Author's note: I still regret nothing.
Windstorm
"And so it ends!" Chambers yells with a grand, cocky cackle. "The grand cycle of heroes and sacred blades ends tonight!"
For a long moment, all I can do is stare at where Link lies sprawled out on the floor. My balance is off, and the world feels like it's shaking; it's hard to even stay standing. I can still sense him, a steady, pulsing warmth twined around my soul, so I know he's not dead, but that really doesn't help. I see him laying there like that, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do now.
Garrimed stands over Link, looking confused. He looks at Link and then down at the disgusting sword in his hand and then back down at Link. I should feel sorry for him, probably, but it's hard to give a damn considering what just happened.
"Kill him, Garrimed! Strike him down and end it all!" Chambers roars, still laughing.
Byrne and I start running at the same time. There's no way I'm letting Link die like this! I stumble and land hard on one knee, but I still manage to throw myself over Link to shield him with my body while Byrne tackles Garrimed hard and I hear that damned sword skitter away.
I work a vial of potion out of one pocket and force some of it down Link's throat. Damn it, why are my hands shaking so much? Link doesn't look that hurt - he's a little bruised, and he's bleeding from a few shallow cuts, but that all - and he's still breathing good and steady, but I'm not taking any chances.
He still has the Master Sword's hilt in his hand, but the blade ends just above the pommel in a jagged edge. The blade itself is in no less than a dozen pieces, scattered on the ground near his feet and glinting in the harsh lights of the conference room. It's broken. The Master Sword's never broken before! Is it something about the two blades touching - no, no; that can't be it. If that were so, Garrimed's should've broken, too, and that one's still perfectly intact.
I want to know what Chambers did to it. That's no Master Sword, not anymore.
I pull Link against me with one hand and start grabbing pieces of the Master Sword with my other, shoving the pieces into the shadows of his jacket for safekeeping. I'm not letting that bastard get his hands on this. If we keep the pieces, there's a chance we can fix it, but if Chambers gets the chance to destroy even one piece...
There's a growl behind me; Garrimed and Byrne sound like they're wrestling. I don't really care much. I know Byrne can handle Garrimed, which is why I'm worried about Chambers. I keep grabbing at the pieces of the Master Sword, growling when my vision doubles and I miss one. What is wrong with me?
Does this have something to do with Link passing out?
Chambers is still standing in the hole punched through the wall, his arms crossed. Everything about him is proud and defiant, though the blood on his face and clothing makes him look weaker and mortal.
"Oh, isn't this just so sweet? You're trying to protect him. There's no real point to that, now is there? Your precious hero is nothing without his sword. You've lost. All you can do now is prolong the inevitable."
"That's what you think, you son of a bitch!" I snap, finally snatching up the last piece of blade and pulling Link tighter against me. It isn't ending this way, not if I have anything to say about this!
Chambers holds a hand up and starts tracing some weird shape in the air. "Don't worry. I'll make this quick."
I see the spark of flames bursting into existence and throw my shield over the two of us, bracing myself for the blast. Crackling flames race towards us -
- and then wind howls and the flames vanish. What?
"You won't hurt them!" Vael snarls; his voice sounds deeper than it should. "I won't let you."
I bite my lip and peer around my shield as Vael staggers up to his feet, one hand clutching his shoulder. His face is tight with pain, but it's not just pain.
"Ah, Ziota," Chambers replies, clearly irritated. "I should've know you'd be too stubborn to die. And to think, we could've worked together..."
Vael snaps his head up at that, opening his eyes. His irises are massive and seem redder than they normally are, and I swear his eyes are glowing. He's pissed, so pissed that he looks like he's about to go berserk. That's worrying.
Then again, if Link wasn't unconscious and needing protection, I'd be trying to tear Chambers' throat open with my damned teeth, so we're not that different. But Link's a sitting duck, and I don't know how close I can even get to the bastard without getting blasted by that damned magic.
And that doesn't change the fact that I'm shaky and dizzy, but I'm doing my best to not let the bastard know I'm suddenly so weak.
"Me, join you?" Vael laughs, loud and cold and cocky and half-crazy. "Why would I join with a pissant like you? You're such a coward that you can't even do your own fighting - you have to have your pathetic little minions do the real fighting!" He snaps his fingers, and the knife he was stabbed with reappears in the air above his hand, completely covered in blood. Vael takes it and holds it up between two long fingers. "Do you honestly think something this pathetic can kill me? You underestimate me, Chambers."
"I'm the one winning here, Ziota. That means that you underestimate me."
"Do I?" Vael says simply, laughing again before his voice takes on a very dangerous-sounding edge. "Enough speculation; let's find out which one of us is stronger." He snaps his fingers again, and the knife vanishes. Garrimed yells in pain. I turn to look as he hits one knee, the bloody knife sticking out of his thigh, and then I squeeze one eye shut and grit my teeth as the world lurches again.
"But do me a little favor, Chambers," Vael continues, smirking broadly. "Quit holding back. I want to see what power the Triforce has, and you're making it seem like a child's toy."
Chambers cracks his knuckles. "Very well, then. I was going to let you live, but since you insist..." He snaps out his arm, the Triforce on his hand blazing, and hurls a wave of fire at Vael. For a moment, Vael disappears completely behind the flames; I don't even have time to yell a warning.
He's not dead, is he? No, he can't be. Vaati won't die so easily.
Chambers seems to think he is. He laughs loudly in triumph.
He doesn't laugh very long. A blast of something slams him down to the floor, and the flames burst outwards and vanish. Vael stands where the flames were, but he's not really Vael anymore. He's taller now, a good foot taller at the very least, and visibly thinner. A pair of large black leathery wings stretches from his back; the edges are wispy, and it's hard to tell exactly where they end. A large U-shaped pair of horns rises from his forehead, gleaming gold, and his too-long arms end in massive, dangerously sharp gold-tipped talons that stretch out from beneath his flowing sleeves. His robe is tighter, clinging to his chest before flaring out at roughly his waist, snapping back and forth in a breeze that surrounds him; his legs are completely hidden beneath the fabric. He has that eye on his torso again, and it's open. But this time, it's completely inhuman, red on black on red and incredibly piercing.
