Chapter 31: And the Year Ends with Dancing
New Year's Eve, 11:25pm
Location: Hyrule Castle
The gentle notes of violins floated through the ballroom, accompanied by the playful whistles of flutes and mellow tremors of the double-bass. The chattering of the crowd milling about blended into the music. In the huge, marble room, every sound carried clearly, a lively cacophony of voices and music. Vaati thought it was all entirely too noisy.
The violet-haired Mage was standing on the outskirts of the crowd, wondering for the hundredth time why he was at the New Year's Ball, dressed in a tuxedo with his hair done back in a respectable braid, Red next to him in a tux and brown wig, and Aveil on his other side in a rather revealing Gerudo-style gown. The other Links were milling around in the crowd, and Impa was... somewhere. Vaati had quickly lost track of where everyone was.
"You'll scare everyone off with that scowl of yours," Aveil tapped Vaati's shoulder. She smirked when he just scowled at her more deeply. "I'm sure there's more than one girl here who would think you're handsome and want to dance with you."
"I'm not here to dance," he replied flatly.
"Actually, handsome, you are."
Red spoke before Vaati could snap a retort. "Aveil is right. We're undercover right now. In order to look natural, we'll need to join in, or we'll be too suspicious."
"If you really wanted to avoid being suspicious, you should have done something about my appearance. The Yiga are targeting me, remember?" Vaati crossed his arms and glared out at the crowd. "Unless you want them to attack me."
Red shook his head. "They're here for something else. Seeing you here might cause them to slip up if they think you're on the Sheikah's side and going to try to stop them."
Vaati followed the people that passed in front of him with his eyes, wondering if any of them were actually undercover Yiga agents. That was the true reason for attending the New Year's Ball: to find out what the Yiga were planning. Apparently, earlier that week Impa had received information from some Sheikah agents saying that a large number of Yiga agents were going to be present at the ball. With most of the country's government attending the ball, it seemed that an attack of some sort was likely.
Still, Vaati didn't understand why he had been forced to come along, too.
"You won't be the only one making them nervous," Aveil commented. She was looking out over the heads of the people in front of them, smiling confidently. "We brought in their least-favorite Sheikah agent as well."
Vaati tried to see who she was talking about, but she had the height advantage (as well as several-inch heels), and he couldn't see anyone that stood out. He gave up, glancing at the Gerudo. "Is it someone I know?"
The smile she gave him was knowing and mischievous. "Oh, I highly doubt you'll recognize her at first. Or should I say 'him'? Pronouns are a little tricky with that agent lately."
"Aveil," Red said sternly, "please try not to compromise anyone."
"Of course, don't worry; just having a bit of fun." She waved a hand dismissively. "Why don't we go mingle now and find some potential dance partners?" Aveil put her arm around Vaati's shoulder, dragging him with her into the crowd. She completely ignored everyone, though, threading her way through the mass as though she was heading directly towards the other side of the ballroom. Vaati stumbled alongside her, unable to get free of the Gerudo's grip on his shoulder.
Suddenly, she stopped. "There you are!" Aveil exclaimed, tapping the shoulder of a girl with red hair wearing a cream-colored gown.
When the girl turned, both she and Vaati did double-takes. He recognized this girl—she was a student at the Academy, a quiet, bookish type who frequented the same study zones Vaati did. Although she was without glasses, and her bright red hair was done up in an elegant bun, it was clearly her. Her gown showed off her shoulders and hugged her body, flaring out just above the knees, a bit more revealing than he would have expected a girl like her to wear.
The girl stammered, "Oh—Aveil—um, hi!" Her eyes flickered between Vaati and Aveil, her cheeks flushing. "You two, um, know each other?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Vaati affirmed. "But how do you..." Then the realization dawned on him, and he turned to Aveil. "Wait, is this the agent you were talking about?"
"Correct! This girl has taken down a record number of Yiga agents for her age," Aveil explained. "She's a master of disguises, but some of her undercover identities are more well-known than others. This disguise, 'Marin,' is one of them."
"Wait, so, you're not actually..." Vaati stared at the girl in front of him. She wore light makeup that accented her blue eyes, and without her glasses, they were even more noticeable—bright and clear. He unconsciously took a step forward, peering more closely at her face. He was aware of her turning slightly away uncomfortably, but something had caught his attention, and he ignored her discomfort. It was difficult to see clearly under the layer of makeup she wore, but above her left eyebrow...
"You've got to be kidding me."
Aveil cleared her throat, taking a step back and raising a hand. "I think I shall go find myself a dancing partner. Stay out of trouble, you two!" With that, she slipped away into the crowd, leaving the two undercover youths standing in awkward silence.
Vaati was the first to break the silence. He sighed and shook his head. "So, that was actually you this whole time?"
