Chapter 7: New Reunions

The sky was red. He could hear the clatter of bones and the clash of steel everywhere. All around him, dark, viscous ooze drenched the landscape, pulsing and glowing with unnatural violet light. Attacks seemed to come from the shadows themselves, a never-ending barrage of blades, arrows, dark bolts of energy. He ducked and dodged with everything he had, never seeing his attackers. But he could hear them. Laughing. Taunting.

"A mysterious boy like you needs to be dealt with firmly!"

"Opposing me is a foolish thing indeed!"

"Did you really think you'd be able to hurt me?"

"Make peace with your gods… before I make pieces of you!"

The voices pounded against him, so many, every word followed by more blows. Still, he fought. He fought and fought, even as he saw Hyrule Castle burning in the distance. Everywhere he turned, he saw it burning.

"Behold! The power of the Demon King!"

A shadow fell over him. A figure that dwarfed him, wild scarlet hair that burst into flames, bringing down a massive sword. He brought his shield up…

Link jolted awake, his only sound a sharp inhale. He blinked rapidly in the darkness, eyes flicking to every corner in search of danger. His hand flew over his shoulder in search of his blade, panic shooting through him when he couldn't find it.

"...mmmph…"

Link froze at the soft sigh of discontent. Startled out of his panic, he quickly took note of the warm body curled up against him, pinning his other arm down. Silky hair tickled his nose, dainty legs tangled with his own. Faint snores filled the room, broken again by a discontent groan as Zelda squirmed in his arms.

Feeling this, Link realized just how tightly he was holding Zelda to his chest. He quickly relaxed his hold on her, letting his other arm fall loosely around her waist. After a moment, the princess's breathing evened out, her form going still.

Link took a long, slow breath. It was just a nightmare. Well, memories, technically, but ones long left in the past. Almost none were a threat anymore. The exception was Ganon, but the Calamity was currently a dormant amorphous blob lurking beneath Hyrule castle, as was Ganondorf's mummified corpse. Threats, for sure, but ones of the near future. For the moment, however brief, they were safe.

Link lay there with Zelda in his arms, letting the quiet wash over him. He focused on the soft thrumming of her heart, willing his own to match her rhythm. He must have dozed off at some point, for in what felt like a blink, the room had lightened enough for him to make out the sparse features of the lab guest room. He unpinned his arm from under Zelda to look out the far window, seeing the landscape awash in the deep purples and brightening oranges of pre-dawn.

Twilight, corrected an impish voice in the back of his mind, a nostalgic grin worming onto his face.

He slowly disentangled himself from Zelda, maneuvering to sit on the edge of the bed. He contemplated briefly whether to prepare for the day in full, but decided against it. It would take most of the day for the champions to start arriving, and he, Zelda, and Impa had decided to wait at the Research Lab in the meantime. This morning would be the closest thing to time off he would have for the foreseeable future. May as well enjoy it.

With this mindset, Link dug through his travel pack for a clean pair of breeches, remaining in his undershirt as he slipped on his boots. He made a half-hearted attempt to flatten down his hair before giving up and heading for the door, hanging his pack over his shoulder. He looked back to Zelda before opening the door, finding her still slumbering peacefully. He smiled, quietly slipping out.

He met no one on his way to the lab proper, it being too early for the researchers to start their day. He did hear a loud rumbling coming from what was marked as Robbie's room, which he gave 50/50 odds of being some kind of experiment or the Shiekah's snoring.

As he neared the lab, he was surprised to hear voices from within. He entered to find Impa sitting in lotus position on the table across from Fi's pool, Purah leaning against it as the sisters chatted quietly. They looked over at his entrance.

Purah blinked owlishly at his disheveled appearance, while Impa just grinned. "Fun night?" she asked teasingly.

Link just rolled his eyes. "Yup," he droned sarcastically. He grinned as Purah made an odd choking sound just like the previous night, plucking a pear from the community fruit bowl on his way across the room. He absentmindedly took a bite as his eyes trained on Fi's table. The Little Guardian sat at the edge of the pool, swiveling its head to look at him. It let out a small croon, turning back to watch the glowing blade. The Master Sword remained submerged in the molten slurry, its neverending shine lighting up the room.

