Ok, so I'm not gonna lie: i had a TON of ideas for this chapter, but getting them all into writing proved to be rather... tricky. So... Oh, and in the reviews, I don't want any of you to complain about Link seeming to be OOC in this chapter, because that's really the entire point of it all. So... With that outta the way...
minimiminja: It really is like that in a way :D And yes, that scene with Cia getting punched out by Midna is always classic XD
drazol: Glad you liked it! And Hyrule Field is a great stage!
gamemaster437: I love the Palace of Souls too! Especially for its design, hahah!
Ok, well with guest reviews outta the way, let's get started!
Chapter 21: War Games
In the hearts and minds of the Hyrulian army, the end of the war was drawing near. Now that they had the advantage of the Master Sword on their side, their victory against the black witch seemed certain. And so it was that the entire company had moved on from the Temple of the Sacred Sword, and were now on the steady approach towards the Forbidden Forest, the boarder of which being the location of their current camp. The next day they would continue their march onto the Temple of Souls with the intent of defeating Cia once and for all. But for now, they rested, knowing that they could use all the preparation and planning they could find time for.
The princess made sure to take absolute advantage of this temporary lull, and so, knowing that their forces would need a precise plan of action in facing off against the black witch, she had called a meeting of all of their allies from the past, hoping to strategize before the final battle. The war tent was packed to the brim in the early hours of dusk, everyone gathered around the makeshift map of the Temple of Souls that Lana had helped make based off of the memory of her former home. Working in conjunction with the white sorceress, the Sheikah guardian had formulated an attack pattern that would hopefully allow them to cut through Cia's forces easily so they could take on the black witch herself in no time at all.
"Alright," Impa began, her tone serious as she relayed the plan to the rest of their allies. "Here's how it's going to happen. We'll invade the area in waves so Cia won't be able to evaluate our full numbers until it's too late. Princess, you and I will lead the charge at the front lines with the elite forces."
"Very good," Zelda said with a confident nod, more than ready to put Cia's wicked plans to an end. "Now, our approach will be made from the front entrance of the temple, which means that everyone else is going to enter via a different route." As she spoke, she pointed to the various corners of the map to emphasize her point. "Each of you will be paired up so we can further confuse and divide the enemy forces."
"Ruto, Midna, you two will be taking the east entryway," Impa said as she looked to the two princesses.
"Sure thing," the Twilight Princess said casually, giving a broad grin to the Zora princess. "Think you can keep up with me, fish face?"
"Only if that slobbering beast you ride around on doesn't slow us down," Ruto retorted just as teasingly, her spunk matching Midna's perfectly, making them an ideal pair.
"Coming in from the west will be Darunia and Agitha," Zelda went on, giving a small smile to the Goron patriarch and the insect princess.
"Did you hear that, Mr. Darunia?" Agitha asked the Goron with an excited grin as she looked up to him. "We get to be on the same team!"
"Sure did, little sister," Darunia said with a hearty laugh of amusement for the young girl's enthusiasm. "We'll give those pests the hammering they deserve!"
"And lastly, that leaves Fi and Lana to take the back end of the temple," Impa finished.
"I can estimate with 80% certainty that this plan will be a success," the sword spirit reported in her stoic way. "The key factor that will lead to our victory will be all of us working in perfect harmony against our enemies."
"I agree. I know we can do this!" Lana said with a bright smile, hoping to ease any lingering tensions that might have remained between her allies. As much as she hadn't wanted to believe it, Wizzro had been right. By his cruel deception of her, he had managed to sully her relations with several of their allies, specifically Ruto, Darunia, and Agitha, considering the fact that Midna and Fi had both known the fake white sorceress to be exactly that, a fake. Fortunately, the Goron patriarch had quickly understood that it had not been Lana who had attacked him and his forces, and had accepted that fact with his usual cheerful verve. It had been a bit harder in smoothing thing over with the Zora princess, whose pride at first got the better of her as she recovered from her somewhat serious injuries, but after enough convincing on the white sorceress's part, she too forgave and forgot the whole incident with little lingering bitterness. The white sorceress had been absolutely shocked when she heard what the dark wizard had done to Agitha, knowing that such a hateful act most likely scarred the young girl deeply. Repairing their sister-like bond had not been easy, but after some kind words and a friendly bug-catching session, their sister-like bond was as good as new.
"And of course, once all of us have gone in and began a strike force against Cia's monsters, that will be when you come in, Link," Impa said, looking to the map before she glanced up only to notice something that she had not before: the hero was the only one absent from this important meeting. "Link?"
