Hyrule's Light

by LivyWrites

When Link and Zelda both awoke in the Shrine of Resurrection, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. In fact, they didn't know anything at all. Now, as they clumsily trudge through a strange yet familiar land, a dark, menacing force writhes in the ruins of a castle, gathering it's strength for one final strike that will grant it it's 100 year old revenge.

19. Always There

Sooo fun fact, I was actually gonna publish this last night but the power suddenly went out for like… an hour and a half? It was almost two hours, and it was super random because it wasn't storming or even windy. WELP guess that's just another sign that the world is ending soon! :P (Just kidding please don't panic it was only a power outage and everything's fine now and I don't want all of the toilet paper to disappear again). Anyways, onto the chapter!

It is my pleasure…

Link's eyes shot open as air suddenly flooded into his lungs, life surging through his limbs when before there was none. He gasped sharply and sat up, panting. His eyes were blurry and burning from the sudden light, slowly focusing as his body readjusted itself. Mipha… I heard her voice… But how? She's gone! How could she… He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut and then opening them again. She brought me back. Her healing power… but what happened?

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed, snapping Link out of his thoughts. Her mouth was open in shock, her eyes wide and wet from tears.

"What-"

BANG!

Both Link and Zelda jumped in fright, spinning around to see the Lynel banging on a spherical shield that surrounded them completely, Link's vision finally snapping into focus. The Lynel was furious, its eyes bugging out and its jaw hanging open as growls and roars spilled out like drool. Link's Guardian sword was still buried deep in its head, which was probably why it was acting so out of control. It swung its crusher at the shield again, a loud bang accompanying it.

A sudden force then barreled into Link from the side, making him almost fall over. It was Zelda, who was hugging him tightly. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "I thought I lost you…" She said softly.

The Lynel! It… it killed me. Link realized with a start, flinching when the Lynel swung at the shield again. Zelda jumped back and let go, gasping and staring up at the shield. It looked as if it might crack, but it held firm, even throwing the beast back a little. Daruk! Link gasped as he remembered what the Goron Champion had told them back in Rudania.

"And remember, from this moment forth, the power of protection from the depths of my soul, now lives inside you two."

Link gaped up at the shield. The power of protection… He felt himself smile just a little. So that's what he meant. And Mipha…

"I promise you that I will watch over your journey, and I will assist you when needed."

"They were always with us…" Link mumbled under his breath, his eyes widening when he saw the shield begin to crack as the Lynel swung at it again and again. It wouldn't hold for long.

"Zelda!" Link exclaimed, getting onto his feet, startling Zelda as she looked over at him, hastily wiping at her eyes. He held out his hand to help her stand, a determined smile on his face even as his heart thumped with adrenaline. "The shield's gonna break. We need a plan to defeat that thing."

Zelda took his hand and stood, her face clearly telling Link that she was still trying to get over the fact that he was standing before her. "Link, it… it was incredible." She began, staring at Link with a wonder-filled gaze. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes again. "You were gone… you were dead! And then-"

BANG!

The Lynel smashing its crusher into the shield jumpstarted both Hylians again, with Zelda snapping out of it. She glanced at the Lynel, her eyes shifting as she bit her lip. After a moment, she finally turned back to Link, taking both of his hands into her own. "I've got a plan." She started with a smile, "But I don't know if it'll work."

I'll try anything at this point. Link thought to himself, nodding for Zelda to continue.

She glanced down at the ground, flinching when the Lynel smacked the shield again. The small crack grew larger, stretching from the top almost halfway down to the bottom. A few more hits, and it would break. "I just need you to distract it. Use your ice arrows or those ancient arrows. Or even your shield. I just need time."

Link looked down at their hands holding each other, feeling heat rise in his face. His gaze rose back up to meet Zelda's, and he tightened his hold on her hands. "What are you planning?"

"I'm going to use my sealing power. Or at least… I'm going to try."

CRACK!

A giant crack suddenly sprung up on the shield, the Lynel roaring in victory and winding its crusher back to prepare for the final blow. Link's stomach clenched in anticipation as he searched Zelda's face. Was she being serious? She was going to use her sealing power just on a monster? Could she do that? Granted this beast had caused them a lot of trouble, but she had only used her power on the blights.

"Alright. I trust you. I'll run left, you go right." Link told Zelda, letting go of her hands and taking out his bow, grabbing an ice arrow when Zelda suddenly kissed him on the cheek. He looked at her in shock, feeling his face turn red like a radish. She smiled, her own cheeks tinted pink.

"I'm glad you're back." She said quietly, just as the Lynel let out a roar and swung its crusher.

