Light poured from the portrait's canvas, filling the room. As it faded, it revealed Zelda to be standing in front of the wall where she had once been trapped. She looked up to Link, then smiled warmly. Finally it seemed like things were going to be okay. He took a step towards her before she gasped, seeing Hilda standing up. Now that the two were in the same room, Link could see their similarities easier. But he didn't have time to compare them as Lorule's Princess was standing, using her staff as a cane.

She bent over slightly, breathing hard as the efforts of the battle had worn on her. "What more can I do?"

"So it was you who had me imprisoned in that painting, Princess Hilda?" Zelda questioned firmly, yet she stayed behind her hero as she was still slightly afraid of her counterpart.

"Obviously," Hilda grumbled, looking up at them with a glare.

Link's grip found its way to his sword's hilt, ready to protect his princess. Behind him, she deflated slightly. "Please, Princess Hilda. No one understands the sacred duty a princess has to her people more than I, but you can't-"

"You understand nothing!" Hilda growled, grimacing as tears of frustration welled up in her eyes. The other princess flinched back with a nervous gasp. "Your kingdom has been under the protection of your Triforce..."

"But that's..." The blond girl couldn't come up with another word.

"This isn't over!" Hilda cried, weakly starting towards them. "I must have it!"

Link raised his shield and sword as she slowly advanced on them, ready to protect his princess from her. Yet at the shape the other was in, it hardly seemed fair.

But before anything else could happen, a loud and familiar voice shouted out to them. "Please, this has to stop!" They looked up in surprise, only to flinch back. Ravio, having jumped from the window, stumbled and fell onto his face as he landed. The giant bag of rupees he had slung over his shoulder spilled a few of the gems onto the ground. He sat up nervously, glancing between them, before getting to his feet.

Link watched his partner in shock, seeing him raise his free arm to defend Hilda. "R-Ravio?" he whispered. "What are you...?"

The merchant grimaced slightly under his hood, hearing his pulse in his ears. He could feel everyone's gaze on him. There was a pause as Zelda started to inquire his name, and he took a deep breath. It was now or never, and he needed them to be quiet, especially Link. He reached up and pushed his hood back, forcing a small smile on his face.

He looked just like the hero, but his eyes were green, and his hair was such a dark shade of purple it nearly appeared to be black. He gave his apparent look alike a small smile before turning his attention to Zelda.

"Who... are you?" she whispered, but the sound barely hit his ears.

"Well," he started. "Funny story there... Your hero and I have gotten to know each other pretty well." He glanced to Link as he paused. "But not long ago, I served Princess Hilda here in Lorule." He bit his lip, seeing the look of realization and sadness pass over the hero's expression, then turned his gaze back to the other.

"So, begging your pardon, Princess Zelda," he grinned a little more to her, clearly anxious. "But would you mind if I were to intervene here?"

She shook her head softly, stunned that she wasn't the only one with a counterpart. He nodded to her, his gaze flicking to Link again as the sword lowered, before turning around to his own princess.

"Your Royal Highness..." He looked to her, and he seemed almost solemn, as if he were guilty.

She stared at him incredulously, her hand curling around the scepter. "You vanish on me and now come crawling back?" She took a shaky breath. "Why?"

The merchant lowered his bag to the ground, and Sheerow flit down to hover beside him, having been waiting. He lowered down to one knee, draping his arm across it. "F-forgive me, Your Highness," he said softly through a cringe, looking up at her. "I'm a coward at heart. There was no way I had the courage to stand up to you and Yuga. But I was smart enough to go to Hyrule. I knew they'd have a hero who could help me." He lowered his head slightly, the shocked and hurt expression mirroring what he thought Link's would be behind him.

Hilda stared down at him for a moment, her chest constricting at his words. Her hand curled around her staff before slamming it into the ground. "Another betrayal?" she asked, gritting her teeth as she fought back tears. "This hero has proven useful to me, but you... you wanted him to defeat me?"

