A/N Heeeeere we go . . .

Ignitious: Thanks! I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter. I'm looking forward to reading more of yours, too.

King Meezy: Hey there! It's nice to have another reader from the past return! Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're still here!

I still haven't decided if I'm going to continue the story after this arc, I'll explain more at the end.


Shadow watched as his dad and team of scientists were packing everything up. "Are you sure this is safe?" he asked.

Ganondorf spoke through almost clenched teeth. "It will be fine, Shadow."

"Do I have to come?"

"The council wants you there, to show whoever is over there that we fully intend to return Krad's heart." He rolled his eyes angrily.

"I mean . . . I guess it could be cool."

"Hm." Ganondorf slammed another metal briefcase shut and hurried to where Vio was leveling substances into vials. "Vio," he whispered urgently. "Tell me you have something. Anything."

Vio capped a vial carefully. "I can keep him alive for a while, I guess."

"We don't have any more time."

"It's useless." He looked at Ganondorf matter-of-factly over his glasses. "He needs a new heart."

"Isn't there something—"

"No more shortcuts." Vio's mask cracked, but only slightly.

Ganondorf sighed covertly. "Will you be at the stadium?"

"Yes, but I have to retrieve something first."

"Better get going, then."

Vio nodded and finished his task quickly, then bolted around the other scientists and up the stairs, out of the house, down the lane. His goal was to make it without Shadow seeing, but—

"Wait!"

He cursed every footstep. Shadow, go back!

No, let him get closer.

Vio fought himself until he heard Shadow walking right behind him. He turned around, grabbed Shadow by the shoulders and kissed him, hard.

When he pulled away, Shadow gaped at him in shock.

"Shadow," Vio said. "Don't come after me."

Shock turned to anger. Shadow smacked him in the chest. "Don't kiss me and then tell me to go away!"

Vio cringed at his own stupidity and turned, trying to escape futilely. "You're dad's gonna be pissed off."

"So what? This is almost over." Meaning, Vio wouldn't be coming over anymore.

Vio sped up. "Your heart can't take this!"

He got no answer, so he stopped, curious, and turned around.

Shadow stood several yards back, hands in his pockets, glaring at Vio with something akin to hate.

That's what he wanted, right? For Shadow to hate him? Uncertainly, he took a few steps back, toward Shadow. He doesn't actually . . . He doesn't hate me. He took a few more steps, then a few more.

As he got closer, Shadow's hatred fell away, becoming neutrality.

Vio braved walking the rest of the way. He didn't know what Shadow was doing. It was fascinating.

The neutrality shifted when he was just a few feet away. It shifted to hope.

Damn it, a trap!

"We can work with this," Shadow pleaded, taking his hands. "You can come over, we can be supervised. You can get better. The meds are helping, right?"

He hadn't told Shadow, but he'd given up on meds. They didn't work. Not for him. And he was sick of trying, just so sick of prodding and brain cracking by stupid adults—

"There's no reason we can't—" Shadow halted, dropping his gaze, afraid of rejection. He kicked at a pebble in the road. "—we can't be together, you know?"

The cogs in Vio's brain whirred to a stop, painfully aware of the desperate pressure on his hands from Shadow's grip.

I mean, maybe—if I do what the doc says—

The meds aren't working and you know it.

But if I keep trying, I can find something that does!

You can't even block me anymore. How much time do you think you have before I'm always in control?

"Shut up!"

Shadow threw his hands and jumped back.

Vio reached for him desperately. "Not you!" he flushed scarlet and lowered his hand.

Shadow raised an eyebrow at him, cautiously stepping back. "Voices?"

Vio hunched over, dropping his face in his hands. "I hate this."

He felt Shadow's hands try to pry his own from his face. He wouldn't allow it.

"What do you think?" Shadow asked. "About what I said?"

He was the most persistent person Vio'd ever known. Sticking by your not-vegan animal killing, mentally unstable boyfriend, who does that?!

Shadow.

"Hrrmrphggh!"

"What?"

". . . Maybe."

He heard Shadow give a relieved chuckle. "I can take a maybe," Shadow said, redoubling his efforts to get Vio to show his face. "Hey." It finally worked. Vio lowered his hands and stared down at Shadow, into his hopeful ruby eyes, feeling something like hope himself.