"He's not here?" Zelda asked with concern, also realizing that she had not seen the hero all day, which was strange considering the fact that they had come so spend so much time together recently. "Didn't anyone tell him about the meeting?"
"I informed him over an hour before our deliberations began," Fi said. "However, I am uncertain for the reason of his absence."
"Last I saw him, he was out sparring with a bunch of soldiers," Midna said, rolling her eyes at the hero's irresponsibility.
Impa and Zelda exchanged a glance upon hearing this, the displeasure in the Sheikah guardian's expression clear, something that already worried the princess as she followed her guardian out of the war tent. Unsurprisingly, they didn't have to look too hard for the missing hero, for he was indeed practicing his swordsmanship nearby with a group of soldiers under his employ.
Link grinned confidently as he prepared to square off against three elite soldiers all at once, spinning the Master Sword daringly in his grip as he prepared to strike. On a single nod of command from the hero, the soldiers leapt into action, all of them racing towards him, though he was more than ready to repel them. Without even using his shield, Link met all three of the weapons thrust towards him squarely with the side of the Master Sword, watching with excitement as the sacred blade emitted a bright glow on its own accord, which caused the soldiers to recoil from its sudden brightness. From there, the hero maneuvered quickly and skillfully, swiping around one of the soldiers and using the brunt edge of his sword to shove him to the ground. Without missing a single beat, Link went onto the next soldier, using the pommel of the Master Sword to incapacitate him by knocking him lightly in the head. The last soldier was succinctly taken down as well with a mere kick in the back courtesy of the hero.
All three soldiers groaned in defeat as the group who was watching all cheered over Link's success. The hero's grin widened as he took in their praise, gladly accepting it as he stood triumphantly, not sheathing the Master Sword even though the skirmish was over. After all, the whole point of him putting forth such a challenge to the other soldiers was so he could further test the power of the Master Sword, if not show off its might in just the slightest bit. He couldn't help but take pride in both his blade, and his own natural skill with it. "Better luck next time, you guys," Link said to the soldiers he had just defeated, sending them off back into the crowd to recover. "So… who's next?"
"Link!" Impa's angered shout caught the hero off guard as the soldiers all immediately cleared a path for their first general to walk through. Link's smile vanished upon seeing how enraged Impa appeared to be, though Zelda had made sure to tag along close behind her, hoping that the Sheikah guardian wouldn't get too cross with him. Likewise, all of their other allies trailed along them at a distance, knowing that they wouldn't be able to continue their planning without the hero being present.
"Oh, hey, Impa," Link said rather casually, digging the tip of the Master Sword into the ground as he leaned against it. "What's up?"
Impa's glare towards him only harshened as she came to stand before him, her hands clenched into tight fists as she tried to contain her fury for Zelda's sake. "What do you think you're doing!?"
"I think I was just toughening these soldiers up before tomorrow's battle," the hero said, his coy grin returning when he noticed the princess's presence. "Din only knows how much they need it."
"Link, you're missing our strategy meeting," Zelda said with a calm, concerned frown as she stepped forward. "We were planning how our mission is going to go tomorrow and we need you there with us on the same page, otherwise this isn't going to work."
"Oh, right!" Link exclaimed, though Impa noticed he didn't appear to be particularly upset about his absence. "Fi mentioned something to me about a meeting, but I guess time slipped away from me as I was practicing. Sorry."
"No, you're not," the Sheikah guardian said coldly, calling his bluff. "You're being completely irresponsible. You shirked off an important war meeting just so you could play with your new sword."
"I wasn't playing," the hero clarified. "I was practicing. Not that I really need practice in the first place." To prove his point, Link lifted up the Master Sword and gave it a deft, precise swing, its perfect edge glistening in the glow of the evening.
"Regardless, ever since you got that sword, you've been avoiding your duties as second general," Impa said, crossing her arms as she scowled down at him. "You're supposed to be training these men for battle, not playing childish games with them!"
"I am training them!" Link said, growing steadily more frustrated with the Sheikah guardian claiming that he wasn't doing his job. "I don't know why you're so worried, Impa. As long as I have the Master Sword, there's no way we can lose!"
"But what if something happens and you lose the Master Sword?" Impa snapped crossly. "What if you suddenly find yourself defenseless, without a weapon and without any of your allies nearby?"
"Like that will ever happen," the hero said, rolling his eyes as such a ridiculous notion. "After all, we already know that all of Cia's forces combined aren't able to handle me. There isn't anything she can throw at us that I can't defeat on my own."
