Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The last thing anyone would expect from a heavy rainstorm is a Hylian gliding down from the sky, looking like a crashing bird. Kass, fully unaware of the boy, was behind some cover under one of those ring-shaped rocks found in Ridgeland and while he was busy tuning his accordion, he heard or rather felt a loud thump near his hideout. 

He fully expected and was prepared for this to be an ambush by some bokoblins, but fortunately was instead met with a lump on the ground. An unconscious Hylian face first in the mud, fully armed with random pieces of weaponry mostly used by an average minion of the Calamity. What he found interesting was the equipment next to him.

A wooden contraption with some cloth sewn on top of the item. A symbol that represented the Rito village, Kass noticed. 

“This is rather interesting,” Kass spoke to himself. He rarely met with a well-equipped traveler these days, surviving out in the wilderness takes a heavy toll on everyone who dares to venture upon these lands.

The downpour intensified and Kass was brought out of his thoughts. He quickly picked up the cloak-covered Hylian and carried him to his abode. 

Goddesses, he is so light , Kass noticed. A healthy man his size should weigh at least twice as much, it almost feels like he is carrying a corpse that has been left well alone for a long time.

He gently put the Hylian down on a pile of leaves that were made as a substitution for a bed. Kass made the nest more comfortable for the poor kid and searched for a blanket in his pouch. He was concerned for his health, a sodden Hylian does not fare well against the cold of the night.

Kass found a thin blanket and put it beside the bed. Firstly, he needs to get rid of his wet clothes. He sat down and concentrated on what’s in front of him. The cloak was simple to remove, a simple twist of a button, and the sad, wet excuse of cloth was put against the rocky wall with a sloshy splat.

 The removal of the kid’s tunic was also necessary, but before Kass tried to get it off, he took a glance at the Hylian’s face.

Kass was almost awestruck; the Hylian wasn’t even of age to drink, let alone travel the world with such a ghastly body. 

Even though it was dark outside, he could clearly see the boy’s face. Tired, muddy, almost no sunlight absorbed, he almost looked like a relic from a time before Kass was even born. His hair was all wet and single strands struck out everywhere. But the most interesting part was not his face, but rather the object Kass felt pressed against thigh.

A closer look made him realize that it wasn’t just a piece of a shield he imagined it would be, but rather an object with a symbol of an eye engraved on it, gazing through Kass’ own eyes. That item definitely belonged to the Sheikah tribe, that much was sure. Kass did have a mentor who taught him everything from music to the history of Hyrule and of the Sheikah clan. 

This isn’t something everyone can get their hands on, Kass dwelled on this discovery. Something gnawed on his mind, that slate of curious nature, it felt vaguely familiar...

The Hylian shifted, clearly cold and in need of immediate warmth. Kass fell out of his stupor and quickly removed the kid’s tunic. The winds were blowing inside the little crevice of their hole, making Kass even more nervous than he already was. He was not about to let this kid perish because of some measly wind and rain, not when he could do something about it.

He finally covered the kid in his blanket and tried to make the nest more insulated. In the end, the kid ended up looking like an oversized egg roll, finished with the topping of a hairstyle of the damned.

Kass let out a long sigh and finally dared to stand up, stretching his limbs. He had a lot of questions running through his mind and not enough answers not to make him worried for the kid. Who was he? How did he even get here? Why did he come here? Where are his parents?

He needed some answers tomorrow morning.

But before he forgot, he went out into the storm -- seriously, how has it gotten even worse -- and picked up the now fully drenched contraption. Kass put it into a corner to dry, along with the Hylian’s clothes, and finally sat down to take a breather.

He wanted to travel the world to get new experiences and muster enough wisdom to finally complete the verses his mentor gave to him. Sure, he fully expected that someday he would be needed to tend to someone, but now? In the middle of the night, in the middle of the most massive cyclone Hyrule has seen since the day the world was fully covered in water. Definitely can’t predict this conundrum.

As Kass looked at the Hylian, who now looked a tad bit more at peace, he could find a strange piece of calm rush through his mind. He had possibly saved the life of a kid and Kass never was one for debts either, so this is a deed done purely out of his kindliness. Probably. Or maybe it was his instincts.

I guess I can never really stop being a parent, even when abroad, Kass thought idly. And as he thought back to his own family, the Hylian, seemingly sensing that Kass could give him fatherly attention, started shivering.

Kass let out another sigh, this time with a small smirk. This crevice was too small to make a fire, so his only option was to lay down a wing on the shaking breakfast dish. Pretty much instantly, the Hylian calmed down and the atmosphere went back to being a calm one.