Ravio flinched back at how his words must of sounded. "I-I'm sorry, my princess." He sighed softly. "It was with the best of intentions. I wish the best for our kingdom, but by ruining Hyrule?" He looked up at her, his hand curling slightly into his robe. "You'd bring out the absolute worst in Lorule."

"You'd rather see Lorule crumble?" the princess accused, but she wasn't able to look up at him.

"N-no, no, Princess," Ravio stuttered. "Of course not. But there must be some other way." He paused as he watched her bow her head, seeing the tears she had been holding in finally freeing themselves. His brow furrowed as he glanced to the ground. "Don't you realize...? The reason your noble ancestors destroyed our Triforce... was to stop such chaos!" He practically shouted the words to her, his gaze firm as he watched her, searching for a sign she understood him.

"Th-that's not what I..." She couldn't look at him as she held her hand to her chest.

"Look around you," he murmured softly, his hand gripping his robe tighter. "This is exactly what happened with our Triforce!"

She slowly raised her hand up to her face, panic clear in her expression. "Oh no..."

"Princess Hilda, I..." He glanced down, not able to take the sight of her devastation. "I just..." He took a deep breath before looking to her again, a small, nervous smile on his face. "I just wanted to save you from all of this. You, who've worried endlessly about the fate of Lorule. Please, Princess Hilda, let's do the right thing." His smile turned hopeful as he watched her. "Lorule may be doomed, but at least our kingdom won't be condemned for stealing their Triforce."

She bowed her head further, taking in the words he had just said. She took a deep breath and looked up finally, glancing to him, then the others behind him. "You're right." Ravio let out a relieved sigh, visibly sinking into himself. She looked to her counterpart across the room before continuing again. "Princess Zelda, I have been led astray, tempted by the power of your Triforce. But I swear," she closed her eyes with a soft sigh. "I did it for my people."

"Please, Princess Hilda, there is no need to-" Zelda was cut off by her words.

"No, please, let me finish. You are so fortunate to have a hero like Link." Hilda looked to her, tears still trailing down her face. "What courage he has displayed! That alone proves Hyrule deserves its Triforce."

Ravio nervously turned around, fearing the expression on his friend's face... to see he was smiling to him. He returned the smile hesitantly, only to have it fade with his princess' next words.

"Now, I will ensure you leave this dark kingdom of mine safely... and with your rightful Triforce." She turned towards the door, the bricks having slowly disappeared through the conversation. "Please, follow me. I know of a way you can go home."

They nodded softly, and she started for the door. Ravio stood and followed after her closely, looking over his shoulder at the two. From the sounds of it, he wasn't sure if he'd see the other soon afterwards or not.

The Princess of Lorule led them through her castle, showing a path to a long stretch of land behind the castle. A large, grey stone slab was visible at the end of it with a golden glow emanating off of it, and the state of Lorule was clearly visible from their vantage point. The deep chasms that had ripped the land apart spread throughout the entirety of it, and it was clear that the trees were beginning to wilt.

Ravio glanced around, the area bringing memories back of the night he fled. He shook his head softly, then looked to his princess. "Princess Hilda, if I may..." She looked to him, giving him the go ahead to speak. "Before you send them back, I would like to... speak with the hero of Hyrule."

She watched him for a moment, then nodded softly. "You may," she murmured.

"Thank you, Your Highness," he said gratefully, bowing to her. Then, not wanting to wait any longer, he turned around and walked the other way past them, waving for Link to follow. They stood behind the wall of the castle where they were out of sight but close, and Ravio seemed to relax slightly as he knew they wouldn't be overheard.

"So you're not a merchant?" Link asked softly, making the other cringe.

"No, not really." Ravio looked up at him, then sighed softly as he returned the smile, relaxing as he saw he wasn't mad. His entire serious demeanor from when he had spoke with his princess seemed to vanish entirely. "Listen, Mr.-" he stopped himself. "L-Link... I'm sorry for having... Lied. About who I am, what I do and... my entire connection to this place. If the princess found out I was with you the whole time-"

Link pressed a finger over the other's lips, shushing him. "It's okay, Ravio," he whispered. "It all worked out, right?" He frowned as he felt the other's lips tremble.

