A/N: Lee forgot to proofread; her publish finger was too eager. Apologies for the reupload!

Chapter 16: The Demon and The Wolf

A few hours earlier...

So apparently Vaati had lied about going back to the dorms. Link looked around their empty room and sighed. She could take a hint—Vaati didn't want her around, though why he was suddenly annoyed by her existence, she hadn't a clue. Helping him look for the Four Sword Sanctuary only made her feel guilty, anyway; while Vaati pored through stacks of books, Link sat right next to him knowing the location the entire time. It was probably better that she let him have at it on his own. Meanwhile, she would work on some homework to pass the time; she didn't really have anything better to do.

Link halfheartedly spent an hour going through her math homework, when her Slate started ringing. It was a call from a number not in her contacts, and she was about to decline the call when she suddenly recognized the number. She seized the tablet and answered, "Sheik—is that you?!"

"Been a while," came Sheik's deep voice. He made a sort of groan, then continued, "Are you in a safe location?"

"Yeah; what's up?" It had been a long, long time since Link had heard from Sheik. He was Impa's other pupil and Link's close friend-slash-rival. Since he was two years older, he had left for deep missions in the field before Link, and they were only sparingly able to keep in touch. Something about Sheik's serious tone made her think this wasn't just a friendly call to say hello.

"Listen, I have some information you might need. I was assigned to keep an eye on a man named Ghirahim a few months ago. He was suspected of being behind several murders over the past year or so. However, he disappeared three weeks ago, and I was unable to find any trace of him. It was as though he had simply vanished..." Sheik gave a cough, pausing for a moment. "I finally found him on Monday night, in Castletown, only to see him leaving the scene of another murder. The victim was a monk from the Eastern Abbey. He also met briefly with a Yiga agent; it appeared he has some position of authority with the Yiga. I chased Ghirahim down, but he..." With a small growl, Sheik admitted, "He nearly killed me as well; it was a miracle that I escaped. I only now regained consciousness."

Sheik's words sunk in too quickly, leaving Link stunned and silent. This Ghirahim had nearly killed Sheik...? The Sheikah spy's fighting skills were on par with Impa's, far better than Link's; she'd never been able to defeat him in a match, even though her own abilities were acknowledged as no joke. It made no sense—how had Ghirahim been able to bring down the Sheikah's top agent? And Sheik said he was involved with the Yiga, as well?

"Wait, you said this was Monday night?"

"Yes. The same night that the Sanctuary was broken into—Impa left a report about it for me to read. I'm sure you see the connection—Ghirahim likely questioned that monk about the Sanctuary's location and then killed him afterward to keep him quiet; he wanted to silence me as well but fortunately, I escaped. Afterward, we're assuming he broke into the Sanctuary."

"Why didn't Impa tell me about this?!" Link exclaimed. Then she shook her head. Was that what Impa had almost told her when she was leaving the Abbey?

Sheik coughed, groaning slightly. "She didn't know anything behind who had attacked me and that monk—I was unconscious until today, like I told you. Likely she didn't think it relevant to tell you."

"Where is Ghirahim now?"

"We don't know. That's why I called you—I know you are also on an assignment related to this. Be on high alert. He is after something, and he's willing to kill for it." When Link made no reply after a long moment, Sheik queried, "Are you still there?"

Link cleared her throat and stood, walking over to her bed. "I have an idea of what he's looking for." She pulled out a shoebox hidden far underneath the bed and searched through it with one hand. "Is Impa there, by any chance?" Her fingers curled around the handle of an army knife—the only weapon she had brought to the Academy. This, and a harness, she strapped on, where it could be hidden under her coat.

"No, I haven't seen her yet," Sheik answered.

"Alright, I'll message her myself later. Thanks for reporting this to me, Sheik. Get well soon."

Sheik's voice came back strained. "Don't do anything rash, Link!"

Link laughed lightly as she pulled out her earbuds and pulled up the app connected to the bug on Vaati. "Of course, I won't! I'm the epitome of caution! Talk to ya later!" She hung up.

So, this person named Ghirahim was working with the Yiga Clan. Two parts of the Yiga's plan, which had seemed completely separate before, now had connected. Tiv had had her eye on Vaati, apparently trying to recruit him to her side and use his magic, while Ghirahim had been searching for the Four Sword Sanctuary, fabled resting place of the Wind Mage. With the seal already faded, however, it left everyone with the question of what had become of the Wind Mage. Link knew where Ghirahim would turn next—indeed, there was only one answer to all of this:

The Wind Mage was undoubtedly their target, and Vaati Enlil was the most likely suspect.