Shadow's smile widened, baring his cute, sharp teeth in the back. "Eeeeh, a wild Vio appears!"

Vio chuckled.

Their faces were very close, Shadow's hands on either side of his, thumbs stroking his cheeks methodically. "Why do you care?" Vio asked. "Why do you . . . give a fuck?"

"You were there for me when I needed someone. You helped me forget everything. I mean, we did do some stupid shit at the beginning, but . . . You were there for me."

"So I caught you when you were down."

"No. It wasn't just that. When we're together, I don't really think about anybody else. I guess I like that. I don't feel like I need anybody else, when I'm with you."

Again, Vio chuckled, thinking of when they were first together. "That's the alcohol talking." I did that. I got you drunk. On purpose.

"Do I sound drunk to you?" Shadow countered. "Do you think I can't feel when you're not in the room?"

Vio shut up.

Shadow laughed. "What the fuck do you think 'I love you' means?!" He bumped foreheads. "Where are you going, anyway?"

"I have to get something."

"But you'll be at the stadium?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

He wanted to be like this forever, Shadow in his arms, sharing warmth.

"Don't you have to get something?" Shadow asked after a moment.

"Yes. It's really important."

"Are you gonna let go?"

Vio raised his head. "Not yet." He kissed Shadow, again, this time long, and lingering.


As Vio watched Shadow walk back up the lane to his house, he thought about abandoning everything, grabbing Shadow, and running away together. Shadow didn't have much time left. He'd probably die before Vio got around to doing anything horrible to him anyway, and then after Shadow died he'd descend into complete, impenetrable madness and probably die as well.

Why couldn't they spend the rest of their lives together?

As Shadow disappeared inside the house, Vio rolled his eyes and turned away. Shadow's scared of me. There's no way he'd go for it.

That's why you steal a car, lure him with chocolate and throw him in the trunk!

See, that's one of those HURTING HIM things.

I liked you a lot better when you didn't care.

I liked YOU better when you didn't talk back!

There wasn't a real reason he needed the Master Sword, it's not like they were doing anything extremely dangerous, like opening a portal to an unknown or forgotten realm.

Oh, wait.

Vio liked to be careful. Plus, Midna had said they had no idea what was on the other side and they should be careful, and people, he had to admit, had a way of being really, really stupid.


"Hey, Aryll, you alright?" Link was sitting on the living room couch in his fuzzy pajamas, reading. It was Saturday.

Aryll was sorting her crayons into complementary pairs. She looked back at Link with a glare. "Shady."

Link sat up. "I know, but Shadow has a big important meeting to be at today. I'll bet he wishes he could be here, too. In fact," he pulled out his phone and video phoned Shadow.

"Yo!"

"Hey, bro, someone misses you." He held out the phone to Aryll, who stood up and whined, "Shady, Aryll daayayyyyyy!"

"Awwwwwww, I'm sorry, princess. Believe me when I say, I'd rather be ANYWHERE but here."

"What's it like?" Link asked, turning the phone back around. Aryll joined him on the couch so she could watch, too.

Shadow panned the phone around the stadium. Scientists and politicians swarmed across the turf, equipment and tables being moved around and assembled everywhere. "I've got a bad feeling."

"Looks pretty intense," Link admitted. "Why do they need you there?"

"To show what's going on or something, I guess. They can't just tell them, they have to show them, or something. I dunno. It's stupid. I'm honestly really scared."

Link didn't like how scared Shadow sounded. "It'll . . . I mean, I hope it'll be ok."

"It's just . . . I'm fifteen, dude. What am I even doing here?" He turned the phone back to himself, and started making faces with Aryll, who giggled.

Link shrugged. "How's Sheik? He's there, too, right?"

"Yeah, and Midna. So they can communicate with whoever's over there."

"They're fifteen, too."

"Right? What is this, Power Rangers? Gimme a break! But Sheik's fine. Well, kind of. He's dressed like a guy, again, thank god."

"Isn't he always?"

"Not lately, haven't you noticed? Since his dad's been back around?"

"Oh."

"Wake up, wake up!"

