Ooooooooh boy its been about... what, almost 2 years since i updated this fic? Yeah, heh... SO very sorry about that. A lot of things happened in the course of those two years, from me graduating college, to getting a full time job I really like, to me writing my kinda successful GF/SU crossover, and a bunch of other things in between! But recently I got bit by the Zelda bug again and decided, hey, why not go back to my old Zelda fics, and so here we are with a LONG awaited update to everyone's fav HW adaptation! And let me tell you, this chapter is a lot of fun. Mostly cause I got to write a bunch of REALLY fun interactions in it and it got me back into the swing of things with Zelda stuff, which I did miss quite a bit. And so, without any further ado, here we go, with Hyrule Warrior's return!

Chapter 27: Where Legends Unite

Throughout all of the many, many incredible things she had bore witness to whilst observing the vast flow of time, this was the last thing Lana could have ever expected to happen.

When they had been one, her and Cia had watched the lives of countless heroes play out before them in rich, colorful detail, their complete stories and epic legends laid out before them like an ever-flowing tapestry. They had seen it all, from the grand moments of triumph against the forces of evil and destruction to the quiet moments of kindness and care that each of Hyrule's heroes carried in droves. She had watched the spread of their repeating mortal lives over and over again… but she had never once dreamed of actually meeting one of the ancient heroes of legend herself.

Until now.

Lana knew it wasn't completely unfathomable. After all, she had met the Link of her own time, who, despite his shortcomings, was indeed a hero without question. But something about actually encountering the legendary Hero of Twilight face to face seemed somehow more… mystical. She knew this hero's past, his present, and his future, things about him that even he didn't know. She had seen his story, knew his tale. Yet, as she walked along just a brief distance behind him on their collective voyage towards the Sacred Grove, she was quick to realize that she didn't actually know him.

In fact, Lana was even more surprised to find out just how similar and different this Link was from the one she did know. His personality shined as brightly as day through his interactions with Midna alone as the close pair caught up after being apart for so much time. Immediately, the white sorceress realized that the Hero of Twilight was quite humble and down to earth, which made sense given his rural upbringing in the small forest village of Ordon. Yet with that humbleness came a bit of an edge of sarcasm and cynicism, traits that Lana theorized he must have picked up from traveling with Midna. Even still, his occasional deadpan moments did little to distract from his genuine kindness and warmth, qualities that made themselves quite apparent every time he smiled and laughed with one of his closest friends.

"So, you still remember the City in the Sky, don't you?" Link asked Midna with a hint of a small grin on his face.

"Ugh, how could I forget that place?" the Twilight Princess stuck her tongue out. "Those little human-faced chicken things were disgusting. We should have just tossed them all off the edge of their little "city" and called it a day if you asked me."

"Uh, Midna? I'm pretty sure those Ooccas couldn't fly that well, so… they probably would have died if you had done that," Link pointed out somewhat starkly.

"And your point is…?"

Only a beat of awkward silence passed between the pair before they both broke down into a round of equal laughter over the rather dark humor. Lana couldn't help but crack a small smirk at it herself, glad to see that she had been able to keep her promise to promise to reunite the tightly-knit duo after all. And perhaps, in doing so, she might have potentially saved the rest of the Hero of Twilight's unfairly short life, though really, it was too soon to tell if that was the case just yet.

"Excuse me… Lana, was it?" The white sorceress's train of thought was soon interupted by the princess of this era of Hyrule's history. For the most part, Zelda had kept to herself, her manner as regal and seemingly stoic as ever as her and Agitha kept up the end of the group. However, with the insect princess as distracted as she was meandering about the forest searching for rare bugs, the Hylian monarch decided to engage Lana in conversation instead.

"Yes, your highness?" Lana inclined her head in respect for the famed Princess of Light. "Can I help you with something?"

"Well… I suppose I am simply a bit curious about…" Zelda trailed off, stealing the briefest glance up towards Link as he continued warmly conversing with Midna ahead of them. "A-about the hero of the future we are hoping to assist." Her voice was softer now, almost as if she didn't want her own hero to hear her present such rather innocent questions. "How exactly did he fall into the hands of this… Cia in the first place, if I may ask?"

Lana let out a long, sad sigh at this, glancing down at her feet. "To be honesty, your highness, I'm… not entirely sure…" she admitted truthfully. "What I do know is that right before he was captured, he had been acting really overconfident in his own abilities. I don't know if that's what made him slip up, but-"

"I'll bet you anything that it did," Midna cut in, having overheard the conversation. "That boy is far too cocky for his own good. Kinda reminds me of some other hero I know…"

"Hey!" Link exclaimed, blatantly offended by this obvious dig aimed at him to the point that he even let out a small, involuntary growl at it.

"Now, now, watch that temper of yours, little wolf," the Twilight Princess ribbed playfully, gliding a quick circle around the disgruntled hero. "After all, I don't want you snippingat me again!"

The Hero of Twilight sighed in clear annoyance as his cheeks flushed in something of an embarrassed blush, one that only deepened as he made brief eye contact with the princess before he quickly looked away. "W-well… look!" he exclaimed, rushing to change the topic as they entered passed under a withered stone archway. "There it is!"

"Ooo, what?!" Agitha perked up curiously as she ran to the front of the group. "A big bunch of lil' ladybugs? Or some sweethearted snails we can play with?"

"Uh, for the last time, kid, we're not here to look for bugs!" Midna huffed, crossing her arms.

"No…" Lana interjected, stepping forward to get a better look at the blade resting before them. "We're here for that… the Master Sword."

Sure enough, the blade of evil's bane stood stately and sparkling in its ancient pedestal, the forest silent and sacred all around it. The manner about the group coming to claim it also turned rather solemn as Zelda spoke up, her wizened authority leading the way. "Hero…" she began, addressing Link. He turned to her this time, completely captivated by every word she said to him as she maintained her perfect, regal, beautiful elegance. "I do believe this task belongs to you and you alone. For the sake of our friends here and the Hyrule of the future, would you take up the Blade of Evil's Bane and wield its sacred power against the forces of evil once again?"

At first, Link was somewhat too dumbfounded to even offer a response to this, his eyes wide as he looked to the princess and nothing else. That is, until Midna found a way to bring him back to reality once again. "Hey, moron, she's talking to you," the imp whispered, playfully elbowing the hero in the shoulder. It was more than enough to help Link regain his composure as he straightened, his expression tight and almost stoic even as he bowed to her respectfully.

