The Price of Sins
HELLO! Before I jump into anything else… WOO! IT'S THE HOLIDAYS! FREEDOM! Only for two weeks though and then ten weeks after that we get our two and a half long Christmas holidays (you play in the snow, we go to the beach and have barbecues :) so I can get some MEGA writing happening then when it comes around.
This chapter we have another special guest. He's a new member to this website, is the school guy friend I mentioned last chapter, has typed his own lines in the following dialogue, has previously been referred to as 'abrow' on this website and has been demanding that I nuke, smite and stab all of my characters… GIVE IT UP FOR SPOOKUNI EVERYONE!
Readers: *applauds*
Characters: *jaws drop* You sound even worse than Scarlet… HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!
Spookuni: I alternate between being not so nice and completely horrible.
Zelda: You are the weirdest fan of my franchise that I've ever come across.
SC: You were pretty violent yourself in SS Zelda.
Flashback…
SS Zelda: Off you go Link! *pushes him off the diving platform*
SS Link: *screaming* AHHHHHH! I'M GONNA DIE!
End of Flashback…
Link: I am officially scared of you now Zelda.
Zelda: *red face* Er…
Spookuni: *mutters* Darn it, you people are making it difficult for me to enact my evil master plan.
SC: What plan?
Spookuni: *nervous laugh* Heh… what plan? There's no plan! None at all! Don't you have readers to thank about now?
SC: *suspicious stare* Is this about my magic keyboard again? *turns to readers* I'll deal with him when you read the chapter but for now:
tetraforce theory: No, I really don't mind not being your favourite author. You know, when I'm upset, I tend to exaggerate my feeling for some reason. It just makes me feel better. I tell you how effective it can be; I was worried that I had failed my HPE (Health and Physical Education) exam and I got it back and… "A+?! WHAT?!" Hmm… seems like you saw what was coming like everyone else which I kind of saw coming but I still hoped to get some kind of surprised reaction from someone.
Icetail38:
AreiaCananaid: Yes, I thought you would have figured out what was going on since there were a lot of hints but I was hoping that some people would forget some of them. Now I have a question for you; when did you figure out that Nabooru was Rudo? I've started reading your latest chapter btw and I'll finish it and review tomorrow. YES! YOU DO TAKE YOUR SNOW SPORTS FOR GRANTED! Oh well, I guess us Aussies who live on the coast take our beaches granted but we still live an hour's drive away from the nearest beach. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well even though there isn't much action or Labinku or other stuff; mainly just Nabooru's thoughts and a few other things.
Spookuni: YES! THERE IS SMITING IN THIS CHAPTER! Oh please, you're not THAT random because I don't know anyone else who shares your kind of insanity. Thanks for being the third person to create an account to stalk me btw. (Yes, I know you're reading other stories too :P) One more thing; STOP READING SO FAST!
Gemweton Awesome-Pants: Thanks for favouriting and following me mbrow. Can't wait to see you again XD
I have a few more things to say before you read this chapter… the smiting scene sucks and what happens after that kind of does as well… I was listening to a song called 'Run for Your Life' by Kajira Yuki (she's my absolute FAVOURITE composer and music artist) so yeah… Another thing to know is that the reason why this actual chapter is so short is because I had another scene in it which I decided to delete which was quite sad but I thought it would make the story more exciting without it. I may be adding another scene to the next chapter (which is currently about 5000 words) that will resemble it a little but no promises.
I AM SO SORRY ABOUT MY LONG A/Ns! You can read now because you were patient :D Enjoy!
Chapter 28 ~ Nabooru of the Gerudo
I smiled at him, "To think, a thief like me, would become the Sage of Spirit!" I said with utter disbelief in my voice. "Thank-you for saving me Link; please take this as a token of my gratitude." Holding my hands high above me, I watched with wonder as an orange medallion just like what I was standing on appeared. I brought it down and gave it to the hero who seemed to have something troubling him. I pushed the thought out of mind as I watched him disappear…
~†~ The Price of Sins ~†~
Recap:
"I guess it's time you know." Nabooru said with a small tone of disbelief in her voice, "I am Rudo, the Goddess of Life, reborn as mortal."
