As the morning light filtered through the windows, Princess Zelda paced back and forth, hands twisting with anxiety. Impa leaned against the wall, staring at the floor in contemplation. They had a heavy dilemma weighing on their minds.

"There is no denying the heroes have fully recovered." Impa said quietly. She cast a glance at Zelda's balcony window. Outside in the training yard, the heroes were sparring against each other, each displaying their remarkable and unique athletic abilities. "We spent a great deal of time waiting for that alone. Is waiting longer even an option at this point?"

"I know." Zelda's voice was a bit strained. The war was beginning to take a toll on the princess. Zelda was always one to err on the side of caution, and having to make decisions that could cost lives weren't easy to her. "But if we waited just a bit longer, perhaps the reinforcements will arrive. If we head out to battle Cia and Ganondorf also chooses that moment to attack, I'm not sure we will be able to fend him off again, especially now that he's had the time to gather an army."

"What about the Fierce Deity?" Impa watched through the window as Young Link flipped over Twi's head to whack his exposed back with his wooden practice sword. "He was able to stand against Ganondorf before. At the very least, he'll be able to hold Ganondorf off while we deal with Cia. You're letting your fears get the better of you, Princess. You need to be rational about this."

"I'm not…" Zelda began to protest, but her voice trailed off with a sigh. "You're right. We can't afford to delay any longer."

Impa chuckled as the heroes' sparring match rapidly devolved into a dogpile of flailing limbs. "And you're sure Lana is up for the battle against Cia? I'd hate to leave her behind, but we can't bring her along if she's going to be a liability."

"Lana will be fine. I've spoken to her, and she's determined to see this through to the end." Zelda sighed. "Poor girl. We'll essentially be killing what used to make her whole." She followed Impa's gaze and allowed herself a smile. "Look at them. You'd hardly believe they carry the hopes of several worlds on their shoulders… Or that they're from different worlds to begin with."

Impa, noting Zelda's melancholy tone of voice, cleared her throat. "Well, now that we've settled this, I was planning on doing some training. I can't afford to be stiff for the next battle. Perhaps you'd care to join me? Some fresh air will do you good."

"The air in the castle is hardly what I'd describe as stale, Impa." Zelda rolled her eyes good naturedly. "But… yes, I think you're right." She briskly gathered her long golden hair together and braided it, and Impa helped her don her armor. She wished she didn't have to go through the cumbersome process of putting it on when they would only be using harmless practice weapons, but the added weight was good for improving muscle strength.

Outside, the soldiers who were training bowed respectfully as Zelda and Impa approached. The heroes, broken practice swords strewn about nearby, were too engaged in their brawl to notice the pair.

"So unrefined, don't you agree, Princess?"

Zelda turned to see Ghirahim lounging on the grass, arms folded behind his head and wearing a bored expression. Zelda never really knew how to talk to the strange sword spirit. He was so polite, yet somehow rude and condescending at the same time. She had never dealt with anyone like him before. She smiled a social smile and shrugged. "Perhaps, but at least they're getting exercise."

Ghirahim smirked. "Ah, yes. I forgot that if you humans lounge about, your bodies become soft and weak. How inconvenient for you."

"And what about you? You feel no need to train?" Impa snapped irritably.

"Whatever for?" Ghirahim looked amused. "I'm perfect as it is, there's nothing to improve."

Impa was about to reprimand him when Zelda cut her off. "That's very true. I didn't get to see much of it, but your magic and swordplay are stunning. You've mastered the art." Ghirahim looked surprised at the compliment. "I wish I myself were half as talented as you are. Perhaps you'd be willing to spar with me so I could learn from you?"

Ghirahim stared at her for a second before bursting out laughing. "My lady, do you always use such flattery to get your way?"

"Nonsense. I have many negotiation tactics, this is just one of them." She smiled, and this time it was genuine. "Did it work?"

"Oh, very well." Ghirahim stood. "I was so bored I was about to drop dead anyway. I suppose this will service as a way to pass the time."

Impa tossed the two some practice swords, which Ghirahim examined with mild distaste, but he didn't complain. As they readied themselves, a small crowd of onlookers began to form. Impa was about to reprimand them for spectating instead of training, but she realized she was doing the exact same thing and decided to let it slide.