Link chuckled. "I know, I'm never observant enough. So on that note . . ."

"What?"

"Don't hang up until it's over, okay?"

"I mean . . . Magic interference is a thing."

"Just don't hang up until you have to. It was Malon's idea. We'll be watching. Granny and Nabs, too."

"Okay. Hey, let me speak to Vio for a second."

Vio's there? Link almost scowled. I don't like that guy.

"Hey, Vio! Is there some way you can set my phone up so it doesn't die when all the magicky crazy crap happens? My friends all want to watch everything. And, like, make it discreet because nobody's supposed to be watching a classified meeting, hehe!"

"Yeah, whatever."

"GREAT!" Shadow set up his phone so they could see the stadium, occasionally slipping into the screen to chat.

After a while, they connected Link's phone to the TV, so they could watch everything on there from the couch. Granny brought her knitting in, shaking her head nervously at the screen. Nabs and Malon came a little later.

Malon spoke into the phone, "Hey there, sugar!"

"MAL!" Shadow popped in with a toothy grin. "'Sup!"

"I made a new recipe for vegan brownies. When are you comin' round again?"

"Sorry, I've been really busy with my dad and all . . ."

"Yeah, well, get yer ass over here soon!"

"Haha! I will."

Nabs slipped next to Link on the couch, cuddling close to him.

Shadow got really close to the camera. "Did I miss something?"

Link grinned. "Maybe."

Nabs kissed his cheek.

"WHAAAAT!" Shadow shrieked. "HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME!? You two are dating?"

"Yeah."

"That's great! But, like, Nabs, you . . ."

She crossed her eyes. "I know, he's a Hylian, I hate men, blah blah blah—"

"Not AAAAAAAALL men~"

Nabooru glared her golden eyes at him with the sweetest smile. "I will cut you."

Shadow laughed. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!"

A blond head came into the frame. "Hey, Shadow, what are you—oh, hey, everybody!" It was Sheik. He grinned.

Everyone said hello and waved.

Shadow held up his hand, pretending to hold a microphone. "So how's it look out there, princey?"

Sheik played along, adopting a professional pose and monotone news voice. "Well, Mr. Dragmire, it's looking pretty nuts."

"That's your answer?"

"Yep." Sheik glanced back at the mechanical chaos. "Completely nuts."

Another voice joined theirs, a high, feminine one. "This is a bad idea." Sheik reached over and pulled whoever it was into the frame. Midna looked confused as to why Sheik was moving her, then her face cleared when she saw Shadow's phone. "Wow, big party!"

"Hey, Twilight," Malon said.

Midna smirked. "You're here, too? My day just got a WHOLE lot better."

Link watched as Vio was putting something together in his lap. "Hey, Vio," he said, "Do you want me to call your family and have them come, too?"

"No," Vio replied.

Shadow glanced at him, then back at Link. "Yeah, sure, here, I'll give you their number, Link."

Vio pouted grumpily.

Shadow smacked his arm. "Oh, shut up, you know they want to be here."

"Blue's at work."

"Can't he take a day off?"

"He never takes a day off."

"Well, we're calling him anyway. Loser."

"Fine."

"Hey, Shadow," Link interrupted. "How's your dad?"

Shadow looked at him, suddenly nervous. "He's fine. I guess after this they'll put him back in prison, though. Sheik's mom says they'll lighten his sentence because he's helping here, and his trial's next month."

"Jeez, I'm sorry, Shadow."

Malon leaned forward. "Hey! I've got good news!"

Shadow brightened. "What's that?"

"My dad's gettin' released soon."

A grin split Shadow's features. "That's awesome, Mal!"

She grinned. "Yeah, no more having to listen to my crappy uncle." She sent a glance to the sky, trying to smile it off, but she was feeling really relieved.

Midna jumped in, "When's he get out?!"

"I dunno, they're keeping it a secret in case his other gang members wanna pop him. He's getting out, that's all I know."

"Jeez, sounds crazy."

"Yep! I'll keep you updated."

"Well guys," said Sheik. "It looks like they're about ready to get started. I should go over and make sure they do everything right."

Vio got up and left without saying anything, just tapping Shadow on the shoulder. That was the only person he cared about.

