fleets: chapter cover is on devart as always :)
Chapter 7: Clowns and Amnesiacs
When Link arrived at the gates of Hyrule, he had expected some form of appreciative welcome from the citizens. He had, after all, managed to single-handedly recapture Vaati. Instead, all he received was a curt nod from the guards posted by the southern entrance and a few curious glances from the townspeople as he made his way towards the central plaza. Not a single person threw a remotely worried glance at the unconscious villain he carried on his shoulders.
It was weird. The guards around Hyrule were strolling through the streets in their regular routines, and it seemed that most of them had returned from their search parties. Actually, their whole demeanor was lazy and almost jaded. Even the townspeople who had been hiding in their homes during the search were going about their daily routine as though nothing had happened. Everything was too peaceful.
What disturbed Link even more was that he couldn't recognize anybody in the streets; not even the soldiers who were approaching him now, adorned with the insignia of the Royal Guard.
"Why, hello Link! Are you enjoying your day off today?" one of the soldiers asked.
Link was caught off guard. Day off? That's what I was GOING to enjoy until we were sent out to search for Vaati and Opal. Sensing something was horribly wrong Link proceeded carefully. "Erm, we don't have a day off today because we have a search to do."
Now the soldiers looked surprised. "Search? For what?" The soldier who spoke scratched his head. "Did the princess recently issue the order? We haven't heard of this."
"What? But… ah, never mind," Link frowned. He could sense that something was different about this Hyrule, but he didn't want to get into a complicated situation with these soldiers before he could figure out exactly what was going on. He needed to find someone he recognized. "Do you know where I can find Sir Gregory, by the way?"
"Sir Gregory?" The soldier rubbed his chin, "I know several Gregories, but none with the title of Sir." Several of his men nodded in agreement, and Link's feeling of foreboding increased. Sir Gregory was one of the most conspicuous men in the Royal Guard: he wasn't easily missed. Not noticing Link's expression of confused dread, the soldier continued, laughing heartily. "But to not have a day off, Link! You shouldn't work yourself too hard; you deserve a vacation after the rough adventure you went through, and boy, what a story that was."
Link began to feel worse. It sounded like these soldiers hadn't heard about Vaati's escape, and he couldn't think about how that would even be possible.
The soldier sighed. "Nothing goes on around here anymore. We're practically unemployed! But you can't have a proper castle without the Royal Guards."
"No, I guess not… OW!"
"Arrgh fool, let go of me, don't touch me!" Finally regaining consciousness, Vaati kicked himself off of Link and landed on the ground with a loud whack.
"Ah, so your friend has woken up. Is he all right? What happened?" The soldier asked, watching with interest as the mage brushed himself off and unleashed a string of curses in a language that wasn't Hylian. As Vaati was in the middle of fixing his collar, the sorcerer froze abruptly when the soldier's question registered in his head. Vaati stared at the guard blankly, and Link had the same reaction.
"You don't know who he is?" The words barely made it coherently out of Link's lips.
The soldier turned to the gaping Vaati apologetically. "I'm sorry, are you a celebrity? Forgive me, but I'm not too familiar with the popular culture. My children make fun of me for it all the time." The soldier shook his head sadly.
"But he's… he's Vaati, the Sorcerer of Winds! He tried to take over Hyrule and he, and he…" Link stuttered, and then fell quiet when all the soldiers began to laugh. Though Vaati was just as confused as Link, he laughed along with them; this was great.
The soldier chuckled. "Link, do you mean the Vaati from the old Hyrule legends? It's questionable he even existed." The laughter from the soldiers gradually died down and then a look of concern appeared on the lead soldier's face. "I know you had a rough time when you went out alone to defeat Ganon, goddesses know what you saw."
At this point, Vaati frowned a little from not having his name mentioned. He felt he deserved some credit for terrorizing Hyrule, yet the guard only recognized Ganon. He kept quiet, however, while the guard continued.
"I suggest you take it easy and rest. These nightmares will leave you soon enough." The soldier turned to Vaati who still appeared disgruntled about not being mentioned or remembered. "Did something happen to him Mr… ?"
The sorcerer looked up at the guard and considered him for a while. Then, he decided to test if he really was forgotten. "Coincidentally, my name is Vaati." He straightened himself out and gave Link a look of pity. "I believe poor Link here made the wrong connections when I introduced myself. I was surprised when he attacked me, claiming I needed to be sealed away."
The soldier looked sharply at Link. "Is this true?"
