Which Megaman X Zero Fanfiction Portrays Their Reunion After Zero'S Memory Loss Most Emotionally?

I’ve binge-read so many 'Megaman X' fics, and the one that wrecked me was 'Scarlet Echoes.' Zero wakes up with no memories, and X has to balance duty with heartbreak—he can’t even hug him properly because Zero might freak out. The writer nails the tiny details: X quietly reinstalling Zero’s favorite battle protocols, or Zero absentmindedly humming a tune X recognizes from their old base. The climax hits when Zero finds a scratched-up photo of them in a ruined lab, and it’s not some instant fix—he gets angry, accuses X of lying, and it takes a whole mission gone wrong before that fragile trust starts rebuilding. The fic makes you feel every awkward silence and hesitant smile.

For me, 'Fragmented Light' stands out because it treats memory loss like a haunting. Zero doesn’t just forget—he dreams of X’s face but wakes up convinced it’s an enemy. The fic spans months, with X slowly piecing together evidence of their past: a dent in the training room wall where Zero once kicked him during sparring, old mission logs where Zero called him 'partner' instead of 'commander.' The reunion isn’t dramatic—it happens in a supply closet, Zero grabbing X’s wrist mid-fight because his body remembered before his mind did. What kills me is the aftermath: Zero begging X to tell him everything, even the painful parts, while X struggles not to cry because this is the first time Zero’s asked for the truth instead of pushing him away.

The fic’s middle section shifts to Zero’s POV, and that’s where it shines. His frustration at feeling incomplete, the way he startles when X uses outdated slang only their old squad would know. There’s a brutal scene where he dismantles a Maverick and finds a locket with a photo inside, realizing he might’ve destroyed someone else’s 'X and Zero' without knowing. The writer doesn’t shy from showing how messy memory is—Zero sometimes trusts X too easily, other times panics and nearly shoots him. The emotional payoff comes when X finally breaks down and screams that he’s tired of being patient, and Zero just… hugs him. No words, no grand speech, just his arms remembering what his mind couldn’t.

I’m obsessed with 'Binary Stars' for how it twists the reunion trope. Zero regains shards of memory during combat, leading to this chaotic, beautiful mess where he’ll parry X’s attacks flawlessly mid-battle—then freeze up when the mission ends because he doesn’t know why he did it. The emotional peak comes when X takes him to their old hideout, now crumbling, and Zero picks up a rusted music player. When it crackles to life playing their old victory anthem, Zero gets this dazed look and mutters, 'We danced here, didn’t we?' The fic’s genius is in the small moments: X teaching Zero how to make terrible coffee again, or Zero absentmindedly fixing X’s armor the exact way he used to, even though he can’t explain how he knows where the loose bolts are.

What sets it apart is how the fic handles anger. X isn’t just sad—he’s furious at the world, at Sigma, even at Zero for forgetting. There’s a scene where he smashes a control panel after Zero casually mentions not understanding why their bond matters, and the guilt afterward is crushing. The reunion isn’t instant; it’s a grind of setbacks and tiny victories, like Zero instinctively covering X’s blind spot in a firefight or recognizing Alia’s voice before he remembers her name. The ending isn’t neat—Zero still has gaps—but when he grabs X’s hand and says, 'Tell me more about us,' it feels earned.