3435/The Master Sword

The Master Sword
Date of Scene:	22 November 2015
Location:	The Hylian Mainland <LoZ-5>
Synopsis:	Fassad and a group of allies head to the Master Sword, only for Fassad to fail to pull it.
Cast of Characters:	Priscilla, 248, 385, 513, 789, 901
Tinyplot:	Clearing the Twilight

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Fassad (248) has posed:
     Hyrule is now open for exploration. The Twilight has been completely cleared, making travel easier. Monsters still fill the wilds, but it is a significantly safer place to visit than it once was. The vast fields of the land are a wonderful place to explore, filled with various locations one may visit.

     Fassad himself is glad for this. It will make the last leg of his journey all the easier. He stands in a clearing in the woods. This place he has visited today is part of the Lost Woods, albeit quite different. Absolutely everything about it feels different. The plants and wildlife are still present in the area. Small animals such as birds and rabbits can be glimpsed frequently. The only oddity is the strange fog that covers the area. This fog makes it incredibly hard to see more than a short distance into the woods. This makes Fassad a bit nervous. Why would the Master Sword be in such a place? But. His conversations with the Spirits of Light have lead him to believe this is the place where the Master Sword rests.

     He had planned to go alone, but others have offered to join him. He waits for their arrival, nervously staring straight at the path ahead.

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    Hoshi hadn't really heard much of the difficulties that were facing Hyrule until last night, when she'd heard about the terrible events that had been done by the Confedearacy. She'd spent a lot of time thinking about it after the fact, meditating while she looked into her mirror through a good portion of the night. When she'd heard people were intending on visiting the world to help out a Union member that was there, she didn't hesitate, and got the coordinates.

    Hoshi's arrival is quiet and cautious. While the sounds of animals was calming, the way that the fog hung around obscuring her vision reminded her uncomfortably of the Mirror Forest. Given that she didn't think she needed to worry about appearances, she's come in her full kendo outfit this time, her sword sheathed at her side. Behind her helmet, Hoshi looks around with a small frown, but Rosamond's presence in her mind calms her thoughts.

    When she's finally able to see Fassad through all the gloom, she jumps and comes to a stop, bowing to him from her waist. "Uh... Hi. THis is where we were supposed to meet, right?... You're not a robber or anything?"

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Hyrule is a big place ... and Yuna really has no idea where she wants to go looking around. There are a couple of points of interest, and she doesn't have a particular priority among them - but Fassad does.

Fassad, on the other hand, *does*. So meeting up at the Lost Woods seems like as good a place as any - maybe it's less spooky and creepy with the Twilight cleared away, and with the Kokiri knowing that Fassad and his allies are friends. Most of Yuna's usual retinue is missing today; there shouldn't be any major trouble ... and if there is, well, it's probably part of Fassad's tests to be deemed worthy (or not) of the Master Sword. She's not above helping, but it's Fassad's job to reach the Sword, not hers. He's also the one who collected the gems which prove his worth, so all Yuna has a right to do is tag along, maybe help out, and keep him from getting lonely.

As the blonde idol-turned-warrior approaches Fassad's chosen meeting place, she raises an arm to wave. "Hi! Everything looking good for the last leg of your quest? - Oh, hello!" she adds, grinning sheepishly and nodding to Hoshi.

Finna (513) has posed:
    The Twilight has never really impeded Finna. Nor have monsters. But then... few things can stop a Lunar from going where they want to go. After all, growing wings or gills is pretty easy. Perhaps this is why, possibly more than others, she has already been pretty busy journeying all around and finding useful tidbits of info in the weirdest places.

    But The Lost Woods she's avoided. That fog wasn't natural, among other hazards locals had spoken about.

    "Alright, time to do a big thing!" Finna drops in from above on the group. Or... wait, is that Finna?

    Green clothes in the style of the Kokiri, rusty-brown hair... she drops straight onto Fassad's shoulders. Thankfully the kid's pretty light. She leans forward, so that her upside-down face is just right in front of Fassad's! "Aren't we?"

    ... Well.

    Finna's here.

    It might take a moment of peering really hard until people familiar with her can see that this child has her signature fox ears and tail.

Priscilla has posed:
    Truth be told, Priscilla is pretty interested to see this 'Master Sword' for herself. Though her primary motivation for being here is of course seeing Fassad through that dangerous period where one relaxes right when reaching the end is assured but just before actually arriving, she can't help but have some curiosity for this artifact that Fassad has been questing for over a period of months, requiring so many trials before even touching it, and which he claims is near singlehandedly the key to Agahnim's undoing. Fog isn't too much of an issue for Priscilla, having one or two other senses to rely upon in lieu of being able to see only a little over dozen meters or so.

