Remnants of the Wild
Vah Naboris and the Master Sword
Jaune made his way to the western gate where a Sand Seal rental was. Paying 20 rupees for one, he stood on his Shield of the Mind's Eye and had the Sand Seal dash off in a south western direction to the lookout post. About halfway there, he paused to change into his Desert Voe outfit and switch the shield to a Soldier's Shield before continuing. The seal stopped at the building next to two other seals as Jaune unhooked himself and climbed up a ladder to a lookout where Urbosa and Riju stood overlooking the desert.
"Well then...That's what you really look like, huh..." Riju said as she gazed at him from under her Thunder Helm, "Hehe...With voe banned from town, it's not very common for me to see someone like you." She turned her gaze back to the sandstorm. "What a sight. Divine Beast Vah Naboris is pretty intimidating... If we want to get close enough to that thing, we'll need to use sand seals...Are you ready?"
"Of course!" Jaune said as Urbosa smirked at him as she fussed with her returned weapons; the Daybreaker Shied and Scimitar of the Seven.
"Feeling confident?" Riju asked, "Good. Let's get going, then! First, we'll use the sand seals to get in really close to that thing. I'll take the lead. I'm counting on you to shoot at its feet with bomb arrows. Naboris draws energy from the ground to keep moving. If you damage the feet, I think you can stop it. Those lightning strikes, though...Getting hit even once could prove fatal. The Thunder Helm can repel the lightning strikes, protecting me from harm. But it can also shield a limited area around me...You'll have to stay close if you don't want to be shocked...And listen...If either of you are too injured to keep fighting, promise me you'll retreat here, to the lookout point. Don't do anything reckless under any circumstances."
Jaune's eyes softened as he nodded.
"Here are some Gerudo bomb arrows. There aren't many, so be sure to put them to good use." Riju said as she handed Jaune 20 bomb arrows. "This is the last time I'll ask. Are you ready?"
"Of course!" Urbosa and Jaune said at the same time.
Jaune and Urbosa stood strapped to the seals as Riju stood in front of her personal sand seald.
"Could you give me a bit of room, just for a moment?" Riju asked, and they both stood back. "My name is Riju, descendant of the royal line and leader of the Gerudo people!" She said, stretching her arms upwards, "With the power of the heirloom passed down in my family, I shall calm the Divine Beast Vah Naboris. Ancestors of the Gerudo! Answer my call! Aid me in this task!" With that, a glowing blue dome emerged from the Thunder Helm around them. "Oh, wow! I can feel their power coursing through me!"
Behind her, Vah Naboris stomped across the desert. Riju had to adjust the helm as it slid down once again. "Let's move!...Please grant us protection ancestors..."
With that, the three took off.
After surging across the desert, they paused as they watched Vah Naboris generate a glowing purple orb of lightning between the "humps" of the camel. He shot a couple of bomb arrows at it's rear left foot, severely damaging it. However, the blast knocked him out of the shield just as the lightning struck. Jaune's vision went white as he felt his body grow numb as his vision started going dark...He was dying.
Then, from within, he felt a surge of Aura as Mipha's healing power sprung forth, restoring his health and Aura as well as slightly amplify it. However, he felt this power retreat afterwards, going dormant to "recharge". He reattached himself to his sand seal and continued forward, being more mindful of Riju's movement. After lightning struck the shield, Jaune charged forward and damaged his other rear foot, before darting under Riju's shield just before lightning struck where he was. He fired some more arrows; most of them missed, but two struck the right front foot and damaged it. Only one foot was left to draw power to the beast. He then waited until it fired it's lightning again, and then darted forward, damaging the final foot.
The Divine Beast reared it's head, let out a loud cry, and collapsed.
Riju took off her Thunder helm. "Unfortunately, I cannot appease Naboris on my own. I have no choice but to entrust the rest to you two." With that, Jaune and Urbosa ran to the ramp, climbing on just as Naboris stood up, repaired enough to move on it's own again. "Don't let us down..." Riju said.