The shield shattered, exploding outwards and throwing the Lynel back. Link quickly shook his head to focus and sprinted left, spotting Zelda running right out of the corner of his eyes. His whole body was buzzing from the little kiss, but he couldn't think about that right now. It was time for this Lynel to face its end.

Once the monster had regained its senses, its eyes narrowed in on Zelda, who was standing a ways away. Her eyes were closed, with her hands holding each other in her familiar praying stance. Link gasped when the Lynel turned towards her, gritting his teeth and stringing an ice arrow, pointing it directly at the beast's head.

"Don't you dare." He seethed, letting the arrow fly. It hit the beast right in the back. With a furious roar that sounded almost like a shriek, the Lynel spun around, charging at Link without hesitation.

Link held his ground, glancing past the Lynel at Zelda, who was still praying, although her eyebrows were knitted together. Something's wrong. But Link didn't have enough time to dwell on that as the Lynel was barreling towards him. He focused back on the fight at hand, leaping to the side. The beast charged forward, missing him entirely. It whirled back around, roaring and chucking its crusher at Link.

Link ducked, dodging the attack with ease. The Lynel was enraged, and now weaponless, but it didn't seem to care. It crouched down, using its hands to suddenly propel itself forward, its teeth bared. Again, Link jumped to the side. The Lynel slowly stopped itself, continuing to ignore Zelda completely as it spun around and charged again. Apparently, the sword in its head was finally starting to take effect on the beast.

Continuing to dodge again and again, Link spared another glance at Zelda, who was now gritting her teeth, still praying. After a few more seconds she opened her eyes. "Link, move!" She cried, holding up her hand. Sprinting out of the way, Link prepared for the massive eruption of power, but nothing came. The Lynel stared straight at Zelda, its previous blood lust forgotten for the moment.

Zelda slowly brought her hand back down, staring at it with betrayal in her eyes. "I… I don't understand." She said quietly. "Link! It… it's not working!" She shouted, holding up her hand again and even taking a step forward. Nothing happened. Now she was looking desperate. "Come on, come on! Why isn't it working?" She continued to bring her hand back and push it forward as if she were giving the air a high five.

Noticing the Lynel starting to regain its anger, Link quickly brought out his bow, grabbing an ancient arrow. The beast looked over at Link, noticing the bow and arrow in Link's hand and rearing back its head. Link thought it was only going for a roar until he saw fire brewing in the monster's mouth. Link stared. This thing can breathe fire now? He thought before turning and sprinting out of the way as the Lynel released a torrent of fire his way. He felt the heat rush behind him as he dodged. The beast let loose two more shots of fire before falling onto its knees, panting hard.

Seeing this, Link prepared his arrow, aiming it right at the Lynel's head. He could see Zelda still trying to use her sacred power, but it clearly wasn't obeying her wishes. So, turning his attention back to the monster, Link let loose the arrow, watching with wide eyes as it pegged the beast right in the face.

Immediately blue light engulfed the Lynel, flashing brightly before disappearing altogether. Link shielded his eyes, lowering his arm and gasping. The Lynel was gone. Completely. The only thing that showed that the Lynel had ever been there was the scorched grass and its giant crusher that lay dormant on the ground. Not believing his eyes, Link reached behind him and grabbed the other Ancient Arrow, examining it with a new light. "Anti-Calamity" is right. Link thought with a relieved chuckle, recalling what Doctor Robbie had told them. And now we only have one left…

Shaking his thoughts away, Link looked up at Zelda, who was staring at where the Lynel had been moments before. He rushed towards her, thinking back on the little kiss. His face immediately turned a shade of red, and he tried to ignore the buzzing feeling as it returned. "Zelda! Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

Zelda's gaze drifted to meet Link's, and she bit her lip. "I'm… no I'm fine." She held her arm with her other hand, looking down at the ground.

Feeling his heart pang for her, Link didn't quite know what to do. So, he nudged her a little bit, smiling softly when she lifted her head. "That's good. I'm glad it's over."

She sighed. "But my… power…"

Link stopped her before she could say anything else. "Hey, don't worry about that right now. Your power doesn't have to work every time."

"But it has! Well, until now, that is."

"Do you know why it didn't work?"

Zelda shifted her stance a bit, now folding her arms across her chest. Although, it looked like she was hugging herself more than anything. "No."

Another pang of sympathy shot through Link. He didn't say anything else as he slowly wrapped his arms around Zelda, pulling her into a hug. She gasped a little, but stayed quiet as she brought her arms around him in return. They stayed like that for a while, hugging each other tightly. No words needed to be said. They understood each other's feelings and thoughts well enough.

"Hey! You two!" A sudden voice called out, making Link and Zelda separate in an instant, their faces both red.

