. . .

Impa

Link's eyes didn't move an inch from where he stared at the road. He'd noticed something. Impa followed his gaze to determine what had grabbed his attention and didn't need to search the road before the source presented itself. Awestruck and dazed, she could only stare as a crack split through the cobblestone, breaking apart the pavement as the path ruptured. Something was breaking out from underneath the ground. Dirt spilled over from the emerging object like a curtain. A tower. A tower with intricately carved walls that couldn't be climbed and a flat platform reaching higher and higher into the air. A tall shadow crept across the land as the tower rose to its full form, looming over Impa as she stood in utter helplessness.

The tower came to an unsteady halt, reaching what appeared to be at least fifty feet tall. The rumbling ceased to sound, settling with a complete silence with the exception of the distant frightened wails of the Bokoblins that had made their escape. A soft springtime breeze fluttered through the area in the sudden and inexplicable lack of event. A subtle clink of armor implied Link had turned to look at Impa and they met each other's eyes. The very same question was painted across his face as the one that etched into Impa's mind: What just happened?

Before a word could have been shared, a different rumble sounded, this time immensely fainter and less catastrophic. A vibration. It was too small to be felt along the surface of the ground but loud enough to be identified through sound. It came from the cobblestone road somewhere near Impa's feet. Instantly, Impa's gaze dropped to the road, inspecting the area around her, and located the Sheikah Slate laying face-down on the stone. After every stretch of silence, it gave a weak pulse of vibration, almost as if a message was trying to come across.

Impa was still fairly new to the workings of the Sheikah Slate and hadn't been aware that it could have activated in such a way. As yet another vibration quivered the device, she bent down and attentively picked it up from the ground. At first, it seemed it was simply causing noise, and then she turned it over to catch life sprouting on the screen, though slight. A gentle splash of blue light traveled across the screen like a ripple in water with every throb of vibration. It was hardly activated at all, and behaving very strange at that. Impa decided that she knew even less about this device than she had previously assumed.

Scurrying metal legs tore Impa's focus from the mystifying motion as the little mechanical creature snuck around Link to reach her, clearly drawn by the sight of the Sheikah Slate as she was. A series of lively beeps escaped from it as its orb-eye fixed on Impa expectedly, much like a barking dog or a young child raving about their latest obsession, but instead of the panic it had expressed earlier, the tone could have been recognized as curious. Impa lowered the Sheikah Slate in front of her to glance over the machine that was trying so desperately to communicate, watching as its eye darted rapidly and eagerly between her and the device. With the abrupt recollection of the presence of yet another unusual appearance, Impa was reminded that this thing, whatever it was in the first place, was a different matter entirely.

"What are you, anyway?" Impa inquired, mostly to herself, crouching in front of the critter for a more thorough examination. The creature had quieted but its interest had not yet peaked as its legs fidgeted and clicked against the stone. Impa raised her head to meet Link's gaze. "Did you just find this in the bush?"

Link responded with nothing more than a short and silent nod.

Impa set aside the Sheikah Slate on the road beside her to free her hands and clasped them on either side of the mechanical creature's egg-shaped head, firmly holding it still. The creature gave a high-pitched whoop! of confusion, thrashing sharply to break free. Impa held her grip on the head, eyes following the movement of its darting vivid blue eye and stirring mechanical legs. That blue in its eye looks a lot like the blue on the screen, Impa realized.

The doors in the gates groaned deeply as they eased outwardly open at last. Somebody in the castle must have recognized the two and their purpose and alerted for the permission of their entrance. Impa released her grip on the creature, listening to the ticking of its legs crawling across the stone as she snagged the Sheikah Slate and rose to her feet. Link was already advancing forward to enter the castle grounds as the doors slowed to a stop to be held open, and so Impa drifted after him. Link would have known to lead her to the princess, so the least she could have done was accompany him.

Hyrule Castle was immense, especially when situated directly in front of it. It stood past a short bridge paved over clean, trickling water in an elegantly chiseled stone, piercing the sky with elongated pointed pillars and sporting red banners that flicked in the breeze. Tall and dark wooden doors much like the ones fastened to the gates separated the interior from the outside world, and in front of those doors, two familiar faces engaged in conversation. One of them was Princess Zelda herself, a glint of worry shining within her sea-green eyes as her eyebrows crept together in concern. Quietly listening as she spoke was her father, the king of Hyrule, his wrinkled face displaying what seemed to be a permanently-engraved look of disapproval, at least from what Impa had seen. He was quite a grumpy old man, though she wouldn't dream of saying it to his face.

It was Princess Zelda who first realized Impa and Link's arrival as they approached, shuffling across the sunbathed stone bridge. She turned her face to look at them in a pause of her own statement and the worry on her face was washed away into a smiling calmness as she swept across the bridge to meet them halfway, vibrant blue velvet skirts trailing after her. King Rhoam appeared to acknowledge that their discussion had ended, but his eyes still followed his daughter as she walked away.

"Impa, you're all right!" Princess Zelda exclaimed as the three joined at the center of the bridge. It was an unmentioned fact that Link could handle his own safety—Like the princess, he was only close to turning seventeen, but his skill in battle was nearly overwhelming for his young age. "There was quite a racket on the other side of the gate. I was getting so worried that you'd be hurt before you even arrived."

"It was mostly just an annoying horde of monsters, but then something strange happened," Impa pointed out. She snuck a glance behind her at the gate doors, which were still propped wide open, to check if she could still detect the tower that had broken through the ground. No more than the first several feet of intricate carvings from the bottom were visible from the view the empty doorway offered. "Some kind of tower rose up from the ground and scared them off."

"A tower?" Princess Zelda gasped. Sharing in the bewilderment of the situation sent a quiver of certainty through Impa that she had done the right thing by confiding in her.

"I think it might have some kind of connection to the Sheikah Slate as well," Impa theorized, turning back to face her. The fact struck her that the device had ceased in its vibration, perhaps out of range of the tower. "I don't know what or why. It just seemed to... Wake up, kind of, when the tower came up."

Princess Zelda's gaze dropped to the Sheikah Slate in Impa's hand. "Ah, so you delivered it safely, even through the attack," she remarked. "Well, I'm glad that neither you nor the Sheikah Slate was harmed in your journey. I hear that Purah and Robbie are very proud of their creation."

"Well, that's the usual. And with the skills that they have, it's no wonder," Impa agreed. A soft breeze tickled her face. "But there's still so much left to learn. Have you heard anything about its uses or benefits? Anything that I should know?"

