A/N: I own nothing except a copy of this great game. Second note: His singing lines are demarked "like this," and her lines are demarked "like this." Them singing together is demarked "like this."

She sat there in silence, breathing slowly and heavily. Her bow lay discarded on the ground beside her, and the quiver that contained those holy arrows was gently resting at her feet. She looked at one of the shiny gauntlets that she'd worn into battle; it, like her, was now covered in dirt and grime and blood. Whereas once she could have seen her reflection clearly in this thing, now she had to squint. Her hair had come undone some time ago, and was caked with dirt and what appeared to be dried blood and other things that she wasn't sure about. Her face was smeared with dust and dirt. She looked absolutely nothing like a princess.

She heard a groaning noise beside her. She turned to see that Link was crawling over towards her, too tired to even properly stand, pulling himself towards her with one of his arms. She watched him get closer to him, a slightly amused look in her eyes. Finally, he shakily pulled to her, and grabbed onto her leg so that he could hoist himself up to get eye level with her. But then his arm gave out, and he ended up looking up at her with his head rested in her lap. He looked no better than she did.

"…Did we win?" He managed to choke out.

Zelda stared at him, feeling the relief wash over her, and then giggled slightly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think we did, Link."

He just nodded, too exhausted to speak, and continued to rest against her. She started absently running her fingers through and playing with his hair, gnarled as it was from sweat and dirt and blood, and watched as the world quieted down around them.

…

First came a resolute series of clangs, as the most honorable of the enemy dropped their weapons and got down on their knees with their hands up behind their backs. That was a small minority. The others instead chose to high tail and run to the mountains, to the desert, to anywhere that was not here. Those that had surrendered seemed to have the fight sucked right out of them; they did not resist as they were handcuffed or tied up, and they marched sullenly towards the castle dungeons that up until a day before they had thrown as many Hyrulians as they could into. As the rage of battle died down, now came the moaning of the dying and the wounded.

Itami and Lana opened their eyes, realizing that everything was finally over. They looked around, and then looked at each other. They were still holding onto each other. They gently broke the embrace, with a sharp-eyed observer noticing the faintest traces of a blush on their cheeks. But then they started hearing the cries of the wounded. They looked at each other, nodded, and then started walking into the crowd, calling out that they had herbs and potions, and who needs a medic? Who needs a doctor?

Midna walked over to Fi, who was floating somewhat aimlessly in front of her. The Twili raised an eyebrow.

"Why the long face, Swordie?" She asked. Fi turned to look at her.

"I am scanning as hard as I can, but I cannot sense any presence of the one known as Ganondorf or of the beast that he became. It appears that he has been completely removed from the battle…and from the plane of the living." There was a pause, and then Fi looked upwards. "I…I do not understand it, but there is a feeling deep within me."

"Of what? Relief?" Midna asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Because that's sure as hell the one in me." Fi turned to face her.

"No, friend Midna. I believe that the feeling I am feeling…is joy." The Sword-being said. Midna's sardonic smile softened considerably, and she laughed.

"You know something, Swordie? I feel the same damn way."

Little Agitha walked through the battlefield, having gotten off of the shoulders of Meathook. The Goron, clutching at his bandaged wounds, was following loyally behind her like a very large dog. Mr. Scorpion had already been shrunk back down and returned to his bottle, where Agitha promised to reward him for his good work. For now, the little girl was walking amongst and over thr many fallen bodies of the dead and dying. She heard a raspy voice.

"W…water…"

She turned around, and saw a badly bloodied Hyrulian looking at her. He was pale, and lying down with his head propped up against a rock. He did not look good. Agitha stared at him, and then walked closer. She knelt down beside the man, and he smiled.

"Heh…always wondered what…fairies looked like up close…" the man said. He was clearly delirious at this point. Agitha reached into her picnic basket, looking for the specific vial. She found buried deep within the wicker box, and then unscrewed the cork. She handed it to the man.

"Drink this, sir." She said.

"Is…is it water?" The man asked. Agitha was about to shake her head, but then nodded so that he would take it. The man shakily grabbed the bottle, and with Agitha's hand helping support it, he greddily downed the mixture in one gulp. There was a pause, and then he coughed once. Already the color was returning to his face, and if she looked closely Agitha could see that some of his more grisly wounds were slowly healing up.

"What…what is this stuff?" The man asked. He was no longer struggling to whisper.

"Honey…with a pinch of Goddess Butterfly scales mixed in." Agitha said cheerily. "Do you feel better, mister?"

"Yeah…I'll be okay. I'll be okay." The man said. He pulled himself up into a sitting position, and began to gulp down the drink with the greed of a man lost in the desert. Agitha smiled, waved, and then skipped off to find the next person that needed her help.

…

"Matthew? Matthew!" Ruto shouted, having dismounted from her warbeast. She began to jog through the fields of dead bodies, looking for someone that she recognized. She tried not to spend too much time looking at the fallen bodies of the Zoras that had come through with her into this world. She tried not to cry as she stepped over the fallen body of the Zora she recognized as Dolphus, dead of a multitude of cuts but surrounded by several fallen Moblin commanders. She couldn't bear to lose another person close to her.

"Matthew!"

She found him in the middle of a clearing. He was sitting on top of the body of a Bokoblin, his sword planted firmly in its chest cavity. He was wincing, and rotating his shoulder around as if he was trying to pop it back into place. He was covered in dust and dirt and blood, but it didn't look like it was his blood. He saw her, and gave a tired smile.

