The Demonbound Sheikah

by fleets

Hyrule manages to defeat Vaati, but rather than ending the sorcerer's life, they decide to use him as a weapon against the remaining evil by rewriting his memories for their own purposes. Vaati no longer remembers who he had once been, and believes he is a loyal servant of the royal family. Vaati's old servants, however, aren't so quick to forget his past and seek him out...

25. The Last Training

fleets: So it turns out you guys didn't have to wait all that long after all, because I uh, wow I finished this ultra fast?
Well. This is it. The last chapter. For those of you who are familiar with how I write, you'll know that I traditionally include an extra final chapter which includes a preview of my next project. This will be chapter 26, posted at the same time as this one.

I'm going to leave my gushy thank you's until then, but here is the last chapter. It's been an honor writing for you all, thank you so much.

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Chapter 25: The Last Training

"Long time no see, Master Vaati, how's it going over there?"

"Wait one, the sun's blinding my eyes."

Vaati walked around the castle yard, just by the training grounds where he'd come from after a quick contest with Impa. He pulled down the navy cowl over his eyes to block the bright sunlight, and readjusted the new bracers on his arms. The outfit was brand new, a gift of gratitude from Impa and perhaps an official welcome into the Sheikah royal guard, and he still needed to break it in. His new uniform was still in the same blue, red, and black colors of the Sheikah, but it was not without a bit of personal flair unlike the clothes he'd been borrowing from Sheik before. The hood was more welcome than the cloth wrap, and he'd requested a cape. Not a heavy one, like the one he'd had as a sorcerer since that would only get in the way, but a cape nonetheless. He was fond of the way it flapped in the wind.

The sorcerer walked towards the shade beneath one of the castle statues and sat down beside it, angling the mirror in his hand away from the sun. It was a small rectangular mirror framed in gold about the size of his hand. The mirror had a murky dark aura to it, like there was an entire world on the other side.

It was a piece of the Dark Mirror that Vaati had kept with him.

He took a deep breath, leaning his head against the statue and looking up at the sky. The cicadas buzzed in the summer sun, and the clouds moved lazily across the sky. "I think things are finally starting to settle down a bit," he said.

It had been incredibly busy for everyone this past month. Dethl had been defeated, but the damage done to the kingdom had been substantial, with little to no infrastructure left compared to the damage caused by the war that Vaati had waged.

Still, Vaati had learned that people were surprisingly resilient. The will to survive brought people from all walks of life together in a way nothing else could. From different social classes to race, everyone did what they could to piece their lives back together again. Thankfully, the remaining monsters had all crawled back to whatever dark corners of Hyrule they'd come from once there were no longer any powerful, unifying individuals; all that was left for Hyrule was to pick themselves up and start over. It had been a slow, long process, but Vaati had been able to see real progress in the month that had passed. People were beginning to smile again.

"Hello… Vaati."

Vaati turned around, and he saw the Princess of Hyrule approaching him. She was wearing a white summer dress with her hair tied up in a ponytail. Zelda glanced around at the guards patrolling nearby, still somewhat nervous about calling the sorcerer by his name out loud in public. Her nerves were more subdued than a few weeks ago, however, since she'd come to realize that most of the public didn't think twice about the new Sheikah who happened to have the same name as the infamous sorcerer. People tended to believe things they wanted to believe, and most people wanted to believe that Vaati was dead. The soldiers who'd been at the final battle had seen him die by the Princess's hand, they'd said.

"Hey, good timing," Vaati waved her over and held up the mirror in his hand. "There're some bumbling fools who want to talk to you."

Zelda leaned over Vaati's shoulder, looking at the mirror where she could hear some loud protests at Vaati's insult. Her face brightened and she grabbed the mirror from his hands. "Shadow Link and Shadow Link!" she cried, beaming, "You two are all right!"

"More than all right, actually," one of the Shadow Links rubbed his nose with a smile. He looked the same as she remembered with his curled black hat, his dark violet cowlick, and that little fanged grin. At the same time, there was something different about him, too. He had the look of someone who'd walked a long road full of adventures, both exciting and humbling. Shadow Link pointed his thumb to his other self who was standing next to him. "Oh and it's Shadow Link and Ravio, now. I'm Shadow. This guy is Ravio. Ravio wanted a different name for himself."