"Bwha-" Link stood in shock at the accusations.
Vaati waved him away haughtily, now sure that he was unrecognizable to the guards. "The stress of responsibility may have finally got to him, I'm afraid." He tried his best to look serious even though his lips tried to curl upwards in an amused grin, and he continued as solemnly as possible. "I also believe he may be suffering from a type of amnesia. I observed him zapped quite severely by an electric Chu; an unfortunate accident."
Link gave Vaati a cold glare, but said nothing.
The soldier walked over and placed a hand on Link's shoulder. "Link, this is serious."
"I… but…"
"It's actually good fortune he brought me to you after he knocked me out," Vaati said cheerfully. "Please take good care of him, soldiers."
At this, Link finally recovered from his initial shock and managed to speak coherently. "No! Wait! I'm completely fine!"
Vaati shrugged. "That's what they always say."
The soldiers surrounded Link, and they began to direct him towards the town doctor. "Let's get you checked up to make sure everything is fine. It sounds like you're going through trauma."
"I said I'm fine!" Link shouted, fighting against the soldiers who firmly led him away. Between the guards' arms, Link glared at Vaati's smug face. "We can't let him get away!"
The sorcerer waved him off with more enthusiasm than necessary, and then turned his back to walk casually towards the commercial area of Castle Town. "I pray he recovers from his condition."
The soldiers nodded in agreement, and then proceeded to pull Link towards the castle doctor. Before they walked completely out of sight, the soldier who had been speaking to the two boys called back after the sorcerer when he remembered something. "Say, I do believe I recognize you sir."
Link stopped struggling and Vaati paused in his tracks. Had they finally realized the truth? With a warning edge in his voice, the sorcerer slowly turned his head over his shoulder towards the guard. "Do you now…"
"The markings under your eyes and your, excuse me, flamboyant attire… are you possibly employed under 'Fyer and Falbi's Watertop Land of Fantastication' at Lake Hylia?"
Vaati began to frown, but for a completely different reason than from his fear of having his cover blown. Oblivious, the soldier made an effort to explain.
"You know, the two clowns that work at the amusement park by the lake. I hear they're popular with the kids during the summer, and my son absolutely loves it. Do you work there?"
"… He had better shut up now," Vaati seethed under his breath, his good humor leaving him. More audibly, the sorcerer huffed, making an effort to keep his temper in check. "I do not enjoy entertaining children," he spoke as though he were speaking of insects. Without another word, he stormed off towards the busier avenues of Castle Town, leaving Link under the hands of the Royal Guards.
XXXXXXXX
Vaati angrily shouldered his way past the evening crowd, still upset for being mistaken for a pair of clowns who worked at an amusement park. It was one thing to want to be recognized as someone famous, and quite another thing to be mistaken for someone famous in a disgraceful occupation. "Land of Fantastication indeed," he muttered, clenching his fists. How dare they disrespect such a powerful, significant person like him? "Despicable."
He tried to push through the crowd, not really sure where he was going except away from the central plaza. It still boggled his mind that no one recognized him, and he cast irritated glares from time to time when people shoved him out of their way. In this crowd, no one respected him because to them, he was the same as anyone else.
The only viable explanation that he could come up with was that the Hyrule he and Link were now in was not the same Hyrule they had come from. It was outrageous and he couldn't even begin to think about how that would be possible, but the truth was that no one recognized who he was. Further more, the claim made by the soldier that "Vaati was an old Hylian legend" pointed him to an idea on where they really were, but he wasn't going to jump to conclusions without making sure first. Vaati craned his neck to see above the crowd: he was happy that for once, he was almost about as tall as the average person instead of pitifully short.
"Looking for someone, young man?"
A storekeeper who was in the middle of packing away the produce in his produce stand asked Vaati amiably. Vaati was about to say he wasn't, but then thought better of it when he realized he could use some directions. "Actually I'm looking for the library."
"Ah, you're not from around here are you?" the shopkeeper heaved the crate of pumpkins onto a wooden cart. "The library isn't far from here," the man nodded. "By the way, if you're a traveler you should try some of Hyrule Castle's famous Red Royal Apples. They're only grown here."
"No thank you," Vaati said flatly. "Where's the library?"
"Here, they're usually ten rupees, but I'll sell them to you for five since it's… your… first time here…" The storekeeper's voice faltered when Vaati, at the end of what little patience he had, leaned over the counter menacingly.
