Second to last chapter. Next one is an epilogue. I thought it was fitting to be honest as this series started with a prologue so it makes sense to end it with an epilogue. However this is not the end of this storyline though! More stories are to come at some point in the future that take place in this same universe that I have created here. These will be mostly stand-alones that either take place between certain chapters of my main stories or after this last one (excluding its epilogue that is). This will especially cover the time gaps in this story, like the three year one during chapter eleven or whichever one it was. And the two year one between chapters 23 and 24. This might have been obvious with the referencing of specific events that never appeared in the story. My intention is fully to make these short stories connected to this main series storyline.
Chapter Twenty Five
Returning the Master Sword/Saying Goodbye to a Very Old Friend
Two weeks after our coronation and the beginning of a new chapter in history, I knew the day had finally come. I knew the moment I pulled the Master Sword from its sheath to clean it as I did all the time with the utmost care. The moment it was out of the sheath I saw how it wasn't glowing at all. The last it time had done that, I had been in bad shape and it was reflecting the condition of its wielder, but now…that wasn't the case. There could only be one reason for its lacking its normal glow. And that reason sent a pang through my heart. I honestly didn't want to accept that the time had come at last, I didn't want to admit that I would soon have to part from an old friend who'd seen me through many hardships, in many lifetimes. But deep down I knew that was naive, I knew that I had to do it, I had to return the Master Sword to the Korok forest.
After all, the sword's purpose had been fulfilled, evil had been destroyed and thus the very entity which it was made to counter had been obliterated. The sword had at last accomplished its destiny, and the spirit within it had earned its warrior's rest.
"Zelda? Would you come here please?" I called out for my wife.
"Of course, darling, what is it?" Her sweet voice came back to me as she entered the room, "What's going-oh, I see." She broke off.
"I guess the time has come now." I say softly.
"I'm sorry Link, I know this hard for you." She replies gently, sitting beside me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
I sigh, then answer, "There's no point keeping it now. Let's go return this sword to where it belongs, we owe it Fi."
For once, the spirit does not manifest upon saying her name out loud. That only further drives home the point of how the time has come to place the sword in the pedestal under the gaze of the Great Deku Tree. We informed our children that we were going to go on a trip, informed the council that we were going to be gone for a couple days at the longest, and began preparing for our trip. Our private aircraft was prepared for us, when we got out there they wished us luck, and we were off.
We flew off toward the Korok forest, moving at an impressive velocity of nine hundred miles per hour. After barely an hour, we approached our destination, still out of view over the horizon. Nevertheless, we decelerated and circled around the Lost Woods once as we continued to reduce our speed. Then we lowered our craft to the ground several hundred feet away from the tree line. We gently bumped down, then we got up and made our way to the main cavity of the craft. I hit the button to lower the ramp on the underside of the craft. Once it lowered we exited the aircraft, and walked toward the tree line, which as usual was shrouded in fog.
I briefly looked back at our aircraft, looming over us. It was unlike any aircraft before, no propellers, jet engines, or other obvious means of propulsion. It was constructed utilizing technology developed by the Sheikah which based it off that in the divine beasts. Its overall shape was however moderately akin to some aircraft of the past. It had swept forward wings like some of the old fighter planes, but could take off and land from the ground or landing pad like a helicopter.
I faced forward again, looking at my family. Zelda smiled at me, Michael in one of those child backpack things, despite how at nearly three years old he was almost too big for them. I looked over to Ilia, only to see her running off toward the trees.
"Ilia! Come back here right now!" I called out, tense from sudden worry, desperate to stop her before she could enter the forest.
Zelda's head snapped around to look at Ilia, who'd skidded to a stop a few dozen feet from the forest's edge. She turned back around and faced us, before lowering her head and making her way back to us. When she reached us, I crouched down in front of her and put my hands on her shoulders.
"Ilia I need you listen to what I tell you very carefully. Can you do that for me?" I ask her.
She nods, looking ashamed.
"Good, because this forest that we're about to enter, it isn't like any other forest in the world darling. It's called the Lost Woods for a reason. This place is very easy to get lost in, so I want you to stick close to your mother and me. Your mother and I would feel a lot better if you stayed close to us so we could be sure that you're alright." I lectured her.
"What happens to people who get lost here?" She asks, voice small and weak.
"Well, that's hard to say for certain Ilia. Last time I was around, when people got lost, they would be teleported back to the start of the path. However, in the past, when people got lost they turned into stalfos." I tell her.
She shudders in fear, then looks up me, her eyes wide and worried.
