Chapter 36: The Master Sword
"Link?"
Impa's voice, old and weathered as any mountain. Link felt grass poking into him, a highly unwelcome sensation on the tender, torn skin of his back. He pushed shakily to his knees, feeling the wet trail of tears down his face. He felt as though he were moments away from throwing up, a feeling that only intensified when he noticed the Silent Princess flowers that had suddenly, inexplicably, sprung up all around him, as he knelt on the edge of the pool that contained a dragon's tear.
"Link, dear boy – what happened?" Impa asked again, sounding more than a little concerned. "I merely pointed out the Light Dragon above us – it's flying lower than I've seen any dragon, ever! And then you collapsed – please, tell me what happened!"
Link dropped his head into his hands, grief searing his soul like a white-hot flame. His breaths shook, sending tremors throughout his slumped-over body; he could feel tears spilling onto his hands.
And he heard again that terrible, familiar roar.
He turned his blurry gaze skyward, his heart aching as he spotted the graceful silver shape of the Light Dragon directly above them, flying slowly northward. His eyes widened as he spotted a Skyview Tower not far away from them, up the steep rise that was Lindor's Brow. With a pained grunt Link pushed to his feet, wobbling slightly, clenching his teeth at the flare of pain from his back. Steeling himself, letting out a heavy breath, he pushed himself forward at a run, hissing through his teeth as the movement pulled angrily at the edges of his wound.
"Link!" Impa exclaimed. "Get back here at once, young man! You're in no shape to go running after dragons! Stop! Come back!"
Her voice faded away. Link narrowed his eyes, fighting to block the pain from his mind.
She – she has the Master Sword. She sacrificed everything to get it to me. I don't know if or when I might have another way to get to her – I'm not going to let this chance go!
He watched anxiously as the Light Dragon reached the Skyview Tower and began to pass it by. Grinding his teeth, he forced an extra burst of speed from his legs, his heart lurching in panic as black spots suddenly appeared across his vision and his mind blurred. No – Goddesses, grant me strength enough for this! Please!
His breaths came strained and heavy when at last he reached the top of the rise and dashed up a narrow wooden bridge to the entrance of the tower. He fumbled at his belt, his shoulders drooping in relief as his fingers closed around the Purah Pad in one of the few pouches that hadn't been removed as he lay unconscious at Lookout Landing. Breathing hard, he activated the tower and stepped into the central pedestal, waiting impatiently until at last, with a sound like cannon fire, the pedestal beneath him rocketed upwards, shooting him out of the tower high into the sky.
He spread his arms and legs wide, assuming the skydiving position he had worked to develop and angling himself down towards the Light Dragon, now below him, gliding steadily northwards and upwards. Gritting his teeth, he realized with a jolt that he didn't have the paraglider on him – he was lucky he even had the Purah Pad.
No turning back now.
He angled himself towards her head, towards her thick golden mane quickly getting closer and closer, something he could grab onto. He reached out and snatched several thick strands of hair, holding on as tightly as he could and crying out as his body swung downwards, his downward momentum halted with enough force that it felt for several moments as though his shoulder had dislocated. Wincing, he adjusted his grip slightly, clinging to the side of her head by her mane. She didn't seem particularly bothered by his landing, or aware of his presence at all as he climbed painfully up to the top of her head, but nonetheless he felt bad, unable to shake the feeling that he was pulling her hair. He stroked her head tenderly when he reached the top, murmuring gentle apologies.
Carefully he pushed to his feet, looking around, and his heart tightened as he spotted the Master Sword.
It looked as though it was embedded in her forehead, wrapped in thick tendrils of white hair all the way up to the crossguard. Link grimaced, his heart tugging painfully at the realization of what reclaiming his sword would require him to do.
He climbed over the rest of her mane between her iridescent horns and sank to his knees, resting a hand in her thick white fur. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "Please forgive me, Zelda. I… Goddesses…" He swallowed, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand and letting out a shaking breath. Pinching his brows together in determination, he wrapped his hands around the Master Sword's hilt and began to pull.
At once the Light Dragon tossed her head beneath him, nearly sending him flying. Link clung to the Master Sword with a gasp, his feet trailing behind him in midair as the Light Dragon roared, shaking her head violently from side to side. Link gripped the Master Sword desperately, his heart racing in mortal terror – he would die if he fell, and he was well aware of that fact.
"Calm down!" he cried out desperately. "Zelda, please – I'm not –!" He screamed as she roared and twisted around, flinging him around like a ragdoll, sending his neck and spine and wrists jolting dangerously as he held onto the Master Sword's hilt for dear life. His vision flashed red and white, his back burning white-hot as his body was tossed to and fro.