"Fi's okay, Link."

He must have been staring for a while because Impa's voice startled him. He looked back to see her smiling, her features soft. "Nothing's changed between last night and now."

Link hummed lightly. "...thanks." Then he turned around and leaned against Fi's table, locking eyes with Impa. "So… did you get any actual sleep last night?"

"I meditated for a few hours," Impa replied breezily.

Purah watched as an annoyed frown marred Link's face. She then gasped as Link leaned over and flicked the pointed end of Impa's ear hard. "That is not the same thing and you know it."

Impa just twitched her ear playfully, a wry grin on her face.

Link rolled his eyes again. "Whatever. I'm going to do my morning warm-ups. Call me if you need me."

"I will," Impa replied as he collected his sword off the table he left it on. He stared at the standard issue blade for a moment, glancing wistfully back to where Fi slept before fixing it on his back. He was halfway to the door when he froze, snapping his fingers.

"Oh, right." He dug through his travel pack for a moment, finding a folded-up square of paper. He came back and held it out to Purah. "Think you and Robbie could figure out how to remake this?"

Surprised and curious, Purah took the crumpled paper and carefully unfolded it, flipping her glasses down. Inside was a rough sketch of what looked like a wrist-mounted hook and chain… along with a mechanism to launch it at ludicrous speeds. Dozens of detailed scratchy notes covered the margins, a quick glance showing several of them contradicting each other. "What's this supposed to be?"

Link shrugged sheepishly. "A tool I used in most of my lives. Not this one, though, weirdly. Sorry if it's cluttered. The designs were different from life to life, so I kind of just put everything on there."

Purah nodded absently as she sat down at the table, spreading out the attempted schematics. "And you want us to build this?"

Again, he shrugged. "Or something like it. I doubt you could recreate one of the originals exactly, but I know you and Robbie can figure out an equivalent."

Purah rose a brow, a cocky, borderline flirtatious grin on her lips. "Got that much faith in me, Linky?"

To her surprise, Link just smiled brightly back, a twinkle in his eye. "All the faith in the world."

Purah's heart stuttered a bit. There was so much trust and warmth in those few words, a surety just as confident as saying the sun shined. Link took no notice, sparing one last look towards Fi before making for the door.

Once he was gone, Impa looked towards her sister, a grin forming at the researcher's stunned look and pinking cheeks. "Down girl," she lightly teased. "He's taken."

Pink turned to red as Purah rounded on her. "I… I'm not… he…!" Impa bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at Purah's flustered denials. Seeing her sister's amusement, Purah froze, taking a deep agitated breath. "I'm not sure I like 'fun' you," she grumbled.

Impa snorted, thoroughly amused. "You know you would have said the same thing if we were reversed."

"That's beside the point." Purah kept her irritated look up for a moment, before smiling ruefully. Her gaze turned towards the exit. "So… did he really just…?"

"No, he wasn't flirting," Impa droned with a knowing grin. "He's just like that."

Any call of 'liar!' Purah had felt silent at Impa's familiar tone. Begrudgingly accepting that her sister knew more than her, she instead asked, "So is this just what our Hero actually is? Because the man I just talked to is not the same lost shadow that's been following the princess all year."

Impa considered for a moment. "He was just a knight before. His job was to be seen and not heard, and only seen when duty calls." Her smile turned wistful. "He usually starts his adventures like that, in over his head and silently going with whatever's asked of him. It's not until the fourth or fifth time crawling through some deathtrap dungeon or cleaning up someone else's mess that the snark comes out."

Purah chuckled under her breath at the thought, mentally preparing more questions to ask the Hero later, before focusing on Link's scratchy blueprints. Half an hour passed as she copied the haphazard lines and notes to a proper document, puzzling over how to make the device with the tech at their current disposal. She was digging through a box of scraps when she heard footsteps nearing the lab.

"Good morning, Impa," Zelda's soft voice sounded behind her, still tinged with a hint of sleepiness. "Good morning, Purah."

"Morning," Purah called back distractingly, waving halfheartedly over her shoulder as she searched for properly sized gears.