Jaune touched his scroll to the pedestal, registering Naboris as a Travel Gate. "Well, well, well..." A voice said, "You two know how to keep someone waiting. As one of the Sheikah, I can't wait to see you take Naboris back from Ganon! One thing at a time. First, you'll need a map." With that, a Guidance stone activated. they moved forward, as a miniature Guardian approached. Urbosa deflected it's spear with her shield as Jaune stabbed it through it's eye with his Gerudo Spear he found. As Urbosa glanced at the ground far below them, Jaune shot an "eye" of the strange substance with an arrow.
"I'm sure you don't know, but that stuff we call Malice. It's a concentrated form of Ganon's power." Urbosa said as it dissipated into smoke. Climbing into it, Jaune reached the Guidance stone and downloaded a map to everyone's scrolls. The inside had the same smokey and glowing embers as Vah Ruta did. Destroying another few small Guardians got him an Ancient Battle Axe when his Gerudo spear broke, and a Guardian sword. Bombing stone plugging up a section of Naboris, he shot an arrow into a Malice eye, destroying it from his new position. He tossed a bomb from his Sheikah Scroll to destroy more stones plugging another section as Urbosa used her scroll to rotate sections of the inside of Naboris. This allowed him a Knight's Bow, bomb arrows, ancient screw, and an Ancient Shaft. Pretty soon, they had the first terminal out of four activated.
Pyrrha let out a yell as she thrust her Gerudo Spear forward into the target with pinpoint accuracy as Yang sliced the head of a dummy with her Gerudo Scimitar.
"Alright! You two can take a break!" Captain Teake said as they lowered their weapons. "Honestly, we need more vai like you...but I feel like you two are part of a quest for something bigger, aren't you?"
"We are." Yang said, gazing at her and Pyrrha's Gerudo outfits 'I bet Hero would love to see us in this more often' She thought with a smirk underneath her veil, "We are working on sealing the Great Calamity before it escapes."
"Sa'oten" Captain Teake said in awe, and both women of Gerudo descent knew that she had said 'Good heavens'. "Vai like you taking on such a daunting task. Even if you aren't pure Gerudo, you will find support from those here...plus once you find a voe... you two will have such a cute vehvi with your voe."
"A Vehvi..." Pyrrha trailed off, seeing her holding a blonde-haired baby girl with green eyes reaching out to Jaune. A quick glance to Yang showed that her cheeks were also red, showing she was thinking of a similar thing. Each Gerudo, as well as Yang and Pyrrha, paused as Vah Naboris's calls became more frequent.
"The Divine Beast is restless...I fear what would happen if it came to Gerudo Town." Captain Teake said. Yang clenched her fist, feeling useless sitting to the side learning about her culture and cultural fighting style while Jaune risked his life. Pyrrha placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded at her. Yang's lilac eyes gazed at the floor as she lifted her Gerudo Scimitar and sheathed it as Pyrrha strapped her spear onto her back. They left the barracks and headed down that pathway into a building at the end of it called "The Noble Canteen". Weiss had just gone into a local hotel and was getting a spa treatment. In the bar, Yang and Pyrrha sat at the bar.
"Aren't you a little young to be here?" The bartender asked as she was cleaning a glass.
"Oh, I'm just looking for a non-alcoholic drink known as a wildberry sunrise." Yang said, making the bartender blink in confusion. "Wait...you've never heard of it? What about a strawberry sunrise?"
Pyrrha was biting her lips as she saw Yang's look of disbelief. "Are you kidding me!" Yang groaned out as she slammed her head onto the bar. "Maybe Jaune will make me one." She quietly whispered to herself.
It was 5:35 the next morning, and there were only two terminals left for Link and Urbosa to activate. As he looked around, Jaune felt a surge within him, announcing that Mipha's Grace was ready to use again. After moving some switches to make a moving platform and destroying a small Guardian, Urbosa activated a terminal, leaving only one left before they could activate the main control. After clearing out a couple small guardians, Urbosa used Magnesis to drop the first electrical orb into a pedestal. Jaune moved to the now opened door to the first room and grabbed the second electrical orb with Magnesis and dropped it onto the second pedestal, which made stone bars blocking the last terminal drop down.