“It’s been about fifteen minutes since I met you and already you constantly need my attention,” Kass quietly joked, running his winged arm up and down the now blissful Hylian. 

“You and I are going to have a serious talk once you wake up, you know.”

He needed answers. About that slate, that… glider? About the kid’s parents and his horrendous choice of traveling during a cataclysmic event.

At least the air was calming and so was the constant rubbing of the kid, it reminded him of home. He missed home. Taking care of the Hylian greatly lessened his homesickness

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The rain finally subsided and a few shining rays of the sun lit Ridgeland in a warm glow. The plentiful dew on the ground enhancing the already bright morning to a whole new level. 

Link hated it. Actually, he hated everything at the moment. All of his muscles ached, his head hurt, he was starving-- but at least he was warm.

Wait, didn’t he almost pass out from exhaustion during the storm?

Link forced his eyes open, his first mistake, and tried to look at his surroundings. He couldn’t make much progress, because he was trapped in a… blanket? He removed the blanket and tried to sit up, his second mistake, as his muscles refused to cooperate.

Okay, assess the situation, Link tried not to panic. I was walking through a storm, trying to find shelter, found a potential crevice to keep myself away from the brunt of the rain. That’s the synopsis. How did he get here though, did he really collapse before he got there? Is there someone else with him; who took care of him? 

Link finally stood up after an excruciating amount of pain he had to endure to move a singular muscle. He was sore all over, but his head finally started to clear up to form more coherent thoughts. 

Link only now noticed that he only wore his underclothes, which in hindsight does make sense if he was out in the rain for so long, but still, he felt like he woke up at home as a little kid-- he felt safe? He took a quick glance at his surroundings. He was in the crevice; the same one he laid his eyes in before, it seemed to be dry and unaffected by that raging downpour. All of his equipment was nearby, either drying out or standing by the rocks, waiting for him to return to them. His paraglider stood on top of a small cornerstone, fully opened up, the proud symbol reflecting the sunlight, making it seem almost hallow.

He needed to find this person and give him a big handshake, also a warm meal; he was more hungry than ever before.

He limped over to his traveling gear and dressed up as fast as he could in his state. As he put his almost broken bow over his shoulder, he heard a sweet noise. The melody of an instrument. Could this be his savior?

Link quietly walked to the sound of an… accordion, concertina? He didn’t really care, but the powerful notes were definitely enticing and made him feel excited. When he finally climbed on top of the damp grass, he inspected the rocky surrounding of the area and finally found the culprit of these amazing tones.

Link’s breath was blown away. Their back was turned to him, but he could tell they were no Hylian. It was a big person with teal-colored feathers, a leather vest, some music sheets on their belt, and a big concertina? Probably. And to top it off, two large feathers on the crown of their head. Simply put, they were eye-catching.

Sensing someone’s presence, the music stopped and the musician turned to face Link. Their, no, his, amber eyes met with Link’s blue ones. 

“Ah, I see you’re awake. I hope I wasn’t the cause for your abrupt awakening,” said the man with a smooth voice.

Link shook his head vigorously, mistake number three, almost losing balance and falling over.

‘Are you a... bird?’ signed Link after he recovered. He had no idea if he actually understood sign language, but he’d rather not get his trusty pen & paper to try to communicate.

“Have you never met a Rito before? Odd, ” responded Kass, surprised to see someone use sign language, not that he hasn’t seen it, but not in this dialect. It was different, more archaic like.

“ My name is Kass. As a bard, I spend my days traveling this land in search of ancient songs.”

Link was studying the features of this Rito named Kass. He was strong-looking, held himself with confidence, but still managed to seem friendly and warm towards Link.

“What might your name be, kind traveler?” asked Kass, observing the Hylian with curious eyes. 

‘My name is Link, it’s nice to meet you. Were you the one that dragged me to that crevice?’ asked Link with childlike wonder, eyes full of awe at the sight of such a magnificent, posh Rito. The way he talked was soothing and the air he brought with him was rather relaxing.

“That would indeed be true, Link,” Kass smirked. Link, the slate, his sign language, it was all so familiar, but he couldn’t just voice his thoughts to this kid, now could he?  Hey, you remind me of that legendary Champion of the Hylians that fell in battle against Ganon over 100 years ago? Are you by any chance related to him?

No, there’s no solid evidence… yet, but he had a feeling this boy will somehow surprise him rather soon with something unheard of for the last century.

‘Thank you so much,’ Link beamed at the Rito, ‘I want to repay you, but I don’t have much rupees on me.’

“No need for any of that, I’m glad to be--”

‘Good, I’ll make us some food then,’ Link signed quickly and started to unpack a bundle of wood-- from his pouch.

