fleets: Kablam, update! Thank you for the wait, this one was a bit longer than the others. I really enjoyed reading everyone's reactions to the last one :') you guys are peaches

Chapter 14: Conference of Gods

Vaati watched Zelda from the camera of his SS. It wasn't like he had any choice in what he could look at, for his field of vision was dictated by wherever it was the device was pointing at, and the video camera that Zelda had clipped to her collar. She was currently fidgeting a little where she sat, one hand by the SS now docked on its stand on the desk, and the other nursing what was probably a sore neck. It had been frustrating for Vaati to see be locked on the Asphodel headset knowing that Zelda was going to have regrets in the morning, and not being able to do anything about it. He would have spent more time in Asphodel, except he'd been distracted by the thought that she might roll over and crush the device he was in.

They'd been tired. Zelda, physically. Himself, mentally. Emotionally, too. It was already past noon and yet Zelda had only just woken about an hour ago. A lot had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and both were still trying to sort things through so they could decide on how to move forward. After all, there was a lot more that remained unsaid, and Vaati knew that the nature of their relationship would change because of it. How could it not? He held the power to ensnare Zelda in the very situation he was trapped in, while at the same time he was at her mercy if he decided not to use said aforementioned power.

He saw the subtle dip in Zelda's brow, her gaze lowered and unfocused like she was mulling over troubled thoughts. Her expressions weren't obvious, but after spending days with nothing to see except her face, he'd become rather good at reading her tells: she was worried. He could already guess what it was that was beginning to gnaw at her. She'd had enough time and enough rest since last night to begin to piece together enough for her to become suspicious of him. He was hiding something, and he was dangerous; honestly it surprised him that it had taken her this long for her to finally get it.

The screen flickered, and the SS absentmindedly flicked through some random articles like he was flipping his thumb through a book that he clearly wasn't reading. It irritated him that he'd allowed himself to feel bothered by this, no matter how briefly. He remembered last night with the two of them watching the splash of stars of an unnamed galaxy funneling up towards the sky, the field a soft white glow of asphodels. He remembered how Sheik had surprised him with that lingering touch on his arm, once again assuring him that he would be there for him. And then he remembered Sheik, unwisely letting his guard down and falling asleep on his shoulder. Vaati had still maintained his skepticism, but… he hadn't hated that moment. The selfish, egotistical part of him detested the thought of losing such trust.

Besides, he told himself, it was natural to be annoyed. Zelda continued to make those grand claims that she would be there for him, and yet when all was said and done she was having doubts. Doubting him. Reasonable doubts, of course, but then he would have rather she'd never said those things. This insecurity of his, it disgusted him. He wouldn't feel this way if he wasn't trapped. He was confident, and yet…

Talking himself into a circle, Vaati eventually spoke up, unable to be forced to continue looking at Zelda who was likely digging herself further and further into thoughts of doubt. He was convinced that she was on the verge of coming to the conclusion that she should get rid of such a dangerous person like him.

"I can tell, you are wondering if you can trust me. You are a little too honest with your face," he said. He was aware that he was beginning to ramble, but the point bothered him enough that he ignored the feeling like a car accelerating into a nasty crash. He almost regretted opening his metaphorical mouth when he saw Zelda blink and raise her head slightly in surprise, but he kept going anyway. "Perhaps you are awake enough now to reconsider your blind faith in someone you know nothing about."

"Oh… I was just thinking about the conference call we agreed to make with Sonya in an hour," Zelda murmured. She sounded a little confused by Vaati's sudden accusation that seemingly came out of nowhere. "I'm worried about you. Maybe you're right, I don't trust you to make good decisions," she said with a small, apologetic smile.

Her reaction only sent Vaati into further depths of frustration. Anger. He was disconcerted that his assumptions had been wrong partly because of the fact that he'd been wrong, but also because he Zelda still refused to admit that she didn't trust his motives. It made no sense to him. It would save him vexation if she could finally get it through her head that she should not trust him like this, and to not be so… so damned accommodating. Could she not just admit it already that she did not trust him?