It's a damned good thing Link's unconscious right now. Vael's barely even human anymore. I just hope he remembers who's who, or this is going to get very ugly very damned fast.
After a long, long moment, Chambers growls. "Do you think that's going to scare me?" He snaps his arm out again and fires another wave of flame.
Vael doesn't flinch. He simply nods his head, and the wave is torn into two by a blast of wind. The two pieces of the wave pass harmlessly to either side of him.
"Even now, you refuse to treat me like a real opponent," Vael says softly, calmly, easily. His voice is deeper than normal, more like what little I remember of the winged eye's voice. I shiver at that, but I'm not sure if I'm cold or just that damned shaky. "Surely, a mage as strong as yourself would enjoy a proper battle."
Chambers narrows his eyes. Is Vael striking a nerve? I hope he is. Chambers growls again, louder, and lashes out with both arms. Fire and lightning rush towards Vael, one from each side.
Vael simply smirks and fades away. Chambers looks around frantically, apparently not noticing when the air right behind him ripples and Vael appears right behind him. But Vael doesn't cast a spell or even slash at him with those talons. No, Vael just leans in close and whispers something in Chambers' ear. Chambers jumps and whirls around, trying to cast another spell, but Vael catches his hand in those gleaming talons and just grins broadly, showing a long pair of fangs.
Chambers raises his other hand, but Vael simply fades away again, laughing.
"Stop toying with me, damn it! Are you going to fight me or not?" Chambers snaps.
Vael appears on the dais, his arms down at his sides. I really wish he'd stop teleporting around like that; it's not making the room any more steady. "Shouldn't you be asking yourself that question, Professor? Or did you underestimate me that much?" He grins again.
"Who are you? What are you?" Chambers roars, lashing out with another spell.
"Who am I?" Vael laughs loudly at that. "You release my power and don't even know who I am... It's almost ironic." He steps forward - er, well, he moves forward about a step, but he doesn't move like he's walking. He just floats forward and easily dodges whatever spell Chambers just threw at him.
"I suppose I might as well tell you my name. It won't mean anything to you, but I'll tell you anyway." He narrows his eyes - all three of them - and then he flashes his fangs in a broad, hungry grin. "I am Vaati!"
Chambers scowls at that. No, don't even waste your time trying to place that, I think; you don't know the name, bastard. I should move, but I'm still shaking, and they look like they're about to start fighting, and I really don't want a blast of magic coming my way. I'm going to have enough trouble dodging just because of the shaking, but I've got to carry Link, too.
Chambers clears his throat and cracks his knuckles again, glaring daggers at Vael. "I don't care what you call yourself, Ziota. In fact, it won't matter at all in a few minutes. It's such a shame, don't you think? Hyrule will never know the names of the fools who tried to save it." The Triforce on his hand starts glowing again, pulsing rhythmically. "You demand to see my power, and you don't even know what it is you're demanding!"
He raises his fist to better show the glowing Triforce, and I scowl. This isn't quite right. That's the Triforce of Power, all right, but it should be more than it is. Chambers doesn't seem like he's willing to hold much back, so why does the Triforce seem so weak? Maybe I'm just that on edge; maybe I'm misremembering. Maybe it's just because I'm so out of it.
I'm not so sure, though. Something's just off.
Chambers raises one arm and makes a grandiouse gesture with his hand. Vael lowers his head slightly, watching. I'm not sure if Vael's waiting to counter or what he's doing.
I don't find out. There's a snap, and one of the heavy, bulky light fixtures hanging from the ceiling slams into Vael's head just behind his horns; Vael jerks forward and manages to catch himself before he falls. That's when Chambers dashes forward and snaps his arm out with a quick yell.
I yell Vael's name, but it's not enough. Chambers gets close and launches another ball of lightning, one Vael doesn't have time to dodge. He yells and goes rigid as the lightning crackles down his body and up his horns, and then he slumps over, somehow staying upright.
Chambers laughs. "So oblivious..."
Vael just growls. It's a vicious one, deep and way more resonant than it should be coming from a mostly-human throat.
Chambers shakes his head, and then he snaps his fingers and thrusts a finger towards Link and me. I dive back behind my shield, gritting my teeth. Din, let this be something this shield can reflect!
It's not.
I manage to not scream - I'm not giving the bastard the pleasure of hearing it if I can help it - and I think I take the brunt of the blast. I know my vision goes white, and for a moment, I can't feel anything but a painful tingling. Link's still breathing, anyway, though he doesn't wake up. I wish I at least knew why he's unconscious; then I'd have an idea what to do. Maybe.
When I finally stop hearing the lightning crackling around me, I hear Chambers cackling. And then I hear a roar. It sounds like some kind of massive beast, and it sounds pissed. Vael lunges for Chambers talons first, and both of them disappear behind a cloud of dust and lightning. It isn't until I hear something growling and snarling over Chambers' yelling that I realize that the roar I just heard came from Vael.
Din, he's pissed. He's not even talking anymore; he's just snarling like some kind of animal.
Chambers dashes out through the hole in the wall, disappearing down the hallway. Vael shoots after him with a heavy beat of his wings, roaring again and hurling magic at Chambers' back.
It gets quieter but not really quiet. Chambers is yelling and Vael is roaring and magic keeps crackling and hissing and howling elsewhere in the building. A loud explosion makes the lights shake and a ceiling tile fall.
Shit. I've got to get up. I manage to stagger to my feet and try to pull Link with me, but the room lurches around me again, and I fall over. When I open my eyes, my vision's double again.
This is getting really damned irritating and more than a little worrying. If this is how I feel, then just what happened to Link?
"Dark, are you all right?" Byrne.
