Chapter Ten: Another Piece of Island
Zelda materialized into a waste deep pool of water amidst a cavern that was lit with a deep, rich blue, with many dancing reflections of water. She looked around to see the familiar waterfall of the Zora cave. Zelda smiled as she saw it. She was reminded of the times she was younger, and princess Ruto and she would go swimming and diving. Princess Ruto was Zelda's one true girlfriend. She had told Ruto things that even Ruaru didn't know about. Zelda splashed about in the water as she made her way to the nearby ladder and climbed out onto the rocks. She looked around one more time, and ran hastily up the stone path. She was thrilled to get to see Ruto again. She ran right up through the king's chambers, once again using stealth tactics to avoid detection. She found her way into Ruto's cave. She made sure to pull down her mask so Ruto wouldn't be frightened. She sneaked up behind Ruto, who was busy tending to groom herself, and quietly whispered her name. "Ruto..." Ruto looked up startled, and whipped around to see Zelda holding her arms out in a self-presentation manner, and a huge smile on her face. Ruto paused for a second, since the Shiek clothing was unusual, but she recognized Zelda sure enough.
"Zelda!" said the ecstatic princess as she jumped up to share a big hug with her good friend. "Sneaking out Zelda? That's my girl!" joked Ruto.
"Oh, it's good to see you again Ruto," said Zelda embracing her friend. Ruto looked up at the princess.
"We never get to hang anymore," she said, "which means something bad has happened or will happen right?" asked Ruto. Zelda's smile faded to a half smile as she looked down.
"Yeah..." she said depressed. Ruto sighed, but maintained her smile, content to have her friend present.
"Well, tell me about it." Zelda gave her the whole story. "Wow, your sorta' heeding the call aren't you?" asked Ruto who was impressed at all Zelda had endured by choice. Zelda tipped her head and gave a slightly cocky smile.
"Heh, yeah...I guess so, heh heh."
"So you have to marry that bum?" asked Ruto, instinctively going back to the old days and starting up a hot gossip session. Zelda rolled her eyes.
"Yes!" she curtly spat, in disrespect to her father. "He's so creepy." she said as she accompanied her story with gestures. "I met him a couple nights ago, at one of daddy's 'special dinners' and all he did the whole time was stare at me."
"Eww."
"I know! He totally wants my body and that's it. He couldn't give a damn whether or not I was happy. Or breathing." Ruto gave a cockeyed look to Zelda for her remark about 'breathing'. Zelda remembered Ruto was of a water-dwelling people, and smiled trying to get Ruto to smile, and then she started laughing. "Sorry."
"Good men are so hard to find anymore. It's too bad your dad has to be such an ass and make you marry somebody you never met before."
"It's too bad he has to be an ass and run you out of Hyrule." Zelda said with anger. Ruto smiled at her friend's compassion towards her misfortune.
"These things have a habit of working themselves out." she said trying to reassure Zelda. "But anyway, it's too bad, you really had a hot thing going with 'the hero of time'" said Ruto raising her eyebrows up and down on 'hero of time'. Zelda blushed and became increasingly nervous
"Link? That's ridiculous!" Ruto smiled.
"You can't lie to me Zelda. You like him and you know it!" she said leaning up closer to Zelda. Zelda turned red and looked away with a smile.
"...Well okay, I kinda like him a little..." she said through a hushed smile, unable to meet Ruto's eyes.
"More than that." Ruto urged. Zelda looked up smiling while her eyes screamed betrayal.
"He's cute! I'll admit it! What else do you want?" she said
"And he's absolutely insane about you!" said Ruto with a smile so big it looked like it may have fallen off her face. Zelda's smile faded away as she was reminded of her careless treating of Link's emotions. "What's wrong?"
"Yeah..." she said to herself as she neared crying, despite her new self-policy of "no more crying". Ruto scooted closer to Zelda as she felt her pain. Zelda looked up at Ruto with watery eyes, "It's all my fault Ruto!" Zelda's tears broke free from her eyes and Ruto compassionately pulled her friend into her for a hug. Zelda promised herself she wouldn't be weak anymore, but since she was with Ruto, she automatically let her emotions out, whether she wanted to or not. The two were like sisters; they always tended to each other's emotional wounds. This wound Zelda had been bearing on her sleeve since her quest began, and she had simply ignored it.
