Chapter Nine – The Turning Point

Uganguzi had been heading to her room when her sister found her. She now stood within Nabooru's room. Her sister seemed bothered by something. It was most likely something to do with Ganondorf. Nabooru was almost constantly bothered by something that he did. "It just doesn't feel right," said Naboorou to Uganguzi. "Why would he need to find this temple so badly if it's to be used as nothing more than a base?"

"I don't know… Perhaps there's something inside the temple that he doesn't want us to know about."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."

Uganguzi nodded. "Do you think it has anything to do with his trips to the Spirit Temple?"

Nabooru shrugged and plopped down onto the sofa against the wall. "Who knows. The man's been acting odd for a long time. I just wish he could be honest with us."

Uganguzi sat down on Nabooru's bed. "Well maybe we can sneak into the castle and find their records on the temples. I'm sure there has to be something on them that would give us an idea of what he's up to."

"Yeah," said Nabooru. "But that's very risky. How would we get inside the castle? We don't exactly blend in." For the Gerudo, going into Hyrule Market was one thing. Approaching the castle was something completely different. They provided entertainment at the bars and inns, but there was no business at the castle. With their distinct features, they weren't even able to disguise themselves.

Uganguzi thought silently for a moment before an idea came to mind. "Or what if we bribed someone to bring the documents to us?"

Nabooru nodded. "That could work. But it's also quite risky. Who could we bribe to do that anyhow?"

"I'm not sure… but I'll think of something." Uganguzi paused. "How's the Sheikah girl been doing?"

Nabooru shifted her position on the sofa, stretching her legs out across the soft cushions. "She seems to be doing fine. This morning she broke a girl's nose though. It was Filfil. Apparently she and Osayer had said something about the girl's mother and that set her off."

"Yikes. What did her mother think about it?"

"She was on sentinel duty today, so she found out about it tonight. She was pretty upset."

"At Usiku, or at Filfil?"

"Well, kind of both. She was angry that a Sheikah would 'have the nerve' to hit her daughter. But also she was upset that Filfil was picking a fight."

"Sheesh…" Uganguzi shook her head. "Well it appears that she and Ashekha are getting along well."

"Indeed they are," Nabooru agreed. "I think she'll become one of us before long. Then she can help us locate that damn temple… If that's even what Ganondorf truly needs her for."

"Yeah, that's true. He really is acting quite strange with his plans. I just hope we can figure them out before it's too late."

Like a river, time flowed on and before long, a year and a half had passed. It was about the same as every other year for most of the Gerudo. But for one Sheikah girl, it had been difficult. She was introduced and forced to live a life that she was unfamiliar with. But with the help from her friend, Ashekha, she managed to keep going. The two had become quite close over the past year. They did most of everything together. There had been moments of sadness and anger, but they both made it through in the end. It was almost as if they were sisters. Such a strong friendship as theirs was one to envy.

Ashekha loved every moment with Usiku. Her friend had been through so much and she just wanted to be able to make the rest of the way smoother for her. Their friendship was very dear to Ashekha and she held onto it fiercely. But in the way of training, Ashekha blossomed. Her basic informational classes started to become boring and she always looked forward to the outdoor classes. Her most favorite was the weapons training. She had become quite skilled with the sword—even though it was wooden—and she bested everyone in her class. The children had still only learned some basic techniques, but Ashekha progressed quicker and devoted much of her free time to practicing. Her teacher had observed this many times and commented to Uganguzi about it with much joy.

And now as she stood on the sands of the Training Grounds, she began her daily practice. Usiku sat on a crate that was off to the side, her horse, Farasi, beside her on the ground. He was a pure white color with a black mane, tail, and legs. He and Usiku watched their crazy friend. The Gerudo girl grinned over at her friend who returned it. Ashekha then began her usual routine of a show right before her work. "And now, ladies and gentlemen," she said in an announcer's voice. "The great… the magnificent… the one and only… Ashekha! The greatest swordsman in all of Hyrule!" She then gave her sword a few spins, pretending that she was elite. Usiku laughed aloud, watching. Farasi just snorted and shook his mane. Ashekha had to giggle at herself as well while goofing around.