"Hiya!" Ravio waved. He was wearing a long purple robe and his face was mostly covered by a long blue striped scarf wrapped around his neck and an outrageous bunny hood, but Zelda recognized him as the notched ear Shadow from the Palace of Winds. His voice was still reserved and slightly timid, but he'd regained some of the confidence he'd lost after the trauma he'd suffered.

Zelda laughed, "Well you two have clearly been on some big adventures."

"Yeah you wouldn't believe it. Oh, and get this! Dethl is gone now, too!"

"Wow, that's amazing! See, I told you that you were already heroes," Zelda beamed. She nudged Vaati who looked up, startled, and then waved a hand lazily with a somewhat embarrassed murmur of "Good work."

Shadow Link and Ravio grinned proudly, but after a while, both of their grins fell and they exchanged uneasy glances with each other. Upon seeing this, Zelda's smile, too, faltered, and her brows knitted together in concern. Shadow Link sighed, and then scratched his head. "Um, to be honest," he grimaced, "we were on this quest to chase Dethl away from Lorule-"

"Lorule?" Vaati interrupted, joining in on the conversation.

"Yeah! It's a kingdom just like Hyrule. Ravio and I only found out about it a few weeks ago," Shadow nodded. "Anyway, so we were going to make sure Dethl didn't come back to bother Lorule, and we'd managed to find out where they were supposedly hiding. When we got there-"

"Someone had already defeated Dethl," Ravio chimed in.

"Now hold on a second," Vaati said, his voice rising a little now. "What do you mean, defeated Dethl?" He snatched the mirror back from the princess and peered at the two teens who were biting lips uncertainly.

Shadow Link shrugged. "There was a guy there. Tall, kinda creepy looking. His face was covered by a cowl and…" he stopped. Then, he blinked, and he slowly pointed at Vaati when something occurred to him. "Actually he looked a lot like a Sheikah. Except, you know, with different colors. More blacks and purples than your whites and blues." He turned to Ravio for confirmation, and the other nodded emphatically in agreement. Shadow continued, "So yeah. We see this guy there and he just tells us that the Nightmare has been dealt with, and then disappears. That sounds pretty Sheikah, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, except Sheikah wouldn't show themselves like that. He sounds like a showoff," Vaati muttered, some competitive jealousy finding its way into his voice. He noticed Zelda looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

The princess smirked, shaking her head, before turning back to Shadow and Ravio again. "I'm glad you two are all right, but do be careful out there. It sounds like there are powerful individuals in the Dark World if they have the ability to truly defeat Dethl, and you'd best be wary about people with too much power." She didn't mention, however, that their description of the suspicious man gave her unease for another reason. She wasn't entirely sure, but she'd heard about a group of Sheikah defectors, many hundreds of years ago, who'd been banished to the Dark World. Could they still be out there? She hoped Shadow and Ravio wouldn't get themselves caught up with one of those, what did Impa call them, Interlopers?

"Please, we're experts at dealing with overly powerful individuals," Shadow dismissed, and flashed an irritated Vaati a knowing smile. Then, he laughed, "But yeah, both of us got all the credit for beating Dethl. We're bonafide heroes of Lorule now! Although, I do all the work while Ravio is a lazy moocher who stays home with his pet bird," Shadow rolled his eyes pretending to be annoyed, but his grin gave him away.

"I admit I'm a coward, but I'm no moocher! Sheerow and I do very well at making profits for all of us and we'd be begging on the streets if it weren't for my business."

"Your bird keeps stealing my rupees. And could you at least stop charging me for using some of your weapons? We came from the same mirror, yeah?"

"Only if you stop fainting in dungeons."

While Shadow and Ravio argued, Zelda turned to Vaati who was lounging against the statue, looking content with his gaze towards the sky. "You should have told me about the mirror," Zelda said, her hand on her hip.

Vaati shrugged. "I would have, if I didn't see on your schedule that you were booked with meetings for the entire day." He looked her up and down, a smile playing on his lips. "That said, aren't you supposed to be at the castle meeting some ambassadors, Princess?"

