A/N: hey haven't had a proper one of these in a while, eh? I just wanna thank everyone who's been here before and are reading thru this new version--it means a lot to me and I hope the improvements are clear! And to my new followers, thank you for joining! Don't forget to review, y'all, and let me know what you think! Love you all :)
Uploading a day early cuz I've got a busy weekend
Chapter 17: Stitches
Unprofessional. That word kept coming up in Link's thoughts as she lay alone in her hospital room. How unprofessional, to cry. How unprofessional, to get so worked up over whether or not her friendship with Vaati would survive. How unprofessional, to become emotionally attached to him in the first place. It didn't matter what kind of attachment it was—a spy did not become friends, lovers, family, you name it, with anyone while on a mission.
She should have recognized it and dealt with it long before now. Thinking back, the night at the Fairy Fountain should have been the warning sign that woke her up. Promising to be on Vaati's side, no matter what? They were her honest feelings, but such feelings did not belong in the heart of a spy. Anyone—even Vaati—could become an enemy—and what then? She'd be backed into a corner, forced to choose between her mission and her promise.
No, it was all just unprofessional and unacceptable. Even if she wished otherwise, she was a Sheikah spy and had to act accordingly.
She was given about an hour alone before Impa returned to the room. Link sat up when she heard the door open, keeping her face carefully neutral when she saw who it was. "Have you calmed down?" Impa queried, standing at the foot of the hospital bed.
Link nodded. "I apologize for my earlier behavior," she murmured. Impa said nothing and crossed her arms. It made Link uncomfortable, the way she just stared at her with those red eyes of hers. "Why'd you go and tell him all of a sudden, anyway?" she asked less demurely.
"I believed it the easiest way to explain things so that he would cooperate." Impa said it in her usual crisp way. "I've briefed him on nearly everything concerning this case."
"...'Nearly' everything?"
"Your true identity is, of course, still secret, as is my true rank in the Sheikah, and Aveil's connection to the organization." Impa didn't have to explain the reasons why to Link; the identity of a spy was one of the most important things to protect. It could not only affect the current mission but others after it. If Vaati knew Link was a girl, for example, there would likely be conflict concerning their roommate situation; if he remained unaware, however, Link could continue where she was with no complications, and also be confident that, if Vaati were to encounter her in the future as a girl, he wouldn't recognize her.
Link nodded slowly, pulling her legs up to rest her arms on her knees. "So, he knows that Zelda is in on this?" Impa gave a small nod of affirmation. "And what did he say? Is he going to help us?"
Her guardian's face twisted into a wry smile. "He stated that he'll only help us because he has no choice otherwise."
As much as Link wanted to deny that, she knew Vaati was right. If he refused to cooperate, the Sheikah would be quick to take him into custody and confine him, preventing him from using any magic or doing anything that might lead him to become the Wind Mage. It was only a counterfeit freedom if he chose to help them, but it was better than being locked up.
"What's our next move?" Link queried.
"The doctor says you will be here for at least a week, and after that, you are limited to basic activities for another week, so you do not reopen your wound. Our priority is keeping Enlil and Miss Nohansen safe from the Yiga. I will assign an agent to Miss Nohansen and keep watch on Enlil myself while you recover. We don't have any clue where Ghirahim is or when he might show up next. We have agents posted at the Four Sword Sanctuary, in case anyone shows up there again. The Abbey priests said it will be difficult to reseal the Sanctuary and they do not know if they'll be able to do it anytime soon, if at all." Impa closed her eyes, a frown tugging at her lips. "I am concerned about playing into the Yiga's hands. We know very little factual information about their plans; all we have are conjectures. They are clearly targeting Enlil in the hopes that he is the Wind Mage. We could assist him in regaining his magic and gain an ally in this fight, but there is the chance that the Yiga could use his magic for their own purposes anyway."
"Vaati's going to find his magic whether we help him or not," Link replied, "so I think our best bet is having him on our side."
Her guardian nodded. There was a pause. Then, "Link. Have you ever considered leaving the Sheikah?"
