Chapter Nine: Lessons
The gerudo valley usually is a billowing sand storm. But on that day, it was a mud pit. The dark clouds poured down the rain and shook the valley with thunder. Zelda materialized in the middle of the fortress field. All the guards turned and pointed their staffs right at Zelda since she appeared out of nowhere
"We're in trouble now." said Mema. Zelda simply raised her hands in surrender.
"It's okay." she said. "They'll take me right to Nabooru.". Walking through the pouring rain, Zelda was reminded of the previous night. The blurred image of Link sitting all alone in the mud. She remembered how the mask is all Link had to turn too when the night was done. She wasn't sure if she'd ever forgive herself for that. "I should have been there for him." she thought to herself.
The guards led Zelda right to Nabooru as she had predicted. "Let me have a look at this interloper." said Nabooru as she walked up to Zelda to inspect her. "Awfully late to be snooping around in the rain. Wouldn't you agree?" Nabooru interrogated.
"Nabooru, it's me. Zelda." Nabooru, took a step backwards and looked her up and down, then leaned in closer and whispered.
"What did you say?" Zelda reached up and pulled her scarf down, revealing her feminine facial features. Nabooru nearly fell backwards in shock. "Leave us!" she commanded to her guards who faithfully obeyed. A soon as the guards disappeared; Nabooru smiled and gave Zelda a hug. "What are you doing here? It's nearly dawn! How did you get out of the castle without an escort?" Zelda rolled her eyes as she wearily slumped down at Nabooru's table.
"Is everyone going to ask me that? I'm not a little girl anymore." Nabooru smiled.
"No. You're not." she said as she sat down across from the weary Zelda. "Impa trained you well, I see. To make it all the way out here by yourself is no easy task." Zelda glanced up and flashed a half smile. "Something's wrong. Obviously, or you wouldn't be here, dressed like a Sheikan warrior with..." Nabooru's faced turned to one of grave concern as she saw what Zelda wore on her back. "Are those...Link's weapons?" Zelda mournfully nodded. "Tell me what happened." snarled the leader of the thieves guild. Zelda told the whole story, and of her need of Nabooru's presence for the cleansing, and of her half of the crystal sphere. Nabooru paused for a long time and called for her servants to bring Zelda some food and prepare a place for her to sleep. "So that's who's been standing on the hill..." she said with a grin.
As Zelda received her food, she thanked Nabooru graciously and dug in, with little regard for manners. "Haven't eaten for a while have you?" asked Nabooru with a grin.
"I thipped breakfath." said Zelda through a full mouth. Nabooru raised an eyebrow to Zelda's manners, but never lost her smile.
"You skipped breakfast? Why?" Zelda swallowed her food and said shamefully,
"I was too busy crying."
"Oh, I see. You're here out of guilt." Zelda looked up from her plate with surprise and anger.
"I'm here to save Link!" she said.
"Not to save Hyrule?" the question tripped Zelda up a bit.
"Yes...Hyrule...too-sure!" she shrugged as she stuffed a handful of food in her mouth. Nabooru's grin widened and she rolled her eyes. She decided to change the topic.
"Do you know what the 'rod of enrichment' even is Zelda?" Zelda thought for a minute while she chewed.
"I know it will help Saria heal the kokiri forest." she said taking another bite.
"The rod of enrichment is called the rod of enrichment because of its power to enrich." Zelda rolled her eyes and took a very sarcastic tone to her host.
"No! Really?" she said biting down hard on her food. "I'm not stupid, Nabooru." Nabooru's eyes narrowed.
"Watch it." she quietly growled. Zelda looked up nervously but still a little agitated.
"S-Sorry." she spat.
"You aren't stupid, Zelda, I never said you were. But you just don't understand. Saria isn't stupid either. She may seem like an innocent child, and in many ways she is. But she is wise, Zelda. Maybe even wiser than Ruaru." Zelda cocked her head. "She sure pulled the wool over your eyes, kid." Zelda lowered her head and continued to eat while glaring at Nabooru. "She knows exactly what's happening in the royal court." Zelda's furrowed brow loosened up as her chewing slowed and she lifted her head up again.