Ghirahim, enjoying the audience, smirked and beckoned for the princess to attack him. She lunged forward with surprising speed, but he managed to block the blow and launched a flurry of attacks, all of which she parried. He was quite surprised to realize that they were actually pretty equal in both speed and strength. Part of him was annoyed, but at the same time, it was a refreshing change from dealing with the incarnation of Hylia from his world. While that girl had been admittedly resourceful and quick on her feet, when it came to combat she had been next to useless.

As Ghirahim and Zelda wowed their onlookers with increasingly quick and complex swordplay, the heroes finally collapsed, exhausted from their match.

"I definitely won that fight." Link said, voice muffled due to him lying face down in the grass. Proxi plopped onto his shoulder, bemused.

"I'm pretty sure nobody won. I'd barely even call that sparring." She snorted.

"I'd disagree." Sky had also collapsed in the soft grass, but on his back instead. "With my tendency to lose my sword, hand to hand combat is an essential skill to know."

"Hand to hand?" Twi groaned. "You kicked me in the shins!"

"No he didn't, that was me." Link raised his head, sneezing from the grass tickling his nose. "Sorry, it's a habit of mine. It's not as bad as Young Link deciding that tripping me was a legitimate strategy."

"It was self-defense!" Young Link caught sight of the nearby crowd. "Hey, is something going on over- Oh, wow! Ghirahim and Zelda are fighting!"

"You serious?" Twi followed Young Link's gaze. "Wow. They're fast."

Link sucked in air. "KICK HIS ASS, PRINCESS!"

"YOU CAN DO IT, GHIRAHIM!" Young Link yelled at the exact same moment. Link turned and glared at him.

"Come on, seriously?"

"You're just mad because he totally beat you in the Sealed Grounds."

"…Okay, yeah, you got me, but to be fair, who wouldn't be? My legs were so sore after all of that sprinting uphill! Besides, I had the upper hand when we fought. He only won because he tricked me."

"Oh yeah?" Proxi giggled.

"Yeah. My insults were much cleverer, too. Remember how mad he got when I told him his pants didn't count as armor?"

"I think he was just upset that you kicked him in the shin, actually."

"Some things never change, it seems." Sky laughed. "Well, Ghirahim may have changed a bit..."

Link cocked his head to the side. "You two have a history or something?"

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine!" Proxi added hastily. Link was getting better at talking to people, but he was still so tactless sometimes!

Sky waved his hand. "No, I don't mind. Ghirahim and I were enemies for quite some time back in my world. I used the Triforce to destroy his master and nearly ended his life in our final battle."

Link whistled. "Wow. It must have been really awkward travelling together, then."

"It wasn't a picnic for the rest of us either." Twi grumbled. "I'm glad he stopped trying to kill you with his glare. That was getting old fast."

"And now we're all best friends!" Young Link said happily.

Sky grimaced at that. "That might be a slight exaggeration. I'm pretty sure he still wants me dead."

Young Link looked a bit deflated at that, but fortunately, the sight of Lana approaching distracted him, and he immediately perked up again, waving cheerfully at her.

"Hey, you guys!" She sang before catching sight of Ghirahim and Zelda's match. Her eyes widened. "Wow, they're really good! How long have they been fighting?"

"We wouldn't know. We only saw them after we finished sparring." Twi said as he began gathering the broken practice swords strewn around them. Sky immediately hopped to his feet to help.

Lana looked disappointed. "You were sparring?! Oh man, I wish I had gotten here earlier so I could have seen that! It must have been amazing!"

"I think that'd be the last word I'd use to describe it." Proxi bobbed in amusement. "Don't worry, you didn't miss a thing. Are you here to train, Lana?"

Lana grimaced and shrugged. "Midna and I were going to practice our magic, but either I'm early or she's late." Her sentence ended with a little gasp as Ghirahim and Zelda's practice swords loudly snapped into pieces underneath the pressure. Ghirahim irritably glared at the broken hilt in his hand, but Zelda just let out a breathy laugh, hands on her knees.

"I suppose we'll call it a draw, then?" She asked.

Ghirahim sighed loudly. "Oh, very well. I insist we have a rematch some other day, though."

Lana and the heroes pushed their way through the dispersing crowd. "You guys were awesome!" Proxi sang, circling them. "We'll win this war for sure!"

