Final Chapter: A New Dawn

Two figures watched, and waited.

"So, the Soul Wraith failed." One of the figures said.

"His essence is basically good, to depend on him was a gamble." The other figure said. "Luckily, our tampering with his mind has gone unnoticed, but we won't be able to do so again."

"Then what will we do?"

"We have another plan. We will use them."

"That will take years."

"We have the time. We'll just have to be careful, for the Hero of Time and the Sages are stronger now, and they will get stronger as time goes by."

"You are right. We must be careful."

They both turned towards a twisted shrine. "Master, do not fear, this is only a slight setback." They both spoke simultaneously

"You shall win, in the end."

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"We did it!" Saria jumped into the air with joy. "We won! We're safe!" Saria ran over to Link, who looked a little tired, and pulled him into a hug that put Malons to shame.

"Yes Saria." Link whispered, holding her softly. "We're safe."

"And so, the noble hero is victorious." Everyone turned, looking at the small figure slumped on the floor, leaning against the wall. "He and his lover ride off, into the sunset, to live in peace forever!" Shadow laughed bitterly. "And the wretched villain is left behind, to suffer the cold loneliness that he is doomed to live."

"Shadow..." Kalo whispered.

"Just remember this Link! Your peace will now last. Something will come to disrupt it. Whether it be a madman who is twisted or evil, or a fool who merely thought what he was doing was right. It will come, and you will have to stop it once more. May you be prepared." Shadow began to fade, where he was going, nobody knew.

"Wait!" Kalo shouted, "Which are you?"

"Me?" Shadow whispered, as he continued to fade. "I am the fool who thought he was right. Farewell...Kalo." and he was gone.

"I guess you have a heart after all." the fairy whispered.

"Link?" Zelda said, walking over to the two. "Um...could you forgive me for my foolish behavior?"

"Zelda," Link said gently. "If people never forgave me every time I did something stupid, I would be, well, a lot more of a jerk then I am now." Link smirked. "So yeah, don't worry about it, just try not to make such a big deal over everything" Link gave Zelda a quick hug.

"Don't worry," Saria gently said, "everything will be fine."

"Yeah," Malon piped up. "Besides, if Saria ever gets bored of him, I'm sure she'll let you rent him for a while."

"Malon!" Link and Saria shouted.

Zelda laughed, "I don't know...I mean, he really isn't worth much. Sure, he's cute, but is he ‘pay money' cute?"

"I hate you Red." Link muttered.

"No you doesn't." Malon said in an airy tone. "I you did I wouldn't be able to get away with this."

"Darn you and your logic." Link groaned.

"Zelda," Rauru suddenly said, "if you would be so kind as to open a portal to the Chamber of Sages, from there we'll all return home."

"Oh, right." Zelda said, this was after all, her Temple. So she could do things in it nobody else could. Just like the other Sages could do in their Temples

Like open a portal to the Temple of Light.

"Here you go." Zelda said, moving her hands, and as she moved them a rip in Existence formed, revealing the Chamber of Sages.

"So that's what an interdimensional portal looks like, I'll have to remember that." Malon commented. "Hey Link, does your Picto Box have any film left?"

"Let me see..." Link pulled the device out of his bag, he fiddled with it for a moment. "Sorry, no."

"Well, I wouldn't let you take one anyway." Zelda said, as five on the other Sages entered the portal, leaving to go to their homes. "We don't want it to become common knowledge."

"Right." Impa said, Link noticed she was entering her ‘Zelda, what have you done?' mode. "Now Zelda, if you would kindly explain what's going on?"

"Um, I really don't know." Zelda said.

"Right." Impa said, "Then, can you tell me this; Who is Kasuto? It sounds like a Gerudo name."

"Well, Miss Impa." Kalo flew up to the Shadow Sage. "Kasuto is a Gerudo, she's a friend of Zelda's."

"Oh, then I take it she's the Gerudo passed out back there?" Impa pointed to the young girl.

"Kasuto!" Zelda instantly ran over to her. "Are you alright?" She kneeled down next to Kasuto, concern covering her face. "Thank the Goddesses, it's just Magic Fatigue."

Click!

Zelda turned towards Link, who grinned nervously. "I guess it still had some film left."

