Chapter 5: Time Marches On

One might think that, given the lifetimes upon lifetimes worth of memories Link, Zelda, and Impa now had, their fighting prowess would reflect that. That the sheer amount of skills and knowledge they each had accumulated throughout their various lives would give them a newfound edge against the monstrous hordes that roamed the Lost Woods.

And for the most part… they would be correct. As the day wore on and their foes went from Blue to Black variants the deeper they went, echoes of their former selves started to show through more and more. Link parried strikes with a fluidity never seen for millennia, dipping in and out of styles long lost to time. Impa's fingers flew through hand signs with the practiced ease granted by hundreds of years of training, her clones more solid and more numerous than she'd ever managed at her current age. And Zelda's divine strikes seemed to charge the very air with every flash of light fired from her bow, moving with an ethereal grace through the dense fog.

Though for all their revived prowess, the three were still mortal. Still capable of mistakes. And as such, it was inevitable they would have a few… missteps.

Impa ducked under the swing of a black Moblin, sliding between its legs as it charged forward. Before the beast could turn around, she lept in a massive backflip, a kunai gripped in each hand. She threw the blades down at the top of her arc, bringing her just above the Moblin's head. The kunai sunk into the monster's eye sockets with shocking ease, the beast letting out a pained howl that quickly cut off as the smoking tags tied to their ends engulfed the beast's head in flames, its body falling bonelessly to the ground.

Her opponent taken care of, Impa whirled around in search of a new target. She found that there was only one left, a giant Stalnox that Link was already engaged in. She watched as Link lept through the air, bringing his blade down at the elbow joint of the massive skeleton. Its forearm fell away, Link kicking off it to gain distance from the creature. Then…

Impa's eyes narrowed.

Partway through his jump, Link spun in mid-air and threw his shield arm out towards the creature's head, almost like he was going to punch it from the distance. Link held the pose for a full second before his eyes widened and annoyance flashed across his face. As he neared the ground, he curled his body into an awkward roll, scrambling back to his feet to charge the Stalnox again.

A bolt of pure light beat him to it, slamming into the empty rib cage of the massive skeleton, detonating thunderously on impact. Bones flew in every direction, slamming and digging into the ground. Impa kept a close watch and, seeing the creature's organic eye bouncing across the forest floor, chucked two more exploding kunai at it, ending the Stalnox's second life.

The fight over, Impa glanced at Zelda as the princess emerged from behind the tree she'd been using for cover, Hestu and the Little Guardian toddling behind her. From the way the young woman's brow pinched as she dismissed her bow, Impa figured they were having the same thought as they approached their Hero, still picking himself off the ground. He looked up at their approach, grimacing at the look on their faces.

"Okay, Link…" Impa bit back a sigh when the boy tensed from her tone. She was undeterred. "That's the fourth time I've seen you throw your arm out like that and fall. What's going on?"

Link's jaw tightened at the question, a defiant glint in his eyes. But when all Impa did in answer was cross her arms and give him an unexpected look, his defiance quickly evaporated, his shoulders slumping sheepishly. "I… um… keep trying to use my Hookshot," he muttered softly.

Impa blinked at that, Zelda's brow furrowing further in puzzlement. "But… you don't have a-"

"I'm aware!" Link burst out, a faint red dusting in his cheeks. "I just… when I do certain maneuvers, it just feels natural for me to start doing…" He rubbed his face in annoyance, letting out a harsh breath. "Zel, I don't think you have to worry about using that cutlass. However this memory reincarnation thing works, I think it brought back our muscle memory as well… for better or worse." He huffed out his frustration as he pointedly did not childishly stomp away to move further into the forest. "Let's just keep going. We're almost there."

Impa and Zelda glanced at each other before following, equal parts amused… and sympathetic.

Yet another problem the three had quickly noticed amongst each other: personality shifts. With all moments of their former lives so fresh in their minds, it took very little to make them shift from one mentality to another. Within the span of minutes their thoughts could jump from juvenile to adult to elderly, and everything in between at complete random, leading to some… interesting interactions.

Two hours and several dozen slain monsters later, the group passed under an arc carved from a massive fallen tree, and the fog slowly began to fade. The three Reincarnated breathed a sigh of relief as they felt the evening sun shine down on them, leaving the oppressive atmosphere of the Lost Woods behind them. Before long, the three started to notice the curious forms of the diminutive Koroks peeking out from behind trees and bushes the further they went. Finally, the forest opened up, a beautiful clearing in front of them, with a massive tree looming over it all.