"I'm sorry daddy, I won't run off." She mutters.
"Don't worry Ilia, just stay close to me and you'll be fine." I say, extending my left hand to her as I stand up again.
She grabs it in her little hand and we begin to walk toward the forest. I take the torch that was conveniently leaning against a tree nearby and light it. Then taking point, I lead us into the forest, the temperature dropping quickly as we were quickly enveloped in the forest. The fog blocking out the sun and turning everything a dreary gray-blue.
Although I hadn't been here for sixteen years, since I was twelve, it was all the same as before. The path wound around through the trees, all of which were dead and bare. We proceeded slowly and steadily, for a very serious reason. You see one of the best ways to navigate the Lost Woods was with fire, a torch for example would slowly release embers in the direction one needed to go in. This only worked however if one walked slowly enough that the flame didn't gutter in the wind. For about a couple hours we slowly meandered our way around through the trees, following the embers from the torch in my right hand. My left hand held Ilia's right hand in a firm grip. Zelda was just behind us, walking a few paces away.
Every so often I would turn my head back to look behind us and lock eyes with my wife. About halfway through the Lost Woods, she pulled up beside us and walked on the opposite side of Ilia from me, keeping her between us as we continued to make our way through the eerie place. A few times we were startled by random wildlife like deer and boar running away from us. But upon seeing that they were just regular animals we relaxed and continued. Ilia was clearly spooked by the place, scared of the dead trees with the ghastly faces in them. She tightened her grip on my hand, I smiled down at her to reassure her. The fog made it impossible to know the time without looking at the slate, which said it had been four hours after we entered that we finally came upon the hollowed out tree trunk that lead into the Korok forest. Stepping in and walking through it, everything brightened and became lush and green.
"Welcome to Korok forest guys." I said, extinguishing the torch and leaning it against the trunk for our return trip.
"Ilia, there's someone I think you should meet." Zelda stated to our daughter, with just the slightest bit of tension in her voice as she stops walking.
I inspect her at this, she looks like she's trying to hide a sudden feeling of being ill. She won't admit it easily of course, but I know how to handle her when she's like this.
"Just go wait by the stone pedestal, and we'll be there shortly." I add, before our little angel can sense something is different.
"Ok dad!" She chirps and quickly dashes off to the mentioned spot.
"Are you OK?" I worriedly ask my wife as Ilia rushes off.
"Yes, love, I'm fine." She huffed out a breath. "Ok, fine, I'm not, I'm feeling nauseated!" She sighs when I give her a scrutinizing look.
"Zelda, you don't need to hide these things from me, especially not since last week when you told me why you were feeling sick." I gently admonish her, taking her hands in mine and squeezing them a little.
"I know Link, I just can't help it sometimes when I'm not feeling very well." She sighed as she leaned into me a little as we resumed walking.
It was no mystery to me why she was feeling a little sick. Last week, when she told me, we were both happy. I held my wife close to me, her head slightly leaning against my shoulder. I looked ahead at our daughter who was staring around her in complete fascination as Koroks begin to pop out of their hiding places to inspect the small creature in front of them. I look back at Zelda and whisper softly into her ear.
"Soon we will be outnumbered, dear, we should enjoy it while it lasts." I grin, "Once that happens, mark my words, we'll find ourselves facing opposition." I wasn't talking about the Koroks.
"Oh, goddesses what a travesty! Let us hope that they never figure that out!" She responds in the same playfulness.
The Koroks meanwhile have surrounded Ilia and are all chattering in their little voices. They're nearly the size of Ilia and are just like children in their mannerisms. Ilia is not intimidated by how she's completely penned in by the little creatures. She's giggling and seemingly having fun, the Koroks words are indiscernible from our distance. As we approach, some of them notice us and immediately they all turn their attention to us.
"Daddy! The Koroks have been waiting for you!" Ilia says, still giggling.
"Hmm? Have they now?" I say with a smile, looking out over the quickly growing sea of little leaf faces.
The Koroks' voices quickly rise into a growing chorus of exclamations.
"It's him! It's Mr. Hero!"
"The hero is here!"
"We haven't seen him for years!"
"Ooh he's brought others again!"
"Wait a minute, those aren't the same people with him!"
We step up onto the pedestal when a slightly louder voice rises above the rest.
"Mr. Hero!"
A slightly larger Korok waddles up, a ginkgo leaf for a face and a head that is topped with a split into three stubby branches of sorts with mushrooms on them. I recognize this Korok, it shouldn't be possible, but yet there he is.