The sorcerer retreated back within the pages and applications of the SS in silence, though not without a red light betraying his feelings.

"Vaati, is something wrong?" Zelda asked, sitting up straighter now, knowing she had upset him but not quite knowing why. She knew that both of them were apprehensive about the call starting soon, but that wasn't what this was about. She tentatively reached for the device in worry, but pulled back when Vaati replied tersely.

"Leave me."

Zelda recoiled, pulling her hand away. She watched the SS for a few minutes, until finally her shoulders lowered with a barely noticeable sigh. "… Okay."

However, rather than calming down, Vaati instead seemed to be incited further. This was something that had been bothering him since the first time he'd met this era's Zelda, and it had finally reached a point where he could no longer remain quiet about it. Fuming, all of the pages that had been open on the device force-quit, almost like someone very deliberately slamming a book shut. "No. That is exactly it. That is exactly your problem." Vaati's voice quivered the more Zelda became confused at his anger. "You let things happen to you! You don't do things for yourself, you try so hard to be 'nice,' to be 'compassionate.' Selfless? You're a fool, and you frustrate me."

Zelda remained quiet. The creases along her forehead from her brows scrunching together had left, and she was no longer looking at him with bewilderment. Instead, she folded her hands on her lap, listening to his rant patiently, which only encouraged the sorcerer to continue spitefully.

"You know nothing about me, and yet you throw yourself in danger to help me. You know nothing about me, but you say you trust me. You do this with your father as well," Vaati hissed.

There was a twitch of her nose at the mention of her father, the smallest indication that Vaati's words had affected her that time. There was a momentary lapse of hurt in her eyes before she hid any emotion with a cool, collected mask. She said nothing, letting Vaati finish his fuming.

"You're clearly uncomfortable, but you avoid confrontation and instead, accommodate. Have you no spine…" Vaati muttered. There was an audible huff and the screen flickered through several dozen pages agitatedly like someone was flipping through a book not to read, but to provide a distraction from the conversation.

There was a stunned silence while Zelda stared blankly at the riled SS, taking in everything that had been said. She should have snapped back at him, defended herself in some way, but she didn't, despite the fact that Vaati's comments had been aimed at provocation. Her face instead lit up with a smile and she gave a quiet, self-conscious laugh. "I never noticed I do that…"

The light glowed a bright red, like Vaati was about to make another pointed remark, but instead he folded, giving up on trying to get a reaction from her that was something other than patience. He lowered his voice after a pause akin to a deep breath. "I once knew of someone like you. They lived their life sacrificing themself for the sake of others. It was infuriating to watch."

"It sounds like you cared about them."

The small flickers of the status light froze, and then shut down into an unreadable, unresponsive black. Her comment had been unexpected, and though his first reaction was to angrily argue against it, he never did. By the time he noticed he'd paused it was too late to deny Zelda's comment, and though annoyance bubbled up his chest he could only manage a withheld sigh. A memory of a face flashed in his mind, one that was eerily similar to the one he could see through the lens. It wasn't so much the physical similarities, though there were some distinct parallels there too, but it was more the way they looked at him. It was that same look that had frustrated him before, many years past; one that, despite the things he had done that hurt her, showed that she still hurt for him. As though she felt sorry for him. "They were someone too compassionate for their own good," he said eventually.

Zelda chewed on her lip, mulling on Vaati's words for some time. She'd long since stopped fidgeting and was sitting with her hands folded neatly on her lap, watching the sorcerer with a troubled gaze. Though she did seem somewhat upset by Vaati's words, she refused to give Vaati the fight that he seemed determined to have. "I guess I never wanted to press you because I was afraid to find out if my worries are true," she said quietly. "I'm worried about the things that have been happening, and the things that you haven't told me. I guess I don't… I don't want to face the possibility that if you finally told me the truth I-" she hesitated, not quite sure of the words that she meant to say. She eventually trailed off with a murmur, "I don't want to lose you."