Both Impa and Zelda let out gasps of shock at Link's sudden, uncalled for audacity, surprised to hear him say such prideful, callous things. "Link… I-" the princess began to reason with him, but before she could really say anything, her guardian was quick to cut her off.
"Why you conceited, overconfident, egotistical, little…" Impa trailed off as she let out a fierce growl of sheer rage, something that didn't even faze Link at all as he stood boldly before her. "What have I told you countless times before?! You can't win this war on your own!"
"Yes, I can!" the hero proclaimed firmly, completely believing his own words. After all, the Master Sword had given him power unlike any he had ever known before; certainly with its sacred strength, he could not be defeated. "I am the chosen hero! I have the Master Sword! You said it yourself: this is my destiny and my destiny alone! I can defeat Cia and end this war and I will do it by myself, without anyone's help!"
"Go ahead and try it then!" Impa argued back, completely engulfed in rage by this point. "You won't see any of us standing around on the battlefield to help you when you find yourself overwhelmed and on the verge of death because of your own stubborn foolishness!"
"Good, because I don't need anyone else!" Link said rigidly, not even caring about how he had garnished the wrath of his superior. "I don't need any of your overcomplicated plans either! In fact, I think you're just jealous."
"Jealous?" the Sheikah guardian scoffed. "Of you? Don't be ridiculous."
"Yeah, you are," the hero accused bitingly. "You're mad because I'm not that inexperienced recruit I was during my first battle in Hyrule Field anymore. I've surpassed you in both strength and skill, and that drives you crazy."
"How dare you even think something like that!" Impa shouted in raw fury, a hand already lifted to the hilt of her giant blade, ready to put Link in his place. "If you think you're so strong, then why don't you prove it, boy?!"
"Gladly," Link said with cold determination, gripping the Master Sword tighter as he held it in front of him in a fighting stance. However, before the two of them could clash blades, Zelda was quick to step in, not wanting to see two people who were so important to her fight over something as petty as this.
"Enough!" the princess proclaimed firmly, standing between the hero and the Sheikah guardian as she held her hands out. "Both of you ought to be ashamed for arguing like this in front of the troops, especially right before we are to fight a major battle."
"But, princess, he-" Impa began to protest, but she was quickly cut off.
"Impa…" Zelda admonished her guardian, hating the look of bitter disappointment in Impa's expression as she crossed her arms and looked away. However, she knew there would be time to reconcile with the Sheikah guardian later; for now, she had to deal with the hero first.
"Link, can I have a word with you?" the princess asked a bit anxiously as she turned to the hero, whose anger had lessened only slightly as he focused his attention to her. "Alone?"
"Of course, Zelda," Link said rather pointedly, shooting a hostile glance towards Impa, who returned it just as fiercely. Zelda sighed apprehensively as she began to lead the way away from the other soldiers, the hero following not too far behind her with the Master Sword still in his grasp.
Everyone else watched the pair leave in silence, all of the allies gathered together as the all exchanged worried glances. Lana took a small step forward from the rest of the group, unable to hide her concern for the hero's sudden, drastic change in attitude. She had never known him, in any of his past lives really, to be this prideful and cocky. It was as though he had become a completely different person upon drawing the Master Sword, and even the white sorceress was bewildered as to the cause of such a troubling shift.
Impa, however, was still clearly fuming from everything Link had brazenly said to her. She was certainly not used to any of her ranks disrespecting her as he so openly had, which was why she believed she had every reason to be angry. Despite the hero's status as third general, she was still above him and was still in charge of him, regardless of whether he wielded the Master Sword or not. And, if he intended on continuing with his callous, arrogant attitude, then she had every intention of humbling him just to teach him a lesson in honor and rank.
"That boy better watch himself," Impa said crossly, her anger starting to simmer down only slightly as she crossed her arms. "That overconfidence of his might just end up being his downfall."
"It really is strange though…" Lana said with a frown. "He's never acted like this until now… It's like being the hero has suddenly gotten to his head…"
"I can confirm that Master Link's confidence levels have drastically increased since he claimed the Master Sword," Fi reported as stoically as ever. "It would stand to reason that both events are in conjecture with one another."
"Of course they are," the Sheikah guardian scoffed, rolling her eyes at this proclamation of the obvious. "We can only hope that the princess can talk some sense into him. We can't afford to have a loose cannon on our hands now."