Link grabbed Nabooru's hand and squeezed it. He didn't know why he was nervous. He felt he should be there, too, but didn't know why.


Ganondorf sat on a metal crate, reading the letter in his hand. It was worn, edges torn in places, oily spots from fingers clenching it between them hundreds of times. The envelope he kept between his middle and ring finger as he read. The postage date was before the summer, before Link and Aryll had moved here.

Before Ravio was killed.

Hey Ganny!

How've you been? What's it been, ten, twelve years? Jeeeeeeez. I'm doing great, I've got a nice job, great wife, and Link's fantastic. He starts high school this year, Lily—my wife—and I are kinda terrified, haha! We have another baby, too, and her name's Aryll. I've put in a pic so you can see. I'm really doing fine. I don't know if you care that I'm writing at all. I don't even know if you'll read this. In your place, I don't know if I would. I've been horrible, Ganny. I know I have. You've been by yourself this whole time, and I've been hiding, too angry to speak. I hated you, but I think I didn't, I just needed to hate somebody so I didn't hate myself. You've always been the better man, you always take the hit for me. You always make me feel like I'll never measure up to you. I'm okay with it. Let me look up to you. I don't need to say this but I know you'll want to hear it anyways, so I forgive you. For Hilda, for me, for everything. But I'm the one who needs forgiveness, not you, and I want to tell you that in person. Cuz I've been thinking, like I do, that I'd really like to see you. Why don't you give me a call and we can work shit out, okay?

Turns out always your brother really means always your brother.

Ravio

Your brother

Always

He'd never gotten that call. He tried, but only got the answering machine. Twice. He'd thought Ravio had changed his mind, and went about his life again, heartbroken, for months.

Until one day, when the hurt had subsided a little, he stalked Ravio's social media pages, and found all the condolences.

The condolences.

People saying he was dead.

Killed.

Multi-car pileup.

Drunk driven sedan.

Swerving semi.

He never called back because he was dead.

Ganondorf thought of missed chances, swearing he would honor Ravio's memory. He reread the letter again, then carefully folded it up and tucked it into his breast pocket. He stood.

Everyone was almost assembled, the entire council on the sidelines on either side of the metal contraption on the fifty-yard line. Shadow, Midna, and Sheik stood huddled together, Grizzelda standing in front of them protectively. He nodded to her as he passed and approached the machine.

Footsteps.

"Dad!" Shadow grabbed his hand. "Be careful, ok?"

Ganondorf smiled and gave his head a heavy pat. "Don't worry about me. I've done this before."

"Yeah, on a tiny scale." Shadow shook his head and returned to his friends.

Ganondorf was really enjoying Shadow caring about him, again. Maybe he wasn't such a bad dad, after all . . .

He thought about Ravio. Link adored him. Who had Ravio become, that he'd been a better father than Ganondorf?

He wished, with all his heart, he could have met that Ravio. Gotten his advice.

He sighed, then flipped switches.


Sheik's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out.

Groose: I'm in the benches

He glanced around until his saw a tiny, flickering light, Groose using his phone screen to direct the sun's light. Sheik felt a lot more relaxed knowing he was here. He texted back, I see you.

Groose sent back a smiley emoji.

Sheik took a deep breath and watched Ganondorf. The machine hummed, and the air above it began to weave in and out like a mirage.

Slowly, a black hole appeared in the center of the mirage, and Sheik gasped, grabbing his chest.

The others looked at him, concerned.

"What's wrong?" his mother asked.

"It feels like . . ." He looked at Shadow. "Like that day, in the basement. Just, horrible. Something's wrong, something's . . ."

His mother placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's natural, your light is holy, this magic is black. They aren't meant to get along."

"I know, but . . . Gosh."

Shadow looked back at the hole growing slowly wider. He shrugged. "I don't feel anything." He glanced back at his phone, at everyone watching from Link's house. He gave a thumb's up.

Midna was clenching her teeth so tight her jaw ached. Her hand slipped into Sheik's. "How big are they going to make this?"

"I think," Sheik answered, squeezing her hand comfortingly, "big enough for a person to go through."

"Are they crazy? We don't know what's on the other side!"