"She does?"
"She's known for quite some time. That's why she wants the rod of enrichment. There isn't anything wrong with the forest. The kokiri children aren't sick."
"She lied to me?"
"No, she told you the forest was in trouble. The children are sick at heart, because of what your father is planning." Zelda closed her eyes.
"I don't know why he's so greedy."
"Saria is trying to save Hyrule, just as you are trying to save Link." Zelda opened her eyes and Nabooru held up her hand in silence. "Don't tell me you haven't been more worried about Link and his feelings than you have about the neighboring races."
"Why are you trying to make me out to be so heartless?"
"I'm not. I know you feel genuine concern, but I wont have you lie and say it's more important than Link."
"I would never lie to you."
"Who said anything about me? I won't allow you to lie to yourself." Zelda's eyes slowly drifted downward as she thought about the weight of what Nabooru had said. "Besides," Zelda looked up. "If you lied to me, you wouldn't have a tongue left to eat that food with." Zelda's eyes widened in fear and Nabooru, smiled a devious smile. "But anyway, back to Saira. The rod of enrichment, when plunged into the earth, will enrich that earth, making everything more bountiful and beautiful than ever before. That floating island is a utopia, because the rod of enrichment is connected to the soil of it. Saria's motives are not selfish. What your father has planned will only scar the country of Hyrule, despite the financial beauty he thinks it will bring. Saria hopes that by enriching the planet, both Hyrule and Calatia will no longer be in need of each other's services so there will be no need for the pact. And you wouldn't have to marry that asshole." Zelda giggled as she pushed her empty plate away.
"Yeah he is an asshole." the two shared a hearty laugh.
"Well, get some rest. In the morning you will begin your training." Zelda looked up in shock.
"What training? I don't have time to train! There is less than a week until fierce deity Link begins his battle with Ganondorf! I need that sphere!"
"I'm well aware of the time, Zelda. It's not the kind of training you think it is. Consider it more like a test."
"But-"
"Go to bed." said Nabooru as she left the room.
That night Zelda dreamed of Link. And the fierce deity mask. She dreamt of the horrible life that awaited her in a few short days when she would be forced to marry prince Zensha. The next day, Nabooru's guards awoke her and brought her outside into the field yard. There Nabooru waited with several of her best warriors.
"Sleep well?" asked Nabooru. Zelda quietly shook her head. "It is a wonderful day isn't it?" she asked. Zelda looked around. From what she could see through the torrential rain, she saw it was a very miserable day. "These are four of my best fighters Zelda. They will be your sparing partners for this section of your training. Zoolu!" She shouted as one of the women stepped forward. The woman, like the other three, had the bottom part of her face concealed. She brandished two large scimitars. The woman took her fighting stance. Zelda gulped and took hers. She recognized the stance. Impa taught it to her. It was the secret style used only by the gerudo fighters. Impa also taught her the moves that countered the particular maneuvers that made the gerudos so formidable. Zelda held up her fists and took up a defensive stance. Nabooru raised an eyebrow at Zelda's choice to fight unarmed. "Attack!" she ordered.
The woman leapt at Zelda, spinning around in mid air, becoming a living saw blade. Zelda ducked and rolled through the mud. As her opponent landed, Zelda used a sweep kick, bringing the woman down into the mud. Both women quickly recovered. Then Zoolu attacked again, this time using an excellently timed combination of fast techniques, all of which Zelda was able to block and counter. Zelda was pushing herself to her limits to fight Zoolu. Nabooru, stood by and watched with an eyebrow still raised. "Bravo, Impa. The shiekah have always been our rivals. You've done well with the princess." she thought to herself. Ultimately Zelda lost the upper hand of the fight, seeing as her attacks, though executed well, didn't have enough power and speed to do significant damage. After Zelda ended up in the mud, Nabooru called off Zoolu. She then called forward another attacker.
"Xentalooru!" The woman took her stance. Zelda wearily resumed her stance. "No." said Nabooru. "Your form is admirable, Impa taught you well, but I want you to fight this battle with those weapons you keep carrying around." Zelda drew Link's sword and shield and took a defensive stance. She lasted about as long as she did with the last opponent. She ended up disarmed and in the mud again. Nabooru called off her fighters and dismissed them. Zelda looked up at Nabooru from the mud with shame.