Urbosa walked up and held her scroll up to the last terminal activating it. "Now, we need to start up the main control unit. Still, we can't afford to be overconfident." Urbosa said, as Jaune nodded. They made their way back into the main body of Vah Naboris, rotating the middle of the room so that the now glowing main control unit rested at the bottom. They parachuted to the platform it was on and Jaune took a deep breath before pressing his scroll to the sensor on it.
Like with Vah Ruta, the dark smoke erupted from it, forming a black beast with glowing red markings floating. It's right arm formed what looked like a cross between a Guardian Axe and a Sickle, while it's left held a circular shield. It's single blue eye gazed from a white bone mask as it's red mane of hair dangled in two strands with the bone mask forming a jagged horn at top. It was...
LightningGrimm Ganon.
"Be careful, this thing is one of Ganon's creations." Urbosa said, "It nearly killed me 100 years ago. Now, fight for your life...and it's death! Be careful, it moves fast!"
The Grimm formed three orbs of lightning that they back-flipped away from. The electricity that burst from the orbs contacting the floor made him drop the metal Soldier's Shield. Just as Jaune stood back up, it blurred forward in a lightning fact burst of speed and slashed at Jaune, nearly draining his Aura. He opened and quickly gulped down the Hearty Fried Wild Greens as he picked up and put away the Soldier's Shield, equipping the Shield of the Mind's Eye. It blurred forward again, and Urbosa and Jaune blocked it's sash, and then attacked it until the shield it held shattered, and launched a flurry of slashes that knocked it down to the floor below. Jumping down, Jaune got a few more slashes in, then jumped back as it slammed an orb of lightning below itself.
The Grimm kept firing shocks that burst outward, draining him of his Aura. He knew that Urbosa's metal weapons would make her more vulnerable to it's attacks, so he choked down another Hearty Fried Wild Greens as it replenished and boosted his Aura and kept the Grimm's attention on himself. After his Guardian sword broke, he grabbed the Lizal Forked Boomerang and slashed at it. It let out a screech and went to the main control unit, raising it's blade upwards. Instead of forming a shield, the two warriors watched as it's blade became electrified. It then dropped metal bars, which lightning struck. Watching the lightning being drawn to the bars, which disintegrated when struck, Jaune pulled out his scroll.
"Magnesis the bars." Jaune said to Urbosa, who also pulled out her scroll.
Doing so was easier said than done, as the bars would fall apart if dropped, and the other bars around it would release a shock in a small area around it, and it would drop the bars around the two. Urbosa jumped back as Jaune held a bar near it, and the lightning was attracted to the bar Jaune was holding and the Grimm shocked itself. It then blurred forward and swung it's weapon. Jaune's shield took a beating from the strikes, cracking from the intense blow as Jaune started chipping away at it's reformed shield with Urbosa. Once they shattered it, it reared back with a growl and a red beam similar to a Guardian Targeting Beam locked onto Jaune. It then fired a blue beam, with Jaune deflected back into it with a parry with his shield. Another beam made his shield shatter, and he equipped a Guardian Shield he had gotten from one of his test of strengths. Then, as he drew an arrow, the third red beam stopped and it suddenly blurred forward, slicing him so badly Mipha's Grace activated to save his life again.
He groaned as he stood up, Urbosa jumped away from it's attack as Jaune tossed her a Hearty Meat and Mushroom Skewer, which she choked down before tossing the skewer at the beast, which it sliced apart. "There is valor in dodging, you know." Urbosa said as Jaune held his Guardian Shield up as it quickly fired a blue beam, Jaune's eye twitching as the shield broke in a single hit, forcing him to equip the Soldier's Shield. He then tried to slash it's shield after side stepping it's attacks, but it electrified it's shield and the electricity forced him to drop the Lizal Boomerang and his shield. Changing the boomerang for his last Guardian Sword, he back-flipped over another strike as his heart beat loudly in his ears, time seeming to slow around him as he touched the floor and launched forward under it's shield and launched a flurry of slashes. LightningGrimm Ganon let out a warbling groan as it slid onto the ground. Urbosa stabbed her sword through it's eye the same time Jaune stabbed it's body.