Breathless, he fought against the wind and the Light Dragon's own erratic movements, bracing his feet against her brow as she writhed and shook her head, her roars increasingly pained and desperate, each one a knife to Link's heart.
Then with a final great cry the Light Dragon fled upwards, far quicker than before, surging high, high up into the sky, at a fast enough pace that Link's ears popped painfully from the change in altitude and he heaved desperately for breath, the air thinning too fast for him to adjust, and at once he felt dizziness sweep over him, black spots crowding close across his vision, his consciousness draining rapidly away from him –
When he could see again, the Light Dragon was no longer ascending, but instead flying steadily across an endless see of golden clouds, sunlight bathing them both in gentle warmth. He pushed unsteadily to his feet, his breath stolen by the stunning view – they were so high up that he couldn't see Hyrule at all down below; there were only clouds, in every direction, soft and perfect, with glittering shafts of light drifting between them.
Link wiped cold sweat from his brow with a heavy breath, turning his attention once more to the Master Sword. Biting his lip, he took the hilt in his hands, ready once more to try and pull it free. But this time, as his fingers met cobalt, the tightly-wound hairs wrapping around the blade fell free, revealing a coating of bright light. The sword was embedded barely a few inches into the fur on the Light Dragon's brow, and Link lifted it effortlessly free, staring at it in wonder.
The coating of light began flaking away, drifting off into the wind like autumn leaves. It exposed a gleaming blade perfectly unblemished, humming softly with energy, glowing faintly even in the bright sunshine.
"You did it," Link murmured, holding the blade reverently before him. "You… you restored it, just like you said you would." He bent down, pressing his hand against her forehead. "Thank you, Zelda."
The Master Sword gave a slight chime, and when he closed his eyes he could see Zelda, much as she had appeared when he saw her at the Temple of Time but with her eyes open this time. She was engulfed in light, white and gold tendrils weaving steadily around her. In one hand she held a partially-repaired Master Sword's hilt; her other hand pressed against the flat side of the blade beneath the crossguard, imbuing it with light magic.
"Link," he heard her say, and the sound of her voice sent tears at once burning in his eyes. "You, and the Master Sword – your sword… Together, you are the key to destroying the Demon King. He defeated you before, but… light will heal these grievous wounds. And when you two next face the Demon King… you will have my strength to help you, through her. Link… you are our final hope. I pray this sword reaches you in the future!"
He opened his eyes, and the Master Sword chimed again, its message delivered. Link felt a tight lump in his throat. "Thank you," he told the blade, his voice quiet and rough. He wiped his eyes again with his free hand, sitting down on the Light Dragon's brow with the sacred blade across his lap.
The dragon's descent to Hyrule was much calmer and slower than her panicked flight up to this hidden realm of clouds. Link hoped she was aware now that he wasn't a threat to her. The memory of her pained attempts to dislodge him he was sure would haunt him for the rest of his days.
She returned to the Great Sky Island, weaving her way down towards the Temple of Time. He leapt off onto the pale stone when she was close enough, and watched with an aching heart as she danced gracefully away with a final roar. A thought with the weight of a thousand bricks crumpled onto his shoulders, and he sank once more to his knees.
Now that… now that her purpose is fulfilled… will I ever see her again?
He grit his teeth tightly, bowing himself low against the ground as his shoulders shook, quiet sobs gripping his chest, tears burning in his eyes and dripping down his nose and chin to the stone of the Temple of Time.
The future he had dreamed of, hoped for so long would come to pass… it was impossible, now. There would be no cozy home on the quiet outskirts of Tarrey Town. There would be no family united by their love, no children they would raise together. There was no 'After the threat is gone and the kingdom is saved, we can live together in peace.' Zelda was gone, in every way that mattered. And there was no guarantee that the sacred creature she had become would ever return to Hyrule.
He didn't know how much time had passed by the time he lifted himself from the ground around the altar at the Temple of Time. Rubbing his face dry on his sleeve, he picked up the Master Sword and headed into the temple proper, through the double doors and the main chamber, out onto the bridge where he had first seen Rauru's ghost. He looked around, half-hoping to see the spirit again, especially after all he had learned about him from viewing Zelda's past.
I… I could really use some guidance right now.
But the ghost of the first King did not appear, and with a quiet sigh Link walked instead to the first Shrine of Light he had ever entered, exhaling quietly as the comforting warmth of the sacred place engulfed him.
