Chapter 2
"I don't think she'll be all too happy to know what you've done." Fi took physical form upon hearing the low tone of the Deku tree speaking to her. Idly, she glanced where the former princess of Hyrule once stood. Fi had used her power to take her to the sacred realm, where the royal could slumber without aging until the time came. Fi remembered doing something similar to a young boy, except the goal had been for him to age.
"My calculations showed little other options," Fi stated, which was true. Zelda needed to be safe until the chosen hero awoke, and she also needed to be in a state where she could seal Ganon. This solved both problems with the only flaw being that Hyrule lost its princess for a century or so.
The Deku Tree hummed, several koroks stumbling about watching their guardian with interest.
"Since we both have some time then, would you like to talk? It seems you're a few centuries out of date." A low chuckle followed his statement, and Fi looked at the tree questioningly. The sword spirit couldn't remember the last time, if any, that someone wanted to speak to her. She was created for the sole duty to serve her chosen master and goddess. There was never any time for idle chatter.
"I wish to inquire about what became of Skyloft," Fi found herself asking. The former homeland of her first master was vastly important to him, and it seemed right to ask what became of it. The Deku Tree was silent for several moments before his massive mouth began to speak.
"Skyloft, I …am sorry. I don't believe anyone knows what truly happened to it. Legend says that the goddess reincarnated chose to stay on the land along with the Hero of Skies, and together they founded the land of Hyrule. If Skyloft still exists no one has been there in centuries."
Fi felt a strange sensation stab at her chest, as if someone was taking a knife and shoving it into her. Her expression didn't change though, the goddess created her without the ability to emote like a common person.
"I see, I have no further inquiries then." Fi was about to return to the sword when the Deku Tree spoke up.
"Fi, that is your name correct?" For some reason hearing the name caused a shiver to run down Fi's spine. She tried to look back at the great tree, but for some reasons her movements were slow. Things were blurry, which shouldn't be possible for the sword spirit.
"Fi, what a wonderful dance! It was as if the goddess herself was guiding your movements."
Like a snap of a bow string Fi jumped. Looking around wildly for the voice she didn't recognize. She was in the forest, koroks all huddled around the Deku Tree watching her with… concern? Fi wasn't sure.
"Is something wrong?" The Deku Tree's calming tones brought Fi back to reality. She looked at the great tree before looking away just as fast.
"I am fully functioning, I shall return to the sword until I am needed again." Without even waiting for the tree's response, Fi's body disappeared in a flash of light. She waited years for her original master to retrieve her, she would wait again for her new master to heal.
The first thing Zelda came to notice upon coming back to the world was the stiffness of her joints. She nearly fell, but caught herself upon hearing the metallic ting! of the Master Sword's tip hitting the ground.
Eyes closed tight, trying to get her bearings, Zelda steadied her legs, standing up straighter before opening her eyes. Looking up, the Great Deku Tree was still there in front of her, as he was before Zelda did as Fi told her.
"Welcome back, it's been some time Princess." Zelda felt the beginnings of a headache coming on, as the Deku Tree's voice vibrated in her ears. Blinking a few times, Zelda took note of the flowers and other plant growth she didn't recall being there before. Several silent princess flowers were blooming around the pedestal of time. Looking down at the sword her hands were still wrapped around, Zelda had to blink again to be sure what she was seeing was real. The Master Sword appeared in pristine condition. Holding the blade up, it sparkled in the light. Power resonated from the blade, and Zelda watched as it glowed brightly.
In a flash of light, Fi appeared before the royal, bright cloak fluttering in the breeze and emotionless face same as before, and Zelda wondered what happened when she put the sword in the pedestal.
"What happened? All I remember is putting the sword back, did anything change?" Glancing around, Zelda noticed the wound that had previously been raw and still bleeding on her side was now a pink scar. Only the blood stains on her robe gave any sign that an open wound had been there.
"It is approximately ninety years since that event, Your Grace." Zelda jumped from her examination of her wound, wide eyes looking at the sword spirit.
"Wait! Ninety years! But how is that possible? I haven't aged a day! And the Calamity is it…." Doing another look at herself, Zelda was positive she was still the same seventeen year old that she had been. More importantly though, was the possibility that Calamity Ganon had escaped its prison inside Hyrule Castle.