"Where," Vaati whispered, his voice like a whip, "is the library?" When the man hesitated, Vaati snatched the slicing knife that was on the counter and slammed it through an apple that was propped on the market table. "I would appreciate your help," Vaati coerced in a pleasant voice, though his sharp red eyes said otherwise.
"Uh… down that road. You'll see it on your left," the man shrunk behind the store counter and pointed his finger towards the direction of the library. Never in his life had he been looked at so threateningly, and the aura that pervaded around the traveler was absolutely toxic. Without another word, the wind mage turned on his heel and marched off towards the direction of the library.
The storekeeper sighed in relief when Vaati was out of sight. "I think I just talked to the devil."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Dr. Borville, we would like you to make sure Link is all right."
"I said let go of me! I'm perfectly fine!"
Link slammed his hands against the doorway, refusing to take another step inside the doctor's office. A short, impish doctor with his gray hair parted into two points like his ears looked up from behind his messy desk. Wrinkled and crooked, there was a sort of irony in that he looked unhealthier than most patients. A set of thick-lens glasses made his eyes appear to bulge out past his face. "He looks pretty fine to me if he has that much energy," Dr. Borville sniffed.
The soldiers pushed Link through the door. "We believe he's mentally unstable, doctor."
"I said I'm –"
The doctor's head snapped up at the soldiers' explanation, and spittle flew past his desk when he yelled at them. "Get out! I don't have time to waste on you!"
Link and the soldiers fell silent when the doctor stood up and shooed them back outside. Though Link was relieved that he wasn't going to have to be examined by the doctor, he was slightly worried that Hyrule would have such an unwelcoming doctor. The soldiers exchanged anxious glances. "But…"
The short yet fierce doctor interrupted them in a wheezy voice. "Mental instability? What do you think I am, a psychologist? I'm a doctor! That is beyond my expertise!"
"Then who should we –"
Link protested. "I don't need help!" I hate you Vaati!
A greedy light appeared in the doctor's eyes as he considered the Royal crest on the soldiers' armor. He then pointed to Link who was trying to make his way past the guards and away to look for Vaati. "Hmm, I'll consider taking a look at the boy if I'm sufficiently paid for my services."
The soldiers hesitated at the mention of payment, and Link took this time to shove them away. Finally breaking free, he made a run for it. Behind him, he heard a few gasps of surprise, and then a faint murmur as the soldiers figured that they didn't really want to pay. Breathing a sigh of relief, Link slowed down when he was sure they wouldn't follow him anymore.
The sky was a deep orange now from the late evening sun. Night was about to fall in a few hours, and it reminded him just how much time he had wasted. Vaati could be anywhere at this rate, and he hoped the sorcerer hadn't left Castle Town. Link picked up his pace again, determined to find the wind mage. He made his way straight towards the castle market street since that was where he had last seen him. The streets were almost completely empty now, except for a few vendors who were taking their time to put their merchandise away for the day.
"Excuse me," Link stopped a vendor who was pulling a wooden wagon full of produce behind him. The man appeared worn after a long day of work. "I'm looking for someone; he's wearing a purple cape and has really long, light purple hair. Have you seen him?"
There was a crash as the man let go of his wagon, making it drop to the cobblestones abruptly. He backed into the wood, making a few apples roll onto the ground. "You're with him?" the man asked in fright.
"You've seen him? Where? Where did he go?" Link reached out urgently, making the man flinch away. Vaati, what did you do to him? He took a few steps away from the nervous man so he wouldn't scare him, and tried again. "Please, I need to find him before he hurts someone."
At this, the man calmed down. "You're not with him?" When Link shook his head 'no,' the man instantly became helpful. He pointed down the road where he had given Vaati directions earlier. "He said he wanted to know where the library was. Please, find him quickly! He was about to kill me – I could see it in his face!" He begged earnestly for Link to hurry - the boy didn't need to be told twice.
"Thank you," Link began running towards the way the vendor had pointed. He hurried past the few people left on the streets and his boots clicked rhythmically on the stone. He hoped Vaati was still there, and he tried not to think about what he would do once he caught him. Should he fight him? Should he bring him to Zelda and let her think about what they should do? What if she didn't recognize him like everyone else?
Another horrible thought crossed Link's mind: what if Zelda didn't exist? So far he hadn't seen anyone who he recognized, and no one seemed to know anyone he knew. The blond shook his head vehemently. I don't want to think about it.