Zelda and Fi sank to their knees and bowed so low that their noses almost brushed the ground.
Link did not do the same; he did not move at all and just stood transfixed as a thousand questions whizzed around his head as well as a thousand realisations; his mother had been killed by Rudo, he had been scared across his right eye by Rudo, he had saved Rudo, he had been saved by Rudo, he had spent many days with Rudo for company, he had chosen Rudo over Hyrule, he had fallen in love with Rudo, he had kissed Rudo, he had awoken the curse inside Rudo, and worst of all, he had failed to protect Rudo.
But all that time, Link thought it was Nabooru; not a goddess! Then, he thought of something terrible, "Nabooru, is she even… real?"
Rudo sighed, "I'm not quite sure who I really am Link, but I wish for nothing more than to be Nabooru again, because I knew what was real when I was her. But I think one thing remains the same; my feelings for you haven't changed."
Link looked away; he was not sure who she really was either. He never cared about Rudo, only Nabooru and this goddess had deceived him. Everything they had been through together, he had been doing it with a deity in disguise rather than an actual person. But then why is it that she was unsure of who she really was? If she really was not Nabooru, then surely she would know she was only the Goddess of Life.
The Gerudo had never felt more confused; she had just gained so many new memories that whizzed around her head and almost seemed to blur her vision. She tried to push them away and consider whether or not she really was Nabooru when she heard someone struggling to breathe behind her.
She looked over her shoulder to see Ganondorf lying on the rubble of the castle and force himself up shakily by his hands to face the goddess. "How… pathetic… to think that… a goddess could… be… made to do… my bidding… for so long. You deities are all… weaklings!"
His words stung her greatly; she was a goddess and yet, she still did such terrible things in her life time. Being Rudo just made everything all the more heavy on her shoulders. What kind of goddess stole? What kind of goddess killed? What kind of goddess was a burden on others? What kind of goddess placed others at risk? What kind of goddess causes suffering?
She looked over at Link again and felt the wave of guilt crash over her. Why did he never accept everything she had done as her fault? Everything was her fault! And now far more was her fault as well; she was the one who had failed to save the mines where the robots once resided, now they had eroded away to become the sand filling the desert, and she had failed to protect the Gerudo all those years ago. Why was she such a reckless goddess? There was no way she could possibly have the purity of one!
She sighed as she examined her snow-white attire; the exact opposite of who she really was. Her heart was stained blood-red by her sins and they would never wash away… no matter how hard she cleaned; no matter how much she tried to repent.
That was when something suddenly flashed through her mind, a face that exactly resembled Korra's, and she remembered the real reason why Rudo… she made that promise to Hylia about breaking the curse…
Almost a thousand years ago, there were two lovers. One was a Hylian and the other a Gerudo. They cared for each other so deeply that they were willing to sacrifice anything for one another.
However, when the people who descended from the sky made discovery of the Gerudo's bloodline, they ripped demon-descended women away from her lover and banished her to the desert with the rest of her race…
Rudo remembered the tragic ending to the tale all too well and she remembered the two lovers. Her heart ached for them to be together and she had reincarnated them into this time before sacrificing her powers of divinity to be born among the Gerudo.
Korra, although not aware of it, had been waiting for almost a thousand years to be reunited with her lost lover and had made the Goddess of Life even more determined to break the curse upon the Gerudo, because it was Korra's relationship with the Hylian that angered the people of the sky enough to curse her people.
The goddess smiled to herself. Now only two obstacles held them apart; the curse and Ganondorf, but soon they would both be gone and Korra could finally have the life with her lover she always deserved and, Rudo could finally pay the price of the sins she had committed during her lifetime as a deity… but what of those of her lifetime as Nabooru?