"Then you certainly wouldn't want to have my Link around," Midna cut in with a joking grin. "He has a temper like you wouldn't believe! There were times when I had to threaten to leash him just to get him to calm down!"
The Twilight Princess let out an amused laugh at these memories of her own hero as the sword spirit spoke up once more. "It is in human nature to err, and the chosen hero of each era is no exception when it comes to such flaws," Fi stated. "For example, my first master had a tendency to act before thinking, and such reckless behavior often led him to dangerous situations."
"Well, my Link is simply perfect!" Ruto fawned, letting out a dreamy sigh as she thought of the Hero of Time, her apparent fiancé. "He's brave, sweet, incredibly handsome…"
"Eh… I hate to break it to you, Sister Ruto, but I do think he has at least one flaw…" Darunia said with a half-frown.
"And what might that flaw be?" the Zora princess asked, completely appalled at such a ludicrous suggestion.
"You know he's pretty torn up about the fact that he wasn't there for those seven years when Ganondorf took over," the Goron patriarch reminded. "Last I saw him, I could tell that all that regret was clearly distracting him from what he needed to do."
"See?" Lana said to Impa, hoping to further calm her down from her prior rage at Link. "Everyone makes mistakes, including heroes. I'm sure Link will learn his lesson about being so overconfident sooner or later."
"For his sake, he better hope that he does soon," the Sheikah guardian said with an aggravated sigh as she turned to head back to the war tent to continue planning. "Otherwise, I'll give him that lesson myself."
Zelda didn't say a word about what had just unfolded to Link until she was sure they were well out of Impa's earshot. They had walked only a short distance away from the camp and had come to its outskirts near the Forbidden Forest, though neither of them were too keen about going inside the darkened woods so close to nightfall. Along the way, the princess had patiently listened to the hero as he went on about how he believed the Sheikah guardian to be incorrect and how he viewed himself as more than capable of handling their enemies without any assistance. Zelda's concern for Link steadily grew the more she listened, but she let him say his piece nonetheless, hoping that perhaps she could figure out where this change in his usually humble personality had come from, but she could find no discernable stigma for it.
"I can't wait for tomorrow," Link said eagerly as he walked ahead of Zelda, practicing sword techniques all the while. "Just picture it, Zelda; once Cia is defeated, Hyrule will finally be peaceful again. Doesn't that sound great?"
"It certainly will be a welcome change…" the princess said halfheartedly, however the hero didn't notice her anxiety at all as he continued.
"And the best part of it all will be when I land the finishing blow on her," Link said with a daring grin as he thrust his sword out. "I'll make her pay for what she did to you. I promise."
Zelda's frown deepened upon hearing this, though she masked her distaste for this plan well. While she appreciated Link's devotion, she wanted to take her own revenge instead of having someone else do it for her. "I understand that you're excited, Link," she said as evenly as she could. "But… I wanted to talk to you about what happened back there…"
"Oh," the hero said, his expression darkening as he glanced back at her. "So you think Impa was wrong too, then?"
"Well… I didn't say that," Zelda began, hoping to keep their conversation calm as opposed to the argument the hero had with the Sheikah guardian. "Though I can't say I agree with everything she said…"
"So you're on my side?" Link asked insistently. "I knew it!"
"Link, I'm not on anyone's side," the princess said, shaking her head. "I simply want all of us to be in harmony. An army that can't get along definitely can't function in any battle."
"Zelda, I didn't want to say this in front of all of the soldiers, but I think you and I both know that we don't need an army at all," the hero said. "Just send me into Cia's base and I'll defeat her and her forces alone."
"You should understand better than anyone else why that's a bad idea, Link," Zelda said, her tone not at all hateful, but rather worried. "It's not that I don't think you can do it alone," she lied, knowing that no one person would be able to stand against so many evil forces and win, including the hero. "But you have to understand that this is a war. And in a war, everyone has to pitch in their fair share. A single person does not an army make."
"You don't understand, Zelda," Link said with a frown as he glanced down to the Master Sword in his hands. "I don't really know how to explain it, but… this sword chose me. I know it did. You heard what Fi said; no one else can wield it but me. Its proof that this is what I'm meant to do: to save Hyrule from anyone or anything that threatens it."
"But you don't have to do it alone," the princess said as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Link, we have allies here from three different eras of Hyrule's history. They all came here because they want to help. Why won't you let them?"
"Because I don't need them," the hero said with a frustrated sigh. "It's not that I don't appreciate their company or everything they've done, but why put them all in danger when we don't have to?"
