A/N: Hello everyone! It's been nearly a year since the last update and I deeply apologize for that. In truth, I've been promoted at work, and the pre-promotion seasonal position began last Jan, so I've been running around like mad IRL for nearly a year. XD

Massive thank you to Kastaborous/Quasar who motivated me as I wrote this chapter, and huge thanks to Byrony and Sylph for being awesome Betas and ensuring my scatterbrained thoughts are actually readable.

I suppose I should also say Merry Christmas (for those of you who celebrate it). This is your holiday gift from me! :D Somehow, this chapter reached 10k words. 0.0 No idea how that happened.

I've got a Discord! Come join us to get snippets from several of my stories as I write them, exclusive omakes or outtakes (things that didn't quite make the cut in the story), or just chat with me. :) You can also vote on things that may or may not make an impact in my writing! All my stories are connected to my Discord including Zelda, My Hero Academia, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Encanto, Harry Potter, Hetalia, Sandman and more!

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That being said, I think I've chattered long enough. I hope you enjoy this latest installment of A Hero's Spirit: Echoes in Time.

~~~

Fi had been around for a very long time. Her memories spanned many countless eras, both the times she had thus far lived through, and the times she had yet to see. If she focused enough, she could even recall her early days when she was first born—a time of blurry peace and warm light in a place known as the Divine Realm. She fondly recalled the moment she had been given to Hylia's Chosen Hero, who reforged her with mortal hands and solidified her sense of self. His direct reincarnation—Spirit and Soul—was Master Sky.

She gained new memories whenever she met her future Masters—she would glimpse their Journeys and hardships through their Bond as Master and Wielder. Anything they experienced in her presence she could bear witness to, but she could not truly count those memories as her own. The fact remained, however, that she was aware of their journeys. Even those who had not wielded her left a vague impression of what that journey was like along with a Title that she would whisper to Master Sky—the only living Master who could hear her voice.

Finding her future Masters and glimpsing their time together was something that brought her both joy and pride. As such, it was only natural that she was curious about the newest addition to the group. She could sense their sleeping Bond, but there was something off about it in a way she'd never felt before. In a sense, it reminded her vaguely of the golden wolf the spirits had dubbed 'Goldie'. Fi had been horrified when she realized this was Master Time, but the Spirit of the Hero had left him with his death, so only a vague impression of their bond remained. He was still her Master—once a Master, always a Master—but the Spirit of the Hero had moved towards the next worthy soul as directed by the Goddess.

But though the feeling of this new Master's sleeping Bond was similar, it wasn't quite the same. The Bond between Sword and Wielder was most definitely there, but it was hazy, muted like a path covered in fog. She couldn't understand it. Never had she experienced something quite like this.

It was one of the reasons why she had gently grabbed Master Sky's attention after dinner. She didn't need to say anything, reminding him of her presence was enough.

"Arcadius." Master Sky spoke up when the majority of the group had finished their meals. He carefully laid Fi across his lap, and several heroes in the room perked up, sharing knowing smiles. "I know you've already given us a name to call you by, and I think we're all aware that you didn't want to come along with us, but..." He held her out towards the blue-clad Hero. The newest member of the group startled lightly. "There is a spirit in this sword named Fi. It's... something of a tradition to receive a title from her. We can keep calling you Arc, since that's what you're used to, but you should at least let her say hello."

Fi swore his eyes flickered towards her as she floated closer, silently urging him to accept her. A nostalgic smile crossed his face as he reached out and relieved Master Sky of her weight.

"Hey, Fi." He whispered to her, running a hand along the flat of her blade in a way that soothed her spirit. "It's been a while."

"Master." She knew he wouldn't hear her words, but she would never do any of her Masters a disservice by remaining silent. "I am Fi, the Spirit of the Master Sword."

"I know. Your other self introduced herself to me a long time ago." His eyes didn't leave her blade, but Fi wasn't the only one that startled.

"Y-you can hear her?" Master Sky grinned.

"She spoke to me once... During our final battle together." The words held a weight that nobody was quite sure how to handle.

"If you would allow me, I will look at the memories of the times we shared so I can understand your Journey better." Normally she'd just look, but this Master could hear her. It was only polite to ask.

"Of course." Master Link whispered.

"Erm, Fi?" Zelda stepped forward before she could dive into their connection. "Just... a little warning. You, erm... you might not like what you see. Link's Journey has been anything but easy. And I fear—"

"It is all right." Fi nodded her head in Zelda's direction. "No matter the trials he has faced, it is only right that I understand his burdens." Even if that meant facing something like the Demon King once more, she would not leave any of her Masters to flounder in the darkness.

Without another moment of hesitation, she fell into the memories.

There was a pedestal in a quiet forest. Fi hovered within the memory, eyes drawn from the familiar visage of the Deku Tree towards her other self, the blade that slept soundly in the stone.

These memory transfers were always strange. She was accessing them through the Wielder Bond with her Master, so she became a spectator in things. Moreover, the sensations of her other self weren't the only things she felt—she also felt the pain of her Masters, though to a much lesser degree.

Some, like Master Twilight, only had one Journey. Those viewings usually didn't last long in the mental realm, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel the sting of her Masters' many wounds. Others, like Master Legend, had surprised her with the sheer amount of time it'd taken to get through everything.

Thankfully, she only needed to watch a handful of central memories from each Hero. The other times spent together would naturally settle within the recesses of her mind over the course of several days. Unfortunately, for those like Master Four who never actually wielded her during their Journeys, there were no memories to see. Lady Hylia instead gave her vague impressions of those journeys so she could understand what kind of person her Master was, and provide a Hero's Title to them.

The sound of crunching leaves drew her attention to a child that'd stumbled into the clearing, laughing as he chased a few giggling koroks. The boy had sunkissed blonde hair and eyes the same shade as a crisp autumn sky. He looked to only be ten years old, just around the age Master Time had been.

"Hey! Get back here! Maple!" He made a leaping grab for one of them, but the baby korok—only the size of the boy's fist—happily fluttered out of the way, its massive maple leaf nearly causing it to overcorrect itself and fall onto the grass below.

"Yahaha! Play with us too, Link!" Several more koroks of varying ages popped out from the trees, each one looking overjoyed at seeing a child in their woods.

Her young master paused when he saw her other self, resting peacefully in her pedestal. Fi could feel a gentle warm tugging sensation from within herself as the blade in the memory let out a quiet, weak chime to guide her Master forth.

Fi herself gave a sharp frown. Was her other self unaware of how young this child was? Surely, she wouldn't guide someone of such youth to wield her. Then again, perhaps the journey of Master Wind had done away with the hesitance her other self had felt when Master Time had first found her.

Perhaps the guilt she'd felt when she'd seen the ten year old kokiri boy pull her from her slumber had deterred her from judging her Masters based on age. Regardless, she did not think it prudent to call out to the child who had yet to take an interest in the blade. If she had remained quiet, it was entirely possible the boy wouldn't have given it a thought and returned home after playing with the koroks. She would've been able to guide him to her when he was older and more prepared. There didn't need to be an urgency now, not when the Great Darkness she felt had yet to begin its manifestation.

The boy's warm hand wrapped around her other self, pulling her free from a place she had slept for a very long time. Fi was abruptly hit with a soul-deep exhaustion. If she had a body, she would equate it to being unable to keep her eyes open.

Whatever era this was, it was very, very far away from her current self—far enough that her natural life as a Divine Sword—something that should be near ageless—was nearing its natural end.

