Wolf Link woke up the next morning to find his ancestor still asleep. He'd been sleeping for two nights now. And they were already on their fourth day of preparing! Cia was steadily training herself, but everyone else was slacking off from worry. All Sky and Wolf could do was hope that Young Link would awaken from his magic-induced coma soon.
When Sky Link first darted in shouting for Cia, Wolf Link was startled by the child's appearance. His clothes were ripped in several places, his arm was bent in an odd position, and his golden hair was dyed crimson. Cia was in a panic like everyone else, but managed to cast the spell without interference.
Sadly, there was no way to speed up the process. So Wolf Link, knowing there was nothing he could do, sat at his grandfather's side. For a very long time, nothing happened. Cia told him that for people so close to death, the spell took a while to fully activate. The Hero of Twilight was grateful for the peace given to Young Link, but he just wanted to get it over with.
For hours on end, he just sat there. Sky Link and Zelda brought him his meals, but he refused to eat. Not until his ancestor was well again. Eventually, when Wolf Link once again refused to take any food offered, Zelda became upset with his behavior. She placed a hand on her hip and gave him a long glare.
"Honestly, your grandfather would absolutely furious with you if he were awake," she huffed, balancing a plate on her hand. "He would want you to take care of yourself. And look at you! You're getting thinner already!"
"I'm sure he'll wake up soon," Wolf Link said, assuring himself more than her. "He's been like this for a while…"
He began to turn to his queen, but stopped when he saw movement from the corner of his eye. His gaze darted back to Young Link, who was wearing an extremely annoyed expression. Wolf Link could've sworn he heard him mumble, "Get off" under his breath.
"It's happening!" Zelda grinned. She practically threw her dish onto a nearby table and squatted near the bed the Hero of Time was lying on. "Oh, thank goodness. I was starting to think this would never happen."
They both leaned over him expectantly, expecting him to begin thrashing around and go ballistic, but nothing to that extreme happened. He never broke out into a cold sweat or had trouble breathing. The most that happened was his annoyed face turned into a distressed one. For several minutes, everything was dead qui-
"AGH!" Young Link bolted into a sitting position with a startled cry. Wolf Link and Zelda gasped in surprise and recoiled. Now that he was awake, the Hero of Time was sweating bullets and shaking violently, but this passed quickly. After a few seconds he slapped a hand to his forehead and groaned. "Damn that guy…" He looked up and noticed his shocked company. "Oh, it's you guys. What happened?"
Wolf Link could easily tell his counterpart was hiding fear, but Zelda either didn't notice or ignored it.
"Thank the gods you're alright," she sighed again, this time in relief. "You took a terrible fall. Volga said someone shot you down. When he came in his arm was bleeding terribly. Do you remember all that? You hit your head pretty bad…"
"What?" Young Link racked his brain for an answer, but obviously didn't find one. "What was I doing with Volga?"
Wolf Link and Zelda exchanged worried glances. "You were doing recon," he explained slowly. "You volunteered to go."
Young Link took another moment to think before shaking his head. "Nope! Don't remember none of that. Guess I hit my head pretty bad. It still hurts like hell." He rubbed his temples gently. "By the way, where's Sky? I don't see that bastard in here."
"Let me get him," Zelda offered. She hurried away and came back not more than fifteen seconds later with Sky. He burst into the room loudly, making his counterparts jump.
"Hey, there he is," Young Link smirked. "Couldn't wait to see me, could he?"
Sky Link probably would've answered if not for his heavy panting. He rushed over to the bed quickly and knelt beside it. "I... I t-thought you'd… n-never wake…up…" he managed to say.
"So I've heard," Young Link smirked, ruffling his hair. He then looked to Zelda. "Mind if I have a moment alone with these two? I'll be out in a minute." Zelda nodded and closed the door with a carefree smile. Once the door shut, however, Link's own cunning grin turned into a frown. He stared at his other selves with a hint of fright, and he was visibly shaking.
"Hey…" Sky Link said hesitantly, his voice full of concern. He placed a hand on Young Link's arm and cocked his head. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, dipshit," Young Link huffed. "Really. But I have to ask you guys something. Do you, err, like me?"
His counterparts stared at each other with wide eyes. Where was this coming from all of a sudden? If was probably something he saw…
"A-And I don't want some half-assed answer like, 'Because you're me,'" Young Link continued. He was beginning to blush at the question. "None of that crap!"
Silence hung in the air for a few seconds, but the tension made it feel like minutes. Eventually, Sky Link was the first to break it.
"Of course I like you," Sky Link answered with a smile. "I don't like you because you're a hero or anything. I'm one too and I wouldn't want people to pay attention to me just for that."
