Time Cannot Erase Chapter 12

Time Cannot Erase

Don't know what I'm gonna do about this feeling inside
Yes, it's true loneliness took me for a ride
Without your love, I'm nothing but a beggar

You're the reason I live
You're the reason I die
You're the reason I give when I break down and cry

You're my angel come and save me tonight
~Aerosmith "Angel"

Chapter 12
A Deadly Enemy

Zelda squinted into the scorching sun, surveying the parched, barren land before her. She took a few steps forward, the sandy rocks crunching beneath her feet. A wisp of wind picked up, blowing dust into the air. Slowly, painstakingly, she made her way to the top of the hill. The heat of the dry air burned her throat as she brought in a sharp breath.

At last the crest of the peak came into view. She staggered onto the summit and gazed at the view which had opened before her.

An endless stretch of rock covered hills with a few sun dried weeds lay before her. They seemed to extend on into eternity… there was no end in sight. Emptiness and isolation surrounded her. The air became suddenly still and ominously silent.

She took off at a run, but with no avail. Wherever she ran she was met with the similar sight of dead lands and sweltering sunlight that drained all life from her.

"Help!" she cried into the desolation.

Nothing but the echo of her own voice came in reply.

Despair was taking over. A fierce wind had picked up and dust and dirt were swirling through the air. She was forced to cover her eyes and stagger blindly forward.

A piercing scream escaped her lips. Something sharp had graced across her shoulder. She squinted down through the dust storm. Blood was dripping from a long cut on her arm.

The storm had grown so powerful she could barely see a foot in front of her eyes. Pain shot through her leg. As she screamed, she thought she could see some slight movement to her left.

She was not alone in the gloom.

Using her hand as a shield from the sun, once more she strained her eyes. She struck to the left, hoping to catch her attacker by surprise. Instead she felt another painful blow from behind.

Anger and fear boiling in her, she turned and attacked once more, but each time she attacked, she would be assaulted from another direction.

As she wiped blood from a cut above her eye she screamed out into the blur of desert sand. Arms flailing madly and legs kicking blindly she began attacking nothing in particular, but the more adamantly she fought the stealthier her attacker became. Soon she was riddled with an almost nonstop series of blows.

Pain was overcoming her as she staggered to the ground, screaming out in vain. The sand around her continued to swirl about in a glowing, golden haze. The blinding light was slowly growing in brightness and intensity.

All at once the ground beside her erupted into flames. Soon the entire earth around her was ablaze, the flames growing and encompassing her. Her eyes widened in fear and she screamed out in absolute horror.

"Let go!" she shrieked. "Please!" She closed her eyes in terror.

When she opened her eyes she found herself staring into Impa's impassive gaze. She was lying on her back in the castle courtyard, soft grass beneath her and pale blue sky above. She was still shaking and soft, panicked yelps were still issuing from her lips.

"What happened?" Impa asked as she helped Zelda to her feet. "I haven't had that strong of an effect on you in years…."

"I lost my focus," Zelda answered shakily. Without thinking she passed her hand over her eye. No blood. No cut. She was fine. It was all an illusion: an illusion she had failed to break through.

"Preoccupied?" Impa asked knowledgably. Zelda could see no sense in lying to her.

"Yes," she replied, watching Impa's face closely.

"You have to concentrate," Impa replied with the air of a true teacher disciplining her student. "Fear and lack of focus can be fatal in battle."

Just then a few guards appeared in the courtyard entrance looking worried.

"What's wrong?" a guard shouted. "We heard the Princess screaming."

"Nothing, nothing. We're fine," Impa replied casually. "You can return to your posts."

The guards looked suspiciously around the courtyard but, as everything seemed in order, they turned and exited.

Impa turned back to Zelda. "I caught you easily. Your mind was unprotected and open to intrusion. You allowed fear to win over you. Instead of fighting, you succumbed."

"You were playing off my fear?" a vision of unseen hands ripping at her flashed in her mind and she shuddered.

"Fear can be a powerful ally, and a deadly enemy."

"I don't even know what it was that I was seeing," Zelda said, half to herself.

"It is often what you cannot see which you fear the most. Allow fear to rule over you and you cannot ever achieve victory."

