Aaaaaand I was silly enough to replace this chapter but forget to save my AN. Sorry!

There was nothing she could do- the light was blinding, pressing down all around her, she could not look away. It pushed its way between her eyes, danced up her arms, leaving a peculiar tickling sensation that started to burn if she thought about it for too long. Zelda almost felt like shouting, but the faint metallic taste on her tongue made her want to gag.

A shape began to form in the distance- Zelda squinted and watched a dark figure rise up amidst the brightest area like a stain, their palms spread outwards so the light streamed between their fingers. They seemed to be growing taller the more she stared, their arms outstretched towards her, there way no way she could run now...

No...no, it's just a nightmare. Stop being so silly. Zelda sat up slowly, wincing from the headache that accompanied and rubbing her eyes, but her fingers recoiled instantly at the dried blood stuck to one side of her face. Wait...what? How did that get there? The headache was nothing to exactly worry about -she was used to them after her lessons with the court mages, and they didn't go easy on her now. But that didn't explain where all the blood had come from, or why she was even in her bedroom- she'd never passed out before in a lesson.

Frowning, she peered around at her blurry surroundings. The room was much more... airier than Zelda remembered, and she didn't seem able to focus on anything for too long unless she tried very hard, like a slight mist was obscuring her sight. She blinked, not quite getting the searing light from the dream out of her mind.

Everything looks familiar and yet….not quite.

There was a bitter taste in her mouth as she squinted at the shelves next to the bed- no, she definitely recognized those books. She did the same with her wardrobe- again, all the dresses were her own, the boots piled haphazardly looking welcomingly worn. Feeling increasingly ill, she pulled back the curtains of the largest window in her room, certain that the view of Castle Town in the evening would ease her mind.

But there was no town.

Only the evening sky, stretching as far as her eyes could see.

Zelda's stomach dropped, her hands shaking slightly as she let go. She didn't need to lean out anymore to check that she was actually in the sky- even the thought of looking down at endless clouds was making her dizzy.

"Feeling at home?"

She jumped at the snide voice, hearing a low laugh come from the speaker. Frowning, Zelda turned slowly, suddenly wary of showing any more surprise to whoever was there.

She was faced with a pallid young man not quite taller than she was, leaning across the door frame with his arms crossed tightly. Although his face was a little unclear in her sight, she could sense him staring straight at her intensely, and she didn't like it at all.

"Remember me?" he said, spreading his hands in what seemed to be a gesture of welcome. He smirked at her blank expression. "Maybe not, then. You were out cold the first time I saw you."

He gestured around the room with a flourish of his absurdly large sleeves. "You're in the Palace of Winds. A nice change, huh? Courtesy of me, of course."

"What on earth are you talking about?" The Palace of Winds? He definitely isn't of the Wind Tribe with that hair... Zelda had found her voice, and it came out much sharper than she had intended.

"Quick to question, aren't we?"

"Tell me who you are, boy."

"Of course, you must be wondering who possibly could have bothered to go to so much trouble for you." His smirk only grew wider the more he spoke. "My name is Vaati."

Vaati...the name was only vaguely familiar to through books she perused as a child. Although her knowledge of him was by no means great, she remembered whispers of the deeds he'd done, of his powerful magic which had wreaked havoc upon Hyrule...

But there was no way he could still be alive. Not after hundreds of years of being locked in a sword.

She wasn't going to take any of this creep's rubbish- some petty criminal taking the name of a legendary villain? Like that hadn't been done before. He'd probably only brought her up to the palace to make himself more believable, but she didn't understand how he'd have gotten past any of the Wind Tribe's guards. Not that such tricks would work on her, of course.

"I don't believe a word you are saying. " Zelda made an emphasis on her words sounding cold and sharp, compared to this idiot's laid back banner. He had barely moved from the door, but she was sure she could overpower him with magic long enough to get out the room and warp away. She could even get away if he was telling the truth, probably. "This place is only for the Wind Tribe now. Tell me who you are."

Vaati raised an eyebrow, staring at her appraisingly.

