Ura Zelda 64: The Goddess's Ocarina
Under The True Moon
Cheers filled Hyrule field as Linika and Rythern approached the armies. Linika's sword was dripping in blood and she was carrying Ganondorf's head. Rythern made sure to stand far away from her. The smell of the blood and the sight of the head was making him sick.
He still couldn't believe this had happened. Linika was far more brutal than he realized. Or maybe it was the Triforce of Courage that was making her more brazen and harsh.
Was that what courage meant? Rythern still didn't understand it.
Only a few Gerudo remained after the battle. Rythern took a quick headcount and realized less than ten Gerudo had survived the battle. They had dropped their weapons and readily surrendered. The Zoras kept the Gerudo held using their fins until Rythern approached. One of the Gerudo was a woman he recognized almost right away.
"Nabooru..."
Linika held the Gerudo King's head high for everyone to see. "Everyone! The battle is over! The evil king is dead and our king has been avenged!"
"It was not completely necessary to bring his head here...but well done," Banzetta said. "The fight is over."
"Good. Give the remaining Gerudo medical treatment and see to it that they swear Zelda is their one true ruler. If they want to be set free, let them. Otherwise, they must vow their lives to protecting and serving the princess," Rythern said loud enough for the surviving Gerudo to hear.
"But...why? Why are you helping us?" Nabooru said in shock.
"I know not all the Gerudo followed Ganondorf's ideals. You did so because you had no choice, correct?" Rythern asked and Nabooru silently nodded. "Your people are still people of Hyrule. You shouldn't be held accountable for the actions of a man that abused your tribe. Prove your allegiance to Princess Zelda and she will grant you all asylum. Your people are talented and strong and your aide will be great for Hyrule. What do you say?"
Nabooru turned to the remaining survivor girls, who all looked terrified and pleading at the same time. "Some of these girls have been badly treated by Ganondorf and the others who believed so strongly in Ganondorf's ambitions. Some of them have had to do things against their own will, just to survive. And some of them...well, let's just say they are not eager to become wives." She turned her gaze back to Rythern. "I'm second in command of the Gerudo. I go by the name Nabooru."
"I knew it." Rythern thought.
"If I may have a word with them, I believe I can convince them. As for me...you don't need to convince me. I may be a thief but I have honor and this war was not a part of that honor," Nabooru said.
"Swear off your thieving ways," Linika said, coming up behind Rythern. "Or your head will join your king's."
"Linika!" Rythern snapped.
"I mean it. Swear off your thieving ways and Princess Zelda will give you what you need to live a comfortable life. If you all don't...then you must leave Hyrule or you will join your tribe in death," Linika said menacingly.
Nabooru looked troubled but she nodded. "Peace. When our tribe has no king, we view our land as our monarch. Hyrule is our home, too." She fixed a steely gaze on Linika, who glared back. "Desert life is not easy. When food and water run low, thieving is all we had just to stay alive. For us, it became a way of life."
"Din favors those who rely on power in life but only to those who use their power for the greater good," Linika said firmly. "Stealing from Mother Farore's life forms goes against the Goddesses creeds."
"Linika, the Gerudo don't believe in the goddesses," Rythern said. "I believe in the good the Gerudo still have. Prove I'm not wrong, Nabooru, and you and the others can come to the castle. Princess Zelda can still accept you."
"I don't think we have much choice..." Nabooru said. The other Gerudo nodded in agreement. "I don't know who you two are...but on behalf of the remaining Gerudo, thank you for sparing us."
Back at the castle, the mood had improved but there was still a sense of sadness from the castle staff. Princess Zelda had come out of her room when she heard Linika and Rythern returned. After talking with Rythern about the Gerudo's fates, Zelda agreed to have them stay in the castle with her.
"The Gerudo were never evil. I would be very happy to have them stay here with me," the young princess said. "Nabooru, I've known you for a long time. You were always good to my father and me. I'm truly sorry for your people. Please consider my home yours now."
"Princess Zelda, it's us who should be the sorry ones," Nabooru said. "Ganondorf was our king by our laws but not all of us were happy to bow to him! Especially after he...killed your father. Murder is never accepted by the Gerudo. The others have already talked to me and are glad to stay here. I'm sure we can help you with Hyrule's matters. I know a thing or two about leadership," she added with a slight smile.
"That would be wonderful," Zelda replied.
"Who knows, maybe I'll end up being your tutor...and your children's tutor, too!" Nabooru attempted to make a joke but it was met by an embarrassed silence from Zelda, silent contempt by Linika and a stunned look from Rythern.
"The two mysterious warriors...unbelievable. I had wondered who they were all my life. But they were actually me and my sister before we were actually born."
"Ahem..." Linika broke the silence and fixed her gaze on her brother. "We did one of the things we came here to do. Ry and I need to get going with our next mission from Laima."
"So soon?" Zelda asked. "I was...hoping you could stay a little longer. Maybe even stay and help rebuild Hyrule...?" she said, almost hopefully. Rythern shook his head.
"I would love to, princess. But we can't. Please don't ask why...it's just too complicated to explain." Rythern knelt down and looked at his future mother in the eyes. "But I know...you will do great with rebuilding Hyrule. Just do what you feel is right and you'll succeed."
"I don't know if I can do it alone..." Zelda but her lower lip. "I really wish Link was here."
