fleets: i struggled writing this especially after that emotional puncher of a chapter that was ch. 22.

Oh! Also! Serpent Tailed Angel pointed out a few things that needed fixing in the last chapter (e.g. you don't fall with a 'light' thud when you go unconscious - I giggled at that one after seeing my brain fart there) and also did a very minor but I think significant edit to Sheik's rather morbid thought that he should go stab happy on anyone who found out that Sheik = Zelda. It throws a bit of a wrench in my upcoming plans for this world so it had to be fixed (made him conditionally stab happy, heh). Thank you for catching these STA!

With that said, please don't be afraid to let me know if you notice something 'off' in the story. If I agree with you, and it's something that will throw off future chapters, I will most likely try to go back and change it. :) My editing is admittedly horrible.

I've also posted fanart for a particular scene in this chapter on my tumblr page (under 'demonbound sheikah' and 'fleets sketches' tags).

Chapter 23: Second Chances

Vaati was back. The sorcerer whose name inspired horror and fear was back, and it was all because of him.

Sheik smiled to himself, shaking his head a little in disbelief at what he'd done. A few weeks ago, he would have been willing to strike down anyone who even so much as suggested returning Vaati's memories, and yet here he was having successfully argued against Twinrova to do exactly the thing he'd been fighting against.

It was funny how things change. It's funny how people change.

Sheik rested his head against the beam, relieved that somehow, Vaati seemed willing to forgive him for altering his memories. The tension in his shoulders left him and he leaned his weight against the beam. He watched Vaati with curiosity now, while the sorcerer was sitting across from him with his arms crossed, staring at the ground lost in thought. Even though Vaati was, for lack of a better word, 'back,' he was nothing at all like the person Sheik had known before they had rewritten his memories. He didn't doubt that Twinrova followed through on their end of the deal; the Vaati in front of him had all of his memories back, and yet he wasn't the same as he'd once been.

The old Vaati had been wrath incarnate. Sheik had never seen another individual with the kind of hate that Vaati carried, as though the world had wronged him somehow and he was out to punish it, dig his heel into it and crush it. The old Vaati hadn't had a shred of humanity in him.

The Vaati in front of him now wasn't the old Vaati, but neither was he 'Fuu.' Fuu was gone. He'd lost that bright-eyed, hopeful expression of Fuu, and his optimism was now replaced with cold cynicism. Sheik could still see a small fire of anger behind those piercing red eyes, but it was nothing like what it had once been with the Wind Mage. The fire didn't burn as hotly. It was subdued. Controlled.

And although the sorcerer brooding in front of him was someone different than the person that Sheik had come to know in the past few weeks, there was still that sense of familiarity that could only be felt between, well, friends. It wasn't unlike that time when he'd spoken to the mage as Zelda rather than Sheik.

"I can only imagine what you were doing out in the desert," Vaati finally said after some time. He sounded more aged, like someone who had seen the rise and fall of kingdoms past. The sorcerer rubbed his fingers together absentmindedly, still gazing at the ground. "I suppose I'll hazard a guess that you need my help to destroy Dethl."

To a stranger, Vaati's leaden tone would have been intimidating. However, Sheik had been around the sorcerer for long enough to know that he was only masking his confusion. He could tell from the way the sorcerer's right brow scrunched slightly towards the center, and how he bit his bottom lip just enough so that it looked like the beginnings of a scowl; Fuu had made the same exact expression whenever he'd been confused by something.

Vaati sighed, resting his cheek against his hand, struggling with words. He turned his head away, and grumbled in what could only be described as embarrassment. It was kind of endearing. "You know, you have the poorest taste in… friends." Before Sheik could say anything, Vaati stood up abruptly, brushing himself off like he'd gotten something unpleasant on his skin. "Fine. Let's go and have a chat with Dethl."

Sheik grinned, and then chuckled at Vaati's struggle to deal with feelings other than uncontained rage. He figured he wouldn't mention that the sorcerer's ears were red. Instead, he decided to spare him, and steered the conversation to something less awkward and perhaps more important, "Can Dethl really be defeated?"