"It's a little pathetic, in my opinion," Vaati snorted. "I have given you no reason for you to be attached to me in any manner."

This time, Zelda sighed. However, it was not with the anger or irritation that Vaati seemed to be looking for. Instead it was infuriatingly patient. When she spoke it was stern, like she was secure in her knowledge that she wasn't going to be spoken over, but it was calm and lacked fire. "You keep suggesting that friendship is some kind of transactional relationship. It's not always about how much benefit the other person brings," she said. Then she smiled. "Sometimes you like someone even when you don't know why."

There was a stunned silence, and Vaati was for once glad that he did not have a face to express himself with for he would have been left staring blankly at her. He wondered if he'd misheard, even when he'd heard her words clearly. Still, the concept eluded him. Zelda, the one who stood against him time and time again, the one who was always, in some way, responsible for his repeated imprisonment in the holy sword… to think that he would hear her imply that she felt fondly for him was just –

It didn't make sense to him. She wasn't supposed to like him. Even if she were a different Zelda, that's how it always had been. He felt uncomfortable in the newness of the situation, and despite the fact that he'd always wished for a departure from the script, he suddenly realized just how much he clung to familiarity. He searched her unwavering eyes, unable to believe (and perhaps even a little afraid to believe) that she truly stood by what she said. And yet he found nothing but confidence in her smile, and he almost felt a little jealous of how grounded she was in knowing her own feelings when… he couldn't understand his own.

Zelda continued, "I don't have to know everything about you to know that I want to help you, too." She lowered her gaze, "I know Caph gave you a deadline of a month. I don't know the full story, but I'm not letting that happen."

Vaati was quiet for a while. The status light on the SS was no longer a furious red, and instead was an unresponsive black like he'd burrowed back into the depths of his thoughts. From time to time it faintly glowed a dull yellow or orange, like he kept changing his mind about saying something. Finally, the light went out, and he spoke. His words were less antagonistic, and more resigned. "If you truly want to help me," he said quietly, "you must forfeit your life."

"Huh…?"

Vaati watched her smile fall, her earlier confidence breaking. He felt self-assured for a moment in seeing her falter. He'd been right, of course. No matter how well-intentioned, such baseless claims of trust was bound to fall apart with a small push of reality. He chuckled bitterly. "That is the only way for me to leave this wretched prison, and for me to obtain a real body. For the purposes of their own personal project, Caph has decided to help me return to the physical world. However, it requires that I agree to steal your body from you." He watched her closely, almost testing her to show how she truly felt about him; that she was suspicious and afraid of him, that she couldn't trust him. It would put his mind to rest if she would just admit that much. At the very least, it would save him from the disappointment he would never admit to having if he ended up being right…

Disappointment. That sinking feeling in his gut that gripped him whenever he allowed himself to foolishly feel hopeful. He should know better by now that hope was foolish and without certainty. And yet, he felt a momentary pang of disappointment when he saw how Zelda remained speechless at his words, no longer able to find that naïve confidence again.

Ha… perhaps now she would know better than to believe in him so strongly.

"You realize what that would mean for you, yes?" he asked.

Zelda turned away, unable to respond. She looked down at her hands, her cheeks suddenly pale.

Mercifully, a notice popped up on the screen of Vaati's SS. It was a reminder that the conference call that they had agreed to attend with Veran was coming up soon. Vaati turned his attention away from his camera feed and towards the call application showing Sonya Driscoll as having accepted the call invitation. "Let us speak with Veran," he said shortly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I have already spoken to Veran about what has been going on, but I have invited you to this call so that everyone is on the same page."

Sonya was back to the poised, collected woman that Zelda had met in the alley on the far end of the city. On the screen, Zelda could see her sitting tall in front of a large, polished, imposing black desk. She was no longer rattled like she'd been the night before, and she spoke with level confidence. In the top left corner of the SS, Zelda could see a smaller screen showing Hilda who had also been invited to the conference call. Next to that was another thumbnail of herself.