"I'm home!" Hestu shrieked in delight, hopping in joy. "Finally, finally!" He tore away from the group towards a gathering of Koroks, scooping five of them up in a massive hug, which they accepted with an odd mix of happiness and resignation.

Zelda giggled at the display, she and Impa smiling as Link led them further in. At the appearance of the tiny plant creatures, the Little Guardian let out a curious warble and skittered over to investigate. As they entered the clearing proper, nostalgia washed over them at the sight of The Great Deku Tree towering above. Link's eyes darted briefly around at the growing number of Koroks appearing along the branches and drifting through the air on their makeshift propellers, all watching the curious newcomers. He quickly focused on what had brought them here in the first place: a stone dais at the foot of The Great Deku Tree, impaled upon it a glinting sword of blue and violet.

The Master Sword.

As they approached, the sound of creaking wood filled the air, The Great Deku Tree using what little movement it had to peer down at them. "Well, now. So you are the ones causing such a ruckus in the forest. Now, why…" The tree paused mid-word, a sudden gust of wind making its leaves shiver. Wood and bark creaked, the great tree's brow furrowing as it squinted down at them. "Odd. I sense something… different about you three. Something… familiar."

Link's eyes shot wide, a spark of hope flaring to life in his chest. He looked back at Zelda and Impa, meeting their surprise. Impa huffed in bemusement, smiling faintly as Zelda broke out in a wide grin, nodding encouragingly at Link.

His lips curving up, Link swallowed down the lump in his throat as he turned to face the tree. "I would hope so, old friend."

The Great Tree blinked in surprise. "'Old friend'? Forgive me, young one, but this is the first we met."

Link nodded, undeterred. "It is… in this life, at least."

If a tree could rear back in shock, Link figured the great tree would, given the gobsmacked look on its face. "You claim to remember… others?"

Link's grin grew. "That depends; do you remember a little Hylian boy who thought he was a Kokiri, ducking and diving through your roots and branches, trying to keep up with the actual forest folk he lived with in your shadow?"

A few Koroks let out squeaks of surprise, and the tree's eyes widened as the air around the three seemed to shimmer, and the image of a second trio overlaid the first. The two Hylian teens were replaced with a boy and a girl no older than ten, the boy in long-forgotten Kokiri garb and the girl in a pink child's dress and headpiece. The Sheikah, in contrast, appeared ten years older than the original, a blue and gray bodysuit on her toned form, the grey of the sheikah eye on her chest matching that of the markings under her eyes and her short ponytail.

In a blink, the vision was gone, and the three returned to their current forms. But there was no doubt in what The Great Deku Tree saw, what he still saw in their far too old eyes, and the three heroes were treated to the unique site of a tree staring at them in awe.

"You… remember," it whispered, its booming voice somehow soft.

"We remember," Link confirmed, and his smile turned a tad somber. "Everything."

The tree's awe was tempered by the despondent dip in Link's tone and the sudden unease in the eyes of Zelda and Impa. He suddenly felt the weight of times pased upon him and wondered… and worried… that the small beings before him could feel it as well. "This… changes things."

"For the better, I should hope." Impa spoke for the first time, the sass in her voice only slightly forced. Zelda shot her a mildly reproachful look, but the Great Deku Tree just let loose an earth-shaking chuckle.

"Most definitely!" It let out a deep sigh. "And while I would love to reminisce, I believe you three came here for a reason."

Zelda took a small step forward, putting herself at Link's side. "Unfortunately, that is true. The calamity will soon be upon us… and Ganon with it, as he always has. We hope that our knowledge of the past will let us end this for good, but for that…"

"You need the Master Sword," the tree finished.

Link nodded, allowing a little uncertainty to show on his face. "If I'm honest, my only worry is that, at this moment, in this life, I haven't done all that much to prove I'm worthy of the sword."

Impa gave soft snort, surprising Link with a soft punch to the shoulder. "You've already got your Triforce and the first-hand knowledge of every life you've ever lived. I doubt the sword could reject all of that." After a brief pause, her eyes drifted towards Zelda, hesitantly asking, "...right?"

Zelda hummed lightly, crossing her arms as she analyzed the sword. "You're right to be cautious. This situation wasn't accounted for when it was made." She flashed Link a smile. "That said, Fi's programming has her judge spiritual strength, not physical. She may be confused for a moment, but I believe she'll accept what's happened."