The boy stumbled slightly under her weight. The bladed form of her other self was almost twice his height, and she knew the only reason the child was even able to hold her up was because their Wielder Bond made her feel perfectly balanced to any of her Masters. Even still, the sight of a child so young holding her made something in her heart ache. She watched as his confused expression changed to excitement.

"Woah! It's a real sword!" He gave a gap-toothed smile. "Wait until Dad sees this!"

The scene faded to an empty expanse—a place between memories. Young Master Link's emotions swirled around her, and she tried her best to put a name to each one. Fear, doubt, a weight of duty that she hadn't felt from her other Masters before, and a bone-deep grief that she somehow understood to be the loss of the boy's father.

Sword spirits were not entirely unfamiliar with emotions, but hylians had far more complex emotional structures than one such as she, who had been created as a sword spirit. What she knew about emotions were things she had learned during her Journey with Master Sky or through her memory observations with her other Masters.

The scene swirled again, and this time, Fi found herself floating in a grand throne room. Something in the back of her mind identified this place as Hyrule Castle. A white-haired man sat upon a plush throne, a crown of gold upon his head. The child, now roughly fifteen years old, kneeled before the king wearing the armor of a knight. The Master Sword of his time lay gently before him on the polished marble floors, still within reaching distance, but far enough away as to pose little threat to the king should the knight abruptly attack.

"So this is the Hero." The king hummed as he eyed the child before him.

Fi was certain her Master had hidden the fact that he'd pulled her nearly half a decade ago, with the vague impression of the boy re-hiding her in the forest and purposefully stumbling upon her along with a few other knights to 'find her'.

He was a clever child. Clever and burdened with a weight that should not be there. The child's silent nod sent an unfamiliar emotion through the sword spirit. Fi wasn't sure why his silence evoked such a foreign emotion from her, but whatever it was wasn't pleasant.

"It is good to know the Hero is already amongst my most trusted knights." The king smiled with relief. "Sir Link, as you are the Hero, I will appoint you as the personal knight of my daughter, Zelda. Please stay by her side and guide her as she awakens her own powers."

The boy nodded sharply and the memory swirled again. Fi felt something foreboding as she passed through several other memories. There were flashes of other individuals.

A Goron with a bright grin that carried the feeling of safety and protection. A Zora with a gentle smile that appeared to be held in her Master's heart with a fierce fondness. A Gerudo whose ferocity and loyalty inspired her Master to push himself further, to try to live up to the trust she had placed in him. A Rito who appeared to have a talent for irritating her Master in such a manner that he would strive to improve purely to prove a point. There was also a young girl with blonde curls and bright hazel eyes. That girl induced a staggering amount of love and devotion from her Master, and Fi distantly realized she was his younger sister.

As the faces faded from her mind, echoes of what once had been began to settle upon her. Impressions of harsh self-imposed training, the fear of not being enough, and the sting of self-loathing circled around the expanse of nothingness until the rain fell down in icy sheets around them.

Thunder shook the earth as lightning illuminated one of the most horrifying scenes Fi had ever witnessed. Hundreds of great mechanical soldiers—Guardians, her mind supplied—tainted heavily with Malice, fired upon the land and people. It was a scene she would've expected to see formed by the hands of Demise himself, but the fact that this scene existed in the memory of her Master meant that something had gone horribly wrong.

Fi let out a sharp gasp as pain encompassed all that she was. Never had she felt such agony as a sword, nor had she ever felt so utterly exhausted. Her exhaustion and pain came from her other self, but there were horrible throbbing echoes of her Master's injuries as well. His exhaustion, his fear and hopelessness and agony had seeped across their Bond for her to feel. Slowly, with a fear she'd never truly felt from herself before, she turned to verify the state of her Master.

Link staggered on his feet, horrific burns that she knew would one day become scars just as terrible were scattered across his left side, and he held her as tightly as he could in his only good hand. His left ear was almost entirely gone, and she wasn't sure if his left eye was still there or not. The rain made it hard to assess his injuries, but the shared pain told her plenty.

Zelda was behind him, begging him to stop before he killed himself. Fi's gaze was caught by a pitiful spark her other self had produced, and stilled in shock.

Her blade was chipped and coated with blood and mud, and her guard was horribly cracked. She hadn't known she could be damaged in such a manner, but it explained the pain that lanced through her entire being. A Divine Sword such as her should never be able to be damaged by mortal means. Whatever these Guardians were, their power was something that even the gods could not ignore.

The fact that such creations fell into the hands of the Great Darkness...

Master Link slipped, the ground slick with rain and blood, and fear shot through his entire being as he jammed her into the ground, trying to keep himself upright. There was a certainty in his gaze as he readjusted himself and raised her once more, unwilling to look away from the Guardian that had set its sights upon him. Lightning flashed across the torrential skies as the truth hit her like a blade of Malice.

Master Link was dying.

There was little that could save him as he was, and yet she watched in horrified awe as he kept pushing forward. Kept fighting and slashing, damaging both Hero and blade beyond anything that should be possible. Even the gods themselves would watch this battle in awe.

Her Master's vision appeared to be going in and out, because he tried to block a laser and missed, taking half of the damage on his already mangled left side. A pained cry left his lips, and Fi joined him when the electric agony of her blade being chipped further registered. It was as if she were watching the end of the world.

Master Link panted, holding her at the ready with a trembling hand. Just when the Guardian aimed to fire, and Fi feared the worst was about to unfold, Zelda let out a cry and leapt forth, the beautiful golden light of Divinity exploded outwards from her, repelling the Malice and forcing the Guardians to shut down.

Fi floated there, trembling as she watched her Master fall. Zelda's desperate cries did nothing as his grip on her loosened. The spirit of the Master Sword watched in muted horror as she felt her Master's heart stop.

Fi had lost her Masters to Farore's embrace many times, but she had never lost one like this. She had failed him. She hadn't been strong enough to help him fight. Her exhaustion had prevented her from utilizing her full power. Perhaps, if she'd been a few millenia younger, such a horror wouldn't have unfolded. If she'd had access to that power, she might've been able to slice through the army of Guardians with a Skyward Strike.

Except... She shook her head in that way hylians often did to reorientate themselves from their thoughts. He wasn't dead. He was alive, because he'd been called on this Journey through time with them. Surely, that meant that somehow someone had found a way to heal or revive him. It was a feat only the gods should've been able to achieve, but the Heroes had always had the strangest ability to bend fate.

She was back in the forest. The pedestal looked the same as it had when the boy of ten had pulled her, and her other self was still writhing in agony and guilt over having failed her Master. It was to the point where she had shut out the world around her, half sleeping and half screaming because what she had been through had been just too much.

Fi herself was shaken when Master Link walked into the clearing. She recognized him as the same boy who now traveled with them through time.

Neither Fi nor her other self knew how much time had passed, but Fi knew that her Master should have been dead. It should've been his next self that came to her, not this boy in the body of a young man.

And her other self knew this too, because when he went to pull her once more, her older self—confused and grieving and drowning in guilt and shame and exhaustion—attacked him, fearing him to be an imposter. She was too buried in her exhaustion and pain to feel the Bond that had once been shattered—a bond that was still shattered and muted and distanced by the hand of death itself, but of which a faint echo remained. Blue arcs of divinity lashed out like lightning, searing the design of her grip into the palm of her Master's hand, and Fi stared in utter horror.

She should never attack her Masters. It was against everything she was to attack the one who held the Spirit of the Hero. Fi felt something like bile rise in the back of her non-existent throat as she watched her Master try to pull her time and again. He returned no less than twelve separate times, spread out over the course of more than a year, before he finally endured the agony enough for her other self to recognize his Spirit.