"Dethl doesn't frighten me," Vaati shrugged. He finally looked at Sheik again, grateful that they were discussing something other than feelings and things that were too emotional for his liking. "They're not powerful at all."

"I knew you were arrogant before but…" Sheik trailed off, skeptical of the mage.

At this, Vaati grinned in a way that was reminiscent to Fuu's snarky little smiles. At the same time, he walked over with a bit of swagger that was more like the Sorcerer of Winds. "You think I broke the mirror because I was, what, scared of Dethl?" He threw his head back and laughed. It was a devious laugh, but one that was without the harsh edges of the old Sorcerer of Winds. It was comfortingly familiar, and Vaati's confidence was a welcome glimmer of hope in what Sheik had thought to be a hopeless situation.

How empowering it was for them to be on the same side again.

Vaati huffed, an amused grin partially hidden by the cloth over his face. "I broke the mirror because Dethl and Shadow Link were annoying. A fully completed Dark Mirror can spawn hundreds of them at a time, and if you can just imagine the headache that could cause…"

As welcome as Vaati's confidence was, Sheik had trouble shaking the reality of what he'd seen at the Palace of Winds. He'd seen the full power of Dethl, Shadow Link shaking in fear as another copy of him was tossed aside, disfigured beyond recognition. He'd seen Dethl create copies of themselves just as Vaati described, and remembered Shadow Link's last moments as he pushed him into the warp rift.

Sheik's fingers curled into a fist, and then he pushed himself up onto his feet. His eyes searched Vaati's self-assured expression carefully. He wanted to believe in the confidence, but he also remembered how mistaken Vaati had been about his own abilities when Sheik himself had beat him during training. "I've seen what that Mirror can do, Vaati. It's dangerous. How can we possibly defeat hundreds of Dethl?"

Vaati's response was as flippant as Sheik had expected it to be. "Easy," Vaati waved a hand lazily. "Just remember to dodge and don't touch Dethl. You're pretty decent at dodging, so you'll do fine."

"I'm still not entirely convinced… I've seen what they could do."

"I doubt it."

Vaati's words cut through the air like a knife, and it reminded Sheik just how dangerous the sorcerer could be to those he called enemies. It was another difference between this new Vaati and Fuu: Fuu was insecure about himself and his abilities, but Vaati was grounded in knowing what he was capable of. Vaati spoke with knowledge of experience, something that Fuu didn't have. The sorcerer's voice made Sheik freeze, and the Sheikah raised his head, cautiously eager to find out if Vaati could convince him that Dethl could be beaten.

"Tell me," Vaati asked quietly, a sneer playing on his lips, "have you actually tried to fight them yourself yet?"

"No, but Shadow Link-" Sheik answered, but was cut off abruptly by the sorcerer who held up a single, thin finger.

"Shadow's always been afraid of Dethl. That's how the Nightmare beats you. They inspire fear so that you can no longer fight. Really fight," Vaati dismissed him. "Tell me, what happens when you face your fears?"

Sheik's stiff expression softened when he realized what Vaati was saying. You beat them, he thought to himself, and the answer seemed so simple that for a moment he was afraid that there was still something they weren't accounting for. Vaati's confidence was dangerously infectious; he had a way of saying things with the just the right tone, just the right inflection, to naturally convince his audience to listen to him. It was so infectious that Vaati could have said something completely insane and Sheik would have been led to believe that it was true. While this had been one of Vaati's more fearsome characteristics when they'd been enemies, it was strangely invigorating now that they were on the same side.

Vaati shrugged with a smile. "You see? There's your answer on how to defeat Dethl."

"And you, you aren't afraid?" Sheik asked, still cautious about being optimistic so soon. As characteristic of most dreams, he couldn't remember the details of the nightmare he'd been trapped in as Zelda. However, he had a vague recollection that he'd been paralyzed in fear, and it had only been with the help of Shadow Link that he'd managed to escape. Sheik didn't scare easily, and yet Dethl had managed to give him pause with little trouble.

