Note: genre-typical violence and coarse language.

Once outside, the group hurriedly made their way to the car and shuffled inside. Ravio was the last to enter, herding the group. His eyes were watchful, scanning the manicured lawns and the sky above, his bejeweled staff at the ready. It was so quiet…

After the crew was seated and ready to go, he jumped in and gave the order to Justin up front.

"Drive."

Ms. Fen sat beside the driver and punched in the destination on the GPS, it was some random roadside beach up further on Highway 1. Justin looked at her quizzically as he pulled around the looped drive and headed for the gate.

Trust me… this is the spot." She murmured and gave him an apologetic look. She popped open the visor mirror to get a look at herself and grimaced. "Do you happen to have any babywipes or something like that?.

Justin gave her a small smile and nodded at the glovebox. "I always have some goodies on hand. Gotta stay presentable for the boss…" he chuckled, glancing in the rear-view mirror at Ravio who seemed to be in the middle of a monologue in the back behind the inner window.

She grimaced at this, but said nothing, as she rummaged. She found what she needed and began to wipe away the dried blood and comb her messy hair as they drove along.

"Once we get to the cliff-side we're going to have a bit of a drop.." Ravio explained to the assembled crew."

"What…does that mean?" Said Dani, a little uneasily, her not so mild fear of heights seeping through.

"Weeelll…." Ravio said in a falsetto, rubbing at the back of his head, knowing full well what effect his next words were going to have on the Violet-haired woman. "Uh..we are going to have to step off the side and-"

"Jump.." Dani looked at him incredulously. "You…You want us to jump off a cliff?" She started to laugh, a high, hysterical, terrified laugh. "I-I think I preferred the monsters, actually."

Winona gave her a sympathetic look and squeezed her hand.

Ravio shook his head. "No. I mean, well. Yes? but, it's only a cliff on This side. We should have a smooth landing in the courtyard of Lorule Keep.

"Should?" This time it was Time who spoke up

"Oh, I mean we definitely will land in the courtyard!" Ravio defended. "I just hope there's nothing in the way. The portals can be a smidge…imprecise sometimes, especially when they are rushed like this one.

"When you sent me and Zelda back to Hyrule we landed exactly where you wanted. Like: Exactly where you wanted. Smack dab on the spot we'd been in Lorule's version of the Sacred Realm." Legend mused. "It can't be That bad.." He smiled reassuringly at Dani who gave him an appreciative smile, albeit a small one.

Ravio shook his head. "We had that bracelet back then… Old magic. That final journey used the last of its power. This and all portals made since rely exclusively on the power of the Triforce of Cunning and the Empress who wields it. It is a tremendous tax on her." His voice seemed to break a little at the mention of the stress on Hilda. He cleared his throat and continued. "That.. and Hyrule and Lorule are like… two sides of a coin. They sit parallel to each other in space-time. San Francisco is in an entirely other realm, and quite far from this plane's 'parallel' location to Lorule. It can be…tricky, but… I have faith in Her Highness." He concluded with a wistful smile.

"Ah" Said Legend, who really didn't know what else to add. He slumped back into his seat, suddenly wishing that he perhaps hadn't messed around with Ravio's bracelet so much when he had it in his possession. He made a lot of unnecessary jumps for frivolous things, just collecting odds and ends. Taunting monsters into charging at walls… trying (and failing) to impress that thief girl.. his own brief career as a thief. Yeah... He'd been a bit of a lad in his youth.

Winona spoke up next. "So where Is this parallel location on our earth?" She gestured between herself and Dani who gave her an odd look at this question.

"A place called Styria in Austria." Ravio said simply "It's beautiful there, very much like home in some ways, but… I prefer California." He added with a wink.

Winona shook her head and smiled.

Raavio continued. "Plus..the spoken language 'English' of this land is much Much closer to the common tongue of both Lorule and Hyrule. It was an easier transition for us."

