The Waters of Nayru
Chapter 13: Spiritual Enlightenment
By, Frank Hunter

You can't be Nabooru, Rigo thought from the recesses of his mind.

"No, I assure you, I can," she said. "Kind of my factory standard, really."

What do you want?

"Like I said before, kid. I wanna get outta here. You have any idea how long it's been since bony over there stumbled in here and got laid to rest?" She thumbed over to the corpse with the Hylian armor on it. "Way too long."

You…took control of him? Like with me?

"Nah, he was a little brighter than you," Nabooru said. She slunk down the wall and Rigo's body slid into a sitting position beside Amili. "He didn't want to give control over to a spirit. I'd say it was a fairly good call, except for the getting dead part. I might have been able to stop that." She shrugged. "Soldiers, huh?"

So, how…

"The gloves you were so excited to snag from him." She held Rigo's hands up so he could look at his new acquisition. "Silver gauntlets. They really are nice, huh?"

You can take control of gloves too?

"It's called binding when I do it with an object, but yes. Drawback is that my spirit's then stuck in that object until some other bozo comes along and purposely gives me another option." She smirked again. "Starting to get the idea?"

Rigo thought he did, and his heart would have sunk if he'd had control over it. So when I gave you permission, you jumped over to me.

"Bingo. Now I've got a choice. You, or the mittens. Which would you pick?"

Rigo slammed his metaphysical head against a metaphysical wall. Now that he was no longer in imminent danger, he could see why this had been such a stupid decision. But you said you were gonna give it back.

"And I will," she assured him. "As soon as I'm sure we're not getting stuck in here for another century. Which brings me to my question. What the hell are you doing here?"

Can't we talk about this later? Do we need to do it right now? Right here?

"Only if you wanna get moving anytime soon. And believe me, I can wait. If we starve, it'll just be your funeral."

Rigo sighed. As was the late motif of his life, he really didn't see any way out of this, so he took his time and told her his story. Nabooru listened while Rigo described the state of the Gerudo tribe he'd come from, how they'd been forced across the desert, the contention he had with her successor, Sooru, and the journey he'd taken to try and improve his image in the eyes of his people. She ingested it all, not speaking until he was done.

"Wow," she said. "Gerudo haven't had much of a break since Ganondorf, huh?"

I guess not.

"I sympathize. I tried to help out the tribe too, once upon a time. Back when he first took power."

You? Rigo asked, incredulous. No you didn't. You have a reputation, a really bad one, you know?

She smirked again. "Do I?"

Yeah. When Ganondorf was out taking on Hyrule, you were here in the temple, running all kinds of sick brainwashing experiments and stuff. Most of the scariest stuff the Hylians blame him for was really supposed to be you. Then you switched sides, became the Sage of Spirit, and helped the Hylians kill him. You're a sorceress and a traitor.

"That's what they say about me, is it?"

I read it in my history books.

"Sheesh, you're young," Nabooru said.

Rigo didn't know how to answer that. He settled on, Am not.

"You should listen to what I'm about to tell you, kid. It's important. A life lesson, really. You got your ears open?"

Only if you've opened them, Rigo grumbled.

Nabooru actually laughed. It wasn't insulting, either, just genuinely humorous. Rigo didn't mind.

"Fair enough, here goes. The people with the pens aren't always the ones with the experience."

Is that so?

"Yeah. There were only four of us actually in the temple back then. And only two of us survived. Me and Link, we're the only ones who really knew what happened here."

The Hero of Time? Rigo asked.

"The same. Whatever anyone else says is utter hogwash."

Do you wanna tell me what actually happened then?

"I thought you were the one who wanted to get moving before someone died of starvation."

Rigo considered for a moment. He guessed there would be time for exposition later. But there was one point he needed to hammer home. I'm not leaving here without the treasure.

"I kind of figured. Sounds like you need it. I do feel a pressing urge to remind you how stupid it is to stay here, though. Not that I think you've forgotten."