"Well… what about Lana and Impa?" Zelda asked pressingly. "What about me? Hyrule is my kingdom, Link. It's my duty to protect it just as much as it is yours."
"But Hyrule needs you in other ways, Zelda," Link said as he took one of her hands, making her blush the slightest bit. "It needs you to govern it and guide it. You have other people who can risk their lives on the battlefield for it. You have me."
The princess was silent for a long moment upon hearing this, her heart swelling with several different emotions at once. She couldn't help but savor the fact that the hero was just as concerned for her wellbeing as she was for his. And yet, while she knew his intentions were good, she could not allow him to try and fight this battle alone. "But I want to fight," Zelda said with resolve. "I want to be there on that battlefield at your side, Link."
"But that's just it, Zelda," the hero said, his tone clearly filled with hints of conflict. "You shouldn't be anywhere near the fight. You're too important."
"So are you…" the princess said, her voice but a whisper as she looked at him with worried eyes. Both of them said nothing for what seemed like ages, allowing the chirping of the evening crickets to fill in the silence between them as they allowed everything to sink in. Zelda noticed as Link's expression softened, his mouth hanging open in words that he for some reason wouldn't say. And indeed, the hero had much he wanted to say to the princess, yet he could not deny the sudden, unexplainable burst of anger that filled him upon simply looking at her beautiful form. He had hoped that she would have agreed with him, that she would have listened to his subtle fears for her own safety, and yet, much like Impa, she refused to let him fight his own battles. In many ways, Link viewed this entire war as something he was partially responsible for because of Cia's misguided affections for him. And because of that, he knew that the only honorable thing to do would be to be the one to end it, without risking any more innocent lives in the process. After all, he had the power to do so now in the form of the Master Sword, which was why he couldn't understand why none of his allies, all of whom had claimed to believe in him, did not have faith in him to put an end to this scourge now. Including Zelda.
"You don't think I can do it… do you?" Link asked as he moved away from her a bit, his tone expectantly low and cold.
"W-what?" Zelda asked, strangely breathless with sudden confusion.
"You don't think I could go up against Cia and win," the hero accused, his anger slowly becoming more apparent. "You didn't really mean it when you said you believed in me. You just said that so I'd go get the Master Sword."
The princess couldn't help but scoff upon hearing this, knowing it couldn't be any further from the truth. "Link, why in the world would I lie to you about something like that?" she asked, hurt that he would even imply such things.
"You said it yourself: we need the Master Sword to win," Link said rather crossly. "And since I was the only one who could draw it, you told me that so I would, only so everyone else could take credit for what's supposed to be my victory!"
"Is that what all of this about?!" Zelda asked, completely appalled. "Has your pride really grown so much that you can't stand the thought of someone else getting any of the glory except for you? I never would have expected such selfishness from you, Link."
"It's not selfish!" the hero argued, his voice rising in frustration. "It's fair! Face it, Zelda; I'm the only person in this army that Hyrule actually needs to win this war. It doesn't need Midna, or Agitha, or Fi, or Darunia, or Ruto. It doesn't need Lana or Impa. It doesn't even need you."
"How dare you say that my own kingdom doesn't need me!" the princess shouted in absolute shock and fury. "I've been its sole leader ever since my father died when I was twelve! Where were you all those years? Oh, that's right; playing soldier with your uncle until you were actually old enough to join the army. And even then, you were kicked out because you couldn't listen to a word anyone said to you, something that clearly hasn't changed and clearly never will!"
"I don't need to listen to anyone!" Link protested, not even caring about being right at this point so long as he won this fight. "And why even try to in the first place when everyone is so afraid to fight?! At least I'm willing to risk my life for what I believe in! Unlike some people, who, immediately after being threatened by the enemy, run away without telling anyone and wear a mask for weeks because they're too afraid to face their fears, like a coward!"
Zelda gasped in disbelief upon hearing this, however, she did nothing to restrain her immediate reaction. Her anger and pain fueled her as she harshly drew her hand across the hero's cheek roughly, watching with the slightest bit of satisfaction as he recoiled from the slap. Link merely glared coldly at her as he placed a hand over the red mark her strike had left across his face, refusing to apologize for anything he had said. Likewise, the princess would never give the hero the satisfaction of backing down from her own boldness, even if she was trying her best to hold back her pressing tears from overflowing in the midst of her guilt, grief, and fury.