"It is still imprisoned inside Hyrule Castle," Fi finished for Zelda, easing some of her worries. The Deku Tree spoke up now, causing Zelda to turn her gaze to the giant tree.
"It will not be contained for long though, else we would have awakened you closer to when the hero would. Time runs short, and you will need the divine beasts if you wish to fend off the Calamity." Zelda froze, the divine beasts were still corrupted by Ganon's malice. It also meant for sure all the champions were long since defeated and gone.
"I apologize Your Grace, it was not within my power to keep Calamity Ganon sealed forever." Fi spoke up this time, her tone taking on an almost apologetic tone. A far cry from the seemingly robotic tone she had been speaking with.
"So what now? I have to cleanse the divine beasts of malice?" She couldn't do that, Zelda wasn't a fighter. Sure, she knew how each beast worked better than anyone, but she never had the talent for swordplay.
"It appears to be our only option, if the beasts are purged of malice it might diminish some of the Calamity's power. Then perhaps, your barrier will be able to hold for the last decade until the hero awakens." The Deku Tree's words were soft, trying to soothe the growing worry in Zelda's expression. Before he could say anything else though, Zelda steeled her expression.
She couldn't panic now, she didn't have the right to panic now. Link had fought to the very last moment to defend Zelda, and only in the final moment had she been able to do something about it. Then, even when she was ready to face Ganon alone, she still managed to flee from her destiny. Perhaps she was being too rash, but she was tired of running away. Her father was gone, the champions gone, it was time for Zelda to be someone worthy of being ruler of Hyrule, at least she hoped she could.
"Alright, I'll have to check on Link first. Who knows, maybe he woke up earlier than expected." Zelda said with the best smile she could muster, but the Deku Tree must have been able to tell it was forced. Luckily, Fi spoke up before he could say anything.
"I will accompany you, Your Grace. I have little data to offer on this era, however, I can still defend you or oppose your enemies, if the need arises." Before Zelda could even think of a reason that Fi should remain hidden along with the Master Sword, the sword spirit had already dissolved her physical form, returning to the sword still in Zelda's hands.
"I am at your disposal, Your Grace," Fi's voice came from nowhere in particular, but the Master Sword did glow faintly along with the words. Zelda let out a small sigh, glad she at least wouldn't be completely alone for this endeavor.
"I would recommend searching out any old allies you had as well. The children of the forest whisper to me that the Sheikah still survive." That gave Zelda a small hope, the Sheikah people were bound to help the royal family of Hyrule. If they remembered her, that was, it had been close to a century.
Having nothing else to keep her in the forest, Zelda headed out. There was a lot to do after all. As she made her way out of the forest, the Deku Tree called out again:
"Remember, this forest is always open to you, Princess of Hyrule. Come here if you need a safe haven to rest." Zelda turned towards the tree, giving a small bow.
"Thank you, I won't forget the kindness you've shown me Great Deku Tree." Giving another small smile to the the tree, Zelda turned to head out of the forest. With the Master Sword in hand, Zelda made her way out of the Great Hyrule Forest, an easier task than entering it.
Fi was silent mostly for the walk, but Zelda figured that was normal. After all, what would a centuries old sword spirit have to say to a foolish, mortal princess who almost got her kingdom destroyed?
Outside the forest, Zelda let out a sigh, feeling the fresh air hit her face. The forest was far too misty and muggy for the royal's tastes, but the feeling was quickly forgotten. As soon as the forest gave way, Zelda could see Hyrule Castle off in the distance, and the sight did not bode well. The golden barrier still wrapped around the castle, but large bright cracks marred its surface. Inside, Zelda could see the Calamity circling the castle like a predator toying with its prey. She was so caught up at staring at the sight, Zelda didn't notice the flash of light as Fi took form next to her.
"Are you functioning, Your Grace?" Zelda jumped, raising up her arms to defend against an attack. However, seeing the sword spirit next to her settled her nerves rather quickly. For the first time, Zelda actually took a moment to look the sword spirit over. Her skin was blue and almost looked metallic like a machine, as was her hair that stood unnaturally in place. It was almost like she wore a mask of metal, as her eyes didn't blink, and Zelda didn't see her mouth move when she spoke. The only thing soft was the plush cloak that hung from her shoulders.