It then floated up into the room and curled up, back ooze bursting from it like blood. It then let out a shrill cry as purple light burst forth and it exploded into smoke. Jaune felt his Aura reserves grow a chunk, like it did after fighting WaterGrimm Ganon. Urbosa gave him a nod of respect and pressed her scroll on the control unit's sensor, and activated it.
"Well done, Jaune." Urbosa said, "I knew you wouldn't let us down. With your valor and skill, Naboris is ours again. We Gerudo have no tolerance for unfinished business. I cannot wait to incinerate Ganon into a pile of ash. By the way, with your Semblance activated..." She said, noticing that Jaune was glowing gold, "Take this skill, which has come to be known as...Urbosa's Fury! I know it will be of use to you!" With that, Urbosa formed a yellow orb of Aura, which was launched at Jaune and went into Jaune. He crouched and snapped his fingers, green lightning striking around him.
"I'm so stupid..." Jaune said, "I just remembered Nora's Semblance is Electricity Absorbance." This made Urbosa laugh.
"Take good care of those girls." Urbosa said, "Oh, and take good care of Hyrule!" She said, as Jaune vanished in a gold light.
Vah Naboris walked up a cliff, and knelt on the top of the cliff, the "horns" of the beast adjusted themselves to point at the castle, and a red beam struck at the castle from between the horns.
"Nabooru. Legend of the Gerudo...and you Naboris, named in her honor, are a legend as well." Urbosa said from Naboris's head. "It was said that Calamity Ganon once took the form of a male Gerudo...which will make this victory all the more satisfying...now we can take it personally. It will be up to Jaune to keep Ganon occupied until we strike."
Jaune reappeared outside of Gerudo Town. He was tired, and sore, as it was now midnight...but he felt energized and accomplished at the same time. Smoke around him made him realize that Ganon's power still lingered, which made him grit his teeth. Ducking into the shrine, he changed into his Gerudo disguise. Upon entering, he lit a fire under a cooking pot, making two Hearty Fried Wild Greens, two Hearty Prime Meat and Seafood Fry, and a Hearty Elixir. He felt guilty after having to eat so many dishes to restore his aura during the battle, so he felt like he had to make more dishes to replace them.
Entering Riju's room, he saw Yang, Pyrrha, and Weiss standing there.
"Oh, you're back?!" Riju said in shock, making the three turn as Yang and Pyrrha gazed at Jaune in admiration. "I'm glad you're ok...truly, I am...Naboris is no longer a threat to town...I'm still worried about the larger threat to Hyrule, but at least my people won't be troubled by Naboris anymore."
"You don't need to thank me." Jaune said, pulling out his scroll and teleporting to Kakariko Village. It was time to pick up his teammates. He ducked into the shrine and put on his usual hood and armor, before going to see Lady Impa. Hearing the door open, Ren, Nora, Daruk, and Revali turned to see Jaune and the remaining group entering the building.
"It seems you are doing well in following the advisor's words. Some of the Divine Beasts have been appeased, and the powers of evil have weakened." Impa said, "The advisor must sense this as well... Still, the Divine Beast Vah Medoh, controlled by Revali of the Rito, still remains. Divine Beast Vah Rudania also remains, controlled by Daruk of the Gorons. You are Advisor Ozpin's only hope...and Hyrule's, as well... You cannot turn back now. Follow your heart and seize your Destiny!" Once the group went outside, Daruk turned to Jaune.
"So, what now Little Guy?" He asked.
"We're going to Hateno, to pick up Ruby." Jaune said as Pyrrha and Yang took off their veils, "I got a lead on the location of the Sword that Seals the Darkness." In a flash of blue, they all vanished, reappearing in the shrine in Hateno Village at 4:25 am. Going into his house, he saw Ruby sleeping on a stool overlooking a workbench she brought up, weapon parts all around her.