"Hey, princess." He said.

She nearly tackled him to the ground.

…

They heard labored breathing, and turned to see Darunia walking towards them. He was covered in blood, both his and others', but he still had a manic gleam in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"Brother Link and Sister Zelda, it is with great pride that I say: WE CRUSHED THEM!" Darunia suddenly bellowed. He started doing what could only be described as a sort of dance, like he was in the throes of a song that ignited his soul. The sight of this massive Goron, this earthen creature who could crush rocks between his fingers, dancing and hopping around like a little kid was enough to get Zelda and Link to start chuckling. Soon it turned to laughter. Darunia stopped dancing, looked at them pointedly as if he wondered what they were laughing at, figured it out, and then shrugged and went right back to dancing.

"I…I can't believe it all worked out." Link heard a voice in his head. Proxi, who'd been uncharacteristically quiet during the fighting, had decided to speak again. "Link, are you ok?" He closed his eyes in relief, and nodded once.

"For once, I don't disagree with the Goron." A voice said. Lord Gawain had walked up to the group now, and was currently leaning against his shield for support. "Goddesses, but I'm tired." He said. "Your Highness, my men are ready to chase after the remnants of the dark army, as soon as you can give the order."

"Belay that." Zelda said. "Where will they go? Where will our enemy run, with their numbers dashed and their demon deity destroyed?" She gazed pointedly over at the corpse to her side. "They are broken, but we are very nearly the same, Lee. Let us rest for once. Only then will we deal with the future. Take those that aren't wounded and have them gather the dead and the dying. And send a dispatch of soldiers to the castle and the town. Find every civilian and nobleman and woman you can and bring them into the light. It's over. It's all over."

Lee Gawain nodded gratefully, and then walked away to begin carrying out the princess' request. Zelda looked around. The others, Midna and Fi and Agitha and Dorias, as well as Lana and Itami, were now approaching them.

"So that's it then, eh?" Midna asked, a smirk on her face. "Pfft. That was all child's play. Who's up for round two?"

There was a bit of chuckling amongst the group, as a wave of tension was released via laughter. But then Zelda looked over to the side.

"Ishaka?"

The Ravager commander had not joined the group. He had gotten back to his feet, and was not staring at them. He was staring at the glowing piece of divinity that was floating lazily over his opened hand. The golden light of the Triforce gleamed in the night's gloaming, and reflected back in his eyes. It was an eerie reflection.

"Ishaka?" Zelda asked again, a trace of concern in her voice. He still had not responded to anyone. He seemed transfixed by the piece of the Goddesses' might in his hand.

But then he blinked, and the strange glow in his eye disappeared.

"I don't want it." He said, after a moment's silence.

There was a pause.

"What do you mean you don't want it?" Midna asked. "I don't think you've got a choice, buddy."

"Midna's right, Ishaka." Lana said. "The Triforce of Power seems to have picked you as its new champion." That seemed to pain Ishaka greatly.

"It's okay, Ishaka. You aren't him." Zelda said. Ishaka stared at the corpse of the Gerudo King nearby, and then something passed in his eyes. He turned resolute.

"I said I don't want it."

"Well, that's good and all, but it isn't that simple." Zelda said. "It takes a tremendous amount of willpower to even give up a piece of the Triforce, let alone let someone else have it."

Ishaka stared at her.

"I already said it twice, ain't gonna say it thrice."

He dropped the Triforce piece on the ground.

It made a tinkling sound as it hit the ground, but it did not break. Not even after Ishaka pointedly chose to stomp on it, rubbing it into the ground with the heel of his boot in complete defiance. They all stared at it for a moment.

"So…who takes it?" Midna asked, breaking the silence. "I mean, I wouldn't mind it, but seeing as how I have my own kingdom to go back to…gotta say I don't think I could carry that burden."

"I've already got plenty of pretty jewelry!" Agitha said. "It's pretty, but I don't think I need another one."

"I have no idea what to do with that sort of power." Darunia said. "Gorons are…well, we are a bit susceptible to that kind of power and its influence." He looked sheepish. "If but a Poe can pry into my mind, then I shudder to think about what that would do to me."

"And don't even think about looking at me!" Ruto said, sticking out her tongue. "I like having as few responsibilities as possible, thank you very much."

Zelda, despite herself, smiled as she rolled her eyes.

"I was never going to ask you all to bear the burdens of my dimension, seeing as how you've already given us so much help so far." She sighed. "Very well. We will table this discussion for now. In the meantime, Impa and I will…" she trailed off. "Where is Impa?"

They heard her walking up to them. Compared to the rest of them, she looked the worst. Her clothing was frayed and ripped at the edges, her face was covered in little cuts and nicks and a bruise, and there were several rips down the legs of her uniform, revealing some mean-looking cuts. The way she was hobbling, balancing on her naginata like a walking stick, it was clear that her ankle if not her entire foot was broken. Despite all this, her hair was still held together in the braids she'd done the day before. And her facial expression at best could be described as merely annoyed.

Ishaka walked up to her, seeing as how she was clearly looking at him.

"Impa, I-"

SLAP.

Impa's backhand nearly knocked the Ravager captain flat on his ass.

"THAT'S for saying you love me in the middle of a BATTLEFIELD!" She snarled. "Of all the places you could pick, that might have been the worst timing in the history of ever!"

