The Waters of Nayru
Chapter 53: The Long Road Home
By, Frank Hunter

When Rigo and Link came stumbling down, out of the Gateway and back into the realm of Hyrule, they found that they now faced a united front. Hylian and Gerudo alike stood around the Gate, prepared, together, to attack the monster Tydus if he had showed his face and crossed back into the realm of Hyrule. A flash of pride crossed Rigo as he realized what Amili had accomplished here, and how well she must have done with them.

In a matter of moments, it seemed as though there were hands all over them, and the two were separated, pulled to their respective groups for medical care and rest. Amid waves of congratulations, relieved prayers, and questions, Rigo confirmed for his people that the enemy had been defeated, though he remained deliberately fuzzy on the details. He played off his vaguery as a result of his exhaustion so nobody pushed him too hard for details, at least not at first, and many stayed on guard at the Gate. But as the hours passed and Tydus did not come tirading through, the soldiers began to relax.

Much of that first day out was a blur to Rigo, as he and Link were both set down by the Pedestal of Time. This was the only part of the Temple that remained unsullied by the death and terror that had gone on there earlier that morning, so both factions chose to make camp there. Fires were lit, provisions were cooked, and soldiers rested in shifts, trading off to go work in the main chamber to arrange the funeral pyres for their fallen comrades. Rigo wished he could take part in the funeral arrangements as well, felt it was his obligation to help send off the soldiers who died here directly due to his failures with the Chalice, but found over and over again as he tried to get up that he was incapable even of walking, much less in taking care of the physical and emotional labor involved in sending the departed off into the world beyond.

He settled for picking up the cloven halves of the Chalice itself, claiming them for himself. Broken as they now were, he faced no opposition. There was only one other object of pressing need that needed to be recovered, and at some point Rigo managed to get a hold of Amili and explain to her that one of his Silver Gauntlets, which she remembered from their time in the Arbiter's Grounds, was out on the battlefield, laid to rest somewhere near the Gateway. She agreed to dispatch someone to find it, though Rigo gave specific, stern instructions that the Gauntlet was not to be worn, just returned. An hour later it was back in his possession, and he tucked it away with the Chalice for safe keeping.

At some point, while he lay there, Link made his way to his bedside. There was something in the Hero's eyes that Rigo had come to appreciate, a compassion that weathered the worst of all of these battles and challenges, and seemed to advertise the characteristics in him that made him the kind of man that Rigo wished he could be. He realized that Link had fought that final battle with Tydus to the last. If Rigo's plan hadn't worked, then Link would now be dead. He'd have lost that cosmic proxy struggle between Farore and Din for the very first time in history, and who knew what the consequences of such a defeat would have been on the world. But the passing threat of his demise had done nothing to scar or sully his demeanor, and Rigo could only shake his head. He knew that if he asked Link about any of this, all he would get would be a smile and a shrug. He knew he would say nothing, and just go on doing what it was that he did, which, in that moment, was to hold out his hand and to gift something to Rigo.

That something turned out to be an instrument, a long wooden flute hollowed from a stalk of bamboo. Rigo took it and examined it in his hand. The craftsmanship was simple, straightforward, but when Rigo tried blowing an experimental note through it, the tone came out crisp and beautiful. He tried to thank Link for the present, but Link just held out his hand and shook his head, as if to say "Don't be ridiculous."

They sat together for some time that afternoon while the Gerudo and Hylian soldiers came and went around them. Link pulled another instrument, a small, beautiful, blue ocarina out for himself, and began to play as well. He had a song that he seemed to want Rigo to pick up on, so they played a lot of "repeat after me" until Rigo got the basic melody of the song in place. Then the two were able to make music, swaying the notes within the framework of Link's melody to play a charming little number that caught the attention of the soldiers on their rest shifts nearby. They sat, listening and watching as though their minds were put at ease simply by the melody. Rigo soon noticed Amili sitting in the throng, listening to the music with a smile on her face, and making small talk with the people around her, people in both camps. He began to feel a little less than useless.

There was more to the music than just soothing notes, though. Rigo felt that there was some sort of magic in the air and found himself wishing, not for the last time, that he had Nabooru to describe to him the true nature of the spell he and Link were casting. But she was gone now, and it was with a tear that Rigo accepted the fact that he would need to begin learning, teaching, and solving problems on his own. The training wheels were gone, and it would be ingenuous to live his life wishing for them to come back.