Zelda returned a very unprincesslike snort. "Sure," she huffed. Zelda glanced left and right, making sure there was no one else nearby, and then she gave him a sly wink. "At least the princess is."

"… Should I be escorting you back to the castle where you belong?"

At this, Zelda punched him lightly on the shoulder, and then transformed into a young male Sheikah warrior. "It's Sheik, keep up," Sheik crossed his arms over his chest.

Vaati chuckled. "Of course."

Sheik nudged Vaati with his foot, forcing the scowling sorcerer to move over, and then sat down next to him. Back in the Dark World, Shadow and Ravio had disappeared from view, but their voices could still be heard in the distance along with some loud bangs and thuds of objects falling and breaking. Sheik inhaled the fresh summer air, the wind carrying the smell of new grass. These perfect days were becoming more and more common recently, now that things were gradually becoming better again. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to relax like this. "I heard you were bothering Impa again this morning," he said as he closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze. Next to him he could practically hear Vaati's cheeky grin.

"I wanted her to time me. You know, the castle laps? I couldn't get over how that ended the last time."

Sheik opened one eye, tilting his head slightly in Vaati's direction. "Oh? You figure something out?"

Vaati nodded, and for a moment he looked more like a schoolboy who'd passed his exams than the dangerous sorcerer that he was. "Ever since you said you cheated on those laps, I had a suspicion that magic was involved. Sheikah are adept at magic, and this is especially true for you, who carry the blood of the royal family."

Sheik couldn't help but smile at Vaati's enthusiasm. The sorcerer waved his arms animatedly as he talked about the magic he'd figured out.

"I did a little searching in the Hyrule archives," Vaati explained. "There, I read something about the Pegasus Boots. They're enchanted boots that allow wearers to run like, well, the wind. I got the idea that you might have done something to temporarily enchant your feet to be able to run quickly for short bursts." Vaati leaned back against the stone, a self-satisfied smile on his face. "After that, it was easy, especially being the Sorcerer of Winds and all. I crafted a new wind-based enchantment and now I can run those laps faster than you ever can."

"Congrats," Sheik acknowledged with a nod. Then, he added, "I guess that explains Impa's reports that said you were running into walls like a madman a few days ago."

"Wh-" Vaati shot up, no longer relaxing. His face reddened while Sheik's shoulders shook slightly from keeping in laughter. The sorcerer scowled, pulling his hood down further over his eyes. "Mastering any kind of spell takes practice," he growled defensively. He muttered under his breath about Impa being much too talkative.

Sheik snickered, pulling the cloth over his nose to hide his grin. Then, he brightened when he thought of something, and rummaged around in his bag.

Vaati watched him, his lips pulled down in a questioning frown, until he saw Sheik take out an apple. His frown suddenly flipped up into a competitive grin.

Sheik turned the apple over in his hands. He tossed it into the air a few times experimentally, and then cocked his head towards the sorcerer who was sitting up, eager. "Do you think you have what it takes to walk as a shadow warrior?" Sheik asked, a smirk playing on the corner of his mouth.

"I passed that test once I remembered all of my abilities," Vaati scoffed. "I am the Sorcerer of Winds, you know."

"You think so?" Sheik challenged. With a swift movement, he got up onto his feet and gracefully jumped up onto the top of the statue they'd been sitting against. He held out the apple towards Vaati, who'd also stood up and was stretching his arms. "Try and cut this apple in my hand."

"Hey. Hey guys? What's going on?" Ravio's voice floated from the mirror that had been left on the grass. "I can't see Sheik anymore. Are y'all still there?"

"You two watch closely, I'm going to prove that I'm the better one right now," Vaati sneered, cracking his knuckles. He snapped his fingers, and the mirror floated up into the air to give Shadow and Ravio an overhead view of the fight so that they could see everything. "One minute?" Vaati asked.

