach the castle."

"If you go, then we both should go with you."

"No. You can't expose yourself like this Sheik," said Impa. "The hero was right. You have to stay hidden until we know more about what is happening. My memories are coming back in bits and pieces, but I know that whatever was done to me happened before you were captured."

"I'm sick of everyone trying to protect me. I can protect myself. I won't trust princess Zelda again," he said.

Impa patted him in the head with her bandaged hands. Sheik could feel an unnerving cold emanating from her.

"Don't say that. I don't know what happened, but if the princess did what she did, then...I don't doubt her intentions," said Impa. "You more than anyone should know that we often must do things we despise, for the greater good."

Sheik pursed his lips. "I can't see the greater good in erasing me from existence. In vanishing me even from your memories and your heart."

"It is impossible to erase you from my heart dear. That was the only reason why I could break through Zelda's spell. There is no timeline that can destroy a mother's love," said Impa, and leaned down to press a kiss to Sheik's forehead.

Sheik felt himself blushing, and looked at the Deity to see if he was looking, but Oni still sat on the windowsill at the back of the room, looking outside and uncaring about anything at all.

"Link knows of a fairy fountain that could heal you," said Sheik.

"There is nothing the fairies can do for me now. They can only heal wounds of the flesh. And I am not made of blood and flesh anymore," said Impa.

"What?"

Impa looked at him with a sad longing. "Dearest Sheik...I am dead already. I died that day at the shadow temple."

Sheik felt his blood run cold. "N-No...That's impossible...You're here! I can see you. I'm talking to you right now!" he cried, reaching out to hug her.

"I know. I can still cast a solid form, and interact with the world. But I gave my body and my life to the shadows. Just like Saria gave hers to the forest, and Ruto to the water. We all died, because no mortal being can become a sage. I'm sorry that we never told you. I'm sorry...that you had to find out like this..."

Sheik's vision blurred, and he realized he was crying. "No...no...If I'd been there...If I'd gone with you...," he said.

"If you had gone with me, you would have had to see me die, and I would have hated to have you suffer like that," said Impa, caressing his hair. "Or maybe you would have saved me, but then there would have been no Shadow sage, and Ganondorf would have never been vanquished to the dark realm. This was the correct path for me. It is a painful one, but it is the best I could have taken."

She stepped away from him, her form darkening, merging with the shadows as they came alive.

"Mom!" cried Sheik, trying to reach for her.

"Stay here Sheik. Everything will be alright," said Impa, turning completely black, and disappearing into the shadows.

"No! Stop! Come back!" yelled Sheik, but she was gone.