A/N: Thank you to riverraiden for following! Updates should resume their usual Saturday + weekday schedule :D
Chapter 23: KEESE
Three weeks later...
Wednesday 12-21, 1:10pm
Location: Plateau Station
"Get off of me already. The train's stopped." Vaati's voice and his shoulder shrugging her off woke Link from the nap that she'd been enjoying most of the train ride (her roommate had come to accept his role as her human pillow.) She yawned and rubbed at the corner of her mouth. Yep, she'd been drooling. And from the way Vaati scowled at her, he'd definitely noticed.
They grabbed their luggage and exited the train. Immediately they were greeted by four figures: Impa, Aveil, Zelda (who had arrived the day before), and a blond man with red eyes in a wheelchair. Link's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she dropped her bags on the platform, ignoring everyone but the man. "Sheik!" she shouted excitedly, running forward to throw her arms around him. She quickly let go, though, when he grunted. "Oh, sorry, still injured! But you're out of the hospital—that's great! What're you doing here?"
Sheik chuckled at Link's enthusiastic greeting. "Nice to see you, too, Link. I'm here to help how I can. I think Impa will explain everything when we get to the Abbey." His mouth twitched like he wanted to frown. "I heard you went and brawled with Ghirahim, and only got a few scratches."
"Uh, yeah, er, Vaati kinda saved me..." Link replied. She could feel her ears growing warm. It wasn't like she'd done it to impress Sheik, but she still felt as though she'd let him down on that. After all, he was the one that had warned her not to fight Ghirahim in the first place.
The Sheikah craned his neck to look at Vaati, who was still standing behind Link. "Thanks for keeping him out of trouble."
"I didn't do it for you," was Vaati's short reply. His eyes were narrowed in a glare.
Link heard a small laugh come from Aveil's direction, and she cast her gaze back and forth between Vaati and Sheik; by the way he was scowling, it looked like Vaati didn't like Sheik, though she couldn't imagine why. Sheik was fairly friendly but also professional, not noisy and energetic like Link. If anything, she thought Vaati would get along well with him.
"If you two are ready," Impa interrupted the terse quiet in her usual clipped tone, addressing Link and Vaati, "we'll go to the Abbey now."
Link grabbed her bags again and nodded. Impa led the group to the elevator, Aveil pushing Sheik's wheelchair. The train station was located underground; to get to the top of the plateau was about eight stories. Somehow, they all crowded into one elevator.
"What're you doing here?" Link nudged Aveil with her elbow.
"Aw, you don't sound so happy to see me," she smirked back playfully.
"Well, maybe if you didn't stick your nose in my business."
"Oh, I thought I was being quite helpful. You can't deny that things turned out well."
Link huffed and rolled her eyes. "I won't confirm it, either."
They both smiled and chuckled at the same time. Link knew that Aveil and Sheik were only there for 'business' reasons, but she was still happy to have everyone together at the same time. She glanced around the elevator car at everyone: her guardian Impa, mentor Aveil, comrade and rival Sheik, and her best friends Vaati and Zelda. All of her favorite people.
The upper station entrance was only a short distance from the Abbey. Link noticed with some curiosity the lack of crowds on the streets near the Abbey. Even in the winter, it was a popular tourist attraction. Then she saw a sign outside the entrance: Closed for repairs. Something told her it wasn't actually repairs they were closed for.
Once the group entered the Abbey's grand foyer, Impa had Link and Vaati follow her to their guest quarters—the same rooms they had stayed at before—while the others went a different direction. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the empty hallways. Link caught glimpses of monks here and there, but otherwise the Abbey seemed almost abandoned. They dropped off their luggage, then trotted back downstairs, walking to the library.
Father Gaepora, with his low voice that was quickly becoming familiar and that carried easily in the quiet room, greeted them there. Aveil, Sheik, and Zelda were waiting there as well. "Welcome back to the Abbey," he nodded to his guests. "As I'm sure you noticed, we've closed the Abbey to the public. This is just a precaution for while you are here."
"For me, you mean?" Vaati queried dryly.
Impa answered, "For the three of you. Link, Enlil, Miss Nohansen—the reason I arranged to have you spend winter break here is so that you can each receive training."
Zelda's eyes widened, and she glanced at Link questioningly before asking Impa, "What kind of training?"
"Father Gaepora shall instruct you on how to use magic and auras. You and Link will also be assisting him in the restoration of the Four Sword." Impa turned her red eyes on Link. "You will receive combat training from Aveil. And you—" she addressed Vaati last "—will be allowed to practice your magic as you wish, under supervision and in a secure location.