Ishaka managed to get back up to his feet again.

SLAP.

This time, Impa brought her hand back around the other way, this time catching Ishaka with her palm as he turned the other cheek.

"THAT'S for…for running off right after you said it, like some chickenshit cuckoo!" She said, perhaps more flustered and confused than enraged. "Don't you have any idea how this sort of thing works? What could possibly have compelled you to think that that was the right course of action after telling a woman something as big as that?"

Ishaka straightened himself out, his cheeks both quite red, and opened his mouth as if to speak in his defense.

He never got the chance, as Impa threw herself into his arms and gave him the biggest kiss either of them had ever experienced in their lives. When they broke it, she was still resting her forehead against his. Her voice was gentle and soft as she spoke again.

"And that's for saying it in the first place, you great big doofus."

There was a moment's pause.

"Well, it's about time." Itami said, rolling his eyes in a bit of exasperated relief.

"Called it." Midna said, a supremely smug smirk on her face.

"Like fireflies!" Agitha said, clapping her hand together in glee. The others chose not to say anything, simply smiling at the sight before them (and no doubt sharing in Itami's relief). All expect for one person.

She turned towards the boy resting his head in her lap, and then smiled deviously.

"Pay up."

Impa's eyes widened in shock, a mask of horror on her face. She turned to look at the others, as if realizing just now that she'd done all of this in public, and then turned to look at Zelda.

"Whuh-jgb-hr-guh-you bet on this?" She managed to hiss in both rage and embarrassment.

"You took long enough." Zelda said. No one that pretty should look that devious, Link decided as he stared up at her face. "There's a pretty sizable pot now."

Ishaka started laughing, ignoring the scandalized look on Impa's face. Or, perhaps, fully aware of and deliberately antagonizing it.

"I do not understand love." Fi remarked quietly.

"It's a bit of a complicated thing, I'll give ya that, swordie." Midna said. "But don't worry, I'll explain it to you, one of these days."

…

They were interrupted by the sounds of hooves galloping on the ground. They turned to see a Bulblin warbeast ride up to them, and a distraught-looking Balrok astride.

"Friends!" He said. "Come quickly, I beg of you!"

"What is wrong, Balrok?" Zelda asked, slowly getting up (and disappointing the man that was lying on her at the moment). The look on the Bulblin's face was grave.

"It is King Romulus. I…he is badly hurt."

Without a word, the others swiftly followed him.

…

They found him lying down on the ground, his head rested against a large boulder. A circle of Bulblin warriors surrounded him, and even the Bulblin berserker corps were decidedly silent. A burly-looking Bulblin, roughly the size of Darunia, was cradling the king in his arms and lap, sobbing like a newborn. His cries sounded like bullhorns. Lord King Romulus' crown had been knocked off, and his chest was covered in cuts and stabs of varying degrees of depth and severity.

As the new group entered the area and surrounded him, Zelda made eye contact with one of the Hyrulian medics who had made his way over to attend to the Bulblin king before the rest of them could. She recognized him as young, but as one of the better medics in the entire army. If there was anyone that she would have helping a wounded or dying man, it would be him.

He looked up at her, and sadly shook his head.

There was a croaking sound. Romulus was coughing. A trickle of blood went down the corner of his mouth. He opened his eyes, and stared at the group in front of him.

"My vision fades…" he said. His voice, once a pleasantly gruff noise in his prime, was now reduced to a rattling and hoarse near-whisper. "Princess, is that you?" He asked.

"Yes, Romulus. Yes, it is me." Zelda said. Romulus smiled.

"Then…I take it we saved the world, then?"

"Yes." Zelda said. "We did it. And we could not have done it without you."

Itami had lowered his hood respectfully, and others were sheathing their weapons with respect. There was a soft sobbing sound. Agitha was crying. Midna turned to her and gently picked up like she was a small child and hugged her the way a mother might hug her infant, shushing in her ear and whispering softly that it was okay.

"Oh…that's good. That's…that's very good indeed." Romulus muttered. He blinked once, and turned to see Impa and Ishaka standing closely next to each other. "You two…you make me…happy. It was an honor to fight by your side. May you…may you be happy."

Ishaka realized he was crying.

"Where…where is the hero?" Romulus asked. Almost immediately, Link was by his side. Romulus weakly raised his hand, still clutching his walking stick. With as much strength as he could muster, he gently smacked Link in the shin. "For…for old time's sake." He said with a soft smile.

Now Link was crying.

"Your kingdom, Lord King." The massive Bulblin cradling him said. "To whom do you leave your kingdom?"

"Buh-BALROK!" Romulus barked hoarsely. He then started wheezing, as that amount of exertion was clearly too much for his dying body to take. The Bulblin captain was there.

"Yes, your majesty?"

"My line has ended, and will end with my passing." Romulus said. "It is time…time for a new era. For a new line. You…I entrust you with my kingdom. Will you serve?"

"To my death." The Bulblin captain said proudly. He smacked his chest with his fist as a further showing of his bluster. Romulus smiled.

"I am glad." He said. He looked around, and smiled. "Hm. I never would have thought it would be like this. Thought it would…thought it would be…a desert somewhere. A cave. Broken land, ruined. But this?" He closed his eyes. "I hear birds. I feel wind. Grass. Sunlight. Water. Running water. It is quiet. Soft."