"Where's Garrimed?" I ask, looking up at the two of him.
He gives me a worried look and a quick shake of his head. "Don't know. I let him go when that knife hit him, and he limped out the door. I didn't really see any point in chasing him."
Damn. "He might know something."
"Nah. As disoriented as he was, I doubt he knows anything. Chambers must've had him controlled. Link broke it, apparently. Besides, you... well." He waves a hand at me.
And knowing Link, he knew full well that he was breaking it. I sigh. We should probably retreat and lick our wounds, but there's no way we're going to be able to tell Vael about that idea. Can I even stand up? I managed once, but...
"What do you think, Byrne? Should we pull back?"
"What do I think about what, what we should do? Honestly, I hate to say it, but I think we're kind of screwed. The Master Sword was our advantage, right?" He sighs heavily. "Well, now we've got no sword and an unconscious hero, you look like you're barely conscious yourself, and oh, right, our mage friend apparently just went battle-crazy or something. Only good thing I see here is that he's going after Chambers." He looks around the room. "We've got company."
We do; there are some monsters standing around the edges of the room. I'm not sure if they were there before, but now they're drawing and readying their weapons and walking towards us. The hostages are clustering around us. Of course they are; none of them are armed.
I feel movement near me and turn to look right as Professor Sahasrahla pulls Link's jacket open and yanks Link's knife out of the inner pocket. Oh, hey, he knows about that?
"What are you doing?" I have to ask.
"You've got a sword," the professor says, nodding at me. "You fight; I'll watch Link."
I don't really know if I like that idea, but he's got a point. I nod at him. He'd better know what he's doing with that knife, or I'm going to kick his ass when I finish with the monsters.
I stand up shakily and draw my sword, giving it a quick twirl. My grip's a little weak, and I almost drop the sword when I twirl it, but I've got to be cocky. I've got to try and intimidate those monsters into running. Thankfully this sword is one I bought for myself and not just a copy of Link's, or I'd be stuck with just my dagger.
Of course, right now, the dagger would be easier to hang onto. "All right, which one of you wants to die first?"
The monsters look back and forth between all of us, and then they charge as a group.
The fight itself goes a bit worse than I'm used to. I take out three of them, but a fourth catches my forearm and my grip picks that moment to finally give out. I can hear Byrne behind me as he beats another pair into unconsciousness, and it turns out the professor does know what he's doing with that knife. I manage to pick up my sword in exchange for hitting one knee, but unfortunately for the monster that charges me, I don't drop it again.
I'm not sure if it's me or Byrne or the professor, but something about our little group strikes the remaining monsters as too dangerous; they turn tail and run. Normally, I'd chase them down, but it takes far more effort than it should just to climb back up to my feet.
"You all right, Dark?"
"I'm standing, aren't I?" Now that our fight's done, I can again hear Vael and Chambers going at it in the distance, snarling and cursing as magic explodes again and again.
Another explosion goes off a lot closer than the others; I go down to one knee again as the ground shakes, but this time, I note with some satisfaction, the professor goes down with me. One of the heavy light fixtures slams into the floor and shatters as a loud crack fills the air.
Byrne curses loudly. "The building's not going to be able to take much more of this. We need to get out of here while we still can."
The professor sighs heavily and murmurs something about the building. That's right; this is probably his building.
"I'd give you time to go grab things from your office, but I don't think the mages are going to give us much more," I say, hauling myself back up to my feet.
"It's all right," he says with another sigh. "I'd just appreciate some clue why the head of the Royal History Project is doing this."
I shrug. "Let's get out of here first. We can talk then."
"Right." He kneels next to Link and puts the knife back into the inner pocket of Link's jacket. "Someone needs to carry Link."
"That'll be me," Byrne says. "Don't start, Shadow-boy; you'll need your strength to get yourself out."
"You can lean on me," Professor Sahasrahla says. "I'm not that strong, but I can do a little."
Byrne hefts Link up onto his back and we start walking. I do my best to not lean on the professor, but that's mostly pride. I'm Dark Link, shadow of the hero; I can walk on my own damned feet! The other hostages follow us, prattling on about things I don't really care to hear. They're confused; I get that. But I'm already tired of questions, and honestly, I want them all away from me before someone else produces a knife.
We get most of the way out before I hear another massive roar and the floor shakes hard enough to throw us all to the ground. Something cracks, and something else crumbles; several ceiling tiles and another couple of light fixtures fall around us.
We're running out of time. I'm not sure if I should curse Vael or Chambers or the builders or who right now, but I want to curse someone. The professor helps me back up to my feet, and Byrne stands up with a grunt and shifts Link on his shoulders. Everyone else is gone.
Worthless bastards.
"Why won't you die?" Chambers yells from somewhere else in the building. The only response is another roar and yet another explosion.
Byrne starts jogging, and I move as fast as I dare, leaning heavily on the professor's shoulder as I do. Damn my pride; I'm not getting buried!
Byrne hits the door running, slamming it open; the already-cracked window shatters. The professor and I stumble out after him. There's another explosion behind us, and we're followed by a thick cloud of dust.
When the dust clears, we're not alone. There are monster corpses here and there, and not far away are several people. Is that...?
"I thought you were moving, not following us," Byrne says coolly.
"Well, Dearie, we thought you might need some assistance," Anjean replies. "It seems we were right."
"Are you all right?" That's Zelda; she comes over to where we're standing. "Link? Is he -?"
"Unconscious," I say. "He'll live."
Byrne sighs and kneels down, easing Link to the ground. "Hopefully, anyway. We've got a bigger problem. The Master Sword broke."
"It what?" Impaz gasps. "I didn't think such a thing was possible!"
I just point at Link's hand, where he's still somehow clutching the Master Sword's hilt. "Apparently a lot of things are possible. No, we don't know how it happened, but it happened. Look, I hate to sound ungrateful for the help, but can we just get out of here before Chambers figures out you're here?"