After a moment of getting relaxed, she then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "And for real now…" she whispered. When she opened her eyes, she raised her sword and then swung it down with force, proceeding to spin around once and then thrust it forward.

Usiku held a bag of oats in her lap which she fed to Farasi as she watched. Not only did she just want to be around her friend, but she also was asked to observe and point out any mess-ups. From the first time Usiku did her job, she was amazed that her friend hardly ever made any mistakes. There were very few things for Usiku to point out to Ashekha. It made her job overly simple, but she enjoyed watching nonetheless.

About the time Ashekha finished for the day, the girls heard the horn sounding for dinner. Quickly, they headed down to the fortress, stopping on the way to put Farasi back into his stall. They hurried to the dining hall and found that they had made it just in time. They all said the customary prayer and then began their meal. As everyone ate, Ganondorf spoke with his officers about the general happenings. Uganguzi and Nabooru only nodded and listened. Their king was unaware that they had been doing research behind his back. Among all of Ganondorf's officers, they were the only ones to question his plans. They felt that they should not involve others in their findings just yet. There was a time and a place for everything. But much was to be discussed between the sisters after their meal…

Once dinner had been concluded and the children sent to bed, Nabooru brought Uganguzi to her room. Within, she had her desk covered in papers. Her sister had been quite clever to gather the information they needed. Uganguzi had traveled to Hyrule Market all throughout the past year and a half, every time with a pouch of gold coins and gems. Her plan was simple: pay off someone to copy the texts within the castle's library. The people in Hyrule were so greedy. It was the richest man in the town that she had bribed. But it had paid off. She continued to receive information from the documents and brought them back to the fortress. And now she and Nabooru stood over them, piecing everything together.

"I want to show you this, Uganguzi," said Nabooru, picking up a sheet of paper. "This was taken from an old Sheikah journal. It says that the Sheikah Temple was rumored to hold a great secret. Apparently there was some hidden power and the only way into the realm was somewhere within the temple."

Uganguzi frowned. "That sounds an awful lot like the legend of the Triforce. They say that the Temple of Time is the doorway into the Spiritual Realm where the Triforce resides. Though I think the Master Sword has something to do with it as well. But then again, no one knows if it's true."

"So do you think he's trying to test these old tales?" asked Nabooru, setting down the paper and glancing at her sister.

"Probably more than that. I think he actually believes these rumors and legends. It makes sense if you think about it… Both of these temples supposedly hold the doorway to a great power."

Nabooru began piecing together the puzzle. "He's after those powers. Not only does he desire to control Hyrule, but… the entire world."

They both stared at each other for a moment. "The man's gone mad with a lust for power," Uganguzi said.

"Yes…" Nabooru rubbed her forehead and walked across the room to her couch. Sitting down, she said, "And not only that. He's been waiting all this time because I believe he's found the Hero of Time."

"Really? How do you know that?" asked Uganguzi, following her sister to the couch.

"I remember one time a few years ago, he had come back from a journey into the Lost Woods. He mentioned something about learning of a boy among the Kokiri that was actually a Hylian."

Uganguzi shrugged. "So?"

"Oh, I guess you didn't read that part of the documents. See, there was an old tale of the Hero of Time. It said that he would be living among those who were not his kind in order for him to avoid detection from those like Ganondorf."

"I see now. So he thinks this boy is the Hero of Time?"

Nabooru nodded. "And I'd be willing to bet everything that he's been delaying just because of that."

"But… delaying for what?"

"The boy must have been quite young back then. It's been a few years now and he must be getting older. When this child begins to realize who he is, he'll know that he has to act fast. Ganondorf needs to use him though… He is the key to this Spiritual Realm that houses the Triforce."

Uganguzi nodded, understanding now. "So do you think it's all true?"

"I don't know… Ganondorf sure seems to think it is."

There was a pause.

Uganguzi said, "What do we do about it?"

Nabooru shifted her position. "I don't know… Right now I guess I'm just angry at the fact that he's been planning this for so long behind our backs. And it's not even something beneficial to our tribe… He's doing this for himself."

"Should we tell the other officers about this and see if we can get them to challenge Ganondorf with us?"

"I don't know about that, Uganguzi," said Nabooru, shaking her head. "Let me try talking with him first and see how that goes."