There was a young girl before them with Link and Zelda's packs at her feet. She was wearing a small little pack of her own on her back, with a little cap on her head to match. Her clothes were obviously travel-worn and combined with her two braids sticking out of her cap, she looked very young and filled with energy. "You two were incredible! You saved me!" She exclaimed, and Link realized with a start just who this girl was.

She was the one who had been running from the Lynel before Link and Zelda had intervened. "Oh! Uh… yeah, I guess we did." Zelda said with a cautious laugh, folding or hugging her arms around herself again.

The girl bounced happily. "Thank you thank you!" She suddenly lunged forward, bringing Link and Zelda both into a tight hug. And before they could register what just happened, she pulled back again, still bouncing. "Oh! I need to get you two something as a thank you gift!" She quickly took off her pack and searched inside it for a moment before pulling out a small box held together with some string. "Here, take this." She said with a smile, forcing the package into Link's hands. "It's some fresh bread from my mother. Well, it might not be very fresh now, seeing how I left home a few weeks ago, but I hope it's still good." The girl talked way too fast for Link and Zelda to catch up, but they both managed to look past that and give her a smile.

"Um… thank you. It's appreciated." Zelda nodded her head in thanks, still regarding the girl with a cautious look.

The girl let out a laugh. "Don't thank me! You two are heroes! I saw the whole thing! Well, I was really far away and hiding, but from what I could see you two took the beast head-on! And you both came out without a scratch! Wow!"

Link and Zelda glanced at each other, recalling how he had quite literally died, but they both decided not to bring that up.

"If you don't mind me asking… how did you get the attention of that Lynel in the first place?" Zelda asked, taking the attention off of the two of them for the time being.

The girl scratched the back of her head. "Well… I kind of threw a rock at it."

Link and Zelda stared. "You what?" Zelda exclaimed, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"No you don't get it!" The girl said defensively, "You see, my family, or… ancestors, have always lived in Hyrule Castle Town. That is, until 100 years ago. Only one of my ancestors lived when the Calamity attacked, thanks to the Hylian Champion."

Link immediately stiffened, Zelda glancing up at him. But, the girl continued, not having noticed anything.

"The Hylian Champion was protecting the Princess, but he led a group of people from Castle Town to Hateno Village too. Well, really he only took them to Fort Hateno, but it was still really heroic! And now, because of him, my family line has lived on, settling in Hateno Village ever since! So… I guess when I saw that Lynel off in the distance, I wanted to get back at the Calamity somehow." She laughed, "Guess I got a bit ahead of myself."

There was silence for a moment. Link was speechless, and one glance at Zelda told him she was too. I led… people to Hateno? Link thought hard on what the girl said, almost feeling like he would tip into another memory. But nothing came. He stared down at the package in his hands, not sure what to say, even if he could reply to something like that.

An awkward air soon fell onto the small group, and the young girl nervously laughed. "Um… well, thanks again for saving me. Oh! And here's your bags. You guys dropped them." She lifted the two bags and set them in front of Link and Zelda, stepping back quickly. "Uh… well… bye, I guess." She said, giving Link and Zelda one last look before turning on her heel and hurrying off in the direction of the East Akkala Stable.

Another night came and went before Link and Zelda could make it out of Akkala. They had spent that time at a place called Tarrey Town; A quaint little place that was only halfway built. It had also given them a lot of time to think and talk over the chaos that was their battle with the Lynel, and what that young girl had told them. Now they were back on the road, having already passed the ruins they had spent a night in when they had first entered Akkala.

Link was downright ecstatic that they were leaving the place. Of course, it was all incredibly beautiful, and the Akkala Citadel was breathtaking, but their visit to the area hadn't exactly been… peaceful.

As they walked down the large, slanting hill with the ruined road, Link was playing around with the Sheikah Slate, with Zelda pointing out the little features and powers it held while also teaching him how to use it. The little device did fascinate him, but it was also giving him a headache. He didn't understand what was so intriguing about it, or any Ancient technology at all. He didn't think he would ever understand.

"And if you click there, you can see all of the pictures." Zelda explained, pointing to a small button. Link pressed on it, the screen shifting to show all of the landscape photos they had been using to find their memories.

"Wow. You've really gotten a hang of this thing." Link said, glancing up at Zelda, who was smiling proudly.

"I've had a lot of time to figure it out."

Looking back at the pictures, Link nudged Zelda. "And looks like you're a pretty accomplished picture-taker too."

"I think that words photographer, but thank you," Zelda replied with a small laugh, nudging Link back with her shoulder.

Link then swiped at the screen, pulling up a new collection of images. His eyebrows raised as he looked through them. These hadn't been on the Sheikah Slate before.