"Where is Vael?" Zelda asks, looking around.
"Like it matters?" Kafei snaps. "Come on, Princess; we should leave while we can."
"No. Where is Vael? Do any of you know?"
Byrne and I sigh and look at each other. "Well, Princess..." Byrne starts.
Anything else he wants to say is drowned out by yet another explosion followed by the massive crumbling roar of the building collapsing into a heap of jagged and broken rumble. The professor sighs heavily and sits down.
"I don't believe this..." Shad says, flopping down next to the professor. "It's... This can't be real."
"I hate to break it to you, but it's real." I shake my head. "Chambers and Vael are having a mage fight."
Zelda gasps. "What? Vael was inside that?"
Byrne stretches. "Somewhere, yes."
"We have to find him!"
I turn back to the rubble - slowly so I don't fall over - as some of it shifts and Chambers staggers up out of it. He's battered and beaten and bloody, but somehow, somehow, the bastard's still alive and standing. He looks around and sees us, and then he starts staggering towards us with a weak laugh.
"What is this? Is this some kind of divine gift? Everything I want is right here in front of me..."
"Get behind us, Princess!" Kafei snaps, moving to stand between Byrne and me.
I watch Chambers as he walks. He's unsteady, but he's a mage, so I have to assume he's still got the strength for his spells. I think I'd be happier if he had a sword or a bow or a spear or some other weapon. I can deal with weapons. I'm not so good with magic, especially since he really only needs one spell to cause a lot of damage.
I ready my shield, though I already know it's not really any use. It can't handle Triforce-amplified magic, and that's what Chambers is slinging.
"Now, now... There's no need for you to throw your lives away. Bow to me and give me what I want, and I think I'll let you live."
He's lying. He's got to be.
"Stay back!" Kafei snaps, readying a trio of throwing needles. I'm not sure what he think he's going to do with those.
"We will never bow to you!" Zelda says, her tone authoritative.
"Yeah," I add, forcing a smirk that I don't really feel. "Heroes don't bow to villains. Shouldn't you of all people know that?"
Chambers scowls. "So you defy me, even knowing that I can kill you all?"
Byrne laughs. "What can I say? Death just isn't that much of a threat, I guess."
"It seems you underestimate me." Chambers laughs again, louder and cockier. "Then I suppose I'll just have to teach you all what a real threat is!" He makes a grand gesture with his hand and laughs.
Kafei hurls his needles, but Chambers simply waves his other hand in an arc and the needles deflect harmlessly to the side. I grit my teeth. Shit, ranged attacks don't work, and I don't have the strength to charge him. I'm not sure if Kafei and Byrne can take him on, but they'd have to get there first, and I doubt they can run faster than he can cast.
We're screwed.
"It's been fun, heroes, but this ends now," Chambers says, practically purring. He starts making another gesture with his hand -
- and the rubble explodes upward and outward as something large flies up out of it. The something is Vael, or, well, whatever of him is still in that battle-crazed horned thing, and he lunges straight for Chambers. He moves fast, almost too fast. Chambers has just enough time to turn towards the sound before Vael clamps one of those massively-taloned hands against the side of his face.
Just enough time for his eyes to widen in shock.
Just enough time to see it fucking coming before Vael roars and fires a blast of wind and magic point blank against his face.
It's a powerful blast, too, strong enough that they both vanish behind another massive cloud of dust and small pieces of debris. Chambers screams frantically in pain, and I have to laugh. I smell blood, a lot of blood.
Serves you right, you son of a bitch. Serves you right.
Chambers staggers out of the cloud, his hand clamped over the side of his face that just got blasted. From what I can see of his bloody face, I think he just lost that eye, and that's a damned satisfying thought. He mumbles something I can't make out, snaps his free arm out, and vanishes, fading away into the darkness with a final yell.
For a while, none of us speak. Byrne's the one who breaks the silence first. "So he ran."
"I can see why after a wound like that," Anjean replies, walking over to stand by the princess. "He probably retreated to take care of that. We should get out of here before he comes back."
"Yes, we should. First, however..." Zelda points towards the rubble. "Is that... Vael?"
It's Vael, all right, standing near what's left of the building. And for once, he's actually standing; I can see one tall leather boot peeking out of his swaying robe. For the moment, he's ignoring us, staring at where Chambers was standing before he vanished.
That doesn't change the fact that Vael's still in that bizarre form. "Yes," Byrne says, sounding tired. "That's Vael."
"That thing is the sorcerer?" Kafei snarls. "I knew it; he's a monster!"
That makes Vael snap his head towards us, his eyes narrow. He growls again, but for the moment, he's just watching us.
"What... What happened?" Zelda gasps. "Why does he look like that?"
"Let's see..." I say with a heavy sigh. "The Master Sword broke, Link passed out, someone decided to stab Vael in the back, Chambers tried to kill Link and me, and, well..." I wave my hand at Vael. "Vael lost his temper. It's just as well, in a way. He's the one who drove Chambers off, remember?"
"And now he's going to kill us all!" Kafei snaps. "I'd like you all to know that I never trusted him."
"Duly noted," I mutter. "What good is that now?"
Vael raises one hand and waves it; something pushes Byrne and Kafei to the side. Oh, great, I think darkly. He just cleared a path to Link. He snarls at the sight and starts walking towards us. His gait's shaky and unsteady, but that doesn't really make his horned and taloned figure any less intimidating.
I tighten my grip on my shield and brace myself, but he doesn't attack. He walks up towards us, knocking the others back with another wave of his arm and blast of wind, and he stops beside Link. He kneels down slowly, pausing once to steady himself, and one of those taloned hands reaches down to stroke Link's hair.
What the...? I can see his lips moving, but I don't hear anything. Is he trying to speak? Does that mean he's coming back to his senses?
"Keep your claws off of him, monster!" Kafei snarls, drawing his knife.
