G
Literature
Gerudo Queen (Hypnosis Story) Zelda felt a bit conflicted. Ever since her agreement with Riju, she’s been feeling great. The hypnotic gem of Nabooru the young Gerudo chief had obtained was truly amazing, and the bliss it brought to others was beyond compare. But as she traveled through Hyrule, seeing how it has grown since the Calamity 100 years ago, she wondered about her position. She and Riju were undoubtedly partners in helping support Hyrule, but ever since the Calamity’s demise, the Princess of Hyrule has been traveling with Link across the kingdom, helping those who need it. She hadn’t even touched her castle’s throne in a hundred years. Zelda decided to take her mind off this existential crisis by researching a new topic. Specifically the practice Riju had used with the gem. Hypnosis. The art of focusing one’s mind, opening it to suggestion. It wasn’t really a state of sleep like some believed, and part of hypnotic suggestion was pushing someone in a direction they prefer. It couldn’t make the subject do something they’d never do, which Zelda deduced is why Riju was so fine with using it. It occurred to her that this also meant Link was perfectly fine with thinking he was an oversized snake. Ignoring that bit, Zelda pondered this hypnotism practice and wondered if she herself could use it. Her powers were once again dormant from 100 years of keeping Ganon contained, but she had something else that could help. A Sheikah Slate. The one she trusted Link with, the one he gave back to her. It was possible it could have had some kind of use for hypnosis, if she could dig deep enough for it. She took it to Purah, hoping to find some hidden rune that even Link hadn’t uncovered, but no such luck. Zelda looked through the slate’s runes. Bomb, Stasis, Magnet, Cryonis, Detector, Compendium, and Camera. These were all the runs Link had recovered. Then it occurred to her that he had also upgraded them. Getting an idea, she gave Purah the materials needed to upgrade a rune, picking Camera as the one to improve. She placed the slate on the pedestal, as the Rune Stone above began to glow, a single drop of majestic data falling off, into the slate screen. Riju sat comfortably on the castle throne. Adding a high-chair to it really elevated the experience, but she’d had to take off once Zelda was ready to sit in it. Hyrule Castle, once a ruinous prison for both the Princess and the Calamity she was holding back, was now restored to splendor, a beacon of prosperity for Hyrule. At least, it would be once they got the castle town repaired. Atop the chief’s head, she proudly wore the Gem of Nabooru, a long lost Gerudo relic that led her here. Buliara, her loyal bodyguard, stood next to the chief, “Lady Riju, is there anything else you require?” Riju shook her head, “No, I’m fine for now. I’m glad we could get those stables fixed, and updated to fit Sand Seals too.” Riju wondered how exactly Patricia could even surf through Hyrule Fields when it isn’t made of sand, but then again, it’s hardly the strangest thing she had discovered lately. Their conversation was interrupted by an approaching figure. Dressed in an angelic white ceremonial dress was Princess Zelda, smiling as she approached the chief. Riju saw her, and prepared to get out of the throne, “Princess. What an honor to see you again. My apologies, I wanted to see if the new throne was comfortable enough. It was a bit too comfortable.” Zelda giggled a bit, “No need to get up, Lady Riju. It’s fine. Better you use it than nobody at all.” Hearing this, Riju sat back down, and asked, “Alright, but what do you think of your new castle?” Zelda beamed, “It’s beautiful!~You all did wonderfully!” Riju nodded, as the gem on her head glistened, “It honors me to hear you say that. Should you wish to halt your travels, the castle is yours to live in.” Zelda’s eyes wandered up to the shimmering gem, remembering how nice it felt to stare, and let the shiny red fill her vision. Her eyelids fluttered as her shoulders relaxed. Riju noticed and chuckled, “Of course, the choice is up to you, Princess.” She nodded to Buliara, who nodded back, and raised her sword, clinking it on the hard ground. The sound snapped Zelda right out of her trance, reminding her that the choice really was up to her, and she had already made it. “I actually had the Sheikah Slate upgraded recently, its Camera rune now has a new feature I think you’d like.” Zelda spoke as she took out the slate in question, holding it up in position that the camera faces Riju and Buliara, “It’s not an upgrade for taking pictures though.” Riju smiled, “Oh? Sounds interesting. Let’s see it then.” Zelda smiled back, activating the rune as the blue eye on the slate facing the two Gerudo glowed. It shimmered beautifully, as its iris emitted a glowing blue ring that grew and spread out, then another, then another, then another. The eye let out a whole tunnel of blue rings, seemingly never ending, spiraling in front of the two Gerudo. At first, the two were surprised, but as the rings caught their attention, they began to focus on the