"No." Sheik vanished from the statue, then, his afterimage fading away just as he reappeared behind Vaati. Sunlight flashed as it reflected off of the dagger that spun in Sheik's hand, and the Sheikah struck towards Vaati's head. Vaati, who'd caught the glint of the sun from behind him, whirled around and blocked the strike in time. To an onlooker, it would have looked as though Sheik had intended to kill Vaati, but Sheik knew that the sorcerer would stop the blow. This was but a simple greeting. "We go until you succeed, or I incapacitate you," Sheik said simply.

Vaati's grin widened, and he swung his dagger arm, causing Sheik to casually flip away and regain his stance. "Excellent."

Up above them, Shadow Link and Ravio were fighting for a better view from beyond the mirror. "Whoa, Master Vaati's fighting Sheik?" he asked in awe as he watched Vaati summon some wind blades to knock the apple out of the Sheikah's hand. Sheik easily jumped out of the way, reminiscent to their first contest a while ago.

"Pffft, Master Vaati is totally gonna win," Shadow scoffed, pushing Ravio away a hair.

"I was thinking Sheik is gonna win."

Just like last time, Sheik reappeared behind Vaati again, but instead of having his legs knocked out of him, the sorcerer teleported away while expertly throwing a dagger where the apple was. Sheik knocked the dagger away, and then gave a small smile as though to acknowledge the improvement. Then, his eyes became focused. He didn't need to take it easy this time.

"Go Master Vaati!"

"You got this Sheik!"

"What? You traitor!"

The clamor from Shadow and Ravio up above began to draw a small audience of passersby to watch. Sheik wasn't one to show off, but taking Vaati down a notch or two was something of an entertainment. He darted forward, tossing the apple high into the air so he could wield another dagger.

Vaati looked up, distracted by the apple for a moment before he saw Sheik closing the distance between them in a flash. He barely deflected Sheik's blows, and he found himself getting backed against the wall with the flurry of expert strikes. Vaati gnashed his teeth together in frustration that Sheik now had him dancing like a puppet master would a doll, forcing him to move the way the Sheikah wanted him to. It couldn't be helped, for Sheik had had a lifetime of Sheikah training while Vaati had a few weeks, spread out over the course of a month and a half. It didn't matter that he was the 'Sorcerer of Winds.' He didn't have time to cast a spell between Sheik's swift attacks.

Vaati scowled at the cheering that rose from the crowd that had gathered to watch the show. He wasn't about to lose again, and in front of a crowd no less.

I guess I could play a little… unfair.

Suddenly, Vaati dropped both of his daggers, leaving him wide open for Sheik to strike. The other Sheikah's eyes widened in surprise, and for a split second he pulled back on the attack he'd meant to land, afraid that he was going to seriously hurt the sorcerer. Vaati took this moment to teleport away to the apple that had long since landed on the grass several feet away from them.

Just before Vaati could snatch the apple and claim the win, there was a shout, "Din's Fire!"

Immediately, fire erupted in a circle around the apple, surprising the sorcerer and causing him to momentarily back away. Sheik instantly appeared next to the apple, taking it back in his possession. When he looked around, however, Vaati was nowhere to be seen.

An awed exclamation from the crowd, and Sheik saw several people pointing towards the sky. He looked up just in time to dodge an energy blast that would have blown the apple to crispy bits. Sheik sighed when he saw the sorcerer hovering in the sky with a smug look on his face.

With a wave of his hand, the sorcerer created a gust that rushed across the ground, knocking over anyone it hit. The crowd shouted in alarm as they lost their balance, while Sheik teleported into the air to join Vaati. He waited for Vaati to cast another spell towards him.

As Sheik expected, the sorcerer appeared confident that he had superiority in the air and casually attacked with more wind blades. Sheik reflected them with a magical shield of his own.

Sheik knew he had to act fast. If it was a contest of sorcery, he would easily lose to Vaati. With one last teleport, he closed in on the sorcerer, pulling his fist back to ready a punch.

He was quick. Vaati's eyes widened as the fist approached his face. Sheik's attack just inches away from his nose, Vaati pointed a finger at Sheik and said frantically, "To Stone With You!"

The spell, while it stopped Sheik, did not stop his momentum and the blow connected to Vaati's jaw anyway. Both the sorcerer and the statue fell to the ground, and some of the people who'd come to watch screamed.

