Zelda: the Last Generation: Warning of a Storm

OMG!!!  SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SOOOOORRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!  It's been sooo long since I last updated!  I'm going to make a terrible novelist—I suck at deadlines!  :(  If you haven't read in a while, you might want to sort of skim the last two chapters to remember everything that's going on.  Not too much information, thankfully.

Whew.  Okay, now I also have to mention something important at this point: in the game, it says that Kakariko used to be a Sheikah village, but Impa opened it to others.  I made Impa young in this story because she seems fairly young in the game, and I sort of needed the "innocent child" role.  So, obviously, according to the game, Kakariko has not yet been opened to the Hylians, and yet, T'risa and Mako are Hylian and living in Kakariko.  Basically, I apologize for this discrepancy with the game.  Sorry.

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Hyrule Castle glistened in the early morning sun, and the sound of a cucco's crow could be heard echoing through the empty courtyard.  A guard was draped over another in front of open castle gates.  They were both snoring audibly.  Apart from them, nobody was around.

Inside, however, a few people had awoken.  The cooks had been up for two hours already, preparing breakfast, and pages ran about the place, tending to this or that before their knights arose.  A small, thin girl of about fifteen was striding briskly down a main hall.  She knew her way around the castle well; she had been brought up here, as had her entire family before her.  They, of course, had left the castle long ago.  Since the queen had transitioned from adolescence to adulthood, she no longer had any need for their services.

The girl whirled around a corner—and nearly collided with a tall, dark-haired boy walking in the other direction.

The boy's eyes widened in surprise, but when he saw who it was, he grinned.  "Easy there, Imp," he said.  "You're gonna knock someone down racing around like that!"

The girl frowned at him.  "Don't call me 'Imp,'" she pouted.  "I'm just as tall as you are, Trevan..."  She trailed off as Trevan leaned forward and rested his chin on her forehead.  She blushed.  He smells so good...

Reluctantly, she pushed him away.  "I really can't talk right now, Trevan," she sighed.  "I'm already late as it is."

The boy stroked his chin thoughtfully.  "That's right,' he said.  "Don't you have an appointment with—"

"I know," the girl snapped.  "I have to go!"  With that, she pushed the boy aside and, gathering up her skirts, raced down the hallway.

Trevan watched her go.  A hint of a smile flashed over his face before he turned and continued on his way.

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The heavy door opened with a creak, and the girl stepped warily inside.  At first, she couldn't see anyone, but she soon located the tall woman standing in the corner.  Queen Kalytaeia.  She was talking to a grizzled old man, and it looked like they were arguing about something.  The girl shut the door and slid cautiously along the wall.  Maybe the woman hadn't noticed her yet.

"You're late, Impa."

Or maybe she had.  Impa heaved a sigh.  "I'm sorry—" she began, but the queen cut her off with a wave of her hand.  She motioned for the man to leave, which he did somewhat reluctantly.  As soon as they were alone, Impa started to speak again.  "I'm sorry, Highness," she said, dropping to a knee as the woman came forward.  "I overslept, and then I ran into Trevan, and... well, I'm sorry," she finished weakly.

Kalytaeia smiled at her.  "You'll be waking up at much earlier hours than this," she said, patting a protuberant stomach.  "Now, in my letter to you I informed you that you'd be beginning your duties before the baby actually comes.  Are you ready to start?"

Impa was taken slightly by surprise.  "What, now?" she asked.

The queen nodded.  "It's not much of a task," she said, reaching into a fold in her robes and extracting a brown paper package.  "I believe you are friends with a certain Tamarisa Querelekt in Kakariko Village?"

Impa brightened.  "Yes, Highness," she said eagerly.  "I've known her since I can remember!"

"I need you to bring this to her," said Kalytaeia, holding out the package for Impa to take.  "It's packaged so as not to damage it further.  Tell her it needs to be repaired, and that I'd like to have it back within the week."

Impa nodded.  "Yes, Highness."  She set the package gently into her shoulder bag, wondering what on earth it could be.  She was filled with a new happiness at the thought of going to see T'risa.  It's been so long...

Suddenly, the doors to the throne room burst open.  Impa jumped and spun around to see a girl not much older than herself come running in.  She was clearly a Gerudo, by her flaming red hair and foreign clothes.  Impa stepped back in alarm and apprehension, but Kalytaeia raised her head.

Immediately, the two guards who had been flanking the doorway sprang into action.  They each grabbed one of her arms, rooting her to the spot.  "What's this?" snapped one of them, a large, burly person Impa knew to be called Grenning.  "A Gerudo?  How'd you get in?"

"Queen Kalytaeia," said the girl in a raspy voice.  She looked exhausted.  "I have a message for the queen."

"Release her," ordered Kalytaeia.  Grenning looked a little put out, but he and his companion dutifully obeyed and resumed their posts.

The girl stepped timidly forward and dropped to a knee.  She extracted a fair-sized envelope from within her cloak and offered it wordlessly to the queen, who took it and broke the seal.  There was a brief silence while Kalytaeia's eyes flicked over the letter in her hands.  Her expression darkened gradually, and when she finished reading she tucked the paper into a pocket and laced her fingers together, a frown furrowing her brow.  The Gerudo messenger was watching her, waiting for some kind of response.  "Tell your king," said Kalytaeia firmly, "that my answer remains the same, and if he sends me this message again, he'd better not expect a response."

The girl hesitated, then bowed.  As she turned to go, Grenning and his partner hastened to escort her out.  The doors swung shut behind them, leaving Impa alone with the queen.  The girl looked up at her, puzzled.

Kalytaeia stared at the door, breathing heavily.  She turned suddenly to face Impa, and Impa was startled to see her normally resolute face contorted in anger.  "As long as you work here," she said sharply, "I will trust you with confidential matters of politics.  You must tell absolutely no one anything that is said in this room, do you understand?"

Impa wasn't sure she did, but she nodded anyway.

The queen took a deep breath and extracted the letter from her pocket.  She glanced over it quickly, then crumpled it into her fist.  "He wants more land," she said forcefully.  "I'm getting tired of this!  This is the third time this month he's contacted me about land claims.  I see no reason to bestow him with any more land than is absolutely necessary to keep his people alive.  He is a coward and a cheater, and he has done nothing to put himself in my favor."  At the startled look on Impa's face, she added, "I wouldn't think much of it; it's just another of his pitiful attempts to overthrow the kingdom."  She didn't look entirely convinced, though, Impa noticed.  She turned away and held her chin.

Impa shifted uncomfortably.  "Umm... I'd better get going to deliver that package," she offered.


Kalytaeia nodded.  Impa bowed, watching her queen with some concern, and backed out of the room.