    A forest does seem like an odd place for it, admittedly. Especially a holy sword. She'd have expected some sort of temple or tomb or reliquary, or at the very least a proper armoury. Whoever had made it, or at least last wielded it, had been pretty serious about keeping it secret rather than just well defended. She steps in from shortly behind the group, not exactly needing any powers to be difficult to see, though easy to feel for the way the mist begins to grow cold and frosty immediately around her. "What nonsense, Lady Amakasu. Who couldst possibly mistake such a valiant figure for a common thief?" she says wrily to Hoshi. All Fassad has to do is smile to practically blind someone after all. She's in a good enough mood for the moment that she's able to bear Finna dropping in as a fake kokiri without visible exasperation. "And thou art sure of this way forward?"

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad jumps a little upon hearing Hoshi, lost in ihs thoughts. As he turns around, he smiles towards the girl before him. He doesn't recognize the girl, neither through voice or appearance. He can guess easily enough that she is an ally, though. He gives a bit of a bow as he looks towards her, introducing himself, "Ah. A pleasure to meet you. I am Prince Fassad, from the land of Arcadia. I am no bandit. Are you a fellow ally of the Union?" He looks over her, smiling. She obviously isn't of this land, at least. Her clothes look too different.

     He turns to Yuna next, definitely recognizing her. A bow is given to her as well, though a bit more casually. "Yes, everything seems to be going well. I have made my preperations, and even sent a scout ahead to stealthily check the path."

     As if on cue, Fassad's Shinki arrives. Serafina, his Olbern model Shinki. She flies in wearing her battle armor so that she can fly, though her weapons are currently put away.

     "Hey! The path is all clear! I /think/ I see what we need ahead!" She has a particularly high pitched, albeit cute, voice. She floats through the air, her mannerisms much like that of a Fairy.

     And then Finna arrives. Fassad almost jumps again at her appearance, but he has grown used to her oddities. As she is on his shoulders, Fassad looks up towards her, smiling, "Yes. This is the place. This is where we do the 'big thing'. I will finally, at long last, make my claim on the Master Sword."

     A smile is given to Priscilla. He has begun to realize she is getting a bit more of a sense of humor. He blames those she hangs around. But, still, she is a lot happier seeming than she used to be. He gives a smile at her, "Yes. I am certain. This is where the Spirits of Light told me to go, and this is where it must be."

     Without another word? He starts leading the path forward. His pace is slow, and the path is winding. There are various side-routes as well. Fassad holds up a map as he walks along, focusing upon it. It glows with a soft light, akin to that of the Tears of Light. Obviously, a gift from the Spirits. Serafina follows along with him, flying close to Fassad's side.

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    Well, he's not a bandit. Good way to start. Hoshi gives another bow with his introduction. "I'm Amakasu Hoshi, third year in Drachenblatt Academy." Weren't his teeth too white?... "Yeah, I'm an Ally. Might end up actually enlisting at some point, though." She gives him a small nod, though she shifts a bit under his direct gaze. "Erm... S-so, why is this place so creepy, anyway--gah!"

    Out from the fog came Yuna, and Hoshi spins around with a hand ready to draw her katana, then lets out a small breath of relief. "Ms. Kagurazaka... S-sorry, I didn't mean to overreact. Just... This place is so off-putting." She bows hastily, several times, to apologize for her mistake.

    The fairy out of the forest didn't get as bad of a response, just a quick turn of Hoshi's head to catch a glimpse of her--and then child out of nowhere! Instead of striking out, Hoshi grips the handle of her katana tightly and grits her teeth. It's time to stop acting like a scared child. "... Wait, Ms. Finna? That is you, right?"

    Priscilla's entrance and calming tone thankfully manage to calm some of Hoshi's jumpy nerves. "Ahaha... Heh... Sorry. This place is a little too close to the Mirror Forest for me, and my luck hasn't really been that great recently." She perks up. "But, uh... W-well, it'll be a honor working with you all." Priscilla gets a slightly timid bow.

    As they start making their way down the path, Hoshi elects to set herself in the back of whatever formation they assume, occaisonally walking backwards. She was trying really hard to make sure they weren't ambushed or being followed. Shadows were wont to sneak up and kill their victims. There's a chance such a thing might exist here, too. Hence the vigilance.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna waves to the other arrivals, then looks back at Hoshi. "It's okay, I think these woods are meant to be kind of creepy. Natural defense - or supernatural, maybe - against the weak-hearted."

"That doesn't seem to send you running," Elner observes mildly from its spot hovering by Yuna's left shoulder.

Yuna lets out a breath, "Well, we DO have business here ... anyway." She looks towards Fassad's back. "So how are the Spirits of Light doing now that the Twilight's been cleared away? No other sudden quests we need to chase down, I hope ..."

Finna (513) has posed:
    "Finally!" The 'kid' Finna offers a wave to the others, particularly Priscilla and Hoshi from her perch up on high... but then she hoists her legs around and slides down Fassad's back to the ground.

    She ends up grinning at Hoshi... then her flesh and clothes ripple in a few moments she's shooting up to adult normal form again. Except... she's kept the Kokiri-style outfit, just sized it up. The young woman tosses some hair over her shoulder while keeping her grinning gaze fixed at Hoshi. "Do your people NORMALLY draw weapons at children? Because that's gotta go over well back home."