"Oww," Vaati muttered, rubbing his jaw as he got up in a daze. "Bastard," he griped as he released just the apple in Sheik's hand from the spell and irritably cut it in half with some magic. Once done, he released Sheik from the spell, and the blond tripped and fell to the ground, confused by what had just happened. Sheik looked around wildly at the people who were still screaming in alarm.

"Silence!" Vaati shouted over the noise, and the people froze, startled. They quieted when they saw that the Sheikah warrior had returned to normal, and instead they scurried nervously back to where they'd been heading before they'd decided to watch the contest.

Sheik frowned when he saw the apple in Vaati's hand, cut cleanly in half. "That wasn't fair, you-" he began, and then he stopped himself when his words were strangely reminiscent. He looked up from where he was lying on the ground to the apple in Vaati's hand, and then to the growing bruise along Vaati's jaw. Then he saw the shit-eating grin on the sorcerer's face, and the two of them cracked up in laughter.

"Fighting isn't about being fair, I know," Sheik shushed the sorcerer by the time they were done laughing. "That was good. I actually had to try back there. Oh and, sorry about your face. I thought you could handle it." He sat up, brushing himself off of dirt.

"A punch like that isn't going to take me out," Vaati huffed. Then, he added, "though next time you could aim somewhere that isn't my face."

"I was going by instinct at that point, and we're trained to kill."

"I take it you don't have very many… returning sparring partners."

Sheik laughed. "I don't have many who push me like that, is all." Then, he added with a grin, "I guess you won't have to go to any trainings anymore."

It was then that Vaati noticed that someone was still screaming at them. He was about to go and shut them up, when he realized that the screaming was coming from the mirror he'd left floating in the sky. With a sigh, he summoned it back down into his palms to see Shadow and Ravio screaming in excited incoherence. He arched his brow, unamused, and then tapped the side of the mirror once which cut the connection between the Light World and the Dark. The silence was jarring once the screaming stopped.

Vaati tossed the other half of the apple to Sheik, while he bit his half. "I forgot how annoying multiple Shadow Links could be," he said as he munched on the apple. He waved his hand vaguely, "Until I remembered."

Sheik chuckled. "I think they're fun," he said. He looked up at the sorcerer who was still complaining about all of the Shadow Link shenanigans he'd had to deal with back when he was still his master, and the sorcerer gestured with the half-eaten apple in his hand. It was surprising, Sheik thought, how well Vaati had adjusted to having both the memories of his former, murderous self, and the one who'd become friends with him. Sheik had expected some clashing personalities which Vaati would have had to come to terms with, at least, but the sorcerer never indicated any trouble reconciling both Fuu and the Wind Mage.

"Vaati," Sheik said, interrupting the sorcerer mid-rant.

The sorcerer looked at him, and then his expression turned serious when he noticed Sheik seemingly out of words. There were few things that could trouble Sheik so much that he struggled with what to say.

After a deep breath, Sheik spoke quietly. "Vaati, why are you still here?" he asked.

Crows feet appeared on Vaati's forehead, and his red eyes narrowed somewhat, though he said nothing.

Sheik continued. "You didn't have to continue pretending to be a Sheikah. There's nothing stopping you to go and-"

Vaati's loud, obnoxious sigh cut him off mid-sentence. He glanced at the remains of the apple in his hand, and then tossed it over his shoulder. "I would love nothing more than to go and conquer Hyrule once and for all," he rolled his eyes with a half-hearted scowl, "especially considering how easy it would be right now to do that. But you've been keeping me quite busy and I've been having trouble finding the time."

"… Me?" Sheik asked, puzzled. He recalled giving the sorcerer no additional tasks that he was aware of, and on the rare occasions that he did, he always made sure to ask Vaati if he was okay with helping.

Just then, he saw Vaati's shoulders tense, and the sorcerer became fixated on someone who was making their way to the castle. The person was a well-dressed man, a noble from the looks of his attire, and he was accompanied by two guards not of Hyrule. His mustache bobbled as he strutted down the path, a simple yet beautiful bouquet of flowers in one hand.

