Chapter 44: Live and Learn

Present Era…

Fi was silent after concluding her tragic tale, watching her companions soak the information she had shared. She read the various emotions emanating from her masters. Their feelings ranged from stunned to anger and sadness. That was to be expected, given the nature of the story. What happened to Fima was something Fi hoped no other person would ever endure. Fi had also read traces of their thoughts.

All were thinking the same thing.

Imagined themselves in Fima's place, wondering how they would go through that. The thoughts then grew into placing their friends or themselves in Grahime/Ghirahim's place. That thought was unthinkable to them. How could anyone betray their friend in the way Ghirahim did to Fi? To gain power by siding with a genocidal God?

"Just when I thought that psychopath couldn't get any more evil…" Fledge was the first one to speak after several long minutes.

"Please don't diminish your pain, Master Fledge." Fi implored, sensing what he was thinking.

"How could I not? With me, I was just some stranger who got in his way. You-" Fledge pants. "...You were his friend. How could anyone do that?"

"A common answer most would say was that Ghirahim changed. Some would say that he never did. That Ghirahim became what he always was and stopped hiding it. Perhaps a mix of both. There are people in this world who are cruel enough to do such a thing. But no matter the reason, I felt part of it."

"Don't tell us you blame yourself," Pipit said in total disbelief. "Surely not for all that."

"All logic tells me that I am not responsible. Ghirahim's actions were of his own…" Fi trailed off.

"...But your emotions tell you otherwise. Because you were friends," Karane concluded.

"Everything I did led to what happened that awful night. Telling Hylia what Ghirahim did to get into her study led to his demotion. He went over to Demise's side, leading him to become his servant. In the days following, I metaphorically beat myself, asking the same questions."

"Why did I stop myself? Why didn't I try harder? Why didn't I talk to him first instead of turning him in?"

Seeing how distressed Fi appeared, a horrible thought swept into Link's mind. "Did you…become a sword spirit to punish yourself?"

"I did because Grahime & I were equaled as mortals before he became Ghirahim. It made sense for Fima to become Fi…But I will not lie when I say part of me decided to go through it as a form of atonement for failing to stop him. Had I not hesitated, this war could've ended."

Fi glances at the quartet of the teens surrounding her. "I'm…terribly sorry that you four got caught up in this. When I became a full-on Shiekah Warrior, I vowed to make a better world for future generations where The Demon King's threat wouldn't loom over their heads. Where people can travel between settlements without fear of getting killed by monsters. Where children don't have to worry about their parents never coming back. And everyone can live in peace. I failed, and as a result, the war never stopped. Only been put on pause for one thousand years. Now, it threatens to break out again with even more disastrous effects. None of you, Zelda included, deserved to inherit the burden of my era."

Silence fell upon the camp, with the light rain from outside being the only sound source. The quartet had their eyes on the sword spirit. Fi kept her head down with a shameful expression.

A hand was felt on her shoulder. Fi looked up to see Link staring back with his comforting eyes. "You're not responsible for Ghirahim's actions."

"That may be, Master Link, but I wish I could've ended this war. You all should be safe back in your homes, not put your lives on the line for a conflict that shouldn't have gone on this long, and you would not have to worry about Zelda."

"All of those would be nice, especially the last two." Link paused mid-sentence. "...But it hasn't been all that bad. Sure, there were times when things got terrifying…or downright traumatizing, but I don't think I would erase this adventure if I could. We saw a whole world that I believed to be a myth for most of my life! We've seen so many cool things down here. I've become stronger and overcome things I never thought I could!"

"All of us here have changed a lot. Changes, for the most part, were for the better." Pipit added on.

"And as Link mentioned, we're exploring a world unknown to us for a thousand years. It's dangerous but also interesting. The more I learn, the more I want to protect it," Karane proclaimed.