Link thought back to all the times he'd tried to pull the blade before he was ready, and the resulting pain (both spiritual and physical) of Fi's rejection. "Hope it's a quick moment…" He murmured as he approached the dais.

His hopes grew as a faint glow enveloped the sword when he approached. Taking a deep breath, he placed both hands on either side of the grip, hovering just above it. Steeling himself, he grasped the blade.

Instantly, a lightning storm surged up his arms and seemingly into his very soul. The painful shock nearly brought him to his knees, Impa and Zelda letting out twin "Link!"s as his body started to slump.

But then, as soon as it had arrived, the pain receded with a suddenness that left Link gasping. In the back of his mind, he felt something like a small nudge, full of Surprise, Confusion, Hesitancy… Hope.

"Master?"

Link's growing smile froze on his face.

"So young, yet… no matter. I find you worthy once more. Draw the blade."

The voice… He recognized it as Fi's, but… only just. The spirit's voice he remembered from The Skyloft had been soft, yes, but… melodious. A sound comparable to tinkling bells or a trickling stream. But now… Fi's voice was rough. Scratchy and almost painful sounding. And…

Link felt his heart thump hollowly.

Fi's voice had always been nigh emotionless at the best of times. Yet now, Link could hear her feelings clear as day: she sounded exhausted.

She sounded weak.

What should have been a moment of awe and pageantry was shattered as Link violently ripped the Master Sword from the dais, releasing an ear-piercing screech of stone on metal that made the Koroks cower. Link took no notice as he whirled around, his eyes only on the blade as he rested it against his palm. The Master Sword glowed brightly for a moment, before the light faded, Link feeling Fi's consciousness retreat within the blade.

The Master Sword gleamed in the sunlight. It looked normal.

It looked perfect.

It felt wrong.

"Link?" Zelda's hand on his shoulder finally broke him from his stupor, looking up to see her and Impa crowding him in concern, worry etched on their faces.

Link had to work his mouth a few times before he could finally form words. "S-Something's wrong with Fi."

"What?" Without a second thought, Zelda wrapped her hand over Link's around the hilt, gingerly placing her fingers along the blade. "What do you mean-" She gasped sharply as she touched the metal, her eyes going wide.

Link couldn't blame her. As he desperately ran back through his memories, recalling each time he first drew the Master Sword in a life, he started to come to a terrifying realization.

Every time he first held the Master Sword, he had always been overwhelmed by the sheer power coursing through the blade, the godly power infused within the weapon feeling rightfully awe-inspiring in mortal hands. But now that he could recall each instance in each life, comparing the feel of the sword's power from life to life, there was no doubt: the power of the Master Sword, and with it, the power of Fi herself, had steadily grown weaker from one life to the next. In this new context, the Master Sword's power now compared to that first moment in Skyloft… it would be laughable if it wasn't so horrifying.

"Hey!"

A sudden sharp thwack! upside the head ripped Link from his spiraling thoughts. He reared back in shock, rubbing his new sore spot as he saw Zelda doing the same. They turned towards Impa in surprise, finding the Sheikah glaring, equal parts irate and frightened. "You both back? Good! Now, one of you tell me what in the world made you two blank for five minutes?"

Link blinked at her, then took in their surroundings. Somehow they'd ended up on their knees, huddled over the Master Sword. The once empty clearing was now filled with Koroks, all looking fretfully at them, Hestu and the Little Guardian at the front of the pack. The Great Deku Tree loomed over them, its bark twisted in a deep frown.

Zelda looked around in shock. "W-What happened?"

Impa sighed, leaning back to sit on her knees. "You both touched the sword and then just… sank to the ground with this thousand-yard stare. I couldn't get you to break out of it until I used a little force." She made a small downward chopping motion with her hand. She looked worriedly between them. "What's wrong with the sword?"

Link and Zelda shared a pensive stare, neither wanting to voice the bad news. With a deep sigh, Zelda finally admitted, "Fi is… substantially weaker than she should be."

Impa's eyes bulged. "What? How… since when?"

Link swallowed. "I think… since she was first made."

He watched Impa's face go ghostly pale. "How.. how weak is she?"

Link licked his dry lips, forcing himself to continue. "It's been gradual, but comparing my first life to this one?" He looked back to Zelda and had to force out the question. "Is she even a tenth as strong as she should be?"

Impa sucked in sharply as Zelda shook her head morosely. "Less." She gripped the sword tighter, looking almost like she wanted to hug it as her voice grew watery. "So much less."

Silence hung in the air as the gravity of the situation sank in. "No wonder Ganon keeps breaking free…" Impa muttered to herself.