"I've not heard much more," Princess Zelda admitted. "Purah told me that she's developed it with several features that she's confident will help in retaliation for the Calamity, but she's given us the opportunity to find ways to use it to our advantage. I'll have to begin experiments as soon as I adjust to the basics of its workings. Thank you for bringing it to me so quickly, Impa."

The hasty scurrying of metal legs snatched the words from Impa's lips before she could manage to speak. Right past her ankles whisked the little mechanical creature, excitedly scampering around the hem of Princess Zelda's dress with a flurry of lively beeps along the way as if in recognition. The princess gave a soft yelp, startled by the unanticipated approach, and her wide eyes bounced around her to watch the creature scuttle around her.

"Hey!" Impa burst out instantly, stopping the critter in its tracks beside Princess Zelda and turning up its eye with a curious high-pitched hum. "Stop that! That's not polite."

"No, it's all right," Princess Zelda insisted gently. As she carefully lowered into a kneel in front of the creature, it shuffled back to look at her again, more restrained this time. She studied it, a questioning glance creeping across her face as curiosity picked up the corners of her mouth in a smile. "Where did you come from, little one? I've never seen a Guardian quite like you."

"A Guardian?" Impa blurted out. She knew well what a Guardian looked like and this creature hardly matched that description at all, although she couldn't deny that some appearance resemblances were present. Guardians were mechanical creatures of tremendous durability designed purely to battle the Calamity. They were constructed in a similar spider-like shape as the former, though with minor adjustments like the body being shaped more like an upside-down teacup and a swiveling head atop rather than a simple egg shape. They were also significantly larger, standing at about twice as tall as Impa, if not even taller.

"Yes, I believe so. It must be a smaller model," Princess Zelda explained. She observed the creature for a few seconds longer before she raised her head to meet Impa's gaze. "Wherever did you find it? Was it just out and about?"

"Oh, Link found it," Impa corrected, casting a glance at Link beside her, who hadn't taken his eyes off of the little Guardian. Expectedly, he hadn't uttered a single word since they had arrived, but this only caused her to nearly forget that he was there at all. "He found it in a bush. I didn't see it until the tower came up."

Another vibration pulsed through the Sheikah Slate in Impa's hand, so strongly this time that her bones felt to quiver. Every pair of eyes fell upon the device in puzzlement as Impa fumbled to catch a glimpse of the screen again and she found not the blue ripples that she had seen before, but an image. A vast sky, fully conquered by clouds tinted purple that cast grim shadows over the land. The picture only remained on the screen for no longer than three seconds before it was already fading out, materializing into a second picture. The same gloom and the same purple skies, this time focused on a stone structure torn down to ruin.

"Princess Zelda," Impa urged, outstretching the tablet for the princess to view. Princess Zelda swiftly eased herself to her feet and closed in at Impa's side, watching the changing screen.

"I don't understand," Princess Zelda confessed as the image shifted once more. A dim field of grass, seemingly once abundant with green and plant life, singed by flame in many places and completely eradicated in others. "Has it done this before?"

"No, not this," Impa told her. "The last time it was vibrating, all that it did was turn the same shade of blue as that Guardian's eye, almost like it was connecting with it in some way."

Now being ignored, the little Guardian was pacing around Princess Zelda's feet again, spitting out a rapid series of beeps to be noticed, but neither the princess nor Impa paid it any mind. The image altered once more, displaying a location that Impa needed not even a thought to recognize. It was Hyrule Castle, standing tall and strong for the most part as it always did, but a thick, oozing mulberry-colored liquid seeped out from the walls. At the top hovered a similar tinted dense fog, or maybe some kind of a dark cloud. Impa strained to identify the figure, but by the strangled gasp in her ear, she could tell that Princess Zelda had determined it instantly.

"But Impa, that's... That's Calamity Ganon," Princess Zelda declared uneasily. "This is the Calamity. That's impossible. The Calamity isn't here. How can there be images of a time that hasn't come?"

Impa struggled to share in her anxiety, as this matter was something that was far too distant to truly feel real, but the same bewilderment heavily plagued her mind. The little Guardian was still whooping enthusiastically at Princess Zelda's feet, its metal legs clicking restlessly against the stone, and the truth appeared to sink upon Impa and the princess at the very same time. It wasn't simply begging for attention, it was trying to relay a message.

Princess Zelda eased the Sheikah Slate from Impa's hands, slowly dropping into a kneel before the Guardian again. "Do you know about this?" she inquired. "Is this... is this something to do with you?"

The Guardian had stopped shuffling around in place, but the eagerness had not subsided as the series of beeping went on, almost as if it were telling a story. In deep consideration, Princess Zelda watched over the changing screen for a couple of seconds before her eyes flicked back to the Guardian, then up to Impa.

"I have a theory," Princess Zelda announced. The tranquil trickling of the water beneath the bridge served a constant in the background. "It's quite a reach, to put it mildly, but it speaks to all areas of this unusual occurrence. I believe that this Guardian is not meant to exist, at least not yet. It may have found a way to travel back in time from the arrival of the Calamity and is transmitting a warning through the Sheikah Slate. I think you were right, Impa. They must have bonded in some way."

Time travel? Impa's mind refused to wrap around the idea. How in the world was it that one could cease to exist in their own timeline, just to appear in a time already passed and finished?

"How do we know if this is real, though?" Impa challenged. "I mean, we don't even know for sure that the Calamity is destined to make an attack. I understand what the prophecy says, but the future depends on action, not prediction."

"The Calamity's arrival is certain, Impa. Just not for a very, very long time," Princess Zelda informed her. Cautiously, she rose to her feet and brushed down her skirt again before turning a curious eye back to Impa. "But why would the Guardian arrive now? Wouldn't we need its power more at a time of Calamity?"

Impa contemplated the question. It was a fair point. While the risk of Calamity was a consistent presence, the threat was significantly lower than when it would be literally hanging over the castle. Impa pieced through the visual evidence she had witnessed, hoping to seek out some kind of answer or a push towards one. After being spotted in the bush—What was that about, anyway?—It seemed inclined to stick with Link but practically clung to Princess Zelda upon noticing her, like it wouldn't have traded being present at her side for the world.

"It sounds to me like it's here for you, Princess Zelda," Impa speculated. "I mean, think about it. I see it as a warning. If it took the effort to find a way to travel back in time, it must be following some kind of mission, not to mention it came right to you. I think it's here to try and keep you safe."

"What a fascinating thought," Princess Zelda commented. She dropped her gaze again, softly brushing her fingers along the Guardian's oval head as if to further examine it. The creature stilled in place, accepting of her touch. "Purah and Robbie would delight in such a mystery."