At this point, it was clear that there was nothing more to be said. After all, they had both harmed each other deeply with their words, not that either of them would ever admit it. And so, Zelda merely let out a scoff of frustration as she abruptly spun around and stormed back towards camp, not even bothering to give Link a second glance in her rage.
The hero, not wanting to be anywhere near the princess at the moment, let out a shout of livid frustration, lashing out with his blade and allowing it to roughly strike the nearest tree, leaving a heavy indent in it. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so furious, and what was strange was that he couldn't really even pinpoint his anger towards one source alone. He was mad at nearly everyone and everything. He was angry at Impa and all of their other allies for wanting to take all of the spoils of victory away from him, spoils that he had earned on his own merit and strength. He was angry at Zelda for what she had just said to him, as well as the fact that she didn't truly believe in his strengths and courage. And in a small way, he was angry at himself, for so many reasons that he really couldn't begin to list them all.
Knowing that he couldn't go back to camp just to be reminded of everything that enraged him, Link absentmindedly headed towards the Forbidden Forest against his better judgement, yet he didn't care. Proxi anxiously flittered a ways behind him, having witnessed his entire argument with Zelda, though she said nothing to him, lest she make him even angrier. Of course, upon seeing the occasional monster interspersed throughout the dark woods, the hero was quick to take out any of them he saw, fiercely impaling them all on the tip of the Master Sword without a second thought. The fairy's worry for her companion grew even more upon seeing him in such a volatile disposition, knowing that such senseless slaying wasn't like him, but then again, neither was wanting to claim all of the glory for himself and callously stating he was stronger than anyone else.
"Um… Link?" Proxi ventured, flying a little closer to him as her light illuminated his path as night fell entirely. "A-are you… ok?"
"I'm fine!" the hero growled sharply as he violently stabbed another bokoblin before it even saw him coming.
The fairy swallowed, her wings shaking just the slightest bit as she continued to follow him deeper into the woods. "Are… are y-you sure we shouldn't be heading b-back yet?" she asked, knowing they were getting dangerously close to Cia's territory. "I bet everyone's really worried about you…"
"Who cares?" Link asked bitterly, his glare never once flinching as his light blue eyes only grew more icy. "I'm done trying to please everyone. I'll show Zelda she was wrong, even if that means fighting Cia on my own, tonight!"
"Link, that's a horrible idea!" Proxi exclaimed before she could think better of it.
"Well if you think it's such a bad idea, then you might as well go back to camp right now, because I'm not going to stand around and listen to everyone say that I'm not strong enough to do this on my own!" the hero yelled, nearly at his breaking point when it came to fury.
"But… I… I wasn't-" the fairy began apprehensively, but Link was quick to cut her off.
"Just go, Proxi," he said darkly, his back turned to her as he gripped the handle of the Master Sword until his knuckles where white.
"Link…" Proxi said softly, her voice but a nearly tearful whisper.
"I said go!" Link suddenly shouted as he glared back at her, unable to take anyone else doubting him. After all that had just happened, the only thing he wanted at this moment was to finally be left alone, his thoughts consumed in both rage and pain all at once. And though the fairy wanted to stay by his side out of her immense concern for him, she eventually let out a sigh of defeat and began to flitter away, not wanting to be at the receiving end of his burning wrath. However, she quickly stopped in her tracks when she heard a familiar laugh drifting through the trees, one that Link soon caught onto as well. And though Proxi knew the hero didn't want her around at the moment, she still managed to hide away in the trees so she could keep an eye on him from afar, knowing that if trouble did arise, then she would be the first to know about it and report it to the rest of his allies.
Link's anger was mingled with apprehension as a malevolent breeze blew through the trees, his glaring gaze watching as the black leaves whistled throughout the forest. He already knew who was coming, and he was more than ready for her as he raised his sword a bit. The tension of the moment was fueling his adrenaline, his heart beginning to pound out of both fear and excitement. After all, if everything turned out, then he could be returning to camp in just a few hours the lone victor of this war, proving to everyone just how wrong they were about him.
Cia's coy, playful laughter preluded her appearance. Link had figured that she had been watching him from the shadows for quite some time now, considering his proximity to her base of operations, and so it only made sense that she'd make an attempt at capturing him or doing whatever else she had intended for him. And sure enough, the black witch soon materialized in a burst of dark magic, surpassingly not deciding to sneak up on him from behind as she stood before him, bereft of her scepter or any other weapons. The hero was admittedly taken aback upon seeing her face for the first time, stunned by not only a clear resemblance she bore to Lana, but also at how enticingly beautiful she was, especially as her scarlet lips gave him an affectionate smile and her magenta eyes were alight with adoration for him.