Sheik's mouth straightened into a flat line. He glanced across the way, at Vio, who stood by a large, metal rectangle, eight feet by three by four.

Krad's cage. Or his lifeboat. However you looked at it. Vio's cage was the only reason he was still alive. Vio knelt by the glowing buttons on one side of the cage, then looked at Ganondorf, waiting.

"Are they going to send him through?" Midna asked.

Sheik didn't answer. He took Shadow's hand. Shadow glanced at him.

The hole in the air was almost big enough for a child to go through. The air around it flickered and wavered in glowing lights, changing intensity every milisecond. Sheik knew this wasn't natural. Space wasn't meant to bend this way.

But the hole got bigger, until soon even Ganondorf could easily slip through. The Gerudo man stabilized the machine, then turned and gave Vio a thumb's up.

Vio pressed buttons on the cage, and vapor escaped from the edges as the front opened down.

The crushing feeling in Sheik's chest intensified, and he thought he might collapse. Shadow stared at him in concern. "Um, Mrs. Harkinian, Sheik's not looking so good—"

At first, there was nothing, but then a writhing cloud of blackness slowly floated out of the cage. It stopped before Vio, slowly morphing into a mutated humanoid form, but shifting shape like a flickering flame. Krad was unable to hold his form.

Vio pointed, simply, to the portal Ganondorf had opened.

Krad turned, and began walking to it.

Sheik was sweating, shivering. His mother was caught between trying to monitor the proceedings and making sure he was okay.

Midna nodded. "I'll do it," she said, and let go of Sheik to walk forward and meet Krad.

Krad stumbled forward, step by step, leftover shadows bleeding from him into the ground. Midna kept step with him. "Krad," she said.

"Twilight Princess."

"When you get to your people, they can help you, right?"

A hacking noise. It was laughter, but Midna couldn't tell what kind. Happiness? Or mocking?

"It's important, Krad. Shadow still has your heart."

Krad paused. His figure turned to look at her, but he had no eyes, just two white, jagged patches sitting lopsided on what could maybe pass for a head. The shadows of that head split apart into a jagged-tooth grin. "I'll get my heart back."

"Yes," said Midna. "We're hoping your people can help. Because we don't want Shadow to die. Because we don't want you to die, either. Do you understand?"

She glanced at the portal. Nobody had appeared through it, although tendrils of shadow came through, like pitch black solar flares. Nothing was beyond the portal. Not another world like this one, and not one like she knew, of Twilight.

Just thick, black fog.

"I will . . . I will help you, Twilight Princess." He laughed again, and Midna wasn't sure what to feel.

As they neared the machine, Midna kept back and let Krad go forward on his own.

Mr.s Harkinian was holding Sheik, trying to keep him from collapsing. "Do you see anyone? Hear anything?"

Sheik did his best to stare into the portal. "No. I don't see or feel anyone, I just feel—" He doubled over. "—sick."

Hylia.

He looked up again. Who was that?

"Sheik," said his mother. "What is happening?"

Nobody could see Krad except him, Midna, Ganondorf, and Vio. "He's stopped next to Ganondorf. He's staring at him."

"Is he in danger?"

"N-no. Krad's moved on. He's almost to the portal now." He struggled to speak. "He's rising in the air. He's . . . Laughing. Mom—"

Midna's arms and legs were glowing with geometric symbols, her hair forming a fist above her head.

"Hahahahahahaha!"

The ground began to rumble, the seats of the stadium a thousands' choir of metal hinges clacking together.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What is that?!" Mrs. Harkinian said urgently.

"You can hear?" Sheik asked.

"Is that—?"

Krad floated in front of the portal in the air, pale skin and glowing eyes, hair a flaming red. He spun and grinned down at everyone below. "You're all fools! FOOLS!"

The shadows from the portals wrapped around Krad, absorbing him into their mass. His laughter deepened, until it filled the entire stadium, becoming the source of the quaking.

The edges of the portal cracked, and shadows poured from it, flooding the air like an ocean of darkness. A shock waved blasted outward from the portal, sending all of Ganondorf's equipment flying. Everyone, the council, Vio, Sheik, Shadow, Grizzelda, everyone was flung backward, then unable to get up again in the buffeting wind.