Kass was surprised but didn’t say anything in response, only nodding as Link brought out his ingredients. Didn’t have to wait long for surprises, it would seem.

He was silent the time Link worked on their breakfast, choosing to inspect the Hylian’s actions. The fact that the kid had a near-infinite supply of food up in his pouch didn’t do much to debunk his rather crazed theory. Nor his way of starting a fire, which was to shoot it with a fire arrow from 2 feet away. Who would ever waste an arrow just to start a fire?

But as the sun shone and the grass slowly dried, and Link’s cooking aroma surrounded his senses-- broth by the smell of it-- Kass once again slipped away into his erratic thoughts.

The evidence is almost irrefutable, but he always thought the Hylian Champion was a little less emotional. As much as he has heard, Link in his time was dubbed The Silent Knight, never showing much emotion and always seemed to act indifferent or even cold towards other people. This Link, however, seems to be the polar opposite.

The Hylian’s face was one of pure joy, it seems that cooking might be something most enjoyable for him. And no wonder he is so ecstatic; Link’s food looks surprisingly well cooked for something on an open fire. 

“Have you heard of the ancient songs of Hyrule?” Asked Kass to pass the time with the ulterior motive to get information about that joyous Hylian.

‘Ancient songs?’ Signed Link with one hand, the other was spinning around skewered bass on the fire.

“Ancient songs- songs that sing the praises of a hero who beat back the Calamity in an age past,” Kass informed Link, his voice now reminiscent of a true bard, loud but charismatic.

“I know a song about this place. Would you like to hear the ancient verse passed down in this region?”

Link nodded vigorously, his eyes full of endless curiosity and his attention fully enraptured by Kass.

Kass took out his accordion and started to sing about the shrine local to this area. His body was swaying along with the music and Link soon joined along. As he sang verse by verse, Link closed his eyes and started thinking about the meaning of this melody. 

It was clear Link’s wheels were turning, his brows were furrowed and his fingers started fiddling around with his tunic. Once Kass played out his final tunes, Link didn’t stop swaying around, but rather continued his movements, as to focus and not break his rhythm.

Kass kept his eyes on Link throughout the little song. The light reflected off the kid’s messed up hair and made him look young and bright. Not that he wasn’t young, Kass knew the Champion was a youngling, but he never really thought about it further than that. The fate of Hyrule rests upon his shoulders, heavy and full of unneeded death and sacrifices.

How terrible for a kid to never live out his childhood, but to constantly train and try to carry the burden of defeating the Calamity. Kass felt bad for him. Now that he was here again, he has to witness the scarcity of living people in Hyrule, a reminder of his-

Link snapped his fingers and stood quickly stood up. Kass was confused for a moment, but then he remembered. This song may have contained clues of trial for the Hero to complete.

The fish was completely forgotten by the fire and it was almost about to burst into flames. Link seemed to have also neglected his cooking, so Kass picked up the charred fish from their spots and put them aside.

Kass started to play a tune while Link hectically jogged around the curiously shaped rocks. He occasionally glanced to see Link’s progress and saw him almost trip on a small pebble. Kass smirked and closed his eyes. Dear Hylia, don’t let him die just after I saved him, I really wouldn’t want to write a comedic poem about his untimely death.

Some time went by, the sun rose higher, the winds blew harder, carrying his melody for all to hear. Birds and other critters ran about, possibly trying to avoid the feral looking Hylian.

Until suddenly, a single arrow was let loose. The whistle of the arrow pierced the air as it flew through the holes of two rings. Kass opened his eyes and was met with a beaming Hylian, a broken bow, and a rumble emitting from the ground. 

He couldn’t believe what he saw. A shrine was bursting through the grass, breaking the rocks and flowers nearby. It stood there, ancient and majestic design, reminiscent of the old age.

Link ran to the shrine and put his slate on the terminal in front of it. The whole thing turned to a deep blue as the entrance opened up. Link turned to face Kass, who stood a few feet away from the shrine and put on a more serious face.

‘I have to go inside the shrine now, I must face whatever trial the monks created for me,’ Link signed, his face now neutral, his burden caught up to him, ‘It might take a while, so you don’t need to wait for me.’

“No need to worry about me, but do try to keep yourself safe,” Kass said, his face sterner, “Try not to take too many unnecessary risks.”

‘I can’t promise anything, but I will do my best,’ Link replied with a small smile and finally entered the shrine.

Kass knew the trials might prove challenging and dangerous, but he couldn’t stop the little seed in the back of his mind from taking root, making him worry about Link’s safety.