Vael raises his head and narrows his eyes, snarling something that sounds vaguely like words before snapping his arm out in an arc. Kafei yells as something throws him backwards; somehow he manages to twist in the air and land on his feet. At the same moment, Vael cries out in what I think is shock as his arm shatters into sparkling dust and wind. He staggers back a step, staring down at his now-empty sleeve.
Kafei takes a shaky step forward, readying his knife.
"Damn it, Kafei, this isn't the time for this!" I snap. "Vael, wake up!"
Vael turns towards me at that, snarling and raising his other arm. He reaches out and puts his hand on my head, leaning in close. He smiles and bares his fangs, and then his lips start moving. I can't understand him. He's making noises, little growls and snarls that, like before, sound kind of like words, but it's nothing I can recognize. He leans in even closer, close enough I can feel his breath on my face.
"What do you want?" I ask.
"I think he wants to know that you're safe..." That's Zelda's voice. I turn towards her - well, I try - but then the world lurches again, and I stumble.
I don't hit the ground. I hit air, strangely resistant air that holds me above the ground. Well, this is weird. I open my eyes, and Vael's just watching me. He lowers his hand, and the air holding me lowers with it, until I'm laying on the ground.
Byrne walks over and offers me a hand, but as soon as he does, Vael snarls and snaps his arm out, slashing at him.
Byrne jumps back, holding his hands up. "Whoa! Okay, you don't want me getting close. How about you calm down now? See? No one's going to hurt you. You chased off the one bastard trying to kill people."
Vael's not listening. I'm not sure if he's refusing to listen or if he just can't, but either way, he's not coming out of whatever trance he's in. Which is a serious problem, I think as I stagger back up to my feet. We've got to try to calm him down before he hurts someone.
Kafei jumps forward, slashing out with his knife. Vael immediately moves to counter, slashing Kafei with his talons as Kafei slashes his arm with the knife. He doesn't bleed, but he does hiss. Kafei, meanwhile, jumps backward with a grunt, his hand pressed against his now-bleeding side. I should worry more about that, but honestly? I've been wanting to hit Kafei for his pathetic attitude ever since I met him, so it's kind of nice to see someone actually smack him one.
Anjean chants something, and Vael snarls and snaps his arm out again. The air crackles and makes a sound like glass shattering, and then his other arm shatters into dust and wind. He cries out again and staggers backward, almost falling to his knees. His robe looks tattered all of a sudden, especially his sleeves; they were long and loose and flowing a moment ago, but now they look like they were ripped off just below his shoulders.
"Does anyone have any idea what's happening?" I snap, raising my shield and peering over the top of it. If I can just get the world to stop for a moment, just long enough to brace myself, I think I'm going to bash him. If I can knock him out, then maybe...
"He's running out of strength!" I think it's Impaz talking. "First the tracking spell earlier, then he shielded us all from Chambers' sight, and now this form he's taken; it's too much too quickly! He must have used all of the strength he had to spare, but he's still using magic, so he's consuming himself to maintain that form! We've got to force him out of it before he does himself permanent damage!"
Vael snarls and lowers his head. That's right; he doesn't have his arms anymore, but he's still got those damned long horns. He could probably kill someone with those if he felt like it.
"Stay back!" I snarl, making sure my shield's ready. "He thinks you're all going to attack him, so he's fighting back. Stay back, and he won't use so much magic." Of course, that's only going to help for so long. Even when he's not hurling magic, it's still got to burn magic just to maintain that form, right? Din damn it all, how much time do we have before he starts seriously hurting himself?
Or is it already too late?
The next thing I hear is footsteps approaching. "Damn it, what did I just say?" I turn towards the sound, gritting my teeth against the shaking.
It's Zelda. She walks up to stand beside me, looking oddly determined.
"What are you planning, Princess?"
"We have to make him change back, yes?" She holds up her hand; the Triforce of Wisdom glows. "Then one of us has to get through to him."
"It's dangerous, Princess!" Kafei yells, moving forward.
Vael snaps his head down in a vicious nod; Kafei yelps as something throws him backwards again. Vael hisses and staggers. The lower edges of his robe look frayed and ragged, and the boot I can see is dull and dried out.
"Damn it, the point is make him use less magic, not more!" I roar, nearly dropping my shield in the process. "If you've got a plan, Princess, do me a favor and do it."
Zelda meets my gaze and nods, and then she takes a step towards Vael. He turns towards her, but thankfully, he makes no move to attack. She takes another step, then another, then another. Vael seems to realize that something's up, because he stands a little taller and growls.
She takes one last step forward and puts her hand, Triforce still glowing, on his chest. "Please, Vael, it's all right. You can calm down now."
"Princess, please, get away from him!" Kafei yells.
There's a loud smack as Byrne tackles Kafei to the ground. "Damn it, Kafei!" Byrne roars. "Stop it! If you act hostile, he might attack the princess!"
"I know you're still in there somewhere, Vael," Zelda says; the Triforce glows brighter. "Please, just follow the light and my voice."
Vael growls at that and tries to pull away, but she moves with him. "Vael, please, listen to me!"
Shit, this isn't working, is it? I've got to do something... Wait a minute; I've got an idea. It's a long shot, but it's worth a try.
I move carefully to the side, just far enough that Zelda isn't in the way, trying not to think about how long it takes to move so little. I hold my shield up, aiming it straight at him, being damned careful to aim it so he can see his reflection. Then I whistle loudly. "Vaati! Over here! Your little shadow has something to show you!"
That gets his attention. He turns towards my voice and finds himself staring at his weird form, reflected right back at him. He tenses, and his eyes widen slightly. I start walking slowly towards him. I'd like to walk faster, but if I walk much faster, I'm going to fall.
He takes another step backwards, snarling. Zelda moves with him again, closing her eyes. The Triforce of Wisdom flares its power in a brilliant flash; I duck behind my shield and yell. Shit, that's bright, especially outside at night!
