19: Battle of Hyrule Field

Zelda only realized she’d been lost in thought once the last remaining ember fizzled out, the storm’s unforgiving winds banishing the smoke away instantly. As she gazed down at the now lifeless campfire, she felt no desire to start a new one. In fact, she hadn’t felt like doing much of anything lately. 

It had been three days since she and Impa had materialized in the middle of Hyrule Field, though she still wasn’t sure if it was night or day anymore. The perpetual storm that Phantom Ganon had summoned made sure of that.

Yet, the moment her feet had touched solid ground, she’d pushed out as much of her essence as she could, sending a surge of magical energy in every possible direction to carry her message. It was time for her people to know she was alive and that they must prepare for the final battle. 

“Citizens of Hyrule!” she’d cried out. “I am Zelda, your princess! Warriors of every nation, hear my plea…the time is now! We must fight! The final battle is now! I am coming to stop Ganondorf and save Hyrule once and for all!”

And then she had collapsed. 

She’d welcomed the dreamless sleep, and she would likely always welcome it now. The last thing she’d wanted was another vision, whether it was promising or harrowing. She’d had quite enough of them to last a lifetime. 

In all three of those days, when she was conscious, her mind returned to the Shadow Temple, to the scene that would forever replay in her mind for years to come, of the man who could see the truth and how he was tortured beyond recognition. It had left behind such a stain on her soul she didn’t dare assume she could ever rinse it clean. She had been marked, and she was certain the knowledge of that mark would always make her nauseated and fatigued. 

And enraged. 

She felt Impa’s presence next to her, but she didn’t react. Impa threw something into the blackened remnants of the campfire. “I can restart it in a few hours.”

“Leave it,” Zelda slowly rose to her feet and found that she was still sore and stiff even after doing almost nothing but sleeping. “I don’t think they’re coming, and we can’t delay any longer.”

“As you wish,” Impa whispered patiently. 

“Where were you?” Zelda sat in a crouch and began stretching her legs. 

“In the tent, Zelda…” Impa answered plainly. “The same place I’ve been all morning.”

“No,” Zelda turned to face her as she continued to stretch out her weary muscles. “When the Sheikah were ordered to hunt down the Sheikari, when they entered the Temple of Hylia to slaughter them, where were you?”

Impa’s expression immediately sobered, and she ran a hand through her long, silver hair. Zelda then realized why she’d refused to look at or acknowledge her ever since they’d fled the Shadow Temple. Every time she looked into those red eyes, all she could think about was that man’s lifeless head covered in his own blood and filth staring back at her. 

“So, that is why you haven’t spoken in nearly three days,” Impa finally replied. “I was wondering how much you would discover once you’d spoken with the Sage. It was only natural you would learn of the Sheikari and what happened to them.”

Zelda felt as if every ounce of heat in her body was racing towards her eyes. She froze and glared at Impa, each passing second doubling her growing impatience. 

“Well?” Zelda nearly shouted this time. “Where were you?” 

Impa paused, looking far into the distance, before returning to her seat next to Zelda. Her guardian glanced over with her patented unreadable expression, before gazing off into the horizon once more. “I was still completing my final training assignment before I could be recognized as an elite warrior. I was to seal away a dangerous Shadow Beast deep within the well in Kakariko Village. If I could manage to do that, I would have passed the trials needed to become a distinguished member of the tribe and be bestowed the honor of protecting the royal family. Of protecting you.”

Zelda wanted to feel relief, to feel grateful that her guardian hadn’t been directly part of the massacre, yet she still felt so hollow she thought she might break apart at any moment. 

“His Majesty was the one who brought me the news upon his return,” Impa continued. “The Sheikah had always been few in numbers, but I immediately found myself as one of the last who remained. Everyone else had perished in the desert.”

“The Arbiter’s Grounds,” Zelda whispered. 

“Is that what they call it?” Impa asked, though her voice trailed off a little as she spoke, as if the revelation was of little significance. “I honestly never thought to look for it. By then, I had already accepted my duty. I would have no reason to venture out into the desert, even to find out what happened to them.”

Zelda considered Impa’s words for a moment and realized, even underneath the horror and barely contained rage, she felt pity. Impa had sacrificed almost all that she’d known to protect the royal family, especially Zelda, and she was still making sacrifices to do so.