He opened his eyes. He was looking Zelda directly in the eye. He smiled one last time.

"Be not afraid. I'm going to see my family again. My son…" He closed his eyes. "This is good, isn't it?"

And then he moved no more.

…

A few hours later, as the sun began to set, the world began to feel like normal. Sloly, the civilians who had fled to the countryside were returning to their homes. Those that had hidden underground were returned to the surface, and those that had been imprisoned were finally freed. A few hours later, as the sun was hanging gently on the horizon, the last of the folk who had been hiding out in the west to await the news of the battle either good or bad were flown in on Loftwings to their home.

Lord Elijah Grantham looked like he was going to pass out in relief as he hugged his wife, who was sobbing incoherently, and his son, who still had the traces of his fierce warpaint coating his face. Lord Falk Reedus was practically doing a jig in the center of the town, the happiest Zelda had ever seen him in years. And Lady Shiftlett, who had been flown back in from Petra's kingdom, seemed as relieved as anything that the fighting was now over.

"Excuse me, are you the family of Red-Demon?" Lord Grantham and his wife turned around to see a bulky-looking Bulblin approaching them. Lady Grantham's smile faded, and Lord Grantham nodded hesitantly.

"Mom, Dad, it's okay. He's a friend. They're friends." Matthew said. "What do you need, your majesty?" He asked Balrok.

"First, never ever call me that again or so help me I shall smite you." Balrok said. He then flashed a toothy grin to his parents. It was kind of like witnessing a dopey-looking dog smile. "Your brood here is a true war dog, through and through. You must be proud of the man he has become, as I know that I was honored to ride with him in the battles we shared." He said. He scrunched his face in thought. "As the new ruler of the Bulblin confederacy, I am looking to create a treaty with your Hyrulian government. I am sure that I will be working with the Minister of the Interior soon enough." He said this as if he was unaware of Elijah's job description. "But most importantly, Princess Zelda has offered me the choice of someone to be my…my ambass…my ambadass-" He was clearly struggling with the word.

"Ambassador?" Lady Grantham said, her smile returning as she witnessed how awkward this wild warrior was in dealing with polite society.

"Yes!" Balrok said, snapping his fingers. "Apologies. Lost the word there. She has offered me a list of capable names, but there is only one that I wish to work with: your son, Matthew Red-Demon. If that would be alright with you?"

"Balrok…" Elijah said, a smile growing on his lips. "You…you don't have to request the parents' permission for something like this. This isn't like we're giving you our daughter for a betrothal or an alliance. We'd be honored to have our son serve you."

"Serve me?" Balrok snorted, looking highly offended at the suggestion. "Hardly! He is my friend. He shall be a trusted man upon whom I will glean much information about the Hyrulian people, but never a servant." He said. "Will you join me, Red-Demon?" He asked, extending his hand.

In a split second, Matthew took it.

"Gladly, Stone-Crusher." He said.

They excused themselves, and began to walk over to the Bulblin camp outside the walls. Lord and Lady Grantham watched them go, and then the mother spoke.

"It feels like it was just yesterday where he was having trouble memorizing his classics homework, or when we stayed up into the late hours teaching him to read." She said wistfully. "And now he's…he's this face-painted warrior, and he has a battle name, and an ambassadorship, and he's got that pretty Zora following after him like a puppy! Where did he get this sort of…wildness?" She asked.

"Don't look at me." Lord Grantham said. He looked at his wife and winked. "I seem to recall there being more than a few wild children on your side of the family…perhaps even including yourself in your youth."

She smacked him upside the head, but there was no denying the smile on her face.

…

Later that night, after the sun had set and the world seemed to finally quiet down, Zelda found herself walking through the hallways of the castle. She had yet to take off her damaged and dirtied clothes from the battle before. She winced as she saw chunks of the walls and the ceiling torn out and destroyed from various blasts and artillery strikes. The foundations of the place still stood, but there was no denying that the castle had been badly damaged.

Hesitating, she opened the door to the room she had often retreated to in her darkest moments.

She shouldn't have been surprised. A direct hit from one of the rock catapults in the distance had struck the room and turned it into a shattered and destroyed mess. Books, both intact and ruined, littered the floor, and there was a gentle whistling as the night's wind whispered through the torn drapes. The wall was completely gone, revealing the sight of Hyrule and all of its expanse out in front of her. She was hundreds of feet in the air, and she dared not get too close to the edge of the room, lest she lose her balance and fall.

She walked over to the center of the room. The desk, that rich mahogany-colored monstrocity that she'd sit underneath as a young child while he worked on some sort of legal document, was ruined. It was essentially splinters and kindling at this point. Something caught her eye, however. Bending over, she gently sifted through the wreckage, grabbing what it was that she'd spotted. Gingerly, she pulled it out of the pile, and blew off the dust and plaster and sawdust that covered it.

A little framed photo. There she was, in the middle. It was taken by some pictobox artist that her father had paid top dollar for. They weren't dressed in their royal clothing; instead, she was sitting on his shoulder, her face frozen in a mask of sheer childish delight. And it was one of the few times that she'd ever seen her father smile like that. Laugh like that.

In the wake of all of this wreckage, this was completely untouched.

"Princess?"

She turned around. Link was standing in the doorway, a look of concern on his face. "Are you okay?" He asked.

She was silent for a moment.

"Yeah…yeah, I think I am, Link." She said. "It's just…sad, I guess."

