Chapter One: We Don't Need Heroes

Master Impa of the Sheikah Clan was a calm, cool and collected woman. The model Sheikah, if you will. She was a woman of thirty-five Hylian years, born into the shadow tribe and blessed with the signature red eyes at birth. She was taken from her parents and raised within the clan's main household.

Yes, all Sheikah had red eyes, but not always at birth. Most had black eyes that turned crimson within a week or so. The belief amongst her people was that children who possessed the crimson eyes upon entering the world were special. They were seen as prodigies. They were stronger, faster, and smarter than their peers. Thus, these special infants would be taken from the arms of their mothers, and would be raised by the elders to be personal guards and attendants of the royal family.

That is just what Impa was. Taken away from the hidden Sheikah settlement and raised within the walls of Hyrule Castle. Exposed to the various potions, rites and challenges of the Grace Trials, which rendered all main household Sheikah sterile, she had a heightened sense of hearing and sight, along with cat-like reflects and strong magical abilities.

Yes, you read that correctly, friend. Main household Sheikah were sterile, which is why they relied heavily upon their settlement to produce children. But the glaring issue was, most Sheikah did not want children. Not only was there a fear of their child being taken away from them, but most Sheikah just did not have time for it. Even if one was not in the main household, they still served Hyrule other ways. So women would often gag at the idea of being pregnant, the men would scoff at the idea of fathering children, and both rolled their eyes at the idea of intimacy.

This is why the Sheikah numbers had always dwindled. This is why the Sheikah had all but died out. This is why their genocide fourteen years prior was so easy.

Fourteen years had gone by in a snap, and for fourteen years Master Impa had upheld her promises to the royal family. She had kept a certain child safe, and she had watched a certain child grow up right before her eyes. That child was the future of Hyrule, and had no clue about any of it. That certain child was Princess Zelda of Hyrule, the last blood of the royal line.

But as far as that girl knew, she was just an orphan that had been taken in and trained by the Sheikah, just like many other children that had been left parentless by the seemingly sudden coup of the monarchy. It was easier that way, but Impa knew that one day the truth would have to come out.

Because their numbers dwindled, the Sheikah had taken many children into their care and raised them in the Sheikah ways. It was blasphemy, perhaps, as many of the Sheikah elders had protested. But these were desperate times. The Sheikah were the final pillar of the old regime, and the group had taken it upon itself to restore the kingdom. In order to do that, they would need many great warriors.

Hyrule was no longer Hyrule, and that was a problem. Hyrule had been conquered in a matter of days and was renamed Dragmire. A self appointed supreme emperor had appeared out of nowhere and had thrown the once beautiful kingdom into darkness. Emperor for Life, Ganforth had followers everywhere and had gained power quickly. Sheikah intelligence linked his strength to his peculiar purple sword of unknown origin.

Ganforth, a man shrouded in mystery. Impa would never forget his face. Hidden beneath a thick mane of red hair, was a grey skinned man with a thin unibrow, a fat crooked nose, teeth like fangs and burning red eyes. He had the laugh of a demented poe, and the body and stature of a darknut. Impa felt ill just thinking about the tyrant.

Impa sat cross-legged in the ruins of the settlement that was once home to her people. She had always hated the place with a passion. Located on the northern tip of the Faron province and abandoned to the sands of time, few structures remained standing, and vegetation only grew upon the cliffs surrounding the old village. It was no longer a secret place as one could easily access Hyrule field and several other areas of interest quickly.

Her eyes were closed and her hands were folded gracefully together between her legs. Though she appeared to be meditating, she was acutely aware of her surroundings. She could hear everything from the wind blowing through the barren tree branches, to a mouse scourging for food in one of the last standing structures in the old village.

She could even hear the footsteps emerging behind her in the red dirt.

"Link." She called, knowing the specific step pattern all too well. She opened her eyes halfway and turned to head slightly to see if she was correct. She was. She always was.

Approximately twenty metres away stood a young man with cold blue eyes and fair skin. His golden blonde hair framed both sides of his face perfectly. He was a very attractive young man by all accounts with handsome and pronounced facial features. You could almost argue that he was somewhat feminine looking or 'pretty'.

He was clad in a green tunic with a matching pointed cap, ecru coloured pants and tall, brown riding boots with harmonizing gloves and belt, and a simple longsword strapped to his back. His undershirt had been heavily stained with sweat and it appeared to be a more off-white colour because of this. No amount of washing would ever change it back to the perfect white it was supposed to be. These were the standard issue clothes that all of the Hylian wards were given, though colour often varied.

Impa knew why he had come, and simply exhaled upon his arrival. She stood to her feet and towered over the young man like a giant.

Her long, white ponytail ran down her back and blew calmly in the breeze and she looked down her sharp nose at him. "You're late."

"I'm sorry, Master Impa." He apologized quickly, not meeting her gaze, "I slept in."