Link turned on the audio receiver and stuck in the earbuds. Silence punctuated with subtle static greeted her. Then there was a rustle—paper, perhaps? Her guess was that Vaati had returned to the library to study some more. She debated for a long moment, then grabbed her coat. She'd keep an eye on him from a distance. It was unlikely that Ghirahim would suddenly show up, but she knew there was no such thing as being too prepared.

She was approaching the library building when a voice broke the silence in her earbuds. "Hard at work trying to find the Four Sword?" Link stopped where she was. Haughty and smooth and subtly sinister, the voice made her hackles rise. "Your dedication is admirable! But I can make this much easier for you. Since I know exactly where the Sanctuary is."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Vaati's voice replied.

"Oh, where are my manners? You are quite right; you have not had the pleasure of making my acquaintance. I am Ghirahim."

Link broke into a sprint, tearing the earbuds out and shooting towards the library. Ghirahim was here already?! "Din!" she cursed. Some poor students in her way got roughly pushed to the side as she ran. She couldn't be sure what Ghirahim's goal was in talking with Vaati, but it could not be anything good. Was he going to tell Vaati that he was probably the Wind Mage? Try to recruit him? What if Vaati rejected him—would Ghirahim kill him? Link threw open the library door and looked frantically around, cursing the tall bookshelves. But there—she could glimpse violet hair!

Disregarding any kind of normal library conduct, Link sprinted towards Ghirahim. Her foot caught in the leg of a chair and she tumbled forward, reaching out for the table, and knocking a stack of books to the floor. Ghirahim and Vaati whipped their heads towards her; the pale man's eyes narrowed, while her roommate's eyes grew wide. She fixed her gaze on Ghirahim.

"Vaati," she said slowly and carefully, not breaking eye contact with her target, "get away from him."

No one made a sound or moved for a long moment. Ghirahim's dark eyes screamed murder; Link didn't flinch but returned his gaze with a glare just as dangerous. When someone finally did move, it was the white-haired man, raising a hand to press his fingers to his temple. Link's fingers twitched in response. "I do not know who you are," he hissed. "But it seems you are the hero-type, hmm? And you heroes simply cannot help yourselves, throwing your pathetic selves at me. Allow me to teach you a lesson, child!" He raised his hand above his head and snapped his fingers.

Link's glare faltered as she watched, shocked, as a pitch-black rapier materialized in Ghirahim's hand. So, he could use magic? She only had a moment to be surprised before Ghirahim, grinning murderously, lunged towards her. She grabbed one of the knocked-over chairs and swung it at him, but he fluidly parried with his sword, slicing clean through its wooden frame. Oh, Hylia—how sharp was that sword?!

He jabbed with the blade, and Link barely twisted out of the way, her back slamming against a bookshelf. When Ghirahim swung at her again, she ducked under the swing and pulled out her knife, lunging forward and driving it into her enemy's stomach. Instead, however, it hit something rock-hard and glanced off him, leaving only a tear in his clothing. Link cursed and quickly retreated several paces away, out of reach of Ghirahim's sword. This wasn't looking good; his sword had left a clean gouge through a shelf of books, and her knife had done nothing at all against him.

Her eyes darted to Vaati, who was behind Ghirahim looking utterly shocked. She really couldn't blame him—Ghirahim had appeared out of the blue, and she had arrived just as suddenly, and now a fight was unfolding within the library. "Vaati!" she shouted. He flinched. "Get out of here!"

"Oh, no you don't," Ghirahim spun around to face Vaati.

Link took advantage of this and leaped forward, throwing an arm around the pale man's neck, and seizing his sword hand with the other. "GET OUT!" she screamed at Vaati, attempting to twist Ghirahim's hand and make him drop the sword. He struggled against her, but then suddenly dropped the sword and snapped his fingers.

Vaati's eyes went wide, and he took a step forward. "Link, behind you!"

She turned her head in time to see several black daggers hurtling towards her. Cursing, she let go of Ghirahim and tried to move out of their path, but one sliced her right shoulder. The rest flew past, embedding themselves into the nearby tables and shelves. Vaati stared at the dagger sticking out of the table right in front of him.

"You are nimble, child," Ghirahim told Link, brushing his shoulders off. "But you have no way of hurting me. Try as hard as you like—you will only humiliate yourself. And then you'll die as you should: a weak, shameful boy, pretending to be a hero." He snapped his fingers, and his sword reappeared in his hand. Then he advanced with slow steps towards Link.