"I'm sorry. I guess I failed the test." she said quietly.
"No," said Nabooru offering a hand to help her up. "You did about as well as I expected. You'd make a great warrior, if only it was part of you. You weren't born with the blood of combatants, but of royalty. Which only makes the fact that you can go toe to toe with a gerudo that much more amazing." Zelda smiled bashfully. "Now comes the real test." Nabooru lead Zelda too a room hidden deep in the heart of the fortress. "Inside this room is where you will face your greatest test. You will learn more about yourself here than you may be ready to accept. Now draw your weapons and prepare yourself."
Zelda drew the sword and shield once again and entered the room. Nabooru closed the door and the room was dark, save for the light shinning on Zelda.
"I don't see any big threat in here." said Mema
"Then you aren't looking too hard." said a voice from behind the duo. Zelda and Mema turned around and gasped in fear as they saw fierce deity Link standing before them.
"W-what are you d-doing here?" whispered Zelda in horror. Her palms began to sweat, as did everything else. Her pulse quickened. She began to tremble.
"I'm here to challenge you!" he shouted and lunged forward and swung his mighty sword. Zelda held up the shield and braced herself. The sword struck the shield with a force that threw Zelda backwards. She cried out, more so in fear than she did in pain. Link smiled. "What's wrong my sweetest? Are you frightened? Don't be." Zelda never took her eyes off of Link. He was a good twenty feet distance from her. But as he finished speaking, Zelda was struck with a very hard fist from her right side. As the fist hit her she still saw Link standing there. As she fell backwards, she turned, and could see Link standing with his fist out. She was so shocked at his speed, that she hit the floor without attempting to make any kind of recovery. She got up and held up her shield again. She was terrified. She knew she wouldn't be able to win this fight. "Well fight back baby. It's no fun if you let me just kill you!" said Link as he threw a hard front kick that caught Zelda solid in the face. It sent her flying in the air. She hung on the edge of consciousness. "Now I know why I never wanted to kiss you. You're too weak for my tastes." His words struck a cord in Zelda's heart and she snapped back to reality, more focused than ever. She made several magical motions with her hands, while fierce deity Link waited and watched.
"Kiss this!" she shouted at the top of her lungs as she unleashed the goron flame attack. She attacked with a rage that was full force. She used a reckless amount of magic in the attack. Link looked at the ground beneath his feet as a mighty pillar of flame erupted from the ground, consuming him. The attack weakened Link as he fell to one knee to catch his breath. Zelda, seizing the advantage, teleported behind Link. Link looked over his shoulder in surprise as Zelda began slashing with her sword as hard and as fast as she could. Link fell to the ground crying out in pain.
"No! Zelda! Please stop! Please! Show mercy Zelda!" begged fierce deity Link. Zelda immediately stopped advancing and looked at Link with horror in her eyes. She dropped to her knees and held out her arms to Link as she started to cry.
"Oh Link. Link I'm sorry. Forgive me Please! I'm so sorry!" she bellowed in tears. Link slowly crawled up to Zelda with the look of a scolded puppy. Once he was with in arms reach of Zelda, he looked up at her compassionate eyes, and smiled an evil smiled. He lunged forward, planting a strong fist between Zelda's open arms, right in her face. Zelda went skidding on the ground a good forty feet. She lay, bleeding, in the worst pain she had ever felt. Yet she didn't even realize her nose was broken or that half her face was ripped open. Those injuries seemed only a distant, mild sting. Link stood up, touched his injury, and licked the blood from his finger and smiled.
"Just a scratch. Guess I didn't need to hit the bitch so hard after all." he said as he picked up his sword and started to casually walk over to Zelda's twitching body. "But what the hell! It sure was fun!" chuckled the evil deity. He picked up Zelda by her hair. "Why wont you fight back? Why?" he asked as his hand trembled in anger. Zelda could barely even speak let alone scream in pain.
"I...can't..." she mumbled.