"We still don't have a Triforce, Mr. Hero," Ravio whispered in return. "Her Highness might... do something brash again." He shook his head softly.

The blond listened to his words, then with a gentle sigh he hugged him. "Shh. It'll be okay, Ravio." He pulled back to grin at him. "Besides... I'm here now. I have to say I wasn't expecting to see my own counterpart here in Lorule... I wasn't ready it, but I'm not opposed," he laughed softly, then before the other could answer him, he leaned in and kissed him again.

He wasn't expecting the other to return it nearly as feverishly as he did. Ravio flung his arms up around the other's shoulders as he deepened the kiss immediately, causing a blush to spread across his face. The hero awkwardly returned it, and held onto the other in an attempt to steady himself. He was hyper aware of the others waiting for them, and he broke the kiss with a gasp.

"Ravio..." He whispered the other's name, their lips still barely brushing against each other. "What's wr-"

"I love you, Link."

His eyes widened at the words, and he looked to him. The merchant had his eyes squeezed shut, and a massive blush traveled across his face. He hesitantly peeked up at him, shaking horribly as his eyes watered. "I-I love you, and I have for a long time," he whimpered.

Link pulled him close, an arm wrapping around his back as his hand tangled in the other's dark hair. He nuzzled into the scarf with a soft sigh. "I... love you too, Ravio."

"I'm glad," came the whisper. The two held each other closely, neither wanting to let go. But Ravio eventually let out a soft sigh. He pulled back to lean his forehead against the other's, keeping his eyes shut. "I don't know when we'll see each other again," he murmured.

"Why not?"

He took a deep breath, feeling the other's hands curl against him. "H-Hilda's kind of... strict. A-and I probably won't be able to go to Hyrule..."

"You're not leaving me," Link whispered.

Ravio let a small smile onto his face, yet an edge of sadness was there. "No."

hr

Hilda watched the two come back, seeming nearly displeased with how long they took, but didn't say a word. As they made their way over, she led them further down the path. The giant slate stood at the very end of the path, and everything around it was starting to deteriorate. The stone was very tall, and a bright, golden crack split through it. Writing covered it from top to bottom, but the majority of it was unreadable, as the edges had been weathered over time. A black, upside down version of the Triforce was etched into the slate at the very top, and the crack seemed to stem from the point.

"Welcome to Lorule's Sacred Realm," Hilda said softly to them, staring up at the slate. She walked up to it, sighing. "Yuga discovered there was a strange crack in this grim slate... Through it, we could sense there was another world beyond ours." She turned to them. "A place where the Triforce still existed.

"He and I devised the scheme that imperiled your kingdom. But I alone will make this right." She sighed softly, then walked over to the hero. "Please now, if you will give me your bracelet, Link." She held her hands out to him.

He glanced over to Ravio, who had been the original owner of the band. Yet at the shrug, he slid the item off and passed it to her. It didn't feel right, and the cold air stuck on his arm where it had been.

The princess walked back over to the crack in the stone, putting it on. "I should be able to use the last of its power to send the both of you back to Hyrule."

"Last...?" Link whispered, watching as she held the item to her chest. A gentle wind started to pick up around her as the bracelet glowed, but his vision was cut off by Ravio's form.

The merchant stepped in front of him, taking his hand tightly into his own. "I'm sorry, Link." The blond shook his head softly in disbelief, willing for it not to be the truth. "I guess it's not me leaving you, Mr. Hero... Instead it's you leaving me." He chuckled nervously. "But it's... certainly been a pleasure, my dearest friend," he whispered, holding onto him tighter. "I got to meet a real, live, genuine hero."

"You're more of a hero than you give yourself credit for, Ravs," Link murmured softly, feeling his chest tighten with his emotions as he squeezed the other's hands.

Ravio let out a sad laugh as he watched him, wanting to memorize the other's eyes before he had to go. He reached up to slip his scarf off, then gently wrapped it around the other. "Who knows? Maybe some of your courage rubbed off on me. So thank you, Link," he whispered the last part, leaning in to kiss him as the magic behind him grew stronger.