"Y-yes," he said, shakily at first, though he forced himself to be firm in light of the responsibility he was about to take on. "Yes, of course, your highness. Anything you ask, I… I'd gladly do."

Midna couldn't hold back a small snicker at this as she floated alongside Lana. "Wow, looks like I was underestimating him this whole time!" the Twilight Princess exclaimed in an amused whisper. "He really has got it bad for her!"

"Yeah…" Lana muttered, her expression faltering somewhat as she watched the pair with hidden sadness. "He does…"

Zelda, on the other hand, smiled softly, her royal grace still unbroken as she nodded in acceptance over her hero's vow. "Hyrule thanks you for your loyalty, hero," she said. "As do I…"

Link kept his head bowed upon hearing his, mostly to keep the princess from seeing his increasingly flustered expression as he forced himself to turn away from her and face the Master Sword instead. With a deep, steadying breath, the hero began to approach it, though before he could get too close, Lana took the opportunity to provide him with some important information regarding their oncoming mission.

"Once you draw the Master Sword, I'll imbue it with some of my own magic," she explained, summoning the Tome of Spirits. "That should be enough power to reopen the flow of time and get us all back to the Hyrule of the present. O-or I suppose in this case, the future."

"Ooo, yay!" Agitha cheered brightly. "We're gonna go find all our other friends! I can't wait to show them all of the pretty new insects I've collected around here!"

"And I can't wait to finally put that stupid witch Cia in her place!" Midna exclaimed vindictively. "So what are you waiting for, little wolf? Let's get this future-bound show on the road already!"

"Alright, alright," Link laughed, rolling his eyes at the Twilight Princess' impatience. "Here goes nothing…"

The hero's manner turned serious as he finally came to stand before the Master Sword, the familiarity of this moment not lost on him, especially as he gripped the sacred blade's handle tightly. Lana's book of spells levitated lightly over her hands as she watched him, strong, pure magic enveloping the tome in preparation for the great, time-traveling task ahead of them.

"Everyone! Gather close to me!" the white sorceress commanded as she rushed to stand on the other side of the Master Sword's pedestal. Midna, Agitha, and Zelda followed suit, all of them huddling in just as Link swiftly pulled the sacred blade from its home in the ground and held it aloft. The Master Sword already glistened with its own heavenly light, but the magic Lana proceeded to pour into it only served to illuminate its edge even more, to the point that its power easily radiated throughout the entire Sacred Grove. Both Link and Lana were unable to hold back their own strained shouts in response to the heavy bout of magic flowing between the two of them, but even so they held fast as it amplified. And, in a grand burst of blinding, dazzling light, the entire group disappeared, whisked away to the far off future and leaving the sacred resting grounds of the Master Sword as stately and empty as they had found it.

To say that Impa wasn't in the mood for conversing was an understatement.

If anything, the Sheikah guardian wanted nothing more than to be left alone, to simply make their journey to the distant Temple of Time in silence and make it back to the present without any sort of deliberation whatsoever. But, given the fact that she was traveling with the Zora Princess, the Goron patriarch, the Hero of Time and his rather noisy fairy companion, the chances for a calm, quiet voyage had died out from the moment they set out from the desert. In fact, the only member of their group who seemed to be able to hold their tongue was the mysterious Sheik, who, Impa noted, seemed to be keeping a watchful eye on her in particular. The Sheikah guardian had to suppress an incredulous laugh at his apparent suspicion, having already guessed full well who this elusive youth really was and his purpose for accompanying them to the temple. But for the sake of assisting in both their mission to return to the present and to keep the integrity of the era of myth intact, she held her peace. For now anyway.

"And then I took out a whole horde of monsters with just a single wave from my silver scale!" Ruto recounted a tale of a past battle proudly as she walked alongside Link and Darunia. "You should have seen it, darling!" The Zora princess beamed as she locked arms with the unsuspecting Hero of Time. "Looks like you're not the only one in this couple who can hold their own in a fight!"

"Um… right…" Link said somewhat awkwardly as he slipped his arm away from Ruto to address Impa instead. "So… you're really from the future? What's it like?"

Impa took a brief pause, raising an eyebrow as she noticed just how curious and rather… innocent the Hero of Time's expression was as he posed this question to her. Almost as if there was a sense of… childlike wonder to it, as odd as that might have seemed. "Truthfully, hero, the Hyrule I know isn't that much different from the one we're standing in now," she answered simply and succinctly, still keeping her sights set on the path ahead.

"Oh…" Link frowned in apparent disappointment. "So… was your Hyrule taken over by Ganondorf too?"

"Ganondorf?" Impa asked, unfamiliar with the name.

"The King of Thieves!" Navi chimed in, her wings flittering fearfully.

"Seven years ago, Ganondorf stole the Triforce of Power and laid siege upon this kingdom," Sheik explained, his tone solemn and sour as he set his gaze downward in what almost seemed like shame. "He drove the princess away, destroyed the castle, and replaced it with his own dark fortress, the center of his evil power, as you can easily see for yourself." The Sheikah youth nodded towards the clouds of billowing darkness cutting through clear blue skies before them, clouds that they were headed directly for as the Temple of Time rested below them.

"Yeah, but that old thief is gonna be no match for my sworn Brother Link here!" Darunia proclaimed, throwing an arm around the startled hero's shoulder. "Once all of us sages combine our power with us, then he'll take that Ganondorf down and save Hyrule! Right, brother?"

"Um… y-yeah," Link said, the uncertainty in his tone clear as he rubbed his arm apprehensively. "That… that's right…"

While Ruto, Darunia, and Navi were more or less satisfied with this answer, both Impa and Sheik picked up on the hint of doubt the hero seemed to carry in his own capacity to face such great evil and win. Even so, neither of them commented on it as Impa began to move to change the topic just as they all entered the ruined Castle Town on their way to the temple. "Ganondorf… so that's the fabled dark lord spoken of in the legends…" the Sheikah guardian murmured with disdain as she looked to the epicenter of the evil pervading the land. "Well, I can assure you that the Hyrule of my time has not fallen victim to his control. However, it might not be much better off if the black witch Cia has her way with it. That's why we have to get back and stop her as quickly as possible, before it's too late."