An idea lit up the corners of Impa's mind. Purah and Robbie, technology-invested acquaintances of all Princess Zelda, Link, and Impa herself, the eccentric duo operating the laboratory at the top of the Hateno hill devoted completely to the research of technology and the like, where she had spent her early morning, would have had something to say about all of this. Not just the Guardian, but the tower and the Sheikah Slate as well. Retracing her steps would have been the most efficient way to find answers, if they were there to be found. With such uncertainty, they would have been offering up a handful of work, but they'd likely be thanking them for the opportunity to explore new possibilities.

"That's it," Impa realized aloud. All five eyes darted to look at her. "They would know better than any of us what's going on. I'd say we bring this situation to them and see what they make of it."

A single click tapped the stone as the Guardian turned back to Princess Zelda as if anxiously awaiting her response.

"That's a wonderful idea. It's decided, then. We'll make a departure as soon as we are able," Princess Zelda replied. "We needn't wait for very long to do so, at least not after everyone is ready. But it's already past one in the afternoon. We'd likely need to stop and rest for the night before we'd be arriving. I'd suggest that we prepare quickly to save daylight. I'll make the necessary arrangements and we'll be on our way. Impa, I do hope you don't mind traveling all the way back where you came from with us."

The king had already vanished back into the castle sometime during the conversation while Impa hadn't been paying attention, so Princess Zelda was allowed back inside to search for him and earn his approval of the mission. Awaiting confirmation of departure, Impa was left outside on the bridge with Link and the little Guardian, consumed by the atmosphere of an upcoming journey. Princess Zelda rejoined the group outside shortly afterward, announcing that the expedition had been approved and that she would take a moment to review the plan before a departure would be made. As promptly as she would change out of her formal dress and into her traveling attire, as well as gaining affirmation that nothing more needed to be done, they would start off along the path to Hateno Village. Several Hylian soldiers would be instructed to return to the castle from their monster hunt assigned earlier that morning to leave with them at their side for security. Once started walking, they wouldn't pause to make breaks unless absolutely necessary or until a meal must be made. Where they would stop for the meal would become the place they stop for the night before rising early and arriving at the laboratory no later than eight o'clock. It was a sturdy plan, definite to proceed as expected.

Princess Zelda excused herself back into the castle afterward. Having business within as well, Link wordlessly emerged behind her. Impa, the lone participant with no preparation to be made, situated herself in a cross-legged seat on the flat surface of the stone bridge and watched the small Guardian aimlessly pace the area, ticking against the ground with every step. After several minutes, the first to return was Link, after having removed his silver armor for the walk and wore a traditional sky-blue Hylian tunic, thin beige pants, and high-brimmed brown traveling boots. He took a seat beside Impa and waited with her for a change. One by one, soldiers appeared through the gates, some pausing to examine the tower that had not been raised when they had been directed to leave, and filed into a cluster anticipating orders.

Princess Zelda was the final participant to arrive on the bridge, now dressed in a velvet top similar to the top on her dress and snug dark pants. Impa and Link sensed the time for arrival approaching and climbed to their feet, but evidently there were still preparations to be made as the princess dismissed herself to slip in a few words of a request to her soldiers. Impa and Link stood to wait as Princess Zelda's horse was brought out for the travel from a bend around the castle, a gorgeous white stallion whose name Impa had never caught. The soldiers assisted in situating the princess into the saddle of the horse, a sure sign that departure was near, and Impa and Link trailed behind as the group started off as one, the hooves of the horse and the metal feet of the Guardian clicking with every step.

The afternoon crept along, as did the party. The recognition of the path tingled faintly in the back of Impa's mind; she hadn't expected that she would be returning the same way so soon, but it was freshly familiar nonetheless. The hours timelessly slipped away, only revealed by the slow and subtle sinking of the temperature and the sun creeping closer to the horizon. Brief stops were permitted, but only when arriving at clean springs for a drink of water. Impa was personally instructed to bring water to the horse, though it was very clumsy in trying to drink the first time and in doing so splashed sprays of water down her front.

The golden hour emerged. Clouds had begun to stretch across the sky, painted across the endless amber above. A tense throb clutched Impa's feet as the land gradually darkened in the opening of nightfall, though she didn't worry about this for very long as she caught the sound of Princess Zelda suggesting to stop for the night. They had entered a wide and grassy field about twenty minutes previously with still an hour left to reach Hateno Village and she found this a better place to rest than any other.

In the dimness of the sunset, the party settled down across the grass to call it a night. Most skilled in the hunt, naturally Link was sent off to bring back and cook the meals. The soldiers each took seats on the grass while Princess Zelda lingered at the side of her stallion, whispering soothing words and stroking its mane as if to comfort it for the travels behind it. Impa stopped by the group of soldiers to check on the time—Likely near eight at night—And found a place on the grass by herself to collect her thoughts.

The ground was rocky and rugged beneath Impa as she lay on her back, face turned up to the sky. Strips of pink and orange wrapped around the sky, though its vividness had grown duller as nighttime arrived. Several sounds broke the silence: Crickets sang within the shadows, the soldiers had struck up a conversation of their own, Princess Zelda was still murmuring to her horse, and the Guardian was shuffling around on the grass, inspecting all of the activity. A cool breeze caressed Impa's face and hands. Link had disappeared from the party almost ten minutes ago and had not yet returned, though she assumed that he would be away for quite a while.

If today wasn't a heck of a surreal day, Impa didn't dare to consider the days ahead of her. She hadn't thought anything of it when she had first left the laboratory with the Sheikah Slate in the first whisper of the morning. Surely it all meant something—She just needed to figure it all out. The monster attack was not anything close to uncommon, as one could have likely run into a band of something on a simple walk out from a village, but even still she couldn't make any sort of sense of the tower. At the very least, she'd managed to get her hands on some answers for the Guardian, but she wasn't certain that she would ever adjust to the idea of the existence of time travel.

Well, Purah and Robbie enjoyed questions, especially relating to some kind of technology, and they would be receiving plenty early tomorrow. Impa eased herself up to a seated position as another sweep of cool air rustled the grass and toyed with the abundant leaves dressing the trees guarding the immediate area. Dirt still clung to the cloth in her outfit, so she hastily brushed it away. Sensing the movement, the Guardian scuttled over to Impa after drifting towards Princess Zelda and her stallion, eager to check if something notable was happening. Impa watched as it crawled near her, observing her movements for several seconds, and scurrying back towards the princess upon noticing that nothing changed.