"That's true," Wolf Link added, catching on to what Sky was doing. "Plus, you seem to like us well enough. You're kind of like someone we can look up to, I suppose."
Young Link gave his descendant a long, hard stare. "Eh?"
"Don't doubt it," Sky Link continued. "You saved the entire world when you were just a kid! You're younger than us and yet you know so much more."
"R-Really?" Young Link stuttered, his face turning even redder. "Oh, well… Th-That doesn't count! Nothing that has to do with me being a big hero and stuff!"
"That's easy," Sky Link grinned. "There's no one I've met who's quite like you. You're brash, loud, opinionated… Reminds me of someone I used to know."
"He's foulmouthed too," Wolf Link smirked.
"I am not, you asshole!" Young Link snapped. He crossed his arms and looked away. "How can such good-looking people be so emptyheaded?"
Sky Link reached up and flicked him in the forehead. Just as Young Link was about to curse at him, he said, "You're not scared anymore."
Young Link raised an eyebrow at his words, but quickly realized what he meant. He was no longer shaking at all.
"See?" Sky grinned. "You seem to like us. You're pretty comfortable right now."
"I guess," Young Link said, hiding his urge to freely show his feelings like a child.
"Plus, we may be the same person in a way, but we're more like brothers," Sky Link added. "Don't you think?"
Young Link blinked stupidly. "Brothers?" he repeated. "Like family?"
Sky nodded. "Exactly. So no matter who betrays or ignores you, we'll always be here."
Young Link instantly looked away once he felt tears forming in his eyes. He sniffled once and regretted it instantly, as it signaled to his other selves that he was starting to cry. Wolf Link, having retted not saying anything of substance yet, opened his mouth to say something. However, he was cut off by Cia entering the room.
"Oh, you're awake," she sighed in relief. "Zelda told me the news. Are you feeling alright? Did the spell work correctly?"
Young Link's eyes suddenly grew wide with alarm. "O-Oh, that… Yeah, it worked fine. Nothing hurts anymore."
"Excellent," Cia replied. "I'm sorry to cut you conversation short, but I need to borrow Wolf for a moment. Do you mind?"
The Hero of Time's oh-so familiar smirk appeared on his face, showcasing the fact that he was thinking of something naughty. "Oh, no. Take as looooong as you need."
Wolf Link gave a quick roll of his eyes before getting up to leave. His grandfather was back to normal, for better or for worse. Still, he allowed himself a small smile of relief. He couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of ease.
There certainly was no one like his grandfather.
Cia strut confidently down the halls of her temple, leading the Hero of Twilight away from the safety of his personal company. How loyal Volga was! He injured his own arm just so their fake tale of being attacked would be believable. Perhaps he wasn't a complete waste of space. Even better was the fact that poor Young Link was knocked out, giving Cia ample time to cast a spell. Not only did he not remember going up in the air with Volga in the first place, the Fierce Deity's Mask would also be off his mind. She instantly noticed it was missing from his belt, and she couldn't have him chasing after it when she had plans!
Speaking of plans, she was ready to put her next one fully into action. Her dear Hero of Twilight had more willpower than she thought. The dreams she put in his head at night were becoming more and more explicit, but he didn't seem effected by them at all. He likely just passed them off as fantasies every teenage boy has at one time or another. But enough was enough. She wanted to stop this goody two-shoes act right now, but she couldn't with his morals ruling his judgement. She had to make herself his top priority. And that would take the help of a little black magic. Though she wanted him to love her naturally, she soon came to the realization that he would always hold Zelda close to his heart as well. No, that wouldn't do. Cia needed him to have eyes for no one but her.
"Where are we going?" Wolf Link asked suddenly. "Did someone sneak in?"
"No, nothing like that," Cia answered calmly, hiding her intentions. "I built a training room in the temple. Everyone is free to use it as they please, but I want to have a special training session with you. You've been slacking off because of your ancestor's fall. It's understandable, but I do need you to catch up on the time you've lost."
"Oh, right…" Wolf Link slumped his shoulders. "I'm sorry about that."
"There's nothing to be sorry about," Cia replied in a scolding tone. "You were worried sick about the poor thing! I would be the same way if it were my sister…" She covered placed a hand over her mouth, pantomiming sadness. She could tell Wolf Link was struggling to come up with a comforting statement, despite his silence. "Anyway, here it is."
She gestured to a door at the end of the hall. With its purple paint and silver outlining, it looked like any other door in their base. Wolf Link titled his head at it and Cia fought to hide her blush. She quickly turned her head and pushed it open. They were greeted by a bright golden light and threw their arms up to over their eyes.
"How did I do?" Agitha's voice asked.
"Very good," Ghirahim praised. "Soon you'll be good enough to join my army of demons."
"Can my bugs come along?"