Behind her, Impa gave a soft snort. "Going casual today?"

Zelda harrumphed. "The kingdom will not collapse if I'm comfortable for a few hours," she muttered. Purah paused at the princess's petulant tone. Coming from Zelda, it sounded downright alien. "Do you have a spare hair tie?"

"Sure. Here."

Purah looked back just as Zelda started to gather her hair in a loose ponytail. She was in her usual traveling outfit, but her blue coat hung loose and open, her plain white undershirt untucked against her figure. The expression on her face could best be described as 'sleepy annoyance'.

Hair contained, Zelda shook her head, clearing the last bits of weariness from her face. She turned to Fi's table, patting the Little Guardian in greeting as her eyes roved over the molten slurry hiding the Master Sword from view. After a contemplative moment, she picked up a Sheikah slate attached to the haphazard container, clicking through several screens as she stared intently.

"So…?" Impa said after a minute, eyes flicking between Zelda and the blade. "What's the verdict?"

Zelda paused before responding. She took a deep breath, setting the slate aside. "Let's find out."

Purah's eyes widened, abandoning her search for parts. She watched as Zelda held her hands over the molten pool, her hands enveloping with a golden glow. Purah's heart leapt to her throat as the princess spoke with words as alien as they were ancient, raw power exuding from her voice. It was one thing to be told Zelda was a former goddess. It was quite another to witness a small taste of that power firsthand.

Beneath the glowing slurry, a blue glow enveloped the Master Sword. The intensity forced Purah's eyes shut. When she opened them, the legendary blade was replaced by the statue-woman from before. Though Purah had little to compare with, Fi's condition appeared improved. Her formally stone-like skin had lightened to a bright aqua, the rags she wore restored to a flowing purple and blue gown. Most of the cracks covering her body were gone, what few remained glowing with the same rainbow light of the pool as they sealed before their eyes.

Zelda let out a relieved breath, her smile brightening as she took in the spirit's form. "Fi? Can you wake, dearheart?"

For a moment, Fi stayed distressingly still. Then her face scrunched up slightly, her eyes blinking open at the lab lights above. She slowly tilted her head to face Zelda. "I am awake, My Lady," she said respectfully, her voice soft but audibly improved from before.

Zelda was beaming now. "You look much better, dear. How are you feeling?"

Purah's brow found her hairline as she heard Zelda speak. She hadn't misheard the previous night. When she was speaking to Fi, gone was the perpetually stressed, resigned tone of the princess. In its place was a warm voice filled with pride and affection. Was she crazy, or did Zelda almost sound like…?

She side-eyed Impa, taking in the pride-filled smile on her younger sister's face.

…huh, Purah thought to herself. I'm not sure what to do with this hypothesis.

At Zelda's question, Fi's gaze went back to the lights overhead. It was hard to judge the spirit's facial expressions, but she appeared almost… puzzled. Then, her eyes widened the tiniest bit, Fi's face smoothing out in wonder. "It's… gone."

Zelda's brow pinched in worry. "What's gone, Fi?"

"The pain."

Zelda froze.

Impa sucked in a harsh breath, startling Purah. "Oh, no," she murmured, looking at Zelda in concern.

Zelda swallowed thickly. "What… what pain, Fi?" she managed, struggling to keep her voice level.

Fi took a moment, face still frozen in disbelief. "An… ache," she said slowly. "It… started in my core, I believe. But over time, it… spread. I've never noticed before… but it's gone now."

Zelda's hands gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles white. "How long, Fi? How long have you been in pain?."

Fi's brow pinched. "I… I'm unsure."

"Your best estimate."

"Since… my fourth awakening? Perhaps my fifth?"

Zelda took a shuddering breath. "So early on." She hung her head, a hand coming up to cover her eyes.

Fi's eyes drifted around the lab curiously. She tilted her head up to look over the pool's lip, quickly catching sight of Impa and Purah, the elder Sheikah offering an awkward wave. Fi's brow furrowed as she focused on Impa, looking puzzled. "My Lady?"

Zelda cleared her throat, wiping at the corner of her eyes before plastering on a smile. "What is it, dearheart?"

