Ok, so this one took a while, but I blame Majora's Mask 3D on that, since its been sucking away all of my free time... :) Anyway, I'm actually quite pleased with this chapter, as it allows us to dive into the mind of my personal favorite Zelda villain: Cia! Yay! But seriously, this chapter is super important for understanding her character, which is why I felt like it was a needed break from the main narrative. And so, before we begin...
Guest: Thanks a lot! I'm really glad you're enjoying it!
Sigma73: Yeah, I was going to put Scrapper in there, but I figured that the chapter was already too long and muddled down with side characters, so I just made it easier for me. And as for the Groosenator, it actually is going to already be there, since this takes place after SS, so Groose would have already built it.
Guest (2): I do love a good plot twist, don't I? As for another Link... we'll have to see! The Termina map is hard but super fun and Young Link is just ADORABLE! And as for you picture from W&C, I absolutely LOVE it! :) You're a pretty good artist! :D
PsycoFangirl: Yeah, we're all pretty much screwed ;D
Geoutlit: Really glad you liked it! And I can't wait to write everyone meeting each other, since I have a lot planned for that chapter.
Arrowsheena: Hahaha yeah I loved writing Ghirahim so... XD And actually, this chapter's not all that short, mostly because I gush over Cia, so you know :D As for you many questions, most of them will be answered in the next SS chapter, but its basically via magic, and also remember that Link doesn't have the Triforce of Courage anymore (since Cia stole it), so if that did protect him from such things, he doesn't have it. And as for the wound in his shoulder and the Great Fairy... yeah I suppose I kinda overlooked that... oops... :P
oracleofspace: I love Sheik too! She's awesome! :)
GrayishGirl: Cia is pretty funny, mostly cause she's a nut, but this chapter shows a rather tragic side of her. Groose is pretty awesome as well :D My favorite song in HW (and quite possibly my favorite piece of Zelda music ever) is Eclipse of the Moon. Its just so beautiful and epic and its like my ears explode from joy every time i hear it. :D
Ok, well with that outta the way, I suppose we can get started!
Chapter 13: The Guardian of Time
She would never be able to forget the first time she had ever seen him.
It was a rather boring job at times, upholding the role of the Guardian of Time. Since it was a task that required complete purity of the mind and soul, she had to isolate herself away from the world, cutting all of her earthly ties so that she would not fall victim to them. She didn't mind it much though; after all, when the goddesses themselves call upon you, it is an honor and a privilege to be able to answer that call, no matter what the cost. However, even despite the honor her title came with, she had eventually grown restless in her pristine, sacred home. The hallowed halls of her palace were white and empty, nothing echoing through them but the sounds of lofty silence. The only presence that dwelled there other than her was the glorious golden relic itself, resting securely within the heart of the chamber.
On the incredibly rare occasion that someone did happen to find their way through the Forbidden Forest to the Palace of Souls, her interest was always peaked to hear more of the outside world beyond her self-imposed prison. And yet, few ever gave her the answers she sought after. Those who happened upon her usually believed her to be either a witch who would place a dark enchantment upon them, a medium who could reconnect them to their dead loved ones, or a fortune teller who could read their fates. All who found her only sought their own gain and desires. And so, she reasoned, if the rest of the world was like that, cold and greedy, then there really was no point in leaving her perfect, untouched home after all.
And really, why would she have ever needed to? She had everything she needed within the palace: a luxurious bed to sleep in, endless magic to conjure any kind of food she could ever ask for, a sturdy, towering roof over her head, and protection from the dangers that lurked in the Forbidden Forest. She had learned to occupy her empty hours with practicing her sorcery, as well as one of her favorite pastimes: gardening. Within the first few years of her vigil, the once-barren area surrounding the temple had blossomed into a lush, beautiful garden, overflowing with perfect, pure white roses of every size and shape. She enjoyed her work to no end and kept her plants alive dutifully, almost as dutifully as she kept watch over the Triforce.
However, these were not the only pursuits she had available to her. The goddesses had not left her without some sort of payment for her watch over the golden relic, and so they had given her a magic relic: a crystal ball that granted its owner the ability to look into the past.
At first, she had been afraid to use the ball, wondering if this was some sort of test of her fortitude and purity from the goddesses. And yet, as time went on and her boredom grew, she began to grow curious as to what secrets might lie in the distant past. So, one day, she stepped up to the crystal ball, and, summoning her magic, she waved her hand across it, peering into the Hyrule of yesterday.
At first, she started small, only looking back over the past several years, seeing what the land was like beyond her small sphere. However, as time when on, she began to progress further and further backwards, dancing through the ages as if they were but mere minutes. Her eyes saw the lives of so many play out, most of them seeming to be rather worthless, meaningless existences that meant little in the grand scheme of things. She frowned as each one of them passed by, each of them but a mere blot of ink in the great book of life, each one as insignificant and unimportant as the last.
That is, until she caught sight of him…
Cia slammed the base of her elegant staff down brutally upon the tiled floor of the main chamber of the Palace of Souls, the sorceress's shriek of aggravation and fury echoing throughout the twisted building. Her mask put away for the moment, the black witch placed her fingertips against her temples, closing her eyes as she tried to coax away the headache she had just gotten. She paced back and forth with hasty steps, her heels clicking with each step as she avoided looking at the dragon knight bowed on one knee before her, his head hung low lest he set her off even more by meeting her furious gaze.