All he could do now was to wait so he picked up his part of the burnt breakfast and started humming a tune, thus starting the waiting game.

Please don’t be too reckless

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It didn’t take long for Link to come out of the shrine and he didn’t sustain any major injuries within it neither. Thank the Goddesses for that. Although he seems to rub his knees every few seconds or so.

Link noticed Kass and was surprised. He didn’t expect Kass to stay, no one really cared for his wellbeing as much as they cared for theirs. Understandably so, but it still made Link smile, because he enjoyed being in the Rito’s presence. He finally found someone who had no need of a favor and could just talk to for a while.

“You didn’t hurt yourself now, did you?” Kass pointed towards Link’s knees. 

Link was confused for a moment, but then realized what Kass meant and smiled sheepishly.

‘No, not really. I just accidentally tripped and fell into a chasm, but that’s about it,’ Link nervously fiddled with his hands and avoided Kass’ judging eyes.

Kass narrowed his eyes and Link quickly added, ‘Really, it’s no big deal, the monk in charge of that shrine already healed me to tip-top shape.’ Link made a few flashy jabs in the air, showing Kass he was not injured.

Kass sighed but was ultimately grateful he didn’t receive any serious wounds. If this was our champion then we have a long way to go before he could face the Calamity.

Link’s stomach suddenly grumbled and he had a faint blush. Kass grabbed Link’s portion of the fish by the now extinguished campfire and gave it to him. Link smiled at him and quickly snatched the fish, digging into the overcooked meat. He didn’t mind it being overdone, as soon as the fish was in his hands, it was consumed in a matter of seconds.

‘Thank you for keeping the fish warm for me, I forgot to eat it after I found the shrine,’ Link signed as he chewed on the final bits of meat from the bones. Kass continued his stream of music and gave Link a small acknowledging nod.

The only sounds that continued for a good while were the sounds of Kass’s concertina and Link’s occasional humming. Kass never had an audience for that long, especially as lively as Link’s, but he wasn’t appalled by it one bit. In fact, it reminded him of his daughters. So lively and cheerful, always eager to sing along and to have his attention.

He was homesick, Link was a good distraction for a while, but he knew both of them had a mission to complete. Kass played his final notes and looked at the Hylian who almost dozing off.

It was about noon by the time he stopped playing, the rays of the Sun gracefully landing and lighting Link’s blonde hair. Kass wished the moment would last a little bit longer. Link looked so peaceful, trying his best to stay positive in this world.

“Link,” Kass said, lightly nudging the kid. Link came out of his trance and looked up towards Kass, his eyes curious. “It’s time we both head on our separate ways. I know you have a difficult task ahead of you, it would be unwise to linger here more than necessary.”

Link’s eyes lost their shine and a stony mask replaced them instead. He knew he had to face the Calamity someday, Hyrule’s castle is still being held by Zelda and he knew her powers were at her limits. The people were aware of the inevitable day Ganon would finally wreak havoc over the remains of Hyrule. Everyone he talked to had a begging glint in their eyes, hoping that someone would save them from its wrath.

Link hated that he was the Bane of All Evil. What little memories he had were not happy ones. He couldn’t be selfish and do what he wanted to do for himself. His conscience was getting heavier by the day, he had no one to lean on.

Except maybe…

“Kass, wait!” Link used his voice, it sounded raspy and raw, almost hurting his throat.

Kass, who was ready for takeoff, stopped his movements and spun towards Link, eyes wide. He never knew he could speak, let alone speak to Kass of all people.

‘Can I… Are… Will we meet again someday?’ Link nervously signed, his eyes were were anxious as he fiddled around with his cloak, but a small glint of hope also flickered in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe…

Kass looked into Link’s eyes for a while, they were almost reminiscent of his daughters’ when he promised to take them on a small trip outside Rito village. Kass smirked, he knew Link would find him one way or another, after all, it was fate that brought them together.

“Of course we will, much sooner than you would know,” Kass said to Link and finally took off into the distance. He had a feeling Link was going to be a constant in his life from this point onward. Call it a hunch, or a fatherly instinct, who knows.

Link, who was gaping at Kass’s diminishing figure, also felt that this was only the beginning of these two. It was the first time since he woke up at the Shrine of Resurrection that he felt so alive. With a spring in his step and a grin on his face, he went forward in search of another shrine. He couldn’t wait for their next encounter.

He almost tripped on another rock.

Chapter Text

For the next few weeks, Link had explored most of the Hyrule Ridge and has now ended up in Tabantha, the homeland of the mighty Rito. Currently, he booked a night in the stable closest to the village and flopped down into his bed. 

