A Little Revenge


"You're Nabooru?"

Navi's tiny, incredulous voice echoed about the room.

The woman winced, propping herself up on her elbows. "That's what I said, isn't it? Are you going to help me or not?"

Skull Kid poked his head around from behind Link, eye-lights narrow. "You attacked us."

"I said I wasn't in my right mind," Nabooru countered. "Everything is a blur right now."

Link hesitated. He tried to think back to his own experience with possession. Many of his memories were blurry, though he couldn't be sure if it was due to how little time he was conscious while under the curse's influence, due to the sage's influence to suppress it, or just how it worked. But she seemed honest enough. A second more of hesitation, then he approached, pushing a piece of rubble away with some effort.

"How did you end up in this state?" Navi asked, still skeptical.

"I suspect it was the Twinrova, Koume and Kotake. According to our laws, when a male Gerudo is born, we are supposed to follow him as king. This century, that Gerudo is Ganondorf. At one time, I would have followed him. But he has let his anger cloud his judgment and turned towards vengeance and greed. He wants to make everyone suffer. I spoke out against this."

She scoffed, then twisted her body to try and help Link with the rubble as much as she could. "Not that it does much good. His word is law. Some follow out of loyalty and tradition. Others, fear. It doesn't matter which it is, though. I had little support.

"I came here to the Desert Colossus to pray for guidance. And perhaps to find something I could challenge him with. The Arbiter's Grounds would have been my next destination. But... I don't think I ever made it there."

"Arbiter's..." Navi shook her head. "Never mind, that's not important. What stopped you?"

"I remember encountering the Twinrova." Nabooru narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose. "We argued. One of them raised a hand, and..." She shook her head. "After that, everything is a blur. Until I woke up here."

An uneasy silence hung in the air. Link paused for a moment, glancing toward Navi. Then he shifted his gaze to Skull Kid and gestured with his head. "C'mon, help me free her."

Skull Kid crossed his arms and turned his head away. "Why should I trust her? She almost killed us!"

"I did kill someone," Link countered, pain constricting his chest. "You didn't hold it against me."

"Yeah, but… But I know you."

Navi let out a sigh. "I understand your mistrust, Skull Kid. I'm not sure I fully trust her, either. But Link is right. It does sound like Nabooru has been under the effect of a curse. And besides, she's who we've been looking for, remember?"

"You've been looking for me?"

Navi gave Skull Kid a stern look until he caved and slunk over to help, then turned her attention to Nabooru. "We have. Ganondorf actually... won. He already took over Hyrule and razed much of it. He's trying to find the missing pieces of the Triforce. We're trying to stop him before he finds the last piece. And we have reason to believe you're part of the key."

Her attention shifted to Link. "Hey, Link, you should play the song."

Oh, right! Link turned to reach for his bag. But before he had a chance to fish out his ocarina, Nabooru held a hand up.

"Hold on. I'm more than happy to help. I'd love to dish out a bit of revenge on my king—" she spat the word like poison "—myself. But I want help from you first. Help me take revenge on the Twinrova, and I'll help you in turn.

Link glanced at Navi, who hesitated. "We... don't really have time... But—"

"If my belief that I've been possessed is right," Nabooru continued before Navi could finish, "then they should be back shortly with new instructions. I believe they've been using me as a puppet to mobilize the Gerudo. They are Ganondorf's most powerful enforcers, skilled magicians in their own right. If you're going to stop him, you'll have to kill them, too."

Silence stretched between the group. Finally, Navi let out a sigh. "Alright. I believe you have a point."

"Good, glad you see things my way. Now hurry up and get me out of here, my legs are cramping!"

The next several minutes were punctuated by the sound of scraping and tumbling rocks, and little else. But before long, they freed Nabooru from the rubble. For a moment, she was content to flop back on the floor and stretch, enjoying her newfound freedom.

"Hey," Navi started hesitantly. "We kind of need to go..."

Nabooru waved a dismissive hand. "I know, I know. Give me a second." She rolled to her side, then pushed herself to her feet. "Before we go, we should prepare ourselves."

"How so?" Navi asked.

Nabooru pointed to the weapons on the wall. "We need to be able to fight." She strode over, reaching from the bottom to lift a shield with a shiny, polished surface from the wall. She tossed it over to Link, then grabbed two spears, taking one for herself and tossing the other to Skull Kid, who gave it a playful twirl. Then she strode over and took another shield, passing this, too, to Skull Kid.

"I know these are a bit bigger, given your size, but you're going to want these."

Skull Kid lifted the shield with a grunt, eying it skeptically. "Why?"