"Why is it your fault?" she asked "What did you do to make him welcome an evil deity?"
"I...I...I was supposed to be more gentle with his feelings. He loved me and I ignored it. So he turned to the mask."
"Weren't we just talking about how nuts you are about him?" Zelda giggled through her tears as Ruto's attempt to lighten her spirits and make a point at the same time worked. "You didn't ignore him. You said yourself that you gave him a kiss before you went to dinner." Ruto reasoned. "I'm surprised there's anything else on your mind at all." Zelda sat up, finished crying and wiping her tears away.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying, it isn't your fault. It's his." Zelda grew enraged.
"What?! How could it be his fault?! He isn't a bad man Ruto! He's a good man that did a bad thing! And I drove him to it! Don't you dare say 'it's his fault'!!" she shouted with a finger pointed at Ruto. Ruto leaned backwards away from Zelda's barking with her eyes rolled in long suffering.
"Yep. You love'im alright." Zelda turned away and crossed her arms.
"I do not." she stated.
"Ha! You love him so much you'd lie! Look at yourself! You've come all this way just for him!" Zelda opened her mouth to defend herself but she couldn't find any words that would help her. "Look at me." said Ruto as she turned Zelda around and put her arms on Zelda's shoulders. "You didn't put that mask on him Zelda. Now I know Link is a great hero. He helped me out a long time ago. He saved Hyrule. And yes, he made a mistake, but it was his mistake. He made the decision to turn to the dark side, not you. No matter what you did or could have done, he always had that choice! There is always the choice! And he made his. He chose to embrace the power of darkness to help him achieve whatever goals he was trying to reach." Ruto spoke a truth that Zelda didn't want to hear.
"So that's it? Link is evil, case closed? I guess that means I should just quit and go home. Marry that jerk so daddy can get the Calatian army down here and we'll all just wipe him out! Right?" mocked Zelda in frustration.
"No, you were right about one thing, Link is in trouble and he needs our help. And you're doing the right thing to help him like this. I'm just concerned because your intense feelings for him, the same ones that brought you this far, may blind you as to what you're dealing with here. You may see him as this angel in the clutches of a devil, and that may stop you from doing what needs to be done. You need to understand that until we free Link from the mask, He. Is. Evil. And you absolutely must, swallow your love and treat him as such."
"I wish you'd stop saying that."
"What are you so afraid of Zelda?"
I'm not afraid. I've just never shown that kind of affection for him before. Ever. That little peck on the cheek I gave him before dinner doesn't count."
"Oh of course you haven't. You're just trying to re-unite the sages and fight a god for him. Never would you show affection." teased Ruto. "I guess you've always just been so proper and reserved around him for so long you just feel like you're not allowed to love him. So that makes you afraid to admit it." said Ruto with her hands on her hips. "Well, I can't make a horse as stubborn as you see your feelings. Even if they are true. But I can give you what you need." she said and she walked over to a small chest and pulled out a piece of the crystal sphere.
"Ooo! Thank you so much Ruto!" said Zelda as she hugged Ruto.
"That's not all." she said. "You want this too don't you?" Ruto held up the spiritual stone of water. Zelda looked at her in puzzled amazement.
"How did you know I...?"
"I know how you think Zelda. I knew the Master Sword was probably the first thing you thought of."
"How?"
"Easy. Link saved your life with it." she said with a smile. Zelda looked at her with annoyance, but the expression grew back into a smile again.
"Yeah you do know me. Thanks Ruto, for everything." she said
"Hey. Let me teach you something...from one sage to another. You sure can cry when you need to. And even though tears are just a physical sign of pain or sometimes weakness, the physical property of weakness, and water can be useful if you know how to harness it. This technique will let you liquefy yourself, rendering you impervious to harm!" Ruto performed the same ceremony as the other sages before her, only with a blue aura instead. "I know you didn't like hearing what I said, but at least keep it in mind okay?"
"For you? Anything." she said as she gave Ruto a farewell hug.