"There-there were things that happened to me that I wish didn't happen during this quest." Fledge shifted a bit. "Things that terrified, hurt, and pushed me beyond my limits…But if I had the chance to return to the day after The Wing Ceremony to make that suggestion to help Link, I would do it again. The Fledge I am now because of that choice is not the same as the timid & cowardly one I was before the ceremony. I've become stronger in ways I didn't think of. I don't want to go back to being that scrawny kid I'm always seen as. I don't have any regrets."

"See Fi. It's not all that bad. And know what makes it better?"

"What, Master Link?"

"We got to meet you."

"Really?" Link nodded back to the spirit.

"If we didn't have you…Good chance at least one of us would've died early on. You've been a great friend."

"Friend?" Fi did not expect to hear that. "That's how you see me?"

"How could we not! You're amazing in so many ways."

"Like how you look out for us," Pipit said.

"Or how smart & resourceful you are, and use that to help us," Karane stated.

"Not to mention…how selfless you are, Fi," Fledge added. "Anyone would be lucky to be your friend. Ghirahim was wrong for what he did to you."

"You are an amazing person, Fi. We know you never meant for all of this. You were only doing the right thing. Even now, you're still doing it." Link said with a smile.

Fi thought over the words her human companions shared with her. They all watch her in silence, waiting to hear what she would say.

"The line between friend & enemy is not as clear as I once believed. Once it's crossed, there's no going back. Because some transformations are permanent." Fi spoke up gently. "When Ghirahim betrayed & maimed me, everything I thought I knew about friendship was completely decimated. And I thought that emotional connections were detrimental. I gave up my mortal form to enhance my logicality and not let emotions get in the way. Turning into a Sword Spirit should've eliminated my ability to feel. At least, I was convinced it would. Even if it cost me my memories & desires to form companionships of any kind."

The Spirit paused. "Then I met all of you. I observed how you all interact with one another. How you each look out for each other, go out of your way to help them, and even sacrifice your life for them. You showed me how powerful emotions can be and that true friendship still exists. Thanks to that, I could recover memories of my old life. To remember the happier times and what I'm truly fighting for. I…I would be pleased to call you all my friends."

The quartet all beamed happily to Fi. For how much they valued Fi, they didn't realize how much she had valued them and how much they had helped her.

Link's smile faltered when something else came to his mind. Or rather, someone. "Fi…What happened to Aryll?"

"Shortly after my transformation, Hylia placed all other humans on earth outcroppings that she sent to the sky. Aryll was among them. Joined by her boyfriend & the surviving members of his family on the outcropping that would become Skyloft. When that was taken care of, Hylia and her allies faced Demise, but…"

"But what?"

"Things didn't go…quite as planned. If it did, we all wouldn't be having this quest." Fi put it simply. None of the quartet pressed for further details. "Once Hylia made her plans, she placed her sword in the state of the Goddess back on Skyloft, where I resided for the next one thousand years, waiting for her Chosen Hero. I spent all that time hidden within the sword. No one besides the select few knew of my existence. That did not mean I was not watching over them."

"I watch the giant outcropping of rock transformed into the Skyloft you all know it as. Aryll played a huge role in shaping it. Though my memories of her were gone at that point, I still had the need to watch over her."

"Despite dealing with the tremendous loss of her brother, Aryll persevered. She lived her life with happiness. Her marriage to her boyfriend was the first-ever wedding in Skyloft. They both did it to inspire hope in others, and it worked. By the next year, Aryll had become a mother to a girl. Aryll would tell her daughter stories of Sir Link. His heroics, his devotion to Hylia, and his death. Her daughter was inspired by the stories of her late uncle. She wanted to be strong like him but didn't know how."

"That's when Aryll showed her daughter another item she saved in Demise's Attack. A journal that belonged to Sir Link. In it were written records of Hidden Skills he had learned. Aryll's daughter studied them vigorously until she mastered every one of them. But that was not enough for her. She wanted to teach others to defend themselves better should danger ever come to Skyloft. Her efforts helped set the groundwork to create what you all know today as…The Knight Academy."

