Chapter Text
“...-ster Link…”
“...-lease awaken, Ma-...”
“Master Link, it is imperative you awaken immediately.”
Link groaned, every single part of his body aching like he’d taken a direct hit from a Talus.
“Analysis shows physical damage from the previous attack and subsequent ascent into the air to be minimal, despite the alterations made to your right arm….”
“…”
…Attack? …Ascent? …Arm?
“Zelda!” Link cried, adrenaline flooding his veins as memories of the last few moments returned, prompting the young hero to throw himself upright, eyes flying open as his head flipped from right to left.
“Unfortunately, there is not a trace of Her Grace within the immediate vicinity and, given that she was falling downwards while we were thrust skyward, there is a 98% probability we will need to return to the Surface to even begin searching.”
“Who said that?!” Link asked, hand instinctively coming up to take hold of his sword….
He then gasped in shock and horror as he caught sight of his hand… no, not just his hand, his entire arm!
His gauntlet, armor and sleeve were gone, no doubt dissolved by the Malice that had grabbed hold of him… that should’ve taken off his whole arm, given the way it had consumed the limb so quickly.
Yet, instead of a stump of an arm… instead, Link found himself staring at skin that was now a much darker color than the tan he was used to, his fingers appearing much longer and bonier than before, with nearly claw-like nails.
He could just barely make out runes similar to what he and Zelda had found in that cursed cave now on his skin, broken up by golden bracelets and rings that decorated his arm and fingers.
“Wh-what,” Link sputtered, twisting and turning this new arm, flexing the fingers, feeling the stretch and rub of the decorations that now adorned what… had to be his limb, since he could move it, “what happened to me?”
“It would appear that, in order to counteract the Malice that had grabbed hold of you, the arm that had been presumably been imprisoning a large portion of the previous incarnation of Ganondorf infused itself with your own,” the unknown, yet somewhat familiar voice stated.
At the same time, a tiny figure floated into view, hovering next to Link’s newly transformed arm, bringing his attention its way.
“Y-... you,” Link gasped at the blue and purple girl, who’d appeared at the end of his trials to restore the Master Sword, after he’d convinced her to shed her disguise of a Sheikah monk, “Fi? You’re Fi, right?”
“Correct,” Fi replied with a short nod… before glancing down at her own figure, “though, admittedly, recent events have altered my form greatly.”
“You’re tiny!” Link exclaimed, new and normal hands coming up to hover around the newly shrunken sword spirit, flailing in physical proof of his surprise and worry.
“Indeed,” the small spirit replies, gazing down upon herself and twisting in one direction, then the other, “there is a 90% probability that this is due to the damage sustained by the Master Sword amidst the attack and release of Ganon–”
“The Master Sword!” Link cries in renewed alarm, “th-that, where is it?!”
“Directly to your left, Master Link,” Fi replies, leaving Link’s hands in order to fly the short distance where the blade had fallen after their landing.
Link is quick to follow and gasps in dismay once he witnesses the state of the holy sword.
All that remains is the winged hilt and just a small portion of the blade, the bottom of which is broken and decayed, with far worse chips than what had adorned it after his desperate battle against the possessed Guardians 100 years ago.
“I-I… I’m so sorry, Fi,” Link stutters as guilt consumes him, “I-, even though you created those Trials to help me fix it I–”
“You have no need to apologize, Master Link,” Fi quickly interjects, hovering before Link’s face and drawing his attention away from the remains of her sword, “in that vein, then I, too, would need to apologize for not only allowing the Master Sword to break anew but also for failing to protect your arm from Ganon’s assault—”
“That wasn’t your fault!” Link cries, then sighs heavily, unaltered arm coming up to pinch his brow, “which is exactly your point.”
“I am glad you were able to understand so quickly, Master Link,” Fi states with a satisfied nod, “if there is one thing your predecessors have taught me, it is to only assign blame to those who deserve it and to not dwell upon your own mistakes for longer than necessary.”
“So… what now?” Link asks as he carefully returns the remains of the Master Sword to its sheathe, “will the sword still be able to restore itself over time?”
“...let us worry about that later, Master Link,” Fi replies, continuing on before Link can argue, “for now, I believe it best we conduct a search of our current surroundings. From what I have gathered so far, we have risen to the same altitude of the Sky Islands upon which the first of my masters dwelled. As the day is growing short, I would highly suggest finding an area to camp for the night.”
Link opens his mouth to argue, then closes it, glancing upward towards the sky which is already beginning to turn orange as the sun descends.
“...yeah, you’re right,” he finally sighs, picking up a nearby stick and swinging it experimentally, “and we’ll need to find new supplies, too… since Zelda had the Sheikah Slate…”
Link’s heart clenches when he says her name, the image of Zelda's terrified face as she’d fallen dancing before his eyes.
“Her Grace has proven to be just as resourceful as yourself, Master Link,” Fi’s tiny voice cuts in, an equally tiny wing coming to rest on his hand, “she will find a way to survive and we shall locate her once we have obtained a means to descend to the Surface without risk of your death or injury.”
“No risk of death or injury is always nice,” Link finds himself laughing.