"Well, I just hope I'll actually be able to help you guys…" Link noted as he drew the Master Sword and held its silver edge out before him. "Like I said, I've only ever traveled back and forth through time seven years at a time. I'm still not even sure how we're supposed to go hundreds of years forward with just the Master Sword here."

"I believe the power of the sages might be able to help us on that front," Sheik pointed out, sparing a brief glance over at Ruto and Darunia.

"Us?" the Zora princess asked, surprised.

The Sheikah youth nodded calmly. "On its own, the Master Sword can only guide its wielder so far along the flow of time. But with magic from some of the seven sages adding onto its sacred might, the blade should gain enough power to traverse time freely."

"And how would someone like you know something like that?" Impa asked with faux suspicion, knowing full well where such acute knowledge had come from.

Sheik simply shrugged, averting the Sheikah guardian's gaze. "It's simply a theory."

"Well, it's a theory we should still try out all the same!" Navi exclaimed, flying on ahead as they reached the Temple of Time at last. "Here we are! Let's go… to the future!"

"Heh, hold on a second, Navi!" Link laughed as he followed his fairy companion inside with Ruto and Darunia right behind him. "We're right behind you!"

Impa prepared to head after the group, though right before she could pass through the temple's vast entryway, she was suddenly stopped by the Sheikah youth's very suspicious tone behind her. "Alright, 'Impa'," he began coldly. "I think its finally time you gave me some answers. Who are you, really?"

The Sheikah guardian couldn't hold back an incredulous chuckle at this, only briefly glancing at her shoulder behind him to meet his distrustful gaze. "You know, I could easily ask you the exact same thing, 'Sheik'," she mused coyly. "Perhaps neither of us are exactly who we seem to be…your highness…"

Sheik let out a sharp gasp at this, his crimson eye growing wide with unspeakable fear upon supposedly being found out like this. "W-wha…" he shook his head, dropping his voice down to a whisper as he quickly glanced around for any nearby prying eyes or ears. "How did you-"

"Let's just say I've seen this trick before…" Impa said with a fond smile as her thoughts drifted to Zelda, her worries and hopes for the princess's safety still at the forefront of her mind. "But don't worry. I completely understand the reason behind your… masquerade. These are dangerous times you dwell in after all and protecting yourself and your hero is as noble of a cause to hide yourself away as any. Your secret is safe with me, I promise you."

Sheik's expression finally softened at this, his shoulders dropping as he seemed to forget, even for just a moment, that the Impa standing before him wasn't the Impa he had always known. "I-Impa… I…"

"You don't need to say anything," the Sheikah guardian shook her head. "If anything, I should be thanking you for being to go so far to help both your kingdom and ours."

"Hm," Sheik nodded dutifully, his hand pressed close to his heart. "What can I say? Hyrule is my responsibility, regardless of the time it exists in. I will ever strive to protect it, as well as its hero, whatever the age and whatever the era."

"Very good," Impa said with warm approval as she turned back to head into the temple. "Then let us go and do exactly that."

Sheik nodded once more and followed the Sheikah guardian into the vast, silent halls of the pristine Temple of Time, one of the few places in Hyrule still untouched by Ganondorf's treachery. Everyone made sure to pay their proper reverence to the sacred place as they made their way into its innermost sanctum, where the Pedestal of Time awaited. The group congregated before it, all of them staring between it and the Master Sword in wonder and slight worry as to whether or not it could actually accomplish what they needed it to.

"To travel back in time, you would usually return the sword to its resting place," Sheik spoke up, addressing Link with intent and purpose. "However, since we wish to travel forward in time, I think holding it aloft should work instead."

"Like this?" Link asked, raising the tip of the sacred blade up towards the light streaming in from the high window above them.

"Yes," Sheik said, turning to the two sages in their presence. "Now, Darunia, Princess Ruto, add your power onto that of the Master Sword's."

"Hm, this better work…" Ruto frowned, holding her hand up towards the sword as they both took on a hint of a blue glow.

"It's worth a try at least," Darunia shrugged, doing the same as his red-tinted magic cast an almost violet light upon the Master Sword's surface.

"Now, everyone, come together," Sheik beckoned Impa and Navi in closer, so that everyone was in some form of contact while the powerful magic began flowing between the hero and the pair of sages. "Brace yourselves!" the Sheikah youth shouted as the light intensified throughout the entire chamber.

While everyone else closed their eyes to shield themselves from the practically blinding glow, Link instead kept his eyes solely on his sword, awed and amazed as he began to feel the familiar pull of being thrown forward in time. However, this was far more intense and powerful than anything he had experienced in his frequent trips back and forth from his childhood to adulthood. This was faster, bereft of the feeling of aging or de-aging, as if they were all being torn out of the pair of parallel worlds he knew and into what might as well have been another world altogether:

The future.

"When you're in love with someone, you'll go to any lengths for them. No matter what you have to do or where you have to go."

For as hard as she tried, Sheik couldn't get what Hylia's incarnation, or Zelda, rather, had told her earlier. They swirled and stirred within her mind as well as her heart, which always led her back to longing-filled thoughts of her own Link and the grave danger he was no doubt in. For perhaps the first time, she realized exactly how he might have felt when she had disappeared after that first battle in Hyrule Field. Because if he had been anywhere near as worried, fearful, wistful, and hopeful as she currently felt all at the same time, then really, there was likely no question that her budding feelings for him were reciprocated in full. Or, at least, she hoped they were.

What was certainly reciprocated, however, were the obvious feelings between the goddesses incarnation and her chosen hero. Sheik did her best to keep herself from staring at the couple as they walked ahead of her, arms gently intertwined as Link kept up a round of overwhelmingly curious questions for Fi, while Zelda simply listened and laughed along with his amazed wonderings all the while.

"So there really is another hero in the future then?" Link asked, keeping up a steady pace with Zelda as Fi gracefully led the way.

"Yes, Master," the sword spirit replied eloquently. "In fact, in its future, this land will see many heroes, much like yourself, pass through it, each of them bearing the same heroic spirit and wielding the same sacred sword."

"So… are you gonna travel along with each of them too, Fi?" Link asked somewhat apprehensively. After all, he deeply cherished the unique bond he had formed with his outwardly stoic companion; yet the fact that that bond might not always be between just the two of them bothered the Hero of the Skies for reasons he couldn't really pin down.