/\/\/\/\/\

Rigo's theory about the music was validated the following day.

The funeral had commenced that night, and the soldiers had seen their fallen brethren off in a bonfire that would have been visible even to the goddesses. When all was said and done, and a restless night of sleep was put behind them, talk turned to the return trek through the Lost Woods, which no one on either side seemed eager to begin. With the adrenaline of the battle long gone and the necessary formalities over with, tensions began to feel palpable between the camps once more. Neither side wanted to listen to the suggestions of the other, nor did they trust the other to see everyone safely out of the forest. Truthfully, none trusted themselves, and the fear led to the need for scapegoats.

While Amili tried, with Rigo's help, to maintain order and leadership even amongst the Hylians, a young sergeant in the Hylian ranks by the name of Denton had had his fill. He assumed active command over the remainder of Tydus's unit, and was attempting to put a strong face on their army, and treated conversations with the Gerudo as though they were negotiations. His primary efforts (Rigo suspected they were intended as a means of boosting morale) were to establish the terms of the Gerudos' surrender prior to the incident with the Waters. Amili and Rigo humored him as much as they were able, but in truth, the Gerudo had, even up until Tydus's transformation, been planning to fight to the bitter end, and they had no intention of conceding any authority to Denton or the Royal Family.

It was around the time Rigo was becoming fed up with this insolent little jackass that he first noticed Link had pulled out his ocarina again and was playing another melody on it. This was different from the one he had taught Rigo. It was simple, and had a quick, thrumming pace to it that brought Rigo's mind to rolling green fields and wide, open spaces. It was a welcome distraction in the claustrophobic and increasingly hostile atmosphere within the Temple.

Within minutes, almost everyone had stopped what they were doing and noticed the music, feeling the sensation of it filling them up and surrounding them with a new, boundless energy. That was the moment it happened.

A wind kicked up around the group. It wasn't a cyclone gale, just a breeze, but one that distinctly contained and encircled the campsite, its epicenter in the middle of the room at the Pedestal of Time. As Rigo happened to glance over at it, he noticed something he hadn't expected. The Master Sword was back in place, returned to the Pedestal, meaning that the door to the Sacred Realm was now closed and sealed. Link must have returned it during the arguments with Denton, and it came as something of a relief, as though he had turned the final page in some ethereal book on the trials he'd faced here. With the Chalice destroyed, Tydus gone, and now the very door to the Fountain's location resealed, any further bickering was trivial and pointless. There was nothing to fight over anymore.

As that realization settled over Rigo, the breeze picked up, forcing him to squint and then close his eyes against the shifting winds and flying dust that had been kicked into the air. He stood there for what was probably no more than a few seconds, though it was disorienting to say the least. But when he opened his eyes again, the scenery around him had changed. The Temple was gone. The forest as a whole was gone. All of the survivors found themselves standing on the green plains of Hyrule Field. Before them, like a beacon of victory, soared the castle's keep, and the town that Rigo knew many of these Hylian soldiers called home. Some of them openly wept. Others sent up prayers to the goddesses. Still others ran to Link, offering him enormous, powerful embraces in a shameless display of gratitude and excitement.

Only the Gerudo remained still and silent, though Rigo could still detect relief in their eyes and their posture. He knew that home for them was still far off, and there was still much to do before they got there. But at least they didn't need to undergo the nightmare of the Lost Woods, and the laughing eyes of that sinister Skull Kid.

Rigo caught Link's eye in a moment when the crowd had parted. He took the opportunity to hold his new flute up and raise an inquisitive eyebrow, asking without asking about whether or not this instrument was capable of the same feats of magical prowess as the ocarina. Link gave him one, solid nod. Rigo tucked the flute back away without a word. This was something worth looking into. Worth learning. He could scarcely imagine the benefits this could mean for his people in the long term.

/\/\/\/\/\

It was when the Gerudo began orienting themselves and making plans to move back in the direction of the desert that Sgt. Denton again felt the need to speak up. His very voice made Rigo cringe, and it took every bit of restraint he had not to throw a punch straight into the man's over-zealous face.