"...Yeah," Link replied. He was picking at the skirt of his dress, staring at it instead of Vaati. The tips of his ears were burning bright red. "It was for extra surveillance and stuff..."
Vaati found he had a hard time looking at his roommate as well. "And this is a disguise you use a lot."
"No, not—not exactly. I used it on a few missions..."
He forced himself to give Link another quick look over. How had he not realized it before? Well, probably because he'd never expected Link to go undercover as a girl. But when he really looked, Vaati could clearly see that it was Link. Just wearing makeup. And a dress. Both of which strangely suited him.
Vaati dismissed that last thought, shaking his head. "Well, it works well, I guess."
"Wrong, wrong, wrong!" Vaati and Link turned to see Vio pushing his way towards them. He elbowed Vaati once he made it, gesturing towards Link. "It's not, 'it works well, I guess.' You have to say something like 'you look surprisingly good as a girl' or 'that dress is totally hot on you'! C'mon, I know you thought it!"
He would die before admitting anything like that, and the seething glare he gave Vio communicated as much. "Unless you're here to tell me something important about the mission, go back to wherever you were."
"But I was really bored where I was..." Vio pouted. He brightened the next moment, however, adding, "I heard it's almost time for the ball dances to begin! I came here to ask Link to be my partner but looks like he's already taken! Oh well. I'm sure you guys'll have more fun." He winked and was almost instantly gone, slipping back into the crowd.
"He's not my—" Vaati protested weakly, but Vio was already long gone. He turned uneasily back to Link. "Are Aveil and Vio working together against me or something?"
Link laughed in response to that. "That's a good question!" He smiled slightly, extending a hand. "Let's be dance partners! It'll be fun!"
"No thanks," Vaati replied quickly. No, he really didn't trust himself to act normal dancing with Link. Having to hold hands, one hand on Link's waist, his face in front of him the whole time... Nope. He gave an excuse, "I don't know how to dance, anyways."
"I could show you the basics! It's actually not that hard. Here—" Link reached out and grabbed Vaati's hand.
He jerked his hand away, immediately regretting it when he saw Link's smile falter. The Sheikah agent laughed lightly. "Okay, okay! Too weird, right? Dancing with me dressed up as a girl. Or dancing with me in general."
Vaati wanted to smack himself. This tone of Link's—he'd been hearing it a lot lately, ever since Link split in four. It was like he was apologetic for everything—for Vio being annoying, for asking for their (not-)dates, for wanting to dance together... Vaati had greeted everything with reluctance, but he was beginning to realize that even Link had feelings that could be hurt sometimes. So much for his noble intentions of keeping a smile on his friend's face.
Vaati sighed and offered his hand to Link, not meeting his eyes. "It'll probably look odd if we don't dance," he relented.
The redhead hesitated. "You sure you don't mind...?"
"I'm not saying it twice." Vaati grabbed his friend's hands, placing one on his shoulder, and holding the other one out to the side. Trying his best to act like it didn't bother him at all, he gently rested his left hand against Link's waist. They just stood there for a long moment, staring at each other.
The music changed its tune, and a woman's voice came on over the speakers, startling both of them. The crowd quieted. "We hope you have been enjoying yourselves! It is that time of the evening, ladies and gentlemen. The final half-hour before the New Year! Please, look to your left, look to your right—greet the person beside you. And, perhaps, ask them for this last dance of the year." As her voice faded, the orchestra paused, then began playing a waltz.
All around them, people began pairing up and swaying along to the music. Vaati cleared his throat, making Link look up at him. "I'll lead," he said simply.
Link stammered out some sort of protest, but Vaati was already moving, stepping back in time to the music, pulling Link slightly. His friend soon started following along, and they kept rhythm together, moving through the steps of a simple waltz. Link's expression relaxed into a smile. "I thought you said you couldn't dance!"
"Did I?" Vaati replied with a smirk. He remembered how Link had once said he liked to dance, and it was clear from the bright gleam in his eyes that he was enjoying himself. It melted away some of the nervousness in his chest to see his friend smiling again.
"You know," he told Link as he spun his partner around, "considering everything, this isn't even the strangest thing we've done."
"What's the strangest thing, then?" Link laughed. He closed his eyes as he spun, the skirt of his dress flaring elegantly. Vaati smoothly pulled him back. The Sheikah agent opened his eyes, smiling up at him and making his heart skip. "Wait, let me guess—when Aveil almost made both of us wear those Gerudo outfits for the Blood Moon Festival!"
Vaati's face grew warm at the memory. "I've erased that day from my memory," he muttered. Thank Hylia, he hadn't left his room in those clothes.
His roommate swayed his head to the music as the two of them thought over all the strange events that had happened since they met. Maybe the Hero and the Wind Mage dancing together wasn't the strangest thing—it was the fact that the two had met and become friends, a story completely different from any of the legends. Vaati looked down at Link, who had closed his eyes again. Being with him like this—that was the strangest, and the best, thing to have happened to him.