The question caught Link off guard, and she just stared at Impa for a while. "Er, you mean, quit being a spy?"
"Yes."
"I guess so. Not seriously thought about it, more like wondered what life would be like if I weren't a spy... Er, why?"
"You are not a Sheikah by birth, so you have the right to leave the agency if you choose. If, for instance, the emotional restrictions this life places on you become too much."
The implication stabbed at Link's chest. "I'll keep my emotions under control from here on out, Impa," she stated firmly, locking eyes with her guardian.
Impa's expression was not critical, though, just thoughtful. "It is your choice to remain a Sheikah agent or not."
The two Sheikah discussed various other little details; there wasn't much they could do for now, just watch and wait. Link couldn't even do much of the watching, just the waiting, which she hated. But there wasn't anything she could do about that.
"I believe that covers everything," Impa concluded. She took a step to walk away, then paused. "I expect you to do your best from here on out. There is much at stake." Her guardian turned away and walked to the door.
Week 13, Monday 11-7, 1:00pm
Status: At lunch with Zelda
Vaati never visited her at the hospital. Zelda and Impa frequently stopped by, as well as Aveil and some of her classmates and dorm friends. According to her guardian's reports, Vaati spent the week doing the usual: going to class and studying, as though nothing out of the ordinary at all had happened.
Ghirahim's attack had, of course, become the talk of the academy, and it seemed Vaati had frequent encounters with curious students wanting to know the true story. The official report stated that Ghirahim (who was a criminal known for violence) had started a fight with Vaati and Link and then fled the scene. There had been too many witnesses, though, for that simple report to pass so easily. People wanted to know if Vaati really could use magic, and if Link was a ninja or something (that made Link laugh out loud when she heard it). Even some of her visitors wanted to know where she'd learned 'those sick fighting moves.' She just made some excuses about taking martial arts in high school.
Along with those other reports, Link heard that Tiv vanished from the Academy without notice. She wondered if the Yiga agent was being punished for not successfully recruiting Vaati; she knew the Yiga did not tolerate failure, and with someone like Ghirahim in their ranks, she had a feeling there would be little mercy for Tiv. Still, it was only a guess, and the Yiga agent's sudden absence was concerning.
When she finally returned to the Academy on Sunday, Vaati had greeted her in their room with: "Unless it's related to your Sheikah stuff, don't talk to me." He'd ignored her completely after that, and she eventually gave up trying to talk with him.
"I think he actually hates me," Link moaned, stretching out her arms across the cafeteria table and resting her head between them. She felt a hand pat her on the shoulder.
"He's just upset. I'm sure he'll come to understand," Zelda reassured her, giving Link a smile when she turned her head. "But you know, it must mean he did trust you quite a bit. If he didn't care in the first place, he wouldn't be reacting so strongly now."
That wasn't exactly 100% reassuring for Link; she remembered the hurt and anger in Vaati's eyes when he'd first found out. All that trust, gone. She wondered how she could win it back—if she should win it back... "How is your research going?" she asked Zelda, changing the subject.
The blonde girl brushed back her hair, her smile fading somewhat. "It is going very slowly... I feel bad that Impa asked me for help when all I can do is so little."
"Well, no one else can do it, so it doesn't matter if it's only a little at a time."
The two fell into a thoughtful silence. It was true that the research Zelda was doing could only be done by her—she was seeking out how to use her sensing ability to help Vaati unlock his magic. But since it was an incredibly rare trait, information on it was scarce. When she could, Zelda studied Vaati, observing his magic and taking notes about anything unique or different in his aura. It seemed any solution was a long way off, though.
"Maybe we should visit the Sanctuary," Zelda suggested. "All three of us, I mean."
Link frowned and scratched her head. "Yeah, we should probably all go together. Otherwise, Vaati's going to go there on his own at some point, and who knows what'll happen. I'll talk to him about it." She stood and stretched out her arms, wincing slightly. "I'm heading out. See you later!"