"You worthless fool!" Cia nearly screamed as she finally scowled down at Volga, who did not lift his gaze. "I gave you one task. One! And you fail in it completely! All you had to do was incapacitate the hero and bring him to me, but clearly you're so incompetent you couldn't even do that! If it hadn't been for Ghirahim's success in enslaving the hero and his forces, then I would have you skinned alive for this loss!"
"Mistress Cia, I am sorry, but that boy, he-" Volga began to explain himself, but Cia was quick to cut him off.
"Did I give you permission to speak?!" she hissed hatefully, coming to stop directly in front of him, glaring at him with hostility. "Know your place, dragon knight! You would be nothing without the power that I granted to you, and as easily as I gave it, I can take it away!"
Volga was silent upon hearing this, begrudging the black witch's authority over him, but he knew there was little he could do to free himself from it, lest he lose everything she had given him and more. And so, here merely took her verbal lashing, knowing that he was already in enough trouble as is.
Cia let out a long sigh as she allowed her staff to dissipate into thin air, crossing her arms as she seemed to finally calm down from her fit of rage. "You do not understand…" she said, both impatience and a hint of remorse. "Neither you nor Wizzro do. And how could you really? How can either of you fools comprehend how important it is that the Hylian forces fail in their missions of closing the Gates of Souls? Or how important it is that we keep our footholds in each era? Precision and success are everything now, and I will not have my victory or my prize ripped away from me because of such weakness."
A moment of boldness filled the dragon knight as he finally looked up at his mistress, a scowl burning in his eyes hidden under his helmet. "If you believe that you could do better, then why do you not simply go after the boy yourself?" he asked caustically, remembering the hero posing this very same question. However, no more than a mere moment after Volga posed this inquiry, he was met with the palm of Cia's hand brutally striking him across the face, an enraged screech coming with it.
"You idiot!" she practically screamed, her eyes nearly shining with rage. "How dare you question me! I am your mistress! You are held under my power! Never forget that, lest you fall to that very same power!"
Seeing that resisting the black witch's magic and control was a futile effort, the dragon knight simply bowed his head again, knowing that he was already on incredibly thin ice as is. Cia let out another sigh as she turned her back to him, tired of dealing with him and his disappointing failure. "Leave my presence," she said coldly. "Re-gather your strength and your forces, and do not return to me until you are ready to end the Hylian forces once and for all."
"…Yes, mistress…" Volga said humbly, even though he was still scowling as he rose and prepared to leave the chamber, and the palace entirely. However, before he could, the black witch called out to him one last time, though she still did not turn to him.
"Oh, and Volga?" Cia asked, her tone a bit softer, though there was still malice in it. "The next time you fail me will be your last. Remember that."
The dragon knight let out a heavy breath as he merely nodded, passing through the large doors and letting them rumble shut behind him, leaving the black witch all alone.
For the longest time, Cia simply stood stationary, her arms crossed and her gaze fixated on one thing alone: the large painting of the hero that hung on the wall in front of her. Though her expression was usually tender and longing as she looked upon the object of her affections, her eyes held both contempt and a hint of worry now. Skyloft had been reclaimed from her forces, as had Twilight Field and Death Mountain. Now, their sole remaining claims in the different eras were the Sealed Grounds, Lake Hylia, and the Twilight Realm. However, with the Hylian forces, or more specifically their leaders, still on the prowl, their chances now seemed to be up in the air. The black witch tried to take solace in the fact that Wizzro was already waiting within the Water Temple in the era of the Hero of Time, prepared to strike the two Sheikah women down as well as tarnish the princess's good name. In the Twilight Realm, Cia had ensured to place the usurper king in a position of power, so that he would be ready to deal with Lana and her newfound allies when they arrived. And then of course, there was the situation that both enraged and overjoyed the sorceress all at the same time upon the isle in the sky…
The very moment Ghirahim had reported that he had used his magic to trap the hero and all of his troops under his demonic control, Cia nearly let out a scream of happiness. She knew that once everything was said and done, then certainly the possessed hero would fall into her arms and be hers, just as she had always dreamed. And yet, much to her frustration, the demon lord had also stated that he was not quite finished in the era of the sky, meaning that the black witch would have to wait just a bit longer for her love. When Cia tried to question Ghirahim on his unplanned motives, he was quick to avert the question, arousing suspicion in the sorceress, though unlike she did to Volga, she did not throw any threat out to the demon lord, especially considering his triumph over the hero.
"The lackeys you have chosen for yourself are worthless fools," the deep, sinister voice that often spoke from inside her mind said with a scoff in its tone.
"I know," Cia said plainly, still frowning as she slowly drifted her gaze away from the hero.
"Then why do you insist on keeping either of them around?" the voice asked, clearly displeased. "The demon lord and the usurper king have more experience in dealing with heroes in the past than the dragon knight and the dark wizard. Surely they would be better substitutes for your rabble team."
"Because none of them matter now," she said vaguely. "And none of them will matter in the end. All that counts is me, the Triforce, and the hero. That's all this has ever been about."
The intrusive voice was silent for a long moment, as if it wanted to say more on the matter, before going off on a different tangent. "And the princess?"