Fi's lips turned downward as she took in Zelda's expression. "You and Master appear rather young, yet… your spirits feel… old." She hesitated at Zelda's confused look, going on. "You know the language of the goddesses. You know the incantation to summon me forth. You know about me, enough so to heal me. Yet, you…"

Zelda leaned forward as Fi trailed off, curiosity warring with concern. "I…?"

"... You call me 'dearheart'." Her voice softened, her eyes drifting away from Zelda's. "In all my years at Master Link's side, all the lives I've seen you since the first, the only people you call that are… your children." Fi's brow furrowed. "I do not understand."

Zelda's mouth parted in surprise, and Purah blinked. Okay, never mind 'hypothesis', then.

Zelda stared at Fi, taking in the spirit's confused expression. A gentle smile spread over her face, the princess lifting a hand to run it through Fi's hair (much to Purah's shock. She would have sworn the blue shape atop the spirit's head was a solid object.) "Well, first," she said calmly, placing her other hand on top of the Little Guardian. "Link, Impa, and I recently encountered this being we call a Guardian." The Little Guardian waved a small arm, beeping quietly in greeting. "It has the ability to traverse time. In an attempt to assist me, it instead gave us the memories of every life we've lived."

Fi blinked. "...every life?"

Zelda nodded. "From my first days as Hylia to events more than a century from now."

Fi absorbed this, her expression turning pensive. "I'm sorry."

Zelda was startled. "Whatever for?"

"Remembering everything… it can… hurt."

For a moment, Zelda's breathing grew shallow, her eyes turning glassy. The look vanished with a blink, Zelda smiling sadly at the spirit. She gently drew her thumb across Fi's forehead. "Yes. It certainly can." She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "As to your second point…" Zelda's eyes cut to the doorway, then to Impa and Purah, ensuring they were the only others in the room. Her voice softened further, down to a barely heard whisper. "You're right. It seems to follow from life to life, my calling my children dearheart."

Fi frowned. "Then… why…?"

"Because, dearheart," Zelda cut her off with a grin, a slight giggle in her voice. "As Hylia, I didn't fully grasp how mortals worked, nor the bonds they forged. I didn't have the words for how I felt for you, my first creation. But now, after all this time, I finally do." Her hand moved to cradle the spirit's cheek, coming dangerously close to the molten bath Fi lay in. "You're not just my first creation, Fi. You're my first child. And I love you very much."

Fi went very still. She blinked once, twice, then her eyes went wide. "Oh." It was hard to tell with her smooth features, but the spirit seemed stunned. "I… I am unsure how to process this."

Zelda's smile dimmed a bit. "If it makes you uncomfortable, I can refrain from-"

"No!"

Zelda jerked back slightly, startled by the strength and volume of Fi's voice.

Evidently, Fi had surprised herself, the aqua in her cheeks darkening a shade. "I am not… averse to such identification. It is just… a surprise." The spirit contemplated for a moment, then asked, "Would it please you if I refer to you in kind?"

A gentle giggle past Zelda's lips as she lightly shook her head. "You can call me whatever you want, Fi. That is your right."

Fi looked thoughtful for a moment. Then her body slowly started to rise from the pool.

Zelda pulled back her hand in alarm. "Fi, what are you doing!? You need to stay submerged to-"

"Incorrect," Fi stated as she levitated fully above the molten pool, drops of rapidly cooling crystal plunking back into the bath as she bent into a sitting position. "The contents of this reviving pool have lost most of its spiritual energy. Absorbing what little remains would yield negligible results." As if to prove this, the light from the molten pool quickly faded, its contents solidifying as it cooled until the table held a multicolored slab of crystal.

Zelda's brow pinched as Fi maneuvered herself in front of the princess. The spirit lowered herself until her feet hovered mere inches from the floor and-

Purah tilted her head. Somewhere along the line, her brain had gone numb from all the reality-shifting revelations that had been thrown her way, just accepting every new shred of information as simple fact. Link was the Hero of legend and an accidental flirt? Okay. Sixteen-year-old Zelda was mother to a multi-millennium-old sword spirit? Sure. But somehow, this, this random little realization managed to surprise her.