"Again." She crossed her arms. Unimpressed would have been an understatement. She was tired of her wards not taking their duties seriously.

"Zelda woke me up though!"

"Of course she did..." Impa turned away, flipping her sleeveless cloak behind her. She would never understand Zelda's affection for the tardy lad. He was a humble boy who had grown up being obsessed with the Age of Heroes, in Impa's eyes, that made him a fool. "And where would Zelda be today?"

"Training for the Rover, I think." Link scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "She's at it morning and night. She wants to practice swords tonight... again."

The Rover. It was slang for an ancient Sheikah rite of passage that tested one in ways that could almost be considered torture. When the clan started taking in ordinary Hylian children and training them in the Sheikah ways, they had opened many of these traditions to them.

That said, only one Hylian had ever passed one of these rites. And that Hylian was Link with the Fist-Fire Trial. It was a rite that strongly emphasised weapons prowess and combat. He had amazed even Impa.

Zelda had been adamant about wanting to run the Rover. Impa had tried numerous times to talk her out of it. It had not worked. The girl had trained all hours of the day to perfect her skills. Secretly, a part of Impa was proud.

"Right then, I want you to scavenge for pops mushrooms in the Low Trails today."

"The Low Trails? Pops mushrooms?" Link almost protested. Clearly a foraging job was not what he had had in mind for his day.

"Our supply is running dangerously low. We need them to make explosive arrows. Take them to Master Elder Raand when you're done."

Pops mushrooms were a necessary ingredient in making homemade explosives. With the Goron mines being open only to the Supreme Emperor, the Sheikah had to find other ways. They had rummaged through their old texts and had to learn how their ancestors had done things in the dark days.

"Anything else?"

"Wood for arrow shafts, and not those twigs you got the last time. Real wood. I believe Yolanda gathered stones for arrowheads last night."

Link nodded in understanding, yet there seemed to be something he wanted to say to her.

Impa stared down her nose at him again, wondering why he continued to stand there. "You are burning daylight. Best hurry and gather those provisions before the wolfos come out. They seemed to have made a home in the Low Trails."

"Master Impa, when are we going to rise up and-?

"Not yet." Impa hushed harshly. She was tired of this question.

"When?"

The boy was growing impatient. He wasn't worth a damn at magic, and he could just skate by at scavenging. His love was the sword and combat. He loved a good fight, Impa knew this. It was a good trait to have in a warrior, but it was also a dangerous one. The lad was always itching for a fight it seemed.

"When the Master Elders decide it is time." Impa sighed.

"It's been fourteen years. I think our numbers are as good as they're going to get."

"Do you not think I know that, boy?" Impa hissed, refraining from grabbing Link by the collar. "The reasoning they give us is that we are waiting for the enemy to get comfortable and to drop their guard. That is when we will strike."

"But fourteen years of waiting?"

"It is not your place to question the choices of the Master Elders."

"Ganforth is probably sitting in Hyrule Castle right now getting fat!"

"Do not underestimate the false despot! He could kill you easily."

"Have you fought him?"

Impa scowled, not wanting to answer the question.

"You have!" Link gasped, drawing a conclusion on his own terms.

"You are a fool, boy. You are a fool wanting to partake if foolish heroics." Impa jeered. "We don't need heroes, we need professionals. Which are you?"

Link fell silent. His fists were clenched with rage. He wouldn't dare challenge Impa, she knew this. He was outmatched in every way. She could have him pinned to the ground before he could even draw his sword.

Impa narrowed her eyes and placed a single slender hand on Link's shoulder, much to his surprise. "Calm yourself, boy. Do your jobs. Do them well. Your time will come soon enough."

"Yes, Master Impa." He bowed his head respectfully before making his way east on foot.

Impa watched him go. She felt no remorse for the heated exchange of words. It was a commonplace between them. She was used to the young man's constant desire to change the world in a day. She admired it to some extent, though she'd never admit it.

"And one more thing, boy!" she called after him. Link stood still in his tracks. She knew she had surprised him. "Watch out for electric keese. They were practically swarming on the Low Roads this morning. Saw them during my morning scout."

When Link started to walk again, she knew he had heard her and heeded her warning.

Yes, Impa may have seen the boy as an idiot, but a part of her still cared about him, he was technically one of her wards after all. Also, Zelda would never forgive her if she drove him off or allowed him to get hurt.

Though Zelda was not raised as a princess, Impa couldn't help but constantly bow down and show restraint to the girl. Impa was a Sheikah, and Zelda was a princess. Nothing was going to change that or the fact that Impa was sworn to a sacred duty.

Impa stood alone for a moment, waiting until Link was nothing but a small speck on the horizon to the east. She then smirked and called out again. "Did you enjoy watching that, Zelda?"

Lo and behold, a young ashen haired woman jumped out of a sycamore tree on the top of the cliff, overlooking the ruins. She was dressed in a similar fashion to that of Link, except her tunic and matching cap were a deep and handsome plum colour and the outfit was more slimming and feminine, enhancing her figure.

