Chapter Thirteen: The Desert Goddess
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Disclaimer: Nothing, I own. Want, I do. Get, I won't. {Eat your heart out, Yoda!}
Second part of the Spirit Temple. There ya go peeps. J
And I've decided to recognize all those who did win the contest. I went back and noticed how I basically just brushed them off, and I feel really bad about it. Here are those who were able to spot the connection, which was a combo of Rae twirling her staff at the moment that she said, "Yet I am" and the fact that she was wearing the same clothes she was when she saw Sheik again. Good job to: Slinkster Sunshine, Kat Reverie, Blue the Echidna, Sara, Rikku-oh-ki and Kinza1200. (Is that everyone?) Thanks to all who tried!
Here's the second half for y'all!
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"Goddess!" Link yelped as he sank knee deep into the sand. Rae scrambled forward, pulling her friend out of the grainy death trap.
"This isn't working!" She yelled, straining her voice so that he could hear it over the wind. In the swirling storm, a faint outline of a distant set of poles marked their goal. "We have to find a way over there!"
"And how do you suggest that we do that?" Link replied loudly.
Rae shrugged at him, eyes searching in the dim. Wait…what is that? She squinted, taking an involuntary half-step forward. Link grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her back.
"What are you doing?" He shouted.
Rae pointed to the ground near to them. "Can't you see it?"
"Yes! It's the floor of the desert!" Link threw up his hands. "What's so special about it?"
She shook her head. "No! It's a pathway! You can't see it?" From her point of view, she vaguely recognized a narrow walkway of cream-colored marble, repelling all swirling grains of sand from around them. It glowed with a mysterious light, dull in the storm. This must be what Sheik was hinting about…bless that man…
Link searched quickly. "There's nothing but sand! What are you talking about?" Rae snagged his wrist, quickly going forward. "What are you doing?!"
Rae ploughed onwards, bearing into the heart of the sands. She froze for a moment, as the pathway wavered out of her sight, and quickly brought out the Lens of Truth, pushing them sturdily onto the bridge of her nose. The walk came back into view, brighter and more visible than it was before. Link was shouting incoherent protests, but Rae only tightened her grip on him and moved relentlessly forward.
It was a few nerve-shattering moments before they reached the opposite of the River of Sand, but they did so in one piece. Both collapsed on the bank of sand, hearts beating rapidly.
"Don't ever…do that…again…" Link muttered into the ground.
Rae flopped back. "Sorry. Couldn't be helped."
Link shifted beside her. "Look." Rae craned her neck in the direction that he was indicating. Down the slope, the opposite way from which they had just came, was the clear figure of a small fortress. It was more like a safe hold, really. The flagpole out front clearly bore the flag of the Gerudos.
"We made it." Link said, glancing sideways at her.
"Y-yeah."
~*~*~*~
The Gerudo examined the two travelers in front of her critically. The first, a male Hylian, dressed strangely, in blue, and bore a long sword over his shoulder. His companion, a mysterious woman of unknown origin, watched her with gleaming green-red eyes. It was quite disturbing.
"Why do you travel across Haunted Wasteland?" She asked.
The male spoke. "We travel to the Temple to talk to Nabooru." He paused. "Sara said that we would be able to seek shelter here."
The Gerudo's eyes narrowed. "Sara?"
The woman spoke this time. "Yes. She guarded the gate to the Desert sands."
The Gerudo smiled, leaning back in her chair. "Please, sit down. I am Echidna. I know Sara." She waved a hand to a near-by servant. "Forgive my suspicion. We do not receive many travellers out here. Few pass through the River of the Sands as well as you did."
The woman blinked. "You were watching us? Why didn't you offer us help?"
Echidna grinned this time. "The only ones who know how to pass through the River of Sand know how to follow the Ghost Guide to the Temple of the Goddess. Others need not come at all."
The man inclined his head. "I am Link. This is Rae."
"Well met, travellers. You may rest here and be on your way."
Rae bowed slightly. "Thank you."
~*~*~*~
Rae shielded her eyes from the sharp winds, noting that Echidna could clearly see as to where she was going. She and Link followed the woman up the steep incline of yet another hill.
"Here!" Echidna yelled, her hair whipping around wildly. "There is the Guide's pedestal!"
A few paces away, a cream colored marble stand stood alone in the sand. It was plain and unadorned, and it was strangely small, not even half buried in the sand.
"I must leave you here!" Echidna shouted. "May the Goddess protect you from here on!"
"Thank you for your help!" Link replied back.
"It is by Her will that you have come this far!" The taller woman started back for the Dessert Colossus. "Follow the guide, no matter what happens! Or else you will end up back here!" She waved one last time, vanishing over the horizon.
Link gripped the podium, shifting from foot to foot to prevent sinking. "There's something written on here!"
"What does it say?" Rae asked.