"As I said before, the Twinrova are powerful magicians," she explained, picking a third one up for herself. "These shields are built to absorb and reflect magic."

"Kinda heavy..." Skull kid grumbled.

"You like the alternative?" Nabooru raised a brow. "You want to be struck by an elemental bolt? Or worse, hit with the kind of curse I was?"

Skull Kid's eyelights widened to take up the entirety of his sockets. He shook his head vigorously.

"Then carry the shield." She turned back towards the locked door. "The Twinrova are likely to be up at the top. We'll follow the path from here." Her hands brushed along the wall until she found a slight indent. She pushed on it, and with a rumble, the bars slid into the ground. For a second, she stood in front of the door, took a breath, then pushed it open.

The path led up a winding stairwell, torches lining the way in parts. They passed through several rooms along the way, most of which were empty and devoid of decoration. And the decorations — primarily pots and statues — in the rooms that weren't empty were coated in a layer of dust and sand, clearly disused for some time.

For a while, tense silence filled the space between the group. More than once, Link caught Nabooru staring at him, but she always averted her gaze when he noticed.

Until she finally broke the silence. "So, kid, how did you get that scar of yours?"

Link startled, nearly stumbling on the next step in their current stairwell. "Me?"

"Who else would I be talking to?"

Sheepishly, Link pointed at Skull Kid, causing Nabooru to roll her eyes.

"Do you see any major scars on him? No, I'm talking about that one on your chest. Looks bad enough that I'm surprised you survived whatever hit you."

"Oh, that." Link averted his gaze, clutching his free hand around the fabric that hid the rest of the old wound. "A while back I tried to fight Ganondorf. It... didn't go well."

Nabooru snorted. "I would think not. Ganondorf isn't someone you should face head-on. He's the most dangerous person I know. Skilled in swordsmanship and magic alike. But I'm impressed you came out of it alive."

"Mm..." Link tightened his grip. Oh, how much he'd suffered for that decision. He didn't need anyone to tell him how badly he'd messed up. That was clear enough. "...He... cursed me. Used me to do things he couldn't. I don't remember most of it."

He stopped abruptly, feeling like the world was closing in around him. Nabooru stopped a few steps up, turning back to look at him, while Skully stopped behind, giving him a worried glance.

"I... I hurt a lot of people. Even if I don't remember it, even if it wasn't really me, it's still my fault. I'm the one that tried to fight Ganondorf unprepared. And... I..." And he led Saria to her death. He knew he had to. He knew it had to be that way. But he hated it. He couldn't voice it though. Maybe if he didn't admit it, it would hurt less. "I should have known better. I was... I just…"

He stole a glance at Skull Kid, feeling a deep shame, then stared at the ground again. "I'm never going to be the same again. I don't think I can ever be carefree anymore. I don't know if I can stomach returning to the forest. I… I just…"

"Hey." Nabooru's sharp tone cut through his spiraling thoughts. "Thinking about the what-ifs won't do you any good."

She turned away, jabbing the butt of her spear against the step. "You have been through a terrible ordeal. Clearly, you've been freed from the curse — or at least had your free will restored. You can't change the wrongs that have already happened. What you can do is try to make things right now."

"But—"

"It's not going to be easy," she continued, cutting off his protest, "but it's the first step to healing. I've seen what these kinds of curses can do to people. Goddess, I'm living through it right now. The scars — both mental and physical — will remain, but you will still heal with time."

Link wasn't fully convinced, but he nodded. At the least, he couldn't focus on this now. There would be time to recover, once everything was over. Still, even if he wasn't sure how true they were, her words brought a sense of comfort.

"So, are we good to continue?" Nabooru asked.

Link nodded again and started up the steps. As he passed Skull Kid, he stole another glance at his friend, surprised by his somber expression. He considered questioning Skully, but decided against it. The last thing he wanted was to spiral again.

In hopes of shifting the subject, Link asked, "What has your life been like, before all this?"

"Me?" Nabooru didn't even break stride. "I've done what many Gerudo have had to resort to: thievery. But I've always been particular about my targets. There is no honor in stealing from the vulnerable."

"I wanna steal," Skull Kid chimed in. "One time, I stole this sword from a Kokiri named Mido. He was a big bully, so it's okay. And besides, it totally helped Link out when he first set off. By the way, what happened to it, Link?"

Link looked away, sheepishly scratching at his cheek. "I, um... sort of lost it when I tried to fight Ganondorf..."

Skull Kid faltered. "Oh. Well... Uh... That's okay! You got a way cooler sword now."