Link opened his eyes, and their gazes locked, the Sheikah's blissful smile gradually fading, and their steps slowing. The pounding of Vaati's heart in his ears grew in volume. He desperately prayed that Link didn't see any of the emotions swirling behind his eyes, didn't see that right now, his partner's bare shoulders and the mascara around his eyes were driving the Mage slightly crazy, how badly he wanted to say something, but couldn't.
"Hey, Vaati…" his friend murmured, eyes flickering down and then back up.
Normally, Vaati would be keenly aware of the crowd around them, would back away the second his partner inched closer, but he was frozen, suspended in a strange mix of disbelief and excitement. Link leaned forward—
"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer's voice calling over the speakers made the two startle, literally jumping back from each other. "Please gather in the courtyard to see the fireworks, which will be set off exactly at midnight—that's in five minutes! Let's greet the New Year with cheer. Minister Daltus will give a speech after the fireworks, so please stay after they have finished. Again, please gather in the courtyard to see the fireworks!"
Link took a few steps back from Vaati, curtsying gracefully. "This has been a most wonderful dance, Sir Vaati. But I'm afraid midnight hearkens, and I, like Cinderella, must return to my normal, less attractive self. Let's dance again another time!" With a wink, Link turned and walked into the crowd, quickly disappearing, leaving Vaati standing alone in the middle of the ballroom floor to calm his beating heart.
Had he imagined it, or had Link been about to…?
The Mage shook his head. There was no way. It was just his nervousness overthinking everything. Vaati took a deep breath and followed the crowd of tuxedoed men and gowned ladies, all streaming out into the castle courtyard. The grand fountain in the center was lit up with blue, purple, and red lights, creating patterns in the dancing streams of water. He kept searching for Aveil, or Zelda (who was here somewhere as well), or anyone he knew, but it was impossible to find anyone once he was out in the dimly lit courtyard. Looked like he'd be greeting the new year alone again.
"Only two minutes until midnight!" the announcer's cheerful voice carried over the speakers in the courtyard. The lights on the fountain changed, focusing on the main flow of water from the top. It was slightly hard to see, but the numbers '1:56' could be seen, counting down with every second.
Vaati searched for a bench, but every one he came across was already taken. Frustrated, he was forced to stand as the timer ticked away towards one minute. As he watched, he wondered—would the Yiga strike at midnight? It would be the perfect time. That is, if he were an evil agent, he'd pick that time. The noise of the fireworks would provide good noise cover, as well as directing everyone's attention away. Still, he didn't know enough about exactly what the Yiga wanted; they might not even show their faces.
0:42
"Vaati!" Above the general murmur of the crowd, Vaati heard his name shouted. He turned his head, searching for the source. "Vaati!" From his right? They sounded panicked. He started working his way through the throng. Was that Link's voice?
They almost crashed into each other. It was Vio, panting, eyes wide. None of his usual lightheartedness could be seen in his face. "Vaati," he gasped, "be ready. The Yiga... they already struck."
"What? What happened?!"
0:19
"The vault where the Master Sword was stored—they killed the guards and broke into the vault. Link went to check and found the guards. The Master Sword—we don't know where it is." Vio pulled at the knot of his tie, loosening it. "And we don't know if the Yiga have anything else planned."
"But that's—"
Vaati was interrupted by the crowd all crying out at once, "Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!" He shook his head. The Master Sword couldn't just vanish. Something wasn't right. "—Four! Three! Two! One—!"
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
There was a whistling scream, and then a bright flash of light above their heads, booming and crackling in showers of blue sparks. The throng cheered for the fireworks. Vaati shouted at Vio, "Where is Link now?"
"I'm not sure!" the twin shouted back. "Probably looking for Impa!"
"What should I—"
The thunder of a particularly loud firework drowned out his voice. Vaati looked up. Gold, white, and red sparks erupted in a strangely geometrical pattern of diamonds. His heart dropped to his stomach.
Vio must have recognized it, too, because he swore violently. "Just what we needed! Sweet Hylia, we're going to skewer that creep. Stay here; I'm going to find my twins!" Vio took off as more diamond-patterned fireworks erupted in the night sky.
The Mage balled his hands into fists, narrowing his eyes at the suspect fireworks. Only a select few people would know the meaning behind their color and design. Ghirahim wanted them to know he was here. Was it a distraction? Or the main event? Vaati turned his gaze towards the platform where Minister Daltus would be giving his speech. Easily visible to all, and connected to the speaker system, it was the perfect setup for getting everyone's attention.
