A/N: Agh, a little late. I blame finals and personal life stress. ANYWAY big chapter *waggles eyebrows* Enjoy!
NABOORU FIDDLED WITH the sentry flag above her head, eyes gazing at some unknown point in the distance. She had noticed a lingering distance growing between Ganondorf and herself, which was inevitable. He had started spending more time in his sorcery lessons with Kotake in the palace, rediscovering a keen interest in magic. It only meant that he spent less time at the Fortress, where his sword training took place. Nabooru was annoyed at her slight feeling of disappointment. She knew she shouldn't care where Ganondorf's feelings lay, especially considering his obviously careless treatment toward women. Still, every time she saw him whisk another pretty girl off her feet, to be taken to his bed that night, she felt a whole array of emotions, from sorrow to anger at herself. She found that training with her mother when the prince was in his magic lessons was a good way to channel these unwanted emotions.
But this morning, Rumalia had told her to meet by the Fortress entrance as opposed to their usual training grounds spot. Nabooru knew that at any moment, the prince could be riding by on his beloved horse, possibly for a day of sword training. She wanted to wait and see if he would indeed come and simultaneously leave before she could. Her mother's approach interrupted her thoughts.
"Are you ready?" said the swords master.
"What for?" Nabooru said.
"I've got something to show you," said Rumalia. "Well, several things. But it involves a small trip across the Desert."
Nabooru's heart leapt slightly. She knew where they were headed. Most Gerudo were not allowed to set foot inside, save for the guards themselves. And, of course, the Chief of Military. It was a part of the initiation ceremony, to venture deep within the underground halls. "The Arbiter's Grounds."
Rumalia smiled. "I'm sure he'll be pleased to meet you," she added in a whisper.
Nabooru's eyebrows rose. She looked at her mother incredulously. "You mean… the Arbiter?" she said. "He's real?"
"Very real," said Rumalia. "And I am sure that you're aware of how confidential this information is. Not even our future king may know." She looked gravely at the young warrior. "It is a secret honor passed down from Chief to Chief, and if the tradition is broken, the Arbiter will leave this realm and no one will be left to guard the Void between realms."
Nabooru took a deep breath. She watched as Gerudo sentries went about their business, unaware of the wondrous secrets being passed from Rumalia's lips.
"Do you accept this honor, Nabooru?" said Rumalia.
"Of course," said the Chief-in-training. "But I don't understand. I thought I was only allowed to set foot inside the Grounds when I was to become Chief."
Rumalia's face set slightly, an expression of concern on her face. "Things are changing, Nabooru," she said. "Things are being set in motion that would normally take years. This is an exception that must be made."
After a moment, Nabooru nodded. Her heart was pounding in excitement and apprehension. "Let's get going then."
During the trip across the sand, all thoughts of Ganondorf left Nabooru's mind. She skillfully guided her horse through the edges of the city and then across the Desert toward the distant building. The Grounds always seemed to be shrouded in a cloud of sand, just enough so that the entire building had a ghostly pall to it when looked at from the city. The sand got so thick in the air as they neared that the guards of the Grounds had to guide them the rest of the way. Nabooru wondered if they knew of the Arbiter's existence. It was somewhat of a frightening children's tale to get them to stay within the law. The Arbiter was a terrifying spirit from the realm of evil itself, and you would be at his mercy if you did not make your bed every morning. Nabooru never believed it based solely on the fact that he was depicted as a man. Even now, as the looming structure came into clearer view, she wondered if this was some sort of elaborate prank. But Rumalia's stern expression as they dismounted, leaving the guards to tend to their horses, told her otherwise.
Nabooru gazed up at the building before her. Leading up a tall set of steps was the prison itself, where the spirits of the damned were sentenced to death. It loomed over them like a dissatisfied mother, watching her child's every move.
"This will not be an easy task, mentally," Rumalia said suddenly. "People are left to die here, with no further thought."
"I'll be okay," said Nabooru. But her heart pounded and her palm grew damp.
They made their way up the steps, where two guards pulled at a pulley of chains until the massive stone doors opened. What could only be the smell of death seeped outside, and Nabooru scrunched her nose in distaste. Without further hesitation, mother and daughter stepped inside and the doors banged shut behind them.
The interior of the prison was dark and dank, lit only by a few large candles lining the walls. There were no cells like in the temporary prisons in the city; instead chains attached the walls themselves still held tightly to the decayed corpses of prisoners, as if the shackles had been fitted to the bone itself. There was a crumbling statue directly before them, and two staircases on either side leading to a higher floor of separate chambers. To their sides were also two staircases that led down into the depths of the prison.
"He is waiting for us," said Rumalia. "Come."
As the two descended into the Desert itself, Nabooru stayed close to her mother's side. "So why is this exactly…necessary?" she said quietly. "I mean, why reveal himself to a select few in the first place?"
"The Arbiter does not help us out of kind and selfless generosity," said Rumalia. "When the Gerudo first settled here, the Desert was filled with horrible and demonic spirits. They plagued our homes, our children, our dreams. We needed a place where we could banish them, without unleashing the realm of evil on our new home. We needed help, preferably from someone who knew her way about evil spirits." Rumalia paused, turning to face her daughter. "You must understand that we were desperate, and went to any means necessary to vanquish this evil."