Navi sighed. "Please don't encourage them."

For the first time, Nabooru laughed. "No promises."

More silence. Link's mind drifted back to Nabooru's words. And to her own curse. She wasn't freed of it; he was certain it took more than a bonk on the head to free her. Was she fighting against it right now? Would she be able to fight it when they confronted the Twinrova?

He thought back to his own curse, and how he had managed it before his ordeal in the Water Temple.

"Hey, Nabooru?"

The Gerudo didn't break stride. "Yes, kid?"

Link fished in his bag, pushing between disused weapons until his hands closed on a medallion. He pulled Rauru's Light Medallion free, passing it to Nabooru. "When I was dealing with my curse, this helped me manage and suppress it. Maybe it can help you until we fully free you from yours?"

Nabooru paused, staring at the medallion. She took it in her free hand, thumb brushing over the surface. "That is very kind of you. Resourceful thinking too." She pressed it into a deep pocket in her pants. "If we're lucky, I won't need it for long."

Link smiled, his wood parting to reveal razor-sharp teeth. And for just a moment, things didn't feel so dire. "Glad I could help!"

The remainder of the trek to the top proved uneventful, save for the occasional small talk. The higher they climbed, the tenser the atmosphere grew, anticipation making the group grow quiet.

But finally, they reached a wide open room, barren of all but a handful of large pots lining the edges.

Nabooru turned to face the skull kids and Navi, striking the ground with her spear. "This is where I suspect they will come. There's an entrance from above, only reachable by air."

She gestured with her spear to a handful of the pots. You two are small enough to hide behind there, I think. Take cover and wait for my signal. Understood?"

Link gave a nod of affirmation, while Skull Kid did a silly salute with a giggle. Then they both turned and hurried to the pots, Navi trailing behind.

Nabooru smirked, watching them scurry off. Then she turned and took long, confident strides to the center of the room, sitting cross-legged at its center.

Now, the long wait began.

Silence seemed to echo on for eternity, no sound save for the occasional creak of the temple settling or the distant sound of strong wind. Aches spread through Link's body, from his stiff shoulders to his still-sore ankle. He hadn't had a chance to properly address it and suspected he would just have to walk it off. Surely, it couldn't be that bad?

Just when Link felt like falling asleep (Skull Kid had already dozed off), he caught the distant sound of pealing laughter. It grew closer by the second, louder and louder.

Sudden movement overhead caught his attention, two figures diving from the skylight above. He recognized them as the witches from Castle Town, and the women that took Sheik. Anger bubbled and burned in his chest as he tightened his grip on the Master Sword and nudged Skull Kid awake. This time, he could stop them. He would stop them.

But for the moment, he needed to wait.

"Ho-ho, there you are," the first witch said, circling Nabooru on her broomstick, like a predator circling prey.

"Now, what have you done with your armor?" the second witch said, joining her sister in their predatory dance. "It's unbecoming of you to walk around without it. How will you protect yourself?"

Nabooru did not answer, instead just climbing to her feet, keeping her head down.

"We bring important news from Ganondorf. Don't we, Koume?" The first witch raised an arm to gesture at her sister.

"Indeed, Kotake. The king is mobilizing all troops, effective immediately. The Triforce of Wisdom has been captured. But the Triforce of Courage still eludes his grasp."

"You are to tell all the Gerudo to spread out among our desert outposts and look for anyone suspicious. If they are not a trader, not one of the monster forces, and not familiar to the Gerudo, they are to be killed on sight."

Nabooru still said nothing, though Link saw her posture shift slightly.

"Well, get to work." Koume snapped her fingers. But Nabooru didn't move. For several seconds, she stayed still, long enough for the witches to falter.

Then she laughed at the nearest one, jabbing with her spear.

Link heard a high-pitched squeal and the sound of something ripping as Kotake scrambled out of the way, firing a pale blue beam from her hand. Nabooru sprang out of the way just in time; where she previously stood, jagged spikes of ice sprang from the ground.

"I will not be your puppet any longer!" Nabooru shouted, spinning around to strike at Koume, sending a prepared fireball spinning way off target.

Link had no time to address his spreading alarm at the sight of flames. Before Nabooru could land a blow, she suddenly froze in place, muscles tense. Behind her, Kotake held up one hand, inky blackness dripping from her fingertips. "Foolish girl. Did you think you could escape our grasp that easily? You will do as you're told."

Link tensed in place, ready to spring into action. But then he caught the slightest shake of Nabooru's head. Was she staring at him? He lowered his sword, instead shifting his stuff around until he could reach his bow. Nocking a single arrow, he took aim at the controlling witch.