Ghirahim was annoyed at the fairy's optimism. Had she forgotten that he had been swept aside by Ganondorf almost effortlessly? If he and Zelda were equally matched, then Ganondorf would be able to defeat her just as easily. He was about to voice his irritation when he noticed Zelda's serious expression and decided that maybe now wasn't the best time for a quarrel.

"I have something important to tell you all." She met everyone's eyes, but her gaze lingered on Lana. "I will make a formal announcement about this later today, but I thought you should know that we are going make for the Valley of Seers as soon as we can ready the army."

"I thought we were waiting for reinforcements?" Sky looked concerned. Zelda mirrored his expression, but shook her head.

"We're out of time, unfortunately. We must make our move before Ganondorf does."

"A risk, then." Ghirahim mused. "Nevertheless, I agree that this is the right choice to make."

Zelda glanced about, measuring everyone's expression. When nobody seemed vehemently against the news, she nodded and politely excused herself. As she and Impa began their usual practice routine, they all exchanged glances filled with varying degrees of worry. Twi nudged Ghirahim and spoke in an undertone. "You've been in wars before, right? You think she's making the right call?"

"I wouldn't have voiced my approval if I thought otherwise." Ghirahim crossed his arms. "It may be messy and unpleasant, but that's war. Lives will likely be lost because of this decision, but many more would die if Ganondorf managed to get his hands on the Triforce of Power. Besides, don't forget we have Zant as a backup as well." Twi grimaced at that, but he didn't argue.

"Hey, Lana." Lana looked startled as Link addressed her. She had been staring down at her feet, trying to not let her apprehension show on her face. "You'll be fine." Despite his usual tactlessness, Link wore a genuine smile, and Lana desperately tried not to blush. She quickly looked away.

"Aw, Link! That was very nice of you to say!" Proxi happily praised him. "The delivery could use some work, but hey, it's the thought that counts!"

Lana felt her cheeks begin to burn, but to her relief, she saw that Midna had finally arrived and was looking for her. "Midna's here, I'll see you guys later!" She spoke quickly over her shoulder, already running towards the Twili, wondering if she and Link had, perhaps, become friends after all.

.

.

.

The march to the Valley of Seers was a deeply unpleasant one. Midna, Lana, Ghirahim, and Young Link all had the power to teleport, (although the methods varied greatly, from Young Link's Farore's Wind to Midna's portals of twilight) but even working together they wouldn't be able to move a whole army, so there was no choice but to walk. The wind was blowing fiercely, kicking up a massive dust storm and making it hard to see. At one point, Zelda pulled out the Wind Waker and attempted to use it to calm the storm, but the baton had apparently still refused to accept her as its master and did nothing at all to aid them. Young Link managed to quell the wind by playing the Song of Storms on his ocarina, but the song's power had a short duration, so he had to keep playing the tune over and over again to keep the sky clear. By the time the Valley of Seers was on the horizon, an entire day had passed and it was now dusk. Everyone was tired and fighting off the irritability that came with hearing the same song all day.

"Princess, I think it may be best for us to camp here for the night." Impa said, her voice somewhat hoarse from yelling out orders since dawn. Zelda, who had been eyeing the Wind Waker with mingled frustration and disappointment, nodded quickly.

"I agree." She said dryly. "I doubt I'm a match for anyone right now, let alone Cia. You don't think we'll be spotted?"

Impa glanced about, taking in their surroundings in relation to Cia's refuge. "We're behind a hill, so I believe we should be safe. We can't light any fires, though." Zelda nodded again, and Impa relayed the orders to the soldiers. There was a bit of grumbling at the fact that campfires weren't an option, but it was warm enough that it wouldn't be a serious issue as long as they managed to make camp before nightfall when it would be too dark to see without its aid.

As Impa informed everyone that they wouldn't be fighting Cia until dawn, Ghirahim rolled his eyes. Of course, let's all take a nap, shall we? It's not as though we have anything important to do. The sword spirit had been in a bad mood since this morning when he realized that there was no way for the army to be teleported to the Valley of Seers and that they would all have to walk. It would have been bearable if he could have just teleported there on his own and waited for the humans to slowly inch their way to him as he rested comfortably, but the sky child had poked a hole in this plan almost instantly.

