The next morning Link and Rauru were to embark on a long journey from Gerudo town to Hyrule Castle. Riju had been hesitant in allowing this, but when Link explained why he wanted to take Rauru to Hyrule castle, she to believed this could be good for him. Link felt that if Rauru met and interacted with other boys his age, it might make him feel less isolated. They were also hoping the people in central Hyrule would be more accepting of Rauru. Zelda informed them, that Hylians had expressed similar fear to the birth of another male Gerudo, but she felt it wasn't as extreme. This was a statement Rauru agreed with. It wasn't uncommon for Hylian women to visit Gerudo town. Rauru had met many throughout his life and while they did seem a little weary in his presence, they didn't seem as afraid.
Link and Riju believed the reason the Gerudo had great fear over the birth of another male was due to the stain Ganondorf had left on their culture and they feared Rauru would do the same. While many Hylians also feared the birth of another male Gerudo, they were hoping they'd be a bit more open minded to Rauru as an individual. They were also hoping Hylians would be more willing to accept Rauru, as he was the son of the hero of legend and Queen Zelda was a close family friend. Link had contacted Zelda via his Purah Pad, asking if it was ok for himself and Rauru to come to Hyrule Castle. Zelda told Link that he and his family were always welcome. Zelda had even offered to let them stay in Hyrule Castle during the visit.
To Rauru's surprise, they weren't simply going to teleport to Hyrule Castle using the Purah Pad. Link kept a horse at the Gerudo Canyon Stable. They were to walk to the stable from Gerudo Town. After which Link would attach a carriage to his horse and they would ride the rest of the way. This was to allow Rauru to see more of Hyrule, as he had never left the Gerudo Desert. Link also wanted to use this time to bond with his son and hopefully learn why Rauru's attitude had changed so greatly over the last few months. Furthermore, there was a strong likelihood they would run into travellers needing help, which would allow Link to teach Rauru that there was more to being a warrior then just being a great fighter.
They were currently standing at the entrance of Gerudo town, with Riju and Buliara there to see them off.
"You sure you're ok with this," asked Link.
"Yes, like I said, I also think it would be good for Rauru to meet some other voe's his age," stated Riju. "This'll also give him a chance to see the world outside Gerudo Desert. You'll look after him, right?"
Link nodded.
Rauru however, wasn't ready to leave yet. He felt bad about what he'd said to his mother the night before and didn't want to leave with her thinking he hated her. He said those words during a moment of anger and frustration, and he didn't really mean it.
"Mum, about last night…" Rauru was having trouble finding the right words.
"We'll talk about it when you get back," interrupted Riju. "Just promise me you'll stay safe and listen to your father."
"I promise," said Rauru.
He stepped forward and awkwardly gave his mother a hug. Riju returned the hug, happy that her son didn't seem to hate her, as she'd originally thought.
Rauru let go of his mother and turned to Buliara.
"Buliara this might be inappropriate but…" Rauru trailed off as he gave Buliara a hug.
"It's not inappropriate at all Master Rauru," said Buliara returning the hug. "I've known you since the day you were born, and I swore to protect you as if you were my own child. Have a good trip. I think you'll enjoy Hyrule Castle."
"I hope so," joked Rauru.
With that Link and Rauru set of towards the Gerudo Canyon Stable. Riju and Buliara stayed as they watched Link and Rauru become specks on the horizon.
"You think they'll be alright?" asked Buliara.
Riju smiled and nodded. "With Link by his side, Rauru's as safe as can be,"
Link and Rauru slowly made their way through the sands of the Gerudo Dessert. As a Gerudo himself, Rauru was able to walk through the sand quicker then Link and had to be reminded to wait. They made a short stop at Kara Kara Bazaar. This wasn't to stock up on supplies, as Link had made sure to pack everything they'd need for the journey ahead. They stopped so Rauru could run his hand through the small body of water at the centre of town. He didn't hop in however as he didn't know how to swim. Having spent his whole life in the desert, bodies of water were not something Rauru saw regularly. His visits to Kara Kara Bazaar were the only times he ever saw them.
"There are bodies of water much bigger than this," stated Link.
"Really?" asked Rauru.
"Yep, in fact we might even pass a few on our way to Hyrule Castle," stated Link.
"How are they made?" asked Rauru.
Link laughed a little.
"I forgot, you've still never seen rain."
Rauru had heard about rain. It was when small droplets of water fell from the sky, but he'd never seen it before.
"Let's just say that when it rains, large holes in the ground fill up with water creating bodies of water like the one in front of you!" explained Link.
"You think I'll get to see rain on this trip?" asked Rauru.
"Sadly, I can't answer that truthfully, as whether can be unpredictable," answered Link. "Anyway, we better get going, we've got a long way to go."
Rauru stood up and they continued. Just as they were leaving Kara Kara Bazaar, Rauru stopped again.