Shame washed over her. She had hurt him. She had made him cry and doubt himself and think that he needed to prove himself worthy to wield her again. How could he ever deign to forgive her for such a betrayal? Not only did she fail to serve him adequately as his blade, but she even turned her power against him. It was unforgivable.

The scene changed, after he pulled her. His Title floated through her mind like a whisper from the Goddesses themselves. Hero of the Wild. But there was something that quivered in that, something that said there was more.

She glimpsed an utterly breathtaking land. Despite the way her other self had attacked him, Master Wild had taken her to his favorite locations in his Hyrule merely to show her the views. None of her other Masters had done something like this before, and it left her feeling perplexed.

It was a slow realization, when it came. Like water swelling from beneath the soil. He was lonely. Master Wild had felt so utterly alone that he had sought companionship in a sword that he couldn't even speak to. One that he wasn't even sure housed a spirit.

That realization hurt almost as much as his death—something he'd briefly explained to her other self as the reason for his amnesia. When he softly admitted that he thought she had attacked him because of 'his failure' a century prior, Fi found herself reaching out towards him. She would have to speak with Master Wild after this. She couldn't let him continue thinking that she found him lacking or unworthy.

Zelda had been right. Fi hadn't been ready to see the journey of this newest Master. But it was too late to turn back, nor would she wish to. She would not leave Master Wild floundering in the darkness any longer.

But it wasn't over. That ominous feeling she'd had earlier came back with a vengeance, and Fi watched in trepidation as the scene blurred for a moment.

Master Link panted as he held her. He looked almost as injured as that night in the rain, and the horrible rot of Malice clung to several of his wounds. The great horror of hatred stood before them, and Fi couldn't help but feel like this being was almost as great a foe as Demise himself.

In her weakened form, this was not a battle that could be won. That certainty settled into every fiber of her power, and going off the way that Zelda was panting beside Master Wild, it was also not one they were likely to survive.

But he had, right? He must've survived, because he was in the Outside World with her other Masters. Perhaps, some part of her mind whispered to her, whatever method he'd used to return from death's grasp had been utilized again. But there was something that felt inherently wrong about that thought, something that didn't quite fit. And yet, she also couldn't see how Master Wild could've made it out of this situation alive.

Before she could think on it further, the battle snatched her attention. Fi flinched badly when Calamity Ganon dug its claws into her Master, and she heard her own voice call out to him, introducing herself with a voice that was only able to reach him because Zelda had given her remaining life force to empower Fi's other self.

Some part of Fi knew what was coming, but her logic kept her hope alive—a desperate hope that he had not perished here. That hope quickly shattered when the nightmare of Malice attacked. No amount of warning would've prepared her to watch as her Master was impaled by the horror before her. Her scream echoed in the memory's space as the hero buried her other self into Calamity's skull and then the ground, using her as a seal to hold their foe in place until the next Hero could come and finish things.

The last thing she saw as the memory started to fade out, was Master Wild collapsing against the wall of the Sanctum as their Bond snapped.

Fi's awareness snapped back to the present with the abruptness of a bowstring's release. It took her a few moments to realize she was in Master Twilight's house. She wasn't one to easily show emotion, but she couldn't stop the tremors in her cloaked hands, nor could she control the tears that ran down her face.

Had she ever cried like this before? She didn't know. At the moment, she didn't care to know. She refused to look away from Master Wild—Master Arcadius, as he had asked the heroes to call him. He shouldn't be alive. How was he alive? It must've been the Shrine—a power that could revive him once could surely do so again. But she'd felt the Bond snap, felt him die. There had been a sense of permanence that hovered around that final memory, and Fi could not logically comprehend how her Master was standing here before her.

She mentally shook her head, trying to compartmentalize what she'd just seen and bring herself and her emotions under control. The memories had only taken a moment to sort through, but there was always a small time delay. From the moment Fi had began watching Master Arcadius' memories to the moment she'd finished, only a fraction of a second had passed in the physical realm. Any physical reaction her sword-form displayed would be displayed in the moments after she had finished.

For most of her Masters, this didn't matter. Her reactions were usually soothing chimes or small displays of anger or displeasure shown as small crackles of Divinity dancing upon her blade—usually whenever someone had done something unforgivable to one of her Masters.

But this had been the most difficult set of memories she'd ever had to watch, and even Fi was unsure of how the emotions she'd felt would be displayed.

She watched the looks of fear and horror ripple through the heroes when her form shifted to that of the day her Master had died. The echo of her screams—taking form in the way of an utterly heartbreaking chime—had Master Sky nearly snatching her right out of Master Arcadius' grasp.

And just when everything seemed fine again, and her form returned to its normal luster, a strange liquid dripped from the tip of her blade. It took Fi a moment to realize that her grief had been strong enough to produce physical tears, not just the metaphysical ones on her spirit form.

"I'm sorry." Master Arcadius whispered gently as he fondly ran his hand over her blade. "Please don't dwell upon that. I promise I'll explain later." His expression softened before handing her back to Master Sky.

"The hell was that?" Master Legend's voice was somewhat strangled as he eyed her physical form, as if waiting for her to crack and bleed as she had on the day of Master Arcadius' death.

"I've..." He hesitated a moment, and Fi could feel his regret and uncertainty through their awakened Bond. "There was a time in my Journey when things didn't exactly... go to plan." Fi eyed the way Zelda and the Rito spirit snorted at that, as if it were morbidly amusing. "The enemy I faced was powerful, and Fi... well, she ended up badly damaged."

"I was not the only one." She whispered brokenly. "Please do not make it sound as if I was the only one." He had suffered far more than she, after all.

But Master Arcadius could not hear her now that he had relinquished his hold on her physical form. He did not amend his statement, even as Master Sky's anger briefly flared. She swiftly rubbed her tears away and glided towards him.

"Master Sky." She watched as his eyes flickered to her blade. "His journey has been unbearably harsh. Please reassure him that should he ever need me, I will not fail the Hero of the Wild again." Fi could feel her voice sharpen with conviction and grief.

Master Sky flinched lightly at the emotion in her voice, but did not comment on it. She wondered if he had also felt her emotion through their Bond and resolved to explain how that worked to him later that night, after he'd had time to process things. After she had time to process things.

"She has a title for you, all right. Hero of the Wild." There was always a bit of reverence in his tone whenever Master Sky bequeathed the Title upon one of her Masters. Master Arcadius was no different. "She also wanted me to assure you that you can wield her whenever you'd like." He paused, as though debating if he should say the second part, and Fi glared at him as if to dare him to keep it to himself. Master Arcadius needed to hear it. She needed him to hear it. "She also said that she will not fail you again. I don't know what that means, though."

Master Arcadius gave a bit of a heavy sigh, a bitter smile pulling at his lips. "I suppose she and I both have problems with self-blame." He shook his head, even as a few of his spirit companions gave him flat looks.

"Well, that's that." Master Warriors went to clap the newest hero on the shoulder, holding his hands up apologetically when he dodged it with a scowl. "Sorry." He grinned as he held his hands up in surrender. "But hey! You're officially part of the crew!"

"I think the knights mentioned something like 'hazing' once." Master Arcadius smirked. "Is this what they meant?"

Master Warriors choked on a laugh. "No, no. Hazing is something a little different..."

Fi tuned out the conversation as she floated back towards Master Sky. Guilt still swirled hotly within her. It was an uncomfortable and unfamiliar sensation. Her gaze darted back towards the one who had caused this change.

She'd need to find the time to talk to him later. Perhaps she could even convince Master Sky to let her spend a day with him. Apologies usually helped alleviate guilt, from what Master Sky once told her. Her eyes drifted back towards the Master who had died on her watch. Twice.

She hoped he was right.