As he sat with the Master Sword gripped in his hands, he found his thoughts lingering on all he had seen of Rauru as he was in life. A leader with steadfast poise, calm in the face of his enemies, bearing a quiet, confident strength that reminded Link of the feelings the Shrines of Light evoked. He remembered Rauru's grief when he had lost Sonia, and his chest ached as he felt fresh empathy for the first King of Hyrule.
Our circumstances aren't so different now, he thought somberly. But he… he made the choice to continue the fight anyway. There… there wasn't any 'happy ending' after it all – in fact, he gave everything he had to give, to keep Ganondorf sealed away. And still, after it all, when he was dead and speaking to me as a spirit, he had that peace – that light – about him.
Link could almost hear Rauru's voice, the final words he had shared. "Though our time together has been brief, I am so happy that we finally met. You are… exactly as Zelda said."
And he knew now at least some of what Zelda had told Rauru about him. She said I… was dedicated. That I refused to back down from any challenge. She had… absolute faith in me, even knowing that I had been injured by the Demon King.
He swallowed, bowing his head. She believed I could do it. She believed it fervently enough that she convinced everyone who fought alongside her back then that I could. That she, like Rauru, sacrificed everything she had to give.
I… I don't know that she was right, he thought, his chest tight. He glanced at his right arm, feeling the light magic that surged within him despite the lurking corruption. His gaze turned to the Master Sword, which even now shone bright with power, stronger than he had ever seen it.
Link let out a short breath, pushing to his feet, feeling his heart harden to steel within him. Maybe I can't defeat Ganondorf. But it is my duty to try. Zelda's sacrifice will not have been in vain if I can help it.
He left the Shrine of Light behind, heartened when he realized he could still feel some of its peace within him – not as strong, not as all-encompassing, but still undoubtedly there. His feet brought him back to the altar behind the Temple of Time, and for a moment he scanned the skies for a glimpse of the Light Dragon. But the heavens were empty.
There's nothing else for me here. It's… it's time to move forward. To start making real progress towards defeating Ganondorf. Which means… Lookout Landing.
Link dived off the edge of the Temple of Time, mirroring his dive so many months ago now, one of his very first attempts at skydiving. Without much effort he landed in one of the small lakes close Lookout Landing and swam to shore before starting the walk, sopping wet and with a furiously throbbing back, to the fortress. He had landed deep enough in the Hyrulean lines that he didn't have to worry about monsters, although he drew a good many funny looks from the soldiers on guard.
In Lookout Landing, he found Impa near Josha's workshop, her eyes wide and desperate as she spoke with Purah, Scorpis, Robbie, and Gralens. "Look, I'm sorry, Purah! I did not know what was going to happen, but I certainly didn't think –"
Link cleared his throat loudly, raising the hand holding the Master Sword.
Silence fell, and the five of them stared at him, shock and surprise and awe across their features. Purah's gaze zeroed in on the Master Sword, rendering even her speechless for once.
Link shifted awkwardly. "I… need a sheath," he said, gesturing to the sacred blade.
"We – we can see that," Impa managed, and as if her words had broken a spell, Purah practically exploded.
"Where have you been?" the Sheikah scientist exclaimed. "Impa comes back all alone, says you ran up a hill with a stab wound in your back, then – then just disappeared! And – there was a dragon? What is going on?"
Link pressed his lips firmly together, fighting another fierce wave of emotion. "Are the other sages still here?" he asked quietly. "We… need to discuss a few things."
Purah's brow furrowed at the somber note in his voice, and she nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm… I'll go get them," she offered. "We can meet in my study."
Impa gave her a skeptical look. "Will everyone fit?" she asked.
"Hey, I've done some serious cleaning in there," Purah harrumphed, crossing her arms. "It'll be fine. Link, you go on ahead up there, and then for the Goddesses' sakes, stop moving!"
Link smiled wearily. "I'll try," he assured her.
He made his way up to Purah's study with Impa and Gralens, letting the General assist him when he needed to, certain that there was fresh blood staining the back of his shirt by now – surely, after all of the not-resting he had been doing, he'd popped at least a few stitches.
Once he was sitting at Purah's table, gazing out over the map of Hyrule, he tried, futilely, to prepare himself for the conversation at hand. So much bad news… and not much that's good. At the end of it all, we'll… we'll have to start preparing for a final attack on the Demon King. But… we don't even know where he is; he's clearly not at Hyrule Castle. He's probably in the Depths, since that's where he fell, but… he could be literally anywhere in the Depths. That… doesn't narrow it down.
