Chapter 7: The Initiation

Chapter 7: Revelations

OOC: Oh man, I haven't been on this site in forever! High school does that, I guess. Anyways, for those that have reviewed, thank you very much, and here's another chapter! :D

The chosen girls followed Zelda to a hidden passageway in the castle, which led to the Temple of Time. "This passage is used by the Royal Family and others in the castle for special ceremonies like this one," Zelda explained. "We're using it because the boys are using the main entrance to the temple." Amber wondered why, but decided not to ask. Before it led to the temple itself, the passage led to a small room that had pure white dresses hanging on the wall.

"This is a dressing room. There is a gown for each of you, so put them on, and I will be right back." Zelda then exited through a different door. After an uncomfortable moment of silence, each of the girls then took a dress and put it on. Soria's was somewhat too big for her and Amber's was too small, so they traded. It was then that Amber realized that she was the tallest of all the chosen girls. She wasn't too surprised, though, since she was used to being the tallest girl no matter where she was. Amber then remembered the message. When the other girls weren't looking, Amber quickly placed the scroll from Rauru inside her white dress's deepest pouch.

At that time, Zelda re-entered the room from the door she had left in. "Come with me. The initiation is about to start." The girls followed Zelda through the door into the Temple of Time and lined up.

Amber gasped; she couldn't help it. The temple was more incredible and more immense than in the video game. She also was stunned at the three jewels on the black onyx slab; the Kokiri Emerald, the Goron's Ruby, and the Zora's Sapphire. They were even more dazzling then in the Ocarina of Time game. I guess they never gave them back to their respective races, Amber thought. After all, they are safer here in the temple. Or so I hope.

An elderly man with two helpers, a boy and a girl, stood behind the slab. Each helper was holding a large flat box with both hands, but from her view Amber couldn't tell what was inside the boxes. From the main entrance, Link led the chosen boys inside the temple, who lined up next to the girls. Each chosen boy wore a white tunic over his regular leggings; Amber figured the white clothing was for some symbolic purpose.

"Where's Rauru?" Zelda asked the man. The elder just shrugged his shoulders.

"He's supposed to be here by now! Where is he?" Link asked. The girls started chattering amongst themselves, wondering the same thing, except Amber. She knew her mission, but how would she say it? Oh, Rauru, what should I do? Why did you select me to be your messenger anyways? I've always been shy in situations like this back home. What made you think I could speak up here in Hyrule? WHAT?! A thousand such questions flashed through Amber's mind.

Katlie noticed Amber's worried face. "Amber, are you alright?"

Amber turned her gaze from her feet to Katlie. "Yea, I'm fine. It's just…" Amber trailed off.

Amber heard Zelda say, "Could there be some sort of trouble in the Temple of Light holding him back?"

"That's nonsense. If he needed help, he would have contacted us," Link retorted.

"But what if he wasn't able to?"

Amber decided it was then or never. "That's why I'm here," she replied, stepping forward. Zelda and Link stopped talking and stared at her.

"What…was that you said?" Link queried.

"Um…" Amber searched for the right words. "I have a message from Rauru. He summoned me from my world to deliver it to you, since he couldn't himself."

Link and Zelda looked at each other, an unreadable expression on their faces, then turned their gazes back to Amber. "What is it, then?" Zelda asked.

Amber hesitated, then took several steps forward, took the scroll out of her pouch, and held it out to Zelda. Zelda removed it from Amber's hand and gazed at the seal.

"It's Rauru's seal, for sure," Zelda informed.

"It has the symbol of light on it?" Link asked. Zelda nodded and showed Link, then broke the seal and unrolled the scroll. Zelda began reading aloud, and Link read over her shoulder.

Princess Zelda and Link,

A crisis has occurred. Either the seal put in place by the Sages has weakened, or Ganondorf has managed to gain more power while in the Dark Realm, since he has escaped the Dark Realm…

Zelda gasped and stopped reading. "Ganondorf escaped?" Everyone else gasped, too. "But how? Only three years have past since his imprisonment!"