Vael screams, and the air itself crackles and then bursts outward in a blast of wind. I grit my teeth against the pain and the spinning and force myself to look over my shield. Zelda steps backwards, away from Vael. Vael stands there, staring out at nothing, not moving. He tries to speak again, his mouth forming words I can't hear.
And then he falls to his knees; the horns and talons and wings and extra height and third eye of his strange form all melt away as he falls, leaving him in just his boots, slacks, and that high-collared sleeveless shirt. He's got arms again; they hang limply at his sides.
"Vael!" I yell, rushing towards him as fast as I dare.
He groans softly before his eyes slide closed and he collapses to the ground in a very undignified heap. As soon as I get to him, I drop to my knees. He's unconscious, breathing steadily but shallowly. He's pale, paler than normal even for him, and he's bleeding from several wounds here and there. He looks absolutely terrible.
I work the vial of potion out of my jacket again and coax what's left down Vael's throat. I hope it's enough to at least keep him alive until we can get somewhere better. Then I ease him back to the ground and pull off my jacket. I really don't want to take it off because it's damned cold out here, but I've got two sweaters on underneath, and his shirt doesn't even have sleeves. The jacket's too big for him, but well, it's what happens when a thin sorcerer wears something sized to fit a muscular swordsman.
He looks good in black, but I knew that; his sleeveless shirt is black and dark purple, and his slacks and boots are black. The only problem is that the black of my jacket makes him look even paler, and that makes me worry. I know he's pale, but damn, he shouldn't be this pale. And I won't deny it's easier to see him in my jacket than out of it because now he's got bulky sleeves covering his arms; they're thinner than I remember.
Byrne sighs heavily. "Okay, now that that bit of excitement's been dealt with, does anyone have an idea where to go now? And don't think we can just stay here, because we don't know how hurt Chambers is for certain, and something's going to get attracted to all of this magic. I don't think I really care where we go, just as long as we get moving now."
"Impaz and I know of a place," Anjean says with a wry smile. "It's not as comfortable as the princess' safehouse, but it'll suffice as a place to rest."
And we need rest. I'm still feeling shaky, and who knows how long Link and Vael are going to be out. I look around. "I need someone to carry this shield for me."
"I'll get it!" Shad says, jogging over. "It's the least I can do."
"Nah, you've been a huge help." I'm not lying, either. "Here, it might be a little heavy, but I'll sling it across your back."
Shad flinches a little when the shield eases into place. I don't think he's ever worn a shield before.
"You going to be okay?"
"Ah, yes. I'll be fine as long as you don't expect me to use this."
I grin weakly at that. As hilarious as that mental image is... "With any luck, all I need is someone to carry that to our next destination for me." I take a deep breath to steady myself and then kneel down next to Vael.
"Leave him there," Kafei says with a snort.
"We will do no such thing!" Zelda snaps. "We owe him for keeping Link alive. The least we can do is take him with us to rest."
Kafei snarls. "That monster is going to kill us all. I refuse to let him anywhere near you, Princess!"
"Your refusal is noted, Kafei." She shakes her head. "He is coming with us. I command it."
"Here," Professor Sahasrahla says; he's coming my way. "Dark, right? I take it you're going to be carrying Vael, so let me at least help you pick him up."
I appreciate the help. "You're welcome to come with us, too, Professor. Besides, it might be safer to hide away until we figure out what Chambers is up to."
"I suppose I should. You all have my gratitude, especially you, Highness. I just ask that someone explain what's going on to me when we have the chance."
Shad sighs. "It's a very long story, Professor, but to oversimplify it, you've just stepped into a legend."
The professor helps me work Vael up onto my back, draping the sorcerer's arms over my shoulders. Damn, Vael feels light. I get the feeling he's going to be recovering for a while.
When I turn towards the group, Byrne has Link draped over his shoulders again, and Impaz is bandaging Kafei's side. Zelda looks worried, Shad looks tired but determined, and the professor looks almost defeated. Anjean walks over and checks Link and then Vael.
"What do you think?" Zelda asks her.
Anjean just sighs. "I think they'll live, but they need rest, and the sorcerer especially needs food. We can take care of that when we reach my place, but is that all right, Princess?"
Zelda gives her a small smile. "It's quite all right, Anjean. I trust your judgement. Lead on, and we shall follow."
Right now, we really don't have much of a choice, do we? Our only option is to go to this place Anjean knows and hope Chambers can't find us there.
xXx
'This place' turns out to be a ranch along one of the smaller canyons, near the park. I have to chuckle at the irony of going right back into the canyons we just left, but I won't complain. The ranch is closed for the winter, so no one's here, and the snow shows no signs of anyone being up here but us.
At least the shakiness is gone by the time we get there. Link and Vael don't wake up, but I'll be surprised if either of them wake up before tomorrow night at the earliest.
Kafei disappears as soon as we arrive; I don't know where he goes, nor do I give a damn. Bastard can just go be pissy for all I care. If I have to pick between him and Vael, I don't even need to think about it. Vael's good in a fight, and Vael's tolerable. Impaz and Anjean go to cover our tracks, while the rest of us head into the ranchhouse. Byrne's carrying Link, I've got Vael, Shad has my shield, and Professor Sahasrahla has Zelda by the arm. The ground's slick; some of the snow has melted and refrozen into ice. It makes carrying a sorcerer's weight in dead weightjust a little tricky. Which means that Byrne and I are still outside when Zelda, Shad, and the professor reach the door and head inside.
It's fucking cold out here. I'm going to go inside, and then I'm not coming back outside for days, I swear. I hope there're some clothes here, because at the very least, Vael needs something to wear. Maybe when he feels up to it, he can magic himself up another robe or something.
"Master!" a high-pitched little voice yells. It's close.
I stop, turning towards the sound. What is it now? Damn it, don't tell me Chambers managed to track us...
"What's that?" Byrne asks.
"Master! I find Master!" the voice is close, and then the sound of flapping wings dives at me. I manage to duck, barely, and something flies past. I can see it now. It's a Keese.