One by one, the sages filed into the little room.
"Good to see you up and about," Sidon said with a relieved grin when he entered, only for his grin to fade when he noticed Link's grim demeanor.
"Are you feeling okay?" Tulin asked anxiously, hurrying up to Link's side. "Whatever got you, got you real good!"
"It's… kinda cramped in here, goro," Yunobo gulped, trying to make himself as small as possible in a corner – without any success whatsoever.
"You're looking much better, Link," Riju said when she walked in, offering a friendly smile.
Purah walked in last, closing the door behind her and standing in front of it – at that point, there was nowhere else in the room for her to go. "That's everyone," she reported. "What is it you wanted to say, Link?"
He grit his teeth, rising unsteadily to his feet, his heart pounding in anticipation. He looked around the room at all of his friends, meeting their gazes one by one. "Zelda is… gone," he said at last, unable to keep a tremor from his voice. "What we've been seeing… that was a puppet of the Demon King. Zelda has not set foot in our Hyrule since the Upheaval."
Link explained about her journey to the past through the power of her own secret stone, and the rise of the Demon King, Ganondorf. He told at last of her final sacrifice to bestow the Master Sword with the power it needed to both heal itself and grow stronger.
"She succeeded," he murmured, laying the Master Sword across the table. "It's restored, and more powerful than ever, thanks to… thanks to the Light Dragon."
"I'm sorry, Link," Sidon said quietly, his gaze mournful.
"So Zelda's… not here anymore?" Yunobo asked, frowning widely.
"I'll miss her," Riju murmured, laying her hand comfortingly on Link's shoulder.
"Me too," Tulin said sadly. "She was… she was really nice."
Link exhaled heavily, nodding slowly. "I won't let her sacrifice be in vain," he said firmly, solidifying the resolve he'd felt on the Great Sky Island. "The Demon King would destroy us all – we can't let that happen."
"He almost destroyed everything already!" Yunobo said uneasily, rubbing his head. "I – I mean, of course we're gonna fight him, but – I don't know. He's so powerful…"
Riju was frowning thoughtfully. "Link… you said it was a puppet we were seeing before," she said thoughtfully. "And Doctor Purah mentioned that you saw Zelda before heading into Hyrule Castle…" She glanced at Purah for confirmation.
Link nodded. "That was the puppet," he said grimly. "Ganondorf had… he had a trap for me there. And I… walked right into it. The puppet stabbed me in the back."
"Then he must not be at his full strength," Riju pointed out. "Think about it – we all saw the puppet, before and after we gained our secret stones. But Ganondorf never attempted to use her to finish us off afterwards. He was afraid of us, even then. And even after she stabbed you, Link – Ganondorf didn't finish you off! What's more, he didn't even try to attack us when we came to rescue you. He's afraid of us – he doesn't think he has the strength to beat us."
Link remembered the wariness with which Ganondorf regarded him after he used a shield of light magic against him. Afraid… maybe so.
Sidon was tapping his forehead thoughtfully. "I concur," he said slowly. "That all makes sense. Which means we have some time to prepare a full-scale attack on Hyrule Castle."
"Or we attack now, while he's still weak," Riju said, smacking a fist into her hand.
"He's not at Hyrule Castle anymore," Purah said, shaking her head. "I'm… pretty sure, at least. I've been watching that place through my telescope. No more monsters – not a single trace."
"He was never there to begin with," Link added drily. "He didn't need to be. No… I think he's in the Depths somewhere, a place where his power seems to be the strongest." He shuddered slightly. "No light."
"The Depths," Yunobo echoed faintly. "That's… a big place. But – but we know he's not at Lost Gorondia!" At the others' confused looks, he added, "That's the original Goron City – you guys should see it sometime! Er… maybe not you, Prince – I mean King! – Sidon. Lots of, uh, magma. But – but anyway, I've got some guys at YunoboCo working on restoring it, and there hasn't been a single sign of the Demon King."
"Or a mummy?" Purah clarified.
"Or a mummy," Yunobo winced, looking distinctly unsettled by the question.
"He could be anywhere," Link said darkly. "He could be under Hyrule Castle, where Zelda and I first saw him. Or he could be under the Great Plateau, where he first became the Demon King. The Yiga Clan are hiding out in the Depths, too, and they practically worship him – he could be at any of their hideouts down there." He shook his head.
"Josha would've reported anything unusual, like a mummy wandering around," Purah shuddered. "So we could probably rule out the places she's mapped out. That… that still leaves a lot, though."