"Hold on. None of you are going anywhere," Denton said. "Under Royal decree, all surviving Gerudo will be taken to the Stockade in Castle Town to await trial for war crimes committed against the people of Hyrule. You're coming with us."

The Gerudo said nothing against him, which spoke to the discipline drilled into them through years of rigorous mental training. But none of them made an effort to give themselves over either. Their inaction began to visibly make the Hylians nervous, and subtle shifting began into the respective lines that would hold for the beginning of some new engagement. Denton seemed to notice the tension he was creating, but he either would not stand down, or did not honestly believe he could.

Rigo stepped before both armies to meet Denton, towering a foot over the other man in the definitive image of superiority. He knew he could be physically intimidating from the time he'd already spent in the Stockade, and he could see it in Denton now as the reality of another battle loomed near.

"Under whose decree are you threatening these people?" Rigo asked, keeping his tone level.

"The Royal Family of Hyrule, I said," answered Denton. "You know that. The Royal Family is in supreme authority here." To his credit he didn't quite stutter, but Rigo thought he saw trembling beneath the armor.

"Selen!" shouted out a voice from behind Rigo, loudly and abruptly. It was Amili's voice.

"Yes, Stewardess!" shouted one of the soldiers in the Gerudo line.

"Do you swear fealty to the Hyrule Royal Family?" Amili asked.

"No, Stewardess!" answered Selen.

"Who is your sovereign?" Amili demanded.

"I serve the King of Gerudo, Stewardess! My life for Rigo!"

Amili nodded. "Tinet!" she shouted next.

"Stewardess!" came the next voice down the line.

"Whom do you serve?"

"My life for King Rigo, Stewardess!"

"And you?" Amili asked, moving down the line. One by one, each surviving member of the Gerudo army disregarded the decree of the Hyrule Royal Family and, each louder than the last, pledged their loyalty to Rigo. The show of power bolstered him, made him stand even straighter, made him feel as though no army or enemy could defeat him. But nothing prepared him for what happened at the end of the line. When the final affirmation was done, Amili stepped up beside him and looked Denton square in the eye. Her golden mask was long gone, but she was still impressive in her own right, and she was the figure the Hylians knew to be the Gerudo leader. She stared daggers at Denton from beside Rigo's shoulder as she lifted her chin and spoke her own piece.

"I am Amili Tinelle, Stewardess of the Gerudo throne. As of this moment, I hereby abdicate all claim to that throne in deference to our rightful King and ruler." She put her hand on Rigo's shoulder, and he thought he might vibrate out of his very boots when she did.

"My life for King Rigo," Amili uttered.

Denton had no idea what to make of this. Whatever Tydus had told these men about their mission or their prisoner, he had obviously made no mention of Rigo being a monarch. He likely, even to the end, never truly believed it. But now, the Hylians saw it in the eyes of every Gerudo who openly challenged them and it shook them. Until only yesterday, they had been following a man in open rebellion against the Royal Family. And Denton? He was a nobody. The Hylians followed him for lack of anyone better. They were not prepared for an act of open war now, again, leaderless and facing the monarch of a sovereign nation whose people would fight for him unquestioningly, and who had killed their commander. Their resolve began to crack.

"Form up!" Denton called back to them as chatter and disorganization began to spread through the squad. But it made no difference. He did not have control. But Link stepped up and put his own hand on Denton's shoulder, startling the Sergeant, but giving him a look that told him he needed to relax. To let this one go. Link was no military leader, but he knew the right thing to do here, the best way out. In the end, Denton reluctantly deferred to his influence.

"I can't just go back empty-handed," he said to Link, defeat in his tone. He turned back to Rigo. "No Chalice? No prisoners? We need to bring back something to prove we're not just deserters."

"You'll have something," Rigo said. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for the repercussions of his next sentence.

"I am still a prisoner of the nation of Hyrule. I'll be coming back to Hyrule Castle with you." He could hear the surprised murmurs of the Gerudo behind him, and felt more than saw the glare of shock Amili gave from his side.

"You?" Denton confirmed, flabbergasted. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Rigo said, "but on two conditions. First, that my people be permitted to leave for the desert immediately without fear of pursuit or attack. And second, that I be granted an immediate audience with Queen Zelda to discuss the terms of my release."

