Cia rolled over for the millionth time in her bed. She wasn't being plagued by nightmares of failure anymore. Rather, she was graced with fantasies of triumph, having the hero all to herself. But she was thinking: She could only truly have one of the Links to love and cherish. The others could be easily brainwashed to forever stay by her side, however, which one would be the one?

She bolted up to a sitting position, wanting more than anything to figure this out so she could begin making him, whoever "him" was, to fall for her as soon as possible. She swung her legs over the edge of her mattress and panted her feet firmly on the ground. She smoothed out her revealing purple nightgown and summoned a tongue of fire on her palm for light.

She exited her bedroom and strode down the hall way, locating the three rooms she had provided for her reinforcements. She quietly cracked open the door and peeked inside the first one. Young Link was huddled with his bunched-up blanket, squeezing it tight. He was no doubt still awake, but paid Cia no mind as she silently shut the door.

Young Link was an obvious no. He was still a child, despite his time as an adult. However, Cia still wanted him by her side. He would prove most useful in her little battle, and turning him against Zelda would be relatively easy, given their history.

She moved onto the next room, where his Sky incarnation rested. He was sprawled unceremoniously on the bed, something that was surprisingly cute. Not very inviting to a woman, but still cute.

But I'm not looking for cute, Cia thought to herself.

Sky Link had too great of a relationship with his Zelda to be manipulated into loving Cia. It just couldn't work. Besides that, his soul was very pure and innocent, which was surprising giving his experiences. Yes, she had admired him from afar before, but now that she had her choice, he wasn't her first pick.

Finally, she made her way to Wolf Link's room. She peered inside and saw him lying on his side under the covers, his hat hanging on the bed post. She slowly snuck in, shutting the door behind her. She knelt by the bed and took a good look at his face. His expression was peaceful, a kind of peace one could only find in sleep.

But what really caught her attention was his soul. It was still on the side of good, but she could tell it was slowly being corrupted. However, this was not an evil sort of corruption, but rather one that pulled him into a state of depression and negativity. She knew that in her own dimension, the hero became so tired of his life that he decided to end it before he even saw the age of twenty. She prayed that this one would find a bit of happiness to keep him alive among the darkness. As long as the happiness wasn't Zelda, of course.

Cia continued to stare at him for quite some time. Her emotions were beginning to get the better of her. This Link had the proper age of the Hero of Sky, yet still harbored the darkness she craved like the Hero of Time, albeit in a different form.

Yes… She had taken quite the liking to this one.

She silently chanted a spell that would keep him soundly asleep for the next several minutes, just enough to quell her desires. She tested out the spell by gently rolling him over onto his back. His head lolled to one side, but he didn't show any signs of awakening. Satisfied, Cia ran a hand over his chest. She began to blush as she did so, imagining what it would be like to have him feel the same way she did about him. What if they got married and had children and lived out the rest of their lives together? He didn't feel so strongly about Zelda as his other incarnations, so this would be much easier. She began to smile as she thought about her childish dreams. She laid her head on his chest and was tempted to stay there for a while, although she knew he would be woken up by it once the spell wore off.

Her eyes had darted to his lips quite a few times during her very few minutes with him. She obviously could just kiss him now in the state he was in. In fact, she could do whatever she wanted with his protests. Her face turned an even darker shade of red at the idea.

No, she decided silently. I want him to really want it. I want him to ask for it. Then it'll mean something.

"Cia?"

Her head darted up from his chest quickly as she whipped her head around to the door. Young Link was standing in the doorframe, hugging his bunched up blanket like a stuffed animal.

"What are you doing with him?" he yawned, his tone uncaring. Luckily he had not noticed Cia's intentions.

"Oh, uh, your grandson over here was having nightmares so I cast a spell to help him sleep," she lied. "That's all. Did you need anything?"

"He gets nightmares too?" Young Link asked innocently. "Lots of nights I stay up as long as I can so I won't have to get them."