"Wake up Ruby." Jaune said, nudging her.
"Five more minutes love..." She muttered shifting her weight to get more comfortable.
"We're going to get the Sword that Seals the Darkness." Jaune said, and Ruby's eyes shot open as she sat upright.
"YOU FOUND IT?!" She let out an excited scream.
"Lady Riju of the Gerudo mentioned Ozpin hid in in the middle of a great forest." Pyrrha said, "Jaune and I heard about the Great Hyrule forest, with strange winds within it to get travelers lost. If it's not in there, I don't know where it would be."
"It would seem like the reasonable place...It would be hidden from those seeking it as a collector's item." Yang added.
"So...where do we start?" Ruby asked.
"By teleporting to the Woodland Tower." Yang said.
"Before we do...hold up." Ruby said, pressing a button on her scroll as something downloaded to everyone's scrolls. "It was a thing Purah and I worked on. Now we can record and send videos on our scrolls, and talk face-to-face despite being far away." With a smirk as everyone else was busy checking out the new tool on the scroll, she vanished in a blue light. Yang made a frustrated noise after everyone else noticed this a minute later and they all teleported after her.
They paraglided down from the tower to a trail leading to the forest in the middle of a thunderstorm. Lightning struck violently at the metal in the Military Training Camp nearby. Fires started by lightning striking grass and trees as they ran along the trail. Ruby jumped into Yang's arms with a squeak of fear as lightning struck next to her. Yang made no joke about that, hair lightning up in anger at the thought of her little sister being severely hurt. Soon, they entered a foggy forest, with the rain dying down. Crows flew away as they entered a ruined building, and Ren let a torch on fire with a fire arrow, which Jaune lit his portable torch with.
"Now, the map calls this the Lost Woods...how are we supposed to get through?" Weiss asked.
"An old man mentioned that the wind blew different directions." Jaune said, watching the embers of his torch being blown sideways, "We'll let the wind be our guide." They each followed Jaune as he twisted and turned in the foggy forest, following the blowing embers of his torch. Rattles and shakes made the forest seem creepier than it already was with the fog alone. Birds, foxes, and deer ran away when they got close, vanishing into the fog. After a few hours of wandering through the forest, Jaune tucked the torch away as they reached a portion of the forest where the fog did not reach. Their shrine sensor was going off as well. On the trail, Koroks flew up on leaf propellers or vanished into the foliage as they approached. Ruby finally hopped down from her sister's arms, mouth open in wonder. In the middle of the forest, in a triangular pedestal, was a sword with a wide, purple winged handle with green lines around the grip, a yellow gem in the broadsword that gleamed in the light, an etching of the Triforce on the blade.
This, sitting in a pedestal, was the Master Sword.
Ruby picked up her scroll and took a picture of it sitting in the pedestal. Jaune approached it, crouching down as he gazed at the blade he picked up when his brother died. Memories that he had recovered always had Link with this sword strapped to his back...
And now it was his.
Doubts nagged at the back of his mind. What if the sword rejected him? What if he wasn't the hero?
He took a deep breath. It was time to gather Courage...and he placed a hand on the hilt. Before he could pull it...he heard Ozpin's voice.
"Jaune...You are our main hope...the Fate of Hyrule rests with you." He then stepped back.
A loud yawn broke through the clearing as the tree ahead of him started to move slightly, and then spoke in a deep voice. "Hm...Who is that? Did I doze off again? Hrm?" It's branches that formed "eyebrows" lowered in thought as he gazed at Jaune. "Well, well...it's you! Heir to the Sword. You finally decided to return. Better late than never. After 100 years, I had nearly given up hope on seeing you again." Koroks peeked out at the group from the tree's branches.
"Even my patience has limits, you know..." The tree added, "That look on your face tells me that you have no recollection of me, however." The others gazed at Jaune in sympathy, recalling he was the only one left without all of his memories. "I have watched over Hyrule since time immemorial. Many have referred to me over the ages as the Deku Tree."