Cia smirked darkly, finally glancing over at her crystal ball sitting in the corner of the chamber. "Contrary to what the Hyrulian forces are thinking, their dear princess isn't as missing as they believe her to be…" she said, her voice dripping with both satisfaction at her perception as well distain for the princess. "I've observed the flow of time enough to know that Zeldas have a particular penchant for upholding traditions, and this Zelda is no exception. But fret not; I have Wizzro in place to deal with her as well as her loyal guard, just as much as Zant is prepared to snuff Lana—I mean, the white sorceress out as well…"
The voice said nothing for another long moment, and Cia briefly believed that its presence had faded into the depths of her mind once again, before it spoke up yet again. "If you do get your hands on the hero, force him to draw the blade of evil's bane," it said, its words urgent and authoritative. "Only then can the final piece be freed, and only then can you have the absolute power I have promised you."
"I believe you mean when I get my hands on him," the black witch said with confidence. "And what of the Master Sword? What does it have to do with anything?"
Her patron did not respond to this question as its dark influence lightened upon her soul a bit, leaving Cia to the silence of the Palace of Souls again. Though the sorceress wished that the voice that had been guiding her alone throughout her campaign was not as vague and succinct at times, she knew that trusting its counsel would lead to strength unimaginable.
For the moment, however, the black witch decided that, in the aftermath of dealing with Volga's failure and going over strategies, she deserved a much needed reprieve. And so, without so much as a flick of her wrist, the great doors of her illustrious chamber roared open, allowing Cia to venture out into the budding rose garden of her hidden home.
The garden was of a beauty that was beyond compare. A pristine fountain of pure water flowed before it, the trickling of the droplets into the pond creating a feeling of peace and tranquility, even despite the dark skies above. Twisted vines grew in almost artistic angles, curling around archways and walls gracefully. And upon these vines were thousands upon thousands of roses, some red, some blue, some white, some small enough to fit in the palm of a hand and some as large as a human head. They blossomed without a single flaw, all of them carefully cultivated by the sorceress's magic as they filled their area with an intoxicating aroma. But by far what the sorceress loved the most about her beautiful garden were the marble statues that lined nearly every corner of it.
Everywhere she looked, there he was. A tender smile graced her ruby lips as she slowly strolled through her garden, taking in each one of them. The Hero of the Skies, with the tip of his blade pointed high to the heavens, his handsome face frozen in a determined, gallant expression made her heart flutter with longing. Her eyes lingered upon him for a long moment, before she moved onto the next statue: the young Hero of Time. Though Cia delighted in the good looks of each hero as adults, she had decided to craft this statue into a much younger form, particularly, the young age at which the Hero of Time had begun his legendary journey. He was but a child, only about ten years old or so, his expression calm as he stood frozen with an ocarina poised against his lips to play. The black witch smiled at the effigy of the child, finding him as innocent and adorable as always before she moved onto the statue of the next hero, the Hero of Twilight. As opposed to his human form, the Hero of Twilight's statue was of him in the form of a proud, sacred beast, a wolf, which he had transformed into a number of times throughout his quest to restore light to Hyrule. He was poised for an attack, his back arched, his sharp teeth bared, and his eyes fierce and brave.
With a sigh of satisfaction, the sorceress continued to slowly move through her garden, her skirt flowing out behind her with each graceful step. Cia smiled contentedly as she closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like when she finally did have the real hero, one of flesh and blood instead of mere stone or paint, in her arms at long last. Within her flights of fancy, she pictured the two of them casually strolling through these very gardens hand-in-hand, conversing and laughing all the while. She pictured them embracing under the crimson roses, her curvaceous form folded into his strong, sturdy arms, his lips tickling her bare neck with tender kisses. And finally, she pictured their lips touching and remaining connected, their souls finally becoming one at long last.
She simply couldn't wait.
It was a rainy day, storm clouds dominating the skies as lighting streaked across them occasionally. She knew that gardening was out of the question in such weather, and so she had taken to watching time, as had become a recent hobby of hers. She had seen a great deal through her crystal ball, though it was rare that anything of actual interest happened. Every now and then, she'd come across a great king or daring explorer, but for the most part, the souls she saw led dull, unexcitable lives.
With a bored sigh, she waved her hand over the glass ball, expecting to see the same endless round of pointless lives that she always saw. She knew that she was going further back into the history of the land, to the point that it had not even been given the name Hyrule yet. Eventually, she went so far back that she arrived to the era of the goddess Hylia, or rather the time immediately after it, when the humans lived in the sky rather than upon the earth. Despite their interesting home, she believed that, just as they were on the surface, their lives would be just as dull within the sky as well.
Until she saw… him.
Her hands suddenly froze above the crystal ball as her eyes landed upon a soul unlike she had any seen before. It felt as though it was composed of pure light as it filled her crystal, its radiance filling her chamber and its purity making her eyes grow wide. Even through her magic, she could sense that this soul was a strong one, perhaps even unbreakable. Her jaw dropped in awe as she stared at it, wanting to know more about it, wanting to see more than just its mere essence.