Impa's stomach whined for food. There was still no sign of Link's return, but there was likely a lot more waiting to be done before she could eat. Impa fidgeted with the folds of cloth wrapped closely around her palm in wait, wondering what he was doing out there among the trees. If his return dragged out too long, she'd get some rest first, Impa decided as drowsiness hung loosely from her eyes.

A rustling like swift footsteps registered from among the trees. Like a big animal or something foreign as such. Impa was instantly jolted out of her thoughts, her head snapping up as her eyes darted to scan the area. Only the swishing of the breeze hitting the leaves in the trees pierced the air, completely empty of a peculiar visitor. Impa recalled the sound she had heard, sounding it once more in her mind, and brushed it off as an especially sudden rush of wind. Even if it wasn't, it was significantly more likely to be Link amidst his hunt than anything else.

"Hello, Impa," Princess Zelda greeted her, jerking her back into her reality. She raised her head to find the princess lowering herself into a seat beside her after having left the care of her horse to join her. The horse in question seemed to have no issue with being abandoned, grazing along the grass without a care in the world. The little Guardian stood nearby, but appeared tense, frozen in place while the vibrant orb of its eye darted to take in its surroundings. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, I think," Impa said, brushing away slips of thin white hair from her face.

"Oh, I didn't realize," Princess Zelda admitted, shifting in her seat like she planned to get up again. "I can leave you alone if you'd like to get some rest before dinnertime."

"I would, but I'm as hungry as I am sleepy," Impa explained, and the princess halted her movement again. "I'm looking out for Link to come back so I can know when it's time to eat."

"Well, I would guess that it would be soon," Princess Zelda replied. "I believe that he should be returning promptly."

Link did not return promptly. For several minutes, Impa and Princess Zelda sat together in anticipation of his emergence from the trees with berries or nuts or something else that he could find, but the only sound that escaped from within was the whispers of the breeze hitting the leaves. Impa finally decided to settle down and get some rest with the request of being alerted once it was time to eat, to which the princess left her side to reach her soldiers, not because she was particularly craving sleep but to pass the time. She had predicted that she wasn't all too worn out from the journey, as the physical effects hadn't laid their hold on her. She awoke nuzzled into the ground as comfortably as she could manage, her head propped up on her arm like a pillow, the rocks beneath her etching temporary dents into the side of her face, stars slowly starting to sprinkle across the black skies, and a flickering fire with Link seated beside it, roasting some dead animal over it on a stick.

Deciding that she was even more drowsy than she had previously predicted, Impa had just rolled over on the ground and quickly slipped away into sleep again. The next time that she broke out from sleep was from an abrupt nudge on the arm with one of the princess's soldiers crouched beside her, informing her that the meal was cooked and ready to eat as she strained to understand the words behind a mind still cloudy with sleep. Under a shadowy atmosphere and a twinkling sky, a tenderly-roasted meal was shared. Impa did not ask what kind of animal she was eating—Improving her knowledge of the situation would only kill her appetite. Instead, she devoured as much of the meat as she could, leaving the bone clean and bare, and joined the group in settling down for sleep once more, but something she couldn't shake was the swelling sensation of being watched by something deep within the shadows.

"It might not be comfortable, but it's our only option," Princess Zelda was explaining to Impa as she carefully sank into a seat near her once again.

The soldiers had dispersed across the grass and seemed nearly asleep already, and Link was half-kneeling close by, scanning the area and ready to jump up at any moment if needed. He had been assigned the duty of first watch during the night and it was clear that no danger would pass under his watchful eye.

"We're already so deep into the night. I'm not fond of the possibilities of the danger we'd be putting ourselves in by traveling that extra hour tonight. You can never tell for certain what's out there," Princess Zelda went on. "I've asked to be awakened at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. I'll wake you tomorrow as well if you wish. We should be arriving around eight. We'll speak with Purah and Robbie and receive some answers."

Well, that sounded pleasant right about now. Impa was about to mention as such, but before she had the chance even to open her mouth, the same panicked beeping pierced the air as when the tower had broken through the ground. The Guardian, standing nearby in an empty patch of grass, was rapidly shuffling its legs in a panicked way, sounding the familiar alarm of fright. Its round blue eye was shooting every which way like it sensed some great threat and wasn't completely confident about where it was coming from. Princess Zelda was the first to move, launching up onto her knees and toddling over to the disquieted machine. Immediately, the image of when it had frozen in place just after Impa had caught the suspicious rustling amongst the trees flashed through her mind.

"What's happening? Is something the matter?" Princess Zelda shakily urged to know, outstretching her hands and brushing them over the surface of the Guardian as if offering up a weak attempt to make it still. When it did not calm, she hurriedly glanced around her as if the answer was plastered somewhere across the grass. "Where did I leave the Sheikah Slate? I might have set it down somewhere. There might be another message coming across."

A distinct gleam descended upon the back of Princess Zelda's blonde head as she rushed to search the grass for the Sheikah Slate. A vibrant red pinpoint. The infamous mark of a hopeless ambush. Suddenly, a split second was dragged out into a lifetime. The rattling of the little Guardian tumbling over itself trying to back away. The horse's frightened outcry as hooves pounded against the earth. The clattering of soldiers scrambling to their feet, Link's sword instantly unsheathed. A yell breaking free from Impa's throat.

"Get down!!" Impa burst out, flinging her arms around Princess Zelda and knocking them both to the ground at just the right moment before the shot was fired.

A crack of heat sniped past Impa's head as the missile beam missed by mere inches, pummeling into the earth just feet away in a spurt of flames that immediately seared the grass. A strangled shriek escaped from Princess Zelda on the ground in Impa's arms. An inhuman screech struck the air from the little Guardian from somewhere close by. The swift footsteps were back, and now they were approaching by the second. In the brief moment where Impa remained on her front on the grass after just barely evading the fire, she realized that she could have stopped this. If she had listened to her intuition, they wouldn't have been here right now.

Impa's head reeled as she withdrew her arms from the princess, forcing herself up and onto her feet as a lighter set of footsteps thumped across the grass. Coming to her aid. As Impa steadied herself again, Link had stepped in to stand between her and the rising Princess Zelda and the rapidly nearing threat. Frighteningly long steel spider-like legs briskly carried the massive machine towards the awaiting group. A Guardian, one of the common models. Something was wrong. Guardians were not only restrained from being released into the wild to fight the Calamity at this point in time, they were designed to attack nothing but the Calamity, much less the princess of Hyrule. This wasn't the only change that was apparent. While most Guardians of this model were marked with a pulsing rusty orange glow in the breaches of its intricate foundation, the color that surged from it and sliced through the dimness of the night was a deep reddish purple. The exact same that had leaked from the castle in the image of Calamity Ganon on the Sheikah Slate.