Jaune's eyes were drawn to the sword in front of him. "That is the weapon created by the ancient Goddess. The Sword that Seals the Darkness, that can only the chosen knight can wield against the Calamity Ganon. After the first knight fell with the Princess, the sword chose you as it's knight 100 years ago. But I must warn you to take extreme caution." This got everyone's attention.
"The sword stands as a test to anyone who would dare attempt to possess it. As you are right now, I cannot say whether you are worthy or not... If you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life where you stand." Two Koroks acted this out as one attempted to pull a twig out of the ground and then dramatically collapsed as the other cried. This got gasps from the group.
The Master Sword could KILL Jaune when trying to pull it out?!
"Best of luck young one..." The Deku tree said with a chuckle. "The sword cares not for your physical might. It is moved by what lies within. It cuts through bravado and superficial enhancements. Only true strength can draw it from it's resting place. The only way to know if you have what it takes...is to try."
Jaune took a step back and gazed at the sword. He then looked at his scroll and entered the nearby Keo Rugg Shrine. After emerging with his fourth Spirit Orb, he wandered around, deep in thought as he noticed an opening in the tree behind the sword. First, however, they visited Hestu. After the group got their inventory expanded (with Jaune focusing on a weapons and two shield expansion, with two bow expansions), he moved to the hole in the Deku Tree, but then stopped to talk to a couple Koroks. One wanted to see a picture of a Blupee, and the other wanted to see an ice rod, which Jaune happened to have. Seeing the Ice Rod made the Korok so happy it gave him a silver rupee. Entering the hole showed a little resting spot, a cooking pot, a couple of Korok-run shops, and a Goddess Statue. He bought a bunch of arrows and a hearty truffle. Then, he prayed at the Goddess Statue, unlocking another chunk of his aura...
But he also prayed for guidance. Was he ready to carry on Link's legacy. The Koroks were calling him "Mr. Hero", but in Jaune's mind...Link...his brother...
Was his hero.
The one who never judged him, and helped him improve. The one who was a slight glutton for a home-cooked meal, allowing him to constantly improve his cooking skills. Then, in front of his eyes, wearing what he saw him die in, was Link, glowing white. Link held out his hand, and Jaune took it, only for Link to vanish and he saw a ghostly form of the Master Sword in his hand before it faded away like Link did.
Jaune took a deep breath, his eyes hardening with focus and determination. If that wasn't a sign that he was ready, he didn't know what was. Ruby was filming the sword from the front as the others sat talking near her when Jaune ran up and grabbed onto the sword.
"JAUNE!" Yang, Pyrrha, and Ruby shouted together. Jaune grabbed tightly and pulled. He saw and felt his Aura and life force being drained into the sword. More and more his Aura was quickly being sucked in, and the sword shifted upwards. The drawing of his Aura became more intense as the sword slipped free of it's rock pedestal more, and then it slipped upwards again, and in a bright flash, it slipped again and the drain suddenly stopped...
And the sword slid free of the rock.
Jaune held it outwards in his right hand before holding it flat in front of him, closing his eyes, only to open them and raise the sword towards the heavens.
"Your master will come for you." He heard Ozpin's voice say, "Until then, you shall safely rest here." The Master Sword was laying across the pedestal it had been sheathed in, covered in mud and chipped in different sections; badly damaged in the battle that nearly killed Jaune. "Although the Slumber of Restoration will most certainly deprive him of his memories," Ozpin knelt down in a white suit with the Crest of Hyrule on the back, his cane next to him, "Please trust me when I say that I know he will arrive before you yet again."
"If I may be so bold...what is it you are planning next, Advisor?" The Deku Tree said to Ozpin.
Ozpin looked solemn, clenching his cane as he stood up and held it to his chest and gazed at the sword. "The Master Sword...After Princess Zelda gave me most of her sealing power before dying...I heard it speak to me. It seems that I have inherited Princess Zelda's unfinished role. There is still something I must do."