"Why?!" screamed Link right in her face.
"...Cuz...I...I..."
"YOU WHAT?!" shouted the furious deity, but it was too late. Zelda lost consciousness
"Zelda...Zelda..." Zelda could hear a familiar voice. Zelda woke up standing. Nabooru stood in front of her. Zelda was standing in the same spot of the room as when she first entered.
"What happened?" she asked. She reached up and touched herself, and there wasn't a scratch on her.
"You've just been standing here like a zombie, Zelda!" said Mema.
"I-I have?" Zelda didn't understand. The fight for her life she had just experienced seemed so real. The emotions, the pain, the terror all seemed so real.
"This is the chamber of truth." said Nabooru. "This room looks deep into your soul, and lets the greatest conflicts within take place. I didn't see what happened, Zelda, the results of the battle that happened in here are for you to contemplate, and for you to learn from." Zelda was speechless. She had so many questions about what had just happened. "One thing I will tell you however; though you fought bravely, you never would have touched the real fierce deity Link."
"How...how did you know I fought Link if you didn't see it?" asked Zelda, who was filled with great despair at Nabooru's revelation.
"Trust me. I knew that whatever it would be about would have to involve Link." she said as she handed Zelda a book.
"Link's journal!" she shouted." How did you get this?" Nabooru shrugged.
"I'm a thief. Sue me."
"You didn't read it did you?" Zelda asked, hoping she could inquire about it's contents.
"Only as much as you read." said Nabooru. Zelda sighed.
"Here." said Nabooru, handing over a piece of the mystic sphere. Zelda's eyes lit up.
"Oh thank you Nabooru! Thank you so much!"
"One last thing, Zelda. Let me teach you something...from one sage to another." Nabooru smiled. "This technique will give you the ability to attack the soul of your opponent, instead of causing actual, physical damage. It may sound pointless to you after whatever went on in here, but you may have use for it." Nabooru preformed the same ceremony as the other sages before her, only with a purple aura instead. Zelda thanked Nabooru for the training, lodging and food, clasped her hands together, and disappeared in a ray of green light.
The gerudo valley usually is a billowing sand storm. But on that day, it was a mud pit. The dark clouds poured down the rain and shook the valley with thunder. Zelda materialized in the middle of the fortress field. All the guards turned and pointed their staffs right at Zelda since she appeared out of nowhere
"We're in trouble now." said Mema. Zelda simply raised her hands in surrender.
"It's okay." she said. "They'll take me right to Nabooru.". Walking through the pouring rain, Zelda was reminded of the previous night. The blurred image of Link sitting all alone in the mud. She remembered how the mask is all Link had to turn too when the night was done. She wasn't sure if she'd ever forgive herself for that. "I should have been there for him." she thought to herself.
The guards led Zelda right to Nabooru as she had predicted. "Let me have a look at this interloper." said Nabooru as she walked up to Zelda to inspect her. "Awfully late to be snooping around in the rain. Wouldn't you agree?" Nabooru interrogated.
"Nabooru, it's me. Zelda." Nabooru, took a step backwards and looked her up and down, then leaned in closer and whispered.
"What did you say?" Zelda reached up and pulled her scarf down, revealing her feminine facial features. Nabooru nearly fell backwards in shock. "Leave us!" she commanded to her guards who faithfully obeyed. A soon as the guards disappeared; Nabooru smiled and gave Zelda a hug. "What are you doing here? It's nearly dawn! How did you get out of the castle without an escort?" Zelda rolled her eyes as she wearily slumped down at Nabooru's table.
"Is everyone going to ask me that? I'm not a little girl anymore." Nabooru smiled.
"No. You're not." she said as she sat down across from the weary Zelda. "Impa trained you well, I see. To make it all the way out here by yourself is no easy task." Zelda glanced up and flashed a half smile. "Something's wrong. Obviously, or you wouldn't be here, dressed like a Sheikan warrior with..." Nabooru's faced turned to one of grave concern as she saw what Zelda wore on her back. "Are those...Link's weapons?" Zelda mournfully nodded. "Tell me what happened." snarled the leader of the thieves guild. Zelda told the whole story, and of her need of Nabooru's presence for the cleansing, and of her half of the crystal sphere. Nabooru paused for a long time and called for her servants to bring Zelda some food and prepare a place for her to sleep. "So that's who's been standing on the hill..." she said with a grin.
