Chapter 13: Pinky Promise

Week Nine, Friday, 10:53m

Nohansen Library

Status: On a study date with Zelda

Okay, so it wasn't actually a date; that was just what Mikau always said (he was one of her Farore dorm buddies, a Zora with some pretty impressive tattoos and insane guitar skills). He wasn't the only one that liked to tease her. Quill, Talo, and Pipit (her other dorm pals) liked to get in on the fun as well. After all, they argued, in many of the legends Link and Zelda eventually got married, so it was only natural to assume that this particular Link and Zelda were in a romantic relationship.

It was really awkward, trying to convince them that no, Link wasn't interested in Zelda that way, and no, she was pretty sure Zelda didn't feel that way, either. Then she had to convince them that no, it wasn't because she was interested in guys (the way Vaati always stared at her when she said that gave her an uncomfortable feeling like he somehow knew she was lying), and in fact, she had a girlfriend back in Kakariko (to which Vaati definitely looked like he didn't believe her).

Link was pondering over the best strategy to keep the guys from suspecting her of anything unusual, not really focusing on her math book or Zelda sitting across from her. She startled a little when she felt a tapping on her arm.

"Is something wrong?" Zelda queried, pulling back her hand. "You're rather quiet."

"I just got stuck on one of the problems," Link fibbed. She pointed at a random one in the book. "I mostly get it, but I like to fully understand it before going to the next question. How far have you gotten?" Zelda put her finger on a spot about a page ahead of where Link was. "Pretty good!" Link whistled. "Do you have a knack for math or something?"

The blonde girl shook her head, smoothing the pages of her book with one hand. "I had a lot of private tutoring growing up, so you could say that I was given a head start."

The two students briefly chatted, then returned to studying. Link only gave the homework half of her attention; the other half was used for watching the library. She never knew when someone might be watching or listening in on what she was doing. Strangely enough, she'd never been able to pin down whether she had a Yiga agent following her or not. Still, it never hurt to be careful. It'd been made very clear that she was an inconvenience for the Yiga, and the Yiga were usually quick to get rid of such people.

Since she'd been out of action the past week, Link had been eager to jump back into her work with a passion, but according to Aveil, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary had happened since Vaati rejected Tiv's deal. It didn't seem right that the Yiga would do nothing at all while Link was conveniently away. Whatever was going on, Link knew that they weren't being idle. She had to do something to get ahead in the game, but she didn't know what.

The only new development that week had been a document sent from Impa; the Sheikah had managed to dig up a little more information on Vaati. Apparently, he had been removed from two different orphanages during his childhood following certain 'incidents of a violent nature.' They suspected these were magic-related.

Zelda cleared her throat loudly, making Link glance up, to see her pushing a small folded piece of paper across the table. She kept her eyes on her book, however, not looking at Link. Curious, Link picked up the paper. Was it one of those love notes –"do you like me? _yes _no"? She quickly threw the idea away; Zelda wasn't the type to do that.

With only one way to find out, Link opened up the note.

Are you a Sheikah spy?

All Link could do was stare in mute shock at the piece of paper Zelda had handed to her, reading the cursive handwriting over and over again.

This was entirely unexpected; she was completely unprepared for such an occurrence. She wracked her brain—how had Zelda of all people found out? Did Link slip up somewhere? If Zelda knew, did Tiv know as well? What about Vaati—did he suspect her? But he hadn't been acting strange lately, and—

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you like that." Zelda's gentle whisper broke through Link's panicked thoughts. "I don't believe anyone else knows, so please don't worry."

Stiffly, Link shook her head. She still couldn't get any words out. The shock was slowing her thought process. She tried to remember her training and what she was supposed to do if her identity was at risk of being exposed. She'd already failed to deny it; her stunned silence was probably enough to confirm Zelda's suspicions. If it was an enemy, the procedure was to silence them if possible. Zelda, however, was considered an asset, in which case Link needed to recruit her as an ally who would keep her identity a secret.

When she thought about it, though, it actually wasn't a disaster if Zelda knew; it was better that it was Zelda, rather than anyone else. Because she was of the royal line, she had likely been brought up learning the ins and outs of government work, and she should know how to keep secrets. She also might be more willing to trust and help Link if she knew the Sheikah agent was there to watch over her.

"Wanna find somewhere else to study?" Link suggested, folding up the note and looking at Zelda meaningfully. "With fewer people. I can't really concentrate."

Zelda understood what she was getting at and nodded. She closed her book and slid it into her bag, gathering up her pencils as well. Link carelessly tossed her things into her backpack, not concerned at the moment whether pages got folded or pencils broken. When she was ready, she tilted her head toward the door, and the two left the library.


Link took Zelda to her dorm room; she knew Vaati was out working on a group assignment today, so there was little chance of them being interrupted or overheard in any way. Just to be safe, Link locked the door and pulled a chair up under the doorknob. Then she gestured for Zelda to sit.

"So, first things first—what we're about to discuss is top secret. I need you to pinky-promise me that you won't tell anyone." Link stuck out her hand, pinky extended. When Zelda tentatively reached out, Link added, "This could literally be a matter of life or death at some point. Just a fair warning."