The giant Guardian's claws tore through the ground in its haste to cross the grassy field, sending jets of dirt with every step, a piercing blue eye bouncing abruptly between Impa, Link, and Princess Zelda. The air had been firmly squeezed from Impa's lungs. A wrench of panic yanked at her stomach. She should have been running, but her feet were rooted to the ground.

"What's wrong with it?" Impa asked, her voice choked up in fear.

Link gave an abrupt gesture with the hand that wasn't outstretched with his sword, urging Impa and Princess Zelda back. Impa sprang into action, a hand shooting out to grip the princess's arm and pull her away as she staggered back several steps. The corrupted Guardian was clawing closer with every passing second, glowing amongst the night. Link was standing at the ready for confrontation, shifting only to grasp the handle of the sword between both hands. The atmosphere was electric with dreaded anticipation.

Clattering metal disturbed the tension. Straight past Link's ankle scurried the smaller Guardian after having managed to flip itself back to its feet, speeding towards its malicious counterpart like there was no tomorrow. It was enough to jolt Link out of his disposition, giving him a start as his eyes trailed the movements of the machine. It was enough to distract the corrupt Guardian as well, sending it reeling away with its elongated legs whisking along the grass as it quickly recognized its copy before just as quickly recognizing a threat. The deep reddish brilliance flared, the piercing claws latched into the ground, and the same bright pinpoint locked onto the white surface of the rapidly moving target.

"No, stop!!" Princess Zelda blurted out in a yell, instantly rattling Impa as she stood petrified amongst the scene. She jerked her arm out of Impa's hold more suddenly than she could have stopped her, flinging herself forward to Link's side again. "Link, do something!!"

Link never hesitated with a direct order. In the blink of an eye, he had broken off into a sprint, a hand still tightly clutching the handle of the sword with every pounding step towards the two Guardians. A series of frightened beeps sliced through the quietness as Link bounded past the little Guardian. The corrupted Guardian instantly moved to reel away and create some distance to shoot as Link dashed around it, actively searching for the best time to strike. It was hardly seconds before the distinct red pinpoint found its way to the middle of his tunic, flawlessly tracking his movements to fire. The sight should have been intimidating, that much was clear, but in the murky atmosphere of the dead of night, there was nothing that could have convinced Impa that this wasn't some terrible dream.

Intimidated was something that wouldn't have even been remotely considered for Link, despite being toe-to-toe with an agitated Guardian. He ducked out of sight behind it as it continued to carry itself away by revolving metal legs. He knew exactly what he was doing. A blazing missile beam flashed through the darkness, sparking an uproar of flames from the grass where impact had been made. In an instant, Princess Zelda had seized Impa's arm, squeezing the life out of it as Impa rushed to find a sign that Link had been hurt, but there was nothing. An earsplitting metal-on-steel screech struck the air, flinging a grimace to Impa's face, and the skinny and elongated leg of a Guardian lashed through the air across the grass after being dismembered from the body. At once, Impa identified the strategy; removing the legs of the Guardian would remove the ability to chase. But with no movement, a deadly missile laser, and an impeccable aim with an extensive reach, it was nearly just as dangerous.

"We can't just stand around! We've got to do something to help!" Princess Zelda cried out, still clenching Impa's arm as Link sprung away from the Guardian again, winding up for another attack. He spun the handle of the sword between his fingers and was on the move again as the Guardian teetered to remain upright, letting loose a resolute yell as he swung for the next leg. Before Impa could even open her mouth to reply, the clattering sound of scurrying metal legs snagged her attention as the little Guardian barreled back over to her and the princess, sputtering out several panicked whimpers before it stood to nervously guard them from a distance from the corrupted Guardian.

Impa's thoughts fired to come up with a plan, soaked completely in the numbness of shock. Her eyes drifted along the scenes happening around her as if the answer lay somewhere in the motions. Link was dodging the red target of the Guardian and its prolonged legs to try and demobilize it. Princess Zelda clung to her arm, close at her side like the protection of a shield. The soldiers stood nearby at the ready but cast uncertain looks at each other. They hadn't been trained in battling Guardians—They had been trained with the notion that the creatures were built as support and not as a threat. The white horse had scampered away several feet at the initial attack and was significantly less collected, anxious whinnies escaping from it as its hooves paced the ground.

If they could reach the animal quick enough with Link distracting the Guardian, Impa could have brought Princess Zelda to her horse and instructed her to escape to safety. This would have meant no one could follow her and everyone else would have been stuck with a dangerous menace, but she would have been safe. But this begged the questions of whether Impa and the rest of the party could have managed to defeat the Guardian and what kinds of risks lingered along the path. Not one option was completely safe as of right now.

Impa's heart thumped sickeningly. She could have run for help. At least, more help than they had right now. She could have run for the tech lab to alert Purah and Robbie of the situation, but it was an hour away. Even if she could sustain her energy for long enough to make the trip, it was more likely than not that they would return to a cluster of deceased allies. Maybe there was something along the path that she could find.

Yes, there was. A recollection flashed through Impa's mind. Impa herself had been present for the royal discussions of implementing stationary Guardians along the path towards the tech lab starting from about an hour and a half away in the event of an ambush. It was probable that the Guardians were already set in place, but had yet to be activated. Impa could have activated them as long as she had the Sheikah Slate in her possession. Trusting the stationary Guardians having avoided corruption in their unactivated status, all that was left was determining how they fared against something of their own kind.

"I have an idea," Impa announced abruptly. Princess Zelda uneasily released her arm as they met each other's gaze. "Princess Zelda, did you see where you left the Sheikah Slate? I'm going to activate the stationary Guardians along the path and I need to bring it with me to be able to do that."

"I don't know. Um." Princess Zelda hurriedly glanced across the grass around her, searching for the device. "It's so dark, I can't quite tell."

Impa spotted a faint pulsating blue light far across the grass, near where Princess Zelda's horse had been standing earlier. Impa followed the signal, locating the device face-up in the bed of grass with the same rippling blue glow slipping across it. She snagged the Sheikah Slate from the grass, straightening up and turning back to the scene of Link and the corrupted Guardian.

"Link," Impa barked to get his attention as he sharply raised his sword in a swing to finally dislodge the second of six Guardian legs.

With another piercing screech, the second leg was detached. As soon as the swing was concluded, Link bounced back again, staggering slightly to retreat from the Guardian and steady himself before his blue eyes peered beneath his ruffled blond bangs to meet Impa's, expectant for instruction.