"In a sense," Fi nodded. "However, Master, I will not accompany them in the same way I assisted you in our journey together. While my spirit rests in the Master Sword of each and every age, my form slumbers within the blade, only offering my power to the new heroes and little else."

"But… you still helped the hero we're going to go save, didn't you?" Zelda spoke up, quite curious herself. "Can you tell us a bit about what he's like? Oh! Or maybe Sheik could, since she's from the same time as him?" The girl glanced back at the Sheikah warrior with a warm smile, catching her completely off guard and breaking her out of her thoughts of the very hero she was being asked about.

"Li—I-I mean… the hero?" Sheik stammered, suddenly at a loss for words as she tried to think of how to explain him in the most discreet way possible. "W-well, y-your grace, the hero of my era is… brave, to be sure. Perhaps a bit overconfident, much to his own peril, but… he is still very noble and kind and… and good… and selfless… For all his faults, he is still a hero, through and through, deserving of the title and the destiny that he bears… He is wholly devoted to his kingdom and its princess… even if his princess has failed him…"

"Wow…" Zelda said solemnly, both her and Link looking back to the Sheikah warrior with apt empathy. "You must miss him terribly… It sounds like the two of you are awfully close…"

"Y-yes…" Sheik closed her eyes and bowed her head, wishing that she could be closer to him still. "Very."

"Well, don't worry," Link assured with a kind smile, one that reminded Sheik so much of her own Link that it almost drove her to tears. "We're going to help you find him, I promise."

"But Zelda," he had said to her, his tone gentle, sweet, and sincere. "If there's one thing I'm going to promise you, its this: I won't ever let her hurt you again."

"Its far too late for that, Link…" Sheik thought to herself as her crimson-turned eyes finally began to well up with tears. "She already has by taking you away from me…"

Even so, the Sheikah warrior said nothing to the Hero of the Skies in response to his good-hearted but rather innocent promise to her. Instead, Sheik opted to take the lead towards the Sealed Temple ahead of them, not bothering to spare another word to the hero or the goddess. As she walked in her crestfallen silence, Proxi came to settle on her shoulder, and the Sheikah warrior couldn't help but smile at her softly underneath her face coverings. After all, there was no doubt that the fairy was missing Link just as much as she was.

"I hope she's ok…" the Hero of the Skies whispered to the girl as they continued on ahead. "I didn't mean to upset her or anything…"

"I'm sure you didn't," Zelda assured him, resting a hand on top of his arm. "The Sheikah are a very mysterious group of people, after all. They're not really known for being super vocal about their feelings."

"Ohhh…" Link mused in apt relief. "Well, that makes sense when you think about how Impa used to act."

"Link!" Zelda laughed, giving her hero a playful shove.

"Master Link," Fi interjected, coming to glide alongside the hero. "I have pertinent information to share with you regarding our upcoming endeavor in traveling to the distant future. Do you wish to hear it?"

"Oh, of course," Link nodded, already intently listening to what his wise companion had to say. "Go ahead, Fi."

"Very well," the sword spirit said, swiftly coming to float before the hero all while gliding backwards without missing a beat. "As I have said before, the Master Sword possesses the power to unlock the flow of time and grant us access to its passage. When you pull the blade from its ancient pedestal, I shall add my own power to its divine radiance, but even still, there is an 82% probability that will not be enough to open the time stream. It is for this purpose that your sacred power will also likely be required to accomplish this task, your grace," she theorized, glancing over at Zelda.

"Well… I still haven't exactly learned how to use Hylia—or I guess, my powers completely yet…" Zelda admitted awkwardly. "But if there's a chance it could work, then I'll be more than happy to give it a try."

"I think you'll do great, Zel," Link smiled, offering the girl a small, encouraging kiss on the cheek.

"So will you, Mr. Time-Traveler," Zelda chuckled, returning his kiss.

"This is it, right?" Sheik cut in somewhat impatiently as they arrived at the old stony doors of the Sealed Temple. "This is where we need to be?"

"Yeah, it is…" Link frowned as they voyaged inside, only to find the ancient temple in a rather ruinous state. What few elements of décor the temple had left had been all but destroyed, walls beaten in and stairs and arches crumbled apart with hardly any regard spared for the sacredness or history of the building itself. "But what happened here? This place is even more of a wreck than is usually is!"

"As previously stated, Ghirahim led a force of monsters through here not too long ago in another attempt at resurrecting the Imprisoned," Fi explained astutely. "Fortunately, his efforts were not successful, but the impending battle did result in the structural damage you see before you."

"This place used to be so beautiful…" Zelda murmured, running her hand against one of the withered stone walls from Hylia's memories. "How could something like this happen to it?"

"That's the cost of war, your grace," Sheik said, a hint of sadness for the terrors her own kingdom was facing underlying in her tone. "It takes and takes and takes and rarely ever gives anything back in return. The only thing it ever does is destroy everything—and everyone—in its path—"

"Only if we let it."

Sheik stilled, her crimson eyes wide as she forced herself to look over to the Hero of the Skies in light of what he had just said. "W-what?"

"War," he repeated, his manner more serious than she had seen it so far. "It only destroys what you let it take from you." Link continued, still bold and stalwart as he moved on towards the raised platform where the Master Sword of his era rested peacefully. "I've never really fought in a war myself, but I have learned this," The hero paused, only long enough to grip the hilt of the sacred blade securely in both hands. Fi quickly glided over to join him and Zelda rushed after, knowing they'd have to work fast. Sheik was a bit slower in joining them, captivated by the hero's wise words more than anything else at the moment. "As long as you're brave enough to stand up for what you believe in and the people you care about," he stopped once more, offering Zelda a warm, loving smile that she easily returned with immense pride in her hero's unbreakable resolve. "Then that's enough to get you through any war."

With this, Link drew the Master Sword from its pedestal in one swift, solid movement. In a familiar move for him, the hero raised its tip skyward, its pristine edge already filling in with a heavenly aura of power. Fi was quick to act upon that power as three vibrant flames surrounded her hovering form, one red, one blue, and one green, each of them rushing into the Blade of Evil's Bane in turn. Zelda hastily raised her hand up next, golden light from none other than the goddess Hylia herself pouring out of it and into the Master Sword as well. Link couldn't really hold back an almost fierce cry as he forced himself to remain steady, gripping the sword's hilt with both hands as light began to engulf them all, a sign that the might magic on display here was working. Sheik pressed in a bit closer, her eyes wide as she felt the Sealed Temple around them begin to fade away, time rapidly progressing all around them as the Master Sword began to guide them swiftly towards the future.