With another wave of her hand, she commanded the crystal to project its image so that she could get a better look. She glanced up upon seeing that the image the crystal was showing was no longer a mere soul, but a young, Hylian man, his very image making her heart race. She had never beheld anyone who was as perfect in form and features as he was; he had fair skin, sharp features, honey golden, somewhat windblown hair, and a lean, steady build. He was clothed in a tunic and cap as green as the trees of the forest, a glimmering, newly-forged sword brandished in his hand as he stood firm, ready for battle. And yet, what caught her attention the most were his eyes: they were blue, but it was a kind of blue she had never seen before, deep yet light, almost reflecting the color of the skies that he lived in. They held both youthful innocence and steadfast resolve in them, things that combined to create pools of unending courage, something that showed in his every move, word, and action.
Unable to take her eyes off of him, she watched with rapt attention as he battled across the unknown terrain of the surface, tackling danger head on and triumphing over all manner of evil. She found her heart clenching with panic at each blow he took from the enemy, and yet, no matter how many times he faced certain death, he pressed on, never giving up until he had reached his journey's end.
And so she watched him. And watched him. And watched him.
Finally, Cia's lap around the garden came to an end as she found herself back before the entrance to the main chamber again. She bit her lip a bit anxiously, knowing that it would still be quite a while until Wizzro or Volga returned, meaning that she thankfully had the palace all to herself. A coy smile crossed her features as she sauntered back into the chamber, turning a slow circle so she could see each of her paintings in full. Unlike the statues in the garden, these were all depictions of the same hero, the hero of the present instead of the past. The blue scarf was a constant feature in all of them, but Cia had made sure to have quite a bit of variation in her creations here. Many of the incredibly, almost eerily accurate paintings showed the hero in different angles and perspectives, some depicting him in the heart of battle, while others were close ups of his handsome face, his light blue eyes melting the sorceress to her core every time she met their gaze.
With slow, almost reverent steps, the black witch approached one of the paintings, one that was closer to the floor that was a rather formal profile of the hero, his expression set in a determined gaze to a fixed point somewhere beyond the wooden frame he was in. Cia stared deep into his eyes, as deep and as blue as the pure skies themselves, stirring up that same feeling that she had felt what seemed like so many years ago…
She didn't know how long she had simply stood there watching him. It could have been hours. It could have been days. It could have even been years. She honestly didn't care as long as her eyes were transfixed on his, violet eyes set upon blue ones that never met her watchful gaze.
She observed wordlessly, her mind filled with so many thoughts and yet none at all. Eventually, she saw him encounter the source of the evil plaguing his world, the feared demon king himself. She drew in a nervous breath as they dueled, and yet her heart leapt with joy when he emerged from the battle victorious. And yet she did not stop watching him once his destiny was finished; she continued to follow him onto the rest of his life, her heart sinking as he married the girl he had traversed across the dangerous land to save. Despite her disappointment, she still watched as he helped to raise up the kingdom that would become Hyrule, defending it from any threats that might befall it and his growing family. Tears streamed down her face as she witnessed his final moments, even though they were peaceful ones, surrounded by his loved ones as he passed away from old age after a long and relatively happy life.
Her entire body was trembling as the light of his soul went out, fading off into death as all souls eventually did. She knew that she would never get to encounter him herself, since he had lived thousands of years ago, and was gone now, but a part of her wished that he could somehow encounter that soul again, so that she could know its perfect radiance and purity once more.
She prepared to step away from her crystal ball, feeling somewhat empty and forlorn, however, mere seconds after she turned her back to it again, it radiated with light once more. With a surprised gasp, she turned to the ball to see the soul of the hero filling it again without the command of her magic. Confused, she stepped closer, drawn in by the shine of the soul as she used her magic to project it once again, expecting to see the Hero of the Skies again, but instead seeing someone entirely different.
The black witch gently traced her fingertips along the painted hero's strong jaw, her eyes still bearing into his longingly. She did not wear her usual cold grin or stoic expression her face, but instead a sad, solemn frown. Her heart ached simply looking at him, desire filling her as it always did. Cia knew that she was so close to getting everything she wanted, including him, but she still felt like she was worlds away. As much as the voice inside her head told her that the hero was to be her secondary goal after the Triforce and Hyrule, the sorceress knew that he would always be her main ambition. The Triforce was merely a means to an end when it came to winning the heart of the hero.
Taking in a deep breath, Cia turned and looked at all of the paintings of the hero once more, seeing that despite their varied gazes, all of their eyes were essentially directed towards her. The black witch bit her lip as she placed her hands over her heart, slowly taking them all in yet again. Her lips were trembling slightly, but she was quick to regain her composure as she stood firm, scanning all of the identical faces as she spoke in a voice that was little more than a whisper.
"Don't worry, my love," she said, her voice soft and tender, filled with compassion and affection. "You have fought so hard in so many lives. You have known so much pain and suffering. But no longer. I will free you… from your heavy burden… from that wretched princess… from your overwhelming destiny…"
He was different now, and yet still very much the same. He was only a child in this life, short and stocky yet full of life, his cerulean eyes bright and innocent, his hair now sunshine gold instead of honey, and his verdant tunic and cap rustling in the wind as he ran across the wide open fields with a blue fairy at his side.
At first, she was confused, wondering if it was truly possibly to be witnessing what she was seeing, and yet sure enough, this was the same exact soul she had seen during the era of the Sky. She knew that reincarnation was an incredibly rare occurrence, reserved for only the most special of souls in existence, but she should have guessed that his soul would know life once more, considering its strength and purity. All the same, it was amazing for her to think that she had watched him die an old man and now, hundreds of years later, he was but a child, sent out into the world on a quest bigger than he could ever imagine.
