A/N: Aaaaaannndd...we're back with another chapter! At last! A bit shorter than I expected, had planned to end it later, but then that would encroach too closely on the end events, but I hope you still enjoy!

XI

Lost In The Twilight

The final chords of the song drifted away from the golden harp to be carried on the wind. Link closed his eyes in content, taking a moment to enjoy the melody that he had committed to memory. It had taken him quite the journey to meet the great dragons and Levias, whom he was currently with, to be able to learn the Song of the Hero.

Levias rumbled beneath his feet, the mighty beast gliding through the sky with ease. "Now that you know the song, I trust you know what to do with it," said Levias. "That old song opens a door to a great trial. Should you succeed in conquering the challenge awaiting you there, I'm certain the path to the Triforce will be revealed to you."

Stashing away the harp, Link nodded firmly. It was still all that he could do, searching for the Triforce. Since Sine's parting in Skyloft, he had been unable to find any sign of her. He had even tried to use the enchanted stone again to find her, in case there was some echo that remained, but all he saw was his own location. There were already whispers of Sine on the surface, but nothing about a location, only that an ancient shadow had arisen.

"A report, Master," said Fi's familiar voice as she appeared. Her words pulled him from his troubled thoughts. "I have determined that there is a Trial Gate somewhere among these floating islands that can be opened by the Song of the Hero. I suggest you use your dowsing ability to locate it."

The young man readied his sword so that he may swiftly find the Trial Gate. However, his plans were delayed a moment more.

"There is something else, Master," continued Fi, floating back in front of him. "I was uncertain of it at first, but I have been able to analyze it in the past few moments. A rift has opened to an unknown realm, and the signature is the same as the Seals that had contained Sine. I calculate an eighty-six percent chance that Sine is either near that rift, or even within it. However, it opened recently and is unstable. I cannot estimate how long it will remain open. You may use your dowsing ability to find the rift's location on the surface. I still recommend that you find the Triforce first, but there is no telling when you may have a lead on Sine again. The choice is yours."

Link stared down at his blade. The choice between the two was in his hands. If the Triforce was the answer that he needed to help San, would he still be able to find and reach her after claiming it? Cursing himself under his breath, Link clenched his hands tightly in frustration. Either path felt like he would be making a mistake to some degree or another. Go find the Triforce? Lose his chance at finding San. Go find San? He would lose his chance at saving her.

Making his decision, he drew forth his sword and attuned himself to the rift's location.

He had the power to stop Sine before, he had to trust that he could still stop the ancient darkness before it got out of control. It had been San's request, after all, to stop Sine. Saving her with the Triforce, if that even was possible and had come to pass, would have only been a lucky side-effect. He would have to save her by putting an end to her imprisonment.

On the northern edge of Faron Woods, Link stared a dark mass. It was the rift, according to Fi. Flakes of darkness peeled away from the center, fading away in the dying light that bathed them both in a warm glow. Frowning, he stared at the faint designs that shone within the darkness. They were a pale orange and resembled the markings on Sine's skin.

"Master, if my readings are correct, then this rift should take you to another realm, not unlike the Trial Gates and the Silent Realm. This world will be left behind should you step through. If you are to continue, please proceed with caution for I cannot detect what lies beyond." When his companion vanished, Link drew forth his sword and shield. Travelling to an unknown realm that held a connection to the ancient shadows... Under any normal circumstances, he would not even have considered going in to such a place, but his current situation was hardly normal.

Steeling himself, Link strode towards the rift. The closer he got, the brighter the runes became. They glowed with a new vigour, a harsh aura radiating from them. That aura pushed back on Link, making it harder for him to get close. The rift would not allow him to enter. A yell of frustration escaped him. He was not going to be stopped, not then! Raising the Master Sword, he charged it for a Skyward Strike, then slashed down with all of his might at the rift.

A faint cry of torment reached his ears as the strike cut through the aura of darkness. That was the break he needed. Picking up his pace, Link charged for the rift. He could feel the thick aura closing in around him, trying to keep him back, but he broke through and passed into the rift.