There was an image of the Temple of Time back on the Great Plateau, a picture of Zelda with Caviar-it looked like she had to hold the Slate with one arm to do that one- a wide landscape shot of Zora's Domain, another of Vah Ruta before they had cleansed it, one of Goron City and another of Vah Rudania, similar to Ruta, and then one of… him. Link brought the Slate a bit closer to his face, staring at the slightly blurred picture of him, obviously taken by Zelda. It was when they were on their way to Akkala. He was walking ahead of her, looking over at Death Mountain.

Zelda noticed what Link was looking at and gasped, snatching the Slate out of his hands and holding it to her chest. "Why were you looking through my pictures?" She said accusingly, very clearly flustered.

Link blinked in surprise. "You… you showed me how to get to them."

Her eyes widened a bit and she looked away. "I was only testing out the camera, you know. There's no other reason why I would uh… take a picture… of you."

His face immediately heated up a bit, Zelda's little kiss from before popping into his head. A small smile formed on his face, vanishing when he saw that Zelda was looking at him. He hastily cleared his throat. "Of course! Yeah, no… no I get it."

Zelda cleared her throat as well and hooked the Sheikah Slate back onto her hip. "Right."

Silence befell the two as they continued to walk, both of them staring straight forward until Link spoke up again. "You sure there was no other reason to take that picture?"

Zelda immediately tripped over the disheveled gravel, stumbling forward. Her face was bright red. "What-no! No other reason! None at all! Why would you think that?" She sputtered, regaining her footing and continuing to walk as if nothing had happened.

Again, silence. Until… "You sure?"

"YES!"

The day came and went. The two Hylians had managed to make it to the Woodland Stable by nightfall, eating up the bread from the young girl and spending some rupees for two beds to rest up. They were planning on retrieving the Master Sword the next day, so they knew they would need plenty of rest and energy to do so. Although, Link could hardly say he had gotten a good night's rest. He had suffered through yet another nightmare, but that wouldn't stop him. He was determined to retrieve the legendary sword. Now, the morning was early and fresh, with both Link and Zelda standing before the Great Hyrule Forest.

It was humongous, and even that was an understatement. The trees before the two Hylians were tall and menacing, with a thick, milky fog slithering and swirling around the jagged branches. The trees themselves looked dead and frozen, and the ruins marking the entrance only added to the grim atmosphere. There were even multiple crows that, once catching sight of Link and Zelda, flew off loudly.

Link stared into the woods, the empty breeze that wafted around them only strengthening his desire to find the Master Sword. It was in here. Somewhere. He could feel it.

Gaining a confident nod from Zelda, Link looked forward and brought out his Guardian sword and Shield, activating them but keeping them down by his side, as there was no immediate threat. Then, without wasting any more time, he and Zelda entered into the forest.

Instantly the temperature dropped, causing Zelda to shudder. The strange feeling as if they were being watched rested heavily on their shoulders, as if the fog that swirled around them had a mind of its own. It snaked around the two Hylians, breathing and living on the empty breeze of the forest. It almost seemed as if it were sticking to them, making it incredibly hard to see. It even felt as if they were wading through water.

Everything around seemed to be dead, and yet it was all somehow… alive in a supernatural way. It set Link on edge, and judging by the pale composure of Zelda, it appeared to make her jumpy as well. Silently, Link slipped his shield away and took hold of Zelda's hand, squeezing it comfortingly. He was glad he wasn't alone in the place.

Pushing forward, they wound around the trees, stopping to gather their bearings by standing torches that were set along an unclear pathway. They soon came to two standing torches, however, that appeared to be guarding a rather grotesque tree. Its trunk was twisted in such a way that it looked like a face mid-shriek, with jagged teeth and slits for eyes. As they stood by the tree and its two flickering guards, Link and Zelda looked around for any more of the torches that had been marking their path so far, but there weren't any in sight. There were only more trees with the same ghastly face as the one before them now. At least the trees before had been somewhat normal. The ones ahead of them now all had gaping jaws and narrowed eyes.

Link's heart dropped. He assumed they could make their way to the Master Sword if they just walked in a straight line, but something told him that if he stepped in the wrong direction at the wrong time, he wouldn't like the outcome. As he hopelessly looked around for something to tell him where to go next, Zelda tapped him on the shoulder.

"Look, a torch!" She announced, keeping her voice down even though there was obviously no one near them. Still holding onto Link's hand, she stepped towards a torch that was leaning against one of the standing ones, picking it up and lighting it as she straightened. "We can use this to help navigate."