Completing shrines, puzzles, and climbing towers all day long takes a toll on him, especially with the monsters roaming around, forming settlements in every corner of Hyrule. Nothing too hard for Link though, with the right gear and weapons he could take on almost anything, he thinks.

But the feeling of reaching the top of the tower and then gliding down to the ground, feeling the cold rush of wind and breathing in the air of the wild. Nothing compares to the pure adrenaline and freedom he experiences in those moments. Nothing he remembers to compare it to, anyway.

It’s not like Link had only procrastinated during his journey. The shrines he completed did fortify his being, every encampment of monsters he cleared gave him access to weapons, new and old, and finding Koroks is a whole nightmare on its own.

And most of all, the two most important reasons why he ended up spending most of his days in the chilly Tabantha region: His duty to free the Divine Beast of the Air and to help the friendly populace of Tabantha. Not that he has ever gone to the village, but he plans to, first thing tomorrow morning.

As he made himself comfortable in his temporary living quarters, he recollected the time he first met with his first friend, or at least he liked to think he was his friend. Kass, the lonely minstrel, kept popping up in his mind, reciting songs of ages past.

Link wondered if he would meet him in the village. Probably not, he hasn’t seen him in quite a while, not that Link has exclusively been spending his time searching for the bard. They promised they would meet up again and Link was nothing, if not someone who would break their pinky promise, not when he had a chance not to.

His eyes were getting droopier, his body finally having the wonderful idea to shut itself down to regenerate. Kass probably wouldn’t have liked the many scratches and bruises he collected, but it wasn’t life-threatening… not yet, anyway. The chatter in the calm stable house was slowly being muted to mere background noise. 

Tomorrow, he had a chance to redeem himself for his dilly-dallying. He would finally work up the courage to step into a settlement for longer than a day. Work up the courage to face down one of the Beasts responsible for the death of his fellow Champions.

He wouldn’t expect forgiveness from the Champions for taking so long, he didn’t deserve it anyway. He knew he had failed 100 years prior and now he just delayed his duty once again. He knew he couldn’t be selfish, it would only damage him in the long run, he was trying to mask his good-hearted nature. He hated the idea of acting like the knight he once was but severed connections did make it easier for him to focus on his task. No one would miss him, too, if he were to perish in his eventual fight against the Calamity.

The uneasiness of his unsure future was put to hold by the coming sleep. No more doubt, no more work. No more worries.

All is doable in due time…

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A gifted child was born with unnatural strength and talent. As a royal guard, it was his duty and an opportunity to further pledge allegiance to the King. None of the lineage had been high up in the hierarchy. A slow and steady progress of countless hours of hard work was put in by his hands, just so the next family member would have a chance to climb up in rank.

This, however, would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. To give a prodigious child to service, seemingly blessed by the Goddess Hylia herself, would surely make him Captain of the Royal Guard. No, this was something he couldn’t just pass up on. If he had to sacrifice the childhood of an innocent child for his bloodline to have a better life later on, he would take it in a heartbeat. Link will understand this someday, he knows he would have agreed with him.

His thoughts were cemented when he heard his son beat a group of guards in battle, only four years of age. He was proud of his prowess, but he lacked finesse. A thorough training regimen was needed. He would toughen him up, until he bled, until he couldn’t move a muscle. It was all for his sake, and he let him know just that. Fatherly doting was unnecessary, it would only hinder his abilities. So he ignored the cries and pleas of his son.

One day, he would understand that this was necessary…

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At first glance, Rito village would appear to be just another village, a small circle of people who protected themselves and were close-mouthed to outsiders. If being anxious because of a giant stone bird prohibiting aerial movement is considered a valid reason for their moodiness, then it’s not really fair to blame the community, now is it? Link would also get grumpy when he couldn’t eat his second breakfast. Probably not a good analogy, but really, how could anyone live without eating at least twice a morning?

The air around here was crispy, cold Hebra winds provided a rejuvenating sense of calmness and it cleared minds of clouded thoughts. Perfect weather for taking a day off and enjoying a slow-paced life. Sadly, the air around here was not soothing, but tense. Link felt the fears of others, even through his doublet. He really needed better armor than this crumbly vest. Clothing worn by dead kings, not his preferred style.

He was excited to meet more Rito, at last. Talking to Fyson and listening to his “serious” problems, trying out the special bed in the inn, -- wow, he literally melted into the bed -- even found a couple of Hylians residing in the inn. An apple was required to save a man’s crumbling marriage, which probably isn’t a good sign of a healthy relationship.

It was around that moment, when Link walked around and gazed at the curious architecture, that he bumped into a small child. A pile of sheets flew from her hands, flying all around the village.