"Given recent events, Father Gaepora and I have come to the conclusion that, if the old legends are to be believed, we have entered another cycle, and that Hyrule may soon be in danger." She paused to let her words sink in. "We have gained little more intel on Ghirahim and the Yiga, but we know for a fact that Ghirahim cannot be harmed by normal means. Therefore, we are trying to equip you with the tools necessary to combat him, and any other enemies, should the occasion arise. If the Yiga's goal is indeed to resurrect Ganon, as we have reason to believe it is, all the more reason for this training. The restoration of the Four Sword is also important, as a preventive measure."
Link raised her hand. "Er, one, if we're worried about Ganon, shouldn't we be focusing on the Master Sword instead? And two, we don't have anyone that could use either of those swords, anyways."
Impa and Gaepora shared a glance. The priest took a breath, hesitating a moment. "We believe you have the ability to wield the Four Sword, Link."
He didn't look like he was joking. Impa's expression was one hundred percent serious as well. Link took several seconds to stare at the priest. "Woah, that's kinda—I can't—only the Hero can do that! And I can't be the Hero. I'm not even—" She was going to say 'a guy' but caught herself.
"You pulled the Four Sword out from its pedestal," Father Gaepora replied.
"Yeah, but it was all rusted and broken and—anyone could've done it!"
The white-bearded man slowly shook his head. "We attempted to remove it after we learned that the Wind Mage was no longer sealed inside it. We wished to restore it. But it would not budge in the slightest. It was as though the blade had become one with the stone. No, Link, only you were able to remove it."
The blonde continued to stare at him with eyes wide. That just couldn't be possible. Sure, there were a lot of things she had thought weren't possible before that had become reality: the fairy fountain, the Four Sword, the Wind Mage... but this one couldn't be real. Link was a girl, an orphan, a spy trained to lie and kill—not the legendary Hero.
And yet, as she turned her gaze to look at first Zelda and then Vaati, her mind whispered that it might be possible. Here she was, with the Princess and the Wind Mage—only the Hero was missing. And she had removed the Four Sword when no one else could.
Her gaze lingered on Vaati. He stared back without a word. If she was the Hero and he was the Wind Mage... did that make them enemies?
She blinked, eyes hardening, and turned back to look at Impa. "Even if I could use the Four Sword for some reason, I won't. The only person it's useful against is Vaati, and he's our ally. I'll help restore it, but I won't use it."
Her guardian's eyes narrowed slightly, and her lips pressed into a thin line, clearly displeased with Link's declaration. However, she replied, "It is not necessary that you use it unless an emergency happens. You will only be required to help with the restoration."
"Understood." Link bowed her head respectfully.
"Training begins tomorrow. Father Gaepora will show you now where you each will be practicing." With that, Impa marched out of the library, heels clacking loudly on the floor.
Link watched her guardian leave, feeling slightly guilty for opposing her; but she just couldn't do something like seal Vaati away, just because he might be used by the Yiga. She sighed and turned back to Father Gaepora. Sheik caught her eye, though; he was staring at her thoughtfully, and she couldn't quite tell if his expression was disapproving or not.
Clearing his throat, Father Gaepora swept a hand, gesturing to the library in general. "Miss Nohansen, this will be our primary training location. You will be studying from our collection of magic books for the most part. Link, Enlil, follow me to your training grounds."
They left Zelda, Aveil, and Sheik behind in the library, heading to a door Link hadn't been through before. It led directly from the library to an inner courtyard Link didn't know existed. All the windows in the Abbey were stained glass, so she hadn't been able to see what lay outside. The courtyard was enclosed by the Abbey on all four sides, a long rectangle consisting of flat stone paths around the perimeter and at intervals through the center. Grass filled the spaces between, short and brown. Tall flowerpots dotted the paths, but they were empty now.
"Feel free to use the courtyard as you wish. We only ask that you don't damage any of the grounds or the Abbey itself." Father Gaepora lowered his gaze to Vaati, then Link. "The residents have all been informed about your training, so you shouldn't have to worry about anyone straying into the courtyard while you are practicing."
He gave a farewell, stating he had other matters to attend to, and returned inside through the door they had come from. Vaati started to follow, but Link stopped him, saying, "Wanna practice now?"
Her roommate frowned at her critically. "I have to have supervision," he replied dryly.
"I'll be your supervision!" Link returned cheerfully. "Come on, you finally have free rein! I wanna see you do some really cool stuff! Like make yourself float, or summon bats, or make me float!" She swept both arms up and spun in a circle. "You can do anything you want!"
Vaati looked first at her, then at the door. He gave a smirk and nodded, turning to gaze out at the empty courtyard. "All right. Let's see what I can do."
Link took a few steps back, bouncing on her toes slightly. This would be the first time she'd get to see Vaati's magic at its full power. If the legends were to be trusted, he was capable of some pretty awesome stuff. What would he do first? Summon bats? Conjure up a tornado?