Darkness met him and engulfed his entire being and senses. Not even the light from the Master Sword managed to survive in the consuming shadows. It was all so cold, sucking all of the heat from his body and chilling him to the bone. There was no up and there was no down—he had no idea where he was headed if he was indeed headed anywhere. His senses could tell him nothing.

Until everything came rushing back.

There was a glint of light. Blinking, Link looked up from the ground that he had landed face-first on. Like the darkness, the ground had an unworldly chill to it. There was no frost or snow, but it was cold. Rising, he studied his surroundings. It was not dark, nor was it light. The unknown realm was locked in a state of eternal twilight—gloomy yet serene.

The land that was not his own sucked the joy and light from his being. Shivering, Link felt himself losing his senses, losing his very essence. In the unknown realm, he could not remain as he was.

Master!

Fi's voice rang his head. Her words were an anchor that he grabbed onto. It pulled him from the chilling depths towards the surface. He broke through and took a deep breath as warmth flowed over him, protecting him from the harsh realm. In the dull lighting, the Master Sword glowed brightly in his hand, keeping him grounded and shielded.

Master Link, it would appear that this realm is not suitable for beings from your world. The power from the Master Sword should protect you and keep you safe. Do not let it leave your possession. As for the search for Sine, I still cannot detect its presence, but, Master, look. There are footprints before you.

Casting his gaze down from the sword, Link noticed the footprints that Fi had mentioned. They had been created by boots and around the same size as his own. Judging by how difficult it was for him to pass through the rift, and how hostile the land was to him when he first entered, no one else but Sine could have passed through. Steeling himself, and holding onto the Master Sword like it was a lifeline, Link started after the footprints, leaving his own beside them.

There was an eery beauty to the land as he trekked on through. The hazy light bathed everything in a faint glow, giving the world a false sense of warmth. Perhaps others could learn to love the place, but it was not for him—being bathed in the warm rays from the sun was where he wanted to be. The most unsettling part of the realm, though, was not its lack of warmth, or eternal twilight, but rather the void of any noticeable creatures.

Trees existed in the dark realm, as did various plant life—which barely seemed alive themselves—but there was no sign, visual or otherwise, of any creatures. Nothing on the ground. Nothing in the sky. The realm was empty.

Until one other being was finally in sight.

Up a slight hill was a lone tree, and beneath that lone tree sat a figure clad in dark clothing: Sine.

Before he even reached her, Link fumed with anger; not even Ghirahim made him feel so infuriated. Though now that she was in his sight again, within his reach, what was he to do? Perhaps he had chased after the ancient darkness too hastily after all.

Gripping his sword tightly, Link started up the grassy hill. Even if the hope of a victory was slim, there was no turning back.

A voice chilled Link up his spine: "You really don't know when to quit." Still seated against the tree, Sine let out a cold laugh as she rested her forearm on her head, glancing up to the cloudy sky. The young man froze, but it was from no spell of hers. Sine simply continued to sit there, beneath the dark tree that swayed in the breeze, paying him largely no heed. "To be honest, I'm surprised that you actually made it here. This realm really isn't friendly for the likes of you. The darkness would begin to change you if you remained too long unprotected."

Sine let out a long sigh. Raising up her hands, she reached for the sky above. "Sad, isn't it? This place. What you see around you is all that remains of what once was before your precious gods came. An echo. A cold, empty echo." She paused. "What do you know of the creation of your world?" Sine left time for Link to answer, but he remained silent. "Your gods came, bringing their earth, life, and laws, but we were already here. So what did they do?

"They destroyed us!"

Sine bolted upright in anger, slashing her sword through the air. Link jumped back in surprise, expecting a fight, but still Sine looked off into the distance, sending her anger out to some unknown place. Her body rose and fell with each angered breath as she tried to calm down.