The fireworks faded, leaving the courtyard in darkness once more. Lights soon burst to life, however, illuminating the stage. Vaati heard some of the people near him murmuring about the seemingly short fireworks show. For a long while, the stage remained empty, eliciting further murmurs. Something was off, and the crowd could sense it.
There was a metallic shing, and suddenly Ghirahim was standing there on the stage in all his pale glory, smirking out at his audience with his dark eyes. He tapped on the podium mic. "Such a lovely ball tonight. But I must say I prefer dancing with a blade in my hand."
The audience chattered, wondering who this strange man was. Vaati marched forward, keeping his eyes fixed on the pale man.
"Ah, yes, yes, you are all waiting for an introduction," Ghirahim said smoothly. He raised his arms in a flourish. "I am the demon known as Lord Ghirahim. I am here to take Hyrule Castle, which makes all of you humans my prisoners."
A demon? Vaati had called him that before, but he hadn't known that was really what Ghirahim was. He quickened his pace, shoving people aside.
There was an eruption of confused exclamations in response to this declaration, to which Ghirahim calmly replied, "You'll find that my servants have already blocked every exit from Hyrule Castle. If any of you should attempt to escape, they shall swiftly eviscerate you." This only elicited further shocked cries. The demon lord held up a hand. "Do not worry, my darlings. If I am granted the three things that I desire, all of you shall be let free. And those three things are..."
He leaned forward, whispering into the microphone, "The Princess, the Hero, and the Wind Mage."
"Like hell you're getting any of those," Vaati growled under his breath. He was nearly to the stage.
"Ah," Ghirahim straightened, "but I have already gone and retrieved one myself. May I present to you, Her Royal Highness, the descendant of the Goddess Hylia, Princess Zelda Nohansen." He snapped his fingers.
There was a bright flash of diamonds beside him, quickly fading away. Standing there, still in her blue ball gown, her hands tied behind her back, eyes wide and frightened, was Zelda.
Vaati froze. When—?! He gritted his teeth. The demon lord may have fancy teleportation skills, but he wasn't the only one. Vaati wracked his brain; where could he send Zelda that she would be safe? And the other guests of the party—he could teleport them out of the castle as well.
"I only ask for a nice little chat with the three of them," Ghirahim continued. He stroked the top of Zelda's head. "So, Vaati, Link. Won't you join your dear Zelda and me?"
"A nice chat, huh?" a new voice rang out from the side of the stage. Ghirahim turned. Walking up onto the stage was Link, blond hair back in a ponytail, dressed in a tuxedo sans jacket. Strapped to his hip was the Four Sword. He came to a stop ten feet from Ghirahim. "I'd rather dance. What do you say?"
"A wonderful proposition. I would be a fool to say no." Ghirahim raised his hand, a long black sword materializing in his hand. He snapped his fingers and Zelda disappeared from the stage in a flurry of diamonds. Vaati cursed under his breath—he'd missed his chance. "You simply do not learn your lesson, do you?"
Link drew his sword, eyes narrowed. "I've gained some new tricks. I hope you don't mind a few extra dancers."
From the other side of the stage, three more figures marched up. Red, Vio, and Blue, swords already drawn, quickly approached Ghirahim. Red pointed his sword at the demon. "The Hero is present, just as you requested."
The Four Links formed a circle around Ghirahim. He seemed unfazed; rather, his black eyes gleamed with malicious excitement. Vaati felt frozen as he watched. Link had the Four Sword, so surely this time, he would have an advantage over Ghirahim.
He felt someone grab his shoulder. He looked over in confusion, to see Aveil by his side, eyes narrowed. "Vaati—we have to get as many people out of here as possible," she told him, nearly having to shout over the panicking crowd.
"But—" He turned his head back to the standoff on the stage. What if Link needed help?
She shook her head. "Link will be okay for now. This is our only chance to get the civilians to safety," Aveil insisted. "We can't risk any casualties. And we need to find where he's keeping Zelda."
Vaati clenched his fists. "Fine. You're right. But the moment it looks like he's in trouble..." He turned around, glaring out at the crowd. "Just get them out of the Castle, right? Easy." Raising a hand, the Mage snapped his fingers. "Take them home!"
The night sky filled with the leathery flapping wings of hundreds and hundreds of keese. They descended towards the crowd, swirling among them, their squeaks mixing with the frightened screams of the people being surrounded by the monstrous bats. Vaati snapped his fingers again. The keese began flying in rings, encircling each and every person. Tighter and tighter the circles grew, until it looked impossible for a person to be in the center of it anymore. And then the keese dispersed to the sky, leaving an empty space behind.
"There, happy?" he asked Aveil.
Her eyes were actually wide with awe at the spontaneously empty courtyard. "Well… I'd say your training paid off."
"My magic does what I want it to. I just have to want it enough," he said dismissively. "And what I want now—" Vaati turned back to face the stage. "—is to help Link make that demon wish he never existed."
