The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

The Master Sword

...at the grove between times and places. Zelda looked him over and asked, "What happened to you?"

Endeavor had a slightly better guess. "It seems you have been enlightened."

Link rubbed the back of his neck, his breath catching up as he found himself saying, "I guess I have."

"And there's the Master Sword," Endeavor replied, pointing towards the middle of the grove. "And there it remains. Were you waiting for something?"

"I just got here," Link said, shaking his head. In truth, he hadn't been waiting long enough for that to be much of a lie.

"Very well," Endeavor answered, crossing their arms.

Link turned towards the grove again. The four pillars had moved away from the pedestal while he was looking away. They were still in the same order, but they no longer surrounded the Master Sword. Link might have been surprised, if it hadn't been for the journey he had just been on.

Zelda exclaimed, "Is that really it?"

"I suppose here is only one way to find out," Endeavor said.

Link walked towards the pedestal. A beam of light filtered through the trees onto the purple hilt. As Link stood before the pedestal, there was a tug at his pouch. He opened it, and the four Goddess medallions he collected flew to the pillars, landing in the respective flame, save the shortest. It still remained empty, save Reechka's medallion.

Gripping the handle, Link took a deep breath, and drew the Master Sword from its pedestal. The metal quivered as Link lifted it up to the sky.

A purple flame lit from the empty pillar. Link felt the Master Sword slide out of his hand, and watched as it floated up into the air. The fires erupted, and a purple fire was casted over the legendary blade. He watched as the sword vanished from his sight inside a storm of purple flames. Zelda held her breath behind him, and even Endeavor was on edge as they waited to see what was happening to the blade inside the fiery vortex.

After minutes of silence, the flames burst off the blade. The sword was longer and decorated with a golden plate down the middle of the flat. Its hilt a darker purple and bearing wide wings, and the Triforce, with a diamond set in the center of it. The pommel had an empty glass chamber in it that had not been there before. Tied about the handle was a small string of glass beads that chimed as the wind moved them, something assisted by the sword lower itself back towards Link.

As Link gripped the sword in his hand again, a face appeared on its blade. It was young and smiling, and Link faintly remembered it from the past, here where the worlds slipped. Just as suddenly as the face appeared, it vanished. Link looked down at the thin golden plate. Ancient Hylian runes were carved into the gold. Link studied it for a moment, watching the runes changed before his eyes. "To my Hero."

"This is it then, really it," Zelda murmured as her voice was filled with awe. "The Master Sword."

"Not just the Master Sword," Endeavor added. "This is the ultimate form the Master Sword may ever take. Forged by Hylia, now improved by all of the Goddesses' Flames, this blade is at its peak. We have never seen its equal. With luck, we never will again either. It is a true masterpiece."

Link looked down at his sword. His own face reflected on the metal. A few months ago, he was nothing more than a stablehand, training in secret and unaware of the world beyond the village he grew up in. Now, he was an experienced and travel warrior, a friend to many peoples across Hyrule, and tasked with saving the world he had only begun to know.

"It's a lot to take in," he muttered to himself.

Endeavor replied, "But know you have done it. You have found the Master Sword! You can—"

"Finally."

The voice echoed around the grove. Suddenly, the world shattered around them. A storm brewed overhead. Link looked around. High walls surrounded them, no more the peaceful place between. Sand was beneath his feat, and a fort behind him. But in front of him...in front of him was a huge black stone. Whites runes detailed it, though they were not Hylian. He wasn't sure what language would have formed them.

Soldiers of many races lay unconscious around them. And there was only one person who could have done it.

Zeal held her sword over her shoulders. She grinned as she took the three of them in. "It's so nice to see you again. You've taken absolutely forever to get here. If we have only known where that little sword was, we would have—" Zeal paused. She pointed her sword at Link. "What is that?"

Link raised the Master Sword up from Zeal to see. Without even realizing what he was saying, he retorted, "A new legend."

The Drex scowled. "You've gone and ruined it then. That cursed Goddess had to changed everything."

"Cursed? She was yours once!" Endeavor shouted back, drawing their own blade even as Zeal ignored both them and Zelda close beside.

"What is wrong with her?" Zelda asked, looking up at Endeavor as Zeal remained fixated on Link, a tantrum forming in her eyes.

"Madness. Of the likes we cannot know," Endeavor answered grimly.

Zeal raised her arms as if to scream, but she stopped, and composed herself before she was lost in a fit. "No matter. It's only a minor setback. Easily remedied. He'll have to forgive me for interfering with his favorite fight, but I cannot allow something so serious be ignored. Very well then."

Zeal stood a step towards Link, flourishing her sword at him as a wild look remained behind her eyes. "If you insist on ruining my plans, then I suppose I'll ruin yours."

Leveling his sword forward, the feeling like nothing he had held before and yet perfect in his hand, Link readied himself. No words needed be said.

With that, Zeal charged at Link...