She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and focused on the task ahead. She walked over and stood half-way between Ganondorf and the Triforce, turning to face the despicable man who dared hurt her people.
"Usurper King Ganondorf, you have violated the sacred realm, slaughtering many and overthrowing the Hyrulean King to do so as well as wrongfully claim the Triforce of Power which you used to dictate your harsh rule over the innocent dwellers of this cherished land created by the three Golden Goddesses."
He growled, "You'll never defeat me forever. I will come back in another age!"
"And the Hero's Spirit shall always ensure this land remains safe from harm, especially the misfortune you may bring. I will always reincarnate him whenever you are reborn."
Ganondorf began to laugh, "Would you really? You still have feelings for him don't you? And to do so would bring him suffering in many lifetimes to come."
He was right, Rudo would be condemning Link to fulfil the same perilous task for as long as Hyrule lived and how could she bring herself to do such a thing now she had feelings for him? That was when she realised something; it was not her who was reincarnated his spirit, but Rudo.
She may have her spirit but how could that change who she really was? She had no choice over what spirit she had just like how Link never did. Rudo may have the choice but Nabooru did not she was not the Goddess of Life anymore; she was a mortal, she was a Gerudo. This was not the life of a goddess but the life of a woman who started as a thief and became a part of a destiny that would decide the fate of Hyrule as well as that of the Gerudo race.
"Perhaps I wouldn't," she replied to Ganondorf, "But I think Rudo will."
"But you just said you were Rudo!"
"Despite sharing her spirit, I am not Rudo; I am Nabooru, Nabooru of the Gerudo Tribe. And this, Ganondorf, is where your reign of terror ends."
She turned to face the Triforce and thrust her right arm at the centre of it, as if stabbing a key into a lock, with her palm parallel to its golden surface. Three gold magic circles decorated with the crests of the Golden Goddesses of Hyrule appeared between her and the divine relic. (A/N: These magic circles are just like the markings on the front cover of 'Hyrule Historia' and the Gate of Time from SS.) She twisted her wrist like a turning key and slowly, the Triforce symbol on the back of her hand began to fade away and a central triangle began to gradually appear and become solid. The circles were rotating like the cogs of a clock and soon a low 'booming' noise shook the whole hallway.
Everyone stared at the Triforce, now with the forth piece inserted and glowing more radiant than ever; it was complete.
But for some reason, Nabooru just stood where she was, not moving to touch it.
"Your Grace," said Fi, "Why aren't you claiming the Triforce."
The Gerudo was silent for a moment before answering, "I'm not worthy; there's so much I've done wrong in my life, things that are unforgivable."
"But this is your chance to make up for everything. Now you can pay the price of your sins." said Link.
Nabooru stared at him and sighed, "I guess can't argue with that." she said with a small smile before turning to the Triforce and gliding over to it. She took a deep breath and raised her hand cautiously to reach out and touch its shining surface.
As soon as she made contact with it, a ripple of warmth spread throughout her whole body, reminding her of everything that was about to change; no one else would die, the Gerudo would be free from the curse, Korra would find her long lost lover again after a thousand years, Zelda would become Hyrule's new queen, her people could live peacefully with the Hylians and, even though she doubted whether or not she really deserved it, she might finally be with Link.
Please, she thought, I have done so much wrong in my life; I have stolen from those who did nothing to me for my own selfish reasons, I have allowed myself to be used to murder others, I have hurt the innocent and burdened kind people with my problems, but most of all, I have caused great suffering to the person I care about most. These are the sins of a mortal, not a goddess, and as a mortal, I wish to repent for my sins by freeing this beautiful land of the evil that has dared to stain it with his wicked and selfish desires. This is the wish of a Gerudo, a woman of demon heritage, but also of a goddess. Even though my heart shall never be pure and I may not be worthy to wield such a divine power, I act only out of concern for others and… I act for Rudo so she may save her people from a terrible fate. Please defeat him; please bring back the light to the land...