~~~

Arcadius yawned as he silently leapt from the treehouse Twilight called home. Being able to go incorporeal had its uses—one couldn't make noise upon landing if there was nothing they could come in contact with to make said noise. It made sneaking around remarkably easy.

"Are you tired?" Zelda hummed. "It's only been two days since you last slept... or has it been three?"

"You forget," Urbosa cut in with a knowing smile, "he was working himself ragged before this whole portal business came up. It's honestly been about a week since he's slept, I think."

Well, that explained why he felt so tired. He normally needed to sleep every three to five days, so going an entire week was pushing it even for him. "I'll get some sleep later. This is important."

"Mipha and Revali should've gathered them by now." Zelda hummed as she led them towards the bridge. They veered right without warning, and Arcadius stopped as they found themselves at a rather beautiful spring. It reminded him of the Sacred Springs of his homeland. It was saturated in some kind of muted Divinity.

Perhaps there was a goddess-blessed spirit that presided over this place. He'd have to ask Twilight about it later.

"Are you going to tell us why you've asked us to come over here?" Shadow gave Revali a sour look. "Because I know we weren't really doing anything, but I can still bother Four when they're sleeping."

"Oh, it's Arc!" Navi drew the spirits' attention towards their arrival. Arcadius was a little surprised that they'd managed to get Fi to follow along. He would've thought she'd want to stay near Sky, but apparently even a sword spirit enjoyed spending time around people who could see her. Perhaps she was still a bit shaken over what she'd seen in his memories earlier. He had the vague impression that she'd seen The Great Calamity as well as the fight in the Sanctum. Oddly enough, she didn't seem to be aware of his less than alive status, so hopefully she wouldn't take this too badly.

Then again, Arcadius' luck had always kind of done its own thing.

"Master Arcadius..." Fi looked at him with guilt so heavy he nearly winced. "I am sorry. I have failed you." She hung her head in shame, and he felt his heart clench painfully at the sight. He'd expected her to have been affected somehow by the memories, but he never thought Fi would blame herself for his death. At least, he assumed she was talking about The Great Calamity.

Marin went to say something, perhaps to remind her that he wouldn't be able to hear her unless he was holding her blade, but Arcadius was faster.

