The Origin of a Champion

Chapter 22- Moving On

The three kids sat there in each other's arms lamenting for a time none of them knew. But as the minutes passed, their sobbing receded and they slowly quieted and calmed down a little. Impa was the first to stand up, and she offered her hand to Purah, who she helped to stand up. Purah still clung to Impa's arm and leaned against her. Link struggled to stand up, but when he did he stood on Impa's other side and grabbed her free hand.

With heavy hearts and clouded minds, they walked back to their house. The dark night sky surrounded them, and the whole village had gone silent. Crickets softly chirping and the late night wind shifting through the trees were the only sounds that kept the area alive. Some clouds were visible in the sky, and they slowly moved across the sky, seemingly looming over the three friends and dwelling over the region as if to pay their respect to the fallen heroes. The surrounding lanterns with their flickering flames were the lights that dimly illuminated the path home.

Walking into the dark home knowing that it would always have that sense of loneliness, the lack of their parents' cheerful voices, and that it contained so many memories of a time now past, only brought more tears to roll down their faces. They gradually walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Impa went upstairs to grab some pillows and blankets and brought them back to the couch. No words were exchanged between the three of them, they just simply distributed the blankets and pillows and cuddled up next to each other, trying to fall asleep in the caring and supportive company of those they loved.

*One Week Later*

After a week passed, Impa, Purah, and Link had come to terms with the reality of their loss. As recent as the wounds were, they knew they had to persevere and carry on. The three were still mourning greatly, but were trying their best to readjust and continue living. In Hyrule, seventeen was seen as the age of responsibility, reason, and independence. When a hylian turned seventeen, he or she was seen as an adult. Since Impa herself was in her younger months of seventeen, she was able to take over the guardian roles of Purah and Link. Impa accepted and took on this new part, embracing the new challenges it offered her.

She didn't want to, she wished her parents were there. But she knew they were gone, and that the part was one she, and only herself alone, could play. She struggled with finding the line between guardian and sister, but eventually was accepted as the oldest sister, but with more of a final say. And with Purah and Link being older, more dependent and understanding, they never questioned her words, which were always fair and wise.

Impa did her best to even out the daily household chores, and soon worked out a system that everyone could agree on. As the three took on more work than usual, they even learned more about each other. For example, despite Purah potentially having a much higher IQ than her siblings, she was a terrible cook. She even found a way to ruin simple things like tea and toast, so she was never allowed to help with the meal making. Link tried laundry, but couldn't stand tediously folding clothes and cleaning cloth in general, so he gave that job to Purah. Link himself took on some general housework like sweeping and wiping tables. Impa put herself in charge of meals, and found with delight that Link took a surprisingly good take to cooking. He slowly learned from Impa, who gladly taught her eager-to-learn student. And after time, practice, and lots of trial and error, Link could take turns with Impa cooking meals by himself. And coming from a nearly thirteen year old boy, that certainly was impressive.

Seven days after the passing of Akilah and Cato, the three companions went to the center of the village, where the Goddess statue stood. The statue was in the middle of a small body of water that was connected to the lazy river that ran through Kakariko Village. It was surrounded by four tall lanterns that were set up in the water that surrounded the small island itself. They were always lit, and if they ever did go out, some archer would simply walk by and shoot the pillars with a fire arrow. Red talismans made of wood containing Sheikah writing were hung over the little body of water, and always swung softly in the wind, and made a specific noise as the wooden pieces clinked together. A neatly built walkway made of wooden planks led the path over the water to the statue of Hylia, and bunches of decorative flowers were laid around the sculpture. The area was always very serene, and the villagers always walked by it with a quiet respectfulness, as even the Sheikah children would cease their running and playing around it.