Nabooru then heard the voices of three women speaking in perfect harmony to her; Nabooru of the Gerudo, your words are kind and your intentions are true which is why we offer you our power to save the world so delicately crafted by our fingers. But please remember your purpose, your people need you Rudo and this is your chance to cross the gap. For now, we shall eradicate Ganondorf and prevent his reincarnation for as long as we are able.
The Gerudo smiled, Thank-you Golden Goddesses of Hyrule.
The Triforce began glowing brightly again and Nabooru allowed herself to close her eyes and feel its warmth, allowing it to fill her body and mind so she could not hear the angered roar of her former king as he was enveloped in the pure light of the goddesses.
"CURSE YOU RUDO!" he yelled, "EVEN YOU AND THE OTHER GODDESSES CANNOT DEFEAT ME FOREVER!"
Zelda watched as Ganondorf's shape began to slowly fade away. A few months ago, she hungered to avenge the deaths of all the people she loved and watched as they died at his hands but now she only wished to claim her throne and heal the scars caused by both him and her own ancestors. After many long years, she could finally govern Hyrule her own way; not favouring any particular race or using any resources on her own luxury, after all; she had pretty much spent seven years sleeping in the dirt and living in harsh conditions far worse than what the common Hyruleans had.
Fi did not quite know what to think of this man until finally, out of all the possible words that could be used to describe him, some rose to the surface of her mind… foolish, proud, predictable, filled with so much darkness that my powers had a greater effect on him in the proportional comparison to other enemies. The only reason why you came this far Ganondorf is because of your great magical power and the circumstances being in your favour. If Princess Zelda had been able to convince her father of your true loyalties, then your defeat would have come easily because even you have weaknesses and I am one of them.
The energy of the sky, the part of the mortal world closest to the heavens where the deities you dare to defy reside. You shall never win; the goddesses forbid it. I may be a spirit, but I am also a weapon…
Soon, the king's body faded away completely; leaving an orb of golden light behind before it dispersed into a wave of warmth that moved in all directions and across the entire kingdom of Hyrule.
Malon had just been grooming the horses when the power reached her and felt joy become ablaze within her. "They won!" she squeaked before running over to a very confused and shocked Mr Ingo, who had been shovelling horse droppings, to give him a tight hug. "They won! They won! They WON!"
Aveil could feel the warmth too and felt relief flow through her own body. Nabooru was alright and her people would be safe… But they're not my people anymore. she reminded herself, I can never go back; I betrayed them…
Doctor Mizumi dropped the two test tubes he was holding when he felt the sudden change in the atmosphere. It barely bothered him though because he had a pretty good guess as to why he was feeling this sensation. Well done Nabooru!
Korra and Impa froze exactly where they were when they felt the comforting and warm ripple throughout their entire bodies. The young Gerudo then began jumping up and down squealing with delight and ran over to the Sheikah to give her a tight embrace. She blinked in confusion for a moment before her face broke into a huge grin and she picked Korra off the ground and hugged her even tighter, almost breaking her back.
Meanwhile, the other Gerudo outside the fortress were cheering. They knew Rudo would soon descend from the heavens to break the curse on their race and then they would finally be free after a thousand years of pain, but for now, they could celebrate the fall of their king.
Back at the castle, Nabooru ran forward to embrace the other two girls gleefully. "You did it!" squealed Zelda.
"No," replied Nabooru, "We did it! We all worked together to defeat Ganondorf."
"But in the end, you're the one who unlocked the Triforce and used its power to destroy him." Fi pointed out.
"That's true, but Link was the one who weakened him enough so the power would work as well as convince me to use It." said Nabooru before breaking away from the two. "By the way, where is he?"
They all turned around to see him leaning against one of the castle's brick walls in the hallway for support while clutching his bleeding side and struggling to stay on his feet. His blood had stained his green tunic and white pants red.