"Why? Just because we didn't fit into their 'perfect' world? They thought they were doing the right thing, but we were already here! We had our own way of life, and they massacred it to suit their own selfish needs!" Her anger vented, Sine slumped back against the tree before she finally looked down to Link. Her red eyes pierced through the haze of the land, forcing him to look at San's face and be reminded of his mistake.

"After they tore me apart, your gods got rid of the rest of us as best they could. But you cannot destroy darkness, not completely. So they sealed the rest away here in an this realm, hiding it out of sight, and out of mind. If you listen carefully, you may just be able to hear the whispers from those shadows. Some got out, of course, Demise is proof of that. Your gods thought that they could keep your kind safe—free to go about your lives without a fear of the darkness. You're nothing but playthings to the gods, beloved pets, at best."

Sine strode down the hill towards Link, the blade in her hand glinting in the dusky light. "But you... You are the poorest soul of them all. You think your life is your own, but it is not. Every choice you make, everything that you do, is nothing more than a dance planned by your gods. You think you have free will, but it is only an illusion. Little hero, you are nothing but a tool to them. A convenient tool, yes, weapons often are, but still a tool. The moment you have served their purpose, you will become useless, ready to be tossed aside."

Link scoffed at her words, trying not to let them affect him, but it was difficult. He remembered Zelda, the goddess Hylia, telling him how she had used him. It could not be like that. His life was his own! He was not some tool of the gods!

A weak scoff escaped him upon hearing his own thoughts. There he was, sounding just like San. Like her, then, Link, too, would fight against his fate, making sure his future was of his own doing. All those choices along his journey...he had made them, just like he had made the choice to pass through the rift to confront Sine. That could not have been part of the gods' plans.

"Like you, and like the previous owner of this body, I just want to be free! Free from your gods and the mess they created. If that means that I must destroy those who would stand in my way, or even the entire world to undo what your gods have done to be free from their light...then so be it." An evil grin split across her face, much like when they first met. "Looks like you'll be first." Drawing forth her second blade, Sine rose one towards Link in a challenge. "Which will be worse for you, I wonder: being destroyed by the woman who has come to trust you, or destroying the woman you're trying to save?"

Seizing up, Link's brow furrowed in confusion. It was Sine that he had come to fight, not San. Above him, the ancient darkness closed her eyes, the silence of the land settling in.

Master, look out! cried out Fi's voice within his mind.

Eyes snapping open, Sine rushed towards Link. Blades clashed against each other, the force of the impact sending him skidding back against the grass. That close, he could see Sine's face without any impediments. Her skin was still that sickly colour and her eyes were still red and yellow, bit her mad, sadistic expression was gone. Nothing replaced it, either. Her face was an emotionless mask, with her eyes dead. It was unsettling, far more unsettling than had she been grinning like a psychopath at him.

Grunting, he pushed the blades off of the Master Sword and jumped back, trying to give himself a moment to put his thoughts in order. To help provide some answers, Fi gave an initial report on the situation:

Master, it would appear that Sine has repressed its consciousness enough to allow what remains of San to control the actions of her body, but that is all. You are still fighting Sine—do not be fooled by its appearance or what it said. Use your knowledge of San's fighting style to counter the attacks. Be careful though, for initial analysis indicates that her strikes are at least forty percent stronger than normal.

It was much easier said than done. He had only watched San fight from the corner of his eyes for he was often in the midst of battle at the same time. He did not know her moves, how to read them, or where the gaps in her defence were. The sound of swords clashing against his shield rang through the dead air and the young man was forced to learn swiftly. Worst of all, however, was that it felt like he was fighting San, not Sine.

Everything that she did made it feel like he was fighting San. Her moves were just what he would have expected from her: using her main, larger blade for larger, more forceful strikes that clashed off of shield, then slashing in with her smaller, lither blade at his opening, which he barely managed to knock away with the Master Sword. Link knew the strategy of her attacks, but not the finer details. A few slashes had already nicked his arms, stopping only at his guards and chain-mail. Learning San's battle weaknesses while she tried to kill him was not something that he had hoped to do.