Her mind raced, searching for a way to defeat him, to escape, to somehow win. The pain pulsing in her shoulder reminded her of Sheik's words: "He nearly killed me." If Sheik couldn't hold his own against Ghirahim... what hope did she have?

Ghirahim swung at her, perhaps sensing her momentary fear. She dodged back, a second too slow, and the tip of his blade connected with her stomach, cutting a horizontal line that quickly grew crimson. She clapped a hand to the wound and stumbled back. It wasn't deep enough to be life-threatening, but the blood loss could quickly become a problem. Link gripped her knife and charged at her opponent, shouting with a mixture of raw anger, pain, and fear. Ghirahim just smirked and raised his sword.

"LINK!"

She hit what felt like a wall, sending her crashing back. Confused, she shook her head and looked up to see that Ghirahim also had been pushed back. There were several ground-shaking crashes as the bookshelves near them toppled over, having been hit with a force hard enough to break the metal anchors holding them upright. She heard students elsewhere in the library scream in terror.

Ghirahim simply scoffed and looked over at the source of the chaos. "So, you are on his side?"

Link turned her head in the same direction. Vaati was slowly lowering a hand, his eyes glowing unmistakably and his hair moving in the wind surrounding him. Everything in front of him had been blasted out of the way. He fixed those red eyes on Ghirahim. "It was your own error to assume I was on your side," he replied icily.

"Tch, I never thought you would side with the enemy. Then again, you are not quite the same Vaati, are you? But I suppose I've acquired the information I needed. Unfortunately, my plan requires you to be alive and cooperative, so I shall take my leave." Ghirahim's sword vanished in a flash of red and black diamonds, and he swept into an exaggerated bow. "Until next time, Wind Mage."

Vaati's eyes flashed and he jerked his hand forward, sending a blast of wind right at Ghirahim. But the slender man vanished in a flurry of diamonds, just like his sword, leaving behind no trace; not even the black daggers remained. Vaati snarled and kicked a chair in frustration.

Gritting her teeth, Link used a nearby table to pull herself to her feet, casting a look around at the ruined library. Five bookshelves had toppled over like dominoes, books scattered all across the floor, while the chairs and tables around Vaati and Link had been thrown around. One chair was in pieces, a table was scarred with deep gouges, and a dozen or so books had been cut in half. Outside the ring of destruction, a group of students was standing, watching nervously. She saw to her dismay that a few had their Slates out and were taking videos.

"Link, are you okay?" she heard Vaati's voice next to her, and she turned back to him. The glow had faded from his eyes, but the anger was still there.

She dropped her eyes to stare at the red staining her shirt, then up at Vaati to smile. "If we just ignore the blood and wounded pride, then yep, I'm a-okay!" she answered, giving him a thumbs-up, then, realizing her hand was covered with blood, quickly dropped it.

Vaati opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a man shouting near the library entrance. "Campus police, step aside!" They turned to see a muscular officer pushing some of the students aside, quickly surveying the damage and calling out to them, "You two, stay where you are." He seemed to notice Link's injuries because he asked the onlookers, "Did anyone call an ambulance?" When someone answered in the affirmative, he nodded and walked over to Link and Vaati.

"I'm Officer Eagus Darvell. An ambulance is on the way. Are you injured as well?" he asked Vaati.

"No..." the violet-haired man replied quietly.

Officer Eagus nodded. "Good. What are your names?" After they each gave their names, he nodded again. "I'll need you to fill out a report on what happened here, Mr. Enlil. As for you—" he addressed Link "—we need to stop the bleeding."

Link smiled and raised a hand. "I've got it under control." She proceeded to tear off the bottom hem of her shirt, balling the fabric up and pressing it to the gash in her stomach. Usually, she disliked showing her stomach, due to the various scars there, but they were currently hidden under a layer of blood. She also wasn't really in a position to be picky about it.

The officer raised his eyebrows, then turned his head to speak into the walkie-talkie on his shoulder. "This is Officer Eagus. Requesting backup at the library." He cast another look around at the chaos. "What happened here?"

"A sword-wielding demon attacked," Vaati said flatly.

He got another eyebrow-raise in reply. Sirens could be heard outside, getting closer. "Alright, I'll hear it in your report. An officer will accompany you to the hospital, Mr. Forrester. You will come with me to the campus police office, Mr. Enlil."