Priscilla has posed:
    "Well then, far be it from mineself to mistrust four ancient forces of something as close to 'objective good' incarnate that I hath heard of. Such unreservedly helpful and selfless beings art uncommon in the extreme, and thus I shalt maketh the uncommon decision to place mine faith in them in its entirety, especially if they hath seen fit to provide thee with such a particular tool." The nature of the map is hardly about to escape her after all. "And what hath they said of any safeguards? I wouldst assume the woods themselves to be one, but I hath yet to see the use for the three spiritual stones."

    She speaks as she walks, doing very little in the way of actively monitoring her surroundings in any visible way, but one gets the sense of constant, subtle alertness from her at all times regardless. "This place in particular was hardly meant to be inviting to anyone, and any hero worthy of taking up such a blade wouldst not be so easily deterred by atmosphere alone." she says to Hoshi, doing her best not to betray any particular reaction that would disrespect the excited teen's nervous display of deference, merely beckoning her along if she spends too long staring at her feet. "Well met, Lady Amakasu, and rest assured that there is likely little 'work' ahead of us for today. A perfect time to distance thineself from developing a fear of anything that resembles a forest, no?"

    She turns her head slightly towards Finna, the grass strangely silent even as it should crunch beneath her feet. "And how often do children normally leap from high places onto the backs of armed travellers? How often wouldst one even be found in such a place? No sword is drawn without cause or context."

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad turns his head back to Yuna as he walks. "They're all doing fine, at the moment. They say there have still been patches of Twilight on occasion, but they're smaller. The length of time they were gone has, apparently, left the Twilight as something that /can/ break through on occasion. But, so long as the Spirits remain safe, we should be fine."

     He smirks at Finna. He's in a bit of a jovial mood, "To be fair, most children don't appear from nowhere, leaping onto someone's back."

     He looks back to Priscilla, shrugging a little, "As far as I am aware, the only safeguards is the nature of this place itself. The Sword of Evil's Bane can not be claimed by Evil, or touched by Evil. Should any such evil come close to its holding place, they should be repelled, in some manner. ...It's somewhat speculation, though, on my part. I'm basing much of what I say on the legends."

     The fog remains thick, but at last, a clearing is reached. There is a different atmosphere in this place. It's quiet. Alarmingly so. The fog in the area feels a bit more still, a bit more frozen in time. Not even a bird can be heard chirping in this place. There is a slight aura throughout it. Even those who are not sensitive to such a thing will feel it. This place is Holy, in the truest sense of the word. It is a divine place. A place that can, most certainly, bring a bit of peace to whoever enters it.

     In the middle of this sacred clearing is a platform made of stone. Beautiful decorations line the sides of it, mostly symbols of three triangles. A staircase of just a few steps leads up to the platform. Notably, the entire thing seems to be one solid piece. It is as if the stone was formed this way. as if this is a place that has always existed.

     On the platform is a small stone slab. Writing is upon it, in some lost and unknown language. The pedestal is almost unnoteworthy compared to what is within it. Hilted into the stone is a long blade. The metal of it sparkles, unblemished by time. Near the base of the blade, the image of the three triangles appears again. The symbol of the Triforce. The blue hilt of the sword is elegant and beautiful, with a golden diamond shape right near the blade. The holy nature of this grove is nothing compared to aura of the blade itself.

     Fassad is now wordless. He walks towards the altar, slowly stepping up it. He looks towards the sword, eyes wide as he looks upon it. He is frozen, nervous to even touch this. He has been looking for this blade for months, but he has dreamed of even touching it all of his life. The Legends of this blade don't just exist in Hyrule, but across the whole world. His mouth opens a little as he looks at it, trying to seek words on what he is feeling or thinking.

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
If Yuna hadn't already been in her Light Suit, setting foot in the clearing would have prompted her to consider transforming. She *does* bow her head and clasp her hands in front of her chest, though, offering up a brief prayer, even though she's not an adherent of any of Hyrule's religions - she knows the feeling of holy ground when she sets foot there, and the fact that it's sanctified to protect a weapon makes it feel more appropriate to be here as the Savior of Light.

Elner, for its part, just stays close by Yuna. The robo-faerie is tempted to get a closer look at the platform's inscriptions, but where Yuna is moved spiritually, Elner of Wisdom refrains from approaching out of more pragmatic concerns. Besides, once Fassad has the Sword in hand - assuming it accepts him as its wielder - the inscriptions will presumably still be there.

Yuna finishes her prayer, lowering her hands and opening her eyes, and just watches quietly.

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    With all of that information, Hoshi has to admit--there's probably a really good reason why this place is so foreboding. Knowing that doesn't necessarily make it easier for her so to speak; instead, she starts viewing it as a challenge that has to be surmounted instead of an ever-contant sense of doom. When she talks, her voice is more controlled. "No, it is not normal to draw a sword on a child. Good thing I didn't, hm?" She deadpans to Finna. "Don't worry... I think I got it." Taking a deep breath, she marches forward with her back straight.