"I expected something different from Hyrule's Princess, frankly." He sighed, and Zelda sensed he was disappointed in her skepticism. "Trying to throw something some magic at me, for a start. But fine. I'll prove it to you, if you insist."

Without warning, a whirlwind lifted her up into the air, shaking her from side to side. She struggled to break free, and found herself flipped near upside down for her efforts. The magic was too sudden for her to defend herself, but even as Zelda was let down, wobbling slightly but unhurt, it was obvious he wasn't going to attack a third time. In fact, Vaati was smiling pleasantly, as if he hadn't done a thing.

"I don't believe little girls should question who I am." His voice was idle and carried no obvious trace of a threat, but it was distinctly cooler nonetheless. He gestured at the bed. "Go back to sleep. Someone will call for you later."

As he left, Vaati placed both hands on her door, creating a barrier of wind around her room, streams of yellow light weaving their way between and forming into a chain. The spell blocked the windows too, making the entire place stifling, but her vision suddenly sharpened with painful speed and she could see his smug expression too clearly for her liking.

"And don't even think about trying to leave this room, you're not going to get far. I'm not warning you a second time."

Zelda waited carefully until he had left then sat back on the bed, not wanting to sleep again in the slightest.

Hours later, she still had no idea why she was here, or what purpose she was to play, if there was even any at all. No one- or nothing- had called for her, and now she was fidgeting awkwardly in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection in disbelief. As well as the nasty looking scratch on her cheek, her dress had been ripped violently along the hem, and if she looked closely there seemed to be scorch marks. What on earth happened today?

She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. It could wait until she was back in the castle- in all the time she'd been left alone, watching the sky slowly darken, she had been slowly planning what she hoped would be her only escape.

It wasn't a very careful plan, given that she knew little to nothing about the Palace, but she wasn't eager to linger here much longer.

The first thing she'd tried against the barrier was her Light Magic, but if anything, that had seemed to make it stronger, much to her confusion. Even her most powerful spells faded as soon as they made contact with the door as if absorbed, and she'd been thrown back so viciously the first few times at even the slightest touch, her head spinning even worse. Vaati probably didn't care about her tests (it was to be expected) but she was certain he'd know if she managed to break it, or use any serious magic from that point onwards. It all came down to her being quick and clever enough in finding a way outside without attracting too much attention to herself.

Zelda eyed the near-invisible forcefield sternly. In any other situation, performing a spell this powerful without the light magic as a background source of power would be absolutely unheard of, but now she only had one chance... closing her eyes, she clasped her hands and murmured the incantation, feeling a warm breeze pass gently over her. When she heard a faint click, she knew something had worked.

Still, she reached out somewhat apprehensively, eyes still closed- her fingers brushed the door. She wasn't flung back like countless times before. She touched it again- nothing.

Slightly stunned at how quickly e a spell had gotten past the barrier, Zelda peered down the gloomy hall, silently praying that this meant she'd be left alone. Careful not to make a sound, she slid across the hall, hitching up her dress a little so she could run. She had no idea how long it would be until Vaati picked up on the broken forcefield, so she was counting on finding a way to the open air before that happened. A window alone would not do.

Zelda.

She froze, ready to run at the slightest hint of movement. Had that just been her imagination, playing on her fears of being caught?. But no, there it was again. Her name whispered in the wind. She quickened her pace, checking her direction with a hastily muttered spell. There! Ahead was already a point that would be easily to warp from.

I can see where you are.

I have to get out! Moonlight flickered distantly in front of her as she sped towards it, eager for the safety it would bring her. Once she was out, she was good as gone from this foul palace and the crazy sorcerer who had brought her here.

"Do you possibly think you are going somewhere?"

It was him.

His voice still wasn't openly hostile, which struck her as odd. Then again, it's not the weirdest thing he's done so far. Maybe he's trying to persuade me?

"Yes, I do." She spun around, staring him right in the eye. Don't look away now.

Vaati laughed, taking a step forward. "But of course you aren't."