"I will try harder," Zelda assured Impa. "Let's go again."

"You rest first," Impa said as she scrutinized her. Zelda sat on the stone steps and tried to relax. Impa's illusions were always terribly realistic. Impa was right, though. It had been years since she had been able to penetrate Zelda's mind and overcome her.

Impa had begun training Zelda in the ways of the Sheika when Zelda was thirteen. She now had four years of practice under her belt, not to mention the fact that as soon as training had resumed Zelda's mind had been flooded with memories of her past life. Every skill she had once had had returned and been improved on greatly. Zelda had grown so proficient that Impa had taken to teaching her more advanced skills than she had ever done before.

By the age of fourteen Zelda had once again perfected the art of stealth, vanishing into thin air, moving undetected, hiding in shadow and fighting with all the power of a Goron, the agility of the Gerudos and the grace of the Zora. By fifteen she had regained and surpassed all of her former magic skills. It was then that Impa had moved onto the more subtle techniques of the Sheika: the powers of the mind.

They had begun small, Impa teaching Zelda to deflect powerful mind controlling spells such as illusions. Zelda had soon learned to guard herself perfectly from every mind control device Impa could throw at her. Once Impa was certain that her mind was strong in defense, they had moved to offense.

Zelda had learned the power to control the minds of others. She could trap others in worlds of illusion. She could, without moving a muscle, control the actions of others, if their minds were weak enough. Impa had even delved into the art of memory and consciousness control. This interested Zelda immensely, as Impa had once used these very skills to subdue her own identity and mind in order to bring Sheik to life in her stead.

Zelda was still perfecting the art of mind control, but she had learned a great deal and her skills were growing day by day. It had indeed been years since Impa had broken through Zelda's defenses and entered her mind. Today, however, she had done so with little difficulty. This put Impa in a state of unease.

Zelda looked very weary as she sat with her head in her hands, closing her eyes and trying to regain focus.

"Why do you do this?" Impa asked as they sat.

"Do what?" Zelda turned, perplexed.

"Put so much of yourself into this… you likely will never see another battle. Thanks to your efforts we have even made peace with the Gerudos. Their reign of terror is over and our ties with Nabooru and her people have never been stronger. Hyrule is in a time of peace, and you are no longer on the run. Why do you endure so much pain to learn these skills?"

Zelda thought long and hard at this unexpected question.

"I just have to," she replied with a slight shrug. "I do not know why…."

"A prophecy?" Impa asked her, utterly serious and compassionately concerned.

Zelda furrowed her brow, as if in deep thought. "No, not one in particular."

"Is it your nightmares?" Impa asked, typically seeing right through Zelda.

"Partially," Zelda replied quietly. She had trouble understanding her motives herself.

"You're absolutely certain that dream is not a prophecy?" Impa pressed. Zelda's nightmares greatly disturbed Impa, for Zelda's prophecies never failed to come true. The last dream she had had so consistently and persistently had been her vision of Link coming forth as the Hero of Time.

"Yes," Zelda replied so unconvincingly she knew there was no way Impa believed it.

"I would never leave you to die, Zelda," Impa told her stoically. "I would never let anything happen to you. You must know that."

"I know you won't. My dream is… well, I'm not sure what it is," she shifted uncomfortably, gearing the subject away from it. "Besides, that has nothing to do with my desire to learn these skills. It's just that… I just know I need to do this… I simply have to…."

Impa nodded slowly, her face unreadable.

"I suppose," Zelda continued slowly, "that I also do it because it…" she trailed off. Thinking hard, she continued, "When we first started my training, every time I was working on my magic or my sword fighting, or anything else, it made the images so clear in my mind. I felt like I was back fighting again. It was," her face was shining with joy, "exhilarating to feel that way again. I could see it all….

"But now," she continued, her face fallen and sorrowful, "it doesn't help anymore. I cannot see it anymore. I know what I should remember, but the memories are now more like those of an interesting book or story that someone told me once upon a time. I know what happened, but I don't feel like it is a part of me. It's detached itself from me….