Sheik grimaced. This looked like the ambassador that he'd, er, Zelda, had been supposed to meet today. His grimace turned into alarm when Vaati excused himself and strode towards the small procession.

"Hey!" Vaati shouted, stopping the noble. "What business do you have here?"

The man appeared startled by the Sheikah's brash demeanor before he regained his official posture and looked down his nose at Vaati. "I have an appointment with the princess," he said, exuding entitlement, "She's expecting me."

"No, she's not expecting anyone," Vaati snapped. "Whatever you wanted to tell her, you can tell me. I'm her personal guard."

Sheik walked over to join them, and he raised an eyebrow at 'personal guard.' He gave a small shake of his head, but let it slide.

The noble's nubby nose wiggled as he struggled about whether or not he could ignore the rude Sheikah and make his way over to the castle anyway. With a heavy, defeated sigh, he complied. After all, everyone knew the rumors about the Sheikah, and how they weren't to be trifled with. "I wanted to speak with her regarding a proposal."

"What kind of proposal?" Vaati narrowed his eyes, being much more antagonistic than usual to someone he'd never met until now. His gaze fell on the flowers, and his mouth twitched in annoyance.

The noble, feeling unfairly attacked, frowned. He spoke civilly, but with a bit of a strain. "I was just about to explain that," he huffed, and Sheik wondered if he was going to have to step in and stop a pummeling between the two. "I am of the Loftus family, and some of our estate is located in Holodrum, which was not as badly affected by the attacks like in Hyrule. We also boast a substantial treasury that I am sure would help aid the relief efforts here."

Vaati's lips twitched again, and then he suddenly brightened with a beaming smile that was much too friendly to be considered sincere. His lips were smiling, but his eyes weren't. "Fantastic, we appreciate your assistance. I am sure the princess will be delighted with the news."

"Er, yes, it's just that-"

Without warning, the sorcerer grabbed the noble roughly by his collar, dragging him towards his still beaming face. The smile was terrifying. "You weren't going to force the princess for her time, for her," another twitch, "hand, were you, asshole?"

"Just who do you think you a-"

"S-Stop!" The noble barked, stopping his two guards from attacking Vaati. "This man is a Sheikah," he explained when the guards continued to point their swords at the sorcerer. The noble knew that no one, no one messed with the Sheikah, but some people from distant kingdoms like Holodrum sometimes didn't know that.

Meanwhile, Sheik was appalled that the Sheikah status was being abused in this way, but he held in his sigh. He'll have plenty of opportunities to sigh later.

"You'll help Hyrule because people need help, are we clear?" Vaati hissed. When the noble nodded earnestly, the sorcerer let go of his grip. He pulled a white rose from the bouquet and twirled it between his fingers with a smile. "Wonderful. Loftus was it?"

The man nodded again, nervously. He readjusted his collar with shaky fingers.

"I'll be paying a visit to your estate in a few days. If your family impresses me, I will allow you to serve under me. This of course comes with all of the benefits of having a Sheikah warden."

The man bowed apologetically. "Y-yes of course. Thank you sir."

Vaati tossed the rose at his feet. "Impress me first," he snarled.

When the noble and his guards had scurried away, alarmed by the conversation, Vaati chuckled to himself and turned to Sheik proudly. "You see? You've been keeping me busy."

Now that the noble was gone, Sheik was finally able to sigh. He rested his cheek against his hand tiredly, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips. "I cannot believe you," he finally managed, shaking his head. "So how many nobles are serving you now?"

"Not enough."

Sheik shook his head again, chuckling now. He shouldn't have expected anything less from Vaati. He was a little exasperated about Vaati's rather brash methods, but he was grateful for what he was doing. His earlier thought about how well Vaati had adjusted to his memories surfaced again. Perhaps the transition hadn't been difficult because Fuu and Vaati hadn't been so different after all. Sheik, too, had already noticed that this 'new' Vaati was only subtly different from Fuu.

But if the two weren't that different, then what had caused Vaati to want to conquer and destroy Hyrule in the first place?

"Hm? Is something wrong, Sheik?" Vaati asked, and Sheik realized that he'd accidentally been staring at the sorcerer.