She gave Zelda a wave, which the girl returned, and strolled out of the cafeteria. The itch to do something after a week of inactivity was growing nearly unbearable. Part of her really wanted to try to patch things up with Vaati, but she knew being pushy could have the exact opposite effect. She no longer had any Yiga agents to keep an eye on, and no reason to go undercover and spy on anyone. Researching was an option, but Link had no desire to sit for hours, reading.
The thought of books, though, reminded her of the library. She hadn't been there since the attack, and she wondered if it had already been cleaned up. It was unlikely that there were any sorts of clues left behind by Ghirahim, but she still felt curious about checking it out. Link turned her steps towards the library, feeling happy to have found something to do, no matter how trivial.
Upon entering the front door, she was met with caution tape and signs apologizing for the mess. Three of the five bookshelves that Vaati had knocked down were back in place, their shelves empty, the other two tall wooden bookshelves missing, likely too damaged to use. Most of the books had been cleared except for a few stacks piled on the ground near the shelves. A librarian was going through one of the said piles, marking down notes on a clipboard as she sorted through them.
Link cautiously edged around the disaster zone. She suddenly realized that she should have disguised herself so that no one would recognize her as the kid that partially caused this mess. Too late—the librarian at the front desk met Link's eye and took a sharp breath, eyes flashing in recognition. She didn't say anything, though, and Link slunk past, sending silent thank-yous to the librarian. The blonde walked along the perimeter, staring at the gouge in one of the tables, left by those black daggers Ghirahim had summoned. Absently she fingered the ridge of stitches on her stomach; the sharpness of his sword had been surreal. Then again, it had been summoned with magic. Normal weapons stood no chance against that kind of thing.
"What are you doing here?"
Link had been so lost in her memories of the fight that she hadn't noticed a certain violet-haired student sitting at one of the tables behind her. She whirled around at the annoyed voice.
"Oh, Vaati. I didn't know you were here."
Her roommate narrowed his red eyes. "Don't bother with that—I'm sure you guys keep track of where I am. So, what do you want?"
His bitter tone stabbed at her, but Link endeavored to keep her voice light when she replied, "I was just checking out the 'scene of the crime'. But actually, I do need to talk to you," she added, remembering her chat with Zelda. "Wanna go with Zelda and me to the Sanctuary?"
"Oh, so you finally came up with that idea. When?"
"Probably this weekend. I have to ask Impa first, but I'm sure it's fine." Link leaned forward, looking at the notebook and various opened books spread out before Vaati on the table. "What are you researching now?"
Vaati scowled and turned away. "It's none of your business."
"Technically..." Link muttered, but cut herself off, shaking her head with a sigh. "Well, I'll let you know about the trip and stuff! Later!" Knowing Vaati wouldn't reply, she quickly left.
Thursday, 8:40pm
Farore Dorms Common Room
"Hey, did you and Vaati have a fight or something?" Talo asked Link, pausing from the movie he was watching on the lounge's TV.
Blinking, Link lowered the book she'd been half-reading, then gave a smile. "Whaddaya mean?" she replied innocently.
"I never see you two guys together, not since you got back. And you avoid him like the plague." Her dorm friend pointed an accusing finger at Link's face. "You're acting down, too."
She kept her smile in place, though inside she was cursing herself for being too obvious. Were her acting skills really taking that much of a hit? "Nah, I'm fine! And Vaati's just been busy, y'know, that's all! We're actually going on a trip this weekend."
Talo frowned, unconvinced, and shrugged. Then his eyebrows suddenly shot up. "Oh, speak of the devil!" he exclaimed loudly, looking somewhere behind Link.
She tensed but didn't move. "I'm not falling for a move like that, dude! What, you wanna see how I react if I think Vaati's here?"
"Er, no, he really is behind you..."
"Yeah, right!" Just to humor him, Link stretched her head back, so she was looking upside-down behind her. She just as quickly snapped it back up to a normal position and turned around properly, raising a hand in a weak wave. "H-hey, Vaati," she greeted her poker-faced roommate who was standing in the common room doorway.
