W.I.T.C.H. 1. Prologue

**Times of Twilight**

**Summary:** An evil from an age long before Candracar itself has surfaced. A hero long thought vanquished returns to fight it. The Guardians and their allies must fight for their very lives amidst this battle.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own W.I.T.C.H or Legend of Zelda

**Author's Notes: **Special Thanks to my beta reader Guardian's Light

**Prologue**

"Many who dwell across the worlds save for the people of Earth, knew the danger the Kingdom of Metamoor and its unstable ruler posed to the universe. The scholarly knew that Earth and Metamoor were once a single world that was literally split in two in the hopes of ending a great war between 'good' and 'evil'. But it's next to impossible to find someone who knows what caused that war or what the world was like before it was split. Perhaps out of ignorance that part of history was forgotten. Yet that bumbling idiot and his servants who dwell in Candracar know of that age. I suspect they might be the ones responsible for those blanks in the history books. It makes sense, they wouldn't want people to obtain the kind of power that I obtained, the kind of power I still wield to this day. It rivals the power of that pompous prince; even the power wielded by the shriveled witch is nothing compared me. Who am I you ask? What is the great power I wield? Well allow me to fill those blank spots in and all will be made clear.

Many millennia before the Veil, the Guardians or even Candracar itself existed there was a shapeless void. Seeing this three goddesses sent by the higher power were given the task of turning it into an ordered world. After their work on this 'perfect world' was done they returned to the Sacred Realm from whence they came leaving behind the relic known as the Triforce. This relic was infused with the divine essence of the goddesses, literally the power of creation itself! The Golden Power was hidden in a land known as Hyrule and there it remained for centuries. Most of the people who dwelt in that land believed the Triforce to be a myth or a fable; only the royal family knew the truth. Of course in a land as peaceful and plentiful as Hyrule such a thing was of little value. War occurred once in a while along with the occasional hash winter but things like this were such a rarity that its inhabitants paid little attention to the tales of the Triforce. What the people of that land had done deserve such prosperity I cannot say. In contrast my homeland by some cruel joke of the Gods was a place of strife and suffering, of despair and death. I hated and envied Hyrule with all my being. When I learned of the Triforce from an ancient manuscript I knew I had found the way to make Hyrule my own. After years of searching I was eventually able to manipulate a pair of children to open the way to the Sacred Realm were the Golden Power laid dormant. With its power at my command I swept through the land crushing all who opposed me.

As my hour of glory drew near and all hope among my enemies died the unthinkable happened. Those miserable children, one a pampered princess and the other a fairy boy named Link resurfaced to challenge me. When they did I learned that they had gained pieces of the Triforce as well. Once again I manipulated them into doing what I wanted them to do and was able to capture the Princess. This was it I thought at the time; the last threat to my rule would be gone forever. Link though, damn him, had found the Master Sword, the one relic that could harm me. I was defeated and imprisoned for centuries while Hyrule was rebuilt grander than ever. Now called the Hero of Time Link left Hyrule and was never seen again. No I had nothing to do with it sadly. I was later able to learn he left our world to battle terrors unknown. Perhaps he had finally bit off more than he could chew.

After centuries of imprisonment I broke free of my cage with some unexpected help and fell upon Hyrule with unmatched fury. The city was captured and its inhabitants put to the sword. Many of the survivors fled north or south to the human kingdoms to seek shelter and aid. It was futile, my ever-growing armies swept through those lands next. The humans though fought quite admirably against me, far better than the Hylians at least. Unlike the Hylians, many of the Humans eventually joined my side and became some of my best soldiers. You see I prayed upon the ambitions of man; my people clearly weren't the only ones displeased with the Hylian's status as the 'chosen people' of the Gods. Perhaps even more so than I they were jealous of the abilities possessed by the other races. Over the centuries my armies and my kingdom grew large enough to swallow the world itself. Those still foolish enough to resist me preached that the Hero of Time would return to save them. Foolish rumors which robbed me of much sleep. He never showed up thankfully; once again though something happened to rob me of my final victory. The Gods were sent by the higher power to take a more direct role in ruining my life. I was again banished to the Twilight Realm where I dwell to this day. My armies were stripped of their power and punished. The world was split in two; my darkest followers and the creatures I created were banished to the half now called Metamoor. The other half became known as Earth and was home to what was left of the Hylian race, which died out a few generations later. The humans were also allowed remain on Earth since it was decided that they served me out of ignorance. But humanity was denied the right to travel among the worlds as punishment for their actions. That is why the Guardians are tasked with keeping the people of Earth ignorant of such things. After the war the daughters of the three goddesses created the fortress of Candracar and appointed the Oracle to watch over mortal affairs; the rest is history.

For the longest time, I have watched and waited. My days of dwelling in the shadow are coming to an end though. My power is greater than ever and the same can be for said my ambition. The blade of evil's bane and its wielder are gone, lost somewhere in the mists of time. The Hylians are extinct so I am all that remains of that era. There is no one who can stop me now, my age, the age of Ganon is about to begin!"