"Was this your father's study?" Link asked.

"It was." Zelda said. She looked around. "Kind of hard to tell at this point."

"I'm so sorry." Link said.

"It's okay." Zelda said. "There's still some left of this place. Of this castle. But…either way, I guess there's a silver lining. Now…now I can make this place my own. Keep the past alive, but at the same time…look forward. Right?"

Link nodded. He wasn't sure what to say, but figured that was the best thing to do in that moment.

"Link?"

"Yeah?"

"When that starts…the rebuilding…will you be there with me?"

"…Of course."

…

The following morning was remarkably subdued. They had been awakened by the bellowing of trumpets and the steady clattering of snare drums. King Petra and his honor guard, as well as the dragoon units, had marched through the night to Hyrule and had arrived early that morning, just as the sun was starting to rise. They brought with them massive stores of food and medicine and clothing, as well as blankets and other essentials.

"Gifts of friendship brotherhood!" Petra had bellowed, as the tired and confused folk emerged from their houses and inns and the castle to see what the hullabaloo was all about. "We take care of family!"

As the Gorons were busy distributing aid to the needy, Zelda called together the war council one last time.

"I received a dispatch from Lady Hydre." Zelda said. "She said that she shall arrive at high noon with the best of her men and women, to help treat anyone that was hurt or needs urgent care as a result of the battle." She paused, looking the group over. "As far as things go…I believe that this is everything. You all have fulfilled your duties, far beyond anything that I could ever ask of you…I…I release you. You should all return to your homes and your eras."

There was a melancholy silence. Agitha finally broke.

"Does…does this mean goodbye?" She asked, her eyes starting to water. Midna, who was standing next to her, smiled softly and ruffled her hair with her hand.

"Not at all, sprout. Just…just 'see ya later.' That's all that it is." Hearing this caused Agitha to brighten up considerably.

"Oh! Then that means that we'll see each other again! Oh, that's lovely! I should have you all over for a tea party, as a means of thank you."

Itami chuckled.

"I'll drink to that, Agitha." Beside him, Darunia sighed.

"It is truly a shame that it has come to an end. I was rather enjoying things." He turned to Link, and pointed his megaton hammer towards the young hero. "You keep an eye on things, and you had best keep up your training." He said. "If I come back and find that you've grown fat and lazy, why I might just use you as a punching bag myself!"

"Only if I don't get to him first." Zelda said with a smile.

"Well, chaps, it's been fun and good." Captain Dorias said. "I should like to see you all again. But even if I don't…you'll all be characters in that book I'm writing!"

"You? Writing a book?" Midna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course, love!" Dorias said. "Been working hard on it ever since I came back here for the second time! Been talking to all sorts of people for views and histories, and then storing it all up here in my good friend." He pointed to his head. "Why do you think I was picking your brain so frequently whenever we were off duty? I'm unsure on the title, but the meat of the story is there. I'll get to work on it as soon as I get back home to my wife and kids." He smiled warmly. "I think I've had enough of fighting, to be honest."

"I would agree." Fi said.

There was another pause. And then Lana spoke.

"So…I'm ready whenever you are." She said. "Are you all ready to go?"

There was another silence. And then a series of sad nods. Lana nodded herself, and then waved her Deku staff towards the sky. There was a rumbling sound, and a trio of portals opened up. They were shimmering, and it was like staring through a rippling pool: they could see their homes, warped and faded through the gloaming. And then Ruto started crying.

"I don't want to leave!" She said. "I won't see any of you again! I won't see Matthew again…" She trailed off. Darunia gently picked her up and rested her on his massive shoulder. There was a melancholy feeling in the air, and no one seemed willing to actually take the first step.

Then Ishaka looked over at Lana.

"What're you grinnin' at, miss Lana?" He asked. Impa, who'd discreetly been holding hands with the Ravager captain, also narrowed her eyes at the spritely sorceress.

"You look like you know something." She said, somewhat accusatorily.

Lana smiled.

"Well, guys…I'm the Sorceress of Time. What Cia used to be able to do…I can do that too. Better, even." There was a pause, and then the reality set in.

"Does that mean you can make portals for us to visit each other?" Agitha asked, her eyes big and starry.

Lana's smile elicited the greatest squeal of excitement from the bug princess that anyone had ever heard. And then Lana spoke again.

"And I sent a friend of yours to your dimension as well. He's very excited to see you again."

Agitha looked like she was going to cry with excitement.

"Mr. Meathook?" She asked with incredulity.

"Of course. Last I checked, he was playing with the butterflies in your garden. Be sure to keep him in check for us, will you?" Lana asked.

"OHMIGOSH I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN!" Agitha said. "Oh, there's so much to do! I have to prepare the house, I have to buy the tea…eeeEEE!" She seemed so excited she didn't know what to do with herself. She had stars in her eyes as she waved goodbye. "Goodbye everyon-I mean, see you later!"

With that, she raced through the portal, and disappeared.

Ruto's excitement was surprisingly more reserved, and she turned to look at Impa.

"Keep an eye on my boy, will you? I expect to hear he's a full-fledged badass by the time I come back." She said.

"Promise." Impa said. Darunia howled with laughter.

"Bwa ha hah! Come then, sister Ruto, let us return to our homes! We shall see our new friends again, soon enough." He fired off a snappy salute. "To good health, and happiness to all. Now, into the breach! YOOOOOOO!"