An affectionate smile played upon her lips as she watched the child hero, his youthfulness and childlike ways charming her to no end. However, when his quest took a turn for the worst and he was sealed away within the Sacred Realm of the Triforce for seven years, she still continued to diligently watch him alone, forgetting about the Hyrule he had left behind as she watched him gradually mature into an adult until he finally awakened.
Her breath was admittedly taken away when she saw him return to the world. He was every bit as handsome as his predecessor, his eyes sharp and determined, the blade of evil's bane shining in his capable grip. And yet, she was able to sense the turmoil he was going through, which was far greater than that of his past life. He had been forced to go from child to adult almost instantly, thrown into a world of shadows and death that he was indirectly responsible for. Her heart was moved for him with each tear he shed, each sleepless night he suffered, each wound he received. She wanted nothing more than to go to his side and comfort him, to console him and show him the love he so desperately needed. And yet, she could not. She was bound by her position, by her station, by her rules.
Always watching, never interfering.
Cia was not surprised to find tears streaming down her cheeks as she whispered this promise to her hero, knowing that she would do everything in her power to fulfill it. While she wanted him all to herself, the black witch believed her motives to be not entirely selfish. A large part of what she was doing she did for the hero's benefit rather than her own.
Cia couldn't help but feel as though her and the hero were kindred spirits, both of them tethered to a duty that neither of them really asked for or wanted, but forced to adhere to it nonetheless. Perhaps it was out of empathy for his plight that she had made it to the point she was at. After all, no one deserved to be entrapped by the chains of destiny, especially not a soul so bright and vibrant. She couldn't wait to free him from it all, just as she had freed herself. Perhaps then he would see clearly; he would be able to see that the princess, much like the goddesses, only used him to further her own ends.
But Cia would never use him. She would never dream of doing such a thing. When he entered her grasp, she would treasure him, she would show him the love he deserved, she would make him the king he was always capable of being. And together, they would rule Hyrule side by side, finally free of destiny's cruel, oppressive hold once and for all.
She watched with a rather disdainful frown as the princess sent him back to his youth. He had grown so much in his journey, to the point that he had finally matured into the adult he had physically grown to be. Sending him back would only damage him even more. The princess was a fool, she thought, for disregarding his countless sacrifices for her and her kingdom. And yet he allowed it, having no idea what was in store for him upon returning.
She watched with sadness as misery and torment filled the child's nightmares of the future he had left behind. She sympathized well with his feelings of restlessness, and watched with worry as he ventured off to hunt for his lost fairy companion, until he stumbled into a strange world that she did not recognize. For the most part, she was only allowed to view the souls of Hyrule, but when the young hero found himself in a place called Termina, she was permitted to view his adventure there, alongside a new fairy as they raced to stop the moon from plummeting into the land, as well as the demonic mask behind it. As would be expected, he succeeded and left this strange new land, continuing on his quest to find the fairy. He never found her.
Tears rolled down her cheeks once more as she watched the rest of his life play out, one that was far less happy than his predecessor's. He returned to Hyrule, and while he tried to conjure a relationship up with the princess, he found that she simply was not the same one from the future he had saved, the one he had fallen in love with. Many other young women argued for his attention, but none could satisfy his broken heart. She felt his pain well as she realized, just as much as he did, that it seemed like everyone who had been important to him left him. And if she could have, she would have gone to his side to be with him, to love him and to let him know that he was loved.
But all she could do was watch as he turned to shallow vices to ease his agony, such as drinking and loveless relationships. The vibrancy of his once golden soul seemed dimmer somehow, something that she took notice of as she watched him fall deeper and deeper into depression and despair with each passing day. Eventually, he gave up on looking for love entirely, opting to be sullen and alone for the rest of his life, something that she could certainly relate to.
He met his end on the battlefield, not nearly as old as his past life had been at his death, but still well on in years. Her heart broke for the Hero of Time, who had started his life with such hope and innocence, only to have it end with grief and regrets that would linger on into the next age.
Cia continued to look up at the unmoving face of the hero in the painting, her expression no longer grieved, but bitter instead. She understood well that one of the many driving forces in the hero's continual destiny was that princess, who, just like him, managed to appear in each of his lives without fail. The black witch wished there was just one life of the hero's that the princess was bereft from, but she was always there, always with him.
And he always chose her.
Cia didn't understand why; she never had, even after watching all of his lives. The Hero of the Skies was the only one she somewhat understood, since him and the goddess Hylia had been childhood friends, but even still, she had manipulated him to her own ends, placing his life in great danger. The Hero of Time, she certainly didn't understand, since the princess had returned his hard earned victory by returning him to a time that he didn't really belong in, then refusing to return his love for the sake of her own royalty. The Hero of Twilight however, had always seemed to have his affections split between the princess of Hyrule and the princess of Twilight, but in the end, he had gotten neither of them, much to his grief and remorse.
The sorceress couldn't help but wonder what would have become of the hero of her own time if she had not interfered. Would he have fallen into the same trap, captured by the false affections of the princess and led astray by feelings that were never truly his to begin with? Or would he have been the one to finally find clarity, to finally see the light and realize that he could do so much better than her?