"Something wrong?" asked Link.
"I think this might be the closest I've ever come to leaving the desert," answered Rauru. "I have no idea what's out there."
Link smiled and put a hand on his son's shoulder.
"I know the outside world can seem a little scary, but just stay by my side and you'll be fine, I promise," Link reassured.
They left the desert and made their way to Gerudo Canyon. Once they reached the stable, Link requested his horse from the man at the front desk, and tied the horse to a small carriage that could seat the two of them. They each took a seat with Link at the reins, and they continued their journey. Upon leaving Gerudo Canyon, Rauru spent the rest of the day admiring the landscape around them. He'd heard the rest of Hyrule was different from Gerudo Desert, but he didn't think it would be this different.
"Pretty cool, isn't it?" asked Link.
"Yeah, I never knew the world could be so green," stated Rauru, looking at the trees and the grass.
"Well, if you think this is cool, you should see Rito Village, Zora's Domain and Goron City. They're all so different, but they're all equally amazing," stated Link.
"You've been all over Hyrule right Dad?" asked Rauru.
"More or less. There's probably not a place in Hyrule I haven't visited," answered Link.
"Do you think I could visit all of Hyrule one day?" asked Rauru.
"Maybe, but I'd recommend doing it sooner rather than later," said Link. "When you take over as Chief from your mother, you'll be so busy you'll barely leave Gerudo Town."
Hearing his mother mentioned made Rauru remember the horrible things he'd said to her the night before.
"Dad, about last night…" Rauru didn't get the chance to finish.
"It really upsets me when you talk to your mother that way," interrupted Link giving Rauru a stern look. "She doesn't deserve that."
"I know and I'm sorry. I just don't understand why Mum's afraid of me. I thought she of all people would believe I'm not gonna grow up to be like Ganondorf," stated Rauru.
"Rauru, your mother isn't afraid of you," said Link.
"Dad, don't lie to me. I know no one's openly said it, but I've always been able to see that the Gerudo are afraid of me. And I can feel the same fear coming from Mum whenever we're alone," argued Rauru. "In all of Gerudo town the only people who aren't afraid of me are you and Buliara."
"Rauru, it's not you your mother's afraid of. She's afraid of her abilities as a parent," stated Link.
Rauru looked at his father with shock.
"She's afraid of her abilities as a mother?" asked Rauru.
"Yes. She doesn't express it to anyone but me, but nearly every night she asks me if she's a good mother and if she's raising you right!" explained Link.
"Why would she be afraid of that?" asked Rauru. "She's the most confident person I know."
"Normally yes, but I think you need to stop and look at it from her perspective," stated Link. "She never thought she would have a son. She lived most of her life believing all Gerudo's were female. In fact, I was probably one of the first males she ever met. Because of this, she spent her whole life believing that if she had children, they would be girls and was probably only taught on how to raise female children. Image her shock when she gave birth to a male Gerudo, something no one expects to have, as it only happens once every one hundred years. It might sound harsh, but raising a boy was something she never felt she'd have to prepare for and so felt unprepared when you were born. She expressed this fear to me the day you were born, and I think the only reason she knew things were going to be ok is that I promised I would always help her. A promise I've never gone back on."
"When you put it that way, I guess having a son was a bit scary for her," said Rauru feeling even more guilty.
"Exactly, but all things considered, I'd say she's done an excellent job at raising you. She's shown you nothing but love, she's helped train you in combat and she's done everything she can to ensure she's an active part of your life," stated Link.
Hearing all this, Rauru realised he'd been completely wrong about his mother. This only made him feel worse about what he'd said.
"Maybe we should head back. I need to apologize to her," pleaded Rauru.
"Yes, you do, but as your mother said you guys will talk about it when we return," said Link. "But I want you to promise me that you'll apologize to her as soon as we get back. Your mother loves you more than anything and she needs to know you love her too."
"I promise Dad, the moment we return to Gerudo Town, I'll apologise for everything I said," declared Rauru.
"Good," said Link. "And listen I'm sorry to."
"For what? You've done nothing wrong," stated Rauru.
"After you stormed out, your mother and I started talking and we've realised we've been unfair to you," stated Link. "Maybe we haven't thought enough about how isolated you feel. We always had a feeling the Gerudo might not take kindly to you, but I guess we've never stopped to think about how alone you must feel because of this. It occurs to us, that growing up is probably difficult for male Gerudo's. From the moment you're born, your different from everyone in town and sadly, people might treat you differently because of that. I've been told that the Gerudo are like a giant family. Which I'm guessing is a family you've never felt a part of. Am I correct in saying that?"
Rauru nodded.
"Even without Ganondorf spreading fear across Hyrule this would probably be true. Sadly, he's now made life harder for you and future male Gerudo and I'm truly sorry for that," stated Link.