"I hate to be the one to say this, but… Suppose you were spotted when you teleported to the Valley of Seers." The sky child had looked him straight in the eye, something he rarely did. Ghirahim had found himself almost unnerved. "You have no way of knowing ahead of time if the area you choose to appear in will be patrolled by Cia's soldiers. If you were caught, our element of surprise would be entirely forfeit." Ghirahim had struggled for a response, stumped by the fact that the sky child was actually right. Flustered, he had made a dismissive noise in the back of his throat and stormed off, refusing to admit out loud that his idea had been a very bad one.

Perhaps the little one is wearing off on me. He thought as he glowered at the bedroll he had been provided. This whole adventure was really teaching him the true value of a soft bed. Just as he was telling himself that there was no way he could fall asleep on something so uncomfortable, he drifted into unconsciousness.

It felt like only seconds later that Ghirahim was sharply jolted awake by the frantic yelling of the soldiers. Young Link, who had been curled up nearby, sat up looking angry and confused, but his expression quickly shifted to apprehension. "An ambush?!" He asked, wobbling to his feet.

Ghirahim tore open their tent flap and was greeted with pure chaos. It wasn't just any attack, it was Volga, who was setting half the camp on fire. Soldiers stumbled about, coughing from the smoke or clutching at burns. "Of course we were spotted!" Ghirahim snarled. "How stupid of us, they have a dragon on their side! Hiding behind a hill means nothing when the enemy patrols can fly!"

He and Young Link threw themselves out of the tent just as Volga lit it ablaze. Rolling to his feet, Young Link drew his bow, aiming an arrow at the fearsome dragon. Before he could let the arrow fly, a Dark Link leapt out of the billowing smoke and swung at the hero. Young Link yelped and jumped out of the way. The arrow landed harmlessly at his feet. Ghirahim gritted his teeth and summoned an array of daggers, hurling them at the Dark Link. The creature parried the attack easily. Young Link swung at it ferociously with the Gilded Sword, knocking its blade aside and enabling Ghirahim to plunge his weapon into its chest. As it dissipated into fog, the Dark Link simply stared at them with its soulless red eyes until its form had vanished entirely.

"That was creepy." Young Link stated matter-of-factly, not actually looking unnerved in the slightest.

"Little one, sometimes I worry about your mental state." His words were teasing, but Ghirahim's expression was tight as he eyed the wreckage that was the battlefield. Their army had been thrown entirely into disarray. The soldiers had no idea what to do, and the commanders were too busy fending off attacks from the powerful Dark Links to lead them. Ghirahim considered himself to be a cunning tactician, but in such a chaotic situation there was no way he could communicate properly. "I don't like it, but it seems the only way we're getting through this mess is if the two of us attempt to take care of the witch while her pawns are too busy focusing on the offensive to notice."

Young Link's eyes widened. "That sounds really dangerous."

"Indeed, there is a-"

"Awesome, let's go!"

Ghirahim scowled at the boy. "How have you survived this long with such bad decision making skills? No, never mind, we're wasting time. Come, we're going this way!"

Young Link followed, skillfully keeping up with Ghirahim. "I thought I was your master. Why do you get to pick which way we go?"

"Because I'm the leader. Did you forget?"

"Oh yeah…"

As they rounded a corner, they were startled to see Link, Sky and Twi in his wolf form, who had apparently had the same idea. Ghirahim, barely suppressing his fury, increased his pace to catch up with them. "And what exactly do you three think you're doing?! This isn't a covert mission if we all do the SAME THING!"

"How were we supposed to know that you thought of the same plan as us?!" Proxi protested. "There wasn't exactly time for a team meeting, you know!"

"Calm down!" Sky called back to them. Ghirahim noted with distracted irritation that the sky child ran faster than he did. "Reinforcements had just arrived when we left. Currently the enemy is being trampled to death by a giant spider, so there's a good chance that if we hurry, they won't even notice we're gone!"

Ghirahim was shocked. "They made it after all? Well, the princess is going to regret not leaving just a day later!"

"Guys! Wait! Wait up!"

