A/N: The idea for this fic arose from the fact that though I ship HW!Link with Cia, I hate the idea of leaving Zelda alone... but then I remembered another ship that, despite not being very common, I had thought was absolutely beautiful. This fic will switch back and forth between the two pairings. I hope you like it!

(Breaking up Link X Zelda even in HW was immensely painful, just so you know. It's like The Yamaxanadu all over again. T_T)

It was the day the Battle of the Shining Beacon ended and the timelines were reunited. The dark sorceress Cia had all but destroyed what little of her soul she had left desperately trying to defeat Link and his allies, and now she lay dying, surrounded by her former foes, who looked on in sadness.

"Lana... We know how this ends. We both know he can't choose you," said Cia.

"I know... That's why I'm doing this." Lana opened her Sorceress Tome to the very last page, and began chanting a spell as her body started to glow.

Cia gasped. "No. Don't! You have a life to lead, uncorrupted! Not like me..."

"And now we will live the life we should have lived." Lana's body was becoming too bright to look at. "Link... I'll see you soon," she said with a soft smile on her face.

And with that, Lana was no more, dissolved into blue light that flowed into Cia's chest. Cia slowly opened her eyes, and as Link looked at her, he no longer saw Ganon staring out of them, but rather the kindhearted girl he had come to know and care about throughout the terrible conflict.

"...She always was my better half," said the once-again complete Cia.

Link turned to look at Zelda, and found her staring back at him, as if she knew what he would say.

"Zelda... I want you to know that I have always cared deeply for you, as a soldier to his princess, and as a friend to his most trusted partner," he told Zelda, a look of... regret? in his eyes. "But after all of this war, Cia has gone through so much pain. I can't bear to abandon her or Lana..."

Zelda put a finger to Link's lips, silencing him. "I understand," she said softly, in a voice devoid of anger. "It would be cruel of me to keep you from where your heart lies. A love marred by regret is only painful for all. And even if we can't be together, I will always remember you dearly." The two embraced each other once more before Zelda left.

Link reached down to Cia, and she hesitantly took his hand as he helped her to her feet. She stood holding Link's hand, speechless, partially because her several-timelines-long dream was finally coming true, and partially due to simply being lost in the simple, gentle touch that she was receiving from her hero after so long. When she finally did think of something to say, it wasn't what she would have expected.

"...I'm sorry, Link." Perhaps that was Lana talking? "And thank you for saving me."

"I'm the one who should apologize," said Link. "This may never have happened if I hadn't..."

"All you saw was me trying to take over Hyrule. And I'm glad you stopped me, otherwise I may have destroyed you too... and that would have been the opposite of my goal."

There was a short silence before Link said, "So, where will we go from here?"

"How about we start living the life we should have lived?" Cia's characteristic smile spread across her face.

"Then we will do just that."

Cia embraced Link, bringing her lips to his. And in that moment, Cia was the happiest being in all the timelines of Hyrule.