"I'm leaving Princess Zelda with you," Impa declared. "Do not leave her side."

Link gave a short and determined nod, sneaking a final glance at the giant Guardian as it swayed like a rocking boat, wobbling in an attempt to remain steady after losing two legs. Link broke off into movement again, returning to Princess Zelda's side and intercepting the line of sight of the Guardian from her, outstretching an arm to hold her back as he stood keen to defend her.

In the next moment that Impa registered, she was bolting along the dirt path that the party had followed before they had stopped for the night. Her feet thudded heavily against the soil, eyes jumping through the dusky atmosphere for the silhouette of a Guardian, hand clamped over the casing of the Sheikah Slate. The array of stars glistened amongst the dark sky above her, trees in the distance displayed as nothing but dim shadows. Every couple of minutes, she caught the sound of the corrupted Guardian's missile releasing to harm an unknown target, likely Link. The snug roll of her hair bounced atop her head with every hammering step which carried her off into the night. It shouldn't have been far now.

Four, Impa remembered as she bounded down the path. Four Guardians to activate. One of them was somewhere around where she was now, a couple of miles and nearly twenty minutes out from the resting point. The second, she had taken notice of shortly before the stop was made but it hadn't fully dawned on her. The third and fourth were yet unknown, though Impa could gather that they must have been further down the path closer to the laboratory. As long as the Sheikah Slate would let her know how to activate them, she might have been able to conduct a counterattack.

Impa lurched to a halt. She guessed that she was close by to the first Guardian, and besides, an ache burned in the pit of her chest from running. Strangled breaths entered and escaped her as she scrutinized the shadows, the thin lines where dirt met grass. A scream pierced the air far in the distance, but whose it was, she could not tell. Thin wisps of smoke coiled around the stars, implying that if she didn't hurry, she'd be responsible for an outbreak of flames. She needed to get this done quickly.

The sizable outline of a Guardian lacking legs fixed into the ground registered in the darkness several feet down the path. The distant whine of a bird in the trees pierced the air as Impa broke off into a speedy walk, rushing across the invisible path to reach the tool. As expected, it was clearly not activated and did not so much as move or light up as Impa neared, gaze traveling up and down its exterior.

Maybe there was a switch of some sort, or a button, to bring the Guardian to life. Impa ran her fingers around the surface of the head, anticipating a disturbance in the touch but felt nothing but the unbroken smoothness. Impa's hand reached the dead sphere of an eye, tapping and pressing restlessly for any kind of change. A sudden vibration from the Sheikah Slate in her other hand shot up into her wrist and she scrambled to get a glimpse of the screen. Glowing against a dim background, the shape of the Guardian in front of her was illustrated in the same blue design, and a short set of thin words faded in above it.

GUARDIAN TURRET IN RANGE

BEGIN CALIBRATION?

Impa's eyes lingered on the animated outline of the Guardian on the screen. Now that the possibility of activating the creature was presented to her, it beckoned another concern. What would happen if she calibrated the Guardian and it immediately fell to corruption like the first? Not only would she be forced to turn on her heel and escape, but she would also have had one less option of getting everyone out of this situation. The pad of her thumb hardly brushed against the blue image, moving to activate it without room for second thoughts, and the silhouette swam with strings of slim glows that danced around it in its approval. She raised her head once more, anticipating a reaction.

The Guardian eased into motion, metal groaning against metal as its head rocked back and forth in a swivel. A vivid blue gleam awoke in its eye as it darted across its surroundings in search of a threat, encased by its pivoting head as the color burned artificially against the night. An orange blaze slowly slithered down behind its intricately carved frame as it emerged from its slumber. A color which, as the seconds breathlessly crept by, remained unchanged. Impa allowed herself a faint gasp as relief pooled out into her stomach. There was hope.

A far deliverance of the missile beam of the traitorous Guardian snapped Impa's focus back to the present. The remainder of the Guardian turrets wouldn't be found along the grass she had crossed to get to this point, but further down the path, at least the majority of them. Impa's heel dug into the dirt as she sprung into movement, tearing off down the path in the opposite direction. She'd let herself become absorbed in the notion of hope for just a moment, but now the pressure of time had sunk in again. Twenty minutes. That was all that she needed. As long as she could buy herself twenty minutes to spare, she could have gotten everyone out of danger. She trusted in Link's ability in combat and defense, especially after witnessing him chop off two of the corrupted Guardian's legs without so much as a scratch, but twenty minutes standing against a savage Guardian was intense for the strongest of warriors.

Impa encountered the second Guardian turret farther down the path, nearly five minutes after the first. The process of activating it was identical to the first time, but the hesitance had receded in faith that the reinforcement was in her support. The second Guardian turret was calibrated in seconds, its head swiveling in the very same way as it sought out a threat, and Impa had launched into a sprint once again. The yells leaking from the original resting place were becoming distinct once again the farther that Impa traveled; she was growing near to the danger again. She was even close enough to catch the sound of Princess Zelda's raised voice, but couldn't quite decipher what it was saying.

The head of the third Guardian turret slowly spun around as it hunted down the threat. Impa's stomach squeezed tightly in dismay as screams escaped from the shadows. The matching orange glow crept down the body of the Guardian turret like trickling water, firmly holding her focus for several seconds as she anticipated the cue to leave again, but her eyes snapped up to reach the head again as it came to an abrupt halt. It was something that none of the first had done and was nothing short of rattling. Its eye swam with a vibrant blue, locking unmoved on a sight past Impa's shoulder. It had found a target.

Impa's breath caught in her throat at the idea of what she could have found behind her back. She tossed back a glance, eyes probing the darkness for anything deviating from safety. There was nothing more than what she had seen upon first making the stop to calibrate the Guardian turret—Deteriorating flames licking the grass in a few places and flicking in the whisper of the breeze. But it wasn't what she saw. It was what she heard. Even the swift footsteps of the corrupted Guardian clawing across the grass were audible now, the sensation giving way to screams of get back, run, we're losing time. She was close. It seemed like they weren't in a decent place anymore, either.

A dizzying sensation descended sharply onto Impa like she was about to lose whatever animal she had eaten for dinner. Legs heavy as if in a dream, she felt herself moving forward again, drifting through the trees through the dimness of nightfall in the direction of her suffering allies. It wasn't long before she had emerged from the assortment of trees, leaving behind the forest and stepping out into a wide field of seared grass. A streak of light shooting through the air immediately snagged Impa's attention. The corrupted Guardian teetered in the middle of the field, struggling to stay upright at the point of managing only three elongated legs now. The red pinpoint of its target was still fixed upon Link, who had not ceased in combat in the time that Impa had been away but appeared to be significantly more wounded as he staggered across the damaged grass with hands clasped tightly around the handle of his sword. Princess Zelda stood petrified several feet back, her shoulders rising and falling in uneven breaths like crying. The soldiers had spread out across the grass and surrounded the hobbling creature farther from where Link was situated, prepared to launch a mass counterattack if directed and following every movement.