Link paused when he reached the library doors. Taking a deep breath and making sure he still had his sword with him, he slowly pushed the door open.
Stacks of books greeted him beyond the receptionist's desk. A stereotypical librarian with her dark hair pulled up in a tight bun glanced briefly at him over her glasses. The library appeared bigger than he remembered, but that could have been his memory failing him: he rarely visited the library anyways. At the same time, there was something different about the library – actually all of Castle Town now that he thought about it. Everything seemed older and more worn. He thought the town had looked newer than it did now.
Link walked up to the librarian who was busy reading a book at her desk. He scanned the isles for the missing sorcerer. "Have you seen an extremely pale person with a hat like mine except it's purple?" Link asked. Wordlessly, the librarian brought up her hand to point at the person who had walked out from the isle labeled 'Section H14." It was Vaati, and he had his nose buried in a book.
"Found you!" Link exclaimed. At the sound of his voice, Vaati looked up abruptly and slammed his book shut.
"You again!" he spat. Then, remembering his civility he mentioned much more smoothly, "Did they acquit you from the asylum already?" He ignored the librarian telling them to be quiet, and thumbed through the book he had in his hand so that the pages made a soft, ruffling noise.
Link stomped over to Vaati. He was angry at what the sorcerer made him go through earlier, and he was also angry at all the trouble he was causing. Link drew his sword, paying little attention to the gasps from the people in the library. He lined it up with Vaati's neck. "You're coming with me."
The sorcerer shrugged casually, and opened the book he had in his hand. "And where are we going?" At Link's uncertain pause, Vaati looked up and smiled. "Do you even know? What are you going to do with someone who's not a criminal? I can probably have you arrested for assault instead," the sorcerer laughed, highly amused by the situation.
"This isn't funny!" Link snapped while Vaati continued laughing. He grabbed hold of Vaati's arm in an attempt to lead him outside, but then he flinched when the librarian yelled at him for being loud. Taking the opportunity, Vaati slapped Link's hand away from him.
"Of course it is," the sorcerer chuckled. Then, he pushed the point of Link's sword aside and walked over to one of the tables to pick up a pile of pamphlets. He passed it over to Link with a smile, making the other boy wonder why the evil wind mage was acting so gracious towards him. A wicked glint appeared in Vaati's eyes. "Is something the matter?"
Link evaluated the sorcerer for some time. There had to be a reason why the sorcerer had regained his assurance. Wordlessly, Link snatched the pamphlet that was offered to him. What he read made his forehead wrinkle. "… It's an ad for the annual book fair. What about it?"
"Doesn't that sound interesting? When is it going to be held?"
"What are you playing at?"
Vaati only grinned. "When is it?" Then, his face darkened though his creepy grin still remained. "Read it."
Link took another look at the pamphlet that was in his hands. He skimmed past the bold heading of "Free Books!" and "Bring the Family!" until his eyes landed on the date. He stared at it blankly for a few minutes, not quite registering what the numbers told him. As the information slowly rested in his head, Link began to turn pale.
Vaati's grin only grew wider.
fleets: Vaati's not as accepting of sticking with Link compared to the old version :P
Vaati the wind mage1: He was subdued XD
Reily96: Lol okey XD
Schadenfreude!
Midna Hytwilian: Ohh yeah, I forgot I added that one line in the manga version XD (it wouldn't really have made sense in the written version though haha).
Shadow R-B: Whoohoo thanks for the review! (cheers) Trying to keep my favorite parts of the original while adding new bits :3 I'm excited to write one section I'm going to change completely from the original (fidgets).
SmashQueen: Mmmm, I understand where you're coming from, but I like it the way it is right now and I'm willing to go tooth and nail over this with your English teacher: not saying your teacher is wrong, but I do like to stubbornly fight over certain things even if I ultimately lose pitifully (don't mind me lol) XD
Good point about the chainmail - I probably could have extended that a little farther instead of rushing it.
Thanks for the highly detailed review smashy! :D
Sapphiet: He never learns, does he? (shakes head sadly)
LilyMoonstone: (imagines Vaati's cape stretching, and then snapping back to slingshot him away) ... O.o; (lols)
msfcatlover: It'll take a while to get to the new part, but I can't wait until I get there :3
SubZeroChimera: Haha, now I have an image of Link playing "Whack-A-Vaati"
i-wish-799: He'll be pretty stubborn for a while lol. Next chapter I will attempt (or rather, Vaati' will attempt) to explain the appearance change XD