Cia shook her head, her scowl deepening as her thirst for the princess's blood grew even more. The black witch knew that the moment she removed the princess from the equation, then she would finally have her chance at the hero without any distractions or disruptions. Without that meddling princess, her beloved hero would finally be all hers, and no one else's.
His next life began peacefully enough, tucked away in the lush southern forests of the land. She was glad to see that the heavy scars of his past life had not been passed down to his successor, for he was still as strong and resilient as ever. By the time his destiny fell upon him, he was perhaps the most appealing of all his incarnations thus far, tall and strong, with blonde hair so dark it was almost brown and blue eyes so dark they were like the depths of the ocean. And yet, she could sense a certain ferocity in them unlike she had ever seen in his past lives, a hidden pride and power in them that made her feel weak and excited all at once.
Twilight settled upon the land and in its wake, he was transformed into a sacred beast. She watched him in the shadows of the light, as he traveled with his impish companion, freeing the world from the darkness covering it and reverting to his true form, evergreen tunic and all.
However, just like his past lives, he did not go without his trials. For as much blood was on his hands, he spilt even more, brutally beaten to near death on several occasions. The worst of it by far was his deciding battle with the king of thieves, in which he had only won by the providence of the gods themselves before he nearly succumbed to his wounds.
With great pity, she watched his immense grief as his companion, the Twilight Princess herself, left him, shattering the gateway between their worlds. The Hylian princess had tried to console him by forming a bond with him, but she merely rolled her eyes, knowing that the princess would be able to do little to heal his broken soul. The emptiness he felt in this life hearkened back to his last one, reminding her that these heroes were not their scars, scars that ran deeper perhaps than those of any other.
The remainder of the Hero of Twilight's life was heartbreakingly short. As war began to erupt across the kingdom once more, about only five or so years after the Twilight Invasion, he had leapt into action once more. She watched with confidence at first, as he fought bravely, though his broken heart still shined through with each swing of his sword. However, he could do nothing, and neither could she, as he was unexpectedly ran through by the enemy's blade. The princess and her healers tried to do all they could to save him, but it had been too late, something she knew all too well as she mourned for him. Burdened by his pain and loss, he had simply lost the will to live.
The black witch was half tempted to look through her treasured crystal ball once more to behold her beloved hero as he remained trapped under the demon lord's spell in the Era of the Sky, she refrained, knowing that he would be with her soon enough. And yet… she still couldn't help but feel lonely. The Palace of Souls was a large, lofty structure, one that had always seemed like an empty place to her, but with the presence of mere statues and paintings of the hero, it somehow seemed even moreso. Cia frowned as she held her arm out, summoning her staff once more as the crystal on the end of it began to glow a dark color.
The sorceress had always found herself to be quite creative, something that her roses and paintings were certainly a testament to. But now, she wanted to create something that was more than just a lifeless effigy that could not return her gestures. She wanted something that moved, something that felt, something alive.
Cia pointed the end of her scepter to the empty space in front of her, concentrating her magic on forming a being she knew the appearance of so very well. She had every detail about him memorized, from his height to the style of his tunic to the shape of his every feature. A soft smile crossed her lips as he began to take shape before her, the shadowing coming together to create a near-perfect image of the hero. Everything about him was accurate, save for the fact that his entire form was devoid of all color save for dark black, and that his eyes were as blood red as the black witch's prized roses. He stood before her unmoving, his expression blank and empty, as was expected of a being of shadow.
Cia smiled in satisfaction as she circled him, taking in his appearance and imaging that he truly was her beloved hero instead of a mere copy of him. "Yes…" she purred, gently running her hand along his cold shoulder. He didn't flinch or make so much as a single move as she touched him, her fingers moving from his shoulder to his neck as she slowly traced up towards his face. "My hero… My love…"
The dark thoughts only began when she saw the hero of her own time for the first time.
What immediately struck her about him was his rather brutal, dark past. Like all of his predecessors, he had been orphaned at a young age, but unlike them, he had been old enough to both remember it and to have been there. The blood of his family had been spilt right before him, something that moved her greatly as his past played out before her. She could tell at that moment a large piece of his innocence had been ripped away from him, and for some reason she was glad for that. Perhaps it meant that his heart would not have to be tortured as much as it had been before.
Since she could only view the past, his story ended for her as he reached the apex of young adulthood, before whatever destiny he was called forth for was set into motion. And as she realized this, she also realized something else: he had not yet been tainted by the princess's so called "love".
And it was as this thought occurred to her, after having spent what felt like forever observing all of his lives, all of his struggles, all of his triumphs, a sudden thought passed through her mind, one that soon began to consume her entirely.
"He should love you, not her…"
By now, Cia had positioned herself in front of the dark hero, his bright red eyes still empty and emotionless, but the sorceress didn't really care. She gave him a dark, flirtatious grin as she moved her face in close to his, to the point that their foreheads were touching. "Hello, darling…" she whispered sensually, stroking the side of his ebony face. "So glad to see you've finally decided to be with someone who truly loves you…"
The black witch knew that pretending was immature and foolish, but she couldn't help herself. She wanted to make sure the moment she finally had the real hero in her arms would be nothing less than absolutely perfect. "I've been watching you for so long now, Link…" she said softly, her smile still soft and easy. "You might even say you're my favorite pastime…"
She let out a coy laugh, not waiting for a response from the shadow for she knew he wouldn't give her one. And so instead, the black witch slowly wrapped her arms around his strong form, pulling herself close to him. "Hold me…" she whispered to the dark hero, who dutifully followed the command of his creator as he wrapped his black arms around her slender waist somewhat loosely. His touch was rather cold, but Cia resisted the urge to flinch under it, especially since she was the dominant one here.