“Indeed, now,” Fi states with a curt nod before turning to the left and extending one of her wings, “my dowsing, which is similar to your Sheikah Slate’s search functions, indicates that food can be found in that direction….”
“So it looks like this new arm is able to use runes like the Sheikah Slate,” Link hummed as he twisted the arm in question, green energy exactly like that which had filled the cave before slowly dimming back into the usual darker flesh.
“Indeed, Master Link,” Fi replied as she came to hover next to the arm, “I believe the mechanics are similar to that which was employed by the monk Maz Koshia, who gifted you your Divine Beast. It would be in your best interest to take a moment to learn the full capabilities of the powers that have been gifted to you through this new appendage.”
“Just like how I went through the shrines back on the Great Plateau,” Link chuckled as fond memories filled his mind, “wonder if a strange old man will appear afterwards to lend me a new paraglider.”
“I suppose that would not be completely out of the realm of possibility,” Fi replied, “if you would like, I could dowse for any humanoid lifeforms within the immediate area, be they living or phantasm.”
“No, that’s alright, Fi,” Link said, carefully guiding Fi back to sit on his shoulder, “I’d rather you save your strength for right now. Plus, that would take away a lot of the fun of exploring!”
“Very well, Master,” Fi nodded from her new perch, “however, I will still keep a strict vigil for any signs of possible danger.”
“Just don’t push yourself, alright?”
“I would ask the same of you, Master Link.”
“Well, at least we found some new clothes for me,” Link stated, gazing down at the garment in question, “even if they are a tad airy. Were these the clothes they wore back in the era of your first master, Fi?”
“No, Master Link,” Fi replied from where she now sat on the log beside him, “those clothes appear far more similar to those donned by the Zonai tribe and era that came directly before yours.”
“When the Divine Beasts were created?” Link asked, peering down at the green and brown tunic he now wore in new fascination, “well, they seem to have held out better than the clothes that were left to me in the shrine during my hundred year nap.”
The conversation trailed off as Link’s attention was caught by the food he was cooking on the fire, the embers of which danced and threw new colors upon his altered arm.
Fi’s attention was drawn to the slight shine of gold that shone briefly upon the back of that hand, suspicions forming as her sensors strived to perform analysis.
But the limited energy she possessed quickly forced her to abandon such actions, the sword spirit feeling the stirrings of ‘irritation’ bubbling unpleasantly in her chest, when her master suddenly pulled her attention back towards him.
“Here, Fi,” he said cheerfully as he extended a small portion of food in her direction, “eat up before it gets cold.”
“Master, I have already stated I do not require sustenance to function–”
“But you’re technically injured,” Link cut in, “and you’ve shrunk, and the Master Sword still isn’t showing any signs of healing itself like it has before. And since we haven’t found any fairies to ask for their advice or help, the only thing left to try is to feed you.”
Fi was about to negate that last statement with a multitude of facts, including the all important fact that they needed to ensure his own well-being whilst in an environment with unknown quantities of food and water.
But a quick assessment of his mental state via their maintained spiritual bond as well as the calming nature cooking and providing food for others, the last of which had grown stronger once Zelda had joined him in traversing Hyrule, gave him… and the worry for both Zelda and Fi herself that still existed… had the sword spirit quickly aborting such an action.
“Very well, Master Link,” she said instead as she lifted her wings to accept the small ‘plate’, “I thank you for the food.”
“You’re welcome, Fi,” Link replied with a big smile, adding after Fi had taken her first bite, “how is it?”
“I believe it is quite good,” Fi stated, carefully analyzing the new information provided via her long unused taste buds, “though I must admit, the only times I have eaten food was amidst my travels with my first master and amidst the War of Ages… both of which occurred many centuries ago….”
“The first hero… and the War of Ages,” Link repeated, ‘curiosity’ building against the bond, “can you tell me about them, Fi? Especially anything about the hero that came directly before me, from 10,000 years ago?”
“Of course, Master,” Fi nodded, “it has always been my duty to assist the hero and answer what questions he may possess, so long as I am able. Where would you like me to begin?”
“This is it, Fi,” Link said as he stood on the edge of the floating island, new paraglider held tightly in his hands, “we’re finally going back down to the surface… on our first step to finding Zelda and stopping Ganon….”
“Yes, Master Link,” Fi answered from where she hovered to his left, “as always I will be right by your side and will aid you to the best of my abilities.”
“I’ll be counting on you,” Link chuckled before reaching out towards the sword spirit, gently guiding her to sit on his shoulder again, “now, hang on tight!”
With that, he was jumping off the island, body angling as if he were diving into a pool of water, as he’d done numerous times on his previous journey.
Memories and worries assaulted him as the land below drew closer and closer, not just of Zelda and her well-being, but those of all the other friends he’d made just a year prior.
The ache created from the unexpected loss of the gifts from the Champions throbbed and tears pricked at his eyes… until a soft chime sounded in his ear and a pulse of green and golden light shone from his arm.
“We are with you.”
Link huffed out a fond laugh, and then his attention became focused on his paraglider as he snapped it open, angling it towards the direction of Kakariko Village, his new quest stretching out before him.