    The implication of Hoshi getting a fear of forests causes her to blush under her helmet. "Yeah... That probably wouldn't be a good thing. It's nice to finally meet you in person too, Ms. Priscilla. I got it. I just have to think of it like something I have to get past then something just... watching." Maybe sometime she ought to see a psychiatrist before this became an issue, though... She'd have to ask about that.

    When they emerge into the clearing, Hoshi... doesn't really understand what she feels. She'd been an atheist all her life, but the peaceful, calming aura brought a small smile to her lips, and she pulled off her helmet to get a better look of the area. Her eyes were wide and curious, especially when they found the sword. She opens her mouth to say something... but can't. She can't break the peace of the place. Instead, she does the most respectful thing she can. She goes to her knees, left to right, then places her hands in a traingle form on the ground. From there, she bows, and stays bowed for several seconds before she eventually straightens.

Finna (513) has posed:
    Finna's answer to the counters is grinning impishly.

    But the grin doesn't last when the group reaches the Altar of the Sacred Sword.

    Finna... slows, rather than really approaching it. She in fact keeps some distance from it. Unusually she just... seats herself around the perimeter, looking on in as if maybe considering herself unworthy, unwilling to anger whatever spirit looks after this place. It's a startling shift in attitude to say the last. Especially with the way she's just STARING at the sword in the altar. Awed. Maybe a bit freaked out. ".... Wow."

Priscilla has posed:
    "Such shalt be sufficient for the time being. I am certain the spirits will manage." Easy for Priscilla to say considering that she's somehow never even seen the Twilight, but then Fassad doesn't seem to be much concerned about it himself. "That is all well for repelling evil, but what of well meaning but ultimately unsuitable . . . it is no matter, I supposeth. We art here, the sword is here, that is what matters." Her reservations about leaving what could possibly be the prime relic of the goddesses, after the triforce itself, out in the middle of the woods will wait for another time.

    Though, for extremely obvious reasons, it is not even close to her first time being around places and artifacts of divine origin, for a less obvious one, Priscilla lingers hesitantly at its edge, stopping as she arrives at the threshold of where the rolling fog gives way to the timeless, suspended haze, and where the trees break aside in reverence to the ancient stones. Something about it seems to make her feel mildly uncomfortable, as if she strongly dislikes the thought of being near it, like a critical introvert looking upon an extremely crowded and noisy party. "This is . . . quite unmistakably the place, I wouldst believeth. Say whatever words thou deemest appropriate, then take in hand what thou hast toiled so hard for. I doubt it wouldst suffer any other wielder at this point."

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad walks around the altar, to the other side of it. He breathes, softly. The three Spiritual Stones are pulled out of the pouch on his belt. First, the Goron's Ruby, the bright red stone of Power. Second, the Zora's Sapphire, the calm blue stone of wisdom. Finally, the Kokiri's Emerald, the brilliant green stone of Courage. He sets them near the altar. A magical power begins to lift them. The stones lift into the air, circling around the altar. They suddenly fly down, insetting themselves into the stone of hte platform. There is a glowing aura of power, a flare of energy from the Master Stone.

     Fassad looks towards the others. All of them, encouraging him. Even Priscilla is telling him that he can do it. A smile is on his face. This is it. His dream is now coming true. His hands grasp at the hilt of the blade. His eyes close. He will savor this moment to the last. His fingers gently caress it, feeling the hilt. He braces his legs, both hands clasping the hilt with as much power as he can.

     He grabs ahold of the blade. He tugs on it, pulling at it. Every single ounce of strength is put into it as he tugs on the hilt of the sword. Every muscle on his body tugs on it, trying to force it out of the pedestal. It all proves to be useless. The sword does not, in fact, budge. Fassad falls to his knees near the pedestal, hunched over and looking down to the ground. His hands touch the altar. He presses his hand against the flat side of the blade. Tears fall from his eyes. Why? Why did he have to fail now? Did he really go all of this way, just to be proven as not being the hero?

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Serafina had been staying at Fassad's side. At this point, she floats down to sit on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. She knows what this means to him. The small mechanical girl looks towards the Master Sword and the Pedestal, frowning as she considers it.

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    Hoshi can't help but start getting excited as she sees Fassad touch it for the first time. Ignorant of much of Western culture as she was, she knew about King Arthur and the sword in the stone. Who didn't? Now she got to watch something like that happen, right in front of her, witnessing history as it came to pass, towards a better future. Or... at least that was the hope.

    Hoshi's smile turns into a quizzical headtilt, then a frown as Fassad tries and tries to no avail. Why wasn't it working? He'd brought all the items, turned in the quest, so why?... Was he not worthy somehow, still? "I don't get it," she finally says to break her silence, though she keeps her voice pitched low anyway. Eventually she stands and slowly makes her way over to Fassad, though she doesn't dare get particularly close to the altar. That wasn't her place. "Uh... Mr. Fassad. I know you're troubled right now, but we should try to figure out why this happened."