"I'm alright, just still reeling over everything that's happened." Fi seemed to accept this answer, and Zelda noticed the spirit didn't stand on the ground. Instead, she hovered slightly over it, her feet off the ground, cloak fluttering. The spirit appeared like she was going to return to the sword, but Zelda stopped her.
"Fi, could you stay like this for a bit? If you don't mind, of course." Zelda didn't want to say it aloud, but she didn't like the idea of being alone right now. The sword spirit stared at Zelda for a moment, but then with the soft fluttering of her cloak, stayed present.
"As you wish, Your Grace," Zelda smiled then began following the path away from the forest. The first thing they needed to do was get to the Great Plateau where the Shrine of Resurrection was. Zelda grimaced, looking at her once pristine white robe now covered in dirt, grime, and blood. Maybe, in between here and there, they could get some new clothes and other supplies, as well.
Walking down the path, Fi following behind her, gave Zelda a slight sense of nostalgia. It reminded her how Link would trail behind her when he was first assigned to be her personal guard. The silent presence, while not Link, did reassure Zelda slightly.
It wasn't long before the silence was unbearable to Zelda though. She didn't want silence, silence meant she'd have to think of how this havoc started. Besides, the real spirit that has been living inside the Master Sword was floating silently near her. Zelda had so many questions buzzing inside her wondering about the being.
"Fi?" Zelda looked back at the spirit, slowing her pace so the spirit would be next to her. Fi tried to keep distance between them, but Zelda didn't want to talk with her head turned back the entire time.
"Yes, Your Grace?" Fi responded, no inflection creeping into her voice.
"You've been inside the Master Sword this entire time? Ever since the Era of Skies?" Zelda asked, gazing around. Despite everything that had happened, the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, and the birds still chirped happily. Standing here one would never know Calamity had nearly destroyed everything.
"Yes, I was created by her grace, Hylia, to aid her chosen hero. Once my task was completed, I was to sleep for eternity inside the sword, however, as our present situation shows, that was not the case." Zelda frowned, that didn't seem entirely fair to Fi, but Zelda wouldn't cast judgement on something she knew nothing about.
"I wasn't aware Hylia had such a power, to create spirits, that is. Much of our literature about her is lost." Though over half of Hyrule still worshiped the goddess, there were few that knew anything other than she waged war against evil in order to save the hylian people. Fi didn't respond to Zelda's statement, but she wasn't bidding Zelda to stop speaking, so she continued.
"Did you know the goddess?" This could be Zelda's first chance to really gain an understanding of this sealing power she had. After all, the power originated from the royal bloodline dating back to Hylia. Knowing more about the goddess could help Zelda better understand this power, and thus help Zelda seal the Calamity away.
"I have little knowledge beyond her orders for me." Zelda frowned at that, slightly disappointed.
"If you have any queries though, I shall do my best to answer them." The sword spirit amended, Zelda's features lighting up again.
"Wonderful! Do you know anything about her powers!? The sealing magic, I only just used it to protect Link. I still have no idea how to use it, or even how to activate it." Throwing herself in front of Link in a last ditch attempt to save him would be a memory Zelda wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon. Now Zelda glanced at her hand, the one that has always held the triangle mark burned on its back. She couldn't summon the power, Zelda felt nothing. No power came to her hands.
"Her Grace was a very powerful goddess, I am uncertain how much of that power persists after so many generations. How to use it, I wouldn't know, Your Grace, magic is very complex. From what I have observed thus far, it seems to have fallen out of common knowledge in this era." Fi was right on that account, Zelda thought with a frown. While some of the sheikah's ancient technology was powered by magic, most of it was simply built. As long as one understood the inner workings, anyone could operate most sheikah tech.
"At least I'm not alone in my lack of understanding." Zelda shook her head, looking away from the sword spirit for a moment to look at the road ahead. The old path still appeared much the same as it was when Zelda ran here, apparently almost a century ago.
Zelda's mouth felt dry at the thought, a foul feeling settling in her stomach thinking about it. Logically, Zelda knew there was some sense to it, but the other part of her wished she had confronted Ganon on her own. Perhaps then she would have been of more use than hiding away in the forest all these years.