And, as Sheik hoped, towards the hero she couldn't wait to see once more.

With the decisive battle that had taken place there just a few short days ago over, the Temple of the Sacred Sword had returned to its usual still, silent state. The lush chamber of the Master Sword itself was all but abandoned, the blade that had once rested there taken by the hero destined to wield it. And yet, that sacred ground was not without purpose, even with the sword it had once housed gone. For very soon, this place was to host a gathering of legends unlike any Hyrule had ever seen before.

Seemingly out of nowhere, pure white light flooded the empty grove, several figures materializing at the epicenter of its glow. The light disappeared in a flourish, and, surprisingly enough, Agitha was the first of the group to notice.

"Oh, wowee!" the insect princess exclaimed brightly, rousing the others. "We're back at that fancy old temple! I can't wait to reunite with that adorable anthill I found the last time we were here!"

"Well, what do you know?" Midna mused in apt amazement herself as she glided forward. "We really are back here in the future! Looks like you two really did the trick after all, huh-" The Twilight Princess stopped short with a gasp of surprise as she glanced back at Lana and Link, both of whom seemed to be quite worn out from their fast leap through time. Zelda stood by, watching with concern as the hero dug the tip of the Master Sword into the ground, leaning heavily against it for support while the white sorceress shut her spell book and pressed a hand against her aching head to clear it.

"Are you both alright?" the princess asked, the worry in her otherwise composed tone clear. She almost reached a hand out to help Link up, but he was quick to reject it, quickly forcing himself to stand on his own, even if he did stumble forward a bit.

"Y-yes, princess, I… I'm fine," he assured, still rather breathless.

"W-we just used a lot of magic and energy to move this far into the future…" Lana explained, also quite worn. "It might take a little time for Li—I mean, the hero and I to recover."

"Well, in the meantime, we might as well start looking for everyone else," Midna concluded, crossing her arms.

"That… might not be so simple, Midna," Lana frowned, glancing around the empty grove. "For all we know, Cia could have easily tossed everyone else around the flow of time, just like she did with you, me, and Agitha. And if she did… they could be anywhere… or any when…"

"Ugh!" Midna groaned in frustration. "This is so stupid! Why does that witch and her dumb plans have to be so annoying!?"

"Hmph, and you were calling me out for my temper, Midna?" Link remarked somewhat sardonically as he gave the Twilight Princess a wry grin. "At least I'm not as impatient as you are."

"Oh, I'll show you impatient, little wolf!" Midna teased right back, her hair forming into a strong, sturdy hand that the hero knew from experience meant that he was in trouble.

"M-Midna, wait! Don't!" he warned, backing away at first before breaking out into a full on run. The Twilight Princess was quick to give chase as they began one of their old 'games' that they usually used to settle arguments between them in the past, though neither of them were really taking this one that seriously as they laughed playfully all the while.

"Ooo! Are you two playing tag?" Agitha asked, perking up in excitement as she noticed the nearby excitement. "I wanna play too! Wait for me!"

Lana couldn't hold back a small chuckle as she watched the three of them run around the grove, clearly having the time of their lives. But even more than that, she was amazed to witness just how multi-faceted the Hero of Twilight really seemed to be. While he came across as stern and sarcastic to a fault, he was also playful and warm, carrying every ounce of kindness she knew the Link of her own time was capable of. It impressed the white sorceress in a way she couldn't really explain, to learn that a legend such as him was truly more than just a mere legend. He was human.

Still, Lana's attention was soon diverted away from the ongoing game over to the princess of the Era of Twilight instead. Zelda stood, positioned at the far end of the grove, looking out past the blanket of trees and over to the vast sprawl of Hyrule Field before her. Curious, the white sorceress walked over to join her, though before she could say anything, the princess spoke first.

"So… this is the Hyrule of your time?" she asked, a small smile playing upon her ruby lips.

"Y-yes, it is…" Lana nodded.

"It is beautiful," Zelda said contentedly. "In many ways, it appears to be quite similar to my own Hyrule. It is reassuring to know this kingdom's radiance will not fade away with the passage of time."

"Well, let's hope it doesn't…" the white sorceress frowned worriedly. "That's why we have to stop Cia. Her war has already caused Hyrule so much pain and sorrow. All I want is to keep that pain from spreading any further…"

"I have encountered a tyrant or two in my time as well," Zelda mused with wise understanding. "Each of them seeking to snuff out the light this kingdom was blessed with for their own selfish, wicked pursuits. But whenever I think of those tyrants, I find relief in the fact that whenever Hyrule is threatened by darkness, there is always a hero to return to it that precious light…" The princess's smile deepened as she looked back towards Link, who had just been knocked down by Midna, who in turn was accidentally forced to the ground when Agitha accidentally ran into her. All three of them were completely lost to their laughter, and even Zelda herself let out a small, elegant chuckle of amusement, one that Lana couldn't help but share along with her.

The levity was soon broken, however, as the sacred grove was soon filled with an immense, powerful light once again. Lana and Zelda were quick to rush over to Link, Midna, and Agitha as they all rose to stand, each of them lingering close and on edge in case this light heralded the arrival of some sort of dangerous foe. Fortunately, however, it did anything but.

Impa let out an immediate sigh of relief as soon as the light faded from her group to reveal they had indeed arrived at the Temple of the Sacred Sword, back in her own time period at long last. Ruto and Darunia were also quite quick to celebrate, knowing that their efforts had worked perfectly after all.

"Hey! What do ya know? We're back!" the Goron patriarch proclaimed bombastically.

"Yes, indeed!" Ruto chimed in before leaning in close to the Hero of Time. "You did a spectacular job, Link, as did I, of course."

"Um, t-thanks, Ruto," Link smiled, flustered as he backed up a bit.

"Link! Look!" Navi cut in, flittering brightly above her companion. "We really are in the future!"

