It had begun before anyone even realised what was going on, including you yourself. At first you had thought, that the general marching at the top of the parade had suddenly jumped into the air; without warning he was suddenly in the air, several people crying out in surprise. But, he didn't come back down again. Higher and higher did he rise, the bit of his face that was visible below his helmet a mask of sheer terror. No, he hadn't jumped - something had lifted him into the air, tossing the grown man around as though he was little more than a rag-doll.

And he wasn't alone; one by one the men found themselves launched into the air, helplessly flailing as the invisible force carried them high above the rooftops. Soon, most of the soldiers parading in front of you were gone, the crowd's cheering having turned into fearful screaming and groaning as they watched how the first few soldiers fell onto the roofs. You didn't watch long enough to see, whether they survived the drop or not.

Next to you, Link had drawn his blade, one arm outstretched before you in a protective manner. You could see in his tense face, that he was on full alert, ready to take on the invisible monster. Or, at least you were sure, that this was his original intention.

Before he could even so as much as twitch, a sudden gust of wind shot through the now empty street before you. Only grazing you, it felt like little more than a gentle breeze, yet Link was hit by its full force; With a startled cry he was sent flying backwards, the sword torn from his grasp and landing somewhere far off, uselessly clattering to the ground. By now the crowd was panicking, no longer watching what was happening, but rather trying to flee from the scene in a desperate attempt to get away from the unsettling events.

"Link!"

Your voice drowned in the chaos around you, suffocated by the frightened cries around you and the yelling of the soldiers, which were helplessly trying to ward off an enemy that could not be seen or touched. It was a horrid scene, an in its centre stood you; confused and lost, your duty as a body double forgotten as you tried to hurry towards the fallen blond. Link was struggling to get back onto his feet, gales of wind still seeming to assault him, pushing him down onto the cobblestones. He raised his head, and for a split moment your eyes met.

And then the entire world shifted, your view tilting as you lost the ground under your feet. Weightless, you just twirled in the air, frozen stiff at the sudden change in gravity - even if you had wanted to flail or screech, you couldn't have managed. By the time you awoke from your stunned state, you were already high up in the air, the current carrying you higher and higher.

In panicked realisation you glanced down, hoping to spot Link, but immediately regretting the decision. Upon seeing just how high up you were, your insides cue twisted and nausea overtook you, once more growing rigid - but no longer out of mere surprise, but fear.

The scream which had threatened to break from your lips ended up being more of a pathetic whimper. Immediately you clenched your eyes shut, trying to calm your heart which, after stopping for a second, was now beating twice as fast as before.

The events only lasted for a few seconds, but to you every single one felt like an eternity, long and horrifying moments in which you expected to plummet down onto the street any second. But you never did.

Without warning, you suddenly found yourself pulled against something firm, accompanied by the sensation of someone wrapping their arm around your waist. The faint scent, similar of that of the air just before rainfall, entered your nose. Against your own will, your eyelids fluttered open once more.

"So, we meet again, Princess."

There in mid-air, seeming to tread upon the wind itself stood a man. With one arm, he had snatched you from the current, holding you against his frame with ease now, much much closer than you would have ever dared to get to anyone. It definitely wasn't the right time to think about such things, but seeing how close you were, it was basically impossible for you not to notice his beauty. He was... Breathtaking. Breathtaking and completely terrifying.

The being in front of you was perfect; his skin was ivory and smooth, face carved with such perfection that it lacked all humanity. Long, lilac hair cascaded down his back, swaying softly in the breeze which seemed to constantly dance around him. One eye was covered by long strands of it, yet the one that was visible was of a dark shade of red, observing you with something akin to mocking amusement. And just below it, a black mark spread all the way down to his cheek, being the only feature which one could maybe consider a fault; like a crack in porcelain.

You had met many beautiful people - men and women alike - during your time, yet never had you considered their appearance as something unsettling. This man however? He was breathtaking in the most bone-chilling way.

He was a monster. You could tell from the very second you laid your eyes on him.

Seeing how you remained stiff and silent, the being gave a dark laugh, a pleasant sound if it wouldn't have been for its sinister nature. Raising one hand, it seemed for a moment as though he was going to cup your face, before he appeared to reconsider, instead merely tracing the rim of your headscarf in a playful manner.

"Does my appearance frighten you, Zelda? I promised you, that I would return, little more than two centuries ago, did I not?"

His voice was silken, his tone kept pleasant with only a hint of derision hidden in its amusement. For a moment, you pondered what he meant by 'more than two centuries', but you would have time to think about that later. Right now you had a more urgent problem:

He had addressed you as the Princess - twice actually. And, in fact it was only now, that you remembered about your current disguise. Your face was still veiled, your identity to him being that of Zelda. Under normal circumstances you would have been flattered to see, how accurate your acting apparently had been, but right now you only cursed your luck.

Finally awakening from your state of shock, you began to struggle in his grasp, raising gloved hands to push against his chest in an attempt to shove him away - which, in retrospect might not have been the smartest idea, seeing how you were quite up high.

To your blessing in disguise, he seemed to be hardly fazed by your writhing. Lowering his free hand again, he instead directed his gaze at the ground, scanning the scattered crowd below with an expression of cold satisfaction. By now, several people had spotted the two of you, pointing up and crying out or shouting orders and suggestions at each other. And amidst them stood Link, staring up at you. It seemed he had reclaimed his blade, yet it was of no help; he couldn't reach you. All the blond could do, was to watch as helplessly as everyone else, as the stranger held you captive high above the ground.

"R-Release me! I don't know you - I am not-"

He cut you off before you could finish your sentence and explain that, in fact, you were not who he thought you to be. Returning your gaze to you, he gave a sharp, mirthless laugh, thin lips curling into a smile that could only be called bitter.

"Not know me? Why, I am heartbroken that you would say such a thing, Zelda."

Leaning in even closer, making you swallow and back away as much as your situation allowed it, he observed you through half-lidded eyes, all amusement gone from his expression now, leaving him deadly serious.

"No. You have forgotten, quite possibly, but you know me very well."

His words, and especially his tone of voice sent icy chills down your spine, making you grow increasingly more unsettled. Whatever this person's history with the Princess was... It was clear to you, that it was no happy story.

For a while, he simply stared down at you coldly, his expression unreadable - before, without warning, it changed yet again, lips forming another beautiful smile as he tilted his head ever-so-slightly to the side.

"Ah, but fear not... I will have you recall soon enough. We will have all the time in the world, my Princess."

His words were foreboding, leaving you with a very bad feeling, yet you weren't given much time to try and imagine what exactly he was referring to. As if heeding an unspoken command, the winds suddenly began to rage all around you, the gentle breeze turning into a storm within seconds, just as unexpectedly as it had changed during the parade. Yelping, you flinched and consciously cowered towards the purplehaired, clutching to the fabric of his violet cape. Like a cage, the gale winds wrapped themselves around the two of you, forming a sphere which soon grew opaque, leaving you trapped in a twilight space with the stranger.

"This time, there will be no escape."

And that was the second chapter! It's been a while since I wrote anything with Vaati, haha.
Anyways, I do hope you enjoyed it! See you next chapter~!

Yours truly
Legion