"There are times," her voice was rising with emotion, and a little fear, "when I cannot remember it at all. My mind goes dark," she turned to Impa, with wide eyes. "I do not like those times... and yet…" Her voice trailed off into an inaudible whisper, a slightly guilty look in her eyes.

Impa looked slightly concerned at this news. "What have you done to stop this degeneration?"

"I-" Zelda began. What had she done? "I…."

"You must fight this," Impa replied, her eyes as shadowed in calmness as ever.

Zelda nodded.

"Is this what had you so troubled today?" Impa asked.

Zelda considered for a moment. She wasn't sure how much to divulge. While she trusted Impa completely, there were still some things she simply wasn't comfortable talking about: fears she could not yet overcome.

Slowly she shook her head.


"It isn't as bad as I made it sound," Zelda spoke now with an unconvincing smile and a false air of calmness. "Really, this must be normal."

"Have you spoken to Link about it?"

"No, no," Zelda waved her arm. "I shouldn't have even mentioned it. It is no big deal."

Impa scrutinized her, sizing her up. In the end she decided to drop the subject all together.

"What was it that has you so preoccupied today, then?" Impa spoke evenly. "It wouldn't be your dashing new friend, Marth, would it?"

Zelda's face gave the answer away.

"I see," Impa smiled. "You are torn. It eats away at you. One you cherish as a friend most dear. The other is exciting and brings adventure into your life."

Zelda gave Impa a scandalized look. "You haven't been…" she trailed away, horrified.

"You should know me better than that!" Impa laughed her deep laugh. "I do not need to read your mind to see all this."

"Oh," Zelda said, her eyes falling to the ground. After a moment of silence Zelda spoke again. "Marth is leaving soon. As soon as he can find Link and talk to him both of them will set off for Aritia."

Impa didn't reply, but watched Zelda intently.

"And still, I don't know what to do…."

"I suppose the real question is which is better-" Impa mused, "the one with the smiling face, full of charm and lightning quick whit who is always ready to say exactly the right thing, or the strong, silent one who always does the right thing?"

Zelda felt a chill run down her spine.

"And the answer is-" she wondered aloud.

"Only you can decide that," Impa replied and got to her feet.

Zelda followed suit. Both pulled out their swords and faced each other.

"Go," Impa said loudly.

In a flash of light Zelda attacked, and the two entered into a furious clash of strength, wits and minds. The sounds of their battle rang through the air, echoing throughout the stone castle walls and up into the sky.


"What seems to be troubling you, Impa?" Rauru asked, his voice calm and even.

Impa hesitated, choosing her words carefully, as always. When she said only what needed to be said, no more, no less. She was straightforward by nature and didn't believe in wasting words. Silence was a treasure, not a void in need of constant filling.

She had wasted no time in her decision to go to Rauru, and now that she was here in the Chamber of Sages she wanted to be sure she conveyed her concerns accurately.

She took a breath and plunged in head first, "I am worried about the Princess," she said simply. She was, however, not prepared for Rauru's response.

"So am I," he replied, his eyes infinitely grave. "I have been for some time."

"I have as well, but it was my last conversation with her that convinced me it is time to act. Already, I fear my hesitation has put her in danger… we may be too late."

"I do not think so," Rauru assured her. "Please, what new information has been revealed to you?"

"She told me that she has slowly been forgetting her past: her battle with Ganondorf, her connection to Link… all of it, she says, has grown hazy. While it stays strong when she is concentrating on things which connect her to her past life, as the days pass she is forgetting. What is more, she is in denial about the entire situation and will not speak to me about it beyond what I have just told you."

Rauru nodded grimly. "Yes, I feared something like this might happen. What of Link?" he looked up sharply now. "Is he being affected as well?"

"That I do not know. It has been a long time since I have spoken to Link," Impa said.

Rauru nodded, remaining silent.

"You said you have been concerned about Zelda as well," Impa queried, "why?"

"I have noticed changes in her," Rauru replied. "A strange presence… a change I cannot explain."

"Yes," Impa nearly exclaimed. "There is something happening… I do not know what. Today I was able to enter her mind for the first time in years. I felt something strange there, something unsettling. I was not inside long enough to see what it was, and I fear I may never know. Her mind is a powerful fortress, which she protects adamantly. She is unwilling to let me in any further than I have been."