Sheik hesitated. Vaati had always been much too perceptive for his own good. "It's just… even after everything that's happened, I still don't really know you."

The passing clouds overhead created brief moments of shadow and sun while the time passed. The sorcerer considered Sheik's words thoughtfully as the breeze tugged at his cape, and his gaze lowered, his cowl hiding his eyes. For a moment, it almost looked as though he, too, had asked himself the same question from the way he tilted his head just a little, confused. Eventually, Vaati met Sheik's gaze. "Perhaps in due time," he said softly. Then, his cheeky grin returned. "What, are you afraid you'll wake up one day to find that I've taken not only your nobles, but also your crown?"

Sheik laughed. "Not at all. I trust you."

The two of them started walking towards the castle gates in the direction of castle town. Impa was probably going to catch them again for sure, especially since they'd caused quite a commotion in the last half hour. Still, they probably had a bit of time to enjoy the town while the weather was beautiful. Despite all of the tragedy that had occurred, the two Sheikah looked content for the first time in a while, with their features relaxed and the glimpse of a smile on their faces.

As they passed the gates, the sorcerer wordlessly held out fist to Sheik who was walking next to him. They casually bumped on it, but it was a powerful understanding between them: that while bridges may burn, forgiveness could forge anew over betrayals past.

And all it took was a bit of honesty.

Fin

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fleets: (is nervous) UMM I hope that was... okay. I kind of um, had trouble ending this. Near the end. Yeah. English.
Endings always make me nervous because I could ruin a good thing in a few sentences D:
Wow. It feels really, really good to be able to finally put the "complete" stamp on this story, though. Before this story, I'd been convinced that I would never return to fanfiction again, and I'm so glad I was wrong, because this story has been an amazing experience. I haven't had this much fun writing a story in a long time, and I learned new things about myself through the characters I was writing. I also reconnected with old friends and made new ones along the way. Everyone's enthusiasm and support was so incredible.

Seriously. Thank you. You guys are amazing and I don't have enough words to express how thankful I am.

Demonbound may have ended, but I don't intend to leave the fanfic world just yet. You probably picked up from the way this chapter was written that it was essentially a setup for a sequel. I'll explain more in "Chapter" 26, but I'm really excited to start this story and I hope to see some of you (maybe all of you...?) there :)
This story ended up being 'ship-free' because of the planned sequel. I was already halfway through this one when the ship occurred to me, and I didn't feel comfortable making it official in this story because the characters weren't quite there yet. You'll see it in the next one. :)

Again, thank you so much, and especially to the 'inner circle' who've stuck around not just this story, but my other ones as well, and have been a huge pillar of support for me over the years. I think you guys already know who you are :)

Well, here goes the last review responses I'm going to do for this chapter (I can PM review replies if you're a signed reviewer from here on out :) but unfortunately I won't be able to contact you here if you're an anon guest). Be sure to check out the next page after this for the preview!

Lord Siravant: I think your Dethl will kick this Dethl's arse :P
Friendship shouldn't be underestimated :3

plum: Ahhh thank you! I hope this ending was satisfactory ;w;
No more pain from demonbound! I have a whole lot of pain in store for soulbound though dun you worry xD

Serpent Tailed Angel: Ummmm (nervous sweating) both of the Shadow Links actually went back sooo (I wonder if maybe I didn't make that clear enough and should go back and change something...?)

Arridu: Thank you! :D I was thinking about phobias, and how crippling they can be while trying to come up with Dethl's 'powers.'

icfehr: Thank you so much, I hope this ending wasn't disappointing!

Ai Star: Dethl kind of deserved it, and Vaati was pretty angry whoops
Don't be sad! They get a happy ending now :)

fanakatsuki: They kind of had a talk. Involving knives. And some sparring :P
There'll be a bit more talking, but maybe in the next story :)

AquilaMage: They have a purpose, and they'll play a part in the sequel! :D More Shadow/Ravio incoming :)
The ending of that sentence will forever be a secret, though we may speculate ;)
There's always hope, and with those two, there's nothing they won't be able to overcome. Well... maybe...

Cattycheeno: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it :D I hope this ending was to your liking, and thank you so much for your support ;w;