"I sense there is great strength in your dedication." The Deku tree said.
"I have faith in them." Ozpin said, gazing down at the sword, "The Master Sword will be repaired in it's dormancy. It may be due to my pride as their teacher, but I know JNPR and RWBY will change Hyrule's fate. Thus, I cannot afford to fail them here." Ozpin gingerly picked up the sword, pointing it at the opening in the stone pedestal. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening his eyes and sliding the damaged blade into the pedestal, the sword glowing a bluish-white as it slid into place. The sword sat in the pedestal, glowing even stronger in the sunlight as it started to repair itself.
Jaune's focus came into the group staring at him in concern as was staring at the sword while holding it upwards. He brought it down and rested his forehead against the flat part of the blade fondly before giving a few test swings. He sheathed the blade, only for his eyes to widen as he felt his brother's signature sheath on him for the Master Sword.
"Jaune...What you just saw happened where you stand 100 years ago...After you were separated from the sword, the Advisor thought to bring it here, where he knew that it would be safe under my watch. He continues to fight, trapped deep within the confines of Hyrule Castle. His heart cascades with faith that the Champions, JNPR, and RWBY will return." The Deku Tree explained. Ruby gazed down at the scroll in her hands, realizing with a start that she was still filming. Her hand hovered over the stop button, but she couldn't dare press it.
"That blade has a name...It is the Master Sword." The Deku Tree said, as Jaune fondly touched the handle of it on his back. "When used against Calamity Ganon or those tainted by his Malice, it will become suffused with holy light...At such times, the true power of the sword will manifest...but be warned. Do not rely too much on its power. The sword has still not completely recovered, despite it's damage being gone. If you wield it too much, its power will be exhausted and it will no longer be of use to you...should this happen, you must wait for the sword to recover. It would be rash to rely on this sword alone to defeat Ganon...I suggest you free the Divine Beasts before facing him. One day, the sword will not lose it's power as it is fully recovered." Ruby finally took this as a sign to stop recording as the others approached him as Jaune drew the Master Sword and inspected it, feeling the power within it flowing through it and him.
"You really scared us." Pyrrha said quietly, "We thought the sword was going to kill you."
"I prayed at a Goddess Statue." Jaune said, letting his aura flow out and become visible, the others noting that he had more of it than before, "While there...I saw...my brother...he didn't speak...but he didn't have to. He let me know I was ready." Everyone's eyes softened and they looked on him in sympathy. Jaune was as close as brothers to Link; even more so than his other "brother" Lie Ren. One of his only memories when he woke up was seeing his brother die, and his eyes had held a haunted gaze in them.
That haunted look was now gone. He had closure.
Jaune approached on of the larger Koroks, who spoke of the "Korok Trials". Despite having already drawn the Master Sword, Jaune felt a need to prove himself to the sword. Call it lingering doubt, but he wanted to prove to the Master Sword that it made the right choice. As he headed to the first trial while the others slept, he saw the signs starting.
Then, the Blood Moon rose.
Still, he had no time to feel frustrated. The Korok Trials awaited.
"So what is the little guy doing now that he has the Master Sword?" Daruk asked the group as he bit into a stone, the loud crunch making the others around him flinch.
"He's going through the Korok trials to get to the shrines. Apparently he's starting with the Test of Wood, whatever that is." Ruby said as she munched on an Endura Shroom she bought at the Spore Shop in the Deku Tree. "The first one he went to was called the Test of Wood, then he will head to the Test of Second Sight and then the Lost Pilgrimage."
"Test of Wood...heh, just put Jaune around us!" Yang joked, pulling Pyrrha and Ruby into a hug, which made them blush at what she was implying.
"You want to have the Korok Weapons tested on you?" A nearby Korok asked in confusion, making them blink.
"Korok Weapons?" Ruby asked.