center, the eye from which the rings spawned. Despite this simplicity, it looked so…beautiful. Riju recognized this sensation, the same one she got when she looked into the Gem of Nabooru, and the same one she resists everytime she takes it off or puts it back on. She was impressed Zelda had managed to find her own method of hypnosis, curious what she would do with it. She stared into the slate, its rings reflecting in her own eyes as her expression shifted to one of calm. Buliara also recognized this as hypnosis. Part of her was suspicious, but that took a back seat to the fact that Riju trusted the princess, and Buliara trusted Riju. Even as the rings filled her eyes, Buliara kept her stoic expression. Entranced or not, she was to protect the chief. Zelda was quite pleased with the results. The tune was working and Riju and Buliara were now in a blissful trance. Now it was time to try the suggestion. Zelda knew she had to word it right to get Riju to agree, speaking calmly to the chief, “Lady Riju, since you have such a hypnotic relic, and the wisdom of a leader, how about I trust you with being the ruler?” “Me…rule-No.” Even in a trance, this was absurd to Riju, she wasn’t going to take Zelda’s birthright. The flat “No” she got from Riju surprised Zelda, but she kept going, as the rings kept pulsing fro The slate, “You’ve done so much to help, restoring this castle, helping Link tame Vah Nabooris, showing me that wonderful gem. It seems only natural that I give you something special for everything you’ve done. Like a gift.” Riju blinked a bit, the rings filling her vision, “A gift…? I…I will not take your throne away from you, Princess…” Zelda continued, “Is it taking if I offer it? You’re already happy on that throne.” “Happy…on the…throne…I won’t…” Even as her mind was wavering under those beautiful rings, Riju remained stubborn, so Zelda decided on a different tactic. “Shut your eyes, breathe in and out, in and out…” Zelda commanded in a calm tone, as if simply giving advice. This was a far more reasonable suggestion to Riju, as she closed her eyes, taking deep breaths as her muscles relaxed and she sat back in the throne. Buliara did the same, her eyelids becoming too heavy to keep open, as she breathed slowly to slow down her body and mind. Zelda was pleased with the results, moving on to the next step, “I want you to imagine the place where you found the Gem of Nabooru. Describe it to me.” Riju spoke softly, forming the picture in her mind from memory, “It was a palace…mostly buried by sand…It opened only when I placed my hand on the door…” Zelda nodded, “What was it like inside?” Riju continued, “It was dark…no light had gotten through for ages…but at the end of the hall…there was a box…” Zelda asked, “Just a box? Was there anything else? Anything at all?” Riju focused her entire mind on reconstructing the dark hall, as she could finally see the sunlight pouring through the open door, shining on the box, and the wall behind it, “I-I see something…the wall, it had a mural…It was…of Nabooru…” Zelda smiled, “Just Nabooru? Nobody else?” Riju saw the pieces fall back into place, “No…I saw Link…and you…bowing to her…?” This put Riju through a loop. It was indeed the mural she had seen back in the buried palace, but she had paid it no mind before, simply believing them to be random Hylians. They weren’t even dressed as the Link and Zelda she knew, but now that she was giving this memory a second look, the resemblance was uncanny. Was the Great Nabooru really their Mistress? Zelda had struck gold, she was uncovering a hidden piece of Hyrule history, and helping Riju learn more about the great Sage of Spirit, but she wasn’t the only one. Buliara had registered everything Riju and Zelda were saying. While it seemed Zelda was trying to help, Buliara served Riju, not her. She struggled to lift her eyelids open, as if lifting two boulders from the ground, as she looked back at the Sheikah Slate’s eye, and the princess behind it. With Zelda focused on Riju, Buliara focused all her will, all her strength on speaking, “Princess…look into the gem…Riju will command you…” A simple request, but a tempting one. Zelda had been fighting back the urge to move her eyes a bit upward and stare back at the beautiful red gem on Riju’s head, it was glistening just out the top corner of her vision, and Buliara was coaxing her to get a better look. Seeing the Princess trying to keep her sight on Riju, Buliara managed to get out some more words, “You want to look into the gem…You want to obey Riju…” It was true, she did want to obey Riju, but having Buliara hypnotize her before this session was over wasn’t part of Zelda’s plan. Still, she felt her eyes moving up to look at that beautiful gem once again, its splendor was beyond words, its shine made all her thoughts just fade away. Zelda was frozen, smiling as familiar red spirals formed in her eyes. Buliara saw she was under, getting a few more words out, “Turn your slate on yourself, for Lady Riju.” Zelda didn’t bother questioning this, she happily turned the slate around, holding its back