"There is a structure up ahead, Your Grace." Fi's voice chimed in, bringing Zelda from her thoughts. Zelda narrowed her gaze, spotting the building Fi spoke of. She didn't recall seeing such a building there before. As they moved closer, the building was vaguely horse shaped. With various types of wood and ropes holding the building together, Zelda thought it looked rather jury rigged. Upon getting closer, Zelda quickly realized it was a stable or inn of some kind - horses were resting in stalls built next to the main structure. Zelda spotted various people mulling about outside the building and allowed herself to feel a small sense of satisfaction, seeing as people were living, despite the Calamity's return.
Suddenly, there was a flash beside Zelda, and the former royal saw Fi's physical body disappear, going back into the Master Sword.
"It would be unwise for others to see my form, Your Grace. They may not react favorably." Zelda frowned, there was some sense in what Fi was saying. Though, perhaps, Zelda was just already getting used to the sight of Fi. Maybe she was becoming numb to seeing the sword spirit?
As soon as Zelda approached the stable, eyes went to the royal, quickly reminding her of the state of her clothing. Her ceremonial robes were dirty and bloodstained, and Zelda herself was faring no better. Her hair was still matted and caked with mud and grime. The only thing pristine was the Master Sword, which no doubt looked out of place in Zelda's rather weak arms.
Luckily for Zelda, she didn't have to come up with awkward greetings. Instead, a woman who spotted her had dropped the brush she was using on a horse to rush over to the young royal.
"Oh goddesses! Are you okay miss!? Did you get attacked on the road?" Zelda took an unconscious step back as the woman got close, not being used to someone getting so close to her personal space. The woman didn't touch her, but her eyes were looking over Zelda until finally stopping on the large blood stain that soiled her robe.
"I...y-yes...I'm fine, I just….." The princess took a breath to compose herself, "I did get attacked a while back. I just need to find a place to rest and recoup." Mentally cursing herself, Zelda met with the fact that she was a terrible liar. She never really had the need to lie before, but the former royal doubted telling this woman she was nearly a century old would go over well.
"Are you sure? Here, let's go inside," the woman gestured to a man cleaning a counter set up inside the stable, "Kish, here, can put up a warm meal for you." The man quirked an eyebrow, looking over Zelda.
"Damn! Hate to see the other guy! Meal's on the house, miss." The idea of food was appealing, Zelda's stomach felt empty. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she ate. She often skipped meals when she was praying at the springs, so it wouldn't surprise Zelda if she had skipped food on the day of Ganon's return.
"I really shouldn't. I don't have any money to repay you." Zelda stuttered out as the stable woman lead her inside the main building. Inside, several beds were set up, and in the one corner, tables and a couple of chairs sat.
"Everyone gets one, and you look like you could use it." Zelda blushed at the implication, at how horrible she looked, and gave up, following the woman over to the tables. Sitting down, she felt the wood creek and the table shift, one of its legs too short to hold it properly. The woman went over to the counter and grabbed a bowl from Kish, who went back to cleaning.
"I'm Breen, by the way. I take care of the horses here at the Woodland Stable." Breen sat a steaming bowl in front of Zelda. The former royal's stomach gurgled as soon as the smell hit her nose. Not wanting to seem like a slob though, Zelda carefully rested the Master Sword against the table.
"Thank you, I am pr….err - Zelda. Just Zelda..!" If Breen had picked up on Zelda's near slip of her old title, she didn't show it.
"Like the old princess eh? That's neat! Parents must be pretty traditional then." Breen rested her arms on the table idly while Zelda took a spoonful of the stew in front of her.
"You could say that..." Zelda answered vaguely, trying not to think of her father. He must be rolling in his grave right now, seeing her like this. How disappointed he must be in his failure of a daughter!
"I hear that. So, what happened to you? You look like you took on a moblin... or... five." Inwardly, Zelda scrambled to find an excuse. There was no way she could just say she was the old princess of Hyrule. Just by the woman's one comment, it was clear what the Deku Tree and Fi said were true. It was nearly a century after, what to Zelda, seemed like yesterday. It required all Zelda's willpower not to vomit at the thought.
"I was attacked on the road a while back. I've been stumbling about, trying to find a place to get some new clothes and supplies. I lost all of mine," Breen drummed her fingers on the table with a short hum after Zelda finished. For a split second, Zelda was worried she saw through the lie, but then Breen smiled.