Cia felt a pang of sympathy for the child. When she was his age, she had gotten many nightmares as well. They were mainly about the worries of taking on the role of the Guardian of Time, so they were nowhere near the magnitude of his.

"It'll be alright," Cia assured him gently, getting up and walking over to him. She took one last longing glance at her new target's inviting figure, but decided it would be best to drop the subject for now. "I'll go tuck you in and cast a spell to drive away the nightmares."

"Thanks." Young Link was in such a weary state he didn't get upset about the childish things being said to him. Or perhaps he was just happy to have a woman visit him alone in his room…

They sauntered back to his chambers and he threw himself in his mattress. Cia took the fleece blanket from his grasp and spread it out over the bed. Young Link curled up under the covering and gave Cia an expecting glance.

"…Oh, right the spell!" she gasped, honestly having forgotten. Her mind kept wandering back to Wolf Link. Would it really be possible to get him to love her? She wanted him to think of her every second of every day, to tell her she was beautiful, to want to be by her side whenever he could.

"Hello? You in there Cia?" Young Link raised an eyebrow, noticing Cia drift off into her own thoughts.

"Yes, of course," she nodded, snapping out of her fantasies once more. "I'll see you in the morning." She offered him a kind smile which he returned as she placed a hand on his forehead. His eyelids immediately began to flutter until they finally closed. Cia patted his head affectionately, her thoughts going back to Wolf Link. "You know… This gives me an idea."

She worked her way back to Wolf Link's room with sly grin. If she wanted to have her sweet little puppy to love her, she'd have to give him a little push. She bent over his still body. The magic she placed on him was still in effect, although it wouldn't last too much longer. She quickly yet gingerly placed a hand on his forehead. A purple haze snakes between her fingers and around her wrist.

"Sleep well, my little pet," she whispered into his ear. "And while you rest, think only of me. If you do, you'll become mine soon enough."

Young Link propped his feet up on the wooden table he sat at. Sky Link narrowed his gaze at his action from his seat across from his reincarnation.

"Do you mind?" he asked, clearly losing patience. "I'm trying to eat over here."

"What do you want, a medal?" Young Link snapped jokingly. He rested his hands behind his head. Sky Link grimaced and attempted to continue to eat the cheese and bread Cia had conjured up for them. "By the way, where's my grandson? It's almost noon and I still haven't seen him."

"Last I saw he was still sleeping," Sky Link smiled. "Looks like we all have at least one thing in common."

"Yeah," Young Link sighed contently. "Sleeping."

He grabbed some bread from the basket in the center of the table and took a huge bite out of it. He saw the unreadable look Sky Link was sending him and froze mid-chew.

"What?" Young Link asked, his mouth full of food. "You distracted by my good looks?"

Sky Link realized he was staring and averted his gaze. "No, it's nothing. I was just lost in thought."

"Nu-uh," Young Link said, now concerned. He gulped down his food and glared accusingly at Sky Link. "You don't have that dumb smile of yours. Your head isn't in the clouds. You aren't fantasizing of sleeping with Zelda. Something's obviously wrong."

"Yeah, I know, but… Hey, I don't fantasize about-!"

"Sure you don't," Young Link dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Just tell me what's the matter. You can tell me. I am you, after all."

After a moment of silence, Sky Link hesitantly admitted, "Cia let me use her crystal ball. It can show you whatever you want. I used to see my past life where I – or we, I guess – fought for the Goddess and died. I saw him in prison and the Goddess confessing she loved him… But Hylia's plan was so flawed. Now because of her, we have to repeat the same process over and over without end. I know I shouldn't blame Zelda for what we're in for, but it's a bit difficult not to…"

Silence fell over them once more. Young Link's eyes had widened in shock while Sky Link simply averted his gaze altogether.

"You mean…" Young Link gasped, tears now beginning to well up in his eyes.

"I know it seems like its Zelda's fault," Sky Link sighed. "And maybe it is, but-"

"You mean there's something that can show us anything and you never told me?!" Young Link slammed his fists down on the table in fury. "What the hell is your deal?! Where is it? Give it to me!"