"Don't be, it's not your fault that guy was a giant jerk," sighed Rauru.
"I know, but regardless, your mother and I feel we should've tried a little harder to help you feel like you belong. I'm truly sorry Rauru," stated Link.
Rauru put a hand on Link's shoulder.
"Dad, you have nothing to apologise for. I can tell you've done your best to help me and you're a great parent. And after what you've told me about Mum, I know she is to," stated Rauru.
"Glad you think that," smiled Link. "Still, that doesn't explain your change in attitude over the last few months."
"Well, I guess I let my anger with the town get the better of me and I bottled up my feelings until I exploded!" explained Rauru. "I've also probably been pushing myself a little too hard in trying to surpass you that I ended up stressing myself out."
"That's a decent explanation, but I feel there's more to it than that," stated Link looking at Rauru. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me? Is there anything that's been weighing on you these past few months?"
Rauru thought about this for a second. On the one hand, he did want to tell his father about the dreams, but he also felt he'd made up with his father and didn't want to ruin that.
"No, nothing at all," answered Rauru.
"Very well," responded Link unconvinced.
Link had a feeling Rauru was still hiding something from him, but decided it was best not to force the issue. Link hoped that Rauru would speak to him when he was ready, he just hoped that moment came sooner, rather than later.
Link and Rauru travelled for a few more hours. On the way they made a few stops to help passing travellers. One had broken a wheel on their wagon and Link stopped to help fix it. He made Rauru help to finish the job more quickly. They also passed another traveller who was being attacked by monsters. Link jumped out without a second thought and swifty defeated the surrounding monsters. Link finished the task so quickly, that Rauru didn't have a chance to jump out and help. After helping the traveller with directions, Link and Rauru continued their journey. Rauru was starting to understand the type of person his father was. He was more than just a soldier, he was a brave and selfless man who was always willing to help those in need. In other words, he was a true hero.
Eventually, Link pulled the carriage to a holt.
"I think we've gone far enough. We'll camp here for the night," Link decided.
Rauru looked at the sun.
"Night's not gonna fall for a few more hours," observed Rauru.
"No, but there's a lot we need to do before night falls. We need to hunt for dinner, and we need to get firewood," stated Link, unhooking the horse from the carriage.
"I thought you packed everything we'd need. Why do we need to go hunting?" asked Rauru.
"Because I think it's important you gain a few life skills. So, I didn't pack us any meat. Every night until we reach Hyrule Castle, we're going to hunt for our dinner," declared Link, tying the horse to a tree.
"What if we can't find anything?" asked Rauru.
"I've also packed a lot of fruit" answered Link.
Rauru had a feeling there was no talking his way out of this.
"Well, we better do it before night falls," said Rauru.
"All in good time. There's one more thing I think we should do before we go hunting," said Link.
Link returned to the carriage and removed his Hyrule Sheild and The Master Sword from his bag.
"Your Mum and I feel we've been babying you too much with your training. I haven't sparred with you much, only instructed," Link stated putting his sword on his back. "So, what do you say? Want to train for a bit?"
Rauru smiled.
"Definitely," the young Gerudo exclaimed.
Rauru retrieved his own sword and shield and jumped out of the carriage.
"But remember, this is a test of skill. No lighting," Link lectured.
"Sure, but you've gotta use your shield to defend, not just your sword," argued Rauru.
"I can agree to that," accepted Link.
They spent the next hour training. True to their separate agreements, Link used his shield to defend and Rauru made sure to only use his sword and shield. The training proved beneficial, as it gave Link a chance to show Rauru the issues with his technique. Link showed him what was wrong with his sword swings, what was wrong with his shield parries and even what was wrong with Rauru's foot work. Rauru took note of Link's advice and was showing improvement by the end of the hour.
After training was finished, they set out to hunt for dinner. Thankfully they managed to quickly find a few wild animals. Rauru hadn't had much training with a bow, so Link took the liberty of killing the first animal, while also showing Rauru the proper way to use a bow. Because they were both gluttons, they knew they'd need to kill an animal each to have enough for dinner. When they found another animal, Rauru readied his father's bow and fired. Sadly, he missed the animal and it ran off. Rauru was disheartened at first, but Link quickly showed him where he went wrong and what he needed to do to improve. Rauru was starting to understand what his mother meant by learning from his mistakes and improving. When they found another wild animal, Rauru managed to hit his target. With their dinner obtained, they headed back to set up camp.
Link cut down a nearby tree, which Rauru then cut up for firewood. Using his sword and a piece of flint, Link quickly made a fire. After they were done eating, Link advised they go to bed, as they had a long journey ahead of them and would be getting up early the next morning. As usual Link was able to fall asleep almost instantly, Rauru on the other hand was hesitant to fall asleep. He knew the second he closed his eyes, he'd be haunted by the same dream he'd been having. After debating with himself on what he should do, Rauru decided to go to sleep so he could let his body rest.
