A.N: So... Another chapter! Yay! In this chapter, we finally see Vaati make an appearance and we also get to see how the other Links are faring!

Yea, I know, the scenes switch a lot in this chapter...

Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

In Which we Find out Just What the Hell our Favourite Wind Mage Has Been up to...

Layla sighed, running a hand through her hair. Being stuck in her room really wasn't interesting in the slightest. All the brunette wanted to do was to see the Wind Mage, Vaati, but he was out on some sort of lordly business or other.

"I wish he had taken me with him... I wouldn't have gotten hurt if he had." Layla muttered to herself.

"But, then, I wouldn't be able to see the joyous look on your darling face when I returned, now would I?"

Layla's head spun to face the source of the voice. There stood the Wind Mage in all his glory, looking as if he had never left the Palace of Winds. Layla let out a soft gasp at the sight of him, before trying to get up. It hurt her and she fell back down.

"Don't do that, foolish child," Vaati sighed, walking over to Layla's bedside. "You'll hurt yourself."

"Since when did you care?" Layla wondered. "Last time I checked, you didn't give a damn and you left me to get speared."

"I didn't know that would happen, did I?" Vaati snapped, his short temper being triggered. "If I'd have known that'd happen, do you really think I would have left?"

"I don't know! Would you?" Layla yelled.

"No, you blasted girl, I wouldn't!"

With Vio, Shadow and Staegl...

For Vio, the battle was now becoming boring. Staegl was using the same barrage of attacjs over and over again, making the fight tedious and dull. At first, it was a challenge. Now, it was just a chore.

"Staegl, give up. This is getting tiring." Vio sighed, dodging and parrying yet another of Staegl's attacks.

"Not a chance!" Staegl replied, still full of energy.

Shadow still watched from the sidelines, feeling no need to go and help at the current time. He was sure that Vio could manage a battle such as this one. All he'd have to watch out for would be if Staegl randomly attacked with some of his demi-god powers. If that happened, Vio would definitely need help.

"Damn it, Staegl!" Vio complained. "I'm bored of this!"

"Oh, really?" Staegl asked, mischief lining his tone. "Well, why don't I show you something more... interesting?"

Before Vio could comprehend, Staegl had summoned a sharp stick of ice and he drove it into the ground. Once this had been done, the floor around the two fighting opponents began to freeze over. A thick layer of ice coated the battlefield now.

"Bastard!" Shadow cursed, preparing to help if needed. He summoned a small flame and let it dance across his fingertips, the scent of smoke filling the cold air around him. If there was one thing that Shadow detested, it was the cold; anything to do with the cold, in fact, such as snow and ice.

Staegl seemed to have heard Shadow's muttered profanity, as he twisted his head round to smirk at the mirror-born shadow before focusing his gaze back on Vio.

With the battlefield icy like it was, Vio found it hard to keep balanced for very long. His boots weren't the right texture to effectively grip on the slippery surface of ice, instead they just hindered his abilities to balance even more.

With Red, Blue and Green...

"I really miss Vio!" Red exclaimed randomly, throwing his arms up in the air. "It's been too long since we last saw him!"

"We know, Red." Green sighed, patting the innocent blond's head comfortingly. "I'm sure Vio's safe somewhere. He can handle himself."

"Green, we aren't giving up our search for the bookworm." Blue stated firmly. "Don't think you can just worm your way out of this."

"I'm not!" Green exclaimed, sounding offended. "Since when did I say I wanted to give up our search for him?"

Blue didn't reply, he simply sent a warning glare in Green's direction. He had a feeling that Green either wasn't who the other two Links thought he was, or that he was secretly in league with some sort of evil organisation. Whichever it was, both meant that Green was acting rather unlike himself.

"Blue?" Red asked, clutching said blond's arm.

"What is it, Red?"

"Well..." the boy hesitated, unsure of how to word his question. He looked over in Green's direction and, seeing him out of earshot, proceeded to speak to Blue.

"Green's been acting funny. Is there something wrong with him?"

"I'm not sure, Red, but I don't trust him anymore. Make sure you're never left alone with him, okay?"

"Okay, Blue!" Red chimed.

Back with Vio, Staegl and Shadow...

The battle had suddenly grown deadly since Staegl turned the ground to ice. Vio struggled to keep his balance as he slid around on the ice to attack and dodge.

Shadow had rushed in to help at one point, flames gently emanating from his hands so as to keep him warm. He now wielded a sword crafted from the very darkness that fueled his existence, hacking and slashing at Staegl like crazy to try and land an effective hit.

"Shadow, what do you think you're doing?" Vio had exclaimed when the purple-haired male had rushed to his side.

"Helping you, dipshit." Shadow had flippantly explained.

"Well, well, Vio," Staegl began, glaring over at his two opponents. "Your dog decided to intervene again, did he?"

"Shut up, you bastard!" Shadow snapped, shooting a small ball of purple flames from his hands in the direction of Staegl's right foot. The attack landed, though most of the flames ricocheted off and flew back at Shadow.

"That the best you can do?" Staegl smirked at Shadow, summoning a rod of flames. His gloved hand was protected as he held the rod and began to use it like one would when wielding a sword.

"Nah, I'm just getting started!"

With Layla and Vaati...

"Stupid girl..." Vaati muttered as he attempted to heal Layla's wound with some of his magic.

"You know, I don't see how your magic's gonna work. The red potions that Vio and Shadow have been giving me don't even subdue the pain. I don't know how you think that your magic will work." Layla pointed out.

"It will work." Vaati said stubbornly. "It will work because I am me."

"That's no real explanation." Layla sighed.

"Shut up and leave me to do this, please." Vaati sighed in response.

Layla stopped talking at that and just left Vaati to work healing her, though she was still unsure on whether it would work.

Muttering incoherent words in a foreign tongue, Vaati chanted an old spell. His hands glowed an eerie lavender in colour and the faint scent of pine wood began to fill the air. The purple glow transferred from Vaati's hands to Layla's abdomen and the brunette female cried out in pain.

"Damn it!" She exclaimed. "You said it would heal!"

"It is healing. The pain should subside in a moment."

Back with Vio, Shadow and a nearly defeated Staegl...

The battle had raged on now for a matter of hours. Both sides were exhausted, even though Vio and Shadow outnumbered Staegl. The cloaked man had put up a great fight, taking the energy out of both Links.

Staegl now, however, was bent double, clutching his stomach in agony.

"You insolent fools..." he hissed, a tone that didn't belong to him now seeping through his usual one. "You think you'll beat me?"

"We know we'll beat you, bastard!" Shadow spat.

"Ha! You haven't seen anything yet. Hyrule will belong to my master!" Staegl vowed, turning away from Vio and Shadow before disappearing in a plume of black smoke that turned the air around it a foul shade of grey.

"He's gone... Just like that." Vio muttered. "Do you think we'll have to deal with him again soon?"

"I hope not, Vi." Shadow sighed, pulling the blond into a soft embrace. "I really hope not."

"Staegl said something about Hyrule belonging to his master. Who the hell would want that idiot as a servant?"

"Someone who's using him because of his powers." Shadow stated.

"Why?" Vio asked, looking up at the slightly taller male.

"Because he's a demi-god."