I told you guys I was excited to write the Hyrule Warriors scenes! This one, like most of the others for this game, I've had planned in my head since before I started this whole series five years ago. I might have to pace myself, though, or they'll all be done in a couple weeks, and then I'll have to slog through FSA and BOTW.

So, while I'm here, I wanted to make an observation. For about six months, I've been getting PMs from accounts that claim to be concept artists or commission artists offering to make art. Has anyone else been noticing this?

Of course, I actually responded to the first PM and had a short chat with them. They gave me a Discord username to look up. Problem was, the username wasn't formatted properly for Discord, so as far as that website was concerned, it didn't actually exist! That and the fact that I've been getting at least one PM like this every week or so, ALWAYS by a different user account, and ALWAYS worded similarly, have made me very suspicious.

So I'm going to address this next to any actual artists who might be reading this.

If you are a real artist and actually want to make art based on my fan fictions, I am absolutely flattered! Unfortunately, I have no way of picking out the real artists from what is likely a sea of bot accounts. And, worse, I'm living on a substitute teacher's salary, which is part-time, inconsistent, and kinda on the small side! Certainly not enough to feel comfortable commissioning art.

However... I what I can do is give you my permission to base works off my fics. You don't have to send it to me for review, you can post it wherever you like...heck, you can monetize it if you choose, and you don't even have to credit me.

If you're absolutely determined for me to see it, though...I do sometimes look at DeviantArt...but don't tell anyone I told you that! ;-P

...Okay, I've probably beat that topic to death by now.

As always, please make sure to leave a review if you enjoyed reading this, or have suggestions on how to improve my kiss scenes! Thank you so much!

It was nearly over. Lana could feel it in her gut. All the fighting, all the chaos, all the death, was drawing inexorably to a close. The feeling was permeating the entire encampment. The whole Hylian army, she knew, was eager to end it, the tantalizing prospect of peace looming large and close, a near-heavenly vision waiting to be grasped.

She wished she could share in the soldiers' joyous anticipation. But she couldn't help the tinge of bitterness in her own spirit.

It had been eight months since Cia had started this war. Fully a year, furthermore, since Lana had been split from the dark sorceress's soul. In that time, the both of them had been able to experience how it felt to truly live, though Cia had taken a darker path. Once she was dealt with (sealed away or destroyed outright, Lana couldn't predict), it would fall to her to take up the mantle they had shared when they were one and the same. An eternity in the Temple of Souls, observing Hyrule's developing history and overseeing the flow of time. The whole Temple all to herself and, theoretically, no one for company. Well, maybe not that last part, as she was currently showing the Hylian army - and her new friends, by extension - the way to the Temple; she was sure they'd at least stop by to visit.

Perhaps the biggest twist of the knife was that she would inevitably watch Link and Zelda's relationship continue to grow closer. Having once been a part of Cia, Lana shared her deep, ever-growing affection for the Hero. And even though she bore Zelda no ill will (unlike her counterpart), it was no less galling that the Hero and the Princess were always destined for each other. Her time helping them lead the army had served only to get her even more acquainted with this particular Hero, and deepen her feelings of attachment to him. But Link's destiny, Zelda's destiny, and her own, were unchangeable.

Cia had understood that fate too. She had chosen to defy it. But Lana would not. The Three themselves governed everyone's destiny; to stand against fate was to stand against them. And as Lana had clearly seen, it led to nothing but destruction. So far be it from her to lash out or try and change her destiny, as Cia had. Link and Zelda would fall in love, as their previous incarnations always had, and she herself would return to overseeing the flow of time. She would accept those destinies.

Fate was inexorable.

"Hi Lana!" As if summoned by her thoughts, here came Link with a cheery greeting. And Nayru help her, but that sunny expression of his brought a blush to her face, no matter how hard she tried to fight it down.

She waved in return. "What's up?" she chirped, smiling warmly back at him.

As he finally came to a stop before her, she did a double take. Were Link's cheeks a bit pinker than normal? Then she mentally waved it off. Link was a teenager; of course he'd blush in a pretty girl's presence. It meant nothing, it couldn't. Then the moment was gone, as Link's gaze shifted away, towards the edge of camp. "The scouts just came in," he reported. "We're within four hours' march of the Temple. We'll be able to reach it tomorrow with enough time to start forming siege lines, or lead an assault, if we decide on that."

Lana nodded. Internally, of course, she was wondering why he was telling her this, rather than Zelda or Impa. Then she realized they'd all be relying on her knowledge of the place - and of Cia's mindset - to determine their next move. Which meant she could expect another war council tonight. Probably in the next few hours, in fact, as the sun was already beginning to angle in toward the western horizon.

"It's almost over, isn't it?" she remarked to Link, who nodded back. Lana wished she could hold back the grimace, but it was hopeless. "I can't say I'm looking forward to spending another eternity alone in there."

Link grimaced too. "You shouldn't have to," he replied with a shake of his head. Was Lana imagining it, or did Link actually sound frustrated about that?

But she was already shaking her head. "Someone has to make sure the natural flow of time is not interfered with again," she explained. "The Temple is the only place to do that, and the duty is mine. I wish I could change my destiny, but…we've already seen what happens when we try. At least…you and Zelda could come and visit every so often…"

"...Of course," Link reassured her with conviction. But she'd caught the hesitation. He absolutely meant follow through, she knew, but there was something else going on in his head.