Link returned the kiss quickly, reaching out to hold onto the other's hand again, not wanting to let go. Yet despite his efforts, two bright orbs burst from where Hilda stood, and swirled around back to them. One hit Zelda, turning her into the painting she had been sealed in.

At hearing the sound of the magic, Ravio pulled back slowly, looking up to him. "I love you, Mr. Hero," he whispered softly, fixing the scarf around his friend's neck.

"N-no-" the blond was cut short as the magic hit him, turning him into his painting form as well. The two of them drifted into the air like pieces of paper, and floated towards the crack. Ravio hesitated, then spun around and dashed the few steps forward as he watched them go. The light from the crack glowed brightly before disappearing all together with their forms.

The magic faded from the bracelet, only to cause it to completely shatter on the princess' arm.

The sound hurt, and be cringed as he heard it. He looked to the crack and swallowed hard, and forced his threatening tears back with a small smile.

Be safe, wherever you go, Link.

hr

The ground was cold beneath Link as he was lying on the ground, halfway aware of his surroundings. A voice drifted through the ringing in his ears, and he focused on it.

"...you hear me?" His princess' voice finally registered. "Please, open your eyes, Link."

He stirred slightly, and became hyper aware of the stone beneath his cheek. He groaned and pushed himself up, catching slightly on the scarf around his neck. His hand flew up to it and his brow furrowed, not wanting to believe what had happened. He looked up to Zelda, who smiled with relief.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're alright!" she sighed, then her smile turned sympathetic for a moment at the lack of a response. She clasped her hands together and turned to the side, looking over. "And look, Link!" He turned his gaze over as well, seeing nothing but fog.

A gentle gust blew past them, pushing some of the fog away, revealing they were in Hyrule once again. The air was lighter and more fresh than that of Lorule's, and it had the one thing their world lacked. And that one thing sat straight in front of them.

"How wonderful," Zelda murmured. "We're back home!" She took a few steps forward, then paused as she glanced to him. "You know, I've never seen the Triforce whole... Let's go take a closer look!"

He finally forced a small smile at her, nodding. His hand curled into the scarf more, and he followed her up to the glowing Sacred Treasure. He paused a few steps away as she walked up to it.

"How terribly sad for Princess Hilda," she said softly to him. "To be driven to such desperation! Her kingdom was in such a sorry state." She glanced over her shoulder to her hero, hesitating as she saw his eyes trained on the ground. "She and I aren't as different as she thought," she continued, looking back to the Triforce awkwardly. "I really do understand why she needed our Triforce.

"Thanks to your heroic efforts, our Triforce and Hyrule itself have been made whole again." She turned to him, a soft smile on her face. "There is just one thing left to do, Link." He glanced up to her. "You restored the Triforce. Now, just reach out and touch it. Whatever your wish, it will be granted. Yet, after all that we've seen, do we not share the same wish?"

He smiled to her, though she could see the sadness laced over his expression. His mind was filled with thoughts of his look alike, though he knew that wasn't quite what she had in mind. He stepped forward as she stood beside him, and took a deep breath.

The two glanced at each other, then back to the golden light. He tried to envision the upside down version of their Triforce, returning to the spot in Lorule where it should be. He reached out on Zelda's nod, and they both pressed their hands to it.

A moment of silence passed as nothing happened... then a bright, golden light burst out of the triangles at them, forcing them back. They looked up to see the treasure float up into the air, a golden pulse coming off of it.

"...was that it?" Link whispered to the princess.

She nodded. There wasn't a way to really tell what had happened in the other kingdom. "We just... have to trust it," she said softly.

AN: FFFFFFF- I'M SORRY IF I GAVE ANYONE FEELS.
...In actuality not really. o u o Enjoy it. ENJOOOY IIIIT -SHOT-

X'D I'm admittedly slightly intimidated about the rest of the story... The "game" is over, so the rest of it... Is head canon. TT u TT;; I hope I don't ruin it for anyone!

BUT AS ALWAYS! Thank you for the reviews, and I have an important announcement! I have a group who would be willing to read this story aloud and post on youtube... Would anyone be interested~?