Link did not even want to fight her. Sine, yes, but not San, and, no matter what Fi had told him, it felt like he was fighting the blue-haired woman and not the ancient darkness. She was a puppeted version of San, but still San. When he looked at her face, it only served as a grim reminder to his mistake, his failure to her. Calling out for her to fight back, Link tried once more to free her from Sine's grasp—San had to still be in there for him to save. If only she could hear his voice clearly enough.

A cry escaped him as pain shot through his shield arm. Shattered. The shield was shattered beyond repair from her relentless strikes on its previously damaged form. Pieces and splinters fell to the ground, the remaining section around the handle becoming useless. Hissing under his breath, Link shook the handle from his hand and let it join the other pieces scattered on the ground. Cold steel whistled past his head, her assault unending. Yelling at San to wake up, Link brought his sword up to block another incoming attack, only to have the wind knocked out of him instead when she kicked him hard in the gut—her attacks really were stronger than normal.

Staggering back, Link coughed and clutched his stomach. He was not allowed a moment to gather himself before San's main blade slashed towards him, taking advantage of his lost shield. Before it could be knocked from his hold, he gripped the Master Sword firmly with both hands, and parried an oncoming blade, but he could not block both at once. Breath rushed out of him in a hiss as her smaller sword sliced through his tunic and chain mail, enough to draw blood. It was not the deepest of wounds that he had received since starting his journey, but every attack from her was doing more damage.

With a jump to the side, Link managed to dodge another attack, her blade instead smashing into the ground. Dirt flew up around the cold steel. Taking his chance, the blond struck out with the blade. It felt wrong to attack his friend, but there was nothing right to begin with about the situation. Everything was wrong, so horribly wrong. His attack landed, striking against her secondary blade that she had risen in defence, and knocking it from her grip. The blade flew several feet away, far enough that San paid it no attention and continued her assault against Link.

The young man still tried to call out to her, hoping that she would hear him and regain control long enough to end the madness. Instead, attacks flew through the air, were parried or blocked, and then countered. Link could feel his stamina draining, causing him to suffer more attacks and blows. He could not continue on for much longer.

Link began to struggle. Each time he tried to reach another weapon, like his bow or even the whip, San pushed forward and forced him to block with his sword, leaving him no opening to change strategies.

Red eyes flashed in the bleak light as San charged forward again. In response, Link brought up his sword again to block the brunt of the blow, but he could not see. Darkness blocked his vision. It was not the darkness of the rift, or some spell, it was, in fact, her cloak. Whirling the dark fabric around, San used it to mask her attack. As the fabric was pulled back aside, up came her sword that sliced Link across his hand.

A muffled cry of pain escaped him as he tried to keep hold of the Master Sword, but his effort was futile. Overpowering his weakened grip, San flung his sword from his grasp, just like he had done with hers. The glow of the blade weakened when it left his hold, flying through the air until it thudded against the ground.

Coldness rushed in towards him. It chilled him to his core, sending him into a fit of shivers. Without the sword's blessings to protect him, Link could feel his essence being sucked away by the nature of the realm once more. Faint whispers of darkness crept towards him, trying to coax him into giving in. It would be easier, giving in, for then there would not be anything for him to worry over. Mistakes had already been made, one final one would not hurt. As the voices began to grow louder, Link could hear a distant voice calling out to him, trying to help him back to his senses, but he was already in too deep. His growing despair and guilt only made it easier for him to sink down, down, down...

Blood.

Warm blood rushed through him and Link hissed in pain. It was San who brought him back to reality with another attack, one that largely grazed off of his chain mail but sliced through his already damaged side. The adrenaline that rushed through him kept him in control of his senses long enough to realize what he had almost done, and what he had to then do. Rolling away from another attack, Link hurried towards the Master Sword.