“Ow, I’m sorry mister, I didn’t mean to run into you,” murmured the purple feathered Rito child. She was timid and looked sad to see her paperwork all scattered around the place.

Link shook his head and smiled, ‘No harm, no foul,’ he signed.

She tilted her head, looking confused. Oh right, not everyone knows sign language .

“Do you want any help getting your stuff back?” Link tried his voice, which to his surprise, only sounded a little groggy.

“W- Well, only if you want to,” said the little Rito. Though shy, her eyes flicked with hope. It was rather cute to watch.

Link gave her a thumbs up and started picking up the sheets closest to him. He didn’t miss the surprised face the Rito made, but it was soon replaced with glee. 

“I’ll go search the upper floors then, let’s meet up here again, okay?” she said, voice confident and excited. She ran upstairs, nearly running over another person in her way.

Link noticed the smile he gave her still remained on his face, and couldn’t wipe it off. Oh well, he is glad to have a little break from his duties, a little game of paper hunting would definitely help him calm down and relax his muscles.

Not really relax his muscles per se, he ran around like a maniac, a pile of sheets flapping around dangerously, wedged between his arms. If everyone were a little bit less anxious, they would have cared more about this anomaly. A Hylian who climbed stairs on all fours was not their biggest concern at the moment. It did earn him a few worrying glances but were soon turned to more humorous ones as time went on. It’s not every day you see someone running around rampant with the most focused look on their face, while almost covered in paper.

After a short while, Link found most of the pieces he was looking for. He took a deep breath and came down from his rush. His muscles ached considerably more now, but it wasn’t something too noteworthy. He glanced at one of the pieces of paper he picked up and saw notes written on it. Actually, now that he paid more attention,  all of them were music sheets. They contained simple verses at first sight, but a further look suggested that it was meant for multiple people to sing at once.

Most interesting, Link thought, he should ask her about these sheets. But just as he started to ascend the stairs, he heard a small gasp.

“Oh no, the sheet!” Link turned around and saw a yellow Rito, similar in size to the other one he met recently. He didn’t have time to think of their possible similarities, the last sheet flew away from the village and descended into the lake below. He was thinking of jumping after it. Not a good idea.

“Wait, mister, what are you-” Link jumped over the fence and took out his paraglider. Her yelling was cut out by the sharp winds that blew hard on his face. 

The sheet was light, so it was rather impossible to try to catch it with his teeth and he didn’t have time to close and open up his glider again. So he did the next idiotic thing that came to mind. He flew right next to the paper and grabbed it with one hand. A good plan if you were someone born with wings, Link, however, now had one hand on the device that kept him airborne.

Predictably, he had no control over his flight anymore and it was only luck that kept him from plummeting to the freezing waters below. Somehow, Hylia, who was probably so embarrassed by his reincarnation, saw fit to send gales to move Link closer to the village. In the end, he nosedived straight into a fence on the first floor instead of the waters down.

It’s not that I’m lucky, it’s just that I plan multiple steps ahead and you just can’t keep up with it , is what Link would like to say, but instead let out a pained grunt. His muscles were sore now, so much for relaxation, huh?

Fyson, who sat on the floor and was minding his own business, was shocked to see Link suddenly crashing from above. Seeing as he almost started to fall down yet again, he wasted no time getting up and pulling Link towards more solid ground.

“What were you thinking?” said Fyson, still astonished by Link’s stupidity. As he tried to berate Link for being careless, the yellow Rito from before caught up to him, out of breath with panicked eyes.

“Why would you do something so dangerous?” said the small kid after catching her breath.

“I had to get the sheet somehow,” answered Link, hoping that they wouldn’t question his very flawed logic. He didn’t even notice how he used his voice so freely.

Fyson, trying to make sense of everything happening at the moment, tried to point out his obviously foolish “plan”, but the other one was faster.

“But you don’t have any wings, you could have been hurt,” said the small Rito worryingly.

Link shrugged, “I’m fine, see?” he tried to move his body around while trying not to wince at the same time. He didn’t have an answer to her question, he had no idea why he jumped after it on impulse, so he tried to change topics. I just wanted to help , probably wouldn’t justify his actions.

“I have to take these to the purple-colored Rito, do you know where she might be?” Link asked her, hoping she would take the bait.

“Huh, you mean my sister Kheel? Okay, I can take you to her if you wish.” said the kid, not so worried anymore and looked at Link with an expression he couldn’t quite place. 

Link nodded with a grunt and started following her, who had a slight bounce to her steps. He sighed and was glad no one had further questioned his actions. This is exactly why he doesn’t stay in civilized areas for long. No one could see him do things in the wild.