Zelda materialized into a waste deep pool of water amidst a cavern that was lit with a deep, rich blue, with many dancing reflections of water. She looked around to see the familiar waterfall of the Zora cave. Zelda smiled as she saw it. She was reminded of the times she was younger, and princess Ruto and she would go swimming and diving. Princess Ruto was Zelda's one true girlfriend. She had told Ruto things that even Ruaru didn't know about. Zelda splashed about in the water as she made her way to the nearby ladder and climbed out onto the rocks. She looked around one more time, and ran hastily up the stone path. She was thrilled to get to see Ruto again. She ran right up through the king's chambers, once again using stealth tactics to avoid detection. She found her way into Ruto's cave. She made sure to pull down her mask so Ruto wouldn't be frightened. She sneaked up behind Ruto, who was busy tending to groom herself, and quietly whispered her name. "Ruto..." Ruto looked up startled, and whipped around to see Zelda holding her arms out in a self-presentation manner, and a huge smile on her face. Ruto paused for a second, since the Shiek clothing was unusual, but she recognized Zelda sure enough.
"Zelda!" said the ecstatic princess as she jumped up to share a big hug with her good friend. "Sneaking out Zelda? That's my girl!" joked Ruto.
"Oh, it's good to see you again Ruto," said Zelda embracing her friend. Ruto looked up at the princess.
"We never get to hang anymore," she said, "which means something bad has happened or will happen right?" asked Ruto. Zelda's smile faded to a half smile as she looked down.
"Yeah..." she said depressed. Ruto sighed, but maintained her smile, content to have her friend present.
"Well, tell me about it." Zelda gave her the whole story. "Wow, your sorta' heeding the call aren't you?" asked Ruto who was impressed at all Zelda had endured by choice. Zelda tipped her head and gave a slightly cocky smile.
"Heh, yeah...I guess so, heh heh."
"So you have to marry that bum?" asked Ruto, instinctively going back to the old days and starting up a hot gossip session. Zelda rolled her eyes.
"Yes!" she curtly spat, in disrespect to her father. "He's so creepy." she said as she accompanied her story with gestures. "I met him a couple nights ago, at one of daddy's 'special dinners' and all he did the whole time was stare at me."
"Eww."
"I know! He totally wants my body and that's it. He couldn't give a damn whether or not I was happy. Or breathing." Ruto gave a cockeyed look to Zelda for her remark about 'breathing'. Zelda remembered Ruto was of a water-dwelling people, and smiled trying to get Ruto to smile, and then she started laughing. "Sorry."
"Good men are so hard to find anymore. It's too bad your dad has to be such an ass and make you marry somebody you never met before."
"It's too bad he has to be an ass and run you out of Hyrule." Zelda said with anger. Ruto smiled at her friend's compassion towards her misfortune.
"These things have a habit of working themselves out." she said trying to reassure Zelda. "But anyway, it's too bad, you really had a hot thing going with 'the hero of time'" said Ruto raising her eyebrows up and down on 'hero of time'. Zelda blushed and became increasingly nervous
"Link? That's ridiculous!" Ruto smiled.
"You can't lie to me Zelda. You like him and you know it!" she said leaning up closer to Zelda. Zelda turned red and looked away with a smile.
"...Well okay, I kinda like him a little..." she said through a hushed smile, unable to meet Ruto's eyes.
"More than that." Ruto urged. Zelda looked up smiling while her eyes screamed betrayal.
"He's cute! I'll admit it! What else do you want?" she said
"And he's absolutely insane about you!" said Ruto with a smile so big it looked like it may have fallen off her face. Zelda's smile faded away as she was reminded of her careless treating of Link's emotions. "What's wrong?"
"Yeah..." she said to herself as she neared crying, despite her new self-policy of "no more crying". Ruto scooted closer to Zelda as she felt her pain. Zelda looked up at Ruto with watery eyes, "It's all my fault Ruto!" Zelda's tears broke free from her eyes and Ruto compassionately pulled her friend into her for a hug. Zelda promised herself she wouldn't be weak anymore, but since she was with Ruto, she automatically let her emotions out, whether she wanted to or not. The two were like sisters; they always tended to each other's emotional wounds. This wound Zelda had been bearing on her sleeve since her quest began, and she had simply ignored it.