Rythern smiled. He stopped himself from saying anything else. Linika was glaring at him and he sensed she was getting impatient.
"On second thought, Ry...maybe we should stay at least one more night."
"Huh?" Rythern was shocked. "I thought you wanted to get back home as fast as possible."
"Hyrule needs a voice with wisdom right now. I think Princess Zelda could benefit from talking to you and having your reassurance. Plus the battle took a lot out of me...I'm exhausted. And we don't know what's still ahead for us. I'll take the time to prepare some supplies...just in case we have to stay longer."
Rythern stared at Linika and she motioned for him to follow her. "A private word, please." They stepped outside the room and she whispered, "Rythern, what do you think will happen now? We have the complete Triforce but Laima asked us to return it to the Sacred Realm so it can merge with this timeline's Triforce. But do you really think it will be as simple as entering the Temple of Time and finding the Triforce right away?"
"I...don't know. I guess I had hoped it would be," Rythern said. "There's never been any accounts of what the Sacred Realm is truly like. Even Father has no idea. His only venture into the Sacred Realm was into the Temple of Light."
"Exactly...we should be prepared that it could take us a while. I do want to go home but my survival instincts are telling me to be prepared for anything. And you were right..." Linika dropped her voice even more. "Mother needs some support right now. So why don't you stay here and give it to her? I'll go into town and get us what we need."
"What do we need, Linika?" Rythern asked, dreading what she was about to say.
"Blankets, a couple of good cutting knives, some preserved foods, some flint for fires, some proper gear for any sort of weather..." Linika paused, seeing the look of horror on Rythern's face. "Oh yeah...you've never slept outdoors, have you? You always said mine and Dad's camping trips were stupid." She gave Rythern a self-satisfied look. "Well, get used to it. We might have to when we're through the door. Go ahead and spend a night in the castle...I feel like camping out tonight."
Rythern swallowed and nodded. "Fine...I suppose I can do this."
"Enjoy your night in comfort. Tomorrow, it's roughing it out." Linika turned and walked away, leaving her brother in place.
Many hours later, Linika was laying on her back and staring up at the stars. Two large packs were sitting nearby and a small fire was burning. She chose her favourite corner in Hyrule Field to set camp up at: a small body of water that pooled out beside the entrance to Zora's River. The rush of water always helped Linika sleep better.
"This is way more comfortable than any bed," Linika muttered to herself. "The only thing missing is Dad...I hope he's okay in this timeline."
Linika recalled her dad's story about what he did after he left Hyrule. He had wandered through the Lost Woods, trying to find his fairy friend who had left him behind. In doing so, he stumbled into another country called Termina and had to make use of the Song of Time to stop a false moon from falling into the country. Time seemed to flow normally in Hyrule and Linika guessed that the Goddess of Time's power was keeping time from flowing normally in Termina. Laima was surely helping Link the same way she was helping Linika and Rythern.
"Goddess of Time...please keep him safe," Linika whispered.
The moonlight that shone through the field seemed bright and warm. Linika decided now was the right time to take an outdoor bath. She set up a hunk of meat on a spit roast over the fire and peeled her dirty clothes off. Her body was caked in dirt and blood from the fight with Ganondorf and her hair was a tangled mess.
"I know I'll never be a beauty...but that's okay," Linika thought as she submerged herself in the cool water. Her body ached all over and she ran her hands down her chest to her stomach. She had the same kind of lean, muscular build her father had, but a little thinner. Her chest was barely filled out and she had the etchings of a firm abdomen on her lower stomach. If it weren't for her long hair, people could easily mistaken her for a man or even for her own brother.
"Men will never want me," Linika thought as she swam through the water. "That's fine...I think I'll go on a journey of my own when I get back home. Maybe I'll become a general for the kingdom's knights or move to another country. Hyrule has Rythern. It doesn't need me. I'll go live my own life."
Linika wasn't counting on attending her own eighteenth birthday ball. She knew Rythern was right and she was expected to become a nobleman's bride by her mom and everyone else. The only reason it hadn't been expected for her own mother was because her dad had been a hero and saved Hyrule before. Link and Zelda were given blessings from the whole kingdom when he returned and it helped they were in love.
But Linika suspected that her mother's upbringing and her father's nomad ways had a bad impact on their relationship. Zelda always had to be Hyrule's queen first and Link hated life in the castle. He had gotten used to wandering without roots, possibly because he never truly had any. He was brought up as a Kokiri in the forest and wasn't welcomed back when it was revealed he was actually a Hylian. Link and Zelda fought a lot while Linika and Rythern were growing up, from small disagreements to loud shouting matches. They would fight over everything: clothing to wear, events they had to attend together, how the twins' education should be handled to how they should raise their kids. Sometimes they would even sleep in different bedrooms after particularly bad fights.
"If that's what being married is really like, I don't want it," Linika swore to herself as she looked up at the real moon in the sky. "I'll never be with anyone who doesn't accept me for myself. Princess or no, I'm me and no one can change that. Not Mom. Not Rythern. Not any man. No one."
I forgot to post this yesterday. Sorry. I've been super sick with a nasty head cold.
Not much to say here. This is more of a bridging chapter. The title was inspired by the Dream Theater song Under a Glass Moon, one of my favorite songs of all time.
Have a healthy weekend.