Fyson, whose brain rebooted after short-circuiting, decided it wasn’t worth it to chase after the Hylian. Some things are better left as it is. He just hopes the other Hylians here don’t get inspired by this, he would rather not see his favorite roosting spot be ruined by people trying to re-enact whatever Link just did. 

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This village seems hauntingly familiar. The smells, the sounds. Link doesn’t remember his time here but feels, no, he knows, that something is out of place. It’s not just that this place is only a former shell of itself, but the atmosphere, it’s just downright dreadful. People here have little hope and it shows. No façade is strong enough to hide the foreboding sense of danger. 

The higher up they moved, the more Link noticed the loud chatter from up above. No, that wasn’t chatter, someone is being reprimanded. Poor soul, sucks to be them. Link inspected his little guide in the meantime. 

She was as long as the purple one, so it isn’t impossible they’re related somehow. Though, the one in front of him is more outgoing and lively, as opposed to the other one. Guess I’ll have to ask her as soon as I get the chance.

The berating is louder now that they are getting closer to the source. He could pick up the dialogue and tried to listen intently.

“You can’t just run off like that, you know. There’s a reason none of us can leave the village at the moment.” said a motherly voice, more anxious than angry. “And who’s that man you keep talking about?”

“He wanted to help me find the sheets you gave me, he didn’t ask for anything in return,” answered the other voice, belonging to a small girl. Wait…

“Oh, I was supposed to meet up with him below, I hope he is okay.”

Uh oh

“Did you mean this guy, Kheel?” said the yellow Rito, finally reaching the second-highest floor, pointing her hand towards Link, who was slowly trailing behind her.

“Kotts! Mister!” said Kheel, eyeing the papers in Link’s hand. She was overjoyed for finding someone to help her and actually sticking through with it. “You got all those sheets back!”

Link gave Kheel a small smile and nodded to her, giving her those sheets back. Link found himself face to face with the light green colored Rito. He eyed over Link and finally gazed at his eyes with a neutral expression.

“You must be the one my daughter says to have helped her?” She said, looking at Link.

Link nods and tries to introduce himself but is interrupted by Kotts.

“Mom, I saw him jump off the cliff to chase after one of those sheets!” she said with a tone that suggested that it was cool and totally not dangerous. 

Her eyes widened for a fracture of a second but then narrowed her eyes at Link, making him feel guilty. Link gulped and tried to hold her gaze.

This isn’t good

“Then he pulled out this big rug and started flying around in the air,” Kotts narrated what she saw, making wide gestures, trying to imitate Link. “And then I saw him fly straight into the village and heard a loud crash. I was afraid he might’ve gotten hurt, but he told me he was okay.”

One of her wings smacked Link’ hip, the place he was hit the hardest when he crash-landed. He must’ve outwardly winced because she glanced at his bruised hip before gazing back at Link with a look he wasn’t entirely sure he liked.

“I see,” she said. “Kheel, Kotts, would you be so kind as to find and play with your sisters for a while, I have to talk to him privately.”

Nope, definitely don’t like that.

The siblings nodded and waved Link goodbye, leaving him alone with the disappointed Rito. No way out of this one, not unless he wants to feel even more guilty. It’s not like he’s a small kid anymore.

“You, follow me,” she said and walked towards one of the roosts, not looking if Link would follow. Of course he would, he kept a small distance from her and prayed to Hylia that he won’t be berated like a small child.

He dared a glance at her figure. She was a mother of those two, it seems, and she mentioned there were more of them. Would like to meet them, he thought, maybe he won’t get a slap on the wrist and will only get a warning. He also noticed something about her posture. Link, being quite adept at reading body language, saw not only the stress of current problems riding on her shoulder but of older ones as well. Raising that many kids must require tremendous amounts of effort, but is that really all that burdens her?

“I already have so much to deal with, why do I have to worry for another kid,” she sighed and kept walking. Link was one hundred percent going to get a big earful.

 After a quiet hike, they reached their destination. The Rito went inside and waited until Link stepped in, her hands on her hips. Link resigned his fate and stepped in with no small effort.

He was glad he didn’t trip on anything.

Chapter Text

Amali's roost was quite cozy looking. Rito don't usually have much sentimentality for tangible objects; all they need is a hammock, a few good books, and some healing salves for different wounds. Link scanned her room as a way to delay the inescapable conversation that’s about to come. 

He immediately noticed five hammocks in a semi-circle around the roost, each one for one of the daughters she has, most likely. A shelf with some jars and flasks on it, containing substances Link can’t identify from his current position. He won’t dare move either, so he continues his observation.