to face her, the blue rings emitting from the eye now filling her vision. The captivating sight simply doubled Zelda’s mindless bliss. Now with the rings turned away from her, Buliara found it easier to snap back to normal, her body moving again as she reoriented herself in the room. Then she turned to Riju, seeing the young chief sitting with her eyes shut. As all this was happening, Riju was still locked within her own mind, making her way down the dark palace hall, to get a better look at the mural at the end. A closer inspection only made the figures bowing to Nabooru look more and more like Link and Zelda, the resemblance was almost eerie. As she stepped closer, she saw how unnaturally beautiful Nabooru looked in the picture, Riju almost felt like bowing herself. She finally stopped at the edge of the hall, the mural closer than ever. Riju reached out over the box below it, placing her hand on the blessed picture. It seemed so bright despite the dark hall surrounding it, it almost flowed, and soon Riju felt its light envelope her. The light faded, and Riju found herself in a lush castle, the sun shining down on a beautiful garden. She looked around and saw a Gerudo wearing the gem, but her figure, her outfit, her face, it all lined up perfectly with Nabooru herself. At her side were the Link and Zelda from the mural, green cap and tunic; pink, ornate dress; smiling with red spirals in their eyes. Nabooru smiled down at the stunned chief, walking towards her, exuding the kind of confidence many Gerudo strived for, “So you have uncovered my little gift, for future generations?” Riju was silent for a second, before speaking, “Yes, but I was never told you used it. It was…lost to time.” Nabooru nodded, “Din herself had blessed this gem. It was fine to use after Link had vanquished Ganon, but this kingdom you see belonged to Zelda. So I hid it away, letting it slumber and wait for a time where fate has taken a different path.” Riju registered this information, and what it implied, “But, Princess Zelda is still the ruler of Hyrule.” Nabooru kneeled, meeting Riju at eye-level, “She is trying to pass you her torch. I was not meant to take it, but you. I believe you’re ready, Queen Riju.” Those last two words echoed in Riju’s mind, as the garden and everyone else in it faded into a beautiful red light, enveloping Riju yet again. Then she heard something else, a familiar voice calling to her “_ad_ R_j_…_ady Rij_…Lady Riju…” Riju recognized this voice as Buliara, and finally opened her eyes, being met with the sight of Zelda holding the Sheikah Slate backwards, lost in her own hypnotic camera. Buliara spoke as Riju reexamined her surroundings, “Lady Riju, it seems Zelda’s technique was successful, but she seemed to have an alternative motive.” Riju smiled, “Worry not, Buliara, Zelda was simply trying to give me something. I thought I didn’t deserve it, but a proud Gerudo shouldn’t reject such an honor from the Royal Family, let alone the one blessed by Hylia.” Buliara nodded, still perplexed, “Very well, but what was she giving you?” Riju got up from her throne, walking over to Zelda. She tapped the slate’s screen, turning the hypnotic camera off, and used her hand to guide the slate, and Zelda’s arms, down so she could properly see her smiling face. Zelda’s eyes were full of blue, swirly rings, her grin one of mindless bliss. Riju giggled a bit, amused by her expression, “I’m very impressed with your new improvement to the slate, Zelda. I trust that it was your wisdom that helped you to find it. I also trust your decision, as it must be founded on reason. I promise you, I will do my best to rule Hyrule fairly, as your family has for ages.” Zelda soaked in these words, satisfied even if her mind was currently lost in swirls, while Buliara’s eyes widened a bit, shocked to hear that the now-former princess would make such a decision. Regardless, her loyalty to the chief-turned-queen came first. Riju then spoke again, “Now then, if that is all, I wish for both of you to gaze into the gem once more.” On instinct, Buliara focused on the gem without question, as Zelda’s swirly eyes wandered up to the glistening relic atop their new queen’s head. The two stared, as red swirls filled Buliara’s eyes, and those same swirls started filling Zelda’s as well, complimenting the blue rings behind them. Riju chuckled, this little meeting went way better than she could’ve imagined. For ages, Hyrule was ruled by a royal family of Hylians, but now, as civilization had begun anew since the Calamity, so too did its ruling party. The Gerudo, once bandits in the harsh desert, plagued with the prophesized calamity that all Hyrule dreaded, were now in power, ruling with not only great power in their corner, but admirable courage and wisdom to match. A new age of glory and prosperity for Hyrule was at hand, and even ages later, it would be known to start with a legendary queen, who kept the Hero of Time and the Keeper of Wisdom close should a new calamity ever rise. Renowned for her bravery and noble rule, immortalized in history, the Gerudo Queen Riju.