"I See." Said Winona, seemingly satisfied with that answer, she sat back in her seat and began absently picking at her black chrome nail polish, settling into her thoughts for the ride. Dani rested her head on her shoulder and closed her eyes, either trying to rest a bit or mentally prepare herself for the upcoming 'jump'.

Suddenly the car jerked violently to the left and then back to the right throwing Wind from his seat into Twilight's lap with a sharp yelp. The man helped the boy back up into his seat and checked him for injuries. Wind had the beginning of a fat lip from smashing his face on Twilight's knee but looked otherwise alright and in decent enough spirits. Hyrule on the other hand looked queasy and ready to scream.

"Justin! What the hell!" Ravio shouted from his seat. He got his answer momentarily; a wicked spear burst through the back window raining glass on those seated in that section. It hit its mark. Ravio gasped and looked down, seemingly more in surprise than pain to see the spearhead sticking out of his right shoulder, blood pouring from the wound in a torrent.

A triumphant shriek from the sky above indicated the source of the weapon. An Aeralfos was closing in on them fast (Which was impressive all things considered..) Winona lunged forward to protect Ravio and tried to staunch the bleeding. She ripped off her sweater and began to apply it as a compress. Her eyes connected with Hyrule's in a plea.

"Link! Help!" She cried. Hyrule nodded and stumbled forward, half in a crawl. When he reached her, he shifted his attention to the man bleeding in front of him.

He spoke in a soft voice. "Sorry about this!" He said and braced one hand against Ravio's good shoulder and pulled the spear all the way through the wound with the other. If the man wasn't in pain before, he was now. He screamed and shook trying to fight off the people trying to help him. "Keep him still!" Hyrule screamed at Winona as he worked frantically to try to clear the wound. Once the spear was free, he pulled a red potion from his pack and uncorked it. Ravio looked visibly pale and shaken, but grateful. As Hyrule brought the bottle to the injured man's lips the vehicle swerved again as a second beast landed on the roof, throwing Legend who had been shooting his bow at the fiends through the broken window behind them back into Hyrule and soaking both of them in the sticky red potion goo.

"UGH!" Screamed the vet dropping his bow and trying in vain to wipe the stinging viscous substance from his eyes "It smells worse than it tastes!"

Hyrule looked back at Ravio with wide eyes and pulled a fairy bottle from the back.

"No…" Hissed Ravio, pressing the makeshift compress against his seeping shoulder. There's nowhere here for her to go, she'll die. There are no fountains in this world.
Hyrule's eyes widened at this but he nodded and put the bottle away. His hands began to glow, preparing a spell, Ravio smiled but shook his head. "Save your magic, Kid..We'll be at the Keep soon enough. I'll get proper care there."

Wild had taken up Legend's previous post at the back window and took out the Aeralfos behind them with a well-aimed shot. It landed on the road in a heap and quickly disappeared into the darkness behind them. The monster on the roof of the car squealed in anger and began to drive its own spear down into the vehicle very nearly impaling Sky but he dodged out of the way, it snagged on his sailcloth tearing a great hole in it as the beast pulled its spear back out for another strike. Sky went feral.

"OH NO, YOU DON'T!" He bellowed, and grabbed the spear that had impaled Ravio, still slick with his blood, and began to drive it upwards into the roof, stabbing up repeatedly where he hoped the monster was with a scream of rage. The car began to swerve erratically again as more monsters began to attack, Wild did his best to shoot them down but the violent swaying of the car made that difficult.

"Winny..." Ravio rasped as she was thrown hard next to him with the latest swerve. "M-My staff. Take it…"

"What do I do?" She cried, eyes wide and afraid, she struggled to keep his wound covered.

"S-shoot..." was all he got out, as his consciousness slipped. Ravio was in bad shape. He was still breathing, but he needed help soon.