As Zelda received her food, she thanked Nabooru graciously and dug in, with little regard for manners. "Haven't eaten for a while have you?" asked Nabooru with a grin.
"I thipped breakfath." said Zelda through a full mouth. Nabooru raised an eyebrow to Zelda's manners, but never lost her smile.
"You skipped breakfast? Why?" Zelda swallowed her food and said shamefully,
"I was too busy crying."
"Oh, I see. You're here out of guilt." Zelda looked up from her plate with surprise and anger.
"I'm here to save Link!" she said.
"Not to save Hyrule?" the question tripped Zelda up a bit.
"Yes...Hyrule...too-sure!" she shrugged as she stuffed a handful of food in her mouth. Nabooru's grin widened and she rolled her eyes. She decided to change the topic.
"Do you know what the 'rod of enrichment' even is Zelda?" Zelda thought for a minute while she chewed.
"I know it will help Saria heal the kokiri forest." she said taking another bite.
"The rod of enrichment is called the rod of enrichment because of its power to enrich." Zelda rolled her eyes and took a very sarcastic tone to her host.
"No! Really?" she said biting down hard on her food. "I'm not stupid, Nabooru." Nabooru's eyes narrowed.
"Watch it." she quietly growled. Zelda looked up nervously but still a little agitated.
"S-Sorry." she spat.
"You aren't stupid, Zelda, I never said you were. But you just don't understand. Saria isn't stupid either. She may seem like an innocent child, and in many ways she is. But she is wise, Zelda. Maybe even wiser than Ruaru." Zelda cocked her head. "She sure pulled the wool over your eyes, kid." Zelda lowered her head and continued to eat while glaring at Nabooru. "She knows exactly what's happening in the royal court." Zelda's furrowed brow loosened up as her chewing slowed and she lifted her head up again.
"She does?"
"She's known for quite some time. That's why she wants the rod of enrichment. There isn't anything wrong with the forest. The kokiri children aren't sick."
"She lied to me?"
"No, she told you the forest was in trouble. The children are sick at heart, because of what your father is planning." Zelda closed her eyes.
"I don't know why he's so greedy."
"Saria is trying to save Hyrule, just as you are trying to save Link." Zelda opened her eyes and Nabooru held up her hand in silence. "Don't tell me you haven't been more worried about Link and his feelings than you have about the neighboring races."
"Why are you trying to make me out to be so heartless?"
"I'm not. I know you feel genuine concern, but I wont have you lie and say it's more important than Link."
"I would never lie to you."
"Who said anything about me? I won't allow you to lie to yourself." Zelda's eyes slowly drifted downward as she thought about the weight of what Nabooru had said. "Besides," Zelda looked up. "If you lied to me, you wouldn't have a tongue left to eat that food with." Zelda's eyes widened in fear and Nabooru, smiled a devious smile. "But anyway, back to Saira. The rod of enrichment, when plunged into the earth, will enrich that earth, making everything more bountiful and beautiful than ever before. That floating island is a utopia, because the rod of enrichment is connected to the soil of it. Saria's motives are not selfish. What your father has planned will only scar the country of Hyrule, despite the financial beauty he thinks it will bring. Saria hopes that by enriching the planet, both Hyrule and Calatia will no longer be in need of each other's services so there will be no need for the pact. And you wouldn't have to marry that asshole." Zelda giggled as she pushed her empty plate away.
"Yeah he is an asshole." the two shared a hearty laugh.
"Well, get some rest. In the morning you will begin your training." Zelda looked up in shock.
"What training? I don't have time to train! There is less than a week until fierce deity Link begins his battle with Ganondorf! I need that sphere!"
"I'm well aware of the time, Zelda. It's not the kind of training you think it is. Consider it more like a test."
"But-"
"Go to bed." said Nabooru as she left the room.