"Then we must locate Link."

"Link?" Impa asked. "What would he know about-"

"The fates of Link and Zelda are inseparably connected," he interrupted, "Whatever is affecting her is likely affecting Link as well in much the same manner. If Zelda is unwilling to accept help then Link may be our only hope in finding the truth."

"I don't know where Link is," Impa replied.

Rauru closed his eyes, and his voice grew distant, "He is returning to Hyrule. He is not here yet, and is still too far out of my reach… but he will be here in a few days. He will come to the castle."

"I will seek him out upon his return," Impa promised. "I will find out the truth."

Once again Rauru stood in silence, a slight nod the only sign he gave that he had heard her.

A sense of the power and sight Rauru truly held came over her and she couldn't help but ask, "Are they both doomed? Will Zelda and Link ever find peace?"

Rauru looked at her, his eyes twinkling slightly. "I do not profess to know the future. I can see many things, but my range is limited."

"They would have been happy there, following the other path, the path that is closing more and more with every second. They sacrificed everything for this world, and they have received little, if anything in return. Surely it is not their destinies to continue to suffer so."

"The destinies of those two are more important to this world than anyone could ever imagine. Their influences will ring down throughout the ages," Rauru replied.

"They deserve to be happy," Impa said simply.

"I agree," Rauru concurred. "That is out of our hands, however."

"They are doomed then," it was not a question, but a crestfallen statement from Impa.

"I did not say that," Rauru shook his head. "If I have learned anything it is that I should never doubt those two. They have many years yet to live and have not yet even begun to leave their mark upon this world. Their fates are far from decided. They are both strong."

"Yes, with weaknesses just like every other mortal," Impa sounded distinctly dejected. She loved Zelda dearly, and she was growing terribly afraid for her. Impa could handle much in the ways of stress and pain and struggling for herself. When she saw Zelda in pain, however, it made her want to cry out. She would give anything to stop it, anything to save her.

"I have faith in them," Rauru spoke out clearly now, his gaze unwavering.

Suddenly Impa's own words to Zelda resounded in her ears. She could not run from fear, nor could she give into the unseen. All she could do was love Zelda and help her in any way possible. In the end, however, she knew that it was Zelda and Zelda alone who would have to face her demons, no matter how hard it would be to leave her to stand alone. At that moment, however, she knew the Princess could do it.

"Yes, I do too," Impa replied finally, her voice noticeably more positive than before. "They may yet find a happy ending."

"Talk to Link," Rauru told her firmly. "He is the best chance we have right now."

"I will," Impa nodded, her voice resolved. "I will."


Link took a deep breath and took in the view. It was good to be back in Hyrule. It had been almost a year.

It would be good to see her again.

"No," Link thought to himself. He'd been through this in his mind. He would check to see that she was safe, then be on his way. It was the way things had to be….

He sighed and started on his way.

Hyrule field lay before him. In the distance lay her castle. The festival wasn't for about a week, though, and he would have to find some way to occupy his time until then.

His heart felt lighter than it had in months as he walked. The red rocks of the Gerudo's Valley towered above him. In the distance he could make out a small cart- probably a farmer delivering goods to the Hyrule Castle Market.

Something was not right, though. The horse in front of the cart seemed to be thrashing about violently. The cart began to shake and all a once half a dozen figures burst out of the back. Link started to run closer, to get a better look. The farmer was lying, quivering on the ground. A veiled woman was holding a large knife over him threateningly. As Link drew near he could that the figures standing with armfuls of goods were all women too.

"Gerudo thieves…" he muttered with a slight smile. He loved a good rescue.

He rushed out in front of the women who were now laughing and fleeing the scene, leaving the farmer shaking on the ground.

"Stop!" he called out. The Gerudos all laughed heartily. Link pulled out his sword.

"Oh, the little boy wants to play?" the leader scoffed. "Very well." She dropped her armful of booty and pulled out her long, curved sword.

She jumped at Link, but he was ready. No matter how quickly she thrust he was too good for her. In a matter of moments the remaining Gerudos had stopped laughing and had taken out their weapons, joining the fight.