Denton shook his head. "I…can't promise to get you in front of the Queen. I mean, if she'll see you…"

"She'll see me," Rigo said. He was confident she would.

Denton looked back over at Link who nodded slowly, and resigned to the final decision that, in actuality, he had no say in. "Fine. Fine. Let's get ready to move out."

As the Hylians, relieved, began preparations for their short trek to Castle Town, Rigo turned to Amili. He felt awash in guilt but still stood tall. It wouldn't befit him anymore to be unsure.

"You remember?" he asked her. "I told you we had a lot to talk about."

She shook her head and gave him a sorrowful stare. "You should have told me about this."

"There's still a lot I haven't told you. We'll get a chance."

"I…" Amili stumbled. "I said some horrible things to you, Rigo. I called you a traitor, I…"

"It doesn't matter," Rigo said. "None of it matters. You didn't know. But now you do. And you have to understand that I can't leave without clearing this up. If I can just meet with her one more time, if I can leave on good terms, then maybe all this can change. Maybe after two centuries, the Hylians and Gerudo can finally be at peace. I have to try."

"And what if they won't let you go? We can't just keep waiting for you, Rigo. Not after all this."

"She'll let me go. I know she will." He smiled at her. "Of course, if she doesn't, you'll come storm the keep and get me, right?"

Amili lost control over a little chuckle that swam its way out through a short stream of tears.

"Trust me," Rigo said to her in what felt like the thousandth time, as he put a hand on her cheek. And for the first time, she answered him kindly. "Okay."

/\/\/\/\/\

Amili agreed to wait in Gerudo Valley for three days while Rigo tried to sort things out. As it turned out, she wouldn't need to be there that long. When the Hylian troops returned to Castle Town, Rigo marched with them, right alongside Link. There was no concealing him from sight now, and he people had no idea what to make of him, though their fears were held at bay by the presence of the Hero. When they reached the Castle, Link took Rigo into "custody" with Denton's permission, indicating that he would be able to see their way into an audience with Zelda. They parted ways then, with no real love lost.

Link was easily able to navigate the maze of corridors and doors that made up the interior of Hyrule Castle, though Rigo was already lost by the time they'd hit their first flight of stairs. He thought they walked past the wing where he'd stayed on his previous visit, but couldn't even be sure of that. When it felt like they'd been walking and climbing forever, they finally made their way into an audience chamber, with a large, long table set right in the center. At one side of the table, Rigo recognized the old, weathered form of Zelda, dressed in her ornate robes, with a pair of bodyguards set behind her. When she saw the door open and who had come in, she jerked to her feet. Rigo thought he noticed her tucking something back down into the collarline of her dress. Her necklace, perhaps? He wasn't sure. Nor did he really care. There was only one order of business he had with her.

He sat across from her on her end of the table, while Link excused himself elsewhere, needing, apparently, to run some other errand of high importance before the day was out. The necessary formalities were exchanged and food was brought to the table, which Rigo knew politeness called for him to ignore, but found that his stomach disagreed with the niceties of etiquette. He dined on bread and roasted turkey before getting to the core of his discussion with the Queen.

"So Tydus intended for a coup?" Zelda asked, after Rigo had given her the short version of his story.

"That's what it seemed like," Rigo affirmed. "He was making a lot of noise about wanting to become a king. About 'cleansing the land.' I think that's what he intended."

"That is disturbing news," Zelda conceded.

"It shouldn't matter. He's finished now," Rigo said, hoping to console her.

"You killed him, then? You're sure?"

Rigo grimaced. "Well, not exactly. He's sealed away."

Zelda raised an eyebrow at him, looking for confirmation, which Rigo didn't know how to give. He didn't want to get into the whole bit about the spiritual possession and transfer of Nabooru into Tydus's mind, but didn't know how to reassure her without doing so.

"It's similar to how the Sages handled Ganondorf," he confided. "Tydus won't be coming back."

"Ganondorf did come back," Zelda pointed out, looking weary.

"I'm more confident that this incarceration will be permanent. But listen, if he ever does show his face again, you send for me. Tydus is partly my responsibility, and I'd love nothing more than to stomp him one more time."