"Link…" the black witch whispered longingly. "You don't understand how long I've waited for this… How long I've watched you… How long I've waited for you… How long I've loved you…"
"You are the powerful Guardian of Time! You deserve to have everything you desire, including the soul of the hero you are so fascinated with."
"B-but… but I…" she stammered, speaking to no one but the voice that had been speaking inside her mind for the past several weeks.
The voice picked up on her trepidation and continued to goad her, as if it was trying to urge her into something that she really wasn't sure she wanted any parts of. "Your love for him is so much stronger than the love she has for him…" it said darkly, obviously referring to the princess. "Don't you think he deserves that love? That BOTH of you deserve that love?"
"I… I don't… I…" she trailed off apprehensively, shaking her head as if to clear it as she backed away from her crystal ball slowly, feeling strangely weak.
"You have seen his every life…" the voice continued. "You know him better than anyone else could. You have felt his pain and sorrows. You know his every secret. And yet, he knows absolutely nothing of you. Wouldn't you like to free him from his destiny, from his burden, and have him with you forever?"
Her eyes grew wide at this, her soul feeling as though it was being tugged in two completely opposite directions. It was true she had grown to have feelings for him, perhaps even love him, but to break the cycle of destiny for the sake of her own whims? It was something that the goddesses had forbidden of her, and she knew that she could not do it.
"Do you really want to spend the rest of you days here alone? Always watching, never interfering as you continue to watch him from worlds away?" the voice asked, as if it was reading her mind. "You have kept your watch for so long, you have been away from the world for so many years, and for what? To protect a golden relic that cannot go anywhere on its own?"
"N-no…" she said, her voice frail and shaky as she watched the shadows filling her pristine home begin to darken. "I… I must protect the Triforce… I… I have to…"
She trailed off once more, her eyes catching sight of the crystal ball once more as her heart pounded in her chest. "The hero should be yours…" the voice went on, and she had gotten to the point that she no longer questioned where it came from. "Every piece of him should belong to you: his heart, his mind, his soul… And you know you have the power to claim him. The power to rip him away from that wretched princess once and for all. The power to show him who he's truly meant to be with…"
Her trembling breath evened as she closed her eyes, taking in these words. It was true. She did have the power to take anything she wanted, including the hero. She had always had the power to take him, to make him hers. All she had to do was put it to use.
She never had gotten what she wanted throughout her entire life. Her whole existence had been dedicated to the will of the goddesses and their precious Triforce. She had never thought twice about it either, until she first saw him. He had somehow opened her eyes to see that there was more; there was more to life than just sitting and watching. There was excitement and adventure, battles to be waged and victories to be won. His courage inspired her, his kindness warmed her, his determination invigorated her. She craved him, she desired him, she wanted him, more than anything else in the entire world.
And she would do anything to make him her own.
Suddenly, she felt as though something had been ripped from her all at once: her treasured purity, perhaps, or maybe even her benevolence, her light. But none of that mattered now. Because all she knew now was desire, passion, desperation, and lust.
When she opened her eyes once more, the slightest hint of dark red had begun to taint them.
Cia's movements had become suddenly aggressive, but the shadow had taken no notice as she brutally shoved him against the nearest wall, licking her lips as she drew her face in close to his. She had him pinned down, not that he would have tried to break free from her grip in the first place, but she wanted to restrain him entirely, so that he could not move an inch as she pressed her lips against his neck, letting out shuddering sighs as she moved them up and down upon his shadowy skin.
"Mm…" she moaned softly, moving her fingertips up and down his chest gracefully, her lips skimming his cheek now. "Yes… my hero… touch me…"
The dark hero did as he was told and steadily moved his hands up, though the sorceress was quick to grip his wrists and move them so that his hands were upon her breasts. She let out a small squeal of sensual delight as she pressed herself harder against him, closing her eyes as she pictured the real hero doing the very same. "My love…" she cooed, her entire body trembling with excitement now. "Kiss me…"
The shadow followed her command once more, allowing Cia to place her lips against his awaiting ones, her mind instantly going blank as their kiss steadily deepened. Their tongues wrestled in a dance for dominance, and all the while the black witch continued to press against the shadow aggressively, her mind practically screaming for more. He was hers and hers alone. He belonged to her, she was doing this all for him. She would impress him, show him her power, her might. And he would fall into her arms willingly, where he would stay forevermore.
Her magic flowed through the palace, the purity and blandness of its halls no longer appeasing to her. She stood within the central chamber, a cold smile on her ruby lips as she glanced down at the chaste white robes she always clad herself in and frowned, realizing that they were hardly befitting a powerful sorceress such as herself.
"These will be the first thing to go," she scoffed to herself, her tone far more haughty than it had ever been before. She held out her hand as a dark glow formed around it; her mind called forth a weapon so that she could stand tall and proud at the head of her armies in her conquest. Her magic converged to create an elegant staff, something that she would easily be able to channel her power through. No more than a moment after the scepter was brought into existence, she waved it over herself, watching with excitement as her pure robes faded into much more revealing attire. She had never been one to be vain in her own appearance before, but when she looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but grin at how absolutely beautiful… no, not beautiful. Beautiful was far too simple. She was… sexy. She was sexy, and alluring, and seductive, and irresistible. The hero would have no choice but to fall for her the very moment he saw her.