Saturday, 8:00am

Hyrule National Hospital, Castletown Campus

"Could you maybe not tell Sheik I got my butt kicked...? Because I sort of told him I wouldn't do anything rash... right before I, uh, went and fought Ghirahim..." Link smiled at Impa sheepishly from her hospital bed.

Her humorous plea did nothing to break the icy mask on her adoptive mother's face. She dropped the smile after a moment and sighed. "Would you have done something different...?"

"I would not have engaged in combat in a public place with a person whose abilities you already knew were superior to your own."

Link cringed and nodded reluctantly. She knew that. She knew that, yet... When she had heard Ghirahim's voice over the listening device, she could only think about how Vaati was in danger. She didn't think about the danger she was placing herself in. Lifting up her shirt, she took a look at the bandages around her stomach. One more scar to add to her collection. "Man, guess bikinis aren't an option anymore..." she sighed.

There was a cough. Link glanced up, to see Vaati standing in the doorway. She immediately dropped her shirt back down, hoping he hadn't heard that last comment. By the way he awkwardly cleared his throat again, she was guessing he had. Oh, well, her reputation with him had never been pure, to put it one way.

"Vaati, it is nice to meet you again," Impa greeted him calmly. "Thank you for protecting my son. It's very likely he would have died had you not been there."

Link muttered under her breath, "You don't have to be so blunt about it..."

Impa ignored Link and continued, "You probably have a lot of questions about what happened."

"A significant amount." Vaati shut the door, taking a seat, and crossing his arms. He looked over at Link with a familiar expression: eyes narrowed and focused, the look that said he wanted answers and he wanted them now. "Care to explain this one, Link?"

She laughed nervously and cast a glance at Impa; her guardian's face remained blank. "Uh, I'm not quite sure how to explain it all..."

"We are Sheikah spies."

Link nearly had a heart attack right then and there. She opened and closed her mouth, gaping like a fish at Impa, stunned. Vaati merely squinted, confused, like he didn't quite understand. The white-haired woman gazed back at them calmly. "Vaati, Link and I are spies who work for the Sheikah organization. Ghirahim and Tiv are agents of the Yiga Clan. As unbelievable as it sounds, I trust you will find that it answers nearly all of your questions."

They both kept their gazes on Vaati, waiting for his reply. He switched between looking at Impa and looking at Link, his expression changing from a squint of confusion to a light of understanding to a slight scowl. He dropped his head to his hands and gave a laugh. "Of course. Of course. That makes perfect sense. I wondered why you were so insistent on being my friend, why you got attacked, why you were hanging out with Zelda... It all makes sense now. Let me guess: you've been keeping an eye on me to make sure I don't end up trying to take over Hyrule?"

"No!" Link exclaimed. Vaati raised his head, eyes dry but red-rimmed, and Link's breath caught, seeing the deep anger and betrayal in his face. "No, Vaati, I came because we thought the Yiga were targeting Zelda, but we found out they were after you instead. I've been trying to keep them from using you for their own plans." Vaati made no reply, only stared at her with that same hurt and anger.

Impa spoke up. "What he says is true. Our goal has been to discover the Yiga's plans and put a stop to them. Which leads to what happened yesterday—it seems that they are seeking the power of the Wind Mage, and they think you are its wielder."

"And do you think I'm the Wind Mage?" Vaati inquired in a low voice.

"There is increasing evidence to support it," Impa replied bluntly, making Link cringe.

"Wind Mage or not," the blonde interjected hastily, "we're not letting the Yiga get their dirty hands on you."

Vaati narrowed his eyes at Link. "Of course; you can't let your enemy get their hands on a dangerous weapon."

"No, I won't let them get their hands on my friend!" Link snapped back. She couldn't stand the distrust in his eyes anymore. "I know what you're thinking right now—that everything has been a lie, and that we've just been using you. Yes, there were some lies, but I've always been as truthful as possible with you! Being friends was never a lie!"

Her roommate regarded her with an expression of mild disgust and that same anger, and he turned away, muttering, "I don't want your crocodile tears, Link. If your name even is Link."

She blinked and felt hot tears leak down her cheeks. Rubbing furiously at her eyes, she flopped onto her side, facing away from Vaati. "Nayru's love, this is why I didn't want you to find out..."

"Vaati," Impa said firmly, "let's speak outside."

Link heard their footsteps and the door open and close. And then the room was quiet, interrupted only by occasional sniffles from the girl lying in the hospital bed, crying from the pain not in her stomach, but in her heart.