Zelda half-smiled at Rigo's irreverent colloquialism but didn't look particularly enthused. So Rigo went on.

"Besides, locking him up was just a bonus for you. A freebie. Killing him wasn't part of our deal."

"No," Zelda answered. "You are right. Our arrangement was for the Chalice."

With that, Rigo tucked his hand into the folds of his cloak and pulled out the two twisted and ruined pieces of the silver cup, placing them delicately on the table before him. Zelda looked down at them and ran a hand over one of the broken pieces, her fingers gingerly tracing the outline of the shattered sapphires that had once been the Chalice's inset.

"You were supposed to bring it in one piece," Zelda told him.

"You never specified that," said Rigo. "Besides, breaking it was Link's idea."

Zelda smiled again. "Well, I suppose it would be wise to defer to his judgment, wouldn't it?"

The Queen's response was so non-committal that it triggered a flush of irritation in Rigo. This was, after all, his freedom they were discussing here, and yet she was just sitting with waning interest, sagging shoulders, and droopy eyes. She was behaving so differently than she had mere days earlier when they'd talked last.

"Is everything alright?" he asked her. "I mean, you seem like you have something else on your mind."

"Rigo, I think you will learn quickly that, when it is your duty to safeguard an entire nation and its citizens, you always have many things on your mind."

"You're dodging the question."

Zelda steepled her fingers before her, pensive as she sat. Deciding, Rigo expected, how much she wanted to share with him.

"I apologize," she said softly, without looking at him.

"What for?" asked Rigo.

"For being brusque with you. I'm sorry. I know you're concerned with your future, Rigo. And you deserve to know that I believe you are telling me the truth. I believe what you've told me about Colonel Tydus, and I believe that destroying the Chalice of Nayru was your only option." Her eyes closed slowly, and when they opened again she was looking into his eyes. "I believe that despite our failure to prevent the loss of hundreds of our respective peoples, it is predominantly thanks to your actions that we have protected thousands more innocents. I don't expect your Gerudo were operating under selfless motivations, but now that all is said and done, I find myself in their debt for sacrificing so many lives to stop that man." She sighed. "He should never have been there in the first place."

"Uhm, thank you?"

"I will of course go through the necessary channels to secure your release from the Stockade, but at this point that is just a formality. You are free to leave Castle Town whenever you'd like. The guards will not stop you."

It was like a weight was released from Rigo's shoulders. But not entirely. Something was still wrong here, something he couldn't put his finger on. For the moment, the issue of his release didn't concern him.

"You still didn't answer me," he told her.

"You're very persistent," Zelda said.

"That's a nice word for it. Most tell me I'm stubborn."

The Queen smiled. "What you've said about the Colonel's ambitions is deeply troubling to me," she began. "This is not the first time I've heard whispers of an uprising in Hyrule. It is, in fact, not the first time today I have heard such whispers."

Rigo studied her face, working to understand the scope of her problem. "What do you mean? There are others interested in coming after the throne?"

"If what I've been hearing is true, there is a movement that exists in Castle Town's darkest corners. A group of individuals who call themselves revolutionaries but behave like terrorists. I had assumed they were nothing more than a crew of miscreants." She paused, seeming to taste the next words before selecting them. "But Colonel Tydus's effort to capture the Fountain of Nayru is in line with many actions this group has attempted in the past. It is possible that the Colonel was acting in accordance with their interests. And if such a high-ranking officer could be involved with this group, there is no limit to how far their reach could extend.

"I also can't ignore the fact that, due to his overbearing obsession with your people, much of Hyrule's capable military has been devastated in a single battle. The timing of this is too much of a coincidence to ignore."

"You're thinking that we were just used as a diversion?" Rigo asked.

"If Tydus were in league with these revolutionaries when he persuaded me to move against the Gerudo, then yes, I believe that we were only played off of one another for the benefit of some darker scheme."

Rigo thought on this for a moment, and his heart sunk. "So what do we do about this?"

"We?" Zelda looked up, amused. "I've burdened you too much with my own problems. This is not your concern, Rigo. Though I'd very much appreciate your discretion."

"Of course."