    An uncertain look is sent to the others. "I don't really know much about this. Do you guys have any ideas?" They may just be completely at a blank, but it doesn't hurt to try.

Finna (513) has posed:
    THIS... this turn of events doesn't at all fill Finna with hope, nope. Fassad is CRYING. it takes her a moment to realize... "... The thing's not BUDGING?!" What does that mean?

    "Hey... the stones are in place! Why isn't it budging?!"

    Finna leaps out onto the altar platform and looks skyward. "Spirits of Light! Gods of Hyrule! The old owl! I know one of you is listening. Please, show yourselves. You sent us on this quest. We did everything that must be done. The Spirits of Light are restored and the Spiritual Stones have been collected. What remains?!"

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna looks at Elner for a moment; Elner looks back wordlessly. Then the robo-faerie flies closer to the pedestal to go ahead and read the inscriptions - or to at least compare the text against other known writing systems, just in case they can be deciphered that way. Elner's staying outside the perimeter marked by the pedestal's edge, though - just in case.

Yuna closes her eyes again for a moment. "Fassad ... I was called to become the Savior of Light, in my world, without any warning or preparation. It's only now that Elner and Ryudia are really trying to teach me *how* to be someone worthy of my title. The Master Sword ... it might need you to draw the traits, the virtues, forth within your heart ... not to think about the legends or the title or the sword's power, but ... just to focus on being who those stones say you are."

Sarah Parsle (789) has posed:
"It's pretty obvious why it's not budging."

Huh? Where did that come from? From the entrance to the clearing, a shadow detatches from the trees, stepping forward.

"The Hero of Light is supposed to pass three trials. They are supposed to be strong, wise, and courageous, someone worthy of using the sword to strike down evil."

It's Sarah. She looks over the assembled group, and then simply folds her arms and shifts her gaze to Fassad himself, who struggles with the sword. "You put on a good show, Blondie, but you've never felt like hero material to me. We don't know what you did or where you went to get those gems. You've been talking a good game all this time but we don't really have anything but your word for it."

She ticks off a finger. "You're not strong or enduring. The only thing I've ever seen you fight are dust bunnies and stains." She ticks off a second. "You know a lot about old legends but that's not wisdom, that's rote memorization, and talking the Zoras out of a gem and trying to figure out how to stand up their princess is not what I would call wise." She ticks a third. "And courage... You had to walk through a spooky woods to meet with some terrifying elf kids, and got it handed to you. That isn't much of a test at all, especially since you had all these stupidly powerful people to kill anything remotely threatening and solve the puzzle of the Lost Woods for you. /I/ could have done that alone."

She shrugs, then, and spreads her hands. "It's not accepting you because you're a big fat faker. You've been lying to us the entire time. Lying to everyone around you, and above all, lying to yourself. You're not going to beat anything like this. You don't have what it takes to fight real evil. And it doesn't matter how many magic rocks you have, as long as you're not showing you learned anything from all of this, that sword isn't going to budge."

She points, then. "That sword is for Heroes of Light. And you're no hero."

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad speaks through tears. It's hard for him not to be heartbroken by this. He has sought to be the hero his whole life. He looks down, speaking through the tears. He tries to hold himself together, despite the massive amount of grief that has overcome him. He speaks in a somewhat hushed tone, despite his attempts.

     "I... I have wanted this blade my entire life. Ever since I was a child, I saw so many injustices. I heard the tales of heroes. I wanted to be one of them, to shine brightly, to be a symbol against injustice. ...But it was never meant to be."

     He looks up, towards Yuna. As he listens to her words, he frowns, the tears still rolling down his cheeks. "...The situation is likely the same as yours. I was /not/ called to be the Hero. I... I've suspected as such for ages. It's not any failing of my own. It's the fact that I am /not/ the Chosen Hero of the Goddesses. I've seen the signs. My world is /not/ the only Hyrule out there in the Multiverse. All of them had one thing in common. They had a hero. The heroes from Hyrule's legends. The hero known as Link."

     And then, Sarah speaks up. Her words cut like a knife. Fassad barely can stand at the moment, his entire body overcome by grief yet again. Every bit of what she said? It is right. He did go through trials, but they were simple. Too easy. Even the trial of courage. He takes it to heart. He isn't a hero. He is a lier. He looks to his side. For a moment, he glances at his bomb bag. Serafina notices this while riding on his shoulder, but he looks away again. He was considering something... Another option. But, no. Sarah is, quite simply, completely right. He stands before the lot of them, too lost in his sadness to care anymore.

     "...You... you speak true. I am... I am nothing. I am no... I am not a..."

     He was about to the truth. Admit, finally, that he is 'Not a Prince'. But, as he was lost in his surroundings, Serafina reached into his Bomb Bag. The Olbern model Shinki set up a number of bombs, around the altar. Fassad is far enough away not to be caught in the explosion itself, but the force pushes him forward, causing him to trip and fall on his face, off of the altar.