"Keep reading! Maybe Rauru says," Link prompted. Zelda continued.

…since he has escaped the Dark Realm, and by doing so, has severely weakened my power and has brought as many of his henchmen as he could with him. While my wounds from battling him have been healed…

"He battled Ganondorf without trying to contact us?" Link interrupted.

"Isn't he powerful enough?" Soria asked.

"Not by himself, but with the other six Sages, he is. After all, it did take all of the Sages, and Link, to seal Ganondorf away," Zelda informed, then continued reading.

…While my wounds from battling him have been healed, my powers are still weak, and Ganondorf cut off all my communications to anyone in Hyrule. That was his mistake.

"How was it a mistake?" Link asked.

"Your Highness, maybe it says why. Keep reading," the elderly man spoke up. Zelda kept reading aloud.

Even though he cut off my communications with Hyrule, I still could contact the residents of other worlds, which Ganondorf overlooked. Using some of the last of my power, I searched for someone to deliver the message, someone that was dependable and brave, someone that could sense magic and possibly use it. Amber, the girl from Earth, was that one, as you now know.

Everyone's attention turned to Amber for a quick moment, then back to Zelda.

"The Triforce of Power is more powerful than we thought," Link thought out loud. "Either that, or it gains energy back quickly." He paused, then turned to Zelda, a sudden realization hitting him. "Wouldn't we have sensed his return because of the other two pieces?"

Zelda gasped (again). "They should have! Maybe Rauru explains it here," she replied, reading the scroll. In the message it said at the very end:

You may not have sensed Ganondorf's return because, with his newly regained power, he temporarily cut off the connection between his Triforce of Power and the other two Triforces so that no one would suspect anything. The connection should be intact by the time you receive this scroll, but I fear he is already finding ways to destroy Hyrule, piece by piece. You must initiate the chosen ones immediately! They may be our only hope to lock away Ganondorf forever.

Below the last line of the letter was Rauru's signature. Zelda rolled back up the scroll and handed it to Link.

"But how do we know the Sage of Light actually wrote the letter?" the elderly man asked.

"I recognize his handwriting, and no one has a signet ring like his," Zelda replied matter-of-factly.

"And there's more proof," Link answered, pointing at Amber's necklace. Amber looked down and saw the pink sphere on her dolphin necklace spinning wildly, giving off a pink glow. The sphere emitted a beam of pink light at the Elemental Stones on the onyx slab, making a straight line that connected all the stones together. The stones and Amber's necklace together made the light turn from pink to gold. A bright light filled the temple, almost blinding everyone. Amber shouted, "What's going on?" but no one answered.

When the light dimmed, everyone's gazes turned from the Elemental Stones to Amber, amazed yet confused looks on their faces. Amber's face appeared the same as she looked back at them. "I have absolutely no clue about what just happened," she declared.

Zelda pondered for a moment. "That was proof that you truly are Rauru's messenger, for no lies can escape the Stones. Also, it demonstrated your magical capabilities."

"Magical capabilities? So I can use magic," Amber replied. Zelda nodded the affirmative.

"Now can we please get on with the ceremony?" the elderly man asked.

Zelda turned her attention from Amber to the man. "Of course we can, good priest. Don't worry."

So he's a priest, huh? No wonder, either. Amber smiled and took her place with the other girls by Katlie.

They just stared at her in shock. "How come you didn't tell us earlier?" Katlie asked.

Amber turned to face her. "Well, Rauru did tell me the message was for Link and Zelda, so I felt no one needed to know until after I delivered the message to them," she replied. Seeing Katlie's shocked expression, she laughed. "Don't worry, Katlie; no more secrets, okay?"

Katlie smiled. "Alright, I'm glad for that."

Amber looked down at her feet and shuffled them shyly. Hope nothing drastically horrible happens before this is over.

OOC: This was supposed to be the ceremony itself, but I got carried away with this part, so the ceremony will come in the next chapter! :D Stay tuned!