	2. The Winds of Change Part One

The Winds of Change Part One

Outside of Heatherfield…

The inhabitants of Heatherfield were rather displeased with the turn the weather had taken today. Summer had been warm without being oppressively so and up until today autumn hadn't been oppressively cool. Out of nowhere a crisp cold wind had come bringing an end to the warmth. But it did bring something else with it: a lonely and stranded traveler. He walked with the wind at his at back sending shivers down his spine.

"Oh Link what have you gotten yourself into?" The green-clothed traveler said to himself. Link couldn't remember how he had gotten to the manor that he woke up in and it was starting to worry him. His confusion had only grown when he had stepped outside to get his bearings.

He didn't recognize a thing, not the strange towers of steel and glass in the distance, not the great stone road that lead to the city, and not the horrible stench in the air that was giving him a headache. Another one those strange horseless-chariots went by at impossible speed. To his relief the people in this one didn't try to throw anything at him or say unkind things about his attire.

Apparently tunics weren't very fashionable around here, not that the Hylian was a very fashion conscious person, but being accused of preferring the company of men to women in rather graphic terms made it obvious. Link shook his aching head and turned his attention to his surroundings. By the color of the leaves he could tell it was late fall with winter just around the corner. Nothing made sense at all; even the memories of what he had been doing before waking up seemed blurry.

He remembered his travels throughout Hyrule and Termina, his struggles against Ganon and Majora. After that though details were hazy at best like walking through a misty forest at night. Link could make out a few details but nothing that seemed helpful.

A cold breeze brought him back to the present reminding him he needed to get to the city. Link tucked his pointed ears under his green cap to keep them warm. The Gods only knew what terrifying beasts roamed these strange lands at night. Surely a large city like that would be free of danger, wouldn't it? He was probably a good fifteen miles from the city and the sun was rapidly setting which meant that it would be getting colder.

Link's sensitive elven ears picked the sound of another chariot approaching from behind. He readied his shield in case there was another barrage of cans. It passed him at first but to the Hylian's surprise it stopped and pulled over. Link lowered his shield slowly as he walked up to the vehicle. The window came down and a human with light brown skin and dark blue dreadlocks tied back in a ponytail leaned out. The man had an athletic build and seemed to have a friendly demeanor. A demeanor that quickly changed to one of worry when he noticed the small army's worth of weaponry the Hylian carried on his person. For a moment the human stared at him as though trying to make decision about something. Another cold breeze came by causing Link to shudder violently. It had the same effect on the driver, who seemed to have found his voice.

"Uhhh, do you want a ride into town?" He finally managed. Under normal circumstance Link would've just walked but he was cold, lost, and his head was pounding. Sitting for a little would do him some good.

"Sure," Link answered happily. _"It's good to see there are nice people here." _ The Hylian thought. The driver bent down and reached under the seat. The sound of the rear of the chariot popping open caught Link off guard. He spun around and drew his sword with lightning reflexes. He sheathed the blade when he realized there was no danger, "Sorry." He said sheepishly. Upon seeing that the concerned expression had returned to the driver's face he quickly added, "I've had an odd day." The driver actually laughed a little as if there was something funny.

"Me too," He said and pointed with pointed with his thumb toward the rear; "You can put your…stuff in the trunk." The Hylian disliked the ideal of parting with his gear even for a moment. The driver seemed nice enough despite being a little jumpy. Besides, Link got the feeling it was his weaponry that worried the driver. Making sure his sword, shield, bow, arrows, and overstuffed backpack were secure he went to the other side of the chariot and entered the vehicle on the passenger's side.

Link was pleasantly surprised by the warm interior of the chariot. They started driving toward the city, which he learned was called Heatherfield, after he learned how to put on a seatbelt. The Hylian noticed the driver was rather nervous_ "Perhaps I should say something."_ Link knew he wasn't very good at conversations. With his head pounding he felt even less like talking but perhaps it would make things less awkward, "I'm Link." He said in his usual quiet voice holding out his hand.

"Oh I'm Peter Cook." Peter responded, a little surprised to hear something out of his passenger. He shook Link's hand and seemed to ease up a little making the trip a little less tense.

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The Infinite City, Metamoor…

"I hate my life." Cedric hissed for what was probably the third time in the last hour alone. A year of solitary confinement had done much too mentally erode him. _"On the other hand."_ He thought as he slithered from one side of his cell to another, _"I have much time to think about my life." _Up until the moment he had betrayed Phobos and made a failed attempt to dominate the universe Cedric had been a slave to the will of Phobos and his promises of power. Before Phobos's rise to power Cedric had been a magical agent for the Royal Guard. The spoiled prince had drawn him and many of his fellow officers with the promise of power. Frost and Tracker were some of the others who joined his private circle. That was the first time Cedric could've backed out.