He only locked eyes with her for a moment, then walked on past the couch to the stairs on the other side of the room, giving neither of them any greetings. Link lowered her hand and sighed. Talo turned a perplexed look on her.
"You're the one acting weird," he stated. "Vaati acts annoyed like that all the time, but you never seemed to care. You always pestered him until he acknowledged you. Now, though... it kinda seems like you're running away from him?" Talo rubbed the top of his head. "Well, I guess it's not my business." He turned his head towards the TV and the movie he'd been watching.
Link slumped on the couch, tossing her book down beside her. She wasn't running away; she was giving him the space he wanted. Though, Talo did have a good point: she'd always ignored Vaati's annoyed attitude and stuck around him even when he told her to go away. But that was when he thought she was just a normal student. Now there was a barrier between them, one she just couldn't get over. Still... Link didn't like that others thought she was running away. Being called a coward was one thing she could not tolerate.
Something needed to change, she thought. Neither of them could progress with the mission well if things continued like this. She hopped to her feet and half-ran to the stairs, up through the halls to her room, swinging open the door without knocking. Vaati, sitting on his bed, snapped his head up, squinting first in confusion at the chaotic entrance, then glaring at the one causing the commotion. Link shut the door less loudly and locked it. "I want to talk to you," she said, facing him with a serious expression.
"I don't," Vaati answered shortly.
Part of her brain pleaded with her not to be rash, to keep on ignoring the hurt feelings of rejection, to ignore her hurt pride, to just go back to being a spy without any of these emotions dragging her down. But Talo's words had unknowingly hit a sensitive nerve: she wouldn't be accused of running away.
"Well, I'm going to talk to you anyway! We can't keep avoiding each other; other people are getting suspicious." Link walked over to Vaati and stubbornly crossed her arms.
"I don't care," he glared up at her.
"You should care! You're part of this mission now, so you have to act like it. Avoiding suspicion is the number one priority. You could at least try to act like you don't hate my guts." She reached out a hand to poke him in the shoulder. "I'm not asking you to forgive me or be my friend again. Just until all of this is over, try cooperating a little. And then I'll get out of your life. That's what you want, right?" she ended, voice not as strong as she would have liked.
Vaati's narrowed red eyes didn't leave her face. "I wish you hadn't come into my life in the first place," he replied in a mutter.
Link withdrew her hand. "Yeah. I made your life a mess. Sorry." She dropped her gaze and was silent for several moments. "Hey, did you ever think of me as a friend?" she asked, bringing her eyes back up to Vaati's face.
His gaze strayed to the side and he didn't answer right away. "...Maybe at one point. Not anymore."
His words made her heart ache with a bittersweet feeling. Link took several steps back, smiling. "I'm really glad you did think so at some point. It was fun, being friends. Sorry I made a mess of things!" She took a deep breath and let it out all at once. "That's all I wanted to talk about. We're just roommates and co-workers now, so let's act like it. I look forward to working with you!" Link stretched out her hand.
To her surprise, Vaati reached out and took it, giving it a small shake, then quickly let go. "This doesn't mean I've forgiven you. I'll just cooperate for the mission." He looked away. "Is your name really Link?" he asked out of the blue, very seriously.
"Heh, yep! My last name isn't Forrester, though. That's a secret." Link smiled again and walked to the door. "Later!"
She didn't expect a reply, but she thought she heard Vaati's voice, as she shut the door, say, "...Later."
Well, at least it seemed like they could have a new start. Link just wished it weren't as co-workers. But, as she so often told herself, such was her life as a spy.
"Have you ever considered leaving the Sheikah?"
Link paused on the stairs, remembering Impa's words. No, she couldn't leave the Sheikah. Maybe she wasn't one of them by birth, but she'd grown up learning how to be a spy, training to be one, living among and making friends with other spies. She was happy with that life. She knew, even though she had to put on a mask and lie with a smile, that she was doing something worth the sacrifice, something that had saved lives before. So, she couldn't be friends with Vaati—that wasn't worth leaving the Sheikah. This was her life, and she just had to believe that the sadness she was feeling would disappear with time.