"Her daughter created The Knight Academy?" Link softly exclaimed.

"As a way to honor her lost uncle." Fi glances at all of the quartet. "Every lesson you took from your knight training stems from that journal that Aryll had saved. Even your knight uniforms you all wear pay tribute to him."

Simultaneously, each of the four glanced down at their uniforms. Fi continued explaining. "Though the head gear & color vary, the tunics are styled to mimic the one that Sir Link wore during his years serving Her Grace. Yours, master Link, is the closest resemblance to Hylia's Knight in color & hat."

"You mean all this time…We were paying tribute to a person who's more than likely the reason we're all here," Pipit uttered in total astonishment.

"How do we not know this?" Karane question. "You think something like this would've been taught in classes. How could they keep that hidden?"

"Record keeping in the first years of Skyloft was…flawed. It took decades for a proper record-keeping system to be formed. Unfortunately, things could've been lost long enough for many to forget about Skyloft's early days."

"But you haven't forgotten."

"Correct, I haven't. I sense you're leading somewhere, Master Karane."

"We should relay this information to the Headmaster. All of Skyloft deserved to know this! We're all here today because Sir Link gave up his life and what his niece did."

"I believe that would be wise. Sir Link…deserves that."

Link noticed that Fi seemed to have more to share but was hesitant. "There's more, isn't there, Fi?"

The spirit nodded. "Aryll's bloodline didn't end with her daughter. Her line continued throughout the next one thousand years to a descendent who lives today…That descendant is none other than you, Link."

The silence that lingered in the air spoke volumes. "Wait. You're saying that Link is related to Aryll." Fledge broke the silence first.

"I am. Master Link hails from her bloodline." Fi confirmed.

"So Aryll is my…distant grandmother?" Fi nodded her head in response. "That would also mean-"

"-Sir Link, Hylia's Chosen Knight, was your distant uncle."

To say Link was surprised was putting it mildly. All this time, he had been receiving visions of his ancestors. That would make sense, so Link wanted to believe. But he felt like there was more to them than that. He did not want to solely focus on that right now.

"Are you alright, Master Link? I sense your heartbeat rapidly increasing."

"I'm fine, Fi. It's just…This is a lot to take in." Link rubs his hand through his face. "…My ancestor was Hylia's Knight."

"That's like a double whammy of cool," Pipit commented. "Your uncle served Hylia, and your distant grandmother' daughter founded the Knight Academy!"

"Oh, I so want to see the look on Groose's face when you tell him this," Karane said with a grin.

"I second that," Fledge piped in agreement.

Pipit got hit with a sudden thought. "Wait, how come you never knew this, Link?"

"Same reason why we never knew who founded the Knight Academy. Poor record keeping." Link then drifted into his thoughts. "...Unless."

"What?" All eyes turn to the green-clad hero.

"Before she and my dad died, I remember asking my mom why I had the name Link. She told me that it was a tradition in her family to give their firstborn sons that name. Boys were rare in her family, so there were very few Links. According to family legend, it was the name of a warrior who made a great sacrifice, and he's the reason why we're all here. I thought it was some silly family story passed down over the years…but knowing what I know, I think Sir Link is the same Link I'm named after."

Link brought his attention to Fi to ask another question. "Did…Did Hylia choose me because I come from the same lineage as Sir Link?"

"Many factors made Hylia choose you as her chosen hero. Your bloodline wasn't one of those. I don't believe Hylia foresaw that you descended from Aryll's bloodline."

"That makes sense." Link paused. "What…What was Sir Link like?"

"A lot like you in some ways. Brave. Kind. Big glutton, too. And…you look like Aryll." Fi responded with fondness. "They would've loved you."

That left a warm feeling inside Link's chest. A yawn then took over him. "What time is it?"

"Uhh, I think it's pretty late." Karane points out the night sky with the moon shining bright.