A small smile broke out across Link's face, and he nodded. He felt himself relax a bit, his grip on his sword softening just a tad. They began to walk again. Nothing happened for a while until the fog around them suddenly began to grow thicker, almost blinding Link completely. He looked around wildly, not able to see Zelda anymore. The only indication that she was still near him was their hands that were holding each other tightly. Just then, as the fog continued to swirl in a seemingly more aggressive way, a childish laugh echoed in the distance of the direction they had been walking in moments before, piercing through the air and almost stopping Link's heart completely.

He froze in fear, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. The fog suddenly grew thicker, snaking around them and almost hissing. It felt as if it were pushing Link and Zelda apart, and he felt his grip on her hand slipping just a bit before they clutched each other tighter. All the while, the childish laugh shrieked and echoed, growing more intense before they both turned and sprinted back towards the two standing torches by the marred tree. The fog dissipated back to how it was before, and the laugh could no longer be heard.

Breathing hard, Link looked over to make sure Zelda was okay. Her face was even paler than before, and her eyes were wide. But other than that, she seemed okay. "What-what was that?" She said, trying to recollect herself without much success. They were subconsciously huddled together, Link holding up his sword and looking around wildly for any more signs of that giggling voice, while Zelda was doing the same with her torch.

Link shook his head, still basically panting. "I have no idea… But it makes sense as to why no one's gotten to or even seen the Master Sword yet."

They fell quiet for a moment, both of their eyes shifting around in fear before Zelda looked up at her torch. "Hey, Link, look at this." She began.

"Huh?" He looked back at Zelda, who was staring up at her torch. He followed her gaze. The torch's flame was blowing in a very distinct way, with sparks drifting off as if…

"It's almost as if the flame is trying to show us the way," Zelda spoke, finishing Link's thoughts perfectly.

Link squeezed Zelda's hand again, pulling her a little ways away from the two standing torches to see their torch more clearly, both of them carefully watching the flame. Sure enough, the fire and sparks acted as a compass, keeping itself pointed in a specific direction no matter where they moved. Zelda smiled brightly and turned her eyes to Link's. Link returned the expression with one of his own before they set off once again, following the flame at a slower pace than before, stepping cautiously. Link was keeping an eye on the fog, worried it would grow thick again, and that creepy giggle would return.

Time stretched on, with Link and Zelda stopping every now and then as the flame reset itself, leading them on a random, winding path. Link was just beginning to grow impatient and anxious before they came towards what seemed to be the end. There were two tall cliff sides on either side of a wide pathway, with a dim light in the distance. The fog had stayed steady the entire time, and there was no sign of that laugh from before, which was an immense relief.

Zelda kept the torch raised as they left the chilling woods behind them, keeping their eyes trained on the dim light in the distance that grew larger and brighter as they came closer. It was another forest, but nothing like the one they had just left.

This forest was much brighter and cheerful-looking, with a sense of calm and comfiness. There was still a thin fog that hugged the ground, but it was more of a mist than anything. It only added to the homey atmosphere of the place. Thick flora filled the area as well, making the morning sunlight that shone through separated into obvious rays, while the sun had been blocked entirely back in the forest before. Zelda quickly swiped the torch harshly to the side, blowing out the flame that had been their guide through the woods. She slipped it through one of her leather belts and took out her Sheikah Slate. She messed with it for a moment before pulling up the map, which had been updated. The name of their location was now the Korok Forest.

"Korok Forest, huh? I wonder why it's called that…" She said to herself, just as Link quickly nudged her with his elbow, staring at all of the wooden creatures that had suddenly appeared out of the trees, bushes, and tall grass.

They were cute, in a way, but completely unprecedented. Each one of them had a different kind of large leaf that covered their faces like a mask, with only a pointy nose to stick through and drawn on facial features. Some were hovering in the air with some sort of leaf propeller, while the others stuck out from the plants. They all stared at the two Hylians, the forest falling strangely quiet except for the occasional bird or rustle of leaves.

Link stared right back at the little creatures, the name "Korok" popping into his head as he did so. These are Koroks then.

Stepping carefully and quietly, Link and Zelda continued forward, entering further and further into the Korok Forest. The little wooden creatures watched them, making little childish noises of awe and surprise. Apparently, they had been waiting for the two Hylians.

Both Link and Zelda made it to a large clearing just as Link's heart leaped into his throat, his body freezing up once again. His vision tunneled, as his eyes had just discovered the single weapon that had been plaguing his mind for the past few weeks.

The Master Sword. It simply sat there, oblivious to the young hero who stared at it with wide, unbelieving eyes. The dim, evening sun shone off of its hilt and half-buried blade beautifully, only adding to its already dignified, majestic appearance. It even seemed royal. It called out to Link, stabbed into the stone with its hilt ready and waiting. Zelda was saying something to him, but he couldn't hear. Everything else was blocked out as he walked towards the sword that seals the darkness, his hand slipping from Zelda's, and his heartbeat steadily increasing until it was almost painful.