Nabooru looked at her mother in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well who do you think would know evil in all of its ways?" Rumalia said. She continued walking again. "We needed help from evil itself."
Nabooru looked up at where they had arrived. Before them stood an incredibly massive mirror, from corner to corner of the wall. The light was rather dim, so the women could barely see themselves. But Nabooru felt a strange sense of dread as she saw her vague reflection. Disembodied voices fluttered throughout the chamber, whispering and giggling unintelligibly.
"Mirrors, Nabooru, are some of the most powerful sources of magic in this world," said Rumalia. "You could take the most well-mannered woman and have her look into this mirror, and see a cruel, heartless hag gazing back. Every source of good in this world has its mirrored opposite, and the only way to trap that opposite is in a mirrored world."
Rumalia paused, motioning for Nabooru to watch the mirror. Behind them stood a crumbling statue, similar to the one from the entrance hall. Suddenly, in the reflection, the statue began to move. Startled, Nabooru spun around to watch it. But to her surprise, it had remained lifeless.
"Watch," said Rumalia, turning her daughter to face the mirror again. In the reflection, the statue gradually mended itself, regaining the form of some kind of armored sentinel. The pieces of its body floated in midair as its stony eyes came to life, watching the women from within the mirror.
"Hello, Arbiter," said Rumalia with a joyless smile. Nabooru wanted to steal a look behind her, but she knew she wouldn't find anything.
The Arbiter's stone body cracked as he turned to look at Nabooru. When he finally spoke, nothing physical indicated it was indeed him. The voice was deep and ancient.
"You are frightened."
Nabooru swallowed, throat dry. She looked to her mother, who said nothing in reassurance. Nabooru cleared her throat. "You are frightening."
The Arbiter simply looked at her for a moment. "You are young."
"You are in a mirror."
Suddenly the voices swelled in giggles, and Nabooru hoped they reflected the Arbiter's emotions.
"And yet to me, you are the one in a mirror," said the reflected statue. "Rumalia, is it truly time for your retirement?"
"The day is approaching swiftly," said Rumalia. "Things are changing for the Gerudo. I hope this does not upset you, Arbiter."
The stone head, resembling that of a stern-faced warrior, turned to face Nabooru again. "You have many questions."
Nabooru's heart pounded. "I'm sorry?"
"Rumalia has not told you the full truth."
Rumalia stepped forward. "I did not want to overwhelm her."
"You are sentimental," said the Arbiter, but nothing revealed anger in his voice. "You are correct in saying that change is coming, and it will indeed affect the Gerudo. She should know the circumstances of her fated situation."
Nabooru clenched her fists. "Then tell me the full truth."
The Arbiter was silent for a moment, gazing at Nabooru with empty eyes. "You believe I am some terrible evil, do you not? You see me across a mirror and assume I am the ruler of an evil realm, controlling these spirits out of pity for your people. But tell me, what kind of evil spirit would display pity?"
Nabooru glanced at her mother, who looked a mixture of regretful and scared, if at least for her daughter.
"You are too young," she said quietly. "I never wanted this."
The Arbiter continued over her. "The Gerudo needed to enslave the spirits of the Desert in a realm of darkness. But the darkness would not accept them without a price, a sacrifice. The spirit of their king."
Nabooru gazed at the statue in shock. "What are you saying?"
"The Gerudo people, in order to banish the spirits they declared evil, sacrificed their king to the Void between realms," said the Arbiter. "But the darkness was a greedy house of tricksters, and with this sacrifice came a horrible curse. They unleashed unto the Gerudo the Curse of Kings."
"You were the king," said Nabooru in disbelief. "The curse that was cast by an evil witch…it was all our doing. We took over a land inhabited by spirits—"
"They were evil," said Rumalia. "They wouldn't coexist with our ancestors."
"That gives us no right to banish them," said Nabooru. "Let alone sentence our own king to an eternity of…"
"I protect this Desert from the spirits, eager to escape and wreak havoc on the Gerudo," said the Arbiter. "I guide the souls of those you condemn to the Void, for it is my duty to do as my people wish. But I am also aware that this truth is not an easy one. You have handled it well, and surely understand that if my existence is made known, there will only be pain."
Suddenly one of the statue's arms crumbled, falling to the ground. Nabooru jumped, brow furrowing, but Rumalia was the one to speak up. "What's happening?"
The Arbiter's voice came in some kind of double-tone, one normal and the other screaming in agony. "Change is coming… The darkness is screaming…"
Nabooru heard the millions of voices start chattering in hushed tones, filling the whole chamber with white noise.
The Arbiter continued, while sections of his stone body turned to dust. "Destiny returns to the land of Hyrule… The cycle continues… Darkness reawakens…"
"Arbiter!" Rumalia cried before the remaining pieces of statue disintegrated. The two women turned swiftly, only to find the once lifeless statue now a pile of dust.
"What happened?" Nabooru said, voice laden with fear.
"Something horrible is coming," said Rumalia, shaking uncontrollably as she gripped her daughter's arm. "The Arbiter is gone… We must get back to the city."
The two of them hurried outside of the prison, calling for the guards to ready their horses. On the ride across the Desert once more, Nabooru felt a large stone settle itself in her chest. She was breathing heavily, overcome with fear not only for her people, but for all of Hyrule.