A sense of peace, that's what he could remember. The princess' words that reminded him not to give into the darkness, to use his own strength to battle. Rejecting the darkness. A battle with the Hyrulean knight Link. Defeat. And then...nothing.

Why was there nothing? Oh, that's right, he'd sold his soul to Cia for power. He was half of what he was. And he could feel nothing.

What was one to do that had become nothing? Simply think? Just the notion made his gut boil with rage. Was this his fate? Was he doomed to go mad in the nothingness? Absurd. He wanted to thrash about, tear at this maddening nothingness, set it aflame. Anything but to just exist yet not at the same time.

He had no body to fight it with. He was stuck, doomed to go mad in a world where he felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing. He couldn't even scream.

Why did he accept that deal with the dark witch?

You had to, that's why.

Humans never liked a dragon. He'd devour their livestock, they'd fight back, he would attack them in return. It became a vicious cycle. The humans took him for a villain, so he became one. He even came to enjoy the constant battles, even going so far as to steal treasure and other humans to egg battles on. But even then he'd grown bored with time. So he retreated into his home in Eldin Caves.

There he was given the respect he deserved; The lizolfos and dinolfos were his allies. They shared the spoils of their conquests, told tales of their adventures, competed for title of the strongest. Volga always claimed that title. There, in his caves, he was content.

Then she appeared. Cia. He heard the chaos in the distant caves beyond the gates of his domain. The gorons were fighting someone. He paid no mind until he felt a surge of power. The accursed ring that ensnared evil souls had been given form. Whoever this invader was, they were extremely powerful.

She had the audacity to offer him an allegiance. He replied with a sneer. "I've little interest in humans and their wars."

That was not the answer she was looking for. Despite the power of the dragon-kin chieftains under him, she slaughtered her way through his home. She even killed the two Dodongos that rose to defend their dragon master.

He fought with all of his strength, but she beat him. Her tactics were brutal, the dark whip's lashes stinging with a poisonous pain that slowed him down and countless moblins shot their crude arrows at him. The fight was long and gradually grew one sided. When he could fight no more, he collapsed in his original dragon form.

Volga wheezed angrily, but no fire came from his throat. He couldn't even lift his head from the rocky ground.

Cia paced around the beast, having enough audacity to run her hand along his bloodied neck. "We could help one another, you know." When Volga growled weakly, she calmly added, "Fine perish here, or even worse, survive. Live as a wounded beast unworthy to call himself a dragon knight."

That struck him to the core, making his injured body shudder. A dragon knight that couldn't fight wasn't worthy to live at all. He could feel Cia's eyes watch him think beneath the dark lenses of her mask. What do you want? Volga replied after a long pause.

"Your allegiance." She replied. "All of your allegiance, and I'll make you more powerful than ever."

Volga stared at her long and hard. Each breath he took was ragged and painful. The longer he thought, the more he could feel every injury his body had taken. His left wing membrane had been completely severed from his body, one of his legs mangled and broken, moblin arrows littered his body and dug deep into him. Using any power but his own went against every honorable principle he lived by. Yet if he survived this sorry state, he'd be nothing. He had no choice either way.

With a slow, shaking sigh, he shut his eyes. I accept.

A smile wormed its way onto Cia's face. It was a twisted, dark grin, nearly dark as the glass orb that she materialized in front of her open hand. Despite its sheen, Volga couldn't see his reflection in it. There were only dark, murky depths without end. He felt as if he were falling endlessly into it merely by looking into it…Or was he actually falling? The orb was pulling him into its depths and all he could feel was falling, infinite plummeting as his chest grew hollow.

Then he felt a rush. It was like nothing he felt before. Fire coursed through his veins, spreading from his hollowed chest and to every end of his body. A loud roar bubbled in his throat and despite every injury, he slammed his talons into the ground and pushed his body up with his newfound strength. The roar he ripped loose was like nothing he'd bellowed before. Fire shot into the sky as unbridled energy ripped from his throat.

Cia laughed at the sight. The darkness consumed him like it had consumed her, unbridled and delicious. He felt unstoppable and she knew it.

Volga tore the ballistas from his body, feeling no pain. Dark energy swirled about his wounds and patched them as he watched in wonder. Everything about him felt stronger, his senses were sharper, his fire felt hotter. He bowed his head to Cia once his body mended itself with darkness.

"You are my ally now." Cia gave a single pat to his muzzle. "None will stand in our way."

Volga raised his head. Thoughts of humans, his pathetic, cunning enemies clouded his mind with rage. The darkness left nothing in him but hatred and fire and the desire to serve her. He looked down to Cia with narrowed eyes. None.

It was a foolish deal, he realized that now. The orb that belonged to Cia, the dark orb had taken his soul, and left him drunk on power and rage. Only when the princess Zelda had called to his sense did his honor rear its head. Pushing the darkness from his body made his every limb feel like lead, but he fought with his own strength and his alone. The hero had been a truly worthy opponent. Finally he had died with honor.

That sense of peace suddenly escaped the dragon knight in his state of limbo. He'd turned to such disgraceful means just to find a worthy opponent. Would that battle even count? Was his defeat rightfully earned after what he'd done to get it?

Before Volga could ponder anymore, he felt a familiar heat on his scales. It was that of a sunny day, one that promised valiant battles and the sweetness of victory. He reveled in it. If he had wings he would take to the sky in search of battle. But then the heat grew stronger, burning as if his own flame had been turned against him. Soon he was falling, infinitely plummeting just as when he bargained his soul to Cia.

Crash

Volga's eyes shot open. There he lay in his human form among ruins of ancient buildings. His body ached and he felt as if thousands of hands held him down. Despite the pain, a shaky smile graced the knight's bloodied face. A single word rang in his mind.

Alive.

((author's note: This is my first published fanfic, so feedback is greatly appreciated! Based on it I'll decide to write more or not! Thanks!

author's note #2: I got the Master Quest DLC and it reveals how Cia recruited Volga and Wizzro, so I changed up the story a bit! Luckily the whole "against his will" thing that I originally wrote was right in-game!))