They all glanced behind them to see Lana sprinting to catch up. She was out of breath, but she determinedly caught up with them. Ghirahim let out a steady stream of curses under his breath before giving up and resentfully shaking his head, accepting the fact that their attack was no longer a clever covert operation but rather a gang of overeager teenagers rushing headlong into danger. Aside from him, of course. And the little one wasn't technically a teenager. Or was he? He had forgotten how old the boy had theorized he was.

"Don't be such a grouch, Lana has the right to be here!" Proxi scolded. Ghirahim tried to shoot her a withering glare, but it failed due to her preemptively ducking into Link's hat to avoid it.

Twi's ears twitched and he skidded to a stop, barking urgently. The others stopped instinctively, and just in time as well, because the ruins that they had been about to run under violently exploded with magic, sending debris flying everywhere.

"What's the deal, Cia?! You can't have us if we're smeared into little green bits on the ground!" Link yowled.

"Gross." Twi, who had transformed back into a human, muttered under his breath.

Cia descended from the cloud of dust, looking positively deranged. "Your soul…" She rasped. "All I need is the hero's soul. Then it can be mine… forever…"

Link's face scrunched up in confusion. "Do we all have the same soul?" He muttered under his breath to Sky.

"Well, it would seem so. You all are reincarnations of me, after all."

"…So if she kills all of us, will there be multiple copies of the exact same soul, or will they fuse together to make one mega soul-"

"Link, this really isn't the time." Proxi's exasperated voice growled from the safety of Link's hat.

"Yeah, and it doesn't matter, because there's no way we're losing!" Young Link said confidently. The moment he said this, Volga landed with a mighty thud behind them, regaining his humanoid form and glowing with power. "Oh, come on…"

Volga rushed at them with his spear raised as Cia began launching a barrage of magic. Ghirahim blocked the dragon knight's attack, instantly noticing a change from their previous battle. Ghirahim grinned. "Well, well! I didn't know you were so weak that you needed a handout from the witch, Volga!"

"What?!" Volga snarled, furious. "You'd dare to call me weak, you traitor?!"

"Ugh, for the last time, I was a double agent, not a traitor. Those are very different things." Ghirahim teleported a small distance away, launching daggers. He struggled to keep his face from betraying the fact that Volga was currently much stronger than he was. The last thing he needed was for the dragon knight to gain a boost in confidence. "As for being weak, you clearly are if you can't even face me without the witch lending you her powers!"

Volga's face contorted. "Arrogant little jester, you think I NEED-"

"Jester?! JESTER?!" Ghirahim was outraged. "I WILL RIP YOU INTO SHREDS!" Forgetting his plan to trick Volga into rejecting the witch's magic entirely, he transformed into his true self and threw himself at his opponent.

"Sounds like that fight is going just swell." Link quipped as he dodged another magic blast.

"Will you act serious for once?!" Twi growled. "We're fighting for our lives, here!"

"Sorry, it's a coping mechanism for when I'm panicking."

Cia let out a cackle as she launched wave after wave of magic. Lana bit her lip hard. She knew it was futile to try and reason with her at this point, but it still hurt her heart to see herself so far gone. Shaking her head desperately to clear it, she blasted several magic cubes at Cia. Cia easily knocked them all away, but it gave Sky a chance to launch a skyward strike. The powerful beam of light hit Cia square in the chest, denting the little armor she wore and knocking the wind out of her. Everyone rushed forward, hoping that the battle was over, but Cia hastily summoned even more Dark Links, who slashed at her startled attackers. Sky flinched as several of the Dark Links ganged up on him in retaliation.

"Drop, sky child!"

Without thinking, Sky threw himself to the ground. Volga's body whooshed over his head, knocking over the Dark Links like bowling pins. The dragon knight groaned. Sky shot Ghirahim a grateful look and hurriedly finished off the Dark Links.

Cia, who had staggered to her feet, was still launching magic attacks, but they had weakened greatly, and her body movements were slow and unsteady. "Cia, you've lost!" Lana cried. "You don't even have enough magic left to teleport! Just give up, please!"

"No… I won't… I'll never…" She gasped raggedly. Suddenly, the magic glow that had surrounded Volga faded. The dragon knight crumpled to the ground, no longer able to survive the wounds inflicted on him without her power. "NO! No… I'm not alone. The hero is by my side. The hero is…"

"Cia, DON'T!"