As a princess, she especially understood the burden that came with duty, how one was expected to toss away certain desires, dreams, and aspirations. Yet, the thought of Impa never once considering searching for answers about the death of her people, the eradication of what could possibly be her entire lineage, brought her great sorrow. Her clan had all been wiped out, yet she still chose to serve the royal family, even the king whose decree had led to so much destruction. She had even stepped in when the queen had disappeared deep into the desert. 

“Impa…” Zelda tried to stave off the swirl of emotions threatening to engulf them both. “I think that place, the Arbiter’s Grounds, is where my mother was trying to get to when she fled that night. I think she had an awful vision about that place and wanted to stop something from happening, and I believe I’ve only made things worse.” 

“Your intentions were pure, even if misguided,” Impa offered. “There was always a chance that Ganondorf’s evil magic could have broken my seal. That’s why I went to check after you left.”

“Never mind my intentions!” Zelda shook her head. “My…my father…the king…ordered the Sheikah to hunt down the Sheikari! The Ancient Sages killed the Sheikari who guarded the Triforce! That is my legacy, Impa! That is what I have inherited!”

“These events happened long before you were born,” Impa placed a hand on Zelda’s shoulder. “You do not need to feel guilty for his actions.”

“But I must!” Zelda jerked her shoulder from Impa’s grasp. “Who do you think would answer for the decisions of a king but his heir, especially one who is the Princess of Destiny? You were right! I am no Hero of Time, nor could I ever be a hero in any tale, not with this tainted legacy I am saddled with!

“Then we would all answer!” Impa must have realized she’d raised her voice, lowering her eyes back towards the parched dregs of wood in front of them. “I fear we must all answer eventually…”

The silence stretched between them for several minutes, and Zelda wasn’t sure Impa would ever speak again. She couldn’t remember a time she’d seen her guardian so upset and passionate. Still, she decided they must continue on, even if they ended up at odds with each other. 

“I had a vision,” Zelda spoke to the ground. “I saw a man in that vision, one of the Sheikari, who was tortured by two Sheikah. Even as they tortured him, he kept talking, as clear as you and I are speaking now, until he finally died.”

Impa wouldn’t meet her eyes, and that was the confirmation Zelda needed that she hadn’t hallucinated that horrible scene as she’d wished. It had played through her mind for the past three days, and each moment she’d hoped it had been a horrible nightmare. Now, she knew it had to have been real, every single part of it. 

This time, Impa would not delay in relaying what she knew. “As you know by now, the Sheikari were powerful magic users, but there was one man in particular who lived in Kakariko Village. His name was Adelora, and it was said he could always see the truth. No matter what trickery we or the magicians used, he couldn’t be fooled. Yet, he was an outcast among the Sheikari, and I heard many say he had little talent for magic.”

“Why would someone who can always see the truth be an outcast?” Zelda’s brow furrowed. “I would think he’d be a remarkable asset to anyone.”

“The truth makes most of us uncomfortable,” Impa sighed, a hint of irony in her expression now. “We prefer the little lies we tell ourselves, that allow us to maintain what we think are just harmless delusions. It makes it much easier to ignore the pain, suffering, and cruelty of the world, and someone like Adelora would have been seen as a constant threat to that. He couldn’t be lied to, and he would always see things for what they were, not for what they’d been made to appear to be.”

Zelda felt a chill run down her spine and bristled at her naivety. How could she deny Impa’s words after what she herself had witnessed? Could she truly blame anyone for locking such horrible knowledge into the deepest recesses of their mind? She had wanted to do that very thing ever since they’d returned to Hyrule Field. 

“He had a brother, though I can’t remember his name,” Impa continued on. “He was even more shunned than Adelora, for he actively practiced the darkest of magics. So, when the Sheikari were branded traitors, peculiar people like Adelora and his brother seemed to be the easier targets.”

Zelda shook her head, closing her eyes as disgust filled her like witch’s brew filled a cauldron, smoking and rancid. So, it was that easy to justify maiming and disfiguring an innocent person? You simply needed to find them…peculiar enough.

“Yet, my predecessors underestimated him,” Impa scoffed. “He was not only exceptionally powerful; he was one of the original six protectors of the Triforce, and he was extremely vengeful. Death could not eliminate him completely. His lingering will and hatred remained, taking the shape of a hideous Shadow Beast…which I was tasked with sealing beneath the well where his house had once stood.”