"I-I don't know where it is," Sky Link stuttered, surprised by his counterpart's sudden outburst. "Ask Cia for it."

Young Link dashed from his seat into the main hall. Cia was standing over her stupid map again. He ran over and knocked it off the desk it was placed it.

"Hey!" Cia frowned at him, not with anger, but rather worry. "What's wrong?"

"Give me your crystal ball!" Young Link practically shouted at her. "Now!"

Cia was taken aback by his behavior but summoned her ball nonetheless. Young Link ripped it out of her hands and sprinted into his room, kicking the door shut behind him. He sat on the bed and focused his gaze on the sphere.

"Hey, you okay?" Sky Link opened the door and stepped inside. "You're acting a little…off."

"No shit," Young Link spat at him. "How do you get this damned thing to work?"

Sky Link allowed himself an amused smile as he sat next to him. "All you have to do is tell it what to show you. Then you'll be able to see whatever you want."

Young Link took a deep breath and stared into the crystal ball. "Show me," he commanded. "My parents."

A fog filled the ball and cleared out just as quickly as it came. The image left in its wake depicted a fairly young woman, no older than eighteen, holding a giggling baby in her arms. Her vibrant blond hair was tied up in a halo braid, revealing her bright blue eyes.

"Her eyes look just like mine," Young Link gasped. "That must be her."

The radiant woman depicted was no doubt his mother. They looked almost exactly the same. She gazed down lovingly at her child, rocking him back and forth. She cradled him in one arm and picked up the hem of her elegant blue dress with the other.

"We're going to go see your father," she lovingly told her baby. "And then we'll go set you down for your nap, hm?"

"My dad!" Young Link gasped, bouncing up and down on the mattress. "We're going to see my dad!" Sky Link watched with him, enthralled at the sight of his future parents.

His mother strode gracefully out of their large home. It resembled a mansion with its size and elaborate design. With its fountain in the front yard and the family crest carved above the large wooden doors, it was miles away from Young Link's treehouse in the Kokiri Forest. She untied a nearby horse from a wooden post.

"Let's get you would to stretch your legs, Celeste," the woman grinned at her brown steed. She straddled Celeste and gently kicked her side, prompting her to gallop off towards a mammoth castle: Hyrule Castle.

"That's Hyrule Castle!" Young Link exclaimed. "That's where I met Zelda!"

Celeste slowed to a trot when they reached a yard in the back filled with men. Link's mother slid off her horse and approached a particular man at the head of the group shouting orders, the guards of the castle willingly letting her through with little hesitation. She ran into his arms, earning a hearty laugh from the head soldier.

"Lisa!" he chuckled. "What are doing here now? You know I have work at the training yard at this hour."

"Well, good, sir, I apologize for bothering you," Lisa said jokingly, offering a mock curtsey. "But I have some excellent news. But as you said, you're working. I suppose I should come back later…"

"What? N-No, you can stay," her husband stammered. "These lowlifes can wait a few moments." He shot his soldiers a glare, prompting them to begin talking nervously amongst themselves. "These men are like women: they love gossip." He caught the judging look his wife was shooting his way. "No offense of anything."

He ran a hand through his messy brown hair nervously. This man obviously feared his wife. He was quite handsome as well: clean-shaven, piercing green eyes, and apparat quick wit. He could get a more submissive wife whenever he wanted, and yet his love for the one he currently had was obvious.

"Anyway, hold this." Lisa passed him the still-giggling baby. She patted her stomach and looked around expectantly.

Her husband stared at her action, clueless. "Uh…you hungry or something." He turned back to his conversing underlings. "Hey, Lucas! Don't just stand there, get-"

"No, Brandon," Lisa interrupted. She glanced down at her stomach and held out her arms expectantly. "Come on. You can't be serious."

"Are you on your once-a-month?" Brandon asked shamelessly. He shrunk back under Lisa's harsh glare. "Uh, okay. That's not it."

"I hope our new baby has more sense than you," she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, well-" Brandon's voice faltered as he processed his wife's words. "Wait, what?"