No, wait, that's not a Keese. It's... "Byrne, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"I'm not sure. Am I? I see what appears to be a flying doll," Byrne says flatly.
Unfortunately, no, that's what I see, too. It's a ball with legs and one large red eye, hovering in the air on a pair of Keese wings. And it's purple. It reminds me of Vaati the winged eye, in a way, only it's, well, a kind of cute looking doll. I'm not sure why it's moving or why it's here.
It flies straight for me, matching my dodge and landing easily on one of Vael's shoulders. Damn, the little thing's fast!
"Master?" It blinks down at Vael - is it a blink when there's only one eye to do it? - and then prods the sleeping man with one wing. "Master sleep?"
I'm not sure where it came from, but considering how it looks and that it's calling Vael 'Master'... "Your master's asleep right now," I say. "What do you need?"
"I feel power and come. Think Master need help." It squeaks, a little sadly, and its wings droop a little. "I late."
"He's not hurt." It's a bit of a lie, but... eh, what's a talking, flying doll going to do, anyway? It's cloth and magic, apparently, so it's not like the thing's built for combat.
It looks over at me, hopping down Vael's arm where it hangs over my shoulder so it can sit its little plush body on the bulky fabric of the jacket's cuff and watch me. "Master hard to track; he weak. He know you?"
I give it a flat look. "You could say that."
"Good. I not let enemy have him." It seems to puff itself up a little bigger at that.
Oh, please. What's a ball of fluff with wings going to do, kill me with cute? All I can say is Vael had better have some actual purpose in mind for this thing.
"We're all friends. Well, everyone here. There's a guy with dark purple hair; he doesn't like your master, so it's safe to say he's not going to like you. You should make sure he doesn't see you." Knowing Kafei, he'll just use the thing for target practice.
"That okay. I watch Master while he sleep."
Byrne looks at me. "Okay, in the name of not standing out here all night, is the little talking doll coming in with us, or should one of us chase it off?"
I look at it. It just blinks up at me, looking almost innocent. It knows Vael, apparently, but just because it knows how to track him doesn't mean it's friendly. I want to let it in, but I think Zelda expects a better explanation than what I've got.
"I not doll; I is Aifor! I stay with Master!"
I give it another flat look. Aifor? What a weird name. "How do we know he's really your master?" Hmm. "What's his name?"
"Master's name?"
"Yeah. What's his name? He took the time to name you, so surely he told you his?"
"I not know name. I know magic!"
"What's it talking about?" Byrne asks with a sigh punctuated by a big cloud of steam. It's getting cold fast, and there's a breeze starting that I'd really rather not have to stay out in much longer.
I shake my head. "I don't know."
"I know Master's magic!" It growls, tightening its little cloth claws around the fabric over Vael's arm. "Master's magic like wind. I know it; I track it! I felt windstorm and came!"
"A lot of mages use wind magic," Byrne says idly. "That doesn't mean much, little guy." He reaches over and nudges the little doll, trying to knock it off. "Shoo."
"No!" it shrieks. "I not leave! I know Master! Only one wind sorcerer! Only one!"
That's... huh. "What'd you say?"
It puffs itself up. "My Master is Wind Sorcerer. I know Master; I find Master!"
"It goes inside with us, Byrne," I say, starting towards the door again. Good. Now I have proof for Zelda.
"Okay... Care to share what makes you say that?"
"You don't remember? Vael used to be known as the Wind Sorcerer. It's a pretty distinctive title."
Byrne sighs. "Oh, right. Wind Sorcerer Vaati or something like that."
"Yay, you know Master Vaati!" the little doll chirps. "Master tell me to tell no one his name because he hiding. No one ever use it before."
I have to laugh at that. "Yeah, you could say I know Master Vaati. Come on inside, little guy. It's warm in there."
"Yay!"
The house is warm, thankfully. It means someone's been taking care of this place, which hopefully means it's not going to fall apart around our ears. I look around the front room. It looks... well, it kind of reminds me of an inn. This must be one of the ranches that accept guests during the summer. That's a good sign; if it takes guests, it's maintained, and the place has to have room for said guests.
Which means beds. "Hey, Byrne, do you have any idea where the beds are around here?"
"They're in the back!" I hear Shad call from somewhere farther in the house. "Some of the rooms just have one, but most of them have two each; I think we'll have to share rooms."
Like I have any problem with that. I wander down the hallway and pick a room at random. They're pretty sparsely decorated, a few simple pictures, a couple of small tables with lamps, two wardrobes, two beds with thick blankets; there's a window covered in a thick curtain. Eh, I've slept in far worse places. I walk in and ease Vael down onto one of the beds, pulling off his boots and my jacket and making him what I hope is comfortable under the blankets. I toss my jacket on one table just to get it out of my way while I work.
"Oh, here you are." Byrne steps inside and heads for the other bed, setting Link on it. "We might as well keep them together. It'll make it easier to keep an eye on them."
"I watch!" Aifor squeaks; it's sitting on my jacket, its wings folded at its sides.
Byrne sighs and unzips Link's jacket. "So I see."
"Here, I'll get him; you should probably go find the princess," I say, walking over so I can take Link's jacket off him. "One of us needs to explain what happened at the college."
"Oh, right." He sighs again. "I'm not looking forward to that, just so you know."
I toss Link's jacket on the table with mine - Aifor squeaks - and give Byrne a flat look. "I'm not exactly thrilled that both of my friends are unconscious or that the Master Sword's broken or that Vael pulled that stunt..."
"All right; point taken." He turns to go, but then he stops and pulls something out of his jacket. "Here, I think you should keep an eye on this."
It's the hilt of the Master Sword. I take it with a nod, not really knowing what to say. Byrne nods back and gives me a weak smile before disappearing into the hallway.