Its light grew brighter as he drew near and he could once more hear Fi's voice calling out to him. Grinning, he reached down and gripped the hilt. A wave of energy washed over him as the coldness from the realm was cast aside, unable to affect him as long as he had the Master Sword. Spinning around, sword aimed, he was ready to face San and finish his task when...

Steel pierced flesh.

Link gasped sharply in surprise, his eyes widening. Hands shaking, he refused to look down to see what had happened. He already knew. A sword fell to the ground, its noise heavy in the silent air. All of his other pain slipped away, unable to contend against the new agony that spread through him. Across from him, red eyes, as wide as his own, stared back at his blue orbs...until eyelids began to close.

Yelling out San's name in disbelief, Link pulled his sword from her abdomen. Unable to stand under her own weight, San began to fall. Link reached out and grabbed her, collapsing to his knees as he held her body close. Protesting vehemently, he scrounged around in his pouch for a red potion. He found one and brought it to her lips before he remembered that it could very well heal Sine as well, undoing all of their toils. Grunting in frustration, he threw the potion uselessly aside. Instead, he held San's body against his, burying his head against her shoulder.

"I'm sor-ry," he choked out, his voice breaking in his throat.

"I am so sorry."

She had deserved better. To die at the hand of a friend in an unknown realm, far away from any place she had called home, anyone she knew, and imprisoned within her own mind, was not something she had deserved. There had to have been some other option, some other outcome. Maybe if they had searched a little longer. Maybe if they had not rushed into the fray. Maybe if... Maybe...

Maybe if he had retrieved the Triforce first.

Maybe if he had kept San from unleashing the last Seal.

Maybe if he had not insisted that she had to help him to find the Sealed Temple.

Maybe if...they had not met.

It may have been San's fate, but Link had played a far larger role in her destiny than he had expected. Events could have taken a different path many times along their journey, but it had led them here. The destination was not what Link had imagined...at all. To have to kill her...kill someone that he had come to care for, it tore away at him. Left alone in the cold, grim realm, the silence became deafening, weighing down on him more than his guilt. Not even the whispers of the dusky land dared to break the silence.

In his hold, San's body grew cold. Link held her tighter, trying to lend her his own warmth, but even his body began to chill, all joy and hope fading within him.

She was gone.

In his mind, Fi tried to regain his attention. There were a few words of consolidation before she began to insist that he leave the realm. Silently disagreeing, Link held San closer, trying to protect her. He had to take her back with him. He could not leave her alone, not again.

"...Link?"

A cough shook the body in his hold. Cool fingertips grazed his chin. Gasping, he reached up and gripped the hand. It was still cool to the touch, but it was moving on its own. A glimmer of hope returned, along with numerous questions racing through his—

"You idiot!"

Hands shoved him away, sending him to fall back onto the cool ground. Before him, San sat there on her own. Jaw dropping in amazement, he soaked in her appearance. Her skin was its normal tone, if a bit paler than usual, her hair was its familiar sapphire shade, but her eyes...they were still red and yellow, and were glaring daggers at him.

"You were meant to destroy me—destroy Sine!" she shouted, throwing up her arms in frustration. "We would have been done with this! It would have been taken care of! But, instead you... You...!" Link winced and cast his eyes down in anticipation for whatever scolding she still had in store for him. What she did, instead, caught him by surprise more than anything.

Arms looping around his body, San hugged him like she had not seen him in a dozen years, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You found another way." Sniffing, she sounded to be on the brink of tears. "I had given up over there being any other option... I was content in what I had to do, but you found that other choice." She chuckled weakly. "I mean, I doubt you actually had it planned, and it sure took you long enough, but having your...dumb luck around came in handy after all." With a deep sigh, she pulled back and bumped her fist affectionately against his chin. "I'll explain more later, but we should get out of here fi—ahh!" Hissing in pain, San grabbed her abdomen, the wound still there.

Panicking, Link fumbled through his pouches, forgetting if he had another red potion or not. When his fingers grazed over the glass of a bottle he nearly let out a cheer. He offered it to her and she greedily gulped, finishing off nearly the entire bottle in a couple of seconds. She returned it to Link, who finished off the rest, finally helping to heal his own wounds.