     The pedestal, that was holding the Master Sword, is no more. The bombs have blown it up, and left a crater where it once was. In said crater sits the Master Sword, now free of its pedestal. Serafina lifts the sword up, dragging it to Fassad's side.

     "IF MASTER FASSAD WANTS THE SWORD NO STUPID PEDESTAL SHOULD GET IN HIS WAY!"

     The Master Sword sits there on the ground, radiating power. The power it is emitting is /significantly/ less than what it was in the pedestal. Perhaps it is the brute force approach that is causing it to weaken. Perhaps it is protesting against this chain of events. But, the Master Sword is now free, and Fassad is absolutely bewildered.

Finna (513) has posed:
    "I beg to DIFFER." Finna whirls about, twitching a finger Sarah's way. "... If he was really a coward, he would be fleeing Hyrule, not even trying to take this trial." Finna puts both hands on her hips, cheeks puffing out a bit at Sarah. "Yeah, he's got a few rough edges... putting too much stock in image for one... but the one thing he isn't is a coward. Have you seen what we're up against? An ordinary person would NOT have been wandering all over the place in a monster-filled world looking to claim a weapon suited only for stabbing an evil sorcerer powerful enough to CURSE WHOLE REGIONS." And with that, she folds both hands over her chest. Still waiting for the gods to answer.

    What she gets, instead is... Fassad breaking down and revealing something she'd been suspecting ever since nobody in Hyrule really knew of just what nation he was FROM...

    "... Lots of rough edges..."

    ... AND THEN BOMBS! Finna leaps back, yowling in protest, but it's too LATE. KABOOM! ... and the Master Sword comes free.

    "........" Finna's left STARING, dumbfounded. But she also approaches the sword and leans over, peering at it. "... I think it's not happy with you. But hopefully it'll cooperate in bringing the barrier down?" She sounds... nervous, uncertain... but she grabs the blade regardless and holds it out to Fassad in both hands, putting on the best 'take your blade' demeanor she's got, kneeling even.

    "I don't care how full of hot air you are. Or whether you're this Link or not. I don't care if you're royalty or not. What matters is, you were willing to make a stand and stop Agahnim. I don't care if it's because you're selfless or you just want to impress a Princess into your arms. I don't care if you're alone or relying on friends. Nobody ever said a hero has to do everything alone. So what if you don't have a destiny to be great. Screw destiny. Take this sword and start proving your worth, we've got an evil sorcerer to stop before it wrecks this lovely world any further!"

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna winces at Sarah's point-by-point takedown of Fassad's shortcomings. True, she didn't see him going through any of the challenges for the first two stones, and the Confederacy made sure that there couldn't be a proper trial for the Kokiri's Emerald (probably without even thinking of it) ...

And for Yuna's own personal doubts about Fassad, she was TRYING to give him the benefit of those doubts. Sarah isn't being anywhere near that gentle about it - even if she's basically saying the blunt side of what Yuna was trying to be nicer about conveying.

And then Serafina blows up the pedestal. Yuna's reeling enough that the massive explosion *does not* make her yelp or jump back or climb up a tree for safety or anything; she covers her ears, but they're already pretty well covered by the earpieces that come with her Light Suit.

"If that was the real Master Sword and the real altar to hold it, I doubt the Spirits or Goddesses would have let it get blown up like that unless they *wanted* to give Fassad his shot," Yuna observes once things have quieted down. "Elner, did you get a full image of the inscription?"

The gold force field buble around Elner blinks back out as the robo-faerie emerges from the dust and smoke. "I have a full recording of the inscriptions, yes," Elner confirms. "I didn't have time to try and translate any of them, but that will take further time in any case. Assuming they *can* be translated."

Yuna nods, then walks around Sarah and over to where Fassad is sprawled, offering him a hand back to his feet.

"Destined Hero or not," Yuna says, "you're committed now. Fail, and the Master Sword is probably going to get wiped out of existence along with whoever's holding it. I think that means you're going to HAVE to win no matter what, but you're not going to go into that battle alone." Yuna offers an encouraging smile. "So. Ready to write your own legend into this Hyrule's history? Because nobody else is going to write it for you now - your Shinki just blew up your only chance at backing out, I think."

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    Hoshi remained silent for most of these proceedings. She has no words that she can offer Fassad. She's not a hero, she's just a dumb girl who was lucky enough to survive an open challenge in a world she didn't understand any more than she understood this world's events. As Yuna and Finna try to come to some sort of understanding with what happened, Hoshi found herself tromping over sadly to stand by Priscilla. "Nothing ever comes easily, huh..." It wasn't a question, really. Just a sad statement.