"Chio?" I ask.
"Mr. Hero remembers me?!" He sounds stunned, based on his voice getting even higher pitched.
"Yep, in fact I actually recognize quite a few of you little guys." I look around at the many Koroks around us.
Ushering Ilia forward I introduce her to the various residents here. First is Peeks, a pale yellow Korok with a lily pad face. Next is Maca, a yellowish Korok with a sideways leaf face. The others are Pepp, Daz, Damia, Kula, Natie, and Walton. They are a range of colors; blues, reds, a couple grays, and some yellows. Their leaf faces range from smooth sided leaves to multi-ended ones resembling maple leaves.
Finally, we turn to the pedestal, and then a large voice is heard.
"Ah so you have returned, hero of legend." The Great Deku Tree said.
"Yes, I have, to return the sacred sword to its place here. Evil has been conquered for the last time and therefore the sword has fulfilled its purpose. There is no more point in keeping it, I owe it to Fi to grant her the warrior's rest she deserves." I answer.
"Indeed, young hero. The spirit of the sword, created to counter the Demon King, has accomplished her goal. But I sense that this troubles you." The Deku Tree observes.
"Yes, after so many lifetimes and adventures together, it feels wrong to say goodbye now." I reply. "But, I will do what must be done."
"Yes, I know that you will as well. When you're ready hero." The Great Deku Tree answers, before lapsing into silence as he waits.
I pull the sword out of its sheath, hold it horizontal in front of me, looking over its length, committing it to memory, because after today, I will never get another chance to do so. With a resigned sigh, I take hold of it with both hands, holding it vertically point down over the pedestal.
'Farewell, Fi, it was an honor serving with you.' I think as I slide the sword down into the slot, it slides into place with a click, and a thin coat of light wraps around it.
Then it chimes and the figure of Fi appears over it.
"Master, my time here has concluded. Although I lack emotions and indeed do not understand that part of you, our adventures together have been most enlightening. You are correct that this is the last time, while I should consider this acceptable and be ready to enter my eternal rest, but…" she hesitated, seeming almost lost for words.
I don't say anything but I have an idea what's happening, she might be feeling a trace of reluctance to leave, that she would rather stay, but never having felt emotions doesn't know how to describe it. It reminds me of the last time she departed, eons upon eons ago during my life as the hero of the sky, at the very beginning of the cycle.
"I…for some reason do not entirely wish to do so." She answers with difficulty. "Our travels together have been most memorable and I will never forget them as long as I exist." She adds.
"I will always treasure our adventures together too, Fi." I say.
Fi nods silently and then with a final farewell, she disappears into the blade.
"I know in my soul that you've made the right choice hero. I wish the two of you a long happy life together, may your reign be long and prosperous." The Great Deku Tree cuts in.
We just nod in silence and then turn around and slowly make our way back the way we came. It's strange, although the Master Sword wasn't that heavy, I feel strangely lighter without it. Like a part of me is missing. It feels strange to have the Hylian shield and sheath of the Master Sword but not said sword itself. I sigh and shake my head a little, then look back one last time. The Koroks are waving their stubby arms and the sword is just like we left it but then I hear one word whispered into my mind, faint and barely there but discernible all the same.
"Farewell, Master Link."
'Farewell to you too, Fi, rest well.' I answer in my mind.
The trip back through the Lost Woods passes in silence, none of us saying anything. I feel disappointed and glum, Fi may have been blunt and lacked timing when discussing serious matters, but she was a friend all the same and that goodbye was harder than I ever imagined. I would never forget that spirit. Upon our return to our aircraft and as we lifted off and began our return trip to the castle, my eyes stayed on the Lost Woods until it was out of sight behind us. I told myself that it was for the best, there was no further need of the sacred blade. When we returned home, I headed up to our suite and hung the Hylian shield above our bed, with the sheath of the Master Sword behind it. I dipped my head a little and sighed, causing my wife to put a hand on my shoulder comfortingly.
"I'll miss her too Link, she was definitely special." She softly says.
"You're right Zelda, she was, but we have our own lives to worry about. We have our children who depend on us, and we will lead our people in this new golden age." I say, turning to face her, and wrapping my arms around her in a warm hug.
I know, I know the Legend of Zelda is not going to be ending for the foreseeable future. That would be basically commercial suicide on Nintendo's part as the Legend of Zelda is a hugely popular fandom so ending it would sever a large source of their buisness so ya, they're gonna do they're own thing, just as I'll do mine.