His shout, mixed with Ruto's giggling, was the last thing they heard as the Goron and the Zora disappeared into the light.

Captain Dorias watched them go, and then turned back to the group that remained and nodded.

"Right. 'Bout time I headed off, hm?" He turned to Fi. "Come on then, miss Fi. Let's go home."

"Agreed, Captain Dorias. Goodbye friends. The memory of my time with you…I shall carry it with me to the end of time." The Sword-Being said. She shared what looked like a smile, and the turned to Midna and nodded. "Take care…Kitty."

The scandalized look on Midna's face was priceless, and they all thought they heard Fi laughing as she and Captain Dorias vanish into the void.

That left the Twilight Princess.

She looked at the portal, and then back at the group in front of her. She sighed.

"You know, the last time I was at a crossroads like this, it ended in a way I wish I could take back." She said. She turned to Lana. "Are you being serious? Can you manage the sorts of things like this, and not lead to a spacial collapse, or something like that?"

"Midna, I'm the Sorceress of Time." Lana said. "This is child's play, managing meetings of a few friends."

The Twilight Princess closed her eyes, and nodded.

"Good. That's….that's good." She turned to Link. "You keep a good eye on this princess, you hear me? And…you might not know what I'm talking about but…it was nice to see you again. Even if it was for a short while." She looked uncomfortable. "I'm…I'm sorry. I'm usually much more composed about this sort of thing."

"Midna, it's ok to be sad." Zelda said. "It's part of living."

Midna nodded.

"That makes me feel better." She said. "You have no idea how much, but it does." With that, she took a deep breath. "Alright, I guess this is it. Time to return to the Twilight." She stepped into the void. As she started to shine and fade away, she turned around and looked Ishaka and Impa, and then Link and Zelda in the face.

"By the way, call me when they've set a wedding date." She said.

"Huh?" Was the general reaction.

Midna's laughter was the last thing they heard as the portal closed.

…

It was quiet. They stood in the opening, looking through the field and seeing the sun beating down on the cracked and damaged country that they called home. Itami was the one to break the silence.

"So…is that it, then?" He asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's it." Zelda said.

"Not quite." Ishaka said.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"What could be left?" Impa asked.

"Where do we go from here?" He asked.

Oh, right. That.

There was an uncomfortable silence as the group pondered the Ravager captain's words. It was not helped by the arrival of the new Bulblin king Balrok.

"Friends, I have a request to make." Balrok said. "My people need a good place to live, as it seems the land that we once stayed in will take years to properly recover. I was hoping…I was hoping we could be allowed to stay in the outlands, on the western edge of Hyrule. If that isn't too much to ask?"

"Isn't that the land that we gave the Ravagers?" Lord Gawain, who'd held his tongue up to this point, said. Zelda nodded.

"Yeah…" She said. "Yeah, it was."

Balrok did not look mad or disappointed, simply sad.

"Oh. I understand. Well, I shall tell my people this. We will make do."

As he turned around to walk away, there was a voice.

"Balrok, wait."

Everyone turned to face Lana. She seemed a little awkward, but as she spoke it was clear that she'd thought about this for a long time.

"Ishaka…Itami…I've been thinking for a while. And, well, one of the things that Cia told me in the last time that we met was…how lonely it was as the Sorceress of Time. And I thought it over, and I realized: maybe…maybe if she'd had a friend, or two, or three, or hundreds if not thousands…" She smiled a little bit, as did the rest of them, as she gazed out to look at the Ravager troops that were mulling around in the fields around them. "Maybe things would have gone the other way for her." She took a deep breath. "What I'm asking is…would you be willing to take the Ravagers…and come to the Valley of the Seers and live there with me?"

There was a pause. Itami looked over to Ishaka.

"Your call, boss."

At this, Ishaka turned to look at him.

"No it ain't."

That threw everyone.

"Come again?" Impa asked. Ishaka sighed.

"Truth is, I been thinkin' a lot too. 'Bout th' future, 'bout th' Ravagers, 'bout lotta things." He said. "An' I realized summin': I know a lot 'bout war. 'Bout fightin'. 'Bout leadin' in a time of strife. But the thin' is…" He sighed. "I ain't as clever as I look. An' I ain't the guy ta lead 'em in a time o' peace. I don't know th' meanin' of that word. I figger…I figger if th' Ravagers are gonna settle down…they gotta 'ave some'un in charge tha' knows all 'bout that sorta thing." He paused. "Someone like you, Itami."

The look on Itami's face was priceless.

"What." He was so shocked he could not even emote. It was the first time that any of them had seen Itami completely and utterly at a loss for words.

"I mean it." Ishaka said. He unbuckled the wrist blades that Itami had given him before the fight, and handed them back to the flabbergasted Craol. "Yer th' man fer this job. I…I think mebbe it's time fer me ta settle down myself." He said. "I think I gotta life 'ere in Hyrule."

Finally, Itami found his voice.

"Ishaka, I don't…I…" He looked mortified. "I can't handle that responsibility."

"Can't yeh?" Ishaka asked. "Tell me, who was th' one tha' told me ta put t'gether an army?"

"M-me."

"Who was th' one tha' told me 'ow ta 'andle m'self durin' th' peace talks?"

"Me."

"Who was th' one thinkin' 'bout the future all this time?"

"Me."