"I-I don't understand." Zelda shook her head violently, a trace of anger in her voice. "The blade was bathed in the goddesses' Sacred Fire and made to withstand anything. It was made specifically to seal the Darkness."

As Link continued to run through his memories, Zelda's words sparked a thought. One that filled him with dread. "How many times?"

Zelda looked up at him, confused. "What?"

Face grim, Link continued. "How many times was it meant to seal the Darkness?"

Zelda's brow pinched. "What… what kind of question is that? The entire reason it was made was the seal…"

She trailed off, a look of dawning horror slowly forming on her face. She stared back at Link, asking, begging for him to say he wasn't thinking where her thoughts were leading. Link could only nod nervously, his eyes falling to the sword. Zelda slumped helplessly as she followed his gaze.

"Demise." Zelda shook her head faintly in disbelief, breathing the name as if it pained her. "I crafted the sword… created Fi with the intention of sealing Demise, to have his power drain away over time."

Impa nodded slowly, remembering Lady Hylia saying similar words at the start of it all. The memory gave her no comfort as she watched Zelda carefully, an inkling at what the two were getting at pooling dread in her chest. "Yes… and that's what she and Link have been doing all this time, right?"

The dread spiked as Zelda started to tear up. "When I made the Goddess Sword… when I had Link bathe in the goddesses' fire to become the Master Sword, it was so we could seal Demise away until it purified his power. Drained him away to nothing. It was…" She met Link and Impa's eyes, desperation building in them. "It was meant to be the endgame."

Link felt his heart sink as her words sunk in. "You didn't plan on him coming back as Ganon."

"I didn't plan on any of this!" Zelda burst, and Link and Impa leaned away in surprise as her eyes started to glow. "It was supposed to finish Demise then and there! I didn't know he would come back!" She whimpered as her body shook, her sudden fury fleeing her. "I didn't know we'd keep coming back. Or that…" She gazed down at the Master Sword, her eyes agonized. "She'd have to keep being used."

A sense of helplessness washed over the group. Link could feel a sense of fire burning under his skin, the desire to right a wrong, yet having nothing to fight, no action to take. All he could do was stare at his longest companion, a heartbreaking new context overlaying each memory he recalled.

"Can you help her?"

Link and Zelda slowly looked up at the calm tone. Impa stared steadily into Zelda's eyes, a firm glint in her own, both compassionate… and challenging.

Moments passed as Zelda stared into Impa's eyes, and Link watched as a familiar steely glint entered her own. Looking back at the Master Sword, Zelda gently positioned Link's arms until he was practically cradling the blade, Link giving no resistance, no questions. Zelda then placed her palm against the Triforce emblem embossed on the sword's blade, her own Triforce flaring to life. "Fi…"

Link inhaled sharply as foreign words drifted from Zelda's mouth, his very bones shuddering as the air around them wavered. He had the barest memory of the language, little snippets across various lives from when the goddesses took a more forthright hand in events. From how Impa suddenly went still, her face full of both awe and forlornness, she too realized the significance of Zelda's words.

For as Zelda spoke a few short gentle words to the Master Sword, she did it with the voice of the Goddess Hylia.

Zelda's eyes flashed gold, and Link was briefly blinded as celestial light washed over the clearing. His eyes clenched against the glare, he felt the Master Sword grow hot in his grasp… and there was suddenly a heavier, much larger form in his arms.

Link's eyes snapped open as he grasped what Zelda had done. Heart hammering, he looked down at the figure he now held… and had to choke back a sob.

For the first time in millennia, Link saw Fi face to face in the physical world. Yet the spirit was a shadow of her former self. The flowing violet robes she wore were in tatters, worn down to sheer scraps. The deep blue tone of her body had faded to a dull steel-like gray, covered in a chaotic spiderweb of deep cracks, like an ancient sculpture ready to shatter apart at any moment.

They waited with baited breath for the spirit to open her eyes (yet another shock. Link couldn't recall having ever seen her close them). After a moment of sickening silence, Fi shakily lifted her head, her body releasing a grating sound as she moved, like someone rubbing a handful of rupees together. She slowly opened her eyes, the cracks running into them like a mockery of being bloodshot, with a barely discernible pupil. She stared blankly at the evening sky, before slowly tilting her head towards Link, then Zelda. "M-Master? M-My lady?"

"Fi…" The gold fled from Zelda's eyes, tears trailing down her cheeks as she beheld the spirit's ruined form. "Oh, Fi… what have I done to you?"