"You have your own responsibilities to catch up with, and your own nation to run. I am more than capable of managing this for the time being. Though, if we were to find ourselves in a corner and in need of some minor support…"

Her inflection went up at the end of the sentence, and it took Rigo a moment to grasp what she was asking him. That she wanted to open diplomatic channels between their peoples.

"Oh! Yes, by all means, you should reach out to the Gerudo if you find yourself requiring an ally. I owe you for everything, Your Highness. I wouldn't be where I am now without your support. I won't forget that. I don't know what my people could be prepared to do for you in the short term, but I will supply whatever aid I can if you find yourself wanting."

"I am very pleased to hear that, Rigo," Zelda answered, and that time, the smile was genuine.

/\/\/\/\/\

Their talk concluded, Rigo tried to put thoughts of revolution and rebellion out of his mind. He'd had enough of that for the moment, and he deserved the rest that would soon be his.

He tried to find Link one final time before leaving Hyrule Castle, but the Hero was now nowhere to be found. He had vanished effectively, and left no trace. None of the guards had seen him or knew where he was. And all Rigo could do was shake his head. Some things were just a course of nature, and Rigo knew what he should have expected from the legends he'd read. Link was gone, and that was that. And though he'd only broken into RIgo's battle for a short time, Rigo expected that he'd earned his rest as well. He wished him well. Though he also wished he'd gotten the time to learn exactly how his new flute could be used to perform such magic as he'd seen, but he guessed that was a problem that would keep him occupied for time to come.

The walk back across Hyrule Field was solitary, but not lonely. For the first time, Rigo got the opportunity to calmly and casually take in the breathtaking scenery of this beautiful country. He loved the feel of Hyrule. The grass beneath his feet, the wind in his hair. The fresh smell of wildflowers growing everywhere around him. The butterflies and bees that moved between them in an endless display of delicate and perfectly balanced life that could never exist in his harsh desert home. It was all so very different, but now that he was no longer a prisoner, nor fleeing for his life at top speed, he found himself wishing that he could stay.

A ladder was left for him on the cliff overlooking Lake Hylia, and he made use of it to climb back into the more familiar sun and sand that were his people's lifeblood. When he reached Gerudo Valley at sundown, Amili and her army greeted him warmly and enthusiastically. He held his head high and played the part of King for them as long as he was able, until weariness washed over him and he felt the need to retire for the night, to rest in preparation for the long road home.

He asked to be shown to his quarters, and was pleasantly surprised when Amili was the one who reached out and took his hand, leading him away from the others and down a corridor lit only by dim torches.

The room she led him to was her own, and when the door was closed and barred against the outside world, her lips found his as easily as they had before, in another life. They kissed, losing all sense of self and time, folding into one another and becoming each other's world in the way they both had known they'd wanted to for five long years.

When Rigo fell asleep, it was with Amili's head on his shoulder. He held her as he did those nights in the desert oasis, when they hadn't a care in the world but for each other, and for one sweet moment he managed to recapture that sensation, and he thanked every deity whose name he knew that he should have the opportunity to be back here, to be who he was, and to have fallen in love with such a strong woman.

The next morning the sun dawned on a new day in the valley, and when it did, Rigo was prepared. Prepared to give himself to Amili. Prepared to give himself to the Gerudo. Prepared to live his life for the lives that now fell into his care. For that was what it meant to now be King.

THE END

Author's Note:

Finally, my loyal readers, we have come to the end of Rigo's quest for the Waters of Nayru. I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I know I have. Over the course of my writing, this work developed a fascinating habit of evolving in my hands as I went. The characters began pulling in all sorts of directions, and many of the plot twists that you all raved about in the comments were just as surprising to me as they were to you. I am so elated that Rigo managed to bring his story to such a happy and satisfying end. But I also know that really, we're just beginning.

There are still many unanswered questions rampant throughout Hyrule that need answers. Who is this group of Hylian revolutionaries that's got Queen Zelda so spooked? What is the mysterious errand that's called Nabooru so deep into the Sacred Realm? And what did Rigo's promise to Gor Gurdy really mean?

I guess what I'm saying is this: If you enjoyed The Waters of Nayru, make sure to subscribe to my author page, because there's definitely more coming. A sequel is already in the works, and it won't be long before Rigo is back in action. I just hope you'll all be ready when he gets there!

Until then, happy reading everyone!

-Frank-