"Whoa…" the hero muttered, amazed as he looked around the space where the Temple of Time used to be. "I… I guess we are…"

"Impa!" Lana's surprised gasp caught the attention of the new arrivals as the white sorceress didn't hesitate to rush over to the Sheikah guardian in particular.

"Lana," Impa nodded with a relieved smile. "Its good to see that you're unharmed after what happened at the Temple of Souls. Tell me, do you know anything about Princess Zelda's whereabouts?" she asked, glancing around for any sign of Zelda at all.

"Well, I haven't seen our Princess Zelda…" Lana admitted with a frown. "But I have met another Princess Zelda…" She nodded back to the hero and the princess who had accompanied her, now standing alone as Midna and Agitha had gone over to reunite with Ruto and Darunia.

"I see…" Impa mused, rather curious. "They're from the Era of Twilight, I presume?"

"Yes," Lana smiled, though it soon faded into a look of awe as she looked past the Sheikah guardian. "A-and… you… brought back…"

"The Hero of Time, yes," Impa said, her hands on her hips as she offered a bit of a smirk. "As well as someone in a rather… familiar disguise, if you catch my drift…"

"I do," the white sorceress said, knowing exactly who this "Sheik" was from her own observance of time. "In fact… let me try something…"

"Go on ahead," the Sheikah guardian approved as the two of them walked past each other to meet the respective heroes and princesses they had brought back.

"Greetings, Hero of Twilight, Princess," Impa said, offering the pair a respectful bow. "My name is Impa. I am a Sheikah who serves under the princess of this era. It is an honor to meet you both."

"A Sheikah?" Zelda asked, intrigued. "How fascinating. The Sheikah race has all but died out in our era, but I have heard stories of their profound dedication to the royal family in the past. It is pleasing to know that they will be able to replenish their numbers again in the future."

"Indeed it is, your highness," Impa said, keeping her head down largely to avoid looking up at the princess who painfully reminded her so much of own. "And hero, you have my thanks for journeying this far to help us in our hour of need. The Hyrule of this era is certainly in your debt."

"Y-yeah… you're welcome…" Link said somewhat absently as he looked past the Sheikah guardian and towards the pair Lana was greeting. Or rather, towards one similarly-glad one of their number.

"I-its such an honor to meet you, Hero of Time!" Lana greeted Link warmly, even though she was trying her best to stifle just how flustered she was over being in the proximity of not just one, but two legendary heroes. "I'm Lana, a sorceress from this era. I'm trying to save Hyrule along with all the others, and I can't tell you how thankful I am that you've come all the way here to do the same. Together, I'm sure we can protect this land!"

"Together?" Link asked with a hint of relief in his tone. "Y-yeah, I think we can too. So you're-" The Hero of Time stopped short as he stole a brief glance beyond the white sorceress, meeting eyes with someone else on the far end of the glade. Someone he couldn't help but be curious about.

"Link?" Sheik spoke up, somewhat concerned as the hero began to walk past them both. However, before he could follow him, he was stopped by Lana, whose expression was sincere and her voice low as she addressed him.

"Hey, I… I think I know who you are," the white sorceress whispered carefully. "Who you really are."

"What?!" Sheik retorted in a much harsher whisper, quickly ripping his arm away from her.

"B-but its ok," Lana assured with a small, comforting smile. "You don't have to keep this up anymore. T-the person you're hiding from… he's not here. You're safe, I promise."

The Sheikah youth calmed down somewhat at this, though he still let out a soft, rather sad sigh as he looked over towards the Hero of Time. "Perhaps he's not… But I still believe I might have reason to hide after all…"

"I understand," the white sorceress said. "Then take all the time you need."

"Yes…" Sheik whispered so softly that his voice was practically inaudible as he kept his crimson gaze locked on the hero alone. "I shall…"

At the same time, the other interactions in the grove all began turning to silence as the others all watched in slight amazement as the Hero of Time and the Hero of Twilight approached each other, two legends from two entirely different eras somehow meeting each other face to face. And needless to say that for both Links, the immediate confusion was more than palpable.

"Um… who exactly are you supposed to be?" the Hero of Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow at his counterpart.

"Oh, I'm Link," the Hero of Time smiled somewhat cordially, despite the other hero's apparent suspicion. "And you are…"

The Hero of Twilight cracked a small, sardonic, perhaps even incredulous smirk at this as he crossed his arms. "What a coincidence," he remarked a bit dryly. "My name is also Link."

"Really?" the Hero of Time asked, fascinated. "Wait a minute… where did you get those clothes?" he asked, noting their quite similar green attire. "Did you grow up in Kokiri Forest too?"

"Kokiri—what?" the Hero of Twilight asked, confused to the point that he didn't even notice Midna gliding over to lean against his shoulder and simply observe this exchange with quiet amusement. "No, I grew up in Ordon Village. I got these clothes from a light spirit. Where'd you get yours?"

The Hero of Time frowned as he looked down at his own green tunic before smiling again rather innocently. "I've had these for as long as I can remember," he shrugged simply.

"Suuuure, you did," the Hero of Twilight said, still rather distrustful of this new hero. "And uh… what's the deal with the fairy you've got there, kid?"

"Kid!?" the Hero of Time repeated, offended. "I'm not a kid! I'm ten!"

"Link, you're seventeen now, remember?" Navi asked, stifling a bit of a laugh.

"Oh, right!" the Hero of Time gasped, still not entirely used to fluctuating back and forth between child and adult like he had been doing. "I-I mean, I'm seventeen! S-so yeah. That makes me a grown-up, j-just like you!"

The Hero of Twilight took pause at this, exchanging a baffled glance with Midna before the Twilight Princess whispered in his ear. "What's wrong with this one?" she asked, stealing a brief look back at the Hero of Time. "Is he broken or something?"

"Ah, a-allow me to explain," Lana cut in, coming to stand in between the two Links. "Both of you are heroes from Hyrule's past, and… well, this might get a little confusing but, all of Hyrule's heroes share the same heroic spirit and often, the same name, which explains why you two have… so much in common. B-but either way, Link," she began, turning to the Hero of Time. "This is the Hero of Twilight; he saves Hyrule several hundred years after you do. And Link," she turned to the Hero of Twilight. "This is the Hero of Time, from far before you were even born!"

"Wait, what?!" the Hero of Twilight asked, awestruck as he looked to the other hero once again. "You're the Hero of Time?! The one mentioned in all those old legends?"