With a wicked laugh, she raised her staff into the air, allowing her magic to spiral throughout the palace in heavy waves. She allowed the once-pure place to twist and rearrange itself in order to meet her new desires and interested. The flawless white roses that she had toiled over for so many years were painted blood red, the skies above going from a pale blue to a constant stormy shade. The palace itself became fractured, half of it keeping its pristine marble surface while other parts of it became corrupted and dark to match the darkened heart of its sole inhabitant. But by far what she was most proud of were the statues and the paintings, each of them bearing homage to the soul of the hero she had become completely infatuated with.
She took a stroll around the palace once her work was completed, taking pride in her artistry and handiwork. The palace now seemed like a much more suitable place for her to bring her beloved back to once she found him. A place to begin her great empire.
"Soon, my darling…" she said with a loving smile as she stroked one of the paintings of the hero of her era tenderly, already thinking through her next move to find a general to lead her forces. "Soon… You will be with me at long last…"
The kiss went on for what seemed like ages, Cia holding onto the shadowy hero tightly all the while as her heart pounded against her chest. However, after a while, the black witch finally broke away from him, her eyes still closed for a long moment as she lingered close to him, a contented expression on her face.
"Oh… Link… I-" she suddenly stopped short in her happy whisper when she finally opened her eyes once more, expecting to look into deep pools of sky blue.
Instead, she saw only empty red.
The sorceress looked at the shadow before her, her face twisting into an expression disgust. "Get away from me!" she suddenly shouted, roughly spinning them both away from the wall before she pushed him away. "You are not my hero!"
Her fists were shaking in rage as she realized she had merely been deluding herself. The shadow she had created had only ever been just that: a shadow, and nothing more. He did not feel or know anything other than what his mistress told him. He could not speak, he could not think, he could not love. He was the furthest thing from the hero, whose soul seemed to be composed of pure light itself, he could be.
And Cia hated it. She hated all of it. She hated the fact that the closest thing she could get at the moment as nothing more than a worthless shadow. She hated the princess that somehow managed to steal him away in each life. She hated that he was still just out of her reach.
She hated being so alone.
"Begone!" the black witch nearly screamed in fury at the dark hero, unable to bear looking at him any longer. "Leave my presence, you wretched shadow! You're not him! You never will be him!"
The dark hero did nothing at all, unsure of how to act upon this command, and so Cia enacted it for him. With another enraged shout, she thrust her scepter out towards him, sending a burst of dark magic flying right at him. The magic struck the shadow brutally, ripping him apart almost instantly before he faded into nothingness altogether. The black witch breathed heavily in the aftermath of the destruction of her own creation, wishing that she had never made him in the first place now. After all, there was but one thing that could fill the heavy hole in her heart now.
And yet, as the dark hero faded away, a sudden thought occurred to Cia. She knew well that when Ghirahim finally did return with the real, albeit mind-controlled hero, he would be essentially the same as his dark counterpart: an cold, emotionless husk, only following her every command without any of the vibrancy or life that she had come to love his soul for.
That was the last thing the sorceress wanted, for she knew there was no point to even having him if he was going to be like that. And yet, the hero had already been preconditioned by his allies to oppose her and support the princess, something that Cia reviled completely. And yet, this didn't mean that she was entirely out of options. After all, the black witch had once prided herself on her pure heart and perfect morality, and yet she had thrown those things away for something much more worthwhile: power. And certainly, for as pure and as perfect as her hero's beautiful soul was, it wasn't entirely without darkness all its own.
Her eyes lit up as the idea began to blossom in her mind. If there was anything she had taken careful notice of in all of her heroes, it was their specific flaws. For the Hero of the Skies, it had been his recklessness, for the Hero of Time, his remorse, and for the Hero of Twilight, his temper. All she needed to do was find the flaw of the hero of her own time, exploit it, and the darkness of his heart would certainly follow.
"Then maybe you'll finally understand, Link…" Cia said, her dark grin returning as she looked to her prized paintings of the hero once more. "You will finally see Zelda for the worthless tramp she is. You will finally understand how destiny has wronged you…" The black witch let out a long sigh as she placed her hand against the side of his face, her soul counting down the hours until she could do so to him in flesh and blood, until she could finally touch him, finally kiss him, finally be with him. "You will finally be where you belong… with me…"
Well, that was a fun little excersise for me to write, mostly because Cia is such a great character. And believe me when I say I've only scratched the surface with her, since they will be a lot more of her before its all said and done! But for next time, I think we'll plunge right back into things with the second half of the eras arc, catching up with Lana, Midna, and Agitha as they venture into the Twilight Realm to encounter the king of crazy himself: Zant. Oh boy... But for now, I'd like to leave another question for you all: What is your favorite song from Hyrule Warriors? Mine is Eclipse of the Moon of course, for its sheer beauty, drama, power and emotion that it makes me feel every time I listen to it. As you can imagine, I listened to it quite a bit while writing this chapter, as I see it as something of Cia's theme, especially during her last stand. But anyway, that's it for now. Don't forget to continue showing your love through REVIEWS! Until next time!