"One with the eye of truth shall be guided to the Temple of the Sands." Link looked at Rae. "We don't have the 'eye of truth.'"
Rae smiled, taking the glasses off of her head and sliding them onto her nose. "But we do…" She stared ahead. Slowly, in the foggy winds, a form appeared. It was a Gerudo woman, young and wispy, sitting on the pedestal. Her clothes were the traditional white with the Gerudo symbols, but they seemed to be torn, and flowing in the air. She was leaning on one hand, absorbed in watching Rae and Link talk. She didn't seem aware that Rae could see her.
"Are you the Ghost Guide?"
The woman seemed surprised to be addressed. "Are you talking to me?" She stood, floating in the air. "You are, aren't you?"
Link looked around. "Where is that voice coming from?"
The girl crossed her arms, pouting. "Why is it that the cute ones never see me?" She looked at Rae. "Why?"
Rae stared at her. "Uh, I don't…know…" Pulling off the glasses, Rae was glad to notice that she could still see the girl, even if she was a little indistinct. She then handed them to Link, who looked at her sideways before putting them on.
"Farore's Wind!" Link gasped, looking up at the girl. "Who are you?"
The girl clapped her hands gleefully. "Yay! You can see me!!" She tilted upside-down in mid-air. "Oh! My name is Sunnie! I'm the Ghost Guide!"
Link stared at her. "You're quite happy for a ghost guide."
Sunnie shrugged. "Someone has to be, in such dark times like these." She grinned. "I haven't seen anyone out here since that particularly fetching young man with the red eyes." She sighed. "He didn't have any trouble seeing me at all. Makes me wish that I was corporal again." She winked at Rae. "If you know what I mean."
"Red eyes?" Link repeated. "Was his name Sheik?"
Sunnie nodded vigorously. "Ooh! Yes! That was name!!" She looked at Rae again. "Cute and smart!" She waved one hand at them. "But you want to go through to the other side, don't you?" Without waiting for an answer, she hopped off the pedestal and started out into the sands. "Follow me!"
Rae and Link shared a glance, but never the less followed Sunnie out, deeper into the Haunted Wasteland. She seemed to be leading them in circles; her ghostly skip and hop sending her zigzagging into the sandbanks. At one point, she turned completely around and started to lead them in the direction that they had come from.
"Are you sure this is the way?" Link asked, unsure.
Sunnie turned around and smiled sweetly at him. "Don't you worry, handsome, I know this place like the back of my hand." She looked down at the feature in question. "Well…if I had hands anymore." She smiled sadly at her ghostly digits. "Oh well…" She shrugged and bounded away.
"Goddess…" Link muttered, following after her. Rae wasn't too far behind.
It was almost a half of an hour before Sunnie stopped and faced the two heroes. "Before I take you to the Temple, I want to know your names."
"I'm Link and this is Rae."
Sunnie's mouth opened. "You're Link and Rae?" She gleefully twirled in the air. "Oooh, is Ganon mad at you!"
Link's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you working for Ganon?"
Sunnie laughed. "Are you kidding? Have you seen that man? He is evil and a bad, bad man!" She winked. "And he can't even see me!" Sunnie looked at Link sadly. "It's too bad that you have to go to the Temple…I really liked you…" She vanished.
"Wait!" Link cried. "What about the Temple?"
Rae tapped him on the shoulder. "Turn around." He did. In the near distance was a huge statue of a woman in the lotus position. They had reached the Temple in the Sands. It was a slow journey, but they made their way to the giant stairs, half-climbing and half-jumping up the half dozen steps.
The main doors were shut, an engraving of the Triforce deeply imprinted in the centre of the slabs. A pair of wings encircled the symbol, as if to give it flight. There were no handles on the door, and it didn't yield when Rae and Link tried to push it open.
"Well, that was pretty useless." Link said, turning around to glare out at the sandy terrain. "We can't even enter the temple."
"I know…" Rae said with a frown. "Strange though. Why isn't there anyone here?" Of course, there wasn't supposed to be anyone there, according to the game, but Rae hardly based anything on it anymore. What was the last thing that was as exactly as it was?
"Who dares enter the realm of the Sand Goddess?" A single female voice echoed in the empty expanse of the shrine entrance.
"We seek the council of Nabooru." Rae called out, just as Link was opening his mouth. "Allyx bid us permission that we may cross the sands to reach her."
"You lie." Came the ghostly echo.
"She tells the truth." Link said, trying to elevate their position. "We come to speak with Nabooru; that is all."
There was a long pause before an answer came back. "You've brought a man into the dessert of the Goddess?"
Rae rolled her eyes. "He is most worthy, I assure you."