"You didn't fail me, Fi." Every foreign ghost flinched and turned to stare at him with wide eyes. He carefully made his way over, feet ghosting through the water without creating a single ripple. He mentally flailed when he realized there was no hand for him to grab, so he rested his own hand on her shoulder instead. The spirit stiffened beneath his touch, eyes widening as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. "We both fought as hard as we could. This is not your fault." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before releasing his hold.

"I... do not understand." Her eyes were wide, and while they didn't have pupils like a hylian's, he could tell she was deeply shaken by the way things were unfolding. "Master... Arcadius?"

He smiled softly, opening his mouth to say something more, when another voice interrupted. "H-hang on!" Navi zoomed over and hovered before his nose, making him jerk backwards on reflex. "You can see us!" She reached out a tiny hand and rested it on his nose. "A-and I can touch you!"

"Wait, what?!" Shadow was by his side in an instant, incessantly poking his arm with a look of awe. "Cool!! Does that mean I can—"

"Oh, no you don't, mister!" Marin grabbed his ear with a stern look. "Just because someone's solid to you doesn't mean you can prank the living daylights out of them."

The monochrome Link pouted and stuck his tongue out at her petulantly. "You're no fun." Arcadius shared a subtle glance with Revali. Perhaps the three of them should find the time to sneak away at some point. Shadow would certainly be an interesting addition to their occasional prank wars. But that would be something to talk over later, after this group had time to process the bomb he was about to drop on them.

"It's nice to officially meet you." Arcadius gave the group a lavish bow. "I am Champion Link Arcadius of Hyrule. You can call me Arcadius or Arc, if you'd like. It's my middle name." He gestured towards his companions. "This is Princess Zelda of Hyrule, Chieftess Urbosa of the Gerudo, Princess Mipha of the Zora, Champion Revali of the Rito, and Champion Daruk of the Gorons. They're my closest and most precious friends."

"I think a certain white-haired knight might take offense to that statement." Zelda snickered.

"I suppose we never did go over names, did we?" Urbosa tilted her head in thought.

"To be fair, we never expected to be forced into this mess." Revali straightened a few of his flight feathers.

"Is this like Wind?" Navi fluttered about excitedly. "He can see us when he concentrates because of something from his Journey! He doesn't do it often because it's difficult to hold for long periods, and he said he doesn't want to poke his nose into the private business of the other heroes, but he'll say hello to us every now and again."

"I don't think this is like Wind." Shadow's expression was unusually serious, and Arcadius almost did a double take at the abrupt change from the prankster he'd seen moments ago. He pointed towards Arcadius' feet, which had disturbed neither the crystal clear waters of the spring, nor the sand that lay beneath.

Arcadius gave a small sigh, a bit of a sorrowful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You're a bit more observant than you look, huh?" He purposefully shifted his stance, drawing attention to the fact that the movement didn't disturb his environment at all. "Yeah, I'm a ghost too. We don't understand it, but for some reason I'm visible to the living, and if I concentrate I can become solid to both people and objects around me."

A grieved chime echoed throughout the spring, and for the second time that day, Arcadius witnessed the spirit of the sword crying. "So you really..." She looked utterly devastated. It reminded him distantly of when he'd told Yatir and the others the truth. It was like Fi was silently pleading with him to tell her this was all some kind of misunderstanding.

"I died in that last fight against Calamity Ganon. Zel and I both did. We gave our lives to seal him away in the Castle." He idly watched the leaves of the trees sway in the wind as he spoke. "It's why I became so angry when I saw you with the heroes. I thought that..."

"You saw me, and feared that they had released Ganon upon the land once more." Fi finished his thought in a voice that was nearly as soft as the breeze.

"We all did." Urbosa nodded. "Could you imagine what we felt? An enemy we gave our lives to subdue..." Several ghosts winced at that.

"That's why you didn't want to come along." Marin's hands were clasped over her mouth, even as tears swelled in her eyes. "When you said you'd done your part..."

"That makes a lot more sense." Navi's earlier exuberance had dimmed dramatically, and she settled herself on his shoulder. "I did think it was strange when you were so adamant about staying put. Though some of the heroes didn't want to come along, none of them were as stubborn as you."

"Yeah, Link's just about the most stubborn person I know." Revali smirked.

"Along with someone else I know." Zelda shot the Rito a flat look.

Goldie chuffed softly from where he'd come to stand beside Arcadius, pushing his nose into the Champion's hand. He smiled softly and let his hand run over the strangely soft fur. "You're pretty fluffy for a wolf." He mused. "Most of the time they're really coarse. Then again, I've only felt the pelts of the wild ones in Hebra or the Gerudo Highlands." He turned his attention back towards the others. "I've been dead for nearly three years. I know this information comes as a shock to many of you, but Zel and I are used to it. Don't feel like you need to tread carefully around us or anything. Just... treat us like friends."

"Still..." Marin winced. "It doesn't feel right. The fact that you've been made to come along on this journey even after dying feels..."

"I never liked those goddesses." Shadow leaned back into the air, floating above the water as he thought. Arcadius lifted a single brow at the action. Ghosts retained whatever abilities they had in life. If Shadow could float or fly, it was because he was capable of doing so before he'd died. Perhaps he'd ask him about that later. "Though I never really interacted with them, just watching this group of heroes tells me plenty."

"The Three aren't that bad, from my experience." Arcadius hummed. He'd always been sensitive to Divinity. Sometimes the four goddesses would silently visit him on his Journey. They were emotions in the wind, each one with a distinct scent. Din, Farore and Nayru were his most common visitors, and often would come around just to help alleviate his loneliness. In more recent years, their visits had become more frequent, as if they were trying to make up for the fact that he was dead. "It's just Hylia that's pushy and unrepentant." He smirked a little when he felt a warm wind swirl past him, carrying the scent of wildflowers and the distinct feeling of petulance. He turned a narrowed gaze towards the wind. "I don't care if you're pouting, I'm still mad at you. You'd better get us home in time for that festival, or I swear your annual offering will disappear this year."

The wind seemed to flinch back for a moment as his words processed. Then, quick as a whip, Hylia's power lashed out towards the ground before him and dashed away. He raised a single brow at the Silent Princess flower that'd bloomed in the sand—a plant he was fairly sure didn't exist in this era.

"And now she's messing up the ecosystem." He shook his head as he reached down and plucked the flower. The entire exchange felt like a pouting child throwing a gift at the person they were angry with and dashing off before they had to face their reaction. "Honestly, for a goddess, she's pretty immature."