Almost immediately Rauru found himself facing the same man as always. Rauru knew for certain this man was a male Gerudo. He was large, muscular, dark brown skin, with long red hair and a beard. He also wore Gerudo armour.
"So, we meet again Rauru," spoke the man.
His voice sent shivers down Rauru's spine.
"I told you to leave me alone," stated Rauru.
"I can't do that Rauru. Not until you agree to accept your destiny," the man said.
"You don't know what my destiny is," argued Rauru.
"Oh, but I do. One day you're going to storm Hyrule Castle and take it by force," the man declared. "Your father's even being gracious enough to give you a tour."
"This trip is to help me see the world and to meet other people," retorted Rauru. "Maybe I'll finally get to make some friends."
"Rauru, this world will never accept you. You'll always be alone. Unless you conquer Hyrule, you'll be nothing more than a scared little boy trying to fit in. If you rule Hyrule, you'll be the one who's feared."
"My mother told me a ruler doesn't rule by fear," argued Rauru.
"That's easy for her to say. From the moment she was born, she was loved and worshiped by all Gerudo. It was the opposite for you. You've always seen it. The Gerudo hate you and they always will."
"No, it's as Dad said. I just need to be patient and they'll see I'm not who they think I am," argued Rauru.
"And how long will that take? All the grown Gerudo think you're a monster. And they'll pass this belief onto their children, who will then pass it onto their children. You'll die long before the Gerudo accept you."
"That's why we're going to Hyrule Castle. Hylian's might be more accepting," stated Rauru.
"How can you expect to be accepted by a different culture when your own culture doesn't? They know the stories of Ganondorf just as well as the Gerudo, as do the Zora, the Rito and the Goron. No matter where you go, you'll be rejected. If you want acceptance, you'll have to take it by force."
"My parents accept me," argued Rauru.
"Do they? We both know they're holding you back. No lighting in training? They're stopping you from being your true self."
"A true warrior fights with honour," stated Rauru.
"Your enemies won't fight with honour. They won't agree to rules. They will kill you in any way they can."
This man was using the exact argument Rauru had used against Riju the day before.
"It was a test of sword skill. Using my lighting prevented me from showing my true skill," argued Rauru.
"What was it you said to your parents. They couldn't handle that you had your father beat. Because let's face it, your father can never lose in battle. If you defeat him, he'll no longer be the hero of legend. But you'll be a legend and I can help you do that."
"What do you mean?" asked Rauru.
"Your father is a fine warrior, but all he has is his sword and shield. You've shown great skill with a sword and shield, but you also have control over lightning. You have the potential to be a greater warrior then your father. And I can help you be even greater."
The man held out his hand and his whole body started glowing with red and black energy.
"I can offer you more power than your parents ever could. I could make you a greater warrior then your father ever dreamed of. All you have to do is agree to conquer Hyrule."
Without thinking Rauru said, "No. I'm not going to be what everyone thinks I am."
"You don't have a choice. It's your destiny."
"My father told me we choose our own destiny," stated Rauru.
"Do we? Do you think your father chose his destiny? He didn't choose to be the hero of legend, that title was chosen for him, and he had to accept it. Just like you have to accept your destiny. Like many male Gerudo before you, it's your destiny to conquer Hyrule."
"All who have tried to conquer Hyrule have failed," argued Rauru.
"They did, but with my help you can succeed where they failed. All you need to do is accept the power I offer."
Rauru looked at the man's hand. He had a feeling that every word the man spoke was true. If Rauru accepted his help, he would gain incredible power. But at what cost? If he accepted this power and used it to conquer Hyrule, he would be confirming everything the Gerudo had said about him. Rauru would become the one thing he had spent his entire life trying to prove he wasn't. He would become a monster.
"NO," Rauru screamed.
Rauru awoke and started gasping for breath. He looked over at his father to see him sleeping peacefully. Rauru knew he didn't have to worry about waking Link, as he was the type of person to sleep through anything.
Rauru breathed a sigh of relief knowing that it had just been another dream, but then saw something that made him uneasy. Staring at his hands, Rauru could see energy escaping from them. It was the same energy that surrounded the man when he offered Rauru power.
What did this mean? Were the rumours true? Was he Ganondorf's reincarnation?
Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. All feedback is greatly appreciated, especially if it helps me improve the story. Will Rauru accept the power this man is offering? Or will he continue to follow in his father's footsteps? Stay tuned to find out.
Before you go, there is a question I'd like to ask. Should I stop being vague on the identity of the man visiting Rauru in his dreams? I won't say it here, but I have a feeling everyone already knows who it is. From a story telling perspective, I feel I should keep the identity of this man hidden, at least until Rauru figures out who he is. But what do you think? Should I just use the man's real name going forward? Please let me know what you think?