She tried her best to listen to what Sonya and Veran were telling her, rather than what Vaati had told her moments before. The realization that she had been overestimating her own capabilities to help him had hit her, hard, and she was finding it difficult to stay focused on what the women were explaining to her. She was glad for Hilda's presence, since her friend seemed to ask the questions she would have asked if she were feeling better.

"Then I suppose I should get right to it." Veran's voice piped up, and the border around Sonya's picture lit up on the screen. "Both Vaati and I are from a long time passed. You could say we were both prisoners."

"You were criminals?" Hilda asked, scrunching her nose in suspicion.

Veran scoffed. "Criminal is such a small, barbaric word. I prefer 'revolutionary,' or something of the ilk myself. Though, I cannot speak for the wind mage over there." Zelda could imagine her turning her nose up scornfully as she spoke. She had never met Veran's avatar, but from her voice and commandeering presence alone she could see the sorceress as being a tall, proud woman not unlike Sonya, who often spoke with a slightly mocking tilt of her head. "Caph freed us, or rather our consciousness I suppose. Their purpose is to use us in their own personal project to see if-"

There was a split-second pause where Veran hesitated. She recovered quickly, but it did not go unnoticed by Zelda.

"-well, it was something about putting souls into a vessel it doesn't belong in," she finished.

Zelda held her breath. As vague as Veran had been, she knew exactly what she was talking about, and the fact that it matched what Vaati had told her earlier increased her feelings of dread. At the same time, the fact that Veran seemed intent on skirting the issue made Zelda curious enough that she raised her head a little to see how Sonya was reacting. She understood why Veran might have wanted to keep it a secret from Sonya, as damning as the information was. Zelda's eyes wandered towards the status light of her SS, wondering what had made Vaati decide to tell her about Caph's deal when even Veran wouldn't say a word.

To her surprise, Vaati was quick to corner Veran on this point. "You've left out an important detail, haven't you," he said, to which Zelda caught a small, confused dip along Sonya's eyebrows. The sorcerer continued. "Either because they refuse to do it, or because our bodies are no longer possible to retrieve, Caph initially contained us in these devices. Recently, we were informed of another solution that they have been working on."

"Vaati," Veran hissed a warning, though she was quick to let her threats fall when she saw Sonya appear further concerned. It was too late, however. Her message of "don't you dare" was not lost on anyone, and Sonya looked sharply at the screen, prompting Vaati to explain.

"They wanted to know if a soul transferred into a different body could remain as they are, what they called a preliminary investigation to a greater project to revive the dead," Vaati continued. "Caph needs us to agree to transfer our souls to our hosts."

Through the screen, Zelda saw what she herself must have looked like only minutes before the call. She saw Sonya blink, perhaps wondering if she'd misunderstood what Vaati had said. Then, her look of surprise slowly morphed into concern, then dread when she began to realize what it meant. Her voice wavered when she noted the lack of surprise on Zelda's face, realizing that while Vaati had been honest about this to Zelda, Veran had not. "And what happens to us?" she asked, though from her break in poise it was obvious she had already guessed the answer.

This time, Veran sighed defeatedly when she realized she could hide this no longer. "We trade places, or you might even cease existing. It is not clear what happens, exactly, but…" she trailed off for a few seconds, and then sighed again uncomfortably, "you heard what happened to Onox. It is not as though Caph knows what they are doing."

"Veran, you should have told me this," Sonya said, and then added, "Thank you for telling me, Vaati."

Vaati's smug 'hmph' was interrupted by Veran who was becoming uncharacteristically nervous. She spoke quickly, and a few times her voice threatened to catch. "And what good would that have done? It wouldn't have mattered if I had no plans on humoring their offer."

"And if Caph finds a way to do this without messing up like they did with Onox-" Sonya began, but Veran rounded on her quickly.