Link was good, but even he struggled against six Gerudo swordswomen.

"Give up, kid," the gang leader sneered as she bore down on him. "Give up and we may let you live."

Link glared back, but as he did the other five women screamed and began to scatter. Link and the gang leader both turned and saw Nabooru, standing on the crest of the hill above them.

"Zenisha," Nabooru called. "I would expect better of you… stealing from a common farmer? Anything for a thrill, eh?"

"Nabooru!" Zenisha blanched, stepping back from Link. "It wasn't, I wasn't-"

"Save your breath!" Nabooru rolled her eyes. "First you send your little henchmen attack the Princess herself, and now this?"

"The Princess?" Zenisha exclaimed. "We would never!"

"You should be more mindful of your victims. I will not forgive this," Nabooru motioned her head towards Zenisha and out of nowhere two of Nabooru's guards swooped down and shackled her.

"Madam Nabooru, no!" Zenisha screamed. Nabooru motioned for the guards to take her away. Zenisha's expression hardened. "We will not submit!" she screamed again. "We won't bow down to the crown like you and your pitiful followers!" Her frantic cries echoed through the rocks as she was led away, fighting all the way.

Nabooru shook her head and then turned to Link. Her face, which had been stern and powerful one moment earlier softened and glowed with the impudence and delight of a little girl.

"Hello, Hero!" she called. Being the Chief of the Gerudos hadn't seemed to change her one bit.

"Hello, Nabooru. Fancy meeting you here!" Link waved.

Nabooru made her way down to him. "What have you been up to? Saving more lives and breaking more hearts?" she winked.

Link's expression fell. Her joke was too close to reality. "I don't mean to…" he mumbled.

"I was kidding, Link! Lighten up!" she slapped him on the back. "A handsome guy like you… you can't help it if a few girls look your way."

Link blushed furiously.

"Come now, what's all this?" Nabooru asked playfully. "I thought you liked being the center of attention!"

Link rolled his eyes. "Of about every girl in every town I go to…?"

"Like I said," she laughed, "a trail of broken hearts in your wake…"

"I don't mean for it to happen at all! I get around girls and they start acting all silly and swooning. My brain turns to mush and I can't talk…. The next thing I know they're talking about marriage…."

"Had to run out on another one, eh?" Nabooru jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

"It isn't funny," Link replied with a scowl. "I don't know why this always happens to me."

"Poor little Link," Nabooru scoffed, "can't beat off the girls with a flaming deku stick."

Link blushed and tried to change the subject, "What was that about the Princess getting attacked by them too?"

"Oh," Nabooru replied, "just a few days ago Zelda showed up here. She told me she had been attacked just outside our valley's entrance. That's why my guards and I were out here today. We've rounded up a lot of them, and we were hoping to catch them at it again, and it worked. By the way, thanks for keeping them occupied. With Zenisha captured it shouldn't be too hard to flush out the others."

"Is Zelda all right? Is she safe?" Link asked worriedly.

"Yeah, yeah," Nabooru waved her hand casually. "Zelda made short work of them. Plus, she was with Impa and bunch of soldiers too. Oh, and a personal bodyguard too. Ooh, what a handsome devil he was. Tall and dark… big and strong," she laughed out loud. "He and Zelda seemed pretty close!"

"What?" Link said, his stomach dropping.

"Come now, Hero, you can't really expect Zelda to wait around while you run off to save the world?" Nabooru scoffed. "He sure was handsome, and a prince to boot…."

"She's found someone else?" Link thought painfully, feeling suddenly dizzy. He should have known. A Prince? She deserved a Prince. Still, maybe Nabooru was wrong… it was the only hope he had.

"What are you doing in these parts, anyway?" Nabooru asked, disregarding his shattered expression.

"I was on my way to the Castle… for the festival," he said blankly.

"Oh, it should be great fun this year. The King's going all out for Castle Town's turn to host it. I heard they've got decorations up already. They're not holding anything back."

"Yeah," Link tried to smile, but couldn't quite. Now, he didn't even know whether or not to go to the Castle. If she really had found someone else he wanted to be as far away from it as possible. The thought of seeing Zelda and another man… he felt sick. His head was swimming. He felt like crumbling into pieces, screaming, crying and attacking something all at once.