"Why is it your fault?" she asked "What did you do to make him welcome an evil deity?"
"I...I...I was supposed to be more gentle with his feelings. He loved me and I ignored it. So he turned to the mask."
"Weren't we just talking about how nuts you are about him?" Zelda giggled through her tears as Ruto's attempt to lighten her spirits and make a point at the same time worked. "You didn't ignore him. You said yourself that you gave him a kiss before you went to dinner." Ruto reasoned. "I'm surprised there's anything else on your mind at all." Zelda sat up, finished crying and wiping her tears away.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying, it isn't your fault. It's his." Zelda grew enraged.
"What?! How could it be his fault?! He isn't a bad man Ruto! He's a good man that did a bad thing! And I drove him to it! Don't you dare say 'it's his fault'!!" she shouted with a finger pointed at Ruto. Ruto leaned backwards away from Zelda's barking with her eyes rolled in long suffering.
"Yep. You love'im alright." Zelda turned away and crossed her arms.
"I do not." she stated.
"Ha! You love him so much you'd lie! Look at yourself! You've come all this way just for him!" Zelda opened her mouth to defend herself but she couldn't find any words that would help her. "Look at me." said Ruto as she turned Zelda around and put her arms on Zelda's shoulders. "You didn't put that mask on him Zelda. Now I know Link is a great hero. He helped me out a long time ago. He saved Hyrule. And yes, he made a mistake, but it was his mistake. He made the decision to turn to the dark side, not you. No matter what you did or could have done, he always had that choice! There is always the choice! And he made his. He chose to embrace the power of darkness to help him achieve whatever goals he was trying to reach." Ruto spoke a truth that Zelda didn't want to hear.
"So that's it? Link is evil, case closed? I guess that means I should just quit and go home. Marry that jerk so daddy can get the Calatian army down here and we'll all just wipe him out! Right?" mocked Zelda in frustration.
"No, you were right about one thing, Link is in trouble and he needs our help. And you're doing the right thing to help him like this. I'm just concerned because your intense feelings for him, the same ones that brought you this far, may blind you as to what you're dealing with here. You may see him as this angel in the clutches of a devil, and that may stop you from doing what needs to be done. You need to understand that until we free Link from the mask, He. Is. Evil. And you absolutely must, swallow your love and treat him as such."
"I wish you'd stop saying that."
"What are you so afraid of Zelda?"
I'm not afraid. I've just never shown that kind of affection for him before. Ever. That little peck on the cheek I gave him before dinner doesn't count."
"Oh of course you haven't. You're just trying to re-unite the sages and fight a god for him. Never would you show affection." teased Ruto. "I guess you've always just been so proper and reserved around him for so long you just feel like you're not allowed to love him. So that makes you afraid to admit it." said Ruto with her hands on her hips. "Well, I can't make a horse as stubborn as you see your feelings. Even if they are true. But I can give you what you need." she said and she walked over to a small chest and pulled out a piece of the crystal sphere.
"Ooo! Thank you so much Ruto!" said Zelda as she hugged Ruto.
"That's not all." she said. "You want this too don't you?" Ruto held up the spiritual stone of water. Zelda looked at her in puzzled amazement.
"How did you know I...?"
"I know how you think Zelda. I knew the Master Sword was probably the first thing you thought of."
"How?"
"Easy. Link saved your life with it." she said with a smile. Zelda looked at her with annoyance, but the expression grew back into a smile again.
"Yeah you do know me. Thanks Ruto, for everything." she said
"Hey. Let me teach you something...from one sage to another. You sure can cry when you need to. And even though tears are just a physical sign of pain or sometimes weakness, the physical property of weakness, and water can be useful if you know how to harness it. This technique will let you liquefy yourself, rendering you impervious to harm!" Ruto performed the same ceremony as the other sages before her, only with a blue aura instead. "I know you didn't like hearing what I said, but at least keep it in mind okay?"
"For you? Anything." she said as she gave Ruto a farewell hug.