That night Zelda dreamed of Link. And the fierce deity mask. She dreamt of the horrible life that awaited her in a few short days when she would be forced to marry prince Zensha. The next day, Nabooru's guards awoke her and brought her outside into the field yard. There Nabooru waited with several of her best warriors.
"Sleep well?" asked Nabooru. Zelda quietly shook her head. "It is a wonderful day isn't it?" she asked. Zelda looked around. From what she could see through the torrential rain, she saw it was a very miserable day. "These are four of my best fighters Zelda. They will be your sparing partners for this section of your training. Zoolu!" She shouted as one of the women stepped forward. The woman, like the other three, had the bottom part of her face concealed. She brandished two large scimitars. The woman took her fighting stance. Zelda gulped and took hers. She recognized the stance. Impa taught it to her. It was the secret style used only by the gerudo fighters. Impa also taught her the moves that countered the particular maneuvers that made the gerudos so formidable. Zelda held up her fists and took up a defensive stance. Nabooru raised an eyebrow at Zelda's choice to fight unarmed. "Attack!" she ordered.
The woman leapt at Zelda, spinning around in mid air, becoming a living saw blade. Zelda ducked and rolled through the mud. As her opponent landed, Zelda used a sweep kick, bringing the woman down into the mud. Both women quickly recovered. Then Zoolu attacked again, this time using an excellently timed combination of fast techniques, all of which Zelda was able to block and counter. Zelda was pushing herself to her limits to fight Zoolu. Nabooru, stood by and watched with an eyebrow still raised. "Bravo, Impa. The shiekah have always been our rivals. You've done well with the princess." she thought to herself. Ultimately Zelda lost the upper hand of the fight, seeing as her attacks, though executed well, didn't have enough power and speed to do significant damage. After Zelda ended up in the mud, Nabooru called off Zoolu. She then called forward another attacker.
"Xentalooru!" The woman took her stance. Zelda wearily resumed her stance. "No." said Nabooru. "Your form is admirable, Impa taught you well, but I want you to fight this battle with those weapons you keep carrying around." Zelda drew Link's sword and shield and took a defensive stance. She lasted about as long as she did with the last opponent. She ended up disarmed and in the mud again. Nabooru called off her fighters and dismissed them. Zelda looked up at Nabooru from the mud with shame.
"I'm sorry. I guess I failed the test." she said quietly.
"No," said Nabooru offering a hand to help her up. "You did about as well as I expected. You'd make a great warrior, if only it was part of you. You weren't born with the blood of combatants, but of royalty. Which only makes the fact that you can go toe to toe with a gerudo that much more amazing." Zelda smiled bashfully. "Now comes the real test." Nabooru lead Zelda too a room hidden deep in the heart of the fortress. "Inside this room is where you will face your greatest test. You will learn more about yourself here than you may be ready to accept. Now draw your weapons and prepare yourself."
Zelda drew the sword and shield once again and entered the room. Nabooru closed the door and the room was dark, save for the light shinning on Zelda.
"I don't see any big threat in here." said Mema
"Then you aren't looking too hard." said a voice from behind the duo. Zelda and Mema turned around and gasped in fear as they saw fierce deity Link standing before them.
"W-what are you d-doing here?" whispered Zelda in horror. Her palms began to sweat, as did everything else. Her pulse quickened. She began to tremble.
"I'm here to challenge you!" he shouted and lunged forward and swung his mighty sword. Zelda held up the shield and braced herself. The sword struck the shield with a force that threw Zelda backwards. She cried out, more so in fear than she did in pain. Link smiled. "What's wrong my sweetest? Are you frightened? Don't be." Zelda never took her eyes off of Link. He was a good twenty feet distance from her. But as he finished speaking, Zelda was struck with a very hard fist from her right side. As the fist hit her she still saw Link standing there. As she fell backwards, she turned, and could see Link standing with his fist out. She was so shocked at his speed, that she hit the floor without attempting to make any kind of recovery. She got up and held up her shield again. She was terrified. She knew she wouldn't be able to win this fight. "Well fight back baby. It's no fun if you let me just kill you!" said Link as he threw a hard front kick that caught Zelda solid in the face. It sent her flying in the air. She hung on the edge of consciousness. "Now I know why I never wanted to kiss you. You're too weak for my tastes." His words struck a cord in Zelda's heart and she snapped back to reality, more focused than ever. She made several magical motions with her hands, while fierce deity Link waited and watched.