"Did you just argue with Hylia?" Navi paused in her action of braiding a lock of his hair to stare at him incredulously.

"You'll get used to it." Revali clicked his beak. "This guy doesn't really follow the rules of others, and that includes the divine. You can probably kiss your logic and world views farewell since you'll be spending more time with him."

"Hey!" Arcadius pouted. "I only break worldviews sometimes."

Daruk gave a booming laugh. "Sorry Little Guy, but I think Yatir would have a thing or two to say about that!"

"I feel personally attacked." Arcadius pouted as he eyed the pre-dawn light that'd started to bleed into the sky. "That aside, I should be heading back. The living won't notice your absence much, but I'll need to come up with an excuse if there's an early riser among them."

"Time should be up by now." Navi tied off the braid with a satisfied giggle. "You can probably just tell him you were out on a walk, exploring the area. Seems like something you'd do."

"That's true." Arcadius nodded. "Oh, and one more thing." He caught Shadow's wrist, his glowing green-blue eyes narrowing at the spirit that'd made a grab for his Slate. "We suspect my Slate may have something to do with why I'm still connected to the living. It's very precious to me." He gave a pleasant smile to the spirit, even as his voice dipped to a dangerously low octave. "Do not touch it." Nevermind the fact that they were more sure it was his Triforce that bound him to the living, he would leverage whatever excuse he could to keep his Slate out of unfamiliar hands.

Shadow paled a little and backed off. "Right. Slate's a no-go. Gotcha."

Arcadius' smile was cold and pleasant as he released his hold on the red-eyed Link. He hummed softly under his breath as he continued his trek back to Twilight's house.

"Is he always that scary?" Shadow whispered to Zelda, who snorted in amusement.

"Only when you piss him off." The princess grinned brightly. "Of course, that's not to say the rest of us aren't just as formidable under the proper circumstances."