Nabooru gritted her teeth, sucking in air. Laboriously, she struggled out the words, "I. Won't. Be. Your. Puppet!" With a loud scream, she forced herself to move, spinning around to face the Kotake. "Now!"

Link let loose the arrow, dropping the bow as soon as he'd taken his shot. Then he sprang out of hiding, Skull Kid chasing just behind.

He heard a sickening, squelching thunk, followed by an agonized cry. Then a second cry from Koume as her sister fell to the floor, still breathing but barely moving.

Nabooru lunged as Koume passed, but another fireball forced her to dodge at the last second.

"It's, it's those brats again," Kotake wheezed.

"The ones from the Shadow Temple," Koume confirmed. "It looks like we'll have to fight dirty, sister. Are you ready?"

"Do it!"

Link reached the center just in time to see more of that inky blackness wash over both of the witches, their forms dissolving into one big, oozing ball of darkness. The darkness spun and swirled, then burst apart, blinding Link with sudden light.

Loud, pealing laughter rang out somewhere above his head. As Link's vision returned, he no longer saw the witches, nor whatever that ball of darkness was. Then he thought to look up.

A giant woman — more than twice as tall as Nabooru, who was already taller than most people he'd met — floated overhead, mockingly laughing at his group. Pale, flowing pants billowed around her legs, cinched just below the knee, a stark contrast to her dark skin and dark top. Two plumes of thick hair swooped behind her, one fiery red and one pale blue. And in each hand, she held one of the witch's broomsticks. One blazed with fire, while the other drooped and dripped shards of ice.

"Did you think a puny trick like that would stop us?" the woman boomed, loud enough to rattle the surrounding vases. "We are not to be trifled with!"

"Oh," Nabooru muttered, tightening her grip on her spear. "This is not good." Then she bolted to the side, shouting, "Scatter! Use your shields!"

Link raised his shield, shouldering it in one hand and adjusting his grip on his heavy blade in the other, suddenly wishing he hadn't abandoned his bow. Currently, Twinrova was floating far too high for him to do anything.

But Nabooru was taller, and her spear had a longer reach than his sword. She made quick, sharp jab's at the giant woman's feet, the only thing in range. One blow connected, but it did little more than make her laugh harder.

"Ugh, shut up already!" Skull Kid dashed forward, vanishing in a flurry of wind. He reappeared above the witch, diving with a war cry and with his spear pointed straight for her chest. She dashed to the side at the last second, but his strike still embedded itself deep into her thigh.

Twinrova let out an agonized shriek, thrashing in mid-air, sending Skully tumbling away. He rolled and skidded against the ground, coming to a stop by crashing into one of the jars. Though he did not immediately rise, a groan assured Link that he was relatively okay.

"Rotten pest!" Twinrova roared, turning to face him. She reached down to grab hold of the spear, pulling it free with a grunt and a fresh wave of blood before snapping it in half and tossing it haphazardly aside. "How dare you besmirch our beauty? We'll burn you to ashes!"

The witch raised one of the brooms, the one engulfed in flame.

Skull Kid was still on the ground, only just rolling over to climb to his feet.

Link moved without thinking, dashing in front of the attack and raising his shield protectively. The fire hit as a wall of force, threatening to knock him off his feet. But he dug his heels into the ground and stood firm. Even with protection, blistering heat rolled around him, and it took all his strength not to panic, afraid his sap would boil and pop any second now.

But the attack died away and he was left standing. He glanced over the edge of his shield. The surface, once smooth and mirrored, now glowed red hot. Yet, no heat radiated from it.

"Fire it back!" Nabooru shouted, stealing only a cursory glance at Link before returning her attention to Twinrova, who shot another beam of Ice at Nabooru. Like Link, she absorbed the attack into her shield, turning the surface a pale, glowing blue. With one swing of her arm, the absorbed magic discharged, returning an icy orb that — unfortunately — sailed past the witch and struck the distant wall, creating shards of ice that rained down.

Link copied her movement, and a ball of fire erupted from his shield, returning it to its glassy finish. Distracted by the first strike, Twinrova took the strike to her bleeding leg, her pants erupting into a burst of flame.

She let out an ear-shattering screech, waving her leg wildly before blasting it with a weaker burst of ice magic, putting out the flames. But not before Nabooru managed another jab, this time creating a fresh gouge in her leg.

The kick came so fast, Nabooru had no time to react. Twinrova's heel connected with her chest, sending her sprawling back with a sickening crack.