"You don't know fear when you know anger," the sorcerer's expression darkened with menace. However, it only lasted momentarily and he seemed somewhat surprised by it. The anger was diminished. He wasn't the same. He walked over to the pile of boxes and crates pushed near the edge of the tent, and he picked up the wooden totem that had been the key to returning his memories. He ran a finger along the carving of an eye with a tear, the symbol that had bound his identity with that of the Sheikah. Vaati bit his cheek again, his face resting in that same, confused expression that he'd worn a few minutes ago. "Although, it's not the same anymore. I'm not…" he trailed off, and his grip on the totem tightened. Then, he turned abruptly towards Sheik. "But that's why you're coming with me."

Sheik nodded. He'd intended to go back to the Palace of Winds all along. However, they still didn't have a clear plan other than Vaati's blind insistence that defeating Dethl wasn't a problem at all, and he couldn't help but be uneasy.

A hand rested on his shoulder. He flinched from the touch at first, as it had been unexpected. Then, his gaze was met with that fearless assurance that could convince even the most temperamental armies to follow, and he became composed once again. It was a look that guaranteed that nothing, nothing, could stop them.

"Don't worry," Vaati said quietly, "I'll handle Dethl and Shadow Link. It's not like this is the first time."

"Wait!" Sheik suddenly exclaimed, pulling away from Vaati's hand. "About Shadow… I don't want you to hurt him."

The sorcerer raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I wouldn't have escaped without his help. He's still fighting up there. He's…" Sheik turned away. I left him. He took a deep breath. "I want to save him."

At this, Vaati's brows raised even higher in surprise. "After everything he's done you still-" he began, and then he trailed off. His shoulders shook a little as he chuckled. "Heh. Of course you'd want to save him."

"Plea-"

Vaati shushed him. His fingers flicked towards his daggers with lightning speed, and there was a loud clang as metal hit metal. Vaati's smile widened when he saw that Sheik had brought his own dagger up to block his attack with his superior reflexes. Sheik narrowed his eyes a little, watching him questioningly. Though the two had daggers pointed at each other's throats, there was no antagonism between them - this was nothing more than dialogue. "He's my responsibility," Vaati said eventually, repeating what he'd said once before when the two had armed blades against each other.

Vaati flipped his dagger, twisting Sheik's out of his grip causing it to fly into the air. He caught it as it fell, and then twirled it in his palms before offering it back to Sheik. "If anyone hurts him, they answer to me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Night had fallen when they left for the Palace of Winds. It worked in their favor, as the night would shield them from anyone who might catch a glimpse of them in the sky.

The two of them had made their way about a mile out from the Gerudo camps in order to avoid causing a commotion amongst the Gerudos when they took to the skies. Sheik should have been nervous, considering he was alone with an infamous wind mage and they were going to confront Nightmare Incarnate, but he was strangely calm.

A lot of things had gone unspoken in their brief conversation back at the Gerudo camp, but there had been no need for words. Both had, at first, struggled a little on what their relationship was now. Were they enemies? Friends? Vaati had struggled with this more so than Sheik, from the way the sorcerer had actively tried to avoid any conversation relating to this matter.

However, the conflict had been brief, especially after Vaati's small yet significant admission that, despite all of his pompous declarations that the Nightmare was simple to defeat, he couldn't face Dethl alone. Sheik could sympathize; after all, he'd learned that the two of them might not have been so different from each other after all. Both stood at the summit of their respective dominions, a lonely place only people like them could ever understand. It was an often friendless place, where they were regularly expected to shoulder problems alone because no one else could handle the burden.

Somehow, however, they'd found in each other something that had been so rare from their respective thrones; someone that could shoulder their burdens. This realization didn't need to be spoken aloud. It was simply understood.

Vaati cracked his knuckles, warming up his fingers before summoning the winds that would take them to the floating palace. The soft glow from the full moon revealed a somewhat awkward frown on the sorcerer's face before he finally grumbled, rolled his eyes, and stuck out a stiff arm for Sheik to take. The sorcerer's frown deepened when Sheik smiled and held out a fist instead, and then it was replaced by a small smirk of his own when he recognized what it was. He glanced down at his own hand for a few seconds, curling his fingers experimentally. He hesitated briefly, and then lightly bumped his fist with Sheik's before they took each other's hands. The wind picked up into a roar, and Sheik felt himself lifted into the sky, and within seconds the Gerudo camp was but a small dot of pale orange glow in the abyssal desert night.