    As soon as she hears Sarah's voice, Hoshi slowly closes her eyes and takes a calming breath. She can get a sense of what was about to come by her tone. As much as Hoshi wants to stop the verbal thrashing that's happening right in front of her, she affects a stony visage and turns to face Fassad. Was he a liar? He'd never lied to her personally... Except maybe that Prince thing, which gets a small scowl, but right now that's small potatoes. Eventually, though, she joins up with Finna. "It seems like the Multiverse loves empowering the least likely of people and throwing us at the grinder repeatedly. If it was really that easy, then--"

    That was when the bombs went off. Hoshi's eyes go wide, and she stares at the altar and the sword that had fallen free. For a moment, Fassad's little spirit gets a look of pure, incandecent fury. She wasn't even religious, but this desecration--! "Stupid little thing--" is what she manages to spit out. It takes a supreme effort of will (and a lot of her hand gripping her sword) to bring her tone down. When her eyes fall on Fassad, her tone is pure frost. "Congratulations, hero. Take your prize. Now's about the time you prove you're actually worth all of this effort."

Priscilla has posed:
    Priscilla's uneasiness persists throughout the entire affair. It's difficult to guess why. She certainly couldn't be considered evil, could she? And isn't she half-goddess? Why would holy power have anything to do with it? These woods hadn't put her off before, and the idea that she'd blanch at the sight of a weapon is unbelievably absurd. Whatever the case, she keeps a good distance from Fassad, the legendary stones, and the sword of evil's bane throughout the entire process, only finally braving the effort to step forward as the ritual fails and the Gordian approach is substituted instead. She stands just behind him, looking off into the misty woods rather than down at his defeated form, hands behind her back, and she speaks as if to no one in particular, but with a certain kind of firmness that betrays a strange, quietly impassioned confidence.

    "I knoweth not the veracity as to what Lady Parsle has said in opposition to thine own claims, Sir Fassad, but nor to I particularly care. Agahnim is here, in Hyrule, right now. The Twilight hast already blanketed these lands. The Spirits of Light were already slain. The Princess hast already fled. The king is already dead. People hath already suffered greatly. If this is not Hyrule's darkest hour, whence the true hero is meant to arise and take up his rightful place, then I see little reason to wait for it. The sword's predestined wielder hast had ample time to show himself and claim it, and it is through no blame but his own that someone else hast had the initiative to take up arms before him. Regardless of what this stubborn old sword wouldst believeth, there is ample cause for its use. Whether thou were meant to wield it, or whether thou hast truly earned the right to do so, is irrelevant. By wielding it now, thou art given the opportunity to rid these lands of a great evil, one way or the other. If wouldst feel as if thou hath not yet earned the right to be called hero, then do so now. The obtaining of the sword is of little import next to what thou shalt do with it."

Sarah Parsle (789) has posed:
"He wasn't in this to save Hyrule out of the goodness of his heart, you nutcase. He was in this because of the fame and fortune he'd get if he succeeded. No actual hero postures half as much as he did." Sarah shoots back at Finna, but then there is an explosion. Sarah holds up a hand to protect her face from rock splinters, but the bombs are too far away for any serious damage. She scowls at the results. "Your little robot friend is insane. I admire her guts though... And I'm disappointed that ancient pedestal wasn't more resistant to that kind of thing." Sarah sighs, shrugging and shaking her head. "Do what you're going to do, it won't matter either way. The end of this farce is already written out. Priscilla, Yuna and Amakasu are right. You don't get the luxury of bailing now, Blondie."

She does, however, look back to Finna. "Don't goddamn coddle him. People giving him passes on his bullcrap are the entire reason why he's gotten this far without having had to shape up. We MIGHT have been about to see some actual personal development here." She sighs. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. Everything's insane. The damage is done. Let's bring this to an end."

Fassad (248) has posed:
     The words of the others are mixed. Encouragement, and doubt. Fassad registers it all, finally moving to a standing position once again. Finna and Priscilla give the most support, by far, in their own ways. Finna, the strong denial of what Sarah said. Priscilla, the blunt admittance of necessity for this blade. The others bring up points as well. The fact the path is set forward already. Fassad looks towards his Shinki for a moment, staring at her even as Sarah continues to berate him. Of course, the berating is rightful. He has, in so many ways, been a terrible hero. Her words, he takes to heart most of all.

     He kneels down. Slowly, he reaches for the Master Sword again. He lifts it up slowly, feeling the weight of it. It's heavy in his hand... Much heavier than it should be. He lifts it up, pointing to the sky. The fog in the clearing moves away, just slightly. He looks at the blade above him, before lowering it.

     "...I may not be the true wielder of this sword. Or.... I might not be worthy of it. But... At least, until we have gotten Agahnim away from Hyrule Castle? I will use this blade."

     He looks away, awkwardly. "...I am sorry I am not the hero, and that you all put so much effort into helping me. But, I will do by best to fill in until we can find the true Legendary Hero."

Finna (513) has posed:
    Finna waits patiently until Fassad takes the sword... then backs several steps away.