He was standing over the blade now, Zelda standing off of the triangle of stone in which the Master Sword rested and watching with wide eyes. Struggling to keep calm, Link reached out towards the hilt with trembling hands, crouching into a more battle-ready stance before taking hold of the sword with both hands.

Instantly some sort of electric shock erupted from the blade, stinging Link's hands, causing him to stumble away from the blade. He stared at it in shock before a low rumbling moan caught his attention, making him look upwards to see a giant tree with an equally giant face etched into it. It had a bulbous nose and large, thick eyebrows that stretched out into branches. Its leaves were pink like a cherry blossom tree. Link's jaw fell open. Zelda had rushed up to his side, about to say something when she was caught off by the giant's tree voice that slowly spoke up.

"Who is that…?" It mumbled. Its mouth moved slowly as it spoke, it's eyebrows rising and falling from the movements. "Did I doze off again?" It continued, drawing out its words in a sleepy kind of way.

A long moment went by before it hummed, having noticed Link and Zelda standing near the Master Sword. "Well, well… The Princess and her Champion. You both finally decided to return. Better late than never. After 100 years, I'd nearly given up hope on seeing both of you again. Even my patience has limits, you know…" It drawled on, pausing for a moment as it lifted one of its eyebrows farther than the other in a look of mild surprise as it hummed again in deep thought.

"That look on your face tells me that you have no recollection of me, however." It noted, "Very well… Shall I introduce myself?" It continued on, giving Zelda and Link no time to respond, "I have watched over Hyrule since time immemorial. Many have referred to me over the ages as the Deku Tree." Just then Zelda's form went rigid next to Link, and when he turned to face her, he saw that her eyes were wide and still, staring up at the Deku Tree. Link opened his mouth to confront her, when the great tree before him continued to speak.

"That there is the weapon created by the ancient Goddess." It said, referring to the Master Sword directly in front of Link. "The sword that seals the darkness that only the chosen knight can wield against the Calamity Ganon. Believe it or not… it was actually you who wielded that sword 100 years ago."

Link's gaze drifted down to the blade, just as Zelda exhaled deeply. He glanced over at her face, and with a familiar glint in her eye, he knew that she had just experienced some sort of memory. There was a strange look in her eye, and her cheeks were brightly colored from… embarrassment? She then looked down at the Master Sword as well, her frown deepening.

All the while the Deku Tree continued without pause, obviously undeterred by the silent conversation between the two Hylians before him. "But I must warn you to take extreme caution with this mighty weapon. The sword stands as a test to anyone who would dare attempt to possess it. As you are now…" Link's heart sunk slightly, as he knew the Deku Tree was speaking to him and him alone, "I cannot say whether you are worthy or not…"

Link's head snapped up at the Deku Tree, shocked by his words of warning. Why would the blade reject him? He was the chosen knight that the guardian spoke of, and he had wielded it 100 years prior without any challenge. Why would it test him? Wasn't he already worthy? His stomach suddenly felt like it was filled with lead. … Am I worthy? I haven't exactly been an almighty hero lately… I'm nothing like I was 100 years ago.

"If you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life where you stand." The Deku Tree warned. Link's face paled at the thought, but the guardian tree continued, "If you hope to pull the sword from its resting place, you must use your true strength. Let us see whether or not you currently possess said power. Best of luck, young one…" The Deku Tree finished with a lighter tone, falling silent for the time being and watching with masked attention.

Link was stunned. He stared back down at the blade, which now appeared to be much more threatening. He clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides, hesitant to touch the hilt again. I'm its master. I can wield it. It… It wouldn't kill me, right? Sweat trickled down his neck. I'm worthy, aren't I? I'm still the same hero as I was 100 years ago, even if I've lost my dignity… my title… my memories… my courage- He suddenly felt a hand lightly rest on his shoulder, snapping him out of his spiraling thoughts and fears. His head snapped to the side, as he found himself looking right into the eyes of Zelda.

"Link… I know what you're thinking. But I know you are worthy. You can do this. You're the master of this sword." She said simply.

Link inhaled sharply. "I am… aren't I? But- it's been 100 years. I'm not exactly the same hero as I was from before."

Zelda shook her head. "No, you're not. You're better."

"Better how? I'm nothing compared to how I was!"

"Hylian Champion…" The Deku Tree cut Link off, his voice firm and authoritative, but with a fatherly edge to it. "Take hold of the sword. Delaying the inevitable will only result in wasted time."