Cia ignored her, attempting to summon another Dark Link, but her body was at its limit. She collapsed with a wail. Lana slowly approached her, looking distraught. The heroes hesitated, looking at each other with uncertain expressions. Ghirahim, exhausted from his fight, returned to his normal form, watching the scene unfold quietly.

Lana carefully cradled Cia's head in her arms. "How can you stand it?" Cia whispered, tears running down your face. "Knowing you'll never be the one… Knowing that she'll always be there… how can you smile while still knowing that, Lana?"

Lana flushed. Link could hear every word. Oh well, it wasn't as if it were a secret anymore. "It's hard. It's really hard, but that's just how it is. You don't always get the person you think you deserve. You can't force someone to love you." She smiled a watery smile.

"…Always the better half. I wish I could let go as easily as you." Cia groaned. "But I guess it isn't possible for someone like me to rest in peace."

"Um…" Young Link stepped forward, looking hesitant. He clutched his ocarina in his hands. "I can't stop you from dying, but… I have a song. It, well, it might help a bit, and… um…"

"I'd love to hear it." Cia's voice was barely a whisper.

Young Link brought the Ocarina of Time to his lips and began to play a sorrowful, but somehow still comforting song. Twi recognized it as one of the many songs that they had howled to each other in their wolf forms in the cold nights during his own journey. The Song of Healing, Young Link had called it.

Cia closed her eyes as she listened, and for the first time, her face smoothed into a relaxed expression, without any seductive facade or lines of anger. "It's beautiful… Thank you." As the last note sounded, her body disappeared into a mist, and the Triforce of Power dropped into Lana's hands. Lana stared at it, not bothering to wipe the tears off her face.

"Hey, Young Link?" She said, stumbling to her feet. "Thank you for that song. I think it really helped her." She rubbed her face with her sleeve. "H-here. You should have this. You don't have any pieces of the Triforce, right?"

Young Link shook his head. "No thanks, you keep it Lana. That piece belongs in this world, so I shouldn't be the one to have it. Besides, I have-" He let out a startled yelp. He had pulled out the Fierce Deity mask to demonstrate with, but he was now staring at it in shock, mouth agape. The mask had changed. The painted on hat was now a deep shade of crimson, and it seemed to resonate with even more power. "Um… I have no idea how this happened."

Ghirahim leaned over his shoulder, frowning. On closer inspection, the intricate markings on the hat, barely visible to the naked eye, seemed to resemble the pattern Cia had favored. "Perhaps it has something to do with the song you just played? I thought I felt a rush of power just then."

Young Link's brow furrowed. "Maybe? When I had to play this song for people who were about to pass away before, they lent me their last remaining physical strength to help me in my journey. It's why I have those transformation masks."

Ghirahim scowled. "That Skull Kid said the masks contained souls. Was he lying?"

"Well, they used to, but when I defeated Majora they found peace and just left their power behind. Sorry, Skull Kid likes messing with people." Young Link winced. "This one still has a soul in it, anyways."

Sky placed a hand on his chin. "But why would she place her power within the Fierce Deity mask instead of forming her own? And more importantly," he gave Young Link a concerned look, "will this make it even harder for you to control that mask?"

Ghirahim grimaced. "How about we not test that? Little one, just don't wear it and we'll have nothing to worry about."

"There you all are!" Zelda had finally found her way to them. She was pale and bore a mild burn on her cheek, but aside from that she seemed fine. "Is Cia…?"

"She's gone." Lana's voice was steadier than it had been before, but she still wasn't meeting anyone's eyes. "Princess, I have the Triforce of Power. Do you want it?"

"Keep it." Zelda said without hesitation. "I can't think of anyone more worthy or capable of keeping it safe than you."

"How did the battle go?" Proxi asked hesitantly. Zelda's face darkened.

"We won, thanks to Agitha and Ruto's superb timing, but we lost many good soldiers today in Volga's initial attack." She turned, beckoning for everyone to follow. "Come, we have to head home. The war isn't over yet."

.

AN: You've probably noticed that my upload speed has gotten significantly slower as of late. I'm really sorry about that, these last few months have been incredibly chaotic for me. Things finally slowed down this week, and I should be able to upload the last few chapters at a more reasonable rate.

Also, a small edit; I decided to add to the characters who are featured in the story in the description. Just wanted to let you all know!