"Right. Let's get out of this damned place."

After they gathered up her weapons, Link helped to support San's weight as they hurried across the land locked in twilight. The darkness of the rift neared. Holding tightly onto San, Link jumped through the rift, bracing himself for the nothingness between the realms.

Gasping in a deep breath of air, Link relished the feel of the warm rays of sunlight and the lush grass beneath him. Though he had only been in that grim realm for a relatively short amount of time, it had made him appreciate his world so much more. When he opened his eyes, the young man breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that San was still there next to him. With her skin and hair back to normal, he was able to forget, for a moment, everything that had happened to her, until she opened her eyes, and those red orbs stared back at him.

San ran a hand over her face before pushing herself up. "It's gone, the damned thing," she spat gesturing in the direction of the rift. The bridge to the shadowy realm was gone. Nothing remained of the shadowy tear between worlds. Link sighed in content, more than happy to leave the memory of that realm behind. Good riddance. "Fi?" called out San. "You there?"

Light glowed from the Master Sword, signalling the spirit's arrival. The blue figure nodded. "Yes, San?"

"Thanks, you know, for sealing away Sine. I wouldn't be here now without your help either."

"I am glad that it worked and that you are all right, San."

Perplexed, Link asked what it was Fi had actually done. Her unchanging gaze shifted back to him. "I could not calculate the chance of success, so I did not wish to inform you in case it raised your hopes for nothing. When you struck San with the master Sword—"

"Which really hurt, so you know!"

"I was able to use the powers of the blade to seal away Sine's powers within San. It will not last forever, but at least it gives you more time. I honestly did not expect it to work. In fact, I had calculated that it should not have succeeded."

"It's because Sine is weak," sighed San, allowing herself to fall back onto the ground. "Still a force not to be reckoned with, but she is not at her full strength. All of those years being split and sealed away in this world have taken their tole on her. I don't think anyone expected her to be weak. It's why she still needs my body, why she didn't create havoc and chaos right away: If your gods actually interfered, she would have been split and sealed again, which is the last thing that she wants. Will she actually regain all of her power and strength, though?" San shrugged. "Even I can't tell."

Link stared down at his blade. If it could seal away Sine due to her weakened state, then perhaps...

"She can't be killed," remarked San before Link could even ask. "It's why she toyed you with the fight. If you hadn't sealed her away, Sine would have taken your body to continue her plans. In fact, if you had struck back when I had just unleashed that final Seal...we'd have only gotten here sooner-it wouldn't have killed Sine. Just...don't worry about it for now. Sine is sealed again for the time being. So." Wincing, she pushed herself back up and tilted her head quizzically. "Did you manage to get the Triforce while I was...hm, indisposed?"

Glancing away, Link bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. When he explained all that happened since they parted, he heard her give a disgusted sigh. He needed not even ask what had her so annoyed: They were going to have to return to the sky.

"Let's get it over with." Dusting off her hands, San slowly rose to her feet, swaying slightly. Despite her current state, she still held out her hand to help Link up, bur that was not what he had in mind. The blond rummaged through his pouches one more time. Only after he found the needed item did he reach for San's hand, passing the object to her as he rose. Brow furrowing in confusion, she looked down at their hands before a weak chuckle escaped her. "You kept hold of it?" She rolled the enchanted stone in her hand before gripping it firmly. Link nodded in confirmation and approval. As long as she had it, he knew where she would be.

He would not lose her again.

A/N: In case the chapter title didn't give it away, yes, the "unknown realm" is meant to be the Twilight Realm.

Well, San's back! But you have not seen the last of Sine, not yet. And, so, the ending is drawing close. In fact, I don't expect more than one chapter to go...unless I split it up differently. We'll see. So, I have a couple other fics to update, but I look forward to bringing this to an end and hope you're not left waiting too long!