"Oh geez." Link responded.

"I guess we got so invested we didn't realize the time," Fledge said with an awkward chuckle.

"Indeed. Then I highly suggest we all get some rest," Fi told them. "We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."

Pipit let out a yawn. "Yeah, Probably not a bad idea."

One by one, each of the four settled themselves down. "Fi?" Link called out to the sword spirit. "Thank you…For sharing all of this."

"You're welcome." A faint smile grew upon Fi's lips. "I…apologize for not telling you about your heritage. I did not think-"

"I get it. We had more important things to worry about." Link gently insisted. "You want to know something weird?"

"What, Master?"

"Before, I felt like this…piece of me was missing. I've had this feeling all of my life. It was partially filled when you told me about my ancestors."

"Partially?" Fi had an inquisitive look.

"Yeah, it's not fully filled, but it's something. I always knew something different about myself but could never pinpoint it. Like I didn't know myself fully. Knowing about Sir Link and Aryll filled some of it, but I get this nagging feeling there's more to it."

"Perhaps this could be the start."

He turns to the spirit with a hopeful glint in his eyes."You really think so, Fi?"

"I am 100% certain, Master," Fi answered confidently. "Get some rest now."

Link let out one smile at her before joining his friends in slumber. Fi watched in silence at the quartet.

Never once would she grow to care for them at the beginning of this quest as she does now. At first, she would only protect them because it was morally correct. Now, she wants to protect them because they are her dearest friends.

She had already failed one friend. She wasn't going to fail four more.

There was a sudden shift in her aura. Fi floated outside their shelter to see The Blupee standing several feet away. They stare down that lasted for a few moments until the small spirit gave an approving nod. Fi nods back in response.

"I did my part. Will you do yours?" Fi communicated telepathically.

"It will come soon, Fima." The Blupee responded gently. "But there's a new development arising."

"A threat?"

"Quite the opposite, actually." He said amusingly. "One I think you would like."

On the cliffs settled just on the edge of the ruins stood a lone figure dressed in garbs bearing an emblem of an eye with a teardrop. His golden bangs peeked out from his masked face. His crimson eyes scanned into a spyglass, scanning the ruins below. He spots a trail of smoke coming from one of the large ruined buildings. There, the figure sees four, maybe five individuals residing there.

Two more figures, another boy with a bang covering his eye and a girl with glasses and two braids in similar garb, approach from behind, scanning down at the scene below.

"[What do you see?]" The other boy asked his leader in a language of their own.

"[Someone taking shelter in the ruins below.]"

"[Monsters?]" The girl guessed.

"[No. They look normal]."

"[Are they…Sky People?]"

"[Look like them but…they're armed.]"

"[You think they're…agents of The Diamond Demon?]"

"[That might be possible]." The led boy pondered. He turns to the girl. "[Send a message to my sister. We might need her help.]"

"[Aye, aye, boss!]" The girl salutes and runs off.

"[You think you might need her?]" The other boy questioned his leader.

"[My sister may be meek sometimes, but she's fierce when necessary. That might be helpful if we're dealing with The Diamond Demon's Agents.]"

The other boy turns to the ruins. "[I hope you make the right call, Sheik.]"

Ding don, this fic ain't dead! Though tbh I don't feel that satisfied with this chapter but all well. Episode 6 of 'Hero's Purpose' by MajorLink got me motivated to finish this up so I hope you guys like it. I'm going to warn you guys that updates for this fic may be slower. So don't be surprised if this doesn't get updated for months. I'm not shelving it. I just have a bit of burn out.

Lets play a quick game. Its called: What two movies I've seen since the last chapter. The hints for one movie is the chapter's title, and the second is a line of dialogue somewhere in this chapter. Fi speaks it, and said movie is published by the same company as Movie 1

Looks like there's a new development making its way to our heroes, hmm?

On a final note, Happy late 39th anniversary to Legend of Zelda!