I have returned and this is better written.

"A storm is brewing."

The mage didn't glance up at her companion's words, too intent on reading the book she was hunched over, her ankles aching from kneeling too long. The air in the sanctuary was smothering, and she found she could hardly breathe; just being here on a night like this made her jittery, and she found it hard to stop her hands from shaking.

"Terryl, pass me the other spellbook. You gave me the wrong one."

Trying to ignore the other girl's slight hesitation -was she too thinking of backing out? - she hastily flipped through the book and made her way around the sword's pedestal, pulling a chalk from her pouch and sketching small eyes at certain points.

"….Fleta?" A taller boy tapped her shoulder lightly, and she flinched. "You've been staring at these books for so longwithout a word."

"Even minor sealing spells require concentration, Marco. I'm making sure the first thing he does isn't blast us to pieces. I do want my deal met, you know. "

"Oh." He relaxed a little too quickly for Fleta's liking. "That's a good idea, then."

She scoffed and stood up, dusting herself off and glaring at him. Her legs wobbled a little. "A little scared, still? Run along home then. I'd like to see you get out unnoticed from the castle now, though." Taken aback by her sudden abruptness, Marco frowned and backed off slowly.

Fleta turned back to the other mages and smiled, a slightly feverish look now in her eyes. They crowded around her, whispering, moving from foot to foot, not quite meeting each other's eyes.

"Actually, Marco, I've changed my mind. Be useful for once and fetch us the princess."

Marco rushed out to the courtyard, returning with two more mages dragging the princess forward with some difficulty. Fleta wondered briefly how they'd even managed to incapacitate her magic- between their exhausted expressions and her glowering, clearly it hadn't been easy.

"I see you had fun with my mages."

"Let me go, sorceress." A long scratch ran down Zelda's cheek, blood oozing steadily, giving her a wilder appearance than Fleta was used to. "This is not going to work, the wind mage is long dead. The most you'll unseal is a ghost."

"You're not going anywhere until that ghost is free, then. And even then, I doubt you'll just walk away." Fleta waved an arm at the two holding her. "Bring her to me, I really don't have time for this."

The mages pulled her still struggling to the pedestal, dropping her arms and almost running away when she was just outside the circle of eyes. Fleta grabbed her arm and leaned closer, just enough to surely make her feel uncomfortable, but there was no fear in her eyes. Strange.

"Well, you obviously know why you are here. Touch the hilt."

"I'm afraid I cannot reach."

"I'm sure you can, if you try."

"I think not."

"Don't play coy, Princess."

She slammed Zelda's hand against the sword's hilt and held it there, ignoring her cries, then shoved her in the back and sent her crashing onto the pedestal steps before she had a chance to react.

"Fleta, she's inside the circle!" Terryl sounded more worried than she should've been, and was edging slowly towards her. "Are you sure-"

"Be quiet. It's done now." If you move to help her up, you'll be very sorry.

The spot where Zelda's hand touched the sword started to blaze with a harsh golden light that Fleta found almost unbearable to look at. The air was buzzing with violent energy, and it was only when she forced herself to back away that she noticed Zelda's own hands glowing with the same light, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.

With an almighty crack the sword was pushed up and sent flying across the sanctuary, mages scattering out of its path. The light followed the sword and then faded, and Fleta was glad for the respite on her eyes.

Silence fell.

No one even dared to breathe, all waiting in nervous anticipation for what would come next.

Then a low moan emerged from where the sword once stood. As if they were called, shadows crawled from every inch of the sanctuary towards the pedestal, swirling around in a sudden, vicious wind.

One minute they formed what could pass for a young boy, the next a towering deity, then a single demonic winged eye. They couldn't seem to decide on one shape, discarding the deity but frantically flitting between the boy and the demon, so fast it made Fleta's head spin. It suddenly struck her that she hadn't really given much thought to what form he would take- she'd heard that he'd been sealed as demon, but her sources were not exactly the most reliable….

Finally, the wind ceased and the shadows congealed. A cloaked figure rose and looked up, stumbled and hissed, as if the brightness beyond the gloom was causing them great pain. Raising one hand, they flicked his wrist and sent the shadows back to the corners of the sanctuary, and it became bathed in murkiness again, the mages now half hidden themselves.

Vaati stepped off the pedestal, the sealing spell fading away and having no effect. Still, some shadows lingered around his cloak, which kept shifting into what resembled bat wings, as if they weren't sure he was even meant to be this form. The mages drew back further into the gloom as he passed- only Fleta dared to stay where she was, heart pounding as he leaned towards her.

"So?"

His voice came out raspy, centuries of disuse finally becoming clear. Even though she was the only one who didn't shrink away in fear, she had a feeling this man, despite his unexpectedly calm demeanour, wasn't all quite there...

'She's over there, if you were wondering..' Fleta couldn't seem to get the words out, no matter how eager she was to detract attention away from herself. She glanced at Zelda, just so she didn't have to look at Vaati's face ; she was no longer shaking but was out cold, sprawled just below the pedestal.

He rolled his eyes and made his way towards the princess, who started to stir as he approached. Kneeling beside her, as if concerned, he pressed a hand gently to her face. Something seemed to pass between them; their eyes glowed golden.

A minute later she shouted so loud even Fleta jumped. eyes wide as the princess scrambled back in confusion. Vaati grabbed her to stop her from running off, pulled her up and warped away, the shadows that still surrounded him dissipating into the air.

Fleta could only stand there staring at the slight afterimage. She hadn't expected that. She didn't appreciate her half of the deal being forgotten all too quickly.

The others, once they were sure he was gone, crept out of the gloom and crowded round her again. Only Marco would meet her eyes, and he nodded silently. Like a bunch of scared children, the lot of them.

"He didn't seem as angry as you said he'd be..."

"I don't know why he took the Princess though…"

"I wouldn't be so sure." Indeed, Fleta had half thought he'd come bursting forth and blast them all away without a second thought. Instead, she'd been met with someone cool and composed- not what she'd prepared for at all.

And they'd made complete and utter fools of themselves.

But it didn't matter now- Vaati was gone, and she hadn't the slightest idea how they could track him down. She clenched her fists, starting in shock at faint shouting and pounding footsteps rushing towards the sanctuary gates.The court mages!

Fleta shook her head. "Come on, we'd better go. If they find us here now, we'll have bigger things to worry about."

Ah, cliffhangers. Don't I love them.