Impa's eyes traveled numbly across the scene. Her thoughts crept back along to the final Guardian turret, the one which when calibrated would initiate retaliation, but her feet were rooted to the ground. It wasn't far from where she stood. It was just minutes away, positioned at the top of a wooden structure to promote greater range. She couldn't hit the Guardian from that far away. It would have been completely out of her sight, and she wouldn't have known for sure where to aim. If she could even determine how to aim the turrets, that was. What was left to be done? How could she have brought the Guardian to a place in sight where she could properly aim?

She needed to cause a distraction to provoke it into following her.

Impa snapped back into reality at once. "Hey!" she yelped suddenly before second-thoughts could plague her mind. Everyone except the corrupted Guardian jumped where they stood, eyes whipping to look at her. Even the focus of the Guardian was diverted, tearing apart the dirt and grass with its few legs to face her. "Hey!! If you want something to shoot at, catch me if you can!"

"Impa, what are you doing?" Princess Zelda shrilly urged to know as the Guardian unsteadily began to wobble closer, forcibly dragging itself over the grass in its weak balance. "You're going to get yourself hurt."

"I told you, Princess," Impa reminded her, but she kept an immovable eye on the approaching Guardian. "I have a plan."

As soon as the red pinpoint lit up just above Impa's belly, she broke off into movement again. Her feet thudded against the ground in a steady rhythm as she made a break for the other end of the field, to the edge encasing the land with trees. Over the sound of her own hammering footsteps across the singed grass, she registered the clattering of the Guardian clumsily scuttling to follow her. The world faded out around her into void and then it was just her, shooting through the nearly pitch-darkness with her only goal to reach the trees and a three-legged Guardian whisking across the grass to chase her as fast as it could carry itself. What in the world had this night turned into?

In the split second that Impa's feet struck the ground after breaking through the rim of trees into the density of the forest, the realization dawned on her that she had temporarily forgotten what she was running for in the first place—She had been so absorbed in the sensation of reaching her first milestone that the rest had slipped her mind. The release of a Guardian missile beam from behind her back was not only enough reminder of the present, but the cue to drop. Impa hardly thought before lurching in an abrupt, stomach-crunching sort of double-over. Her feet staggered over the short grass as the beam hurtled over her head through the air, striking impact with a thick tree several feet in front of her. Numbness spread through Impa like the fire that sparked to life across the trunk as cracks etched through it and with a low groan, dropped heavily to the ground in front of her. Now, she had the idea of being crushed by falling trees to look out for.

The dense fallen trunk was hardly an obstacle. Impa leaped over it with a single propel of her foot, just barely missing the flames that flicked towards her ankle. She tore through low-hanging branches and surfaced roots. Her head spun every which way in search of a structure amongst the trees, anything that deviated from the sights of the forest. She ducked with every delivery of a missile beam, witnessing trees collapse in her path and red-hot fire bursting into existence along the grass. It wasn't hazardous yet, but if it would spread, Impa wasn't certain how much of the forest would suffer.

The position of the fourth and final Guardian turret was a couple of minutes into the forest, at least at the speed of a run. To her right, Impa had spied a tall structure through the trees of smooth light wood, two layers of flat surfaces lifted by twisting steps where the turret was located at the top. A collection of monsters inhabited the structure in its lengthy abandonment, a family of scaly green lizard-like creatures known as Lizalfos. They were quite like the Bokoblins—Trained to harm without a lick of intelligence. A hiss like audible poison escaped from somewhere above Impa as she hustled to ascend the first set of stairs. Just before she could have had the chance to emerge onto the first platform, a scurrying of nails scratching against wood turned into one of the Lizalfos rising to its full height to stand against her, blocking her from entrance. In the coiling of its sharp-cornered nails and another fierce hiss leaving a mouth which was flicked at by a vibrant purple tongue, it was clearly just as happy to see her as she it. A strangled gasp slipped through Impa's lips, jolted by the sudden halt, but her surprise just as quickly developed into annoyance pumping through her at the display of weakness.

"Oh, back off," Impa snarled, heavily thrusting her shoulder into the body of the creature to knock it away from her. The Lizalfos gave another piercing screech, plummeting down over the edge of the structure at her push. One less thing to worry about, for now.

Impa's fingers found the rim of the second surface an arm's reach above her head, tossing the Sheikah Slate overhead and gripping it until her knuckles throbbed as she hastily hoisted herself up to save time. The scuttling of a second approaching Lizalfos from beneath her arrived as her arms grappled at the wood for support. The pinch of claws sinking into her sides told her that she hadn't pulled herself up in time and the creature was trying to yank her back down again. Jeez, that was low. And something she most definitely didn't have the time to accept.

Impa gave a sharp kick at the creature, blind as she couldn't possibly turn her head back far enough to look at it. The sudden attack was enough to stun it into releasing its grip on her, but not for long enough for her to resume her climb as its claws seized her shoulders with a more aggressive tug.

"Get off of me!" Impa yelled, trying for another swift kick. A muffled shriek implied she had managed a direct hit on its face, or maybe its neck, she wasn't quite sure. The stinging grip vanished. "Ugh, that's so gross."

Having escaped the grab of the Lizalfos, Impa clambered up onto the platform, cautious to avoid crushing the screen of the Sheikah Slate under her clasping hand. The Guardian turret was positioned at the left of where she came up from, peering over the forest as it upheld its name. The nearing of clattering metal let her know that the corrupted Guardian had finally caught up with her, agitatedly pacing the rim of the structure as it searched for an opportunity to ambush her. It was far too weighty and large to follow her up. Right now, she had a near-perfect shot. All that was left to do was activate the turret and perform a counterattack.

Impa took up the Sheikah Slate from the flat wood, easing herself to her feet. An odd calmness soothed her as she stood in the notion that she was seconds away from ending this entire issue once and for all. The vivid red pinpoint marked the middle of her belly once more. The Guardian, now fixed into place below the structure, three legs unmoved as it stood in position, had located her and taken aim. The mark was easily dematerialized simply by ducking behind the cover of the unactivated turret, exactly where she needed to be. Impa crouched behind the concealment of the Guardian turret, clamping the Sheikah Slate between her hands, and the illuminating of the screen instantly drew her eyes.