"Then… we should devote our efforts to reconnaissance," Sidon concluded. "We must find the Demon King, and soon."
"Would we even be ready to fight the Demon King, if we did know where he is?" Tulin asked anxiously. "Are we sure we've got all the pieces? It…feels like something's missing, compared to what our ancestors showed us of their plan."
"Well, we don't have King Rauru," Riju said, frowning thoughtfully. "And… we don't have Zelda. But we do have you, Link, and the Master Sword – they didn't have that."
Sidon's eyes widened. "Hold on," he said urgently. "There was – there was another sage, wasn't there?"
Link nodded. "Mineru," he answered.
"And we know that all of the sages have awakened descendants of theirs, according to their vow to Zelda in the past," Sidon went on. "This 'Mineru…' would she have descendants?"
"Possibly," Link said with a shrug. "She was a Zonai. There weren't any other Zonai back then, but she could've married a Hylian."
"It would stand to reason, then, that there is one more sage who must awaken," Sidon deduced. "At the very least, there is one more secret stone unaccounted for, and it would be wise for us to bring as many secret stones and sages as possible into this battle."
Unspoken between them all hung the heavy fact that the seven sages of the past, all much more experienced than they, had not been enough to defeat Ganondorf previously.
And currently… we've got four sages, not seven, and me and the Master Sword, Link thought grimly. Not the greatest numbers.
"Oh!" Purah exclaimed. "Impa, the Ring Ruins!"
Impa, who had remained thoughtfully silent, raised an eyebrow at her older sister. "And what does a tourist spectacle have to do with secret stones?" she asked.
"It's not just a tourist trap," Purah rolled her eyes. "The Zonai Survey Team is hard at work piecing together what they can. Their leader, Tauro, has sent me a ton of letters complaining about how Princess Zelda apparently forbade them from investigating a certain part of the ruins." She clapped her hands excitedly. "But the Ring Ruins only appeared after the Upheaval! Which means that it must have been Ganondorf's puppet that kept them from investigating it!"
"Well, it's certainly worth looking into, then," Impa frowned. "But I do feel that if the Demon King knew the location of a secret stone, he would be trying to acquire it for himself – or, even if he can't use two, acquire it for an ally."
Link's eyes narrowed. "The Yiga Clan," he nodded. "They've been researching the Zonai as well. Maybe he doesn't know the location of the secret stone, but he knows there's one more out there, and I'd bet good money he's ordered the Yiga Clan to try and find it." Maybe that's why they were guarding the green stone I found – they might've thought it was a secret stone!
"The Ring Ruins it is, then," Sidon nodded. "The Ring Ruins and the Depths. Link, my friend – you were crucial in helping the rest of us sages awaken. As such, I believe it should be you that investigates those ruins. The rest of us will continue devoting our efforts to holding off the monster forces and investigating the Depths."
Link nodded, but Purah slapped a hand down on the table, scowling at Link. "After," she growled, "your back is healed!"
Link chuckled. "Fine by me," he said with a heavy sigh, more than ready to lie down again.
He returned to the underground barracks, and one of the medics cleaned his wound and replaced the stitches that had burst before wrapping it in a clean bandage once more. Then he made his way carefully to the Shrine of Light in the ruins of Castle Town, walked inside, and lay down, his head twisted uncomfortably to the side so that he could breathe while lying on his stomach.
On his own, he found his thoughts turned at once to Zelda and the Light Dragon. He closed his eyes, fighting tears at the wave of grief that accompanied such thoughts, raw and fresh and painful. He doubted the anguish would ever truly fade, not entirely. She's… everything to me. I… was going to marry her. That's not just something I can forget.
His memories turned to his attempts to teach her how to cook, how delighted she had been when she successfully managed a recipe. The more serious lessons with knife defense, her hesitance at first as she worried she would hurt him. Their discovery of Dondons, humid but beautiful days spent in the lush green of Faron, tending to those animals. Building the school in Hateno, and their evening walks together, their long conversations that stretched until dawn. The games with Mattison, and that one last beautiful evening they had shared together.
I'm… I'm glad, at least, that I was able to spend that time with you, he thought miserably. I… I made some mistakes, and I wish I hadn't. But… there's no sense on dwelling on that now. All I can do is… is treasure those moments that I had with you, and live to ensure that your sacrifice wasn't for nothing – that Ganondorf will fall.
He drifted into slumber, dreaming once more of Rauru and Sonia, and heard Sonia's kind voice speaking to him as she had done so many times. "May the Light of our blessing grant you the strength that you seek."