    And Priscilla gets an approving nod. "Uh-huh. Priscilla's got it! Also... the first step to being a hero is having the spirit for it. Stepping up when other people would back down. What matters to me is being brave enough to take the risks. Like I said. I don't care if he's full of hot air or out only to be the new king. Agahnim's in the way of anything and everything, and Fassad's only path to it is RIGHT THROUGH THAT--" Finna clams up for a moment, mindful of where she is perhaps. "... that creep. Selfless hero or ambitious poser, it's all the same to me if he can take him down. Buuuuuut... by now, I think he's more than aware Agahnim won't go down easily, legendary sword or no legendary sword. It's literally... do or die. And if he dies I'll take this sword and finish the job. And if I die Priscilla can take it and finish the job. Because I can guarantee you the gods'll be happier having a Hyrule to keep looking after than suffering this sorcerer much longer. They won't care HOW it gets done."

    Finna exclaims rather firmly, stomping a foot into the ground... although as an afterthought she adds in an aside to Fassad, "If you'd like to get in some combat practice I'll see what you're capable of! ..."

    Finally she sighs, and shrugs some at the others. "I'm not coddling him. But one brave man who was inspired by tales of justice and heroics is worth way more to me a legendary hero who's nowhere to be found. I swore that I'd save Hyrule. Never said I'd do it their way." Her grin turns a bit impish.

    "Oh, and..." The young woman claps a hand on Fassad's shoulder, slips behind him, and stage whispers, "Claiming to be a prince from a land nobody's heard of takes guts in its own way. My patron would approve of anyone who can pull THAT off."

Hoshi Amakasu (901) has posed:
    The icy look in her eyes and demeanor didn't change, but Hoshi nods very slightly at Fassad's proclaimation. Right now, it's all that this world had. These things were one hell of a headache. "You're going to have to learn how to use that sword. Actually use it. Get yourself some lessons as soon as we get back." She turns her back and starts heading for the entrance, slipping her helmet back on as she came to a stop at the edge of the clearing. "Also--you get to explain what happened here to everyone in the Union. I swear, if you try to pawn the report off on one of us, I'm going to drag you into the Mirror Forest to train with me against the Shadows, and I can promise you won't like that much."

    Finna's words eventually get a harsh reaction from Hoshi. "Stop calling him brave. Or a prince. Or a hero. Those are things that you have to earn, and he hasn't. Not yet."

Yuna Kagurazaka (385) has posed:
Yuna grins wryly, "It may not be the same courage that the Kokiri's Emerald was supposed to be proof of, but taking a sword that wasn't destined to be yours and stepping into a prophecy that wasn't about you? That takes courage, all right."

And so, she reflects, does taking up a role that you never wanted in the first place but got saddled with anyway. She does not pointedly look at Elner while she's thinking that.

Sarah Parsle (789) has posed:
"You're still as pushy as ever, Amakasu. You should relax before you run into someone who will knock you the hell down for all that fronting you're doing." Sarah comments dryly. "But you do have a point. Get training, Blondie. Aghanim isn't going to be beaten with dramatic poses. In the meantime, we'll be here to help in our own ways."

Priscilla has posed:
    "I believeth thou shalt find that I put so much effort into aiding /Hyrule/. Whether it was done according to its legends is of lesser consequence to mineself than seeing it done at all. Though thou art no legendary hero, and possibly undeserving of the title, it is none but destiny's fault for failing to properly proof its prophecy against alternate conclusions. Go forward without guilt or reservation, knowing full well that no other man was willing or able to do what thou art about to. At this moment, thou art Hyrule's /only/ choice of saviour. The goddesses shalt maketh their peace."

    It's telling that she hasn't made any firm insistence one way or the other as to whether Fassad is a hero or not. She's had more than enough run-ins with legends, prophecies, predestination and chosen to have well grounded beliefs, but first and foremost amongst them is that if someone who wants to is given an opportunity to make a difference, it's nobody else's place to tell them that they can't. After all, even if Lordran had abided by its 'prophecy' by the end, and selected its Chosen, in the end it was the obsessions of unwelcome outsiders to do the right thing had been what had given it its new life.

    "Prepare well and thorough to proveth thineself, Sir Fassad. Though none may begrudge thee for taking the place of another more suitable, thou oweth everyone nothing less than thine best efforts if thou wish to claim that right of mercy from their scorn."

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad is quiet as Finna talks. His eyes go wide at the whispering, though. He had thought none of them would piece that together, and yet, she did. He sighs. The cat is coming out of the bag. He's uncertain whether or not Hoshi caught on as well. He assumes she did, but it could just as easily be that she feels a prince needs to earn his place. He looks off to the distance, frowning, considering if it'd be best to just reveal it officially. He stays close to Finna for a moment, before whispering back. "...I'm... I'm not sure I'm ready to drop that act yet."

     "...I suppose more training would help. I am already skilled with the sword, but more training would likely be good. ...I suppose I will have to push myself further."

     As Priscilla speaks yet again, Fassad grimmaces. He catches that she didn't call him a hero... But no denial. He looks towards her, considering her. "...I will do my best to finish this before the Hero arrives."