Fi focused on Zelda, her brow pinched in confusion. "I… I don't understand. Have I… failed my objective?"

"No!" The sudden shout nearly startled Link, and he'd been the one who let it out. He tightened his hold on her as much as he dared, forcing a smile as Fi turned to him in surprise. "No, Fi. You've done wonderfully. I can't ask for a better partner."

Fi didn't understand, her eyes darting about at random. "I… I still sense Darkness. Master… our mission is not finished yet." To his horror, Link felt Fi start to lift out of his arms, a glow building around her form.

"Fi, no!" "Stop!" "Not happening!"

Weak as she was, it still took the combined effort of Link, Zelda, and Impa holding her to keep Fi on the ground, and another flash of Zelda's eyes to cancel out the glow. "Fi," Zelda gasped breathlessly, putting a hand to the spirit's cheek. "We will continue the mission in due time. But first…" Tears still falling, Zelda gave her the gentlest smile. "I need you to rest, dearheart."

Fi met Zelda's gaze evenly, but Link could see the faintest denial in her features. "Negative, My Lady. I am needed."

"Fi," Zelda repeated firmly, still smiling. Her eyes flashed. "Rest."

Fi held her stare, but her features started to slowly relax. With a hint of sadness, Fi let her eyes slowly slide shut, murmuring, "As you wish, My Lady…" What little life Fi showed left as she went limp in Link's arms, the warmth she gave off his only comfort that she was still with them.

Link wasn't sure how long the three of them knelt in their silence, just staring at Fi's damaged form. A visual record of just how long their struggle had gone on. Impa eventually put a hand on he and Zelda's shoulders, breaking their reflections as they saw nothing but sympathy and understanding on her face. Waiting for them to ground themselves, she finally let her eyes dark towards Fi, then back at Zelda. She gently asked, "Well?"

There was a painful beat as Link could see the gears turning in Zelda's mind, no doubt running through all her knowledge and all their options. His spirits soared when he saw that determined look overtake her features. "Yes," she stated confidently. "With the right tools, yes. I can help her." She took a deep breath, then rapidly rose to her feet. "And I know precisely where to find them."

Her sudden movement left Link and Impa scrambling to follow her. The Princess lifted her head as she turned to face The Great Deku Tree, calling out its name.

The tree stared down at the tiny Hylian, and was once more stunned by the sudden shift in the young woman. As she stared up at it, cheeks still wet with tears, she held herself with a poise and air, not just of a queen, but of something… more.

Zelda gave the tree a tight smile, rushed but respectful. "I apologize for the confusion we have put you and yours through. I know this is not how events of this nature typically proceed."

"A vast understatement," The tree rumbled, gaze drifting towards the spirit cradled protectively in the Hero's arms. "Yet I sense this is but the first of a great many changes in other such events."

Zelda gave a firm nod. "If we get our way, they shall. But I'm afraid that we must make haste to our next destination. I am sorry that we must take our leave so abruptly."

The tree hummed. "I understand. The Calamity will wait for no one. Go and do as you've always done: protect this land and its people." Its gaze then shifted towards Link, its feature softening. "I only ask that, when the crisis is over and matters have settled, you visit from time to time. It would be nice to… reminisce."

Despite the ache forming in his chest, Link managed a genuine smile. "I would like that."

"Bye-Bye, friends!" Hestu called from within the throng of Koroks, waving his maracas back and forth. "Stay safe! And bring more booms to the baddies!"

Hestu's sentiments were echoed by the surrounding Koroks, shrill cheers filling the air as they waved goodbye to the trio. Zelda gave a light giggle at the sight, waving back as Link's grin grew a bit.

Impa smiled at the interactions. "So…" She started, briefly lunging down to pick up the Little Guardian before it could scamper away, chuckling at its disappointed beeping. "Where are we headed?"

"The Research Lab," Zelda responded as the trio faced each other. "It will be a bit crude, but I should be able to craft all I need from ancient…" She paused, the words not feeling right in her mouth. "From… older Sheika tech."

Link grimaced with her. The fact that 10,000 years did not seem that ancient to them anymore was not exactly pleasant.

Impa pushed past or ignored her own feelings on the matter, jumping straight to the logistics of their travel. "That's three days on foot. Less if we stop at the Military Training Camp on the way and borrow horses, but that may lead to some questions why-"

"That's not necessary."

