Forgive me | Legend of Zelda FF | ENG

8 ~ Kakariko Village

I was running along the long path to the village, right next to the mountains of Kakariko Village, when I got a terrible fright; I saw a big cloud of smoke from far away and as I got closer and closer, I could already see that it was a fire.

I ran even faster, the Master Sword firmly in my hand. When I finally arrived at the village, I saw what I would have preferred never to see in my life; Impa's house was completely burned down, but the fire was already extinguished.

Panic overcame me; what if Impa was still inside? What if I had now lost her too?

"No!", I screamed as I finally entered the village and ran to the nearest Sheikahs to ask them what exactly had happened.

Actually, I ran into an elderly lady who was busy clearing out her house as it was in danger of collapsing due to the destruction caused by the flames.
I quickly took one of the cloths she had already laid out and wrapped the Master Sword in it, then tied it to my back.

I didn't want to leave the Master Sword just anywhere, I had to carry it with me. Unfortunately, the protective sheath of the sword had disappeared, I didn't know when and where Link had lost it, but it didn't matter.
From a horse halter and a leash I made myself a belt to wear around my shoulders and clipped the Master Sword, wrapped in a piece of fabric, onto my back.

Immediately I looked back at the elderly lady and saw that she was trying to carry a box full of books out of her house. I quickly reached under her arms and took the box of books from her as she happily turned to me.
"Thank you, young lady," she thanked me and then looked at me inquiringly.
"Princess?" she escaped as I was already setting the box down next to all her other things and nodded at her. She then just looked at me with wide eyes.
"Your Highness, what brings you here? And where is your knight?" she asked, startled, when she couldn't find Link and then discovered the Master Sword on my back.

I took a painful breath, feeling as if an arrow had been pierced through my heart with this question about Link's disappearance.
Then, saddened, I told her that Link had fallen on the Blatchery Plain and that I was now looking for Impa. The older woman listened attentively, but at the same time shocked, but then told me that Impa had managed to save herself and had just gone to the Great Fairy Cotera.

Fleetingly I said goodbye to her and thanked her wholeheartedly for the information as I ran to the fountain of Cotera to find Impa.
I arrived there completely out of breath and found Impa sitting in front of the fountain praying. Slowly I approached her, when she already became aware of me and turned her head in my direction.

"Zelda," was all she said as she was already tapping the ground next to her, inviting me to sit down beside her; however, I merely walked over to her, but then stopped instead of sitting down.
I didn't really feel like it.

"Impa, it's important," I therefore brought out in a serious voice, as Impa immediately became alert.
She stood up and propped her hands on her hips as she eyed me a little in shock.
"Zelda, it's so good to see you alive!" she happily exclaimed as she then fell around my neck and pulled me into a tight hug. "I thought I'd lost you!"

I in turn pushed her away from me and a distressed sound escaped me.
"Impa...", I began in a shaky voice, but I felt tears coming again as I thought of how Link had died in my arms.
"Zelda!" gasped Impa as she watched me gradually burst into tears.
Immediately she pulled me into another hug and together with her I sat down on the ground after all. I pulled my legs close to my body and then buried my head in the crook of my elbows.

"Where's Link?" Impa asked worriedly as she ran her fingers reassuringly over my back.
I, however, just burst into tears again and carefully removed the Master Sword from my back. I placed it between the two of us as I tried to form a sentence.
"Link is...", I somehow managed to get out in a shaky and quiet voice as I briefly looked up at Impa only to see her eyes widen in shock. "He died at the Fort Hateno".
"No-", it escaped her as she looked worriedly at the Master Sword. "Where is he now?"

I began to tell her everything; how Link had died and why. That two Sheikah had found me with the lifeless Link in my arms and were now taking him to the Shrine of Resurrection.

Impa listened intently and when I was at the end of my story, she just hugged me tightly and stroked my back soothingly as I gasped for breath, almost drowning in my own tears.

"Zelda, I'm so sorry you have to go through all of this," she said close to tears as she took my face in both of her hands and then carefully removed a strand from it. "We'll get through this."
I released the hug and nodded at her through my tears.

"We'll make it," I encouraged myself more than Impa, who was now sitting at my side.
"I'll take the sword to Korok Forest so that the Great Deku Tree can take care of it while we wait for Link to return from the Shrine of Resurrection," I added sadly.
"That sounds reasonable," Impa added, then smiled at me.
"And when Link returns here, I will stand by him and guide him while you face Ganon," she promised, eliciting a soft smile from me, which immediately disappeared as I took a startled breath.

"What's wrong?" asked Impa, startled, as she placed a hand on my shoulder comfortingly.
"The Sheikah Slate," it escaped me as I remembered that I had entrusted it to Link when we had gone up to the Spring of Wisdom.
"Link has the Sheikah Slate," I elaborated on my statement. "I had given it to him back then because I had no way to attach it to my dress."

Impa looked at me a little confused, but then seemed to understand; the Sheikah Slate was important in that it was needed for the Shrine of Resurrection to be able to be sealed and for the healing process to begin; that much our research had revealed so far.
"Don't worry, Zelda. I will find the Sheikah Slate," Impa promised me. "Don't be afraid; Link may even still have the Sheikah Slate with him when I get to the Shrine of Resurrection."

I nodded to Impa as I was already getting back up to make my way to Korok Forest. I was about to pick up the Master Sword from the ground when Impa took my hand in hers.
"Take good care of yourself, Zelda," she whispered to me in a calm voice.
"I will now leave for the Shrine of Resurrection so that Link's wounds can be taken care of," she added, and then said goodbye to me with a brief hug.

Then she ran off in the direction of the Duelling Peaks, her Kodachi already in her hand. I took the Master Sword back to myself and attached it to my back as I took another breath before heading to the Great Hyrule Forest and the base of the Master Sword.