I look down at the hilt and grit my teeth. I lost track several lives ago of just how many long nights I've spent looking at this blade. I've helped Link find it; I've tested Link to see if he can wield it; I've even wielded it myself. And now it's broken.
Never thought I'd see the day.
I walk back over to the jacket-covered table and gently, reverently set the hilt down on Link's jacket. Aifor looks up at me, but I don't really pay it much attention. Instead, I finish getting Link settled in his bed.
Of course, it isn't long before Link and Vael are both resting peacefully in the two beds, and that's when I run out of things to do. I should probably go help the others get settled in, maybe even get a clue about just how far we are from the city, but I don't care. I close the door and lean against it, letting myself slide down the wood into a sit.
The Master Sword's broken. Link's unconscious, and I don't even know why. If I had to guess, though, it's connected to the sword. I just hope that doesn't mean it's permanent. Vael nearly killed himself with his stunt, but that stunt is all that kept the rest of us from getting killed by Chambers. I'm not worried about myself - as long as that warmth is wrapped around my heart, I'll come back for revenge - but none of the others have that. If anyone else dies, they're dead.
Chambers has the Triforce of Power, though something's wrong about it, and Garrimed has the other Master Sword, still intact but completely desecrated. I know Chambers isn't dead, so he's still working on whatever plan he has... or, well, he will be once he deals with having an eye blown out of his ugly skull. Garrimed's unpredictable. If he was under control, then who knows what he'll do from this point or what's going to happen with that sword.
We've got what's left of our Master Sword plus the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage, and that's not counting my combat prowess and Vael's magical skill... assuming Vael's in any condition to keep fighting. Still, adding in Byrne and Anjean and Impaz, I think we might still have the advantage. Sure, Chambers has all of his monsters, but what are monsters to trained warriors?
At the same time, we're a small force, and who knows just how many monsters Chambers has at his disposal. And we have to be careful how we move against him, because Hyrule knows him as the Royal Historian and the head of the Project. The people think he's one of the people fortunate to survive the attack on the museum.
I slam one fist against the floor. It doesn't matter if we can get to him. We need power to take him down, and right now, I'm not sure how much power we've really got.
I look over at Link and then let my head drop onto my raised knees. I don't know if Link can do it this time. Maybe I pushed him too hard, too fast...
Something lands on my hand; I wave it away, but it just comes back. It's soft and warm, like cloth.
"You okay?" Aifor. It has to be; nothing else has a voice so high-pitched.
I raise my head and look down at it. "No, not really."
"What wrong?"
"A lot's wrong, and I don't know what to do now." I feel kind of stupid talking to it, but I've got to talk to someone, and I kind of doubt a talking magic doll is really equipped mentally to judge me.
"Oh." It folds its little wings and half-closes its eye like it feels bad. Or maybe it's thinking. It's damned hard to read something that has one eye but no face. "Master feel lost a lot. He not know why he's here, but he keep moving."
I look past the little winged ball to the beds. "That's kind of hard to do sometimes."
"Maybe, but can't stop. Stopping means giving up."
"Did Master tell you that?" I'm not sure if that's something Vael would say or not. He tends to be practical.
"Nope. One of Master's friends say that."
"Oh? Who's this friend?"
Aifor seems to think about that. Or at least, I think it's thinking. It has its eye half-closed, and it rocks slightly back and forth, flexing its little stiffened claws against my hand. "One of Master's... instructors," it says the word one syllable at a time, as if reciting it, "from academy. Master's friend like me. He say I proof Master strong but that Master must temper himself and be stronger."
"What does Master think about that?"
"I not know. Master not talk about it much, but I know it bother him."
That's right... "You say you know your Master. What do you mean?"
"I know his magic. I know how he feel, mostly. Like if he happy or sad. Right now..." It narrows its eye. "Right now, he sleep."
"You said you felt your Master's power and thought he needed help. Why?" I drape my arms over my knees, mostly just to bring Aifor closer.
Aifor squeaks sadly and pulls its wings tightly against its sides. "Master angry. Very very angry. More angry than I ever feel before."
"Yeah, I figured as much." I sigh. "It's okay. He's calm now."
"Are you?"
"No, I'm not."
It blinks a couple of times before saying, "You sleep. It okay. I watch Master and you and your friend."
"His name's Link."
"Okay. I watch Master and Link and you. You all sleep." It closes its eye and squeaks. "Go sleep."
A talking doll just gave me an order. I stare down at it, not sure exactly what I should think. "You're a lot like your master, you know that?" At the same time, I'm not accomplishing a damned thing sitting here thinking. I'm going to do nothing but worry about Link and Vael and Chambers and everything else if I stay up.
Aifor squeaks again and hops into the air, hovering in front of me for a moment before flying over to the table and making itself comfortable on my jacket. "You should sleep. Sleep help."
"I'm going," I mutter, climbing to my feet. Now the hard part. Link's in one bed, Vael in the other, and I didn't think to move the beds together when they were empty. Damn. I should've. Then I could just curl up between them.
Maybe tomorrow, assuming Vael's still asleep. Right now, I'm too tired to try moving anything. I kick off my boots and pull off both of my sweaters; I'd rather not try to sleep in those. I glance back and forth between the two of them, trying to decide who to climb in bed with. Really, though, it's not a hard decision.
Vaati and Shadow Link had something, but I don't know if Vael and I have anything. Well, we've got something, but compared to what Link and I have... I shake my head. I'm not thinking about that right now. Maybe tomorrow. I'll see what tomorrow brings, maybe talk a bit with Vael, but for tonight, I'm tired.
I climb under the covers with Link. In some ways, I do feel a little bad leaving Vael by himself, but one bed isn't going to hold all three of us, and I'm not moving that bed tonight. I'll see if I can convince Byrne to do it for me in the morning.
For now... I make myself comfortable and lean my head against Link's. For now, I just want to sleep.
And if I forget today by the time I wake up, so much the better.
"Goodnight, Link," I murmur. "Please don't sleep too long, all right?"