"Whoa, there are legends about me?" the Hero of Time asked, amazed.

"Only a ton!" the Hero of Twilight exclaimed, familiar with many of them. "Is it true that you saved the entire Goron race from starvation? Or that you took down an evil phantom with your bare hands?"

"Uh… well, I don't know about the whole bare hands thing, but… yeah I did those things," the Hero of Time said, scratching the back of his neck humbly before he reached a realization. "Oh wait! If I was the hero of Hyrule before you, then that means… I'm actually older than you are!"

"Um… yeah? So?"

"So, that means I was right! I'm definitely not a kid!" the Hero of Time proclaimed with a triumphant grin, proud of his perceived maturity.

"Oh, geez…" Midna muttered to her own Link with a hint of annoyance in her tone as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Can this get any more confusing?"

Almost as soon as the Twilight Princess had asked this, light began to flood the sacred grove once more, foretelling the arrival of the last group to arrive from the distant past. "Um… I think you spoke too soon, Midna," the Hero of Twilight retorted to his companion, who only rolled her eyes as their new arrivals became apparent.

"Princess!" Impa exclaimed the moment she caught sight of the Sheikah warrior amidst the group, recognizing the disguise and seeing through it instantly. Forgetting said disguise herself, Sheik rushed forward, disregarding the sword spirit, the Hero of the Skies, and even the goddess's incarnation as she ran to meet her devout guardian.

"Impa!" she exclaimed, meeting the Sheikah guardian in a fond embrace. "I'm so glad to see you're alright! Same to you, Lana," she said, offering the white sorceress a kind nod.

"You're glad?" Lana laughed, relieved. "We're glad to see that you're alright, princess! O-or I guess we'll have to go back to calling you Sheik now, huh?"

As the women exchanged a small, much-needed bout of laughter over this, the Hero of Time took pause, sparing a glance between this new Sheik, and the one he knew, who had decided to pull himself back a bit into the natural shadows of the grove for some reason. "Another Sheik…?" Link muttered to himself, confused. "But then… why did they call her 'princess'?"

"Oh! Looks like there's another hero too!" Navi chimed in, directing the hero's gaze to the trio on the far side of the grove.

"Whoa…" the Hero of the Skies said in apt amazement as he took a step forward. "So this is really the future?"

"Yes, Master," Fi said, hovering by his side. "I can indeed confirm that we have arrived in the distant future, upon the grounds where the Sealed Temple of our era used to stand."

"I can't believe it's gone…" Zelda frowned, placing a hand against one of the ancient stone pillars adorning the grove. "Still, I guess it has been hundreds, if not thousands of years… as crazy as that is to believe…"

"Says the girl who slept for thousands of years herself," Link lightly teased, brushing a few stray hairs out of the girl's face. "Who's the sleepyhead now?"

"You," Zelda taunted right back. "Especially since you still somehow manage to sleep until almost noon everyday."

"What can I say?" the hero said, stretching out. "It feels good."

"Oh!" Zelda gasped as she took a quick glance around the grove. "Link, look! There are other knights here too!"

"Really?" Link asked, looking over to the other heroes himself. "Oh, wow! And they're even the same year as me too!" Without any further hesitation, the Hero of the Skies rushed over to the pair of still quite confused heroes, neither of which had a chance to say anything as this newcomer enthusiastically greeted them. "Hi! I've never seen either of you around Skyloft or the Knight Academy before. Where did you train at?"

"…Huh?" the Hero of Time asked, not having the faintest idea about what he was talking about.

"You know, what academy did you guys graduate from?" the Hero of the Skies asked knowingly. "I mean, you had to get those uniforms from somewhere, right? I've only ever heard of the Knight Academy up in Skyloft before, but who knows? There could always be more. After all, the sky is a pretty big place."

"…Alright, you've completely lost me," the Hero of Twilight concluded staunchly. "Who are you and what in Din's name are you going on about?"

"Oh, I'm-"

"Excuse me, Master," Fi cut in, startling the other two heroes quite a bit. "Or perhaps I should say Masters. I bear important information regarding the current situation at hand that has a 93% chance at alleviating further confusion between the three of you. Shall I relay this information to you now?"

"Oh, yeah, sure thing, Fi," the Hero of the Skies nodded, prompting his companion onward.

"Each of you is a hero from a different era of this land's history," the sword spirit explained. "And as such, I am duty bound to assist all three of you, from my first Master, the Hero of the Skies, to my youngest Master, the Hero of Time, to one of my more recent Masers, the Hero of Twilight."

"Wait, so you guys are heroes too?" the Hero of the Skies cut in with an excited smile. "That's amazing! I never knew there were going to be more heroes in the future! Probably because it's the future, but still, this is great! You guys are just like me!"

"Well, if your name is Link too, then you're definitely right about that," the Hero of Twilight remarked with a small grin.

"It is Link!" the Her of the Skies gasped, awestruck as he caught his fellow heroes off guard by throwing a friendly arm around both of their shoulders. "I can't believe it! We all have the same name, same outfit, same sword, same… everything! This is so cool! Zelda, quick, come over here! You've gotta see this!"

"Hold on a second, Link!" Zelda called back over to him as she addressed the princess of the Era of Twilight. "I just wanted to tell you that I love your dress! It's so pretty! You look like a princess in it!"

"Oh, well that might be because I am a princess," the other Zelda said as regally as ever.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" the girl was quick to curtsey out of respect. "I didn't mean to be so rude, Princess… um…"

"Zelda," the princess informed, nodding her permission for the girl to rise.

"Your name is Zelda?" the girl asked, surprised. "So is mine! That's amazing! Though… I guess its not too amazing since those three are all Link," she chuckled, nodding over to the trio of heroes and their respective companions, who were all still trying to make sense of their implausible meeting.

"To have so many Hylian heroes in one place like this is truly a remarkable occasion," the princess noted rationally.

"It is," the girl agreed with a thoughtful smile. "Though it does make me wonder… if there are so many heroes out there… and both us are Zelda… then is there a chance that there are more Zeldas like us out there?"

"Y-yes, actually," the young male Sheikah who had accompanied the Hero of Time interrupted their conversation. He seemed anxious for some reason that neither of the two women could place as they looked over to him curiously, especially as he lifted up his hand to reveal the glowing mark of the Triforce of Wisdom itself resting upon it. "In fact… one of them… stands before you… even now!"