Zelda's blunt tone made Impa falter, she and Link looking to their Queen in surprise. Zelda merely smiled serenely, a hint of pride and mischief in her eyes as she laid a hand on Link and Impa's arms. "It seems there is yet more I have to remember."

Before Link could question her, Zelda's eyes started to glow gold… and with them the air around the trio. Impa let out a gasp, panic on her face. "My Lady, don't you dare-!"

Impa's voice cut out with an echo as the five were enveloped in a sphere of golden light, which promptly rocketed up through the trees into the open sky, the Koroks watching in wonder as it arced away over the horizon. The Great Deku Tree mirrored their awe, then rumbled a laugh.

"Full of surprises, even still."


"Aaaand… done!"

Robbie let out a breath as Purah set aside the soldering iron, passing her the outer shell of the device before them. "That makes ten Sheikah Slates, ready for action!"

Purah hummed as she snapped the casing into place, setting the device aside with a stack of other completed units. "I'm just glad we're done. As good as we are, the wonder of our efforts kind of lose their luster when mass-produced."

"Too true," Robbie nodded sagely. "Still, our job is done, so let's celebrate before moving on to the next one." He turned to adress the lab as a whole. "Who's with meee… hey, where'd everybody go?"

Purah gave an unimpressed look at the empty scrap-strewn lab, dark save for the light above their table. "They already left for the day, genius. Quitting time was…" She glanced at her timepiece, then lifted her glasses to double-take. "Huh. Guess we were at that longer than I thought."

Robbie sighed, rubbing the side of his head, "Ah, the follies of a genius mind. Still!" He sauntered around the table towards the community fruit bowl, plucking a pair of apples and tossing one at Purah (if they'd lost that much time, it was likely they'd both forgotten to eat lunch… and probably breakfast). "Nothing says we can't still have some fun, just the two of us."

Purah rolled her eyes as she caught the apple, turning back to the table as she set it aside. "Yeah, no offense, Robbie, but your idea of fun usually ends up with something exploding."

Robbie gave a haphazard shrug. "I believe there's a saying about pots and kettles I could say right about now." He frowned as he saw Purah pull out her personal Sheikah Slate, tapping away at it. "Hey, what you working on now?"

"I'm still trying to figure out what that energy spike a few days ago was."

Robbie sighed. "This again? We spent the whole day trying to figure that one out, and went nowhere. I still say it was just a glitch."

Purah rose a brow at him. "That pinged every Sheikah Slate we have, even the ones that were off at the time?" She shook her head, focusing back on her slate. "Too much of a coincidence. There's something more to it."

Robbie shook his head, already seeing that he'd lost her. "All right, fine. I'll go find fun on my own then. Just don't stay up all night again. The lab guys will give you hell if they find you passed out at the table, then me for letting you do it."

Purah just gave a dismissive wave of her hand, already engrossed in her research. Robbie rolled his eyes, taking a bite of his apple as he turned to leave.

Beep!

The two jumped as the slate in Purah's hands gave a sharp note. Robbie let out a low whistle. "Find something already?"

Purah gave the slate a puzzled look. "That… wasn't me." With a tap, she brought up the map of Hyrule. Her brows rose when she saw a golden dot streaking across the map. "It's another energy spike! Except this one's moving… towards… us…?"

Beep! Beep! Beep-beep-beep-be-be-be-

Every other Sheikah Slate started pinging in rapid succession, both at the table and around the room. Robbie and Purah looked to each other in mounting panic, Robbie looking about the room to for where he'd left his experimental weapons. Before either could move, golden light filled the room, blinding them as the sound of scattering metal clanged about.

"...teleport… us…"

Purah and Robbie's eyes snapped back open at an echoey voice, recognizing it. Squinting against the fading light, they watched four figures appear in the middle of the room, blasting scrap metal away from where they'd entered. They blinked at the impossible appearance of Purah's queasy-looking little sister Impa, a glowing Princess Zelda, and the Princess's personal guard holding what looked like a crumbling statue. The new arrivals looked around to get their bearings, before focusing on the researchers.

Awkward silence filled the lab as the two groups stared at each other, both surprised to be facing the other. Then, with no better thoughts of breaking the silence, Robbie held out his already bitten fruit.

"Apple?"


A/n: Wasn't planning on a months-long hiatus, but I don't really have much more explanation other than sometimes life just blows, for all involved. Still, happy to get this one out, even if it's not exactly the happiest of chapters. I am happy with how this one turned out though, especially with how it's going to set up things moving forwards.

Hope you all like it and I'll see you at the next one!