He didn't do either of those things. Link's excitement slowly died as she realized he was just standing there, staring at the gray sky. She trotted over to his side, peering curiously at his face. "Don't know what to do first?"
His eyes snapped down, and he scowled, shaking his head. "I have plenty of ideas, and they're better than yours. Starting is just..." Vaati lifted a hand, examining his palm.
"What, afraid you'll mess up?" Link queried honestly. "Then just start with something simple!"
"That's not what I meant. Whatever. Just—fine, I'll try your dumb idea."
Vaati lifted his hand out in front of him and snapped his fingers. There was a small flash of purple light that made Link blink reflexively—and then there was a bat, fluttering in the air in front of them. It quickly darted away from them and took refuge under the awnings nearby, hiding from the daylight.
"SWEET!" Link shouted, running after the bat, almost like she thought it was going to vanish if she didn't keep her eye on it. She could only barely see it in the shadows under the awning, but it was definitely there—a bat conjured from thin air. She looked back at Vaati, grinning excitedly, and pointing at the bat.
He seemed rather pleased with himself. His smirk had turned into a small smile. When she walked back over, he commented, "Doesn't take much to impress you, does it?"
"Come on, you're impressed, too, right? Can you do more? Can you control them? Are they real or just made of magic? Can—"
"Stop with the questions already! I'm not letting you supervise me again if all you're going to do is interrogate me every time I do a little magic trick."
Link pouted. "So mean! Okay, okay, have fun on your own. I'll just watch silently and refrain from joy." She made a show of sniffling and walking slowly away.
Suddenly, she heard the rustling and flapping of wings—lots of wings. Whipping around, she was met with a horde of bats flying straight towards her. Link yelped and dropped to the ground instinctively and rolled under them, hopping to her feet when she was behind them. The bats quickly switched direction, coming at her like a wall this time, with no room to evade. Link threw up her arms to protect her face, but nothing made contact. She could hear their wings flapping very close. Slowly she lowered her arms, to see the bats flying all around her like the walls of a hurricane.
"Does that answer your questions?" Vaati shouted over the rustling of leathery wings. Was it her imagination, or did his voice sound like he was almost laughing? She couldn't see him through the dark wall of bats.
"Almost!" Link shouted back with a laugh.
Experimentally she reached a hand out towards the flying animals. Their bony wings smacked against her fingers, hard and real. Growing more daring, she stuck her hand into the moving wall, grabbing at whatever she could get. Her fingers closed around a wing, and she pulled back, a squirming bat firmly in her grip. Link examined it closely. It was clearly a keese bat, a very rare species in modern days but whose appearance was well known to most, as they appeared as a common monster in the legends and ancient art; even modern cartoons tended to use keese instead of normal bats. The bat in her hands had the distinctive large yellow eyes and long spiked tail that only keese possessed.
She noticed, however, that the keese was devoid of any heat. It wasn't exactly cold, but it wasn't warm like a living mammal should be. She sought out where to find a pulse, all but oblivious now to the swarm around her. Yet she couldn't find one.
"Hey, Vaati," she shouted, "are these real or not?"
The keese parted, scattering, and retreated to the awnings. Vaati walked over and frowned at the keese in Link's hands. "What do you mean, real?"
"Flesh and blood. This doesn't have any body heat or a pulse." Link shifted the keese so she could hold it with one hand, using her other hand to reach inside her jacket and pull out her knife. Vaati stammered a protest, but she waved him off. "I'm just going to see if it bleeds if it gets a cut." Carefully, she slid the blade across one of the bat's bony arms, where she knew she could easily break the skin without injuring it badly. She saw the skin split, but instead of blood or liquid bubbling from the cut, just a wisp of purple smoke issued from the wound.
"It must be made completely of magic, then," Vaati murmured.
Link nodded. She glanced at Vaati, then quickly, she plunged her knife into the creature's chest. It gave a screech that made her cringe. It was quickly cut off, however, as the bat suddenly exploded in a puff of dark purple smoke.
"Did you just kill it?!"
Link lowered her hands and smiled apologetically at her roommate. "I just wanted to confirm whether or not it was made of magic. Good thing I was right or that would've been messy!"
Vaati's gaze slid down to the knife in her hand, and he was quiet for a moment. "I forget how scary you can be sometimes."
Her smile faltered at that. "Only to my enemies!" she replied, forcing her voice to be cheerful. She slid her knife back into its holster inside her jacket. "Er, sorry..."
"What're you apologizing for? You're on my side, right? So it's not like I'm scared of you." Vaati's smirk returned. "I'm pretty sure I know who's stronger, anyways."
"Is that a challenge I hear?" Her grin regained its strength, and she opened up her jacket, making a show of grabbing her knife again.
