While Elder Cologne was flying back to the desert on her broom, she was deep in thought. She knew her great-granddaughter and her new friends were stubborn, but now that she faced them directly, she was able to see the resolution in their eyes. That was not just mere defiance, they really believed in what they were doing. And, after all, they did defeat Ganondorf's phantom and the fire dragon.
But all of that would not be enough against the dark lord of evil.
And when she heard the words of the blonde youngster... the one with the Master Sword... she really couldn't help but ponder about her current situation.
Did she want Hyrule to be under the rule of this tyrant? No, most certainly not. She only wanted the best for her tribe. She wanted to rebel against the arrogant Hylians and Zoras, true, she wanted an easier life outside of the desert... but she never wanted to cover the world with chaos and darkness.
And now, Ganondorf was neglecting his own people more and more. He enslaved those who didn't agree with him... turned them into fearsome monsters and mindless slaves. And Cologne was forced to agree with him...
If only the other elders weren't a pair of insane old hags, then she would be able to...
To what? Cologne asked herself. To fight against Ganondorf? What was unthinkable. His army was too dangerous, even if every Gerudo would start to rebel against him. And now this small group of adventurers tries to defeat him without any help.
Why do they believe they would ever win?
But then again, she could understand them. There were only two possibilities for those that were Ganondorf's enemies: Either give up hope and surrender to his cruelty, or to do whatever may be possible to bring him down.
And Cologne had to admit, with the Master Sword in the boy's hands and the Sages on his side, there was a slight chance that he could do it. A truly abysmal chance, but it was there.
This was the first time that she wondered if there was anything she could do to raise that chance.
Her own thoughts frightened her at first, but the longer she thought about it, the more she started to believe that it was worth the try. And she didn't have to help them directly... if Ganondorf and the Twinrova witches never found out that she was helping them, she wouldn't have to be afraid of their wrath.
But what if they found out? Ganondorf's spies were everywhere, and even Cologne herself didn't know all about his magical powers and the abilities the Triforce of Power was giving him.
She was just going to dismiss all of these thoughts, when the image of her granddaughter Nabooru appeared in her mind... trapped in that bulky, iron armor, cursed to forever do as Ganondorf ordered her, always aware, but never able to do anything.
Cologne was already feeling guilty that she allowed this to happen to her... could she do the same with Shampoo?
She believed her great-granddaughter to be strong enough to survive the trials of the Water Temple, maybe she could even win against the more powerful servants of the king of evil. Yes, there was even the possibility that one day, she might defeat the dark general Onox.
But against Ganondorf himself? Cologne shook her head. No, Shampoo would never be strong enough. Ganondorf would crush her in no time. Or, even worse... he could torture her... enslave her like he did with Nabooru... or even worse things Cologne dared not to imagine.
She knew she would not be able to convince Shampoo to follow her husband and the Hero of Time. And Cologne knew she could never let anything happen to her. So, there was only one thing left to do.
When she arrived in Gerudo Valley, the Elder of Winds landed directly in front of the Gerudo Training Ground, the obstacle course used by the younger warriors to hone their battle skills. Only the strongest warriors were able to reach the end, where they could salvage the well-earned prize...
The young guard in front of the entrance gate saluted when she saw the old witch approaching her.
"Elder Cologne! An honor to see you again! What brings you here?"
Cologne smirked. "Oh, I just thought I'd try out the old training course once again. It has been such a long time... I just have to see if I still can keep up with you youngsters." And she cackled in an amused voice.
The young Gerudo stared at her in surprise. "B-but Elder... you are one of the most powerful witches of all times. Truly we would never be able to perform as well as you. I would say that you could reach the end of the course in no time."
"Let's just say I am feeling nostalgic... and I need some time to unwind. Leading a whole tribe can be tiresome at times, girl... surely you understand that, don't you?"
"Y-yes, of course!" the girl stuttered nervously. "Please, go right ahead!" And she opened the gate.
While Cologne entered the Training Grounds, she took a deep breath.
'Cologne, old girl, you just took your first step in defying the great king of evil... and if he ever finds out what you are about to do, you are a dead Gerudo.'
Still, she kept on walking, always thinking of her great-granddaughter.
'You may kill me, Ganondorf... but I'll be damned if you hurt Shampoo.'
There wasn't much she could do without attracting the attention of his minions, but one thing she knew was that the Hero of Time was the best candidate of doing what she would not able to do herself: Defeating the tyrant and bringing peace to Hyrule.
And that's why she was trying to bring him the ancient Gerudo treasures that would be most useful on his quest: The Ice and Fire Arrows!
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(Posted Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:39)
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