"Come back with me to my tent, Link," Nabooru boomed, as loud and forceful as ever, "we can talk some more."


Half an hour later Link sat numbly on the floor of Nabooru's tent sipping tea.

"These rogue bandits are getting out of hand," Nabooru was talking from atop her mountain of cushions. "They're killing our relations with the Hylians. Zelda and I discussed it at length when she visited here. I must admit, I was being very lax about it. I mean, we're thieves by nature, but what they're doing is ridiculous. They're hurting people… there have been a few unexplainable deaths…. They're getting as bad as when Ganondorf was leading us."

Link looked up from his tea with a shocked expression.

"Don't look so surprised," Nabooru laughed. "When Ganon ruled there were two factions of Gerudos, those following him and those following me. Not all of my people are bad. I mean, we're all bad," she laughed with a sly grin, "but not all that bad."

Link smiled weakly.

"I cannot condone murder," she said, seriously now. "I worked it all out with Zelda. She was completely right, though I didn't want to admit it at first. She has guts though, and that's what I like about her. You know she came riding in here with a small army, serious as could be? No one does that, and I wasn't pleased. I tell you, I almost attacked, but I had to admire her courage. If it had been anyone else, though, they would have been dead before they hit the ground!" She laughed out loud, and Link knew it was true. Gerudos demanded respect, but they also highly rewarded sheer nerve.

"She's a good friend and I respect her. There are no hard feelings at all. I'm going to do my part, and Zelda will do hers to see that the Hylians stand with me and those loyal to the Kingdom."

Link's stomach lurched at the mention of Zelda's name. He didn't want to talk about her. "It's funny," he said steering the conversation away from the Princess, "I never thought about this. I mean, with Ganon gone I just assumed-"


"That everything would be perfect?" Nabooru interjected. "Hardly. People are who they are. Bad people will do bad things and good people will do good things, regardless of what is happening around them. Truly, that is the test of how good or how bad you are. How will you react, regardless of those around you? People's true colors come out when they are forced to stand on their own.

"Ganon was a powerful figure who weak and heartless people latched onto. Without him they are lacking the strong leadership and source of power they received from him, but they haven't changed. They are still weak, still selfish, still evil in their hearts. Without Ganon you are still you and I am still me. We are all the same. Ganon isn't here, but we still have to choose how we will live in this new world, regardless of the past."

Link nodded, impressed by her wisdom.

"Look at me!" Nabooru broke out into her loud, raspy laugh. "I'm talking like a serious leader! Imagine that! Zelda's influence must be rubbing off on me."

Link couldn't help but laugh too.

"There's no changing you, Nabooru. You are still you," Link replied as he drained his tea.

"As are you, Link. Still the selfless hero," she smiled warmly. "Never change."


Link left the Gerudo's Valley the next day with a heavy heart. Whatever he found upon entering Zelda's castle could not be good, but he had decided he had to go, regardless of Zelda's new potential suitors.

He couldn't decide why he was going, exactly. Was it morbid curiosity? He knew he was in for only more pain by going.

Still, a voice inside of him seemed to be screaming at the top of its lungs, "Go!" That same voice, however, was also telling at him to put aside his noble intentions and take what was his.

As he set off down the road he still hadn't decided what he would do when he got to the Castle. A battle waged between his head and his heart and he wasn't sure who was winning.

Regardless, he had to see her. Like an unquenchable thirst he needed to see her again. With every passing moment the need increased.

Despite himself he found himself heeding the thundering voice. He toyed with the idea of coming out and telling her the truth.

Then he imagined her reaction, and immediately he would throw the thought away.

Over and over he told himself that if it seemed she had found a new protector, that all was well with her, he would have to leave her be.

"No!" the voice thundered like a wild animal. "She is yours and yours alone!"

With every bit of strength he could muster he forced the voice into silence, refusing to let it win.

He had to be sure though. He had to make sure she would be all right, no matter how hard it was for him to bear. If she was happy, it was all he could ask for. If she had found happiness without him… so be it.