"And why is that?"

"Because I told you that you wouldn't get far."

"Well then, I suppose I'll have to be quick."

She dashed in the opposite direction and dodged his lunge at her, but he was hot on her heels, yet not quite close enough to reach. She got halfway down the hall before he decided to attack again, sending a squall howling towards her.

The spell was still a good way off (Zelda thanked the goddess's in silent prayer that she was a fast runner) so she had ample time to raise both hands and aim a orb of her most powerful light magic directly at Vaati's face. It broke his concentration enough for the wind to pass her by, harmlessly- but her spell had not hit him either. The orb was hovering mere inches away from his face, Vaati staring down at it with a grin. Zelda could not stop her heart from pounding; this had never happened to her before, this should not be happening now, he could not be doing this. He calmly scooped up the orb and flung it straight back at her.

"You really do know little about your own magic, don't you? Pathetic." Pale hands shot out and held her down the second Zelda struggled to get back up, and the mage sneered. "I was wrong about earlier. You are very much like her."

But Zelda was doing a good job fighting back this time, if Vaati's suddenly pained expression above her was anything to go by. She breathed inwards and then exhaled sharply out, and the very air around her seemed to stir, and now he was pushed away violently, landing with a strangely heavy thud.

"W-wind magic, huh?" he wheezed, not looking directly at her. "How... interesting."

Zelda ignored him and stared ahead, refusing to answer to his taunts this time. She had to lean on a pillar to support herself, drawing in great shaky breathes, but it didn't matter - she had done enough here to allow her to escape.

"Did you really think I would let you leave so easily?

She had not heard him stir. Another gust of air hit straight into her gut, slamming her against the pillar. She struggled to get up- the magic slammed the wind out of her again.

Vaati barely showed that he had just been flung to the floor like a doll by the struggling princess before him. He grabbed her by both hands and wrenched her up, ignoring her kicking legs.

"Stop that. Gods, this was infinitely easier with your ancestor, ritual or no ritual." The air began to throb with a piercing energy that made it hard to breathe, but all Zelda could focus on were his last words, and her vision was filled with a forceful light. My ancestor? No...

"Let go!" She kicked him, screaming like a witch, a rich golden light beginning to emanate slowly outwards from their entwined hands, glowing tendrils snaking their way up his arm from her own. No matter how hard she concentrated on using her magic, it was always just out of reach. The more vividly the light pulsed, the fainter she became, she was feeling so cold, she could not allow him to continue, but she knew that if Vaati hadn't been holding her up she would have crumpled over in agony. His eyes gleamed maniacally, uglily, the gold clashing with the red.

Despite all that, Zelda felt strangely light headed.

Time seemed to pass so slowly when swimming in and out of consciousness. A shadow seemed to pass over his Vaati's face even as his eyes glowed golden. He laughed yet again, not the low giggles from before, but something much more vile, like he was choking on his own air.

"Isn't this a nice ending for us both..." He reached out as if to brush her face but hissed- his arm's shape was beginning to bubble with the golden light, tiny specks of shadows floating in and out, until the shadows blotted out the light and formed a sooty, bat-like wing, the light streaming between the membrane. His whole body convulsed with dark energy and Zelda dropped to the floor. It only took him seconds to get it back under control, but the deathly silence during that time more than brought Zelda back to her senses.

"Why are you not dead?" She was surprised he was able to shake her so hard, or so suddenly, her body felt like it was weighted down with leads. Vaati sounded close to hysteria now. "You should be dead, your Light Force is gone, I finished what I started, you should be dead, this is why it's not working for me." Zelda's mind felt numb from shock, but even now she was disbelieving. He couldn't have taken it. Impossible.

Yet she could not feel the light flowing through her.

There was nothing left within herself, Vaati's screaming sounding more and more distant in her ears.

But there was still a chance...a small chance...she whispered the same spell she had used to break the barrier, and promptly passed out.

I'll get round to re-replying to all the reviews here later, probably in ch3. Haha.

(I hope I am not under or over explaining things here, whoops.)