"Right. So you're all scary." Shadow gulped. "Got it."

~~~

Arcadius grinned as he glanced around the Faron Woods. Legend and Hyrule were with him this time. Breakfast had been a boisterous and lively affair, and while Time had given him a raised eyebrow when he'd returned just prior to sunrise, he'd taken Navi's suggested excuse of exploring the area.

The mention of exploration had piqued Hyrule's interest, and he invited Arcadius out to explore together after the meal. Never one to let the opportunity to run into the wilderness pass him by, he accepted with a wide grin.

This, apparently had put both Time and Legend on edge because according to Marin, Hyrule was prone to wandering off and getting himself terribly lost. So, in an effort to reassure the two heroes that disaster was not about to come knocking on the door simply because two trouble magnets wanted to explore a forest together, Arcadius suggested that one of them come along.

And Legend had drawn the proverbial short stick, which was why he was currently sending Arcadius a glare as Marin laughed behind him. "You'd never guess it from how he acts these days, but Link was always one to love exploring." The spirit grinned broadly. "I think he's the only one of the group to have been to at least three different countries. In fact, one of his journeys wasn't even in Hyrule."

"Really?!" Zelda perked up. "Link's been to several different kingdoms as well, but that was after his Journey's end."

"You look like an old hand of exploring the forest." Hyrule hummed as he watched Arcadius expertly weave around the foliage with the sort of grace that seemed unique to him.

"I grew up in the wilderness." He explained. "Well, in my memory I did."

"Right. You said something about amnesia?"

"Yep. I've got a handful of memories from before I got hurt. Other than that, I only know what I've learned on my Journey. And most of that was in the wilderness, so it feels like home to me."

"I spend a lot of time in the wilderness, too." Hyrule let his gaze trace the clouds that lazily drifted overhead. "Though it's not as lively as this. Ganon had control for a while, and it hurt the land a lot. Most of our forests are dead or barely hanging on."

"So you're a survivalist." Arcadius hummed. "You can make the most of an inhospitable environment."

Hyrule tilted his head for a moment as he mulled that over. "I suppose you're right. I'm a traveler more than anything though." He grinned. "I've been to many kingdoms in my life."

"I've only been to a handful." Arcadius let his hand catch on a low-hanging branch, pulling himself onto the limb with the same ease as the Sheikah who taught him. Hyrule watched in mild awe as he casually hopped from one branch to another, keeping pace with the two heroes below him as if it were as easy as walking along the ground. "Of course, that was after my journey. How about you, Legend? Ever been outside Hyrule?"

The veteran's eye twitched in irritation for a moment. "Yes. I've been several places. But why are you in the trees?"

Arcadius paused. "Oh, I forgot."

The two stared at him incredulously. "You forgot." Legend stared at him like he'd told them he knew a lynel who sold cookies. "You've been skipping from branch to branch like a squirrel and you just... you didn't realize?"

"It's an old habit of mine." Arcadius snickered as he gracefully leapt down, ears wiggling with mirth at their gobsmacked expressions.

"You're having far too much fun with this." Mipha snickered.

"I'd say it's a Rito habit to want to always have the higher ground, but I think we can blame Yatir for this one." Revali smirked.

"Your Link is certainly unique." Marin was staring at him with an expression eerily similar to Legend's—a mixture of flabbergasted and analyzing that Arcadius wasn't quite sure what to make of.

"I'm starting to have some serious questions about the culture in your Hyrule." Legend shook his head.

"Ooh, what's that?" Hyrule's exclamation instantly snagged Arcadius' attention as he followed the hero's line of sight to find some rather old ruins. There was something soft that vibrated in the air, a distant echo of divinity and serenity, like they'd walked into a place that had once been considered sacred ground.

The area was covered in grass as crumbling pillars tried to hold up what was left of a ceiling. Two stone statues stood before what once must've been a door, and on the ground was a slightly raised platform upon which a shimmering gold Triforce was engraved.

"It looks like a temple." Arcadius mused, letting his hand trace the cracks in an old stone staircase.

"I wonder if Twilight would know." Hyrule hummed as he studied the statues.

"As long as those things don't come to life and attack us, you can explore all you want." Legend eyed the giant stone soldiers warily, and the Champion briefly wondered if he'd had experiences with such things. Arcadius himself was always wary of boulders and groupings of rocks that looked just a tad too out of place. One too many Talus ambushes had drilled that into him quite quickly.

"I wonder what was here." Arcadius squatted down by the Triforce. There was a small dirt-filled slot that reminded him of the pedestal in the Lost Woods, but the Triforce itself was unnaturally clean and free of dirt and debris. "Do you think Twilight's Sword that Seals the Darkness was resting here?"

"Sword that what?" Hyrule gave him a blank look.

"Fi."

"Oh, you mean the Master Sword." The traveler tilted his head. "I'm not sure. Twilight hasn't gone into much detail about his journey. I don't think any of us have, except maybe Wind."

"So you call it something different in your era?" Legend gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Titles can change over the flow of time." Arcadius stood up and dusted himself off. "Considering the last hero was—" He abruptly cut himself off as the feeling of serenity in the air changed.

It reminded him of the whispers in the Lost Woods. The echoes of divinity in the air had taken an urgent tone, whispering of intruders, something has defiled this sacred place, be wary there is danger afoot.

"Arc?" Legend took a step towards him, but the spirit's eyes were flitting about the clearing urgently. He drew his sword, and the two heroes behind him quickly did the same.

"Something's wrong. We're not alone here." His eyes flickered towards Revali at once, who nodded and flew into the skies. The Champions all fell into a battle stance beside him, confusing Marin. The spirits ignored the perplexed look their fellow ghost gave them.

A low warble from Revali was the only warning Arcadius got. He dropped to the ground with a quick shout to the heroes behind him to do the same. Thankfully, they were experienced enough in battle to listen without hesitation.

Something flew just over their heads as Arcadius rolled to the side and sprang up on the balls of his feet. He spun about, eyes tracking what looked like a winged lizalfos. "Well this is new."

"Aeralfos." Legend scowled as another one joined the first. "You'll want to use a gripshot to get their shield."

"A what?" Hyrule and Arcadius asked in sync.

Legend looked halfway between screaming and staring incredulously. "Leave the shield to me, then." He pulled something out of his bag that looked almost like a claw on a stick.

Arcadius eyed the enemies gliding above them, far out of a sword's range. Arrows would undoubtedly be blocked by those shields—the distance would give them ample time to either dodge or block—though elemental arrows might work. But Arcadius was never one to waste his arrows without reason.

"All we need to do is get close enough to hit 'em, right?" He grinned as he crouched low to the ground, eyes never straying from his prey.

"Yeah, but—Arcadius, what are you doing?" Hyrule's eyes were definitely judging his current position, but the spirit couldn't care less. He gathered magic around him as Revali landed by his side.

"Ah, bringing the fight to them, are we?" The Rito seemed distinctly amused as the wind started to pick up around them.

"Don't worry." Arcadius sent Legend a feral grin as Revali activated his Gale. "I'll be right back."

"Wait, wha—" The rest of Legend's words were lost to the wind as Arcadius was sent soaring into the skies, far above even their enemies.

Laughter left his lips. "I think this is higher than last time!"

"Yes well, you've been giving me plenty of practice." Revali grinned as he soared beside him. Arcadius whipped out his paraglider, riding controlled gusts from his Rito brother to chase after the aeralfos that'd taken notice of him. The spirit gave a mischievous chuckle as the flying reptiles tried to shift their positions to account for an airborne foe, but the Champion was faster.

Arcadius stored his glider, diving at one of the enemies. "I don't suppose you speak Lizal Common?" He tried as he landed on its back, but the creature's eyes were filled with a familiar hate-filled haze. "Ah, I suppose not."

The Fallen One immediately started twisting mid-air, and Arcadius held on as best he could. Thankfully, he'd had plenty of practice between bucking lynels and pissy Revalis who couldn't take a joke.

"Arc!" Hyrule called up towards him as the aeralfos dived for the ground, spinning rapidly to try to get him off its back. In the moment it swooped up, panting as it desperately tried to figure out how to get Arcadius off its back, he saw his window of opportunity.

"Don't hate me in the afterlife!" Arcadius raised his sword and brought it down upon the Fallen One. Black blood flew into the air and it gave a horrid screech as it died. The Champion was quick to kick off his foe and pull out his paraglider once more. As it fell and disappeared into a puff of black smoke, he gently came to a landing before the two heroes. "That was fun!"

"Fun." Legend stared at him blankly, like he was still trying to process everything he'd just seen. "Fun." He repeated, a bit of hysteria in his voice. "You just catapulted yourself fifty feet in the air and landed on the back of an aeralfos and you say that's fun?!"

Zelda was dying of laughter behind him, held up only by a snickering Urbosa. Revali's smirk was wide enough to nearly crack his beak and Mipha rolled her eyes with a fond smile. Even Daruk was grinning ear-to-ear.

"Is this normal for you all?" Marin glanced between the group of laughing Champions and Arcadius himself.

"Oh, you'll get used to it." Mipha reassured her.

"Uh..." Arcadius blinked at Legend, trying his best not to grin and laugh alongside his ghost family—their laughter was infectious. "Was it not supposed to be fun? I could probably try dropping a bomb on them next time, but—"

"Okay, normally I'm not the one to say this kind of thing, but I'm supposed to keep you both out of trouble today, so... Arc, what you did was dangerous." Legend stressed the word like he was trying to convey something important. "You could've gotten hurt if you'd messed up even one thing."

"You say that like I haven't been doing stuff like this for years." Arcadius finally snickered, but Legend's brow was twitching in something that definitely didn't look amused. "Look, I get that you're concerned for me, and I appreciate that. But that was far from the most dangerous stunt I've pulled. I think my friends back home would've been pulling out the popcorn, honestly."

"How would you pop corn?" Hyrule muttered, but Arcadius didn't address that. Calming Legend down was a tad more important here.

After a long moment of just staring at him, Legend ran a hand down his face with an exhausted sigh. "Just... at least warn me next time. I don't want to explain to the others how you broke a leg in a swordfight, if I can help it."

Arcadius grinned broadly. "That's the spirit!"

"And I thought Ravio was bad." The veteran bemoaned. "This Journey is going to be my last one. I swear to the goddesses, I am retiring after this."

The Champion nodded sagely. "You and me both."

~~~

A woman leaned against her golden jewel-encrusted spear as she watched the reflection of three heroes still cleaning their blades of the monsters' blood. The water shimmered gold and silver as the image was distorted by ripples, swiftly revealing her own reflection of short spiky crimson hair with green-gold eyes set into a dark gerudo skin tone. She lifted her gaze towards the woman who'd interrupted her viewing.