There was something about flying that melted away all troubles and fears. Maybe it had something to do with the vastness of the sky and the shrinking landscape below that made it seem like nothing else mattered except the wind on one's face. Sheik would have liked to admire the stars that flickered in and out of view from the clouds they passed, but his eye caught sight of their destination. The Palace of Winds was a dark silhouette against the clouds that swirled around it, inspiring a haunting dread.

Dethl was there, and Shadow Link…

Sheik hoped he wasn't too late.

The Palace was eerily empty when they arrived on one of its many terraces. It was deathly quiet save for the occasional forlorn wail of the wind rushing through the palaces halls. As empty as it was, there were still signs that a fight had passed through here, as the once white floors and walls were smeared with blood. In some spots it looked like something had been dragged along the surface, bloody brushstrokes painted by a broken body.

Sheik brought a hand up to his face, trying to force down the sick feeling in his stomach, while Vaati's eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare. The sorcerer followed the bloodstains down towards an arched skyway that led deeper into the palace, his expression becoming more enraged the farther he walked. Wary, Sheik made his way after the sorcerer slowly, being careful to check the shadowed corners and turns for any sign of Dethl or Shadow Link. Although the moon reflected the white stone with a ghostly soft glow, the night was heavy, and there were plenty of places where his eyes couldn't see past the darkness. Eventually, the Sheikah stopped when he sensed that they were being watched.

Sheik crouched low, his hands darting towards the daggers strapped against his thighs. His gazed locked towards a nook in the walls nearby. Without warning, Sheik vanished from where he'd been and teleported into the dark corner he'd been eyeing moments before, and he thrust his dagger hand forward to strike the one who'd been watching them.

His hands froze. There was a person in front of him, and though they'd lost that playfully wicked glint, Sheik recognized those blue eyes. "Shadow?" he whispered, letting his hands fall against his sides.

The other boy blinked, the hands that he'd brought up to defend himself with tremored unsteadily. Aside from a small cut that notched his right ear, Shadow Link appeared physically fine, but his gaze was erratic and he looked about ready to bolt.

"Shadow, it's me," Sheik reached out to him, but stopped when Shadow Link shrunk away nervously. Sheik frowned, concerned. There was something very wrong with this Shadow Link; he didn't talk as much, in fact he hadn't said a single word yet, and he looked like he was using every bit of effort not to fall into pieces. While he was physically fine, Shadow had been destroyed mentally. "Nayru, I'm so sorry Shadow," Sheik murmured, lowering his hand helplessly.

"Sheik…?"

Sheik whirled around at the hesitant voice that addressed him. Behind him, there was another person who tottered towards him in a daze. Though he recognized that familiar pointed hat with its ends curled mischievously, he had trouble recognizing the beaten individual underneath. This Shadow, too, appeared battered, though not as broken as the first.

Shadow walked into view, and his voice was hoarse in disbelief. "Sheik!" he exclaimed. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was so overcome with emotion that he had to stop and steady himself against the wall. When he finally spoke again, his voice cracked and he rubbed his eyes, the remnants of his pride trying to hide the tears. "You… you came back for me…" he choked.

"I promised, didn't I?" Sheik smiled, and he let Shadow fall into his outstretched arms. He could feel Shadow shaking as he clung to him, as though afraid that this, too, was another trick by the Nightmare to give him false hope.

There was a sharp movement, and Sheik and the second Shadow looked up to see that the notched-ear one had suddenly backed away from someone approaching them. Vaati had returned to see what Sheik was up to, and he'd warped a couple of feet away from where they were gathered. The second Shadow let go of Sheik abruptly, and then alternated his gaze between the sorcerer and the Sheikah in surprise. "You got him to help?" he finally asked incredulously.