He grimaced at the statement. "Fine. Just keep them away from me."
"Agitha?" Wolf Link said incredulously. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, Grasshopper," Agitha grinned. "It's good to see you! Ghirahim has been teaching me how to use magic. Isn't that great? Now I won't need you to protect me all the time. Although I wouldn't reject your services if you offered."
Wolf Link smiled at her, shooting a glare at the Demon Lord simultaneously. "I'm sure you did very well, but I think Cia wants us to use this room right now."
The Insect Princess pouted. "Aw, really? Okay. Ghirahim and I can train outside, right?"
"Indeed we can." A smirk crossed his face. "And we can invite the Sky Child to be target practice."
Cia ushered them out of the room and took their place with Wolf Link, shutting the door loudly behind them. She grinned proudly as the hero gawked at the room. It was gigantic, nearly the size of Hyrule Castle's interior.
"I know it looks like it wouldn't be able to fit inside the temple," Cia giggled. "But that's the beauty of magic, isn't it?" She snapped her fingers and made the door disappear into a violet wall. "Just a precaution," she explained, noticing Wolf Link's alarm. "So nothing can fling the door open and get outside."
And so we can't be disturbed… she thought.
"Are you ready?" she asked, summoning her scepter.
"Yeah," Wolf Link nodded. "What are we doing first?"
"First, a little warm-up." Cia waved her scepter, causing purple fog in the shape of Bokoblins appear. They were numerous enough to fill the entire room, held back only by magic shield Cia formed around her and the hero.
"This is a warm-up?!" he gaped.
"This is nothing!" Cia frowned. "Is it too much for you? This world's Link can do this in less than two minutes without even a scratch on him."
Wolf Link knit his eyebrows. "He's that good, huh?"
"Of course. Unlike you he got formal training as a soldier," Cia explained. "What he lacks in brute strength he makes up for in agility. You'll have to be faster than him to have a chance."
"I've never gone up against this many at once, but…" The hero drew his sword, wearing a determined expression. "They've never given me an issue before."
"Excellent," Cia smiled. "If you're ready, I'll remove your shield."
Wolf Link simply nodded. Cia flicked her wrist and the monsters rushed at him. He twirled his sword in his hand, a bad habit from what she could tell, and slashed at the nearest enemy. It dissolved into a small pool of fog on the ground before seeping into the cracks in the tiles. But the hero didn't waste one moment marveling at his small victory. Instead he swung his sword at lightning speed, hitting each Bokoblin with pinpoint precision.
Cia watched in awe at the grace he fought with. No move was off, no attack missed. It was so different from the wild fashion of his grandfather's battles or the typical style of Sky's. This almost seemed like a ballroom dance. She almost found herself joining him once she realized he lacked a partner, but quickly came to her sense.
But he doesn't seem to be having much fun, she thought in disappointment. If he's going to become my little pet, he'll need to learn how to loosen up. Perhaps he needs a little help…
A mischievous appeared on her face as she slightly raised her glowing scepter. Wolf Link was already almost halfway through the horde of monsters, but no sense of accomplishment was present within his eyes. No sense of emotion at all, in fact.
Don't be that way, Cia told him gently. It must be entertaining to have all these worthless pests below you. To have them fear you.
She almost thought she caught her hero's eyes flicker with excitement, but it passed quickly. He needed a bigger push. Her scepter glowered brighter now, signaling that her spell was getting stronger.
What's the point in having so much power if it only brings you sorrow? You were so miserable in your world. But here I can give you all the destruction you desire.
She smiled contently as Wolf Link's attacks became hastier, as if he couldn't wait for the next kill. Lucky for her he never lost his grace.
Good dog, she praised. Aren't you thankful to me for all this? Of course you are… Zelda would never do this for you. Oh, you missed one. Get it! Good boy! How fun this is! Having the power to take lives as you please… What greater power is there? You might as well be a god. Of course, even if you somehow became one, you would always allow me to control you. You can't live without me.
Wolf Link finally brought his blade down on the final monster, smiling wickedly by this point.
"Wasn't that fun?" Cia asked, dispelling her shield.
"K-Kind of," the hero panted. "Can we do it again?"
"Maybe later," Cia answered, much to his disappointment. "I still have to do my training as well. Would you like to help me?" Wolf Link nodded excitedly. "Excellent! I was hoping you'd accept."
She giggled to herself at his enthusiasm. This magic didn't take long to work at all! With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a giant dragon, much like the one the Hero of Time fought so long ago, though this one was made of the same violet fog as the Bokoblins.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Cia asked. "I'm not experienced enough to summon strong creatures to aid us in battle, but I can create sentient beings. This is just a little exercise for us."