“Impa…” Zelda was nearly bursting with questions. “How could they have done this? How could they have slaughtered and destroyed so many lives? Why did my father…”

“I cannot provide you with the answers you need,” Impa shook her head as she gazed up at the sky. “I wish I could.”

“It will have to wait anyway,” Zelda finally settled into a cross-legged sitting position. “We’re running out of time. I have to stop him now.”

The festering black clouds grew thicker and more ominous as if responding to her directly, a flash of lightning illuminating the ruins of Lon Lon Ranch stretched out before them. The Gerudo watchtower was now a pile of rubble thanks to her fight with Phantom Ganon, but, to her surprise, the tower that loomed over Kakariko Village had shown no signs of activity since they’d first made camp. 

“I can’t get us inside the gates,” Zelda sighed as she rose to her feet. “Farore’s blessing won’t get us any farther than where we stand. I’m certain his magic is responsible.”

“Then we enter through the main gate,” Impa shrugged.

Zelda nodded. “Which is precisely what he wants.”

Impa looked away from Zelda towards the castle gates before immediately jumping to her feet, pointing up towards the sky. “There! It descends!”

“I know…” Zelda unsheathed her kodachi. “He won’t wait any longer.”

A twisting black pillar of clouds dropped to the ground, taking everything immediately surrounding it into its funnel. Zelda watched as dirt billowed into the air, birds screeched in terror as they desperately tried to flee, and trees snapped in half before being sucked away. 

The pair were engulfed by a gust of wind so strong Zelda thought it was a miracle they weren’t flattened completely. Then, just as soon as it had begun, the horrible spinning cloud faded away leaving behind a colossal wall of dust. As it began to clear, Zelda could make out several figures approaching, red glowing eyes, rusted armor, and skeletal appendages as clear as day.

Stalfos.

Impa tied her hair into a bun using that faster-than-light method Zelda had never quite learned for herself before drawing her blade. “There are too many to count.”

“We don’t need to count them,” Zelda shook her head. “We just need to get inside of the gates.”

“You make it sound so easy,” the tiniest corner of Impa’s mouth rose into a smirk.

“We will have to make it so,” Zelda whispered. 

They both crouched in unison, scanning and watching the monsters’ movements carefully. They were spreading out into a wide line, clearly meant to prevent the pair from avoiding them outright. Zelda had expected as much, and she knew Impa was thinking the same. 

They couldn’t completely avoid a fight, but they needed to choose each encounter wisely. Zelda knew Impa could take on at least two at a time, while Zelda could use her remaining spells if needed. Still, she couldn’t expend too much magic here, or she would exhaust herself before she managed to reach the King of Evil’s lair. 

As if on cue, they simultaneously broke into a full sprint towards the approaching line. Zelda reached deep within herself, weighing her options carefully. Fire could destroy many at once and also serve as a distraction, but she needed to cast it at just the right moment. She had just started to lift her arm, preparing to call upon the Goddesses, when a voice rang out from above. 

“I THINK NOT!”

At first, Zelda thought a massive boulder had crashed into the approaching Stalfos, flattening several of them while scattering the rest. Then, the boulder rose upon stubby legs, with great hulking arms on each side. Even with his back to them, Zelda could still make out the mane of bushy white hair.

“Darunia!” Zelda called.

“That’s right, friend!” Darunia called back as he turned to face them, slinging his hammer over his shoulder. “Gorons, come on out! It’s time! For Princess Zelda!”

It was suddenly raining Gorons, each smashing into various parts of the enemy line and scattering it. Within seconds, the Stalfos were overwhelmed as the Gorons began rolling into them, crushing them beneath their weight.

“Get behind us!” Darunia ordered as he and the other Gorons continued their assault.

Zelda and Impa would waste no time following his orders as they continued forward, now with a clear path to the gates ahead. There were still a great number of Stalfos who were occupied with the Gorons, and those remaining held their attention upon Zelda. 

Quickly, they must have realized the pair was getting closer and began outright avoiding the Gorons, redoubling their efforts to advance directly upon Zelda. She steeled herself. This was it. She needed to cast at least one spell. They were almost there. 

That was when the moat surrounding the castle gates sprang to life as several large geysers shot into the air. Zora warriors armed with silver tridents and spears spilled out of each column, while Princess Ruto was the last to show herself, perched high in the air and encased in a bubble.  