Before Sheik could say anything to explain, Vaati strode over and grabbed Shadow roughly by the collar, bringing him towards his face threateningly. Sheik began to protest but Vaati shot him down with a chilling glare that gave the sorcerer just enough time to address Shadow Link. "Didn't I tell you to not disappoint me, Shadow?" Vaati said with an undertone of a threat.

Shadow Link paled under his grip, remembering Fuu's orders on that day when the amnesiac sorcerer had defended him from Sheik. However, there was something in Vaati's tone that suggested that the person who held him by his neck was not the same person as the one he'd jokingly called 'the cooler Master Vaati.' Panic set in when Shadow Link realized that he'd seen that ruthless cold glint in Vaati's eyes before. "Master Vaati," he murmured in fascinated horror.

Shadow closed his eyes, waiting for some kind of punishment. Would it be a beating? Lashing? Starvation? Choking? He held on to the small comfort that whatever his master could do, he'd already endured it and ten times worse with Dethl.

As long as he waited, however, the punishment never came. He dared to open his eyes just a sliver to see what Vaati was waiting for, and then opened them wider when he saw to his shock that Vaati was on the verge of cracking up. Shadow dropped on to the ground, stunned, when Vaati released his hold while chuckling.

"Good work getting Sheik out of here."

Shadow stared at Vaati blankly, and then turned to Sheik who only smiled and shrugged. He wasn't going to be punished? Wasn't this… wasn't this Master Vaati? He'd recognized that chilling gaze that had been missing when his old master had been Fuu, and had been convinced that this time, his master had truly returned.

"Get up," Vaati nodded his head towards the structures past the walkway. "We've wasted enough time. I have a bone to pick with Dethl."

That… that was definitely Master Vaati. At the same time, though, he was different. He couldn't quite pinpoint what it was that was different, but whatever it was, it was… nice. Shadow stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Y-you scared me," he grumbled, and then added with a small smile, "though I guess I deserved it." There was a visible release of nerves as Shadow straightened up, his chin held a little higher and his eyes glinting a little brighter. Master Vaati could end this. They could win. His old cheeky grin returned, and he walked over towards the notched-ear Shadow Link who'd been watching the entire exchange a few feet away, his back pressed timidly against the wall as though to hide.

"C'mere, we'll get through this together," he said, and gently led his other copy towards the group. Sheik tilted his head as though wondering what had happened to make this Shadow so skittish. "He's been through a lot. I mean, I guess we all have, but he's been through more than most," Shadow Link explained when he noticed Sheik's questioning look. Shadow bit his lip, hanging his head. "The two of us were hiding here before you guys showed up. To be honest, I think… I think we might be the only ones left."

"Shadow, I-" Sheik began, but he stopped when the notched-ear Shadow shuffled over, and grasped his hands tightly with both hands.

The dark haired youth's gaze was angled downwards, and he sounded scared by the sound of his own voice, but through great effort he managed to mutter, "Don't."

Even though the notched-ear Shadow didn't say anything more, Sheik understood what it was that he wanted to say. Don't apologize. Sheik's expression softened, and he slowly turned his head back towards Vaati who was waiting impatiently for them to get going. Sheik reached over and, grabbing Vaati's wrist, dragged him over towards them.

"Hey, what-" Vaati protested, but then quieted when his hand was placed over Shadow's. The remaining Shadow Link hopped over and enthusiastically placed his hands over the pile as well.

The notch-eared Shadow finally raised his head, his eyes meeting the others' for the first time. Sheik nodded slowly.

"This time, we'll all leave this place together."

fleets: (cackles) I cannot explain how much amusement it brought me when I heard that you guys thought Vaati broke the mirror because Dethl was too nuts for him!

MY BROT3(4?) IS BACK.

I'd like to take a moment and mention that there's a shippy version of chapter 22/23 that was posted by 'ofshadowsandsands' on tumblr (i've also reposted on my own page 'thewishingcap' with the tag 'art for fleets' if you want to find it). I, for reasons only I am allowed to know right now, am trying very, very hard to slam the brakes down on a particular ship (it's kind of slipping at certain points though cough-theflightscenegotprettyclose-coughcough). What ship? VaaSheik. Why? Because I am utter garbage for this ship and I have big plans for it, which cannot involve this ship to sail too fast. Did I want the last chapter to become shippy? HELL YES. But I couldn't. Because secret (kind of) reasons.