Heart race increasing, Link swallowed past his dry throat, giving the Deku Tree a small nod. Zelda brushed her hand against his, giving it a comforting squeeze before stepping off of the stone platform again.

Turning his attention back down to the Master Sword, Link tried to steady his breathing and racing heart, wiping the sweat from his hands on his Champion Tunic before crouching just a bit. Then, sucking in a breath, he wrapped his hands around the sword's hilt, immediately feeling the amount of power the weapon held. He exhaled slowly, squeezing his eyes shut as he began to pull.

He felt the blade budge just a bit, but that wasn't until he felt his own energy slowly start to ebb away from his limbs. Link opened his eyes, seeing a blue, ethereal light seeping from his arms and hands and into the sword, all the while his energy continued to steadily decrease. "If you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life where you stand." A wave of panic washed over Link as he recalled the Deku Tree's warning, but even so, he continued to pull, feeling the blade slip out just a tad bit more. Soon he broke out into a sweat, his legs starting to get wobbly and his hands starting to shake while they were still gripped onto the sword.

Closing his eyes again, Link continued to pull with all of his might, becoming short of breath. The sword wasn't coming out. He wasn't strong enough. He gasped sharply as his limbs began to ache, opening his eyes. His vision was tainted with red, blocking out the blue, calming light that was now glowing directly from the blade itself. Darkness then began to seep into his vision from the corners of his eyes, his head becoming dangerously light and dizzy. A piercing ringing sound started in his ears, only adding to his increasing fatigue.

I can't do it.

"Enough." The Deku Tree commanded loudly, and Link immediately released the sword's hilt and stumbled backward, the blue light disappearing. Zelda rushed towards him, catching him before he could fall. His head spun like a top, his vision slowly returning. His limbs shook, and sweat dripped down his face and neck.

I couldn't do it.

"You would have lost your life if you hadn't released your grip on the sword…" The Deku Tree said firmly, although his tone wasn't cruel. "Prepare before you try again, for I will not stay your hand partway through next time."

Link slowly got back to his feet and out of Zelda's arms, brushing her away when she tried to steady him. He stared up at the guardian tree, his gaze falling back down onto the Master Sword. He was still panting hard, his heart aching, but not from exhaustion. I'm not strong enough. The sword won't accept me.

"Link…" Zelda began softly, placing her hand on his shoulder yet again.

"Don't." Link snapped, shrugging her hand off and stalking away from the sword and the platform and into the flora. He could hear the Deku Tree say something to Zelda, but he couldn't discern what was said as his head was still throbbing too painfully. He tried to ignore the many Koroks that poked out of the bushes and trees, murmuring and chattering amongst themselves, but it was hard. I'm a failure. What was I thinking? We shouldn't have come to this Goddess forsaken place. Once he was far enough away so that the Deku Tree and Zelda couldn't see him anymore, he grunted wordlessly and punched the tree closest to him, the contact sending sharp tendrils of pain dancing through his hand and up his arm. He sighed and turned, sliding down the trunk so that he was now sitting.

He brought his knees to his chest, resting his head on them. "Curse that stupid sword." He muttered.

"Mr. Hero!" A sudden voice squeaked, making Link's head snap up.

There was a little brown Korok standing right in front of him, staring directly at him. It let out a little gasp, bringing its stubby arms over its mouth since it didn't really have hands or fingers. "It really is you!" The creature exclaimed, bouncing up and down. A sound like a wooden rattle came from him as he did so.

Link gaped at the thing and subconsciously scooted closer to the tree trunk. "You guys… talk?"

The Korok giggled. It sounded eerily similar to the giggle from the forest with the crazy fog. "Oh Mr. Hero. You're so silly! Of course we talk!" It bounced again. "But look at you! You're really him! You're really Mr. Hero! Everyone's been too nervous to come to talk to you, so I decided to be the brave one!"

Straightening out his legs, Link relaxed just a bit. "Oh… uh… well hi, then."

Bouncing up and down like crazy now, the Korok squealed in delight. "Hi!" The little creature then gasped again. "Wow! You're really strong, Mr. Hero! Why didn't you pull the sword out? We've been waiting for you to do that ever since Miss Princess dropped it off here 100 years ago!"

"Uh… well. I didn't exactly… have the strength to do it, apparently." Link replied, lowering his tone in embarrassment.

The Korok tilted its head like a confused puppy before shaking it off and giggling again. "That's okay, Mr. Hero! I'm sure you'll be able to pull it out without a problem once you rest up again and eat a nice meal! We'll make you one! Both for you and Miss Princess."

Link blinked. "Oh. Thank you. That'll be… nice."