"Well, the nearest settlement with active shops is quite a ways away, past the Dueling Peaks, quite a walk from here." Breen didn't have to tell Zelda twice, the former royal had ran from the castle to here after the barrier had been created. The stable hand continued, not noticing the grim look Zelda's face had adopted.
"Listen, if you're willing to stick around a few days, I'm sure Kish has some odd jobs that need done. We probably have some clothes if you're willing to work for them. If not, I'm sure Beedle over there will pay pretty well for that sword." As soon as Breen mentioned the Master Sword, Zelda's hand went to the hilt, clutching it tightly.
"It's not for sale." Zelda stated, not entirely sure of how harsh it came out. Breen didn't seem bothered by it at least.
"Not a problem, hey Kish! We good for a trade? Work for some clothes and supplies?" Zelda looked over to where Breen had called over, to the man at the counter. Kish glanced up from a book he was writing in.
"We got a warm doublet and some pants laying around. We're good for that." Breen nodded, looking back at the former royal.
"So, deal?" Breen held out a hand, smiling brightly at Zelda. She hesitated, not fully trusting the random act of kindness she was receiving right now. Everything still seemed like a dream, and Zelda wasn't fully willing to accept such kindness being given to her.
"You're being awfully nice to someone you just met." Zelda said hesitantly, and Breen simply scoffed.
"Hey, us hylians gotta stick together, right? The Great Calamity nearly wiped us out. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not contribute to an early extinction!" The Great Calamity? Was that what people called it nowadays? It left Zelda's mind buzzing with questions, but she was sure if she started drilling Breen for answers, the woman would think her odder than she already was. Instead, Zelda took Breen's hand, flinching slightly at the stable hand's strong grip.
"Right. It's a deal." Breen's grin was wide at Zelda's acceptance, who allowed herself a small sense of accomplishment at securing herself something. It was a start at the very least. Zelda could say she's never bartered like this before. She only had to hope that whatever jobs Kish needed done would be able to be done with at least some ease.
"Your Grace, would you like some assistance?" Fi chimed, watching as the former royal let out an exhausted breath. The sword spirit had remained silent during Zelda's bartering with the other hylian, but now watched as Zelda tried in vain to cut a tree down for firewood. The spirit had noted the new clothes she wore, looking out of place on the hylian's frame. The thick cotton shirt was too large and hung off Zelda's smaller frame, the pants fitting decently, but clearly worn. Holes marred some of the fabric. Her hair was still rather dirty, but was now tied up in a messy bun, keeping it mostly out of the way.
As a sign of good faith, the stable hand had given her the new clothes with the promise that Zelda wouldn't just run away with them. Zelda had, of course, had no plans to, which brought them to their current situation.
Now, Zelda, with an axe nearly as tall as her, was going about chopping down trees, not far from the stable. It was clear the royal had never really had to do manual labor, as she was still on the first tree, attempting to chop it down.
"I'm fine, Fi…just a little winded." If the sword spirit could, she would raise an eyebrow at Zelda's statement. It was strange, the former royal had the most powerful sword ever crafted that could rend monsters in half. Yet she still used a common woodcutter's axe to attempt to chop down the tree. Currently the Master Sword rested against an old tree stump. Within it, Fi watched Zelda work.
"Your Grace, at your current angle of cut you will cause the tree to fall towards you. It would be unwise to continue with such action."
Zelda jumped at Fi's assessment, letting the axe blade fall to the ground before she could swing it at the tree again. Letting out a sigh, Zelda raised a hand to brush some of her hair out of her face. "I've never really done this type of thing before. Even when I managed to get away from my guards, I was never gone long enough to have to do anything too labor intensive. I never had a talent for combat, so it was prefered I use such time trying to understand my power through prayer to the goddess."
Fi processed the former royal's words. It seemed she was quite out of her depth, in the process, making Fi out her depth as well. The last time Fi advised someone, it was her first master, and he already had some knowledge in combat and survival. Of course, that knowledge was put to the test when his destiny called upon him to defeat Demise. Fi was uncertain, an emotion the sword spirit couldn't recall ever feeling. The former princess was so conflicted and unprepared for the coming battle against evil reborn again, and Fi was unaccustomed to comforting people. She wasn't even sure if that was what she should do in this situation. The sword spirit tried to recall any data that could assist her.