"Oh yes! We take shed wood from the Deku Tree and forge weapons for Mr. Hero!" The Korok said, "There's a sword, shield, and bow enhanced to fire three arrows while only consuming one from your inventory. The problem is, since they are made of wood, they burn easily. The Test of Wood is said to be the hardest since there are enemies that use fire on the path to the shrine, and you can't have any of your weapons break to complete the trial."
The others gazed at each other. "Talk about an overachiever." Revali said, ruffling his feathers, "Attempting the hardest trial first. He already has the Sword that Seals the Darkness, so why is he bothering with the Trials?"
"To prove to himself that he is worthy of the sword." Pyrrha said solemnly, "The first time he wielded it, he ended up in the Shrine of Resurrection with the Sword placed in the forest to recover. Link wielded it until he died effortlessly. Jaune feels like he has a lot to live up to."
They slowly dozed off until Jaune entered early the next morning, the noise from the greaves on the dead leaves on the floor of the "Shops" startling them awake.
"We should head back to Hateno." Jaune said, putting away the Master Sword onto his belt as he put Korok weapons on his back, "I'm sure Purah will need Ruby." With a sheepish smile-having been away from her "work" for longer than planned, the group teleported back to the Hateno Shrine in the middle of a pouring rain. Jaune instead, moved to the dye shop, having his Desert Voe outfit dyed white, the gold outlines making a nice contrast with the colors. As Yang and Pyrrha gave his new color a thumbs-up of approval as he wore his armor, Jaune smiled at them warmly and headed to Nebb, showing the boy the Duplex Bow he took from a defeated Yiga Archer. The boy gave him a purple rupee, requesting to see a Windcleaver next.
Jaune headed into his house, hanging up his Hylian Hood to dry on a coat rack before placing the Korok's Forest Dweller's Sword on the weapon display for Ruby. Despite it being made of wood, it was stronger than the Guardian Sword. Ruby would probably want to learn why, plus it was his second one. He also replaced the missing Zora Shield with the Forest Dweller's Shield, and replaced the missing Lynel Bow with the Forest Dweller's Bow. Like the Lynel Bow, he knew Ruby would want to investigate how a bow made of wood could fire three arrows while only using one.
Exhausted from his ordeals, he changed out of his armor into his Hylian Trousers and went to bed early that afternoon, sleeping until early the next morning. The next morning, as his comrades and loved ones still slept, Jaune crept out of the house and teleported to Kakariko Village. First, he visited with Elder Impa.
"Hm?" Impa said groggily as she opened her eyes to gaze at Jaune. "Ah...So the sword has been returned to its rightful owner. Heh, just as I expected of you, hero. The sword that seals the darkness is your counterpart..So long as that blade is at your side, you shall wield enormous power. The advisor risked everything for you and that sword. Do not forget that, and do not waste this chance."
This chance...those words echoed in his mind. He now had the power to face Calamity Ganon. Part of him wanted to storm straight into the castle...then he remembered how his Aura was still weakened...how two of the Divine Beasts were still under Ganon's control. Still, Jaune knew that they would need to scout Hyrule Castle before they stormed it. Judging by the few memories he had of it, the castle had deteriorated somewhat over the 100 years. Passageways would have been changed or blocked off, so they would need to learn about the new routes of the castle.
It still was not time. Jaune would not feel comfortable even THINKING of scouting Hyrule Castle until he had all of the Divine Beasts freed from Ganon. Still, he came to Kakariko Village for a reason; the Great Fairy. On the way, he photographed a Blupee to show the Korok at a later date. He had his rubber tights and Link's Champion Tunic enhanced, learning about the materials missing to upgrade his Radiant outfit and Desert Voe outfit. After that was finished, he teleported back to Hateno Village. Entering his house, he saw Ruby, Pyrrha, and Yang curled up on his bed and he gazed at them fondly. Placing a Silver Bow, Silver Shield, and Thunderblade on his back with his Master Sword strapped to his belt, Jaune sat down at the kitchen table and thought, closing his eyes. After a few minutes, he snapped them open and gazed at Daruk, who was sleeping in a corner while curled up into a ball.
Their next stop was Vah Rudania.