GUARDIAN TURRET IN RANGE

BEGIN CALIBRATION?

It was time. Impa activated the turret with a short tap of her finger on the screen. The familiar groaning of metal shot through her ears as the Guardian turret awoke in motion, head swiveling slowly as the orange glow trickled down its body. Only then did Impa leap back up and into sight, wrapping an arm around the head of the turret for balance and steadying her feet on the body for a clearer view of the shot below. A flash of a red glow snuck across Impa's eyes. The corrupted Guardian seemed to be staring right through her. It had put its target in the center of her forehead.

Without thinking, Impa jerked the Sheikah Slate up and in front of her face to shield the attack. With a movement as sudden as her own, the Guardian turret's head lurched to the side and her arm clung firmly to the surface to stay upright. It was in the same direction she had moved the Sheikah Slate. Oh. So that was how aiming worked. Impa stole a glance at the device's dim screen only to find that the same Guardian silhouette shone against it with a set of different text.

CALIBRATION COMPLETE

INITIATE INTERVENTION

Initiate intervention. Slowly, with carefulness in every motion that even she could have questioned right now, Impa withdrew her empty hand from the turret to place it on the side of the Sheikah Slate once again. With a turn, she redirected the focus of the turret to prepare a precise shot of the Guardian at the ground. She could sense the pinpoint lingering on her forehead, the barbaric devotion to taking her life swimming in its striking blue eye which glowed against the dimness.

"If it's my life you want, Guardian, then get up here and take it yourself," Impa growled as her finger found contact with the screen for the last time, pressing against the silhouette.

The counterattack had begun and didn't delay at that. The first missile beam shot out from behind where it couldn't have spotted it, a flash of light darting through the night before it pummeled into the back of the Guardian's head with an explosive boom and sent it reeling forwards. Impa felt each crash as a throb deep in her chest, watching wide cracks wrap around the body of the Guardian with every blast. The second came in from a ways further to the left, the third a ways further. The fourth offered up an eruption with such weight that the shock wave rattled the whole structure where Impa stood, as well as the entirety of her body. The flash of light from the missile beam conquered her vision for a split second and the star-sprinkled sky hung above her as her back met the wood. Screeching metal, the final clap of explosion, and then nothing of the sort.

Crickets sang in the depths of the shadows when Impa realized she was still lying against the flat wood. She was shaking, notably and from head to toe, as she climbed to her feet. Below her, scattered across the seared grass, lay the burnt and damaged components of what was once a Guardian. A smoky scent drifted through the air. It seemed significantly and unusually quieter, as if Impa had grown up and spent all of her nineteen years lacking the luxury.

It was over.

All of the remaining Lizalfos had taken off in escape as soon as the first missile beam had been released, and so Impa stood alone at the top of the structure, absorbed in the sounds of the night. As she blinked against the darkness, she struggled to draw herself away from the surreal sensation, quite like a rapidly shifting dream. She was already mapping the route back to the resting point in her mind as she descended the steps and leveled out onto the grass again. She held her breath as she drifted past the Guardian remains, hesitant to allow herself to inhale the smoke that still rose faintly from each part, and wandered out amongst the trees.

The same shine of anxious anticipation glimmered within every pair of eyes when Impa ventured out onto the field again. In surrendering control of the situation just minutes before, the group of soldiers had sheathed their weapons once again and gathered in a tight cluster to engage in hushed discussion. Link and Princess Zelda had struck up a conversation as well several feet away—Though the princess was doing the talking—And Link, though his back was to Impa, grabbed at his own side with a firm grip. The Guardian had likely gotten him before she had led it away. The smaller Guardian, the one of immensely less threat, had situated itself next to the hooves of the princess's fidgeting white stallion, studying the interaction of Link and Princess Zelda from afar with a short series of soft and worried whimpers here and there.

Princess Zelda was the first to notice Impa's approach. She snuck a short glance behind Link at her as if checking if it was really her, and hustled across the grass to meet her halfway.

"Impa, are you all right? Are you hurt?" Princess Zelda asked shakily, reaching up and cupping Impa's face in her hands to search for injury. Her touch was noticeably soft, especially after the stomach-turning events that had taken up the start of the night, but Impa gently removed her hands from her cheeks.

"I'm fine," Impa insisted. She had expected her voice to come out steady, but she fought to keep its strength. The irregular shuffling over the grass implied that Link was limping to join them from where he had stood to speak with the princess. "The Guardian is gone. I went through and activated the turrets. I'm not sure if you were able to notice the retaliation from here."

Link appeared at Princess Zelda's side as she withdrew her hands completely. Despite the pain nearly sending him doubled over as his hand clasped over his side, his interest in following the conversation was clarified by the darting of his eyes between the princess and Impa.

"So, it's done, then? Oh, my goodness, that's such a relief. I could cry, truthfully." As if to further prove her point, a weak sniffle escaped from Princess Zelda as she hastily dabbed at her eyes with the sides of her hands. "It was a genuine nightmare before you came back and brought that Guardian away. Link was fighting so diligently to hold it back but he's been shot."

"Let me see, Link," Impa urged, her focus falling to Link's hand clamped over his side. Without hesitation, Link lifted his hand from his side. Having eaten away the fabric of his tunic on a few-inch radius, a wide burn scorched his side, already generous in blisters and intimidatingly dark in color, even under the thin moonlight. A nauseous jab throbbed deep in Impa's stomach. "Are you going to be okay?"

Link gave a firm and silent nod. Not an ounce of doubt crept through his face. He was going to be just fine.

"Well, I'm already up for the night, and I would think that all of you need some rest more than I do," Impa said as Link set his hand back in place over his wound. "Try to sleep, if you can. I'll look out for any more danger for the next few hours until I'm sure that everything is clear."

Within minutes, Princess Zelda, Link, and the soldiers had settled back down onto the ground to get some rest, at long last. Impa resisted the swelling temptation to lay down and shut her eyes as she sat in a criss-crossed position nearby—The night was about to drag on even longer for her. Princess Zelda was the first to fall asleep, drifting off quietly as if the past events had never even occurred. The soldiers went down one by one, and then Link stilled as well, but something in his face was still tense or ill at ease. It was a wonder how he could have slept with such an injury.

And then it was Impa alone with the night once again. Her eyes pried the subtle line where land met sky and sat awake for the sake of her allies. Amidst the crickets in their nighttime song, the sparkling stars, and the chilled faint breeze caressing the grass, the hour grew late and the darkness swallowed her whole.