"LINK!" the three girls exclaimed before running over to him just as his weak legs gave way, causing him to fall to the ground.
Nabooru was the first to reach him, "Are you alright? Please please be okay!"
He looked up to see her face swimming before his eyes from all the pain he was experiencing. He still did not know whether or not this was Nabooru though, he still did not know what to think of her now she had revealed herself to be the Goddess of Life. However, one comforting thought remained in his conscious mind; Ganondorf has been defeated. Hyrule is free. Only the curse remains…
As Link's blood flowed out from his wound, he felt his strength leaving him as well but struggled to stay awake, worried that if he closed his eyes, they would never open again. Besides, if Nabooru was real, he still had a promise to keep to her.
He did not win though; he could no longer fight and closed his eyes, praying he would still be able to keep his promise…
I refuse to die, I will not let you down like I have in the past, I never break a promise…
~†~ The Price of Sins ~†~
"Promise me you won't die."
"I promise…"
"I thought Ganondorf had killed you."
"It's alright, I'm here now."
I'm here now…
Pain; that was the first thing Link felt as he began to stir in what seemed to be a soft bed. How… did I get here? he thought, barely able to process it at first but soon, his mind cleared as he became conscious. He then noticed how unnaturally hot he was.
Link slowly began to sit up when a searing pain shot up through his side, causing him to wince. It was then when he heard the shuffling of fabric behind him and feel someone's familiar gentle hands push him back into a recently made pile of pillows, allowing him to sit up properly but still relax. The person also pressed something cool and wet against his burning forehead. He guessed it was a soaked rag and opened his eyes to be met with light, blurring his vision. As he adjusted to it, he tilted his head to the side to see a blond-haired woman sitting on a chair next to his bed.
"Zel… da?" he murmured, barely able to speak.
Her kind face broke out into a smile, "You're alright."
"Huh? How long have I been out?" he asked, regaining his speech.
"A few days," she replied, "You were badly wounded from the battle with Ganondorf causing you to collapse from exhaustion and loss of blood, so we took you up to one of the castle bedrooms where you could rest and get your injuries treated."
Link remembered what had happened before he lost consciousness "I had the strangest dream Zelda," he began, "Nabooru was the Goddess of Life for some reason."
"Er… that actually happened Link." the princess replied as her face turned pink.
"What?! Seriously?!" She nodded. "Crap! What am I going to do now?"
Zelda was just about to answer when the door opened and a small, white-haired man came into the room. His face broke into a smile when he saw the hero had awoken, "Ah, Link! You're awake."
"Doctor Mizumi?!" exclaimed Link in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
The old man turned bright red. "Er… well… um… I was pretty much kidnapped by Nabooru who took me here to treat you."
Flashback:
Doctor Mizumi saw Nabooru mounted on a horse galloping at full speed towards the Lake Laboratory and watched as she pulled on the reigns to skid to a halt.
"What's going on here Nabooru? And why are you covered in blood?" asked a very shocked Doctor.
"No time to explain." she replied, "It's Link, he's badly wounded. You have to help him. Quickly, grab you're medical supplies and I'll take you to him!"
"What?! You two disappear for almost three months and then you come back telling me he's hurt?!"
"JUST SHUT UP AND GET READY TO GO!"
Doctor Mizumi backed away in terror, "Okay okay! I'll get my supplies!" he answered before rushing inside to fetch them.
When he came back outside, Nabooru asked, "Got everything? Good!" before dragging him onto the horse behind her.
"Hey! You can't just take me like this!"
"You might want to hold on tight." she said before kicking to make the horse run off at full speed.
"GAAAAH! THIS IS NO WAY TO TREAT AN OLD MAN!"
End of Flashback…
Doctor Mizumi shivered. "And I'll never look at a horse the same way again." he said before turning to Link and asking, "Anyway, what have you been doing these past few months? I come here to be greeted by the Princess of Hyrule and some shiny blue, walking, talking, glowing, life-sized doll! And your backside; you've been flogged!"