He should've gone straight to the Queen and ended the snot-faced brat's plan then and there. Heads would've rolled (quite literally) and Phobos would have either been among them or would've been imprisoned for life. The Queen would've probably awarded Cedric the Cross of Escanor for foiling such a treasonous plot, the highest medal the Crown bestowed on its loyal servants in the old days. His name would've been sung across Metamoor for such loyalty rather than whispered in hatred. Alas his lust for the arcane knowledge of the royal family overrode his senses.

The Queen died, her daughter was smuggled across the Veil, and Metamoor was plunged into darkness once more.

He now realized a second chance had been given to him when Elyon was revealed as the princess. Truth be told she had become his first real friend he had in over a decade. Cedric now knew he should have told the truth. He could've brought her to the rebels and redeemed himself. Cedric truly regretted that he had chosen power over friendship, perhaps more than friendship, _"It's too late for such thoughts now."_ Shaking the thoughts of what could've been from his mind.

Phobos seizing the Seal of Nerissa had been his last chance and he had taken it. He had realized the Guardian's plan to render Phobos powerless upon setting foot in Candracar. To his way of thinking the Guardian's would've never let him live on Earth and for his role as Phobos' Lieutenant he could never return to Metamoor. Cedric's own will had awakened that day. Making his own bid for power was the only choice Cedric felt he had.

There was now no salvation as far as he could tell; Phobos was taken away to Candracar's Tower of Mist. Nerissa was imprisoned somewhere else he had never bothered to learn where. Cedric was certain he would die in this place alone and powerless.

"Who are you?" a voice cried out from below shaking Cedric from his musings. He looked out his cell to catch a glance of a figure that certainly didn't look like a guard entering the dungeon. Even from this distance Cedric could see the blood dripping from the great sword the figure carried. The imposing figure choose to ignore the guards and let his gaze sweep past them to the cells; toward Phobos' former lieutenant,

"Are you Lord Cedric?" He said in a harsh raspy tone, Cedric blinked in surprise. Had this man come to free him? The blood on the man's blade was evident that he wasn't here for tea and a pleasant conversation. Whatever this man's plans for him were surely it couldn't be worse than rotting in this cell could it?

"Yes!" He hissed at the top of his lungs, "Yes I am, free me and I will serve your every whim." Cedric cried desperately over the sound of other prisoners who demanding to be freed. The other said nothing as he turned his attention to the guards. The first one who died didn't even have a chance to scream.

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Back on Earth…

Peter's whole day had taken a turn for the weird. He had spent a few days in his hometown of Sesamo helping his grandmother move to a new apartment. His dad was sick and his mom was busy presiding over a rather ugly case over a property line. So Peter volunteered to help despite his mom's concern over him missing a few days at school. She eased up after his teachers assured her that it wouldn't hurt his G.P.A. Peter enjoyed seeing his grandmother again despite being fed more homemade fruitcake than could be safe for human consumption.

The drive back was normal until he had picked up Link. Most people would've had reservations about picking a stranger especially one as strange as the Legolas look-alike seated next to him. Peter though remembered listening to his dad, a lawyer turned psychologist talking about the problems that the mentally ill faced. Beside, any worries Peter had about Link being dangerous vanished after he watched him spend ten minutes playing with the seat adjuster like it was magic. They would've been in Heatherfield by the time he got comfortable were it not for the traffic. Peter however was now wondering what Link would do when they got to Heatherfield.

"Uh, Link do have anywhere you can stay in Heatherfield?" Peter asked, if Link didn't he couldn't just leave him out in the streets on a cold night like this.

"Does your town have an inn? If so I have money." The Hylian said holding up a rather fat wallet, "Tomorrow I'll see if I can find a way back home." Peter gave a sigh of relief.

"Yeah there are a few hotels in town I can take you to one." Several of the other drivers beeped their horns in anger, "As soon as things speed up." He added, eventually they got through the traffic and he dropped Link off at a Hotel.

Link had wanted to pay him for the trouble but Peter wouldn't even let him open his wallet. Peter felt pretty good that he helped someone in need, "The poor guy will probably be lucky to afford one night at the hotel." He said as he drove in to the driveway of his own home. He popped open the trunk of his car to get his backpack. Then he saw something that wasn't his at all, "What the heck?" he picked up the strange wooden mask. It was perfectly round with orange eyes that seemed to glow and there was a nozzle-like mouth in the center of it. Peter knew his dad liked to collect masks from different parts of the world as a hobby. He guessed it was one of his "I'll ask him about it tomorrow." He said with a yawn and closed the trunk. Hopefully things would go back to normal.

**Author's Notes: ** Will Peter's life go back to normal? Not a chance in Hell! The Winds of Change arc has two or three chapters to go and won't have much action just warn you. The arc after will compensate this though. How Link arrived in our time will be answered much later on in the story.


End file.

W.I.T.C.H., Angst, Fantasy