"Alright…" Uganguzi wasn't quite sure of that idea, but she didn't have an alternate one to offer. After a pause, she stood up and began walking to the door. "Bring me with you when you go to talk to him," she said as she exited.

Nabooru didn't reply.

The door to Ganondorf's chamber swung open to admit an angry Nabooru. She stormed up to the king where he sat at his desk, a surprised and angry look on his face at the sudden intrusion. Nabooru glared down at him and said angrily, "So when were you going to tell me about the Triforce and the Hero of Time?"

Ganondorf returned the glare at his second in command. "Guards, leave us."

The guards exited the room and closed the door. Nabooru folded her arms and continued staring at the king with a bitter expression. Her mouth remained shut, waiting for the king to answer her. Finally Ganondorf replied, "When did you figure it out?"

"About ten minutes ago."

"I see… And how, may I ask, did you learn of such things?"

Her tone was unwavering. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you've been lying to your officers and making other plans behind our backs for several years now. Not only that, but it's all for your own benefit!"

"My own benefit?" He stood up from his chair and began to walk around his desk so that he could stand before Nabooru. "How on earth could I make a decision that would not benefit my own people?"

"You seek the Triforce of the goddesses. You only wish to become a god! And once you do, what becomes of us?"

"Nabooru," he said gently. "When I obtain the power of the gods, I can turn our world into something so much better for our people." He reached his hands out and placed them on her shoulders. "I can free our people of the ones who continually stand in our way of life. We wouldn't have to steal anymore or have bad reputations."

She watched his face, still frowning. Everything he said made sense, and yet she had the distinct feeling he was lying. It felt as if he were trying to soothe her into believing it all. She let out a soft sigh and replied, "But Ganondorf… This is what we are. The goddesses created us to be this way." She watched his face grow dark, turning into a glare. "You mustn't go against their plan…"

The king slowly removed his hands from her shoulders and turned his back to her. His face had been unmistakably furious, but his voice was calmer as he spoke. "Very well then. If you're not with me, then you're against me." He paused. "And I can't have you getting in the way now. I'm sorry, Nabooru…"

She didn't like the sound of that. But before she had a chance to react, she saw him spin around, his hand swiftly coming at her face. Within a moment, she was knocked out on the floor. Ganondorf looked down at her and took a deep breath. "Fool…" he muttered.

Early the next morning, Uganguzi prepared herself for the day and came to Nabooru's room. As she entered, she saw the room was empty. No torches were lit and the bed lay perfectly neat. That was odd. She then turned out and began walking towards Ganondorf's chambers. She had specifically told Nabooru to wait before she went to the king. But then again, maybe she hadn't listened. Sighing aloud, she picked up her pace. I swear, she thought, I'm going to kill her myself if she's in there when I get there. After a few more steps, she had reached the king's chambers. One of the guards knocked on the door and it opened after a moment. Uganguzi entered and stood in the study. It was empty, save the two guards behind her at the door. Her ears heard sounds from within the bedroom though and she turned her head right as Ganondorf came out. He was buttoning up his tunic. "How can I help you, Uganguzi?"

She bowed and said, "Nabooru wasn't in her room. I fear something might have happened…"

"Ah yes," the king replied, nodding. "Last night I had to send her out on a last-minute errand. You remember the man who murdered Lena? The supply wagon driver?"

"Yes. He still hasn't given up her location," Uganguzi snorted, suddenly feeling a bit of anger. "You should just kill him already."

He reached for his coat now and began to put it on. "Well, I might just let you do that." Uganguzi looked surprised. "See, he finally gave up the location. That's why I had to send Nabooru out. I wanted her to be sure he wasn't lying."

It was almost unbelievable. "He… he really gave in?"

Ganondorf nodded, straightening his coat. "It may take a few days for her to get back though. Apparently he's buried her deep in the eastern forest."

Uganguzi was silent a moment, still surprised. "Well, that's good."

"Yes, it is. But I'm going to need you to fill in for Nabooru."

"Of course, sire," she said.

"Very well then. Shall we?" He smiled, motioning to the door. Uganguzi bowed and turned to the door. The guards opened each side and the two walked out into the hall, going their separate ways for the day's work.