A scattering of sand preceded the arrival of a Gerudo. She leapt down from atop the giant arch, landing easily on both feet. Dressed all in white, an identical veil was hung over her face, protecting her from the elements. "I guard the gates to the inner shrine." She eyed Link warily. "I am Chetori, the Gatekeeper. Only I can open the doors. I see that since you have crossed the sands unscathed, you must be worthy enough to enter here." She paused. "But be warned that not all inside are as lenient as I. Many will ask you to prove yourself." She clapped her hands twice. "Enter if it does please you still."
Link and Rae waited while the large doors slid aside. Without another word they entered the building, fear all but nonexistent in their personages.
"Brave fools." Chetori murmured.
~*~*~*~
"Stop!" The sharp lilt of a voice froze the two heroes in mid-step. The entrance of the temple yielded to a long marble hallway, tall windows on either side. Upon entering the door at the opposite end, they came upon a room veiled over and over by gauzy amber curtains. A guard appeared from behind one, ridged double swords pointing at their throats. "Trespassers, come with me."
Rae and Link didn't argue as they were led through the hazy maze, shoes clicking on the tiled floor. Soon they entered what must have been the centre chamber, a circle room holding a large gold throne and several dozen silk pillows. A regal woman sat atop the throne, every inch of her oozing with authority. Unlike most Gerudo women, who had red hair and amber eyes, she had platinum hair, blue in color, with natural brown bangs. It was ankle length and intricately braided, ended with a typical ruby holder. In one hand she held a javelin, silver and thin, but in the other was a hammer, dark and deadly. She appeared to be a warrior waiting for the call to battle.
"This is Hoseki Morino." The guard hissed, kicking at the backs of their knees. "Bow!"
Rae and Link tumbled to the ground. The woman on the dais smiled slightly, tilting her head. "Why do you need to speak with Nabooru?"
Link didn't speak. Why did they need to speak with Nabooru?
Rae stared the woman straight in the eye. "Our business is with her, not you."
The guard gasped. Hoseki's eyes narrowed. "I am Nabooru. I am her eyes and ears. Anything that you say to her, you must say to me first."
"So you can decide what she does and does not know?" Rae shot back. Link looked at her in horror. "I will say nothing till I talk to her."
"Defiant little thing, aren't you?" Hoseki murmured in amusement. "I wonder if the snake will talk after she loses her head…"
Rae's red-green eyes glinted strangely in the light of the room. "Be careful…I'll still bite."
"And feisty as well!" Hoseki laughed. She glanced sideways at Link. "What's wrong little one? Cat got your tongue?" Link didn't reply. He preferred to let his glare do the talking. "Hmph. You aren't much fun, are you?" She shifted her grip on the javelin thoughtfully. "You wish to talk to Nabooru, do you? Fine." She snapped her fingers at the guard. "Take them to the sorceress sisters. Let them deal with these fools."
Link and Rae were roughly shoved through the curtains, pushed in an entirely different direction than that which they had entered in the first place. The guard led them silently down a dark corridor, absent of all lamps. Their footfalls echoed in the dim hall, hailing heir arrival.
"Here." The guard said, pointing to a gold plated door with the blade of her sword. "Enter."
Link went first, hesitantly pushing the door open. It made no noise, but swung on soundless hinges. Entering on soft treads, Rae and Link squinted in the hazy smoke of the room. The door swung slammed shut behind them, ringing in the interior of the room. Rae sneezed; intense incense hung in the air, pressing down heavily on her. It was suffocating.
"So…" A light voice lingered in the chamber.
"They sent you to us, did they?" Commented another.
From out of the smoke, two figures appeared, tall and young in appearance. They seemed to be twins; one wore long black robes with blue swirls and stitching, while the other had red stitching in hers.
"What a courageous pair to intrude so boldly into our temple, Kinza." The first said, her green/blue/hazel eyes flickering playfully. Auburn blonde hair flowed from a sapphire jewelled headdress.
"We should teach these outrageous two a lesson, Kat." The second one – Kinza – had dark blonde hair under a ruby jewelled headdress, and eyes that shifted from green to blue to grey and back again.
Both of them raised an arm to the ceiling. "Loyal minion!" They said together. "Destroy this intruder on our behalf!"
A deep clanging reached their ears, paced out and slightly intimidating. Another figure appeared in the dark, clad in armour and carrying a massive battle-axe. The person wore a helmet, and their face was hidden.
Anticipating the first movement split seconds before it came crashing down, Rae shoved Link aside, and rolled deeper into the smoky room. She held onto her spear tightly. It was one that she had been given before leaving the Fortress, to replace the staff that the guards had destroyed in their small battle.
Link came to his feet quickly, darting out of sword's reach. His own blade glinted before him, one hand holding it tightly. His shield was out as well, providing a protection of sorts. The deep clanging warned Link of his opponent's arrival, and he spun to parry a heavy strike. The minion was strong, Link had to grant him that, but Link had something that he didn't. A partner.