Lana smiled thankfully back at him. "And I doubt the Three would be too upset if I took just a day off to be at you two's wedding," she added.

The expression Link gave back at that was one of confusion. "Us two?" he questioned. "Surely you can't mean me and Zelda." And the strange thing was, there was no irony in his voice. He was being dead serious.

Lana shrugged, hoping her smile would be seen as encouraging. "It's going to happen," she mused. "At the age you two are, likely sooner rather than later."

Link's confusion showed no signs of clearing up, though. "But Zelda and I aren't going to be getting married," he asserted.

Lana's eyes widened slightly, but she'd already seen this in other Heroes before. "So you're one of the incarnations that'll wait for the Princess to propose, then," she observed. "I guess I should've guessed. Lots of other Heroes didn't think they'd get to marry their princess either."

But Link was already shaking his head. "That's not what I meant," he said. "Don't get me wrong, Zelda's…amazing. She's brave, clever, determined…gorgeous…" he shrugged a little before continuing, "But I'm just…not really interested in her like that."

Lana stared back at him, incredulous. "You can't possibly mean that," she denied. "It won't be long before she makes her feelings for you clear. You two are meant for each other…surely you wouldn't say no to her."

There was a few seconds of silence as Link looked awkwardly from side to side. His next words sent a shock through Lana's system: "...I already did."

Lana almost choked, the impact of that statement hitting her with almost-kinetic force. This was dangerous talk. Link was the Hero, bound by duty and destiny alike. For him to have no romantic interest in the Princess - for him to go so far as to decline her love when she offered it - was practically a shirking of duty.

Of course, Lana couldn't help the traitorous voice that leapt up in her mind, urging her to take the opportunity that now lay open to her. No…NO, she couldn't. The Three only knew what calamity might result from Link turning his back on his destiny. She had to get him to see reason, had to get him and Zelda together, even if it tore her apart inside.

So after getting her sputtering under control, she almost frantically responded, "You…you can't. This isn't the sort of relationship normal people have. It's not something you can just walk away from. This is set in stone. It's the divine will of the Three themselves that your destinies are to be intertwined."

Link nodded; perhaps getting him to do the right thing would be easier than she'd anticipated. "I know," Link said. "And I have nothing against destiny…but…well…Zelda and I have been leading an army together. For months. Side by side. That…seems pretty intertwined to me."

And Lana's train of thought crashed to a halt. Link's argument seemed so simple - almost childish, even. But somehow, it made a surprising amount of sense. After all, the divine decree was that the Hero and Princess' destinies would be forever intertwined. It was never specified in what way.

Even as she felt herself agreeing with Link, something in her gut insisted it was too simple. And then another thought came to her. "Okay, that does make sense," she conceded. "But who else would you choose, reasonably? Midna, Agitha, Ruto, and Fi all have to go back to their own times…Impa…doesn't seem like the type to think about that sort of thing…"

She got no further, her words - and indeed, her entire train of thought - derailed by Link's lips pressing softly to hers. It was two seconds long at the most, but it sent her pulse racing and heat flooding her cheeks anyway.

And just as she began to process what was happening, Link pulled away. Another few seconds passed in silence; Link was grinning cheekily and blushing and dang it, did he not realize that expression of his was too cute for his own good?

His blush didn't subside, but his words sounded way too confident. "Does that answer your question?" he half-whispered to her.

The voice inside her, telling her to seize the opportunity Link had just presented her, grew louder now, and so much more difficult to refuse. "I have to stay in the Temple," she said, the frantic energy of her earlier words subsiding.

"Then I'll join you," Link answered. "And if you see another threat to Hyrule, you can send me straight there to deal with it before it becomes too much of a problem. And then I could come right back to you."

Now he was making too much sense. That's when realization hit Lana. Link hadn't just recently fallen in love with her. He'd fallen for her quite a while ago, long enough to have actually thought it through and come up with a solution to all the issues his choice might cause.

Long enough to feel confident exploiting a loophole in destiny.

Long enough to be comfortable committing to her.

"I meant what I said earlier," he finished softly, "You shouldn't be forced to spend forever alone."

And just like that, the restraint fell away. Now it was Lana who was initiating the kiss - more intense, more aggressive than Link had been, seizing the chance Link had given her, lest she hesitate and discover it to have all been a fever dream. Link was caught off guard by the suddenness of her kiss, and even more by the passion she put into it. Sweet and innocent she may have looked, but she still shared the memories and pent-up needs of a being several millennia old. Eventually, of course, Link gave in to her, one hand coming up to comb through her blue locks, the other moving to stroke her shoulder, trying his best to match the pace her lips were setting. Sensing this, Lana slowed down a bit, letting him catch up until they were at a comfortable pace for both of them. Now that she had her Hero's lips on her own, she didn't really feel like pulling away.

Eventually, of course, they both had to, for the sake of air. The moment they did, the pair found themselves suddenly enveloped in an unexpected group hug. "Now that's what I call a kiss," quipped none other than Zelda herself, enveloping the two in a surprisingly strong embrace. "Seriously, though, you two are absolutely adorable together." Now the Princess, who Lana had thought was destined to claim the Hero's heart - who had, apparently, offered hers to him at some point recently - was congratulating them on their new relationship.

Lana decided that at this point, it was best to just stop questioning the situation and enjoy.