She was beautiful, to say the least. She had medium length, wavy locks of ash blonde hair that hugged her cheeks, and deep blue eyes that could melt even the coldest of hearts. She had mouse-like facial features. Girlishly cute, but also gorgeous. She had one pronounced scar on her face that spanned from her right eyebrow to her hairline and a faint one on her chin. These were souvenirs from previous adventures, or misadventures, or whatever the hell one wished to call them.

She descended the cliff with a few simple leaps and bounds with the grace of a ballerina. Impa simply watched with her arms crossed. It never ceased to amaze her at just how much the girl had grown from a curious seven year old asking for a bedtime story.

"You didn't have to be so hard on him, Master Impa." Zelda shook her head, approaching.

Impa had to refrain from rolling her eyes. Zelda's fondness of the boy was an annoyance at times. Zelda had argued that she and Link had some kind of divine connection, as if they had known each other in a past life. Of course, whenever someone implied at the feelings ran deeper than a close and loving friendship, she denied it and would get rather angry. Impa was indifferent to it all one way or another.

"Link is a brave young man and great fighter, I can't deny that. But, like most great fighters, he has the recklessness to go along with it." Impa divulged. "He needs to learn. I've buried a lot of good men and women that had similar natures. I don't want the same fate for him."

Zelda adjusted her belt pensively, clearly trying to think of something to say as the pair began to walk slowly through the ruins.

"He hasn't changed a bit since the day I pulled him out of that cupboard in that ruined little shack of a house in the Faron Woods." Impa scoffed nostalgically. "He was going to fight me. Thought I was the one who killed his mother..."

Zelda continued to be quiet. Impa knew the girl remembered the day all too well. She was there by Impa's side that day. It'd only been three weeks since the castle siege, and three weeks since she started her new life as a Sheikah trainee. Seeing a scared little boy of the same age, curled up in a cupboard, shaking and yelling nonsense at her and Impa was most likely one of her first memories of her new life. He'd tried to attack Impa, and it went about as well as one would imagine. She ended up knocking him out and carrying him back with them to their camp. It was at that campsite that night that Impa first saw the instant bond Zelda shared with Link. She could still remember seeing the seven year old princess holding the boy's hand comfortingly.

"I lost my family too." Impa could never forget hearing the child utter such chilling words.

"He means well." Zelda defended him, finally.

Impa sighed, knowing she would never make the unknowing princess see things her way. Ultimately, she decided to change the subject. "Do you think you'll be ready for the Rover? It's only three days away."

"I'm ready!" Zelda nodded surely.

"It's never too late to back out, Zelda. I ran the Rover once as well. And it-

"Tests you mentally, physically and emotionally. I know." Zelda chuckled a bit. "But Link passed the Fist-Fire Trial last year. If he can pass a rite, so can I!"

"The Rover and the Fist-Fire are very different. The Fist-Fire and about combat, the Rover is about survival and wit." Impa stated. "Our rites were not designed with regular Hylians in mind."

"Yes, but I am not a regular Hylian." Zelda looked up at Impa with a knowing look in her eye.

Impa sighed again. There was no stopping the girl. Some days she swore Zelda somehow knew of her birthright despite being wiped of her memories. That was impossible though. Impa had personally cleared the girl's mind herself that night fourteen years prior.

"How is your footwork? You were a bit slow the last time I saw you sword fight."

"Better. Link helped me a lot." Zelda answered calmly.

"Very well." Impa laughed through her nose judgingly. The conversation shifted back to the green clad boy once again. She then slowly drew her longsword from her hip and held it proudly in front of Zelda with a grin. The dull sunlight glinted off of the finely forged blade, hitting it just perfectly. Usually, Impa wore a traditional Sheikah katana on her hip, but on this day, she had a feeling it would be the day she tested Zelda herself. "Show me what the fool taught you."

Zelda's eyes widened and her lips parted slightly in surprise. Impa couldn't blame her. She had always turned down Zelda's requests to spar. In Impa's mind, Zelda was still a princess of Hyrule, and she would never cross swords with royalty ever. There was nothing against it in the Sheikah vows, but it was still viewed as a taboo.

Zelda scrambled to find the hilt of her blade on her back and pulled it from the scabbard quickly. At this, Impa smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while.

But before the sound of steel on steel could ring out in the ruins, a loud bang could be heard from the fields to the east. In that direction, a perturbed flock of crows blanketed the everlasting grey skies, momentarily turning it into a noisy sea of moving black.

Both master and pupil spun and stared off into the distance curiously. Impa tried to hone her hearing but was interrupted by Zelda crying out.

"Oh no! Link!" She ran ahead of Impa, rushing after the sound.

"Zelda! Wait!" Impa shouted after her, but it was no use. The girl was sprinting towards the source of the noise. "Damn it!"