"Kiss this!" she shouted at the top of her lungs as she unleashed the goron flame attack. She attacked with a rage that was full force. She used a reckless amount of magic in the attack. Link looked at the ground beneath his feet as a mighty pillar of flame erupted from the ground, consuming him. The attack weakened Link as he fell to one knee to catch his breath. Zelda, seizing the advantage, teleported behind Link. Link looked over his shoulder in surprise as Zelda began slashing with her sword as hard and as fast as she could. Link fell to the ground crying out in pain.
"No! Zelda! Please stop! Please! Show mercy Zelda!" begged fierce deity Link. Zelda immediately stopped advancing and looked at Link with horror in her eyes. She dropped to her knees and held out her arms to Link as she started to cry.
"Oh Link. Link I'm sorry. Forgive me Please! I'm so sorry!" she bellowed in tears. Link slowly crawled up to Zelda with the look of a scolded puppy. Once he was with in arms reach of Zelda, he looked up at her compassionate eyes, and smiled an evil smiled. He lunged forward, planting a strong fist between Zelda's open arms, right in her face. Zelda went skidding on the ground a good forty feet. She lay, bleeding, in the worst pain she had ever felt. Yet she didn't even realize her nose was broken or that half her face was ripped open. Those injuries seemed only a distant, mild sting. Link stood up, touched his injury, and licked the blood from his finger and smiled.
"Just a scratch. Guess I didn't need to hit the bitch so hard after all." he said as he picked up his sword and started to casually walk over to Zelda's twitching body. "But what the hell! It sure was fun!" chuckled the evil deity. He picked up Zelda by her hair. "Why wont you fight back? Why?" he asked as his hand trembled in anger. Zelda could barely even speak let alone scream in pain.
"I...can't..." she mumbled.
"Why?!" screamed Link right in her face.
"...Cuz...I...I..."
"YOU WHAT?!" shouted the furious deity, but it was too late. Zelda lost consciousness
"Zelda...Zelda..." Zelda could hear a familiar voice. Zelda woke up standing. Nabooru stood in front of her. Zelda was standing in the same spot of the room as when she first entered.
"What happened?" she asked. She reached up and touched herself, and there wasn't a scratch on her.
"You've just been standing here like a zombie, Zelda!" said Mema.
"I-I have?" Zelda didn't understand. The fight for her life she had just experienced seemed so real. The emotions, the pain, the terror all seemed so real.
"This is the chamber of truth." said Nabooru. "This room looks deep into your soul, and lets the greatest conflicts within take place. I didn't see what happened, Zelda, the results of the battle that happened in here are for you to contemplate, and for you to learn from." Zelda was speechless. She had so many questions about what had just happened. "One thing I will tell you however; though you fought bravely, you never would have touched the real fierce deity Link."
"How...how did you know I fought Link if you didn't see it?" asked Zelda, who was filled with great despair at Nabooru's revelation.
"Trust me. I knew that whatever it would be about would have to involve Link." she said as she handed Zelda a book.
"Link's journal!" she shouted." How did you get this?" Nabooru shrugged.
"I'm a thief. Sue me."
"You didn't read it did you?" Zelda asked, hoping she could inquire about it's contents.
"Only as much as you read." said Nabooru. Zelda sighed.
"Here." said Nabooru, handing over a piece of the mystic sphere. Zelda's eyes lit up.
"Oh thank you Nabooru! Thank you so much!"
"One last thing, Zelda. Let me teach you something...from one sage to another." Nabooru smiled. "This technique will give you the ability to attack the soul of your opponent, instead of causing actual, physical damage. It may sound pointless to you after whatever went on in here, but you may have use for it." Nabooru preformed the same ceremony as the other sages before her, only with a purple aura instead. Zelda thanked Nabooru for the training, lodging and food, clasped her hands together, and disappeared in a ray of green light.