Rae appeared in the haze, sweeping her new spear under their enemy's legs. The armoured figure fell hard, battle-axe sliding across the floor. His head slammed backwards on the tiles, and he didn't move. Link raised his sword to strike again.
"No!" Rae cried, suddenly worried about the enemy. "Don't kill her!" Kneeling in front of Link, Rae pulled the helmet off of the downed warrior. Red hair tumbled free and a face lifted to the sky. It was a woman. "This is Nabooru." Rae explained.
Kinza hissed, "No! How could you know that?"
Kat was just as equally mad. "You have never been to this desert! You could not have met her!"
Rae shrugged. "And
yet I have." She said, hefting the borrowed spear. Link took up a position beside
her, Master Sword glinting in the light.
Kinza's eyes narrowed dangerously, her eyes shifting to an icy silver-grey. "With my flame, I will burn you to the bone!" A flash of light revealed an intricately carved broom into her hand.
Kat flicked her hair behind her shoulder, a matching broom appearing in her hand. "With my frost, I will freeze him to his soul!" She pointed at Link.
"Sister!"
"Sister!"
The two sorceresses took to the air, circling the two heroes as if they were their prey. At the same time they flung balls of frost and flame at Rae and Link. They separated, diving into the concealing fog of the incense. It still hadn't cleared from the room.
Link crept about in the mist, searching for Rae. This time they had a more powerful opponent, and they needed to plan out a way to attack. A streak of fire flew past one shoulder, close enough to make Link's hair singe.
"Next time, " Kinza's voice warned, "I won't miss."
Link scrambled away, coming into contact with a wall. Rae approached him from his right, stepping quietly. "What do we do now?" He asked her.
She shrugged. "I really don't know."
"What?"
"So the two tresspassers are trapped in a corner, Kinza." Kat said. She waved on hand, and a wind rose in the chamber. The fog swept away, and left everyone in clear vision. Indeed. Link and Rae where trapped in one corner, both sisters standing on the ground in front of them with their hands raised to cast a spell.
"I see that they are, Kat. Let us finish them?"
"Indeed, sister."
"Let me hold them with my might!" A flick of a finger, and a ring of fire rose around the two. Experimentally, Rae leaned to one side, and the wall grew higher.
"Rae—" Link started.
Rae bumped against the Hylian, his pack jabbing sharply into her stomach. She had a brilliant idea. Digging inside the bag, she pulled out Nayru's Love.
"You don't know what it does!" Link cried and she held it out before her, summoning its power.
Just one last time, Nayru…
"And let them never again see night!" Kat threw open her hands, sending a wave of arctic ice in Link's and Rae's direction. In that instant, a blue shield rose around the couple. It glinted like the transporting jewels, and repelled the icy blast.
"No!" The two sorceresses screeched, throwing their hands up in defence. They were frozen in that position, looks of horror and disbelief on their faces.
The fire around Link and Rae died, and they were free to walk around. Nabooru groaned, and they helped her out of the heavy armour. She stood unaided, flexing her hands and regaining her composure. Link and Rae filled her in on what had happened.
Nabooru smiled at Link and Rae. "I admit, that I don't know who you are, but I do thank you very much." She looked at the twin sisters, who were both frozen in ice. "I will send these to Zora's Domain, where there will be no worries that they will ever awaken again." Nabooru handed Rae a thin orange medallion. "I use to serve under Ganon, but he handed me over to the Sorceress sisters for 'safe keeping.' I am glad that I am now to fight with the six sages against him. I can pay back what he did to me!" Nabooru shook her head. "Thank you again, travellers. You are welcome at the Oasis and at the Fortress whenever you wish." She bowed deeply. "I have a feeling that I will see you again."
Link and Rae bowed deeply in return. Link played the Requiem of Spirit, and they were swept away.
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Thanks to Rikku-oh-ki for the description of her character, Hoseki Morino, because that certainly is too good to have come from my brain. J And I hope that Kat Reverie and Kinza1200 won't hate me too much for making them the 'bad guys' of the Spirit Temple. I just thought that it would be cooler that way, and their names were kind of the same…kinda…you know – Kat and Kinza…both K's…never mind...
Don't hurt me! {Hides}
Yeah, so I really changed the Spirit Temple, but oh well… I was too lazy to have them go back in time, blah, blah, and then come back and do it again as grown ups, yadda, yadda… Don't get me wrong, that's my favourite temple in the whole game, but it's too long to read as a fanfic. (In my opinion) Besides, I'm making this believable to a reality, not a game. Meh… Besides, there's going to be plenty of fighting in the upcoming chapters, and I want to save all the good moves and stuff. ;)
(PS) MORE THAN 50 REVIEWS??? YEAH!!! THANK YOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!! I LUV Y'ALL!!!!! A-hem… ^_______________^
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