"There yeh 'ave it." Ishaka said. "As far as I see, th' Ravagers need a leader that ain't jus' a fighter. They need a smart guy." He said. "Yer th' man. I give yeh my blessing, as my closest an' nearest friend." He looked a little choked up. "Yer my brother, Itami. Th' only one I've ever known or had. Will yeh do this for me?"

There was a pause. And then Itami cleared his throat.

"If anyone had ever told me that this was going to be thrust on me in the past, I would have refused." He said. "Laughed at them. Cursed them out of my sight, and then disappeared. But…I guess a lot has changed over the time I've spent with you all." He looked pointedly at Lana. "I'll do it. I may hate it, but I'll do it. For you."

"You'll make a good king, Itami." Zelda said with a smile. Itami frowned.

"Who says I'm a king?" He asked.

"This does." Ishaka said, tossing the Triforce of Power towards his former lieutenant.

There was a glowing, and then a glittering noise as the piece of might fused itself to the wrist of the Craol. He stared at the piece of divinity with a mix of awe and confusion. As the light faded, he looked at the scar tattoo on his left hand. And then he looked over at Ishaka and raised his eyebrow.

"There's gotta be an irony in me being a capable holder of this thing." He said.

"Yeah, who'd have thought an atheist would be holding the Triforce of Power?" Lana asked, teasingly. "Ganondorf must be rolling in his grave."

"Not an atheist, Lana. I'm a naytheist." Itami said. "I don't doubt their existence, I reject their divinit-oh, forget it." He sighed. "This'll be a hell of a burden."

"Who said you'd carry it alone?" Lana asked, grabbing his hand. There was a flash, and soon the same tattoo appeared on her hand. She turned to the rest of the group. "I think balancing out Power with more than one person might be a nice new thing to try." She said.

"Maybe." Zelda said. She smiled. "But I think it would be best to keep in constant touch between the three pieces of the Triforce, hmm?" She asked.

"Hey, doesn't this thing grant a wish?" Itami asked.

"Yes, it does." Zelda said, extending her hand forward. Link followed suit. "So let's cast it."

Lana put her hand forward, and Itami, unsure of what to do, followed suit.

The three pieces of the Triforce floated above their hands, and they watched as it fused into one glowing object. Zelda gazed into its golden façade, and spoke.

"Heal this land."

Like an umbrella shooting out across the sky, they watched as a wave of golden light flew across the land, repairing the war-torn Hyrule. Fields began to grow again. Water started running. The scars and craters of war faded away, replaced with what the world had looked like before. They watched it all change before them, and Itami found his voice.

"I…I think that maybe I've been a little harsh to them." He said quietly. Lana smiled.

"It's okay, Itami. I think they like your grumpiness. They're gonna get a lot of it."

"Good. They'd better get used to it." He said with a small smile. "I'm not changing for them." Lana heard this and smiled.

"Good. I wouldn't want you to change, either."

…

It was a week before the next and necessary step was taken. As the people were returned to their homes and the Gorons until High King Petra began to showcase their gift for construction by rebuilding homes and buildings, the Ravager army and the Bulblin riders stocked up for their trips back home. The Bulblins were the first ones to leave, thanking the Hyrulians for their hospitality, and wishing for a new age of peace and understanding between their people. And with that, the new High King Bulblin, Balrok the First, led his people towards the west, towards water and grass and new beginnings.

The Ravagers, understandably, dragged their feet a little bit more. For most of them, the thought of leaving was anathema. They simply couldn't understand that things were over, that there was no more fighting to be done, that there was no more war or bloodshed to fear. And, perhaps most of all, that Ishaka was not coming with them.

"Are you sure, boss?" Ryu had asked, as she strapped herself up into her horse, taking good care that everything was properly secured. "I mean, we'll all be loyal to Itami, it's just…it's just different that you're not coming."

"Yeah, I know, Ryu." Ishaka said. He looked up at her, standing right next to her horse. "But it's th' best thing, I think. Mebbe…mebbe this means th' Ravagers don't gotta Ravage no more, huh? Mebbe, mebbe y'all take a new name." He looked up at her and winked.

"Pfft. As if." She said. But then her expression softened. "Still, as far as things go, and as far as I'm concerned…you were always my leader." Ishaka smiled warmly, and reached up and patted her reassuringly on the thigh.

"An' I treasure that sorta bond, Ryu." But then he winked. "But Itami is your leader, now."

"What does that make you?" Ryu asked, quizzically. Ishaka seemed puzzled for a moment, but then he smiled again.

"I dunno. But now I've got a chance to find out."

…

Zelda and Link stood there, watching as the Ravager captain said his goodbyes to the men and women that he'd led for as long as any of them could remember. Out of respect to them all, the two had chosen to remain out of earshot, not wishing to intrude. When Ishaka made his way to Itami, the two rested their foreheads against each other as they spoke, what they said forever to be kept between the two of them. And then, a horn was blown. Slowly, the Ravagers started migrating out of the city, and towards the Valley of the Seers to the north.

"We'll see you soon!" Lana called out, holding onto Itami's back as they rode their horse through the crowd. Zelda, Link, Ishaka and Impa all waved goodbye. Ishaka took that moment to bellow at the top of his lungs.

"Be good, yeh old grouch!" He roared towards Itami.

The Craol turned over his shoulder and looked back towards his brother.

"And you stay out of trouble, you mangy git!" He shouted. Ishaka smiled, and then spoke quietly.