"That is out of the question. That is never going to be an option so we can stop talking about it, am I making myself clear?"

The comment was met by a still unconvinced look from Sonya, to which Veran gave an exasperated noise. The sorceress probably would have thrown her hands up in the air if she could have, and the screen showing Sonya's face flickered and lagged out for a split second. "Oh, don't make me say it," she muttered. There was an uncomfortable pause while Veran waited for Sonya, hoping she wouldn't press further, but when the other woman only scrunched her brows together she gave up. There was a barely audible huff, before Veran gathered herself and started over. "I like you," she said. Her admission over, confidence returned to her voice, and she ignored Sonya who was looking at the screen, stunned, and her cheeks turning a darker shade than usual. "Besides," she addressed Vaati with a smug tone, "is that not why you haven't taken the deal either, Vaati?"

Huh? Zelda blinked, and she lifted her chin a little when she noticed the status light flare an indignant red.

"I know you've gotten more attached than you would care to admit," Vera teased. "I find it amusing that you aren't quite living up to your reputation of being a ruthless opportunist."

"My reasons are of no importance to you," Vaati finally snapped back.

Zelda looked at the device in front of her. She could hear Vaati and Veran going back and forth, but her mind had wandered elsewhere during their exchange as she was too caught up with what Veran had said. Earlier, she'd almost started convincing herself that the sorcerer thought her annoying. A nuisance he could do nothing but deal with, because of circumstances. But…

She watched the device blinking angrily while Vaati got in an increasingly heated argument with Veran, almost like he was trying too hard to contest her point. Some weight lifted off her shoulders as she thought on Veran's words, and a small relieved smile tugged at her lips. Vaati could have taken Caph's offer weeks ago, and yet something had stopped him. She thought back to about a week ago, when they were in Asphodel and he'd returned to her after he'd wandered away. He'd been shaken, then, like he'd been forced to confront a decision he wasn't prepared to make. She remembered how his hands had lingered on hers while he's spoken with a pained whisper, words spoken to himself that she didn't belong there and neither did he. She now understood what he'd been trying to say; that he had every reason to take Caph's deal and yet had found himself unable to.

You've been struggling all this time, haven't you…

A stern, matter-of-fact tone from Veran brought everyone back to attention, and though Vaati still seemed to be fuming he appeared to have lost interest in continuing the argument. Some pages and applications rearranged themselves in a way that Zelda could only describe as 'huffily,' while Veran spoke. "Either way, I believe we all agree that we must remove Caph from the picture," she said.

Zelda frowned. "But if you do that," she began, but was immediately cut off by Vaati.

"We'll find another way," he said sharply, eager not to discuss the issue. Veran took his side for once.

"Besides, something about agreeing to become some so-called god's plaything does get on my nerves."

"Wait, hold on." The screen lit up and for the first time since the conference call had started, the small screen with Hilda's face blinked and her audio activated. She had a skeptical arch along her brow, and she was sitting straight and alert where she sat. The mention of 'god' by Veran seemed to have been the final straw that had prompted her to speak up in the conversation. "I'm missing something here but… just who and what is Caph?" she asked.

"A god," Vaati replied simply.

"Like, actually a god."

"Yes."

Hilda chewed on her lip, looking more incredulous than ever. At the same time, she didn't seem to dwell on it, and was surprisingly quick to come to terms with the fact that powerful beings really did exist, perhaps because she'd already seen magic first hand. She was, however, more concerned with something else. "And you're just going to fight a god, and expect to win?" she asked.

Ah yes… that was the other problem. Zelda didn't know much about gods, but if stories were anything to go by then they were extremely powerful beings who could bend reality to their will. She wished then that she'd been more serious about spirituality and prayer, if only so that she might know more about how to deal with such creatures. The fact that she knew so little about them made them more frightening – what could they do against something so powerful? She disliked admitting defeat so soon, but what could a couple of humans and souls trapped in small electronic devices hope to achieve? She looked up when she heard Veran sniff disdainfully at the question.