Fi was short. Shockingly short. She was the physical embodiment of history's greatest weapon, and she was half a head shorter than Zelda. If she was a centimeter over five-foot , Purah would eat her glasses.

"If I am your child," Fi started, staring up at Zelda with her head tilted quizzically. "Then there is something I should have done upon first waking up."

"Oh?" Zelda asked. "And what is- oh!"

With no warning, Fi launched herself up the height difference between the two, two slender arms emerging from underneath her cloak and wrapping around Zelda's neck. Her head rested on the princess's shoulder, her dainty legs dangling. Before Zelda could question her, the spirit spoke.

"It is good to see you again, Mother."

Zelda let out a gasp, her eyes blowing wide. The words were stilted and monotone, clearly parroted back from a moment Fi had witnessed… but there were several such moments fresh in her mind. And there was no faking the way Fi's arms tightened around her, hanging on dearly to Zelda's front. Slowly, Zelda's arms wrapped around Fi's waist, pulling the spirit flush against her. She swallowed a lump in her throat, a blink sending wet trails running down her cheeks. "It… it is good to see you too, dearheart. And…" She took a shuddering breath. "And I am so sorry."

"It is all right."

That startled a shaky laugh from Zelda. "One day… maybe."

Across the room, Impa let out a soft huff of a laugh. "Well… at least I don't have to nanny this one."

"Shh!" Purah elbowed Impa in the ribs, shooting her a half-serious glare. "Don't ruin the moment."

Their whispers weren't quiet enough, given the raised eyebrow Zelda sent them over Fi's shoulder. She gave the spirit a final squeeze before releasing the hug, Fi drifting out of her arms to hover a few inches off the ground. The spirit then turned featureless eyes their way. "Lady Impa," she greeted with a small bow.

Impa's brow shot up in surprise, only for a warm smile to spread over her face. She slid off the table to her feet, nodding in kind as she approached. "Lady Fi. It's good to see you in person after all this time."

"Indeed," Fi agreed. "I would like to thank you for protecting Mother throughout your lives at the times Master Link and I could not."

Impa was taken aback. "I… appreciate that, Fi. But you don't need to do that. I was just doing my duty."

"As I have been doing mine," Fi stated firmly. "You are her sword as much as I am Master Link's. It is expected that we fulfill our roles." To the surprise of both Zelda and Impa, Fi's lips curled slightly into the faintest smile. "Regardless, hearing a 'thank you' now and then does one good."

Impa slowly smiled back. "You've been thinking on that for a while, haven't you?"

"I've been with Master for most of his adventures throughout the millennia. Outside of battle, there's little else to do other than think and observe."

Impa grinned. She then placed her fist in her palm, giving the spirit a respectful bow. "Then, as I protect our Queen, I thank you for protecting our Hero."

Zelda watched as Fi's faint smile grew just the slightest bit wider. She looked between the two with a wide grin."Speaking of which," she said, gaining their attention. "I believe Link will be very happy to see you again, Fi."

Fi hovered a little higher off the ground. "I would like to see him as well."

Impa jerked a thumb towards the door. "We saw him earlier. He's probably still outside doing his morning warm-up."

"Then we shan't waste our time." Zelda looked expectantly towards the spirit. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way, Mother."

Purah shook her head as she watched the princess and spirit make their way towards the exit. She leaned towards her sister. "I'm just going to have to get used to the world not making sense anymore, aren't I?" she whispered conspiratorially.

Impa gave her a rueful grin. "Welcome to every day of my every life."

As the princess and spirit walked through the door, they passed a bleary-eyed Robbie shuffling through the doorway, his goggles perched on his forehead as he rubbed at his bed-haired head. Zelda flashed him a quick smile. "Good morning, Robbie."

"Good-*yawn*-morning, princess," Robbie muttered, voice thick with sleep.

Fi looked up at the groggy researcher, giving him a small nod. "Greetings."

"Hey." Robbie stifled another yawn, glancing at the spirit. He made it three steps before freezing mid-stride, his eyes bugging out. He whipped around, just catching Zelda and Fi vanishing around the corner. He turned back to the Sheikah sisters, mouth gaping as he pointed. "Uh…?"