"When have I ever done otherwise?" He muttered quietly to himself. He sniffled once, and then walked away towards the royal courtyard's tree fields. Zelda and Link watched him go, and then turned to look at each other.

"Ready?" Zelda asked Link. He nodded, and they started walking towards the stables.

…

"I thought I'd find you out here somewhere."

He turned around to see that Sheikah woman walking towards him, her foot bandaged up in a splint, and a cane resting against her hip. He smiled.

"What can I say, Impa?" Ishaka said. "I guess I like these trees."

"I always have too." Impa said with a smile. "Of course, I've liked them a lot more ever since I met you." She closed the gap between the two of them, and then gently interlocked her fingers with his. She rested her hands at his hips, and stared him in the eyes. "Do you remember the first time we met?"

"In that ol' burned out village, right?" Ishaka asked, a smirk forming on his lips. "O'course. How could I forget?"

"You know, before all of this began, I seem to remember…I never got to ask you another riddle." Impa said. "I think we were tied up, weren't we?"

"Does it even matter?" Ishaka asked. He winked. "Or do you just wanna go another round?" He smiled. "O'course, we got all th' time in th' world, don't we?" Impa nodded.

"Yeah…that's true. But, that's one of the first things I liked about you." Impa said. "You might not think it of yourself, but you are one of the smartest men I've ever met."

"Aw, yeh flatt'r me, Impa." Ishaka said. He smiled. "Alright, alright. I'll hear yer riddle. But yeh gotta promise me summin'." He said. Impa raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And what's that?" She asked. Ishaka stared her straight in the eye as he spoke.

"Teach me how to read." He asked. Impa reached her hand up, and gently caressed his cheek.

"Of course." She said.

There was a pause. And then she started speaking.

"I grow and blossom. I die and wilt. I happen in the beginning. I happen in the end. I can make you cry. I can make you sad. I can make you smile. And I can make you brave." She looked him in the eye. "What am I?"

Ishaka snorted.

"That's easy. Love."

Their lips met, and then it was only them in the world.

…

They had been riding for two days now. It had been a much quicker ride than the last time they had made the trip. Perhaps it was because there was no one else with them. Perhaps it was because they knew where to go. But in the end, they reached their destination. The clattering of their horses' hooves on the ancient stony ground. The guardians were silent, and did not challenge their entry.

They came to the clearing, and for a moment, they were silent. They stared at the pedestal in front of them, watching the black smoke gently wafting out from the opening at the top. They could feel a small evil from the darkness, but knew that if acted upon now it could be contained. It could be prevented. It could be ended.

They walked together, hand in hand, and there was a singing noise as the blade left his sheath, for the last time. They ascended the steps to the opening, and for a moment, they took the time to gaze into the abyss that had been created. And then, she spoke.

"This is it. Let us be rid of this, once and for all."

He turned to look at her, and for a moment, his conviction faded.

"What if this isn't enough? What if, in the future, evil returns? There will always be evil in the world." He said.

She turned to look at him, and her smile warmed him down to the core of his bones.

"Then we will be there to meet it." She paused. "But those will challenges and stories for another day." She took him by the hand. "Are you ready?"

He nodded.

"Be not afraid." She said.

He thrust downwards.

There was a brilliant flash. There was a faint hissing noise as the evil that had been exposed from the pedestal began to fade away, and then a shining as the blade sealed itself back into its ancient resting place. The light faded, and the Master Sword once again rested in its ancient, temporal home.

They stared there, for a moment, watching the last fruits of their labor. And then, hand in hand, they slowly turned around and started to walk away. They headed towards their horses.

Towards their friends.

Towards their families.

Towards home.

Somewhere, a bird started to sing.

And all was well.

THE END

A/N: …It's over. After almost a year of loving care and work, the story of And So We Fight comes to its conclusion. I have had a blast writing this thing, watching it grow from a silly little idea into a sprawling epic that was longer than anything I've written on this website or elsewhere. It was a labor of love, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Some future notes…

First, all writers, good or bad, need another pair of eyes to look at their work. And I am no different. I will be letting the tireless 017Bluefield take a look at this story as a post-script editor. There will be a few things tweaked here and there as he cleans up continuity errors here, polishes poor or confusing grammar there, and ultimately hopes to help tighten up the story and make it better. I'm proud of it, but I'd be foolish to think that it does not need help. So don't be surprised if, on subsequent re-reads, there is something there that wasn't there before or something that was there that is now gone. Such is the nature of editing, my friends.

As for the fate of Ishaka and the others?

I might be taking a brief break from writing another massive epic with these guys in order to "rescue" one of my first works (The "The Fight Club" series) from a seemingly-dead story that I will have to treat as non-canon, but this is not the last time we've heard from the universe of ASWF. I have plenty of big ideas, and there were several aside references that I loaded through the story that were put therefor the express reason of stimulating my creativity for future stories. So if you enjoyed this journey, you are in luck: this is not the last time you will hear from Ishaka and the gang. I promise it.

Alright…well, I guess that's about it. Thanks again for sticking with me on this wonderful and insane journey, and I hope this story has encouraged you to stick with me for future installments and/or my other works. At the end of the day, we aren't profiting from these stories; we're doing it for the art and for the fans. In this case, that's you. See you around the bend.

Thank you everyone. I love you.

The Fighting Irishman