With a bold shout, Sheik raised his hand high into the air, golden light pouring out from it and instantly catching everyone's attention. The Hero of Time in particular was captivated by this light, but he was even more stunned to see exactly who was left behind when it faded.

"S-Sheik…" he said breathlessly as he stepped towards him, or rather, towards her. "You… you're actually…"

"Yes," she smiled sadly, her hair as golden as the sun and her attire pink, regal, and stately. "It is I… Zelda, Princess of Hyrule…"

"Oh, a third Zelda!" Hylia's incarnation whispered to the princess of the Era of Twilight, both of them quite amazed. "Then I take what I said before back, this really is amazing!"

At first, the Hero of Time said nothing, simply taking in the sight of the princess he hadn't seen since they were both children seven long years ago. Shame washed over the princess's expression as she averted his wondering gaze, glancing downward instead. "I… I'm sorry, Link… I didn't want to meet you in disguise, but it was necessary for me to hide from the King of Evil… But… I've been told he isn't here in this time," she offered Lana a small, thankful nod at this. "Which means-"

"Which means you're safe," Link caught her off guard, taking her hands in his. Zelda found herself rather breathless as she looked up to meet his warm, affectionate smile, one that was overwhelmed with relief and what the princess might have even speculated to be the first hints of love. "You're finally safe, after all this time. I was so worried about you, but… you were always there, right by my side, watching me this whole time…"

"A-again, I appologize for deceiving you for so long…" Zelda whispered, relishing his touch as he placed a gentle hand against her face. "But I-"

"Please," the hero interupted, leaning in closer to her. "Don't be sorry. I'm just so glad to see you again…"

The princess finally fully smiled at this, allowing her hero to bridge the gap between them. Their first kiss was sweet and gentle, and the others within the grove all took a moment to let the couple have their privacy. At the same time, the Hero of the Skies and the goddess's incarnation took the chance to share an affectionate kiss of their own, one of the many they often shared throughout their lazy, peaceful days. And while the remaining Sheik paid them little mind, she found that she couldn't tear her gaze away from the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny, as she was called in all the legends. The Sheikah warrior's heart sank and rose at the same exact time as she imagined herself and her own Link in their place, their arms loosely locked around each other as they showed their love for each other in such a simple, yet beautiful way. Love that, Sheik feared, might not even exist on his end anymore if Cia had her way.

Which meant that no more time could be wasted. With all of their allies gathered together again and with new allies to join them, Sheik knew. The time was nigh for their decisive strike against Cia. And this time, with Link's life and possible loyalty hanging in the balance as it was, there was no room for error.

And so, as the reuniting kiss between the Hero of Time and his princess came to an end, Sheik remained in place for a bit, silently observing all of the interactions taking place around her but participating in none of them. Introductions were made between the various heroes and princesses of the ages, and reunions took place between their preexisting allies as well. A small part of the Sheikah warrior couldn't help but smile distantly under her facial coverings as she wondered how her own Link might react to meeting his heroic processors, but the time for such a meeting would have to wait.

"Princess," Impa cut through the Sheikah warrior's thoughts as she came to stand alongside her. "Don't you think its time you unmask yourself as well?"

"Yes, Impa…" Sheik nodded dutifully, knowing that if she was going to face Cia again, then she was going to do it as herself. "I think it is…" She stepped forward, her manner bold as she rose her voice to address the entire group assembled before her. "Attention, everyone!" she called, beckoning everyone into silence to listen to her. "I… I also must appologize for deceiving every last one of you. For you see… I am not a Sheikah either. Rather…" Sheik trailed off, allowing her piece of the Triforce to do the rest of the work in reverting her appearance back to her royal battle gown. "I am Zelda, princess of the era of Hyrule's history we are all currently standing in."

While a few surprised gasps rose up from those unaware of this disguise, the loudest and most excited one came from Hylia's incarnation. "Now there's a fourth Zelda!?" she asked, elated as she wrapped her arms around the shoulders of the pair of princesses beside her. "There's so many of us! This just keeps getting better and better!"

"Y-yes, well," Zelda began again, forcing herself to be steady before the varied legendary figures before her. "I am honored to be in presence of so many of Hyrule's past heroes, as well as so many of its former rulers. I cannot thank any of you enough for leaving your own time periods to so selflessly come and assist my own out of the goodness of your hearts. I must warn you that the foe we are about to face is a dangerous one, with many tricks and powerful magic at her disposal. Already she has threatened each of your own time periods, and if left unchecked, I fear that she could disrupt the flow of time beyond repair, endangering Hyrule's past, present, and its future. Each of you has bravely fought for this land's future before, which is why I am confident that, united in our noble cause, together we can restore the light of peace to this kingdom once and for all!"

The allies Zelda had known before were the first to jump in the round of supportive cheers of this resolve, but soon enough, the heroes of each of the different ages and their respective princesses joined in too. The princess had had her doubts about bringing so many heroes together before, believing that uniting them in the same time and place would certainly make them all targets for Cia just as much as her own Link was. And yet, upon seeing them all here, all ready to fight for the land they all clearly loved so much, she couldn't help but feel immense relief to know that their cause wasn't a lost one. And neither was her hero.

"Hold on just a little longer, Link…" Zelda whispered, her hand held closer to her heart as she pictured the long-awaited reunion in store for herself and her own hero, hoping that it would be every bit as loving and warm as the one between the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny had been. "I'll be there soon…"

And there we have it! All the Links and Zeldas united in one time and place (ok well not all of them, but who knows... perhaps if I ever do get around to my adaptation of HW Legends we might get to see a few more... ;) But anyway, next time around, we'll have a pretty intense battle on our hands, that's for sure! And hopefully that battle won't take me 2 years to write! Heh... yeah, again, super sorry about that. But now that I'm back in Zelda mode, who knows, I may even go back to my old Light and Shadow fic as well (as I should, that fic is kinda close to being done anyway lol). Anyway, please don't forget to REVIEW what you thought about this chapter and for this chapter's question, did any of you guys pick up Hyrule Warriors when it came out on Switch? I did and I played so dang much of it lol its still just as fun as I remember it being. So if you've played it, let me know what you think about having all of the HW content you could ever ask for all in one place! Until next time!