"How's he adjusting?" The woman had long periwinkle hair, pulled into a loose braid over her shoulder and woven with Rito feathers, and skin as pale as snow. Her eyes were gently closed, and she carried a book in one hand.

"Better than we expected." The first woman answered, straightening her stance and spinning her spear with a small smirk. "I still think we should've given him some warning first. Poor kid's still pissed at Hylia."

"You can say that again." Another woman stepped out into the courtyard to join them, completing the Trio. "Hylia's been complaining about Soul-Child's threat to make her yearly offering smaller." With each step of her bare feet, flowers grew and blossomed, only to wither and die as she took her next step. Her mid-length brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail with two strands left out to frame her face—a hairstyle she often wore because it reminded her of the heroes. Her eyes were a deep forest green and, as usual, she was an utter mess of leaves and dirt. Vines clung to her hair, sprouting flowers wherever they pleased.

"Were you out playing in the forest again, 'Re?" The pale woman frowned sharply, turning towards the brown-haired woman. Her dress shimmered with the movement like water woven into fabric, the iridescent Zora scales casting dancing ripples of reflected sunlight around them. The Rito feathers stitched along the hem gently brushed the grass, leaving a trail of glittering frost in their wake.

"Maybe I was?" Re shrugged. "I had a few things to tend to. The Gorons' Heart Ore was due for a recharge."

"You could've called me over too, y'know." The crimson-haired woman pouted. "I could've helped."

"You were busy, Din." Re laughed softly as she adjusted the bow upon her back. "They really only need one of us to recharge the Ore, and it's only every few centuries. I don't mind."

"Besides," the woman with the book shook her head, "one of us should keep an eye on the Heroes. Goodness knows the trouble they'd get into with nine of them in one location."

"You say that like you weren't the one to suggest we pull them together, Nayru." Din rolled her eyes. "Which, might I add, Farore and I were against."

"Well... I was against it because we've already asked too much of them." The Goddess of Courage idly brushed the dirt from her pants and straightened her cloak. Her wardrobe seemed to have taken some inspiration from Soul-Child and his princess recently.

"I can agree with you there." The Goddess of Power nodded, idly scratching at the battle scars on her right cheek. "Especially when it comes to Dream-Child. He's earned a retirement blessed by the divine. Not to mention that inviting nine people whose entire existence revolves around finding trouble seems like a bad idea."

"It's already too late." The Goddess of Wisdom idly opened her book and flipped through some pages. The sunlight sparkled against a few off-white Zora scales that grew along her cheekbones. "They've met, and there's nothing we can do about that now."

Din sighed, eyes glancing back at the Looking Glass—a pool of blessed water that the divine used to watch over the mortal realm. A few spots of light bubbled up from beneath the surface of the water, illuminating the separate groups of heroes—both Soul-Child's group and Forest-Child's group were visible on the smooth surface of the divine waters. But it was a third sphere of light that caught her eye.

"Uh... Nay? Re?" Din's quiet voice went unheeded as Farore and Nayru continued to speak.

"Can't we give them all a little something more?" Farore scowled softly. "I feel like it's against the rules to send them on a Journey with no reward."

"Like what?" Nayru shot her a look. "We've already allowed them to keep their items and weapons. We've even had Hylia adjust the flow of time so they won't be missed for long. What more can we give them that they don't already have? I'm fairly sure Dream-Child has just about every item we can think of and then some."

"Hey, are you two even listening to me?" Din glanced at her sisters in dismay, "I'm trying to—" but they continued speaking over her.

"Well, they've always had companions, maybe we can give them a Guide. Or perhaps we could send them a tool to help them find the portals that are out of reach." Farore suggested.

"Soul-Child will act as their guide for the portals." Nayru clicked her teeth, a habit she'd picked up from the Rito who worshipped her. The soft white feathers that grew from her eartips quivered in a breeze stirred up by her irritation. "He's far more spiritually sensitive than the other heroes. With him, they're unlikely to miss the portals like they used to."

Din's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "All right, you two wanna play this game. Fine." She took a deep breath and slammed her spear against the cobblestone of the courtyard, the resounding thunderous boom was accentuated by a bolt of lightning that streaked across the clear blue sky, summoned by her ire. She distantly apologized to the mortals in the realm below, who must've been equally startled by a sharp crack of thunder on a clear day.

"Din?" The two goddesses jerked back and stared at their elder sister with wide eyes.

"Hey you idiots, listen when someone's speaking, would you?" The Goddess of Power leveled them with a stern expression—something quite out of place on the usually carefree redhead. Her sisters stiffened and fell silent, giving her their full undivided attention. "We have a problem." She pointed resolutely towards the third vision in the Looking Glass, where a figure idly wandered through the forest of Wolf-Child's land.

"Wait..." Farore leaned closer to the water, eyes shifting to a brighter spring green in surprise. "Is that...?"

"It looks like we have an uninvited guest." Though Nayru's eyes remained closed, Din swore it felt like she was glaring. "I'll inform our niece."

"Hylia won't be happy with this." Din smirked. She didn't exactly get along with the White Goddess, so anything that inconvenienced the Goddess of Time was entertaining in the redhead's book.

"I will stay with the Looking Glass." Farore sighed, sitting on the edge of the stone that held the water. "All things considered, this isn't an issue to be handled lightly. I'd rather not leave this person unattended."

"The question now is how to handle this... unwanted variable." Nayru glanced at the Looking Glass once more. "Perhaps guiding this one to the heroes and allowing them to handle things would be best."

"Can't we just... y'know, send our guest back home?" Din huffed.

"Do you really think we'd be able to manage that without a fight?" Farore deadpanned.

"Eh, that's fair." Din casually swung her spear across her shoulders, draping her wrists over the pole as she tilted her head with a smirk. "If we're going to let the heroes take over on this front, then perhaps we should give them a heads up?"

"Come now sister," Farore grinned, "where's the fun in that? We all know the heroes are more than capable of figuring things out on their own."

Din gave a half-hearted shrug as her eyes drifted back towards the pool. She couldn't wait to see how Soul-Child would react. The thought had her grinning as she spun on her heel and followed Nayru towards the White Palace, humming an old Gerudo lullaby under her breath.