"Link..." Zelda growled, slowly standing up.

"Heheheheheheh...it was just an accident Zelda...Zelda? Why are you taking out a Bo Staff?"

"Run Link! Run for your life!" Malon warned cheerfully.

Wham! Zelda broke her Bo Staff.

"Too late." Saria muttered.

"I feel better now." Zelda said calmly as Link rubbed his sore head.

"Zelda!" Impa said sternly. "Haven't a taught you anything?"

Link smiled slightly, looks like somebody's on his side.

"That wasn't the proper way to hold a Bo Staff!"

Link fell down. "Why me?"

"Sorry Impa." Zelda said. "Next time I beat Link, I'll do it right." Links eye twitched.

"Sorry Linky, your just cursed I guess." Saria patted Links head. "I still love you."

"I just saved the world." Link muttered, "Can't I get a break?"

"No." Was everyone's response.

"I can't win." Link sighed, "They're all against me."

Kalo smiled, it was amazing how fast things had changed from a dark mood into a happy one. "I'm glad everything's right with the world." Kalo hovered over to Saria, "Saria, I'm sorry for anything I said, I take it all back. Alright?"

"Um, whatever." Saria replied, "I can't remember it anyway!" She laughed.

"We could go home Zelda." Impa said, "I'm sure your father is worried about you."

Zelda smiled weakly, "Right, Impa, we'll be taking Kasuto with us."

"Why?" Impa asked.

"Because we're...good friends, and I want her to be safe." Zelda said quickly.

"Very well." Impa said, "We'll have her brought over by some doctors. By the way, what are you going to tell your father?"

Zelda sighed. "The truth, I guess. It seems to be the only way out of this, though I'm not telling him about Sheik."

"I see." Impa nodded. "Shall we be going?"

"Yes."

"Wait!" Kalo flew over to Zelda, "I'd just like to say...thanks, and I'll see you again. Tell Kasuto I feel the same."

Zelda smiled. "Sure thing Kalo. See you all later!"

"So," Malon said. "What are we going to do now?"

"Go home, I guess." Link said. "What do you think Saria?"

"Home sounds good."

"I agree." Kalo said.

Malon nodded. "Right, how about I get those Picto Graphs developed, and I send you them?"

"Go ahead." Link answered.

"By the way..." Malon got that grin on her face. "Invite me to the wedding."

Link and Saria blinked, they looked at each other, turned to look back at Malon, and spoke as one.

"What's a wedding?"

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Wrong. Wrong. How could I have been wrong...

Shadow sat, alone, in the void. He didn't know how long he'd been there, and he didn't care. He felt weak, it was like most of his power was gone, he guessed it would take years to regain it. But he didn't care, nothing mattered to him anymore.

Links words echoed through his mind.

He wanted to stop suffering, but he didn't know how to do it?

Am I cursed to always cause pain? He had hurt so many people...

But what had Link said? That suffering is needed, that it is an important part of life?

If it weren't for him, Link would still be miserable, pining away for Saria.

Saria would still be confused, scared, and lonely.

Kalo wouldn't have made new friends.

Malon wouldn't have gained a sense of purpose, and she never would have begun the prosses of getting over her guilt.

Zelda would probably have gone insane within a few years, but now she was beginning to find peace with herself.

Kasuto found someone, and knows now that there are good people in the world.

"I did end some suffering..." That's what he would do, he would find those which caused suffering.

And he would stop them.

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Kasuto opened her eyes. Last thing she remembered was...what had happened? She remembered a spell, something involving Time...but, Time Magic didn't exist! Did it?

"Thank the goddesses, you're awake."

Kasuto heard a familiar voice, yet, it wasn't quite the same. She sat up, and saw the body to go with that voice.

She was a young woman, about Kasutos age. Blond hair flowed down to her shoulders. Her face, while soft and gentle, looked somewhat boyish. She was wearing a silk dress, a pearl color. On her head was a silver tiara, with a Triforce engraved in. Her eyes, they told Kasuto everything. Though they were a Hylian blue, they still looked pretty much the same to Kasuto.

"Sheik?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

The girl nodded. "Kalo says he'll visit us again."