Winona let out a guttural scream of impotent rage as she hugged the bloody man and kissed his brow. "We'll get you help! I promise! I won't let you die!" She took his staff and crawled up into the back window sitting on the top of the seat, looping a leg into the seatbelt and bracing the other around a headrest to keep herself from falling out. She clutched at the rack on the back of the roof with one hand and pointed the rod at the monster still playing its lethal game of 'battleships' on with Sky below. The rod charged briefly with a blinding blue glow. "YAHHH! SUCK MY DICK FROM THE BACK, ASSHOLE!" Winona screamed at it as she fired.

Her aim was true. The beast took the shot directly to the middle of its chest and was killed instantly, its body burst into blue flames. Its charred corpse came flying past, knocking her back with a shriek, she tightened her grip on the headrest and seatbelt with her legs as her torse flailed back behind the car, crumbled of broken window glass digging into her back painfully. Dani screamed.

"Winona!" Cried Legend as he surged forward to grab her legs and keep her from falling. She looked back into the cab of the car briefly, meeting his eyes. "I've got you!"

She nodded, before returning her attention to the monsters above. Using the magical rod to blast them out of the sky one by one. Once the monsters were clear and the drive was steady again Winona crawled back into the cab, shaking, cut up and wind-chapped, but triumphant. Dani threw her arms around the woman in a sob.

"Puta Madre! Idiota! Don't you EVER do something like that again!"

Winona laughed despite the situation and hugged her friend back. Her eyes met Legend's again, crinkled in a genuine smile causing an uneasy feeling in his chest. He cleared his throat.

"You were incredible.." He murmured.

Dani whipped her head around to look at him, not relinquishing her grip on her friend.

"Estúpido, Shit-ass! No one asked you! She could have died!" She growled at him causing the vet to throw his hands up in a gesture of defense.

"I-I..just-" he stammered.

"Oh, Dani lay off.." Winona teased stroking the smaller woman's hair.

Dani sighed. "Yeah… I guess. I'm sorry Pinky. That was kind of mean. We good?"

Legend seemed to continue to fumble, "Uh- Yeah. I- uh.. We're good."

The car slowed. And a very ruffled-looking Justin rolled down the window to the front. "We're…We… *cough* We've arrived."

The crew unloaded their gear and helped a semi-conscious Ravio over to the edge of the startlingly sheer cliff. Waves crashed at a beach some considerable distance below.

As promised, not 6 feet down them was a large round portal filled with a swirling purple light.

"Bingo.." chuckled Ravio roughly before he coughed, and spat a wad of bloody phlegm. "All aboard.."

"Are…you sure you can make that jump ok?" Asked four coming up beside him, I might have a spare Roc's-"

"Oh don't worry about me.. I'll be fine kid, but thanks." The man stood as best as he could to his full height to show he meant it. Four nodded and backed down.

Ms. Fen stepped forward "Sir... What should I do about the estate?...the label? Everything?" She asked uneasily.

Ravio groaned and turned to her with a look of exhausted irritation. "What you Always do Lydia..We both know you've been running the show for years now anyway, just…keep doing…all that. It's what I pay you for!" He shuffled painfully up to the edge.

"I demand a raise!" She said her face a mask of calm resolve.

Ravio laughed hoarsely. "Kid…pay yourself whatever you want. It's your show now. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Buy an island or something. Tell 'em I became a recluse. Oh, and Lydia?"

"….Yes?"

Thanks For everything…You too, Justin. Thank you.. Goodbye."

He jumped.

Ms. Fen looked uncertain for a moment and then shook her head. "Always with the dramatics."

The rest of the group jumped into the portal one after the other until only Winona, Dani and Time were left. Winona and Dani each gave Justin and Ms. Fen a hug and a tearful goodbye before linking hands and jumping together. Time, once everyone else was presumably safe on the other side, gave the remaining duo a nod and followed down the portal.

Standing alone on the cliffside, Lydia and Justin took a moment to breathe.

"Well… I guess that's that then.." Lydia said finally and turned to her partner with a smirk. "Want to see about that island?"

He smiled at her and offered his elbow as they walked back to the car.