"I'm pregnant," Lisa said bluntly, a smile crossing her lips.

Brandon let out a laugh of joy. He shoved his firstborn into the arms of an unsuspecting soldier, proceeding to pick Lisa up and spin her around. The rest of the soldiers applauded in celebration.

"Hey, were you all listening in?" Brandon asked the crowd accusingly. "I thought I told you to-"

"Excuse my husband," Lisa giggled nervously. "You know how he is. He may be bold, but he's actually very sweet."

"Is that your way of saying I'm good in bed?" Brandon asked with a coy smile, rewarding him with Lisa jabbing his side with her elbow. Laughter rippled through the group of soldiers.

"I've already picked out names," Lisa announced enthusiastically. "If it's a girl, we'll name her Layla. And if it's a boy, we'll name him Lae."

"Well, I don't know about the boy one-"

"His name is Lae." Lisa glared at him in a kidding fashion, but it was still enough to scare her husband.

"Lae it is," he agreed.

The scene of the two embracing lovingly was suddenly cut short by a command from Young Link. "What did you do that for?" Sky Link asked accusingly. "We found out you have a sibling! Keep watching. Maybe we'll get to see them."

"No," Young link replied, his breathing heavy and panicked. "I don't have a sibling. They died along with my mother. That must be why she was killed. She was slowed down by the pregnancy while she was escaping. And she was carrying me too, so…"

His words faltered as he let out a choked sob. Sky Link slung his arm around his counterpart sympathetically, like an older brother would do to a younger sibling.

"It's alright," he assured Young Link. "I know how you feel. I don't have any parents either."

Young Link's crying halted at the words. The grief in his eyes was replaced by hatred. "That's right… You and Wolf don't have any parents either. None of us have parents."

"They would get in the way."

Both Links turned to see Cia standing in the doorway. "It's by design you're an orphan," she continued. "Parents would get in the way and hinder your travels. They would keep wanting you to come back, to not go at all. So the Goddesses refused to give you any at all."

"What? That can't be right," Sky Link replied doubtfully, though he was beginning to express the same anger as Young Link. "That would just be going a little too far, wouldn't it?"

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," Cia quoted regrettably, placing a hand over her heart. "You were created for nothing other than to save your princess, even from your very first incarnation. You are nothing but a tool in the Goddess' eyes. But…" She smiled kindly at them. "I'll never treat you that way. Ever."

The fury from the Links immediately dispersed from their thoughts. Instead, they began to wonder if their loneliness could be cured.

"You really mean that?" Young Link asked. "We don't bother you?"

"Not at all," Cia grinned. "I enjoy your company very much."

"But I tend to get anyone near me in danger," Sky Link argued softly.

"Me too," Young Link agreed.

"So?" Cia chuckled. "So do I. In fact, I think people like us should stick together, don't you?"

The Links gave her a hopeful stare. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing…

Wolf Link cut their conversation short when he appeared suddenly behind Cia. "Guys, I just got a letter from Agitha." He held it up as if to prove it. "She's giving us some information about the enemy's strategy."

Everyone gathered around as Wolf Link read the note aloud. They all exchanged looks once it was finished.

"They're planning on attacking in two more days," Cia said thoughtfully, assuming the letter was sent yesterday. "So we have to strike back before then. This world's version of the Master Sword is filled with dark magic. We can't let them near it."

"But isn't Death Mountain really far?" Sky Link pointed out. "How are we going to make it in time?"

"Simple," Cia answered slyly. "I can just warp all of us there. Let's use today as a day of rest and preparation. We leave at dawn."

*That section with Link's parents was supposed to be something short, but I love them so much I had to extend it. :3

Brandon: Aren't I simply amazing?

Young Link: I'm more amazing! :D

Lisa: They take after each other so much. ^^

Yeah, well, I went a little overboard on this. The ideas just came flowing. But there are so many questions! Who will the team encounter at Death Mountain? How did Cia's spell effect Wolf Link? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?! Find out next time~!

K bye.*