"Why?" Kasuto asked, feeling so terrible, "Why did you lie to me?"

The girl sighed. "Sheik is my alternate personality, I use magic to transform into him, both in body and in mind."

"So, you make yourself look like a Sheikah boy?" Kasuto asked, feeling just a little bit of curiosity, with a small amount of anger mixed.

"No, I become a Sheikah boy, I've gone to the bathroom as Sheik, so I know." The girl said matter of factly.

Kasuto blushed a little, that was more then she needed to know. "Right, I'll take your word on that." Kasuto looked around the room. "Wow, you must be from a rich family. What's your name anyway?"

"Oh, my birth name is Zelda Hyrule." Zelda said.

Kasuto froze, "Wait, you don't mean, Princess Zelda do you?"

"I'm afraid so." Zelda sighed. "I'm really sorry, I guess you hate me now." Zelda felt tears coming Oh please, not now...

"I...I don't know." Kasuto got up. "Um, Zelda? I need some time alone. To think."

"Right," Zelda choked out. "You're free to go whenever you wish."

"Thank you." Kasuto walked over to the door. "Um, Zelda?"

"Yes?" Zelda was trying very hard not to cry.

"I...I'll see you later."

Zelda smiled. "Thank you." She waited until Kasuto left, and was out of earshot, before speaking again, this time in a whisper.

"I'll wait for you..."

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"Malon! You're safe!" Talon pulled his daughter into a big hug. "I was so worried about you!"

"I'm fine daddy!" Malon wheezed out, she had gotten her hugs from her father. "I'm fine. I was just with my friends."

"But-"

"I'm fine daddy." Malon said.

"I understand." Talon released his little girl. "You're a strong girl, you're just my only girl."

"Daddy..." Malon smiled, "Can I get Magic Lessons?"

"Err..." Talon was surprised, Malon had never asked about magic before. "I don't see why not."

"Yay! Thanks Daddy!" Malon kissed her fathers cheek. "I'm going to make some lunch for us now!"

"Uhhh...that won't be necessary!" Talon didn't want his daughter in the kitchen. "Lets just talk about those Magic Lessons you want."

"OK Daddy." Malon smiled.

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Kasuto wandered the ally ways of Hyrule Castle City. She didn't know where she was going to go. Where could she go? She knew that she didn't want to go back to Gerudo Valley. Where she would be hated, all she knew was that she wanted time.

"Hello there young lady."

Kasuto saw a strange man standing in front of her. He was dressed in purple, with bright red hair. His eyes were closed, and he had a strange grin on his face.

"You look like you could use some help."

Kasuto didn't know why, but she felt like she could trust him. "I'm confused, I feel strange around someone, but I don't know what to do!"

"Ah, issues of the heart. I've lived a long life, and I remember what it was like, very confusing."

"I can't go home...I have no home to return to." Kasuto sobbed.

"Well, I have an idea." The man chuckled strangely, "I need some help at my shop, how about I hire you? You'll get room, board, and some spending money."

Kasuto looked at the man, "You'd do that for me?"

"Yes, what do you say?"

Kasuto thought for a moment. "Why not? It's the best idea I've heard so far."

"Wonderful, what is your name, Miss?"

"Kasuto Lilia" For some reason she didn't think of asking for his name. "What kind of shop will I be working at?"

"Oh, I sell masks..."

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They had dropped Malon off at her home, and now they were watching the sunset.

"It's so beautiful." Saria whispered.

"Yeah, it's very nice." Link commented, "But I like looking at you better." He grinned, kissing Saria. "You're closer too."

"Link! Kalos here!" Saria whispered, "don't embarrass us!"

"Bah, I've seen worse stuff." Kalo said. "Don't mind me."

"I agree, neither of you are doing anything particularly interesting." Makan commented. "It's actually rather sickening watching you, are you two going to do anything interesting?"

"Get. Back. In. The. Sword." Saria growled, her eyes practically glowing red.

"Eeep!" Makan vanished.

"Now where were we." Saria said softly, "Oh yes." She kissed Link, rather passionately.

"Oh, now this is something that pervert would be interested in." Kalo muttered.

Link broke off the kiss. He smiled, everything seemed right with the world.

"Let's go home."

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