No, he thought. But I need the treasure anyway.

"I should also remind you that I could walk you out of here myself if I wanted to, right now," Nabooru pointed out.

Are you gonna do that?

Nabooru seemed to think on it. "No, I suppose not."

Despite her earlier promise, the answer still surprised Rigo. Why not?

"I also have a vested interest in the future of the Gerudo, kid. If helping you secure power helps bring the tribe to peace, then maybe it's my duty to do it. I'll help you. But, I've got a condition. I'll need you to help me out too, when the time is right."

Help you do what? Rigo asked skeptically.

"I'm not gonna tell you and spoil the surprise."

I've already given you one blank check today, and I lost my body because of it. Do you think I'm stupid?

"Very," Nabooru chirped. She began lightly rapping the knuckles of one hand against the side of Rigo's head. "If you're not stupid, then why are you hitting yourself?" she teased. Her amusement was infuriating and it was all Rigo could do not to scream and throw a mental tantrum.

"None of that matters, though," Nabooru went on. "You still don't really have a choice. I've got all the bargaining chips here. You agree to help me at a time of my choosing, or you can go ahead and get comfy cozy right back where you are."

Tell me! Rigo demanded.

"No," said Nabooru.

Ugh! Rigo exclaimed, frustrated with his position. Frustrated with the constant state of helplessness.

Fine! Fine. If you swear to help me get back to the Gerudo and become the rightful king, I promise to help you with…whatever it is you want me to help with.

Nabooru's cocky smirk grew into a full cheek-to-cheek grin. "I so swear," she said. The words seemed to echo through the chamber more deeply than anything else she'd said during their encounter.

Can I have my body back now?

"Yes. But, I should point out that if we're going deeper into this deathtrap, it might be safer for all of us if you let me hold onto control. I'm better at this than you."

No! Rigo shouted at her.

Nabooru pouted and slumped. "Alright, fine. You're needy."

The coldness over RIgo's body began to tingle again, and he felt his limbs emerge, fingers and toes first, before warmth returned across his chest and up his neck. Before long, he could move again, and he let out a breath of relief. He was him again.

"Are you still there?" he asked no one.

Where else would I be? came the voice in his head.

"Good," Rigo said. He thought for a moment, and then said, "I have one more question."

Just one? Nabooru asked. He ignored her.

"If this place is hundreds of years old, and the Hylians gave it this whole makeover they gave it, how is it that there still is a treasure? Why has no one found it before now?"

None of the intruders had the key, kid. They could do what they wanted to the temple, but the vault would've stayed secure for a millennium.

Rigo got to his knees, rubbed his head, and leaned over Amili. She was still breathing, seemed to be alright. "But I don't have a key either. I only brought food and weapons."

Are you certain you have the mental capacity to be king? I'm not so sure, Nabooru said. The key's not something you brought, it's something you took. The silver gauntlets, you blockhead. They've always been the key to this temple.

It must have been why the Hylian soldier had come here. "Is that why you bound to them?" Rigo asked.

You don't think I would have just stranded myself inside a useless pair of pretty gloves, do you?

"Uh huh…"

Listen, if you're gonna wake up Sleeping Beauty over there, it might be best if you keep mum about me. Might be tough for her to put her trust into a voice she can't hear, you know?

"You might be right about that," Rigo said.

I am. And another thing. I'm in your head now, kid…what's your name, anyway?

"Rigo."

Rigo. If you direct your thoughts at me like you did before, focus them, I'll be able to hear them.

Rigo closed his eyes and thought intently. Like this?

Exactly, said Nabooru. That way your girlfriend doesn't need to listen to you talking to your invisible pal.

Rigo opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again without. Girlfriend? He hadn't yet called her that, but he guessed…yeah, that's what she was. That was nice.

He picked Amili's head up and cradled it in his lap, stroking her cheek. "Amili," he said softly, as he shook her gently. "Amili, wake up. Come on."

He sat with her until she did.