Purah rolled her eyes, sitting back down to look at Link's makeshift blueprints. "Yeah, you just missed the rebirth of Zelda's first kid."

Somehow, Robbie looked even more gobsmacked. "I… what…"

Purah's lips worked up, an amused tilt in her voice. "When you've finished picking up your jaw and-or brain, come over here and help me decipher this cuckoo scratch. Linky wants us to try and recreate one of his old weapons."

Robbie's jaw snapped shut. He looked back down the hall, contemplating. Then he shook his head, pulling his goggles down properly as he strode to the table. "How old are we talking?"

Purah slid over one of her transferred pages. "Old enough to make our ancient tech look brand new."

Impa smiled at Robbie's interested hum, the researchers quickly muttering amongst each other about 'tensile strength' and 'equivalent parts'. She decided to leave them to it, making for the exit herself. There was something she wanted to see anyway.

She made her way to the front of the building. Four newly awakened Sheikah researchers hovered around the entrance, radiating curiosity as they murmured amongst themselves. All were facing outward, and Impa had a feeling she knew why. She shouldered past them, startling them. She grinned at what she saw.

The sky was a wash of orange and yellows as the sun peeked over the horizon. A hundred paces from the Research Lab doors, a tree sat just shy of the cliff's edge. Under it, Link slowly swung his guard's sword around with practiced motions, moving from one sword stance to the next with ease.

He didn't notice Zelda and Fi's approach until they were right next to him. He froze mid-twirl, shock clear on his face.

Fi's voice was too soft to carry the distance, but Link's actions told Impa all she needed. The standard-issue sword slipped through his fingers, its blade sinking into the dirt as Link rushed forward and pulled Fi into a tight, almost desperate hug. After a startled moment, Fi's arms wrapped around the Hero in kind.

All the while, Zelda looked on with a tender smile.

Link held the hug for a full minute before pulling away. He cupped Fi's face with both hands, pressing his forehead to hers as his lips moved. Whatever he said earned a sharp nod, and Fi's body started to glow.

Link's hands slipped from Fi's face as the spirit lifted into the air. Her body shined with a blue light, far brighter than before. In a flash, the Master Sword appeared in Fi's place, its glow fading as the blade descended into Link's waiting grasp. The Hero held the sword reverently, blinking rapidly. He looked up as Zelda stepped forward. The princess started to say something when Link surged forward, wrapping the young woman in a hug of her own, Master Sword still clutched in his hand. Zelda let out a startled shriek as her feet left the ground, then descending into giggles as Link joyfully swung her around, beaming all the while.

Once Link set Zelda back on the ground, the Hylians could only smile at each other, radiating giddiness and relief. Framed against the rising sun, Link leaned forward, Zelda meeting him halfway.

Impa let out a sigh at the scandalized gasps behind her, shaking her head with an exasperated smile. "Real subtle, guys," she groused heatlessly under her breath, starting to walk over.

She made it all of five steps when she felt the air change. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She tasted iron, smelled ozone.

Link and Zelda noticed at the same moment, Zelda's eyes flying wide as Link shoved her away mid-kiss. Link lept back as a bolt of green lightning crashed between them. The Hero swung around in the same motion, bringing his sword up defensively as a red and green blur rushed at him. The clash of sword hitting sword rang through the air, followed by an enraged yell.

"Lecherous voe!"

A/n: I just can't help myself, can I?

Been a minute, hasn't it? Got no real excuse outside the usual ones: writer's block, life being crazy, yada yada yada. Still, I'm happy with the result. Hope I didn't lay it on a little too thick with Zelda and Fi, but I refuse to believe that a Zelda with all of her memories could see Fi as anything but her kid. Ann the visual of Link, Zelda, and Fi as a family unit warms my cold black heart something fierce.

Plus, well… Fi deserves a hug, dammit!

Next chapter… well, you can probably guess who just showed up. And given what she just walked up on, she's not happy. Me, on the other hand… hehehe…

You all take it easy, and I'll see ya at the next one!