Then her ire turned back towards Link, face twisted in fury. You... you... little whelp! How dare you!" Both broomstick wands pointed at Link, a beam of ice flying his way. Once again, he held up the shield, absorbing the attack.

But before he had a chance to throw it back, A fireball came flying his way. He held the shield in front of him again, expecting it to absorb the attack.

Instead, it only blocked the brunt of it. But fire still burst around it, splashing up and around.

Pain exploded in his left shoulder, accompanied by the smell of burning wood. His arm seized up, dropping the Master Sword. He started to reach over to clutch at the pain with his other hand only to stop at the sight of bright red flames. Something popped inside him, and he howled in agony, dropping to the ground in a desperate attempt to put out the fire.

He was vaguely aware of someone calling his name, but it was distant, and he could see nothing but hot white.

Someone grabbed his good arm and pulled at it, dragging him away just as a woosh and the explosion of fresh fire sounded somewhere nearby.

The pain wasn't going away, It was spreading. Worsening. He couldn't feel his arm anymore. He couldn't—

A sudden wave of cold blasted the left side of his body. The spreading pain stopped. He felt himself be dragged again, then propped up against the wall. Slowly, his vision returned, blurred, and he could just make out Skull Kid, throwing a shield — it had to be his shield because Skully still had his — to the side.

"Skully...?"

Navi darted into his field of vision just as Skully ran back toward the center of the room. But he couldn't see the fight, his vision partially obscured by a pot. "Link, stay still. Stay here. You're in bad shape."

Wearily, Link rolled his head to the side, looking down at his injury. She wasn't joking; from his shoulder down to his elbow, his bark had blackened, and even peeled away in spots, revealing the pale wood beneath. In a couple spots, resin oozed up, capturing wispy bits of smoke that tried to escape from deep inside of him. His mind wasn't working quite right at the moment, but he was conscious enough to understand the severity of the situation.

"Navi...?"

"I'm right here, Link."

"...I messed up."

"No, you didn't." Navi's voice was firm. He felt a tiny hand pat his face. "You've done everything right. You've been so brave..." And yet, he caught a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"I have to help them..." he mumbled, trying to rise to his feet.

"No, Link, you're badly hurt. Skull Kid and Nabooru can finish this fight." But he could still hear the uncertainty.

And yet, he'd never felt so certain of something in his life. He needed to help them. He had to try, despite his injuries. He couldn't run away.

A strange warmth spread through his injured arm, and he swore he felt his strength returning.

He stood, supporting himself against the wall with his good arm. Then pushed off, stumbling at first, then running back to where he'd fallen, scooping up the Master Sword in his good arm. He only took a second to consider how it felt, slightly off balance in his non-dominant hand, and a bit unwieldy given he was using just one hand. Then he pushed forward, running before focusing on a spot above the witch.

Wind swirled around him as he vanished, reappearing in the air. He spread his arms wide, falling... falling… and landing square on the woman's back. She pitched downwards, but he held on tight, despite the protests of his injured arm. Then, with one jagged movement, he reared back with the master sword and plunged it deep into Twinrova's back.

Twinrova sucked in a gasp, mouth open in a soundless scream. She looked back to Link, eyes wide as she tumbled to the ground. "No, it can't be," she coughed, barely audible even to Link. "All this time, you had the final piece?"

Unfortunately, Link hit the ground hard before he had time to process her statement. A heavy weight —the witch — fell on top of him.

"Hurry!" He sounded, struggling to pull himself free. "Finish it!"

Nabooru and Skull Kid shared one quick look, the former taking in a wheezing breath. Then they both darted forward. Skull Kid ran to Link, helping to pull him free. But Nabooru was focused on the immediate danger. With a war cry, she raced forward, leaping into the air.

Her spear hit its mark, burying itself deep into Twinrova's throat.

"That," Nabooru growled, grinding the spear deeper, "is for everything you did to me. For everything you did to our people."

There was a horrible gurgling sound as the giant witch struggled and thrashed, knocking Skull Kid off his feet by chance. Then, with one final jerk, she fell still before dissolving into ash, leaving the lifeless forms of Koume and Kotake in her place.

Silence fell for a long moment, uneasiness passing between the group.

"It... it's over, right?" Skull Kid asked.

Nabooru looked over the bodies, tension leaving her shoulders. "Yes. It's finally over."


A/N: As of a few days ago, the remaining chapters are completely finished and only need to be edited. I will be doing an afterword that will go up at the same time as the final chapter. If there are any questions you have about the fic you want answered, drop them in a comment and I'll try to answer them. Questions going in the afterword must be submitted by 06/25.