"Hmph. Do not underestimate us, darling, we were once called gods ourselves."

At this, Zelda's lips formed a small 'oh' as she remembered what Vaati had said about having once been a god. Vaati had been one, and apparently Veran too. Or, perhaps not exactly a god, but something rivaling their power. Perhaps they had some idea on how to deal with Caph, then? The thought and confidence were encouraging, but…

The fact remained that neither Vaati nor Veran were exactly how they'd once been. Her concerns were telegraphed too clearly on her face, and it didn't go unnoticed by the sorceress. "That said," Veran clarified, "I am not so arrogant to throw caution to the winds." She paused, and Zelda could practically see her smug grin directed towards Vaati. The former wind mage gave an irritated snort in response while she continued. "I require the assistance of everyone who has even the smallest chance of being able to fight a god. Vaati, you do know what I am getting at?"

The light faded momentarily from red to yellow, but Vaati remained quiet.

"Someone is going to have to talk to the big boy to be cooperative."

The light flashed to a cautious orange. "You don't mean-"

"I know where he is. He's locked himself far beyond the original boundaries of Asphodel's world. I do not know what he has been doing all by himself, but he has been busy."

"Who?" Hilda asked. And then something dawned on her. "This… doesn't have anything to do with the rumors of players permanently losing their accounts and the roaming raid bosses…?" she trailed off uncertainly.

"Sharp one, aren't you? I haven't investigated into this closely myself, but yes, yes I do believe that is his doing. He's been staying out of trouble for the most part and so I have been leaving him alone, but we need him now. Someone," and she said the word deliberately, "needs to drag him out of his hole."

"You will have to search for someone else, then," Vaati said sharply. "If you wish to recruit Ganondorf then you will have to do it yourself."

"Unfortunately I must admit that I cannot hope to subdue the man if he becomes angry." From the way she cooed almost mockingly, Zelda could tell that Veran didn't believe a word she said. "Did you not say that you were, what was it again," she clicked her tongue, "the most powerful sorcerer in the world? Surely you are better suited for this than I." She huffed in a way that suggested she would be smirking. "Besides, I have important things to do with Sonya that will take up my valuable time. I've been busy, Vaati. While you were playing around with magnets I've been making plans to take down a god."

"Veran," Sonya spoke up before an argument could start. She tiredly rested her chin on her hands. "Please stop provoking him."

"If you wish," Veran said in a voice that still contained an undertone of mockery, while Zelda kept a careful eye on the fuming red status light of her SS. The sorceress hummed, and then her tone lightened when she addressed Hilda. "Hmm, that does remind me. You there, the other trouble maker."

"It's Hilda," the dark-haired girl grumbled, still wary of the one who'd hurt her friend.

"Yes, you. I may require your assistance while the other two help with recruitment."

"Me?"

"Now wait just one second." Zelda straightened up and picked up the SS from its stand closer to her face. She'd been fine with listening to Veran up until this point since the sorceress seemed to at least have some kind of plan, but she was starting to become annoyed by the pushy way she directed things. "I don't appreciate how you're just assuming that we're going to go along with everything you say. I agreed to let Hilda join because she has every right to know what's going on, but I'm not letting you drag her into this."

"She was already dragged into this when the two of you showed up at our doorstep," Veran retorted, and Zelda flinched at the truth of the comment. She saw Hilda shake her head furiously and attempt to get in a word against the sorceress in defense, but she was drowned out by a shrill laugh to which Sonya reacted with a withheld sigh. "Ahaha! Besides, if you are smart you will listen to me," Veran said, and she lowered her voice. "Let me be honest with you. Without me, you don't stand a chance against Caph. One month will pass and you will lose your precious little wind mage, or he will throw you to the wolves. Now, do you want to help me kill a god, or do you want to waste everyone's time being so high up your holy horse that you refuse to listen to me?"