"Hello, darling…" Cia greeted, her tone soft and sultry as she positioned her hands on her hips in a seductive pose. "Fancy meeting you here at such a late hour… Though I have to admit, this unexpected rendezvous is rather… romantic…"
"I'm not here to play games with you, Cia," Link said firmly, holding his sword aloft despite the fact that the black witch could hear the small traces of nervousness in his tone. "I'm here to put an end to this. Now you can either surrender peacefully, or be taken down by force."
Cia laughed melodiously upon hearing this threat, clearly not taking him seriously. "Oh, my love, you have me pegged all wrong!" she said, her tone filled with false sweetness. "I didn't venture all the way out here because I wanted to fight you. I would never even dream of harming you! In fact, I want you all to come visit me tomorrow at my humble abode. I'm sure you'll love what I've done with the place…"
"You mean you want me to come," the hero said distrustfully. "So you can capture me, right?"
"Well… while the idea of taking you as my own does sound appealing… I'd much rather you come to me on your own accord…" the black witch mused, elegantly placing a hand over her showy chest. "Which is why I've simply come to… talk with you, Link… I mean, it wouldn't be very fair of you to deny me the simple pleasure of merely having your wonderful company, now would you?"
Link glared at her anxiously, still not sheathing his sword, though he did find himself lowering it a bit, somewhat taken in by her amicable tone. Seeing that he was lowering his defenses, Cia took a few steps closer to him, the hungry lust in her eyes clear as she surveyed his form in the darkness. The hero couldn't help but revile a bit as she drew ever closer to him, knowing that even despite her seductive grace and beauty, the entire idea of being taken in by such shallow things seemed wrong.
"You know, Link…" Cia began as she surprisingly passed by him, though she did take the time to drape a hand on his shoulder, though he was quick to pull himself out of her grip. "I couldn't help but overhear that argument you had with the princess earlier… and I just don't understand why she doubts you so much. I mean… just look at you…" the black witch out a contented sigh as she looked him up and down once more, ignoring his wary expression. "With that sword, you really do look like the perfect image of the true Hero of Hyrule… Capable of defeating any foe that dares to cross your path. And yet none of your allies seem to believe in your strength… save for you, and of course, me…"
A quick burst of anger ran through the hero as he remembered everything Zelda had said to him, especially the fact that she didn't believe that he could save Hyrule on his own. Yet at the same time, he was quick to also remember who he was currently speaking to. Certainly, Cia would say anything or do anything to get him on her side; he couldn't believe a thing she said, including her attempts at flattery. "That's none of your business," Link said coldly, not showing any signs that he was taking what she said to heart.
"Perhaps it's not," Cia said with a coy shrug. "But still, it drives me absolutely mad to see you being suppressed and stifled like this, my dear… You deserve so much better; you deserve all of the honor and glory available to you. And… if you came to me, if you stood at my side… then you'd have all that and more…"
"You know that's never going to happen, right?" Link asked caustically, scoffing at the mere idea of joining Cia's side willingly.
"Never say never, darling," the black witch said with an easy laugh. "Just think about it… You, me… the entire kingdom of Hyrule in the palm of our hands…. Together forever…"
The hero let out a sigh of annoyance as he rolled his eyes, clearly not amused by the black witch's flirting. "No," he said with finality, refusing to break in his resolve.
"And why not?" Cia said, her tone darkening just the slightest bit as her smile faded. "It's not like you're any better off with her. She'll never promise you the greatness I can give you. She doesn't believe in your true potential like I do."
"She's not evil like you are!" Link exclaimed, making it very clear that she wasn't going to convince him of anything.
"Link, I hope you realize that this situation is not as black and white as that," the black witch said, her tone serious as she held her hands behind her back. "Zelda has deluded you into thinking I'm your enemy, but that couldn't be any further from the truth."
"You nearly killed her!" the hero argued, knowing that even if he was upset with the princess, he wasn't about to let such a heinous act go.
"I did what I had to," Cia said, her tone largely unconcerned and vague as she let out a long sigh. "You just don't understand, my love… You don't have the memories of your past lives… You don't know how much suffering you've been through because of her. But I do. I've seen it all. In every life, she is the one to force you into a brutal destiny that you never wanted or asked for. It's because of her that you can't live your life in peace! I only wish to save you from all that. I want you to be finally be free… from your deadly destiny… and from her…"
"You… you're lying," Link accused, even though his tone was nowhere near as steady as it had been before as doubt began to creep into his mind in light of everything she was telling him.