Zelda nodded and linked her pinky with the Sheikah agent's. "So, you really are a spy?" Strangely, she smiled when Link nodded, a relieved expression that the blonde didn't understand. "I've been meaning to ask since the first time we met. My father told me that someone was being sent here to watch over me; I probably wouldn't have ever suspected you otherwise. And it's actually a relief for me... It's often hard for me to know who I can trust."

Link scratched her head. So that's what Zelda's question had been that day in the cafeteria, what now seemed like so long ago. She sighed. "How did you find out for sure? Did I slip up somewhere?"

"No, you've never given anything away, not that I've seen. I first noticed for a different reason..." Zelda was quiet for a moment, then chuckled self-consciously. "You have an aura I've never felt from anyone else. I'm not quite sure what it is, but it feels somehow familiar. You just seemed different from everyone else, and so I thought you might be the agent my dad mentioned. But that wasn't really enough evidence for me to ask you about it. Earlier this week, however, Vaati told me about how you got your concussion—about how that girl Tiv seems to be targeting you. I couldn't find any other explanation than that you really are a Sheikah spy. I didn't tell Vaati my suspicions, of course."

"Wait, Vaati told you what happened?" Link couldn't imagine her roommate just sharing that information with anyone; for him to tell Zelda was even more surprising.

Zelda nodded once. "He thought I might know something about why you were attacked. I may be wrong, but he seemed concerned for you."

"Heh, he probably just wanted to know the best way to avoid getting tangled up in the messes I make," Link joked lightly. She gazed at Zelda with a small smile, but her eyes were serious. "Alright, so it doesn't sound like anyone else would know. I'm curious about that aura thing you mentioned, though."

"It's an ability that is unique to the royal line. I can sense the auras and magic of individuals."

Link had never heard of such an ability. It seemed akin to a form of magic. "You said you can sense magic..." mumbled Link as her thoughts formed around her next question. Zelda bowed her head in the affirmative. "So, do you sense any from Vaati?"

Her friend's gaze dropped, as it always did when she was uncomfortable. "Yes..."

"What's it like?"

"It's... chaotic. I've never sensed so much magic inside one person. It's as though it's building up, never able to release. I worry that it might just suddenly explode one day..."

That was something Link had been hypothesizing recently—that Vaati's magic was somehow blocked, only leaking out when his emotions ran out of control.

"Is he... your target?" Zelda asked timidly.

Link shook her head and rested her head on one hand. "No. I'm kinda watching over him, too."

"I thought so... You are always trying to defend and help him; your aura always shows how much you like him whenever you talk about him."

The way Zelda awkwardly looked away made Link squirm at the insinuation. She didn't think Link liked him like that, did she? "That's—I just honestly think he can be a good person. I really believe he's not like the evil Vaati from myths, and I want to help make sure he doesn't become like that. That's part of my mission."

"Are you not allowed to like anyone?" Zelda queried gently. Her blue eyes were watching Link's face carefully. She appeared a little bashful to be prying into the Sheikah agent's relationship with Vaati, but apparently, her curiosity was getting the best of her.

"I can't let personal matters interfere with my mission. So, basically, yeah. If I were just a normal student, I'd want to be real friends with him..." Link laughed to ease the tension from the topic. "Such is my life! Next to zero friends and never dated a single person! But I'm used to it, don't worry!" She smiled and stood. "Do you have any more questions?"

Shaking her head, Zelda also stood, clutching the strap of her bag. "Thank you for confiding in me, Link."

"Don't think you get in for free!" Link wagged a finger like she was chiding a small child. "I might need intel sometimes, or maybe need to borrow that sensing ability of yours. Are you okay with that?"

That got a small giggle from Zelda—probably one of the first true laughs Link had heard from her. A load had clearly been lifted from the girl's shoulders. "I would be glad to help you however I can." She offered Link her hand, and they shook hands. "Again, thank you."

It was unusual to be thanked like this. Link thought back to the other time she had revealed her identity to others; most of the time they were Yiga agents and instantly hated her guts, if they didn't already, while others had expressed various forms of anger, disappointment, or distrust. To Zelda, however, knowing Link was a Sheikah seemed to give her a sense of relief and safety. It made Link wonder how Vaati would react...

She shook her head and said her farewells to Zelda as the girl left the room. She knew perfectly well how he'd respond: the little trust they had built between themselves would be shattered, all of his anger would be focused on her, and he would never believe another word she said. Link rubbed the back of her head. It was just depressing to think about. Their tenuous friendship was honestly the thing she'd come to love most about her life at the Academy. Losing that would hurt. But the Sheikah had absolutely zero intention of revealing anything to Vaati; so as long as she remained diligent, she would never have to face Vaati like that. The thought of lying to him until the day she finally vanished wasn't a pleasant one, either, but it would spare him from too much pain.

"Such is my life..." Link murmured to the empty room. Then she grabbed her Sheikah Slate with a sigh and began typing up a report on the unexpected ally she had just gained.