The dragon roared and zipped around the room. Cia was secretly doing this on purpose, but she made it seem like it was all an accident.
"Sorry," she apologized, slumping her shoulders a bit. "It's kind of fast for me to beat. Do you want to take this one?"
Wolf Link stopped staring at the dragon and nodded in her direction. "Sure! This'll be easy for me."
Cia watched from the corner of the room as he leapt up and swiped at the monster. She made a hand gesture behind her back and the dragon bolted up out of reach. The hero scowled as his target dodged.
"Wait!" Cia shouted over another furious roar. "Let me try. Maybe I could hit it with my magic."
"If you want," Wolf Link replied. He backed away a bit and allowed Cia to take his place. She raised her scepter and shot a large ball of black energy at the monster. She missed purposely and put on a mask of disappointment.
"Darn it," she huffed. "Hold on. Practice makes perfect."
Her next shot was off by a couple feet. She openly showed her false frustration as she began spamming attacks at random, none of them hitting the dragon.
"Need help?" Wolf Link asked her. By now he was sitting on the floor, his chin resting in his hand.
"Maybe a little," Cia sighed. "This is so much easier at close range!"
The hero smiled to himself and approached her cautiously, as she was still shooting wildly. "You should probably aim for where it's going to be instead of where it is now."
Cia nodded and sent another energy ball flying. While this attack landed much closer than her other ones, it still missed. The dragon darted out of the way easily.
"Damn!" she cursed. "Perhaps this is too difficult for me. I'll slow it down."
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Wolf Link said.
The sorceress waved her scepter, but instead of slowing down, the dragon shot to ground level and wrapped its snakelike body around her and the hero. It coiled around them and tightened. The two were forced together suddenly, their arms pinned to their sides and their faces inches apart.
"S-Sorry!" Cia blushed. "Let me- Ugh." She "accidentally" dropped her staff on the ground, where it rolled out of reach. "Dammit."
A beat of awkward silence passed. Cia frantically avoided eye contact. By now she was legitimately nervous. They were so close together… She'd never been in such close contact with a man before! The dragon coiled tighter and forced them even closer. With her mind in such a blur, she couldn't cast a spell to release them properly.
Alright, Cia, you deserve this, she scolded. You did this on purpose, so now there's no going back.
Wolf Link's face was bright red as she thought this. His bangs brushed against Cia's forehead, making her begin to tremble with embarrassment…and anticipation.
"Um, you aren't hurt, are you?" Cia asked hesitantly.
"N-No," the hero answered slowly. "I'm fine."
Ugh, what am I doing?! Cia asked herself hotly. I should be taking charge! I'll try to get into his head again. I'm only nervous because he is.
"Hey, um, Link?" she called softly. He cautiously made eye contact with her and she began to repeat her previous spell.
This isn't too bad, is it? she thought. At least you think I'm pretty, hm? You like being close like this… Probably even thinking dirty stuff too.
She laughed internally as Wolf Link's blush deepened.
Aw, poor thing. You don't have to be so embarrassed. You're the man here. Take charge for once! This is the perfect opportunity, so take advantage of it. After all, you love me, don't you?
Wolf Link stared into her violet eyes blankly. It was working! A normal person would've thought his unblinking gaze was uncomfortable, but Cia didn't mind. It was attention, and she would take it gladly. They were so close and he wasn't trying to pull away like that foolish "Scarf Link" would've done. Instead, Wolf Link seemed quite comfortable where he was. And he was ten times more attractive than any of his counterparts. And he had such lovely eyes… It was almost like gazing into the sea. The best part was that he was staring into hers, almost in a trance. He must've thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world by now. Cia was so happy she could die. She smiled at him thankfully and leaned in a bit closer to see how he would react to the gap between them getting smaller.
He didn't hesitate with his next move. Suddenly, the gap was closed completely as his lips met her gently. Her eyes grew wide with shock, though her hero seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. (Perhaps men were simply like that…) She got over her initial shock quickly, tilting her head to give him better access.
She wanted to stay in this moment forever, never letting her darling hero go. She could if she wanted to, but all those on the outside world would notice they were gone for so long…
Cia pulled away for a moment, causing Wolf Link to make a horrified expression, fearful he did something wrong. The sorceress found the room to snap her fingers, dispelling the dragon and making a silver glow around the room.
"Now," she grinned slyly. "No time will pass in this room. And…" She grabbed Wolf Link by his collar and pulled him close.
"It's sound proof."
*Cia, you evil girl you! Wait… Was this chapter updated within a week of the last one? WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?!
Agitha: Ghirahim's been training me! :D
Ghirahim: She'll be so evil when she grows up. ^^
Ah… Anyway, what did you guys think? Review and you'll get that love spell Cia used!
K bye.*