Author's Notes: I don't own the Zelda series or its characters, Nintendo does. The story and characters I add here are my own. Please read and review, it's what keeps me writing. My thanks to all that do so. Time to part ways.

Chapter 24: Saying Good-Bye

I stood slowly, withdrawing my blade from the corpse of the king of evil. The blood didn't even stick to the blade, sliding off the twin helix. I close my eyes as I pass the blade to my right hand, feeling the magic dissipate. By the time it was back in its sheath, I was back to normal, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"So this is your true form Tyler?" I turned to look at Zelda, my brow furrowed in confusion. Then I looked down at myself. My jaw dropped as I ran my hands over my torso, arms, and legs. I was completely in my own body now, and in my own clothes to boot. Black jeans, white shirt, my glasses, and the biking gloves I liked to wear when playing this game.

I chuckled as I looked up at Zelda and nodded. "Yes," I said in my own voice. "This is who I truly am."

Zelda smiled, which lit up her whole face in the setting sun. "I, and all of Hyrule, am in your debt. Thanks to you and Midna, we are free from Ganon's evil reign."

My chin met my chest as I heard Midna's name. "No war is without its sacrifices," I said softly, more to myself than anything else. Tears pricked at my eyes again as I felt the sadness welling up inside me.

"True. But miracles happen on the battlefield too, as you have proven." Something in the princess' voice made me look up and she pointed up the hill behind me. I turned and squinted as I saw the four spirits of light hovering above the crest. As they faded away, I gasped as I saw a form on the ground. It couldn't be… My feet were already moving and I broke into a run, desperate to confirm what my heart was hoping. I stopped once I reached the top; the figure didn't look right. But then the person stood and I recognized that the cloak and sarong had Twili patterns on them. As she turned towards me, I blinked at the sight of a beautiful woman with delicate, yet strong features, slightly taller than me, skin literally black and blue, and wearing an ornate headdress. But it was the orange-red hair and the playful eyes of the same color that told me who I was looking at.

"What? Say something!" Midna said with a smile and a tilt of her head. "Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

I let out a couple short bursts of laughter, relief bordering on hysteria. I don't know how I got there, but the next thing I knew, my arms were around her and my face was buried in her shoulder. "I thought I lost you," I said softly. "My dear friend… my dear friend…"

Slowly, I felt her arms come around me to return the embrace. "I'm still here Tyler. You didn't think that I would die so easily did you?"

I chuckled as I leaned back to look at her face. Her hand, a bit bigger than it used to be, came up to wipe away the tears, as purposeful as ever, but now with gentleness. Hearing a giggle from the side, we turned to see Zelda looking at us. We both let go of each other quickly, and I was sure that she was blushing as much as I was. I tried to change the subject as I scratched the back of my head, "So, uh… What next? Do we have a celebration or something?"

I was surprised by how quickly Midna sobered. "No. Perhaps later… but there's one more thing left to do." My eyebrows came together as she closed her eyes and I felt myself being teleported away. A few blinks revealed that the three of us were in the mirror's chamber, cast in orange and black from the natural twilight. The former imp turned to face us, my heart sinking again as I realized what was coming. "Well...I guess this is farewell, huh?" she said with a sad smile. "Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know. But... Never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

Zelda nodded. "Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin... One cannot exist without the other. I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world... They left it because it was their design that we should meet." She nodded again, as if convincing herself. "Yes... That is what I believe."

Midna's smile lost some sadness at the speech of her fellow princess. "Zelda... Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you... Then maybe you'll do all right. Thank you..." Her look had more confidence now and I smiled a bit myself. "Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again..."

I nodded. "I don't know how it would work, but I could probably come back and visit. The game's rules don't apply anymore."

Her eyes wouldn't meet mine when I looked at her and my smile vanished. "Maybe… and maybe not…" A single glistening tear slid down her cheek, which floated above her hand before she pushed it outward. "Tyler... I..." Her pause betrayed the great conflict within her. "See you later..."

Zelda and I gasped as we heard a loud cracking, jerking around to see the Twilight Mirror marred by lines branching out across its surface. I turned back to see Midna stepping out onto the platform of light. She turned back to look at us once more, a mix of sadness and gladness in her eyes before she dissolved into a trail of light, disappearing into the portal. The portal then shut and I had to shield my face as the mirror shattered, sending small bits of glass and dust through the chamber.

"Why?" was my first thought as the reality of what had happened set in. "To protect both worlds," answered my ever logical mind. I sank to my knees as I tried to keep control of myself. Once again I had lost a friend, but not just any friend this time. We had been through laughs, doubt, and danger together. I had cared for her more than anyone else in my life. Now she was gone forever. My head bowed in silent acceptance; it seemed to be my fate to lose friends.

"She was doing what she thought was best," Zelda explained and I felt her hand on my shoulder.

"I know," I replied numbly.

"We all belong in our own worlds," she added. "You should be returning to yours."

I nodded as I stood up. "When did you first know about me?" I asked as I turned to face her.

She seemed to think a moment before responding. "The first time we met, something felt odd… different… But I didn't understand everything until I was one with Midna."

I nodded again; it was the conclusion I had drawn as well. "Do you know what the worst part of all this is?" My smile turned rueful while Zelda just looked at me with concern. "Even if I somehow come back, it will probably be at the beginning of this adventure. No one will know me; no one will know what happened, because for them nothing has happened yet." I had to take a breath so I could continue. "This is probably the best thing that will ever happen to me and I can't come back."

Zelda nodded in understanding and lifted my chin up as I was letting it drop. She gave me an intense look, one that identified her as royalty. "You are forgetting one of the virtues of Courage. Courage is not just doing what is necessary, or going forward in the face of adversity. It is also hope. The courage to hope for a brighter future when all else is darkness."

I brushed her hand off with a scoff and turned away. "Hope. All it does is set you up for a bigger disappointment."

"You stop that right now," Zelda reprimanded. "Such talk is not befitting a knight of Hyrule."

"What?" I asked in surprise, looking at her over my shoulder.

Her gaze was resolute, boring right through me. "Give me your sword Tyler, and kneel before me."

Out of surprise and curiosity, I did as she asked. I drew the Master Sword and held out the hilt. She took it and I kneeled before her, the flat of the blade coming to rest on my right shoulder. "As the bearer of Wisdom, I know that there are many uncertain things in life. You have been hurt by these things before, and yet you continue on. You have even overcome uncertainties about yourself in the course of this war. You have remained steadfast in your course, no matter what obstacles arose. And you did this because you believed that you could make Hyrule better, am I right?"

"Yes your majesty," I said with a nod, a bit in awe from the presence she emanated.

"That is courage. That is hope. And had you not had that hope, you would not have been able to call on the power of the Hero of Time. And for such courage, by the power vested in me, I dub thee Sir Tyler, knight of Hyrule." I blinked in surprise as she touched both shoulders with my sword. I had imagined such a moment before, but I never thought that I would actually live it. "Rise, Sir Tyler, take your sword, and return home."

I took a breath before rising, taking back my sword and sheathing it. I had collected my wits by then and bowed. "Thank you, your majesty. But I'm afraid I don't know how to get home."

I was surprised again when I heard her laugh a little, accompanied by a smile. "The formalities are over; you can call me by my name." She then thought for a moment. "Perhaps you can return by seeing your home in your mind's eye? Midna's magic works similarly to that."

I nodded and closed my eyes, feeling the sadness return. "May it be the will of the Goddesses that we meet again someday," Zelda's voice cut into my thoughts.

"I hope so too," I replied, feeling the ground slip away beneath me as I thought of my room at home.