"I'm sorry, I asked too much. One day, maybe, your spirit will be at peace…."
Fi inwardly jolted at the unfamiliar voice coming to the forefront of her mind. She didn't remember who said the words or who they were directed to. The voice sounded so familiar though, and Fi felt almost disappointed when the words faded to the back of her mind.
"Fi?" The sword spirit recentered herself, realizing that she still had not responded to Zelda. In a flash of light, Fi stood before the hylian, remembering vaguely how her first master prefered to speak to her physical form - a trait Fi would assume most shared, as one did seem rather ridiculous talking to a sword.
"Not even all the chosen heroes I have encountered were heroes on the first day of their journey, Your Grace." Despite being in deep slumber for most of the time, Fi could still recall who called upon the Master Sword's strength: a child raised by the forest, too young and small to wield the sword; a farm hand, cursed by the embers of twilight; and her first master, of course, a simple knight in training, barely ready to encounter the world. They all drew upon Fi's power slumbering within the sword to face evil. None of them began as heroes, each one had to face many trials and learn dozens of lessons before even coming to face the sword.
"It's hardly my first day! I've spent years trying to understand my power! If I had only figured it out sooner, none of this would have happened!" The small bit of anger in Zelda's voice fizzled out before it really began, Fi had noticed a slight tremble in the woman's shoulders, but tears didn't fall. The former royal merely looked defeated.
"I have no data that could inform you what would have happened if you had mastered your goddess given powers, Your Grace. However, the probability of that changing anything is zero. The world has not fallen to evil yet. It would not be productive to focus on 'what if's.'" Fi's words were calculated. The goddess had given her data to motivate someone in case her first master had been reluctant to face his destiny. Despite this, Fi found herself actually wanting the former royal's defeated expression to be gone, not because the world would fall if Zelda didn't step up to help save it, but because the expression didn't seem right on her face. The sadness radiating off Zelda almost bothered Fi. Which was strange, as the goddess made her to be impartial to such feelings, so that Fi could be logical even in deadly situations.
"You're right, I just…. I guess it's starting to finally sink in. Nearly everyone I knew is gone, and I relied on them so much…." Zelda sighed, picking up the axe again, she went about focusing on the task at hand. Fi stood there for a moment, watching the former royal.
"Your Grace." Zelda's eyes flickered over to the sword spirit, giving a short "hm" to show she was listening. "While it is unproductive to think on what could have been, I am grateful for the chance to serve you. I do not believe any of this world would blame you for what has happened." Fi wasn't sure why she was telling Zelda such irrelevant data, nevertheless, her lips became upturned in a small smile.
"Thank you Fi.. You know, I think I could use some help here." The spirit prepared to return to the sword, figuring Zelda meant she would use the Master Sword. Instead ,Zelda beckoned Fi over to her.
"Your productivity would increase greatly by using the sword, Your Grace." Zelda simply grinned at Fi while she checked the tree to make sure she was cutting it correctly this time.
"I'm not going to waste your energy cutting a tree down. I just want you here in case it does happen to… not… fall the way I want it to." Zelda said, with a slight laugh ending her sentence. While her actions confused her, Fi wouldn't protest. The former royal seemed set on cutting the trees down herself, and Fi did extend her own energy to keep the Master Sword sharp. Using the magic inside the blade also came from Fi's soul within the sword, while the blade held the divine powers of the goddess, it was ultimately Fi's soul where it drew a large amount of power from.
So, Fi stayed by Zelda's side as the former royal finally brought the tree down with a small cheer. In the end, the tree fell as it should, away from them, hitting the ground in a flurry of leaves and a soft thud. The small victory seemed to boost Zelda's spirits, and she went about chopping the tree into smaller, more manageable logs, the grin staying on her face the entire time. The last time Fi had been truly coherent it had been eons ago fighting against Demise. This was nice, with the gentle breeze blowing through the forest, birds chirping off in the distance, it was peaceful. Peaceful... a sense that Fi couldn't remember ever having, but she found she enjoyed it. As confusing as these new thoughts and feelings surfacing were, at the very least, there was something that didn't feel out of place or foreign.