Only Midna stood her ground.

Sheik couldn't hear himself scream. His body was on fire, a searing pain ripping through his chest. Mrs. Harkinian crawled to his writhing form.

"ZELDA!" She screamed, saying the first name that came to her. "BABY, TALK TO ME!"

A voice was in his head, ancient, yet familiar.

We meet again, Hylia.

Sheik's eyes flared open, glowing gold with the power of his Triforce. "IT'S DEMISE!"

The black fog swirled around them all, holding them down. Shadow found himself unaffected, and he made it to Sheik's side quickly.

"Mama," Sheik was crying, "Mama, I think he's—he's stealing my soul! I can't—I can't—help!"

"We opened his prison," Mrs. Harkinian said, staring at the hole in space, the blood drained from her face.

"What do we do?" Shadow asked, surprisingly calm.

A huge cloud of blackness gathered above them, and two ghostly eyes appeared in it. All three stared up at it, but it was Shadow who felt he was being watched.

"You have something of mine," the booming voice of Demise echoed in his ears.

The fog rushed at him, and Shadow raised his hand. Glowing silver light exploded from it, deflecting Demise. The silver light formed a dome around Shadow, Sheik, and Mrs. Harkinian. Shadow stared at his hand and saw that his Triforce was shining through his glove. He shook. "What the—"

Demise chuckled. "Interesting. It seems you have fight in you, yet. But, you have my heart."

His Triforce went dark. Shadow felt at if his chest was caving in.

"Shadow?!" Sheik's mother cried.

Shadow leaned over Sheik, clutching at his heart, screaming. It felt like someone was literally performing open-heart surgery on him.

"How long can you resist?"

"AS LONG AS I HAVE TO YOU FREAKING MUTANT!"

Across the way, Ganondorf was trying to collapse the machine, his hands glowing with power as he smashed the console to pieces. He didn't question the power, just used it. Nearby, Midna was helping him, crushing everything with her fist.

The portal, however, stayed open.

"You took DEMISE'S heart?!" Midna was screaming.

"I DIDN'T KNOW!" Ganondorf screamed back. He glanced back at Shadow and the others, in fear. The silver dome over them was flickering, then failed. He sprinted over and raised his hand. Another dome, gold this time, covered everyone. Then he raised his hands over his head, yelling, and began throwing spheres of magic at the fog, an endless torrent of flames and green magic.

The fog ceased moving. The sky was darkened by glowing, sickly clouds, distant thunder suddenly the only sound. The fog suddenly contracted, pulling into a single spot on the field. It formed into a man-like beast, rippling muscles, pulsating black and gray skin, flaming hair atop his head. His eyes glared menacingly.

Midna stood rooted to the spot, as if unable to move.

Demise stepped unconcernedly toward Ganondorf, who threw volley after volley of attacks at him, but they were all absorbed by Demise, who soon stood before him, eye to eye.

"Old friend," Demise said with a grin.

So I was right, Ganondorf thought. I am that particular reincarnation.

"Did you think you could fight me with the magic I gave you? Gave your kind?" He glanced at Midna's frozen form, then back at Ganondorf.

Ganondorf's stomach dropped out from under him.

That's right.

Gerudo magic, and by extension, Twili magic. It all came from Demise.

They couldn't hurt him!

"Why do you fight me? I gave your son life."

Ganondorf snarled. "And now you'll take it back!"

A sigh. "Mortals are so short lived. Fourteen years, a thousand, what does it matter?"

"Curse you!" Ganondorf screamed into his face. I may not be able to use Gerudo magic, but I still have the Triforce of Power! Golden light rose in his arms. He growled and shot his arms forward, blasting light at Demise, who caught it on his arm, then jumped aside. Ganondorf rose into the air and charged, Demise charging to meet him.

The stadium lit up as they flew into each other, around each other, blasting each other.

Sheik and Shadow huddled next to Mrs. Harkinian, Ganondorf's shield giving them a reprieve from Demise's attacks.

"Can he do it?" Mrs. Harkinian wondered.

Sheik shook his head. "No. He can hold him off for a while, but ultimately, there's only one thing that can stop Demise."