“The Zora kingdom will honor the call to arms!” she called out as the Zora engaged the Stalfos in battle alongside the Gorons. “For the royal family!”

“The Gerudo fight as well!”

The voice came from behind Zelda, and she came to an abrupt stop. How had she not heard their footsteps or seen their figures in the distance? 

Turning around, she counted at least a hundred Gerudo standing before her. Her eyes darted through their ranks, desperately searching for a sign of Nabooru. Yet, no matter how hard she looked, she didn’t see the Gerudo chief.

She wasn’t coming.

A purple-clad Gerudo warrior armed with a scimitar stepped forward, her golden eyes locking with Zelda’s.

“We fight for the honor of the Gerudo!” she declared. “And for the princess!”

She then fell into a battle stance, and all of the women behind her did the same as they cried out in unison. “AND FOR THE QUEEN!”

Zelda was too late in wiping away the tear that raced down her cheek. All she wanted in this moment was to break out in howling sobs at the sight of it all, but she thankfully was able to temper the intermingling joy and sorrow that threatened to barrel out of her. There would be time for that. Not now. 

A deep rumbling drew her attention towards the storm clouds overhead, though the noise seemed to be coming from every direction now, and that was when she saw them. All across Hyrule Field, at least five more twisting black clouds collided with the ground, leaving destruction and dust in their wake before vanishing like their predecessor. 

Zelda couldn’t count the number of Stalfos that were now on the field, though she suspected it must be hundreds. They would soon all be surrounded. Even if she used her magic now, she would quickly exhaust it. 

“More…” Zelda sighed, but Impa grabbed her hand.

“Focus!” she gave Zelda’s hand a tight squeeze. “Your people have come to fight for you! You cannot lose your nerve now!”

Zelda nodded and returned her attention to the gates. There was now a sizable band of Stalfos blocking the entrance now. They would have no choice but to engage them if they intended to get inside. 

It was Zelda this time who shot forward first, with Impa quickly following. In her peripheral vision, she could see boulders falling from the sky, tridents soaring through the air, and bones falling to the earth. Everyone was holding off the advance. For now. 

They soon reached the first grouping of Stalfos, who clanked their rust-colored swords against their raised shields as if to signal they were gathering in formation. Zelda counted at least fifteen, while even more waited behind them. 

“The gates are still far from us!” Zelda called out to Impa. “Our path is blocked!”

“Then we must create a path where there is none!” Impa responded as she leaped into the air, her sword spinning in front of her.

Two of the Stalfos charged toward Impa, but they were swiftly cut down while she was still airborne. She landed in a crouching position and jumped forward again, her sword a blur as she slashed at anything that came near her.

Zelda followed close behind, using her own blade to deflect the few attacks that managed to get past Impa. Everywhere she looked, there was only darkness and destruction. The screams of the wounded and dying echoed in her ears, and the smell of blood filled her nose.

She clenched her jaw, reminding herself that she couldn’t focus on that now. She had to reach the castle and stop Ganondorf. 

One of the monsters used Zelda’s momentary lapse in focus to their advantage, leaping right in front of her and lunging, causing her to lose her balance and fall backward. It raised its sword for the killing blow, and Zelda prepared to meet it with her kodachi, but the monster was strong. She found herself pinned to the ground as he struck her again and again. 

It raised its sword one final time, but before it could bring it down, a large icicle impaled the monster from behind. It let out a final groan as it dissolved into dust, and Zelda looked up to see Ruto standing over her, no longer in her bubble.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

Zelda nodded and got to her feet. “Thank you.”

Ruto smiled. “Don’t thank me just yet. Go!”

Zelda turned and was relieved to see the gates were nearly a stone’s throw away now. They’d finally made it. Yet between the castle walls and the main gate was another blockade of Stalfos. She swallowed hard. It was now or never.

“They just keep coming!” Ruto shouted. “What do we do?”

Impa didn’t answer, instead charging toward the advancing party and cutting down anything that got in her way. Zelda and Ruto followed close behind, with Ruto using her magic to keep the remaining Stalfos at bay. Soon, they finally reached the main gate, and Impa turned to face them.

“This is it,” her voice was calm, almost serene. “This is what you have been preparing for. Finish this, and tell the Ancient Ones to return to their slumber.”

Zelda hesitated for a moment before nodding. “I won’t be long.”

She turned and ran through the gate, leaving Impa and Ruto to fight the Stalfos alone.