"Link! There you are." Zelda said with a breath of relief, hurrying towards him. She looked down at the Korok, smiling brightly. "Hello there."

The Korok bounced happily and waved back. "Hiya Miss Princess! You're really pretty."

She laughed lightly. "Thank you." She then turned her attention back to Link, "Link… are you okay?"

Link let out a puff of air. "Oh yeah. Just great." He said sarcastically.

Zelda sighed a bit and held out her hand, the Korok quickly moving out of the way. "Come on. You can try again. We've got all day, after all."

"Oh!" The Korok perked up, "Mr. Hero, Miss Princess, you two should follow me! We all have a surprise for you! My friends and I made something special."

Link glanced down at the Korok, sighing and taking hold of Zelda's hand. She hoisted him up, keeping his hand in hers since he wobbled just a bit. He was still completely exhausted. Zelda gave him a small smile before looking back down at the Korok. "That sounds lovely. We'll follow you."

"Yipee!" The Korok cheered before wobbling past them and back towards the Deku Tree. Its little feet were quite comical and adorable, and even enough to already cheer Link up just a tad. After a moment they were back at the Deku Tree, who seemed to have fallen asleep. However, the Korok didn't stop, walking underneath the tree and up a smoothed branch. Link spotted a cooking pot off to the side on another smoothed branch, and he only had enough time to think of just how bad of a fire hazard that was before they entered into a rather large room in the middle of the Deku Tree himself.

Link and Zelda followed the little creature, looking around the room in awe. It was incredibly homey, with little flowers blooming along the walls and the floor, lining the way towards the center of the room, where two beds sat, just waiting to be used. They were made of nothing but wood and leaves, and perhaps other flora as well. Despite that, however, they looked remarkably comfortable. Link almost collapsed into a deep sleep just by looking at them.

Their Korok friend stopped in front of the two beds, dancing and bouncing in excitement. "So what do you think Mr. Hero and Miss Princess? You two can take a nap here and we'll have a meal ready for you when you wake up by using the pot back out there!"

Zelda smiled brightly. "It's wonderful! Thank you." Link nodded in agreement.

"Yay! Mr. Hero and Miss Princess like it!" The Korok giggled. "I'll leave you two to take a nice long nap then! We'll wake you guys up when your food is ready!" The little wooden creature then turned and happily wobbled back outside, the wood-rattle noises fading as it left.

The two Hylians were alone in the woody room. Link sighed and walked to one of the beds, turned, and plopped down. He buried his face in his hands, propping them up on his knees. "Why did we come here." He mumbled.

Zelda lightly sat on the bed next to Link's. "You know why. We came for the Master Sword."

Link's head snapped up. "Yeah! Which, in case you didn't notice, tried to kill me!"

"Perhaps, but… if it didn't test whoever took its hilt like that, then anyone could've come in here and taken it. The test is only there to ensure that whoever pulls it is the hero. Is you." Zelda retorted quietly.

"They have those foggy woods to keep intruders out! Face it, Zelda. The sword rejected me. It doesn't want me."

"You don't know that."

"I don't?" Link laughed bitterly. "Look at me, Zelda. Look!" He grabbed his sleeve and pulled it up, exposing the many scars that lanced across his arm. He then grabbed the bottom of his tunic and lifted that, showing the scars there too. After a second he dropped his tunic, letting it fall loosely on his chest and stomach. "I'm a failed hero, and I have the scars to prove it. The sword knows it, the Deku Tree knows it, you know it, I know it. Everyone knows that I'm not the same hero I used to be." He said darkly, turning away from Zelda and staring at his feet. "I'm not… the same."

"Link, listen. You're not the same hero, because you're bet-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Link whirled back around, pointing his finger right at Zelda's face, his eyes narrowed. "We both saw out there just how wrong that is! I'm better? What a joke." He growled and crawled onto the bed, not bothering to slip underneath the leaf-made covers or take off his boots. He shifted onto his side, his back to Zelda.

"Link…"

"Zelda, please. Just… don't."

It was quiet after that until Link heard movement behind him. It fell silent again after a moment, and Link guessed Zelda had clambered into bed as well. He sighed, feeling hot tears brimming in the corner of his eyes. Immediately he hastily wiped them away, squeezing his eyes shut and slowly curling up on the bed, letting sleep slowly overtake him and pull him away.

OOF.

Also can I just say that it would be really hilarious if I actually did just kill off Link and say "Alright! I'm done. The end! :D" And be done with this fic ahaha (Don't worry I won't do that I just thought that was funny hahadslfkj)

Also also I was really really tempted to name this chapter "Lost in the Woods" because Frozen 2 and all that, but I decided against it XD