Link cringed at the memory. "Uh… well… it's a long story. I don't know it all myself actually." he replied, "By the way, where are Nabooru and Fi?"
"Nabooru left because she felt like she was going to be sick." Zelda replied.
"Er… why?"
"She discovered something new."
"Um… what did she discover?"
The princess smiled mischievously, "She learned that some wounds need to be stitched together in order to heal."
"I'VE BEEN SEWN TOGETHER?!" exclaimed a very disturbed Link.
She rolled her eyes, "Oh please, it's perfectly normal, right Doctor Mizumi?
The doctor was surprised to be asked such a question by the princess so casually.
"Doctor?"
"Oh, yes it's completely normal." he answered.
Zelda smirked at Link, "Told you." He glared at her.
For some reason, Doctor Mizumi could not help but burst into merry laughter watching the two. They stared at him with confusion. "What's so funny?" asked Link.
Mizumi smiled, "Just the way you're fighting; almost like a brother and sister."
They both blinked at him for a moment while having difficulty to accept what he had just said. When they finally did, they blushed for a few moments before they too burst out laughing.
Pieces lost in the mind but found in spirit…
~†~ The Price of Sins ~†~
(The following dialogue has Spookuni's lines typed by me but he owns the basic plot)
SC: *quaking voice of rage* SPOOKUNI! *chases after him with Golden Viper*
Spookuni: HELP!
Zelda: Aww, I blew our chance for freedom again.
Readers: O.O… What happened?
Flashback…
Spookuni: Hey Zelda; do you know what could happen if there's no disclaimer?
Zelda: You mean other than her taking over my franchise?
Spookuni: You've heard of Nintendo right?
Zelda: Where are you going with this?
Spookuni: You see, if it is said that Scarlet owns Zelda, Nintendo could take legal action meaning you and all the other characters won't be under her control any more.
Zelda: So what you're saying is that I should say that she does own me?
Spookuni: Pretty much.
Zelda: *evil grin* HEY WORLD! SCARLET CURLS OWNS… GAH! *hand clamped over her mouth*
SC: *crazed killer face* You are SO DEAD Spookuni!
Spookuni: Oh no. *runs away screaming*
End of Flashback…
Readers: You have the weirdest relationship with your friend.
SC: GET BACK HERE NOW YOU TRAITOR!
Zelda: I guess I'm the one who has to make the announcements this time. *mumbles* so close…
Next Chapter: Questions are answered; we discover what the 'apocalyptic doom' is and what the sacrifice to avoid will be. Fi, Link, Nabooru and I return to the fortress and Nabooru gives a speech.
SC: *panting* I'm back.
Zelda: Where's Spookuni?
SC: *evil grin* Navi's having a bit of fun with him.
*distant scream and "Hey! Listen!"s that makes birds fly from the trees*
SC: Anyway, I have a very important announcement to make.
TPoS Update: COMPLETE but still in the editing process. For now it's 5598 words long but that may change a little after editing. Right now I am working on tr1pp89's one-shot and shall soon be writing Icetail38's before I start on 'The Love of Sins'. I will be hanging onto those one-shots though since I'll be taking a while with the planning and typing up the first few chapters of my next story so I'll be needing something to post so that you don't abandon me :(
Another thing to mention before I post this chapter; I have six novel ideas on my profile page that are going to be written by me in the future. Some won't be written for a few years but I'm going to try and write them all before I graduate from high school in 2016. For more information on 'The Love of Sins' and other stories to someday come from me, go check it out. It's also constantly being updated (expected to be updated frequently on the Australian holidays) so it would be a good idea to check every month or so if you can.
Sorry about the A/Ns being so long but it was a short chapter and I got carried away with my dialogue again… heh heh…
GOODBYE MY FAITHFUL READERS! UNTIL NEXT FRIDAY! (Or until I get bored enough to update) *post*