"Why not. Let's see if you can get through my defenses." Vaati took several steps back. The keese, with a collective screech, flew out from the awnings and gathered in a black cloud behind him.
Link nodded in eager agreement. "And the loser has to obey one command from the winner!" When Vaati scowled slightly, she added, "Come on, it's not a good challenge if there's no prize! Or do you already think you're going to lose?"
"What?! Of course not! Fine—I'll make you regret that bet."
"Alright! I win if I break through your defenses. You win if I can't after five minutes, or if I give up. Sound good?"
He nodded—and she immediately rushed towards him, knife in hand. Her roommate was only surprised for a second before the keese flashed into a wall in front of him. Their black forms swarmed towards Link. She skidded to a halt just before she crashed into them. From when she had tried to grab one before, she knew it wasn't as simple as plowing her way through. Experimentally, Link ran to the left, circling around Vaati. The keese followed, keeping the same distance between her and their master, not breaking form.
Five minutes. She needed to form a strategy. It may have been only for fun, but her mind had fully kicked into combat mode. The keese were a moving wall between her and her target. What she needed was to find a way past or around that wall. She could try to outrun them, but she had a feeling that wouldn't work. Slicing through them with her knife might work, but only if Vaati didn't summon more. If only she had equipment like smoke bombs or even a second knife.
Break through his defenses, break through his defenses...
"Already giving up?" Vaati called tauntingly. The wall of keese opened up just enough for Link to see his smirking face.
Her eyes narrowed, and her hand swung forward before Vaati could react, hurling her knife through the gap towards his head. It flew a few inches to the right of him, carrying on until it smashed into one of the flowerpots.
Link lowered her hand. "I win!"
Vaati turned his head from staring in shock at the shattered flowerpot to staring mutely at the blonde. The keese scattered. "Were you trying to kill me?!" Vaati hissed when he finally recovered, anger replacing his shock.
"I purposefully missed, don't worry!" She waved a hand dismissively. "But you're the one that let your guard down, you know. You let your defenses be broken. So, I win!"
"Did you not hear the part about where your knife nearly sliced through my skull?!"
Link glanced over at the broken pieces of the flowerpot. Belatedly she remembered Father Gaepora's request not to damage anything. Oops. She returned her gaze to her angry roommate, spreading her hands out placatingly. "I'm a professional, Vaati. Seriously, there's no way I'd ever do something like that if there was a chance I'd kill or hurt you. Come on, have a little faith in me!"
He sighed, shaking his head, and running a hand down his face. Then he looked at the stained-glass windows of the Abbey. "Did you mean it when you said you won't use the Four Sword?" Vaati glanced briefly at Link, then back to the windows. "Even if I turn against you? You seem pretty willing to throw knives at me."
Had he really been bothered by what Impa had said? She should have known; Vaati was very sensitive about what others thought of him, even if he tried to hide it. Instead of answering, Link slowly walked towards Vaati, taking very deliberate steps until he looked at her. She locked her gaze with his, still advancing. When she was only a few paces away, she reached inside her jacket and pantomimed as though she were grabbing her knife. One pace away, Vaati nervously stepped back, and she followed, pressing her fist to his chest in mimicry of stabbing him, eyes still on his face.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Vaati stammered, frozen. She could feel his heart beating quickly in his chest.
"I'm a Sheikah agent who's been trained to kill," she replied calmly. "But I have never, ever killed anyone. Impa gave me a choice at one point in my training: to be an agent that kills, or not. She said that both would have their trials; it was hard to say which path was more difficult. I chose not to kill. And I trained so that I knew how to avoid killing and still achieve my objectives. Like purposely not slicing through your head. So why would I seal away my best friend to a prison worse than death?" Link lowered her hand, finally breaking eye contact to sigh. Then she smiled slightly and gently patted Vaati's shoulder. "I may be an agent and all that, but I don't have it in me to hurt the people I care about. That's my weakness—you, Impa, Sheik, Aveil, Zelda... I'd give my life for all of you before I would ever purposefully harm you."
The mage stiffened at her touch, and he cast his eyes down, squinting like he was confused. Then he finally got out, "You're too honest for your own good, you idiot."
Link laughed lightly at that. "I've been told that a few times." She took a step back and gestured towards the broken flowerpot. "I should probably clean that up. Ooh, or maybe I'll cash in my request and have you clean it up!"
"That would be a complete waste. Save it." Vaati turned, squinted critically at the shattered pottery, and then snapped his fingers. The broken pot vanished in a flash of light and was replaced by a completely intact one. "Let's just go back inside already."
"Wonder what I should have you do..." Link mused as she followed her roommate back into the Abbey. Now that he had his magic, there were a lot of possibilities. This merited some thinking. Maybe she'd ask Aveil—she knew from experience how much the Gerudo could make out of one command. This was going to be a fun winter break.