Zelda felt her cheeks burn. Everything regarding Caph had happened so quickly that she hadn't had time to make a decision on what she wanted herself, and she couldn't help but feel that Veran was capitalizing on that. The sorceress had a big, forceful personality that didn't allow much room for questioning. Or perhaps Zelda was just… a little jealous that here, here was someone who seemed to know exactly what they wanted, and where they wanted to go. The conversation with Vaati earlier was still a little raw, and she couldn't help but think how, once again, she was simply allowing things to happen to her.

She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Vaati who sounded even more offended than she was. "You insufferable witc-"

"Vaati." Zelda stopped him, and he immediately cut short out of surprise. She took a small breath to gather her thoughts, surprising herself with the stern tone she'd used. Her expression softened, then, and she thanked him silently with a small smile. Let me, I can fight too. She inhaled, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, her cool blue gaze was collected and determined. She wasn't going to be pushed around, not by Veran and not by circumstances beyond her control. "First, I don't like the idea of Hilda getting involved, but she can make her own decisions."

"Damn straight I can," Hilda piped up. "I'll only help if I can see how it'll help Zel. Otherwise you can forget it."

"Second," Zelda continued, "This Ganondorf. Would I be able to reach him?"

"Hmm? Oh, I suppose you can, though… oh that will be interesting," she mumbled to herself. A sly Cheshire grin could practically be heard through the mic. "Vaati darling are you sure you are okay letting her run to the demon king?"

A chill ran along her hand both at the name 'demon king' and the sudden uncertain waver in Vaati's voice. "Zelda, you don't-" he began, but Zelda ignored the uneasy feeling that had passed and she fought over his protest more strongly.

"If I can convince Ganondorf to help, will we be able to defeat Caph or not?" Zelda asked sternly.

"It will raise our chances, certainly."

Zelda exhaled, and then placed the SS device back onto its stand on her desk. She glanced once at the status light that was flickering an unsettled orange with a look that could freeze anyone in their tracks. All this time Vaati had been outright resistant to the idea of her helping him. Was it because he was afraid of owing her, because he didn't think he deserved help, or because of something else he was struggling with? She wasn't sure, but she was going to take his advice; she wasn't going to let anyone dictate her actions. She was going to help because that was what she wanted to do. She wasn't going to give up, and if there was a chance, even the smallest chance…

He was still her friend, and she stood by that.

"Alright. Let's take down this god."

fleets: This chapter ended up being longer than I intended, mostly because I realized there was some important character development I had to cover with regards to Vaati and Zelda's relationship. I have to thank some wonderful people for getting me to think about their development, so a shoutout to devkyu, meoln, and MissKazeHana in particular for indulging my plot questions.

Thank you so much for reading up to now, and a great big thank you to your continued support and kind messages – they really make my day when I see them ;u;

Kaze Hana: Ahhh thank you, so happy to hear you liked it! Buckle that feels trip seatbelt tight…

Ai Star: Unfortunately Sheik was very tired and Vaati took too long to come to the conclusion that he should say something. He does inform them again but uhhhh, not in the nicest way.

Meta-Akira: I'm happy to hear you like slow-burns because that's really the only kind of romance I know how to write ;u;. Vaati's being an insecure douchenozzel right now… I was frustrated at him myself haha
And yes! I wasn't super familiar with the mythology until I started doing some digging for this story, and I fell in love with it when I read it. Apparently asphodels are also poisonous to mice (umm parallels to Minish Vaati I suppose) and was also used to preserve pigs (pointing at Ganon)? so I was a little too happy with how it all fit together.
Thank you! :D

Apocalypse-Mage: ;alksd;sjd oh my gosh thank you so much. This might sound weird about me saying for a review but your metaphors were really pretty ;u; (and I cracked up at Vaati-as-a-pistachio hahaha)
Vaati's insecurity kind of hurt him this time but hopefully… hopefully he gets less pistachio-ey soon haha ;u;
And Ganondorf. Absolutely :D