"Am I?" the black witch asked as she slowly began to circle him, keeping her malicious smile at bay. "I am one half of the Guardian of Time, after all. I've witnessed everything that has ever happened in this land… Believe me, Link… I know the truth. I know about all of this manipulation, all of these false feeling and lies of love and affection that she has ever claimed to have for you. It's all been an act from the very beginning, a ruse."
"No," the hero said, shaking his head as his uncertainty became even more apparent. "You're wrong. Zelda… she wouldn't…"
"She would," Cia insisted, her tone filled with ire for the princess. "Why else do you think she underestimates your abilities the way she does? The truth of the matter is that she only sees you as a tool, and nothing more. A safeguard to protect her precious kingdom from harm. She doesn't actually respect you as a person; she never has over the course of thousands of years. This Zelda is no different from her careless, pitiless ancestors, the very same ones who made your ancestors go through torture time and time again."
The black witch smiled as she noticed the hero's deeply conflicted expression, knowing that her manipulation was working. Her plan to use his anger at the princess to her advantage had been a genius one, for certainly she was sowing the seeds of doubt within him, seeds that she would eventually sow upon claiming her beloved as her own once and for all.
At the same time, Link couldn't help but feel as though some of what Cia was saying was true, as much as he didn't want to think so. And yet, a lot of it did make sense. He had been thrust into this grand, yet dangerous destiny without any warning, largely because of what he believed was an instinctual devotion to Zelda. But now he was discovering, with the startling revelations the black witch was telling him, that those devotions were not really his own, but rather those of his predecessors who had been led astray in much of the same way as he was. After all, if the princess really did care for him as anything other than a warrior, certainly she would have expressed her belief in his strengths, her confidence in his ability to win this war alone. Instead, she undermined him, criticizing his courage and casting off as childishness. It was all conjecture, but the disturbing thought enraged him nonetheless.
However, Link knew that he couldn't let Cia know that. After all, as much as he was infuriated with Zelda for tricking him like she had, there was no way he was going to go willingly into the arms of a woman who only wanted him for her own perverse desires. Despite what the princess had done, he was still resolved to save Hyrule from the darkness threatening it, no matter what he had to do.
"It doesn't matter," the hero finally said, feigning that he didn't care about any of it, even though he very much did. "We're still going to defeat you tomorrow and end this war, so you might as well forget trying to get me to join you. Like I said: I never will."
"That's what you think…" Cia muttered to herself darkly, knowing that now more than ever, her plan to end his stubborn resistance was falling into place. "Very well then," the black witch said with a disappointed shrug as she finally stepped away from him. "Believe her lies if you wish. But know this: I'm not the one you should be going up against. Be aware that there exists an evil that is far greater than what you believe mine to be. An evil that I'm sure you will see as an enemy as much as I do, one that will stop at nothing until this kingdom is destroyed. It lies dormant now, but be warned that if it does return… you'll willingly want my help just to stop it alone… You'd be wise to remember that…"
Link was certainly confused by the ominous warning Cia had just given him, unsure of what she was talking about. After all, if she wasn't their ultimate foe, then who was? "What do you mean?" the hero asked, gripping his sword a bit tighter as he gave her a distrustful look.
"I'm sure you'll see in due time," the black witch said with a scowl, preparing to take her leave back to her fortress until the impending battle. "But until then, I suppose I'll see you in the morning, love." Her seductive smile returned as she gave him a flirtatious wink, savoring every second she spent with him as her thoughts drifted to how things would change after tomorrow, and how soon, if all went accordingly, then she would get to have him all to herself at long last. "For now, I implore you to watch yourself and your princess, Link. After all, my dear, love, much like war, is but a game…"
Ok, I gotta say it: writing dialogue for Cia is probably the funnest thing ever. And believe me when i say we're only going to get more of it in the next chapter, as we move onto my absolute favorite stage of the game: the Temple of Souls! So yeah, its gonna be intense, and who knows? I might just surprise you all during it... ;D But for now, let's leave on another question! This time around I want to know: Which is your favorite villain grounp? Team Cia (Cia, Volga, and Wizzro) or Team Villain (Ganondorf, Zant and Ghirahim)? For me, I gotta say I love Team Cia, mostly because Cia is honestly the best out of everyone IMAO ;D But please, let me know in the REVIEWS! (also 600th reviewer gets a free virtual cookie!) Until next time! :D