Good thing I have friends who can do what I can't, ey? :D Long story short, check out their version especially if you're in the same shipping trash basket that we're in.

Pheew. Ionno why, but this chapter was mentally draining. Thank you everyone for your support, it means a lot! We're going to be done with this story in 2 more chapters :)

fanakatsuki: I'm glad you liked it! It was one of the big scenes that I'd been waiting to write for a while now, and I was super nervous to get it right :)

Kira Akuma: Ahhh thank you so much! Oof, I hope I didn't push my Dethl horror interpretation too far?

Ai Star: I'm a sucker for forgiveness arcs. I think Vaati's open to that idea now :)

SubZeroChimera: Very astute of you, I think you caught on to where I was going with that in this chapter ;)

Cattycheeno: Glad to be of service! I'd say a bit of both: he has a lot of years behind him, and when you have that many things to remember (not all of them pleasant, and most of them during times when you were just a little bit loony from being stuck for thousands of years in an empty void) I imagine it'd be difficult to remember things clearly except for the general gist of the memories.
Good question! A few really awesome readers brought me up to speed about gender fluid individuals, and that's currently how I'm characterizing Zelda/Sheik :) They're the same person, but Sheik represents a male persona that 'Zelda' prefers in certain days/situations/etc. and the Sheik character prefers entirely male pronouns. The same can be said of the 'Zelda' persona, except she prefers female pronouns. It's not that they have a 'split personality,' no, because that's not quite it (whispers) I'm pretty sure I'm butchering this explanation but some others who are more familiar with gender fluidity can explain this better than i can...

Reily96: (tries to squish faces together with you) IT'S NOT WORKING? Plot devices too strong. But I'm right there with ya I can't tell you how much I just want to see their faces smushed together ya feel?
Erm... I'm pretty sure I remember Poe cackling as he (urf) pulls someone's insides to the, um, outside... while they're still... alive. that's not evil? D:
OH U STAHP i'm getting all embarrassed! But oy you've seen me at my worst (yeuch those first stories i posted oy) and you're still around, you inspired me to write and post stuff and to top it all off you were my first reviewer (coincidentally!)! I can't thank you enough?! FANFIC WOULDN'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT YOU (BAWLS)

Serpent Tailed Angel: Thank youuuu for pointing those out! I wouldn't have noticed unless you said anything, and one of those really affects the believability of upcoming scenarios so really. Truly. Thank you!

Lord Siravant: I guess it's more accurate to say that the Majora's Mask version of Twinrova influenced me more in this story (this story doesn't really follow any logical time line. It truly is an AU). I admit I initially did have plans for Twinrova to be double crossing evil witches who wanted to use the Dark Mirror to resurrect Ganon, but I discarded that idea when the plot started sounding extremely unoriginal... (rehash of FSA anyone?). Dethl doesn't get enough credit as is, so I wanted them to be the big bad this time without having their limelight stolen :)

Vesperupus: (frantic hand flailing) Thank you so much for your continued support I wish I had more words to describe my gratitude because you've been with me for so long and you gave me so much wonderful encouragement ;w;

AquilaMage: Ahhhhh thank you so much that means a lot to me ;u; Vaati has been such a special character for me because I've, well, I've written about his character in so many different situations for so many years... I don't really know what I'm trying to say here except that your review was really touching and I'm so so so happy you enjoy how I characterize him!

dicaxasinus: (waves) hi there, and welcome to the story! It's always a pleasant surprise to hear from new readers :D
I'm so so happy to hear that you enjoy my characterizations! Shadow was/is a fun one, and he's evolved quite a bit from where I started out with him (he was inspired by FSA manga Shadow, though he's not the same in that he hasn't experienced the manga story line... if that makes sense). Feeling a bit guilty now on what I made him go through, whoopsidoodles. Also I'm happy you like Vaati's development so far! He's given me trouble on a few occasions (like this chapter) but I can't wait to show everyone where I'm going to take this.