He sees a drawer with some books on it along with some screws and gears that were not ancient-looking like the ones Link has usually found. Hidden behind the thick books is a singular feather, elegant and alluring, white, and red-colored. Link could have sworn he has seen a similar feather before.

Amali cleared her throat, forcing Link to give her his full attention. She wasn’t so agitated anymore, though her eyes still shone with a small gleam of concern or something of the sort. She put her wings on her hips and tapped her talons against the wood.

“Why? Hylians can’t fly, a small piece of some tissue paper isn’t worth risking your life over. We don’t need another tragedy so soon, especially for someone as young as you,” Amali said with a disappointed voice, still loud enough to disallow any interruptions. Link listened intently, trying not to fidget.

“With Vah Medoh acting up after lying dormant for so long, it is currently impossible for any of us to fly up high in the air,” Amali started pacing back and forth, “I don’t know how in the name of Hylia you even got to that sheet, but if something were to go wrong with your little fetch quest, falling into the water when you are in a wrong position is no different from falling into a stone pit face first.”

She sighed and once again laid her eyes on Link’s “What if there weren’t any Rito nearby to catch you, huh?” her voice was getting sharper. Link’s face was gradually heating up, embarrassment and guilt gnawing on his guts.

“Who saved you anyway, I have to let them know not to let you near any ledges anymore.” 

Link, whose brain finally caught up to her words after it tried to ventilate itself, shook his head in response. Amali’s eyes sharpened, clearly experienced in making her victims confess one way or another. Link was certainly affected by her emanation of motherly concern and quickly took his paraglider behind his back and revealed his one and only savior.

Amali inspected the contraption and after a second returned her gaze to Link, clearly confused with whatever he presented to her. Link stood his ground and revealed his trump card; he opened the glider, proudly displaying the symbol of the Rito, the cloth slightly swaying from the crispy Hebra winds. Link hoped this would be enough to convince her that he wasn’t a complete idiot who just jumped off a cliff. Not that it wasn’t false, what he did, but he isn’t that foolish.

Fortunately for him, she seems to have some sort of reaction to his display. Her expression was blank, but her mind was working full time.

“Isn’t.... Where did you get that anyway?” She asked Link once she finished forming her thoughts. Her eyes were no longer comprehensible, the emotions that are running through them are far too many to try to dissect. Link lost his only way to read people and the nervousness that had slowly withered away returned to him.

‘It’s a long story,’ Link signs. How does one say that they woke up in a lonely plateau, met up with the former king of Hyrule, and had voices in his head telling him to face the biggest threat in this land, after having lost all his memories of his previous life?

What a weird few months this has been.

While Link came out of his thoughts, trying to make up a scrambled story, Amali was searching through one of the leather books, hectically flipping through pages. When she found what she was looking for, she walked next to Link and handed him the book without any words.

Link glanced at her with a questioning gaze, trying to find something that would give him answers. When she gave him nothing except for a neutral look, he let out a small sigh and dared to take a peek at what was given to him.

It’s not what he expected, to be honest. This book contained loads of information about the paragliders, not only about the one Link had but of different designs as well. He read further and learned that the four Champions, excluding the Rito Champion, were given a paraglider by the Rito as a reward for taking responsibility by being a guardian of Hyrule. Every race contributed something that they were known for. The aerial movement, being the specialty of Rito’s, was proudly incorporated into those gliders.

Zora, Hylians, Gerudo, even Gorons had their own version of a glider. Link was fascinated to see that so much text was written about these contraptions, it even included illustrations. If it weren’t for him being currently scolded by Amali, he would have sat down and plowed through the book, hungering for knowledge he was so interested in.

Suddenly all his excitement was gone as soon as his eyes landed on a singular image. It was a roughly drawn sketch of every race gliding through the air with their gliders. Wouldn’t be a problem in and of itself, but he knew the faces in the picture. All the Champions were present, smiles on their faces. Even the Hylian Champion had the smallest of smirks, which is a rarity of its own.

“These gliders were specially made for the Champions of old,” Amali explained, having moved next to Link, keeping an eye on him. “A master craftsman of ours had the task of making each of these gliders for all of them. It’s not hard to craft a glider by any means, but to sustain the weight of a person without compromising their movement at the same time is not an easy task to undertake. The carpenter must have incorporated some ancient Sheikah technology to make these gliders withstand heavy amounts of pressure and environmental damage.”

Link kept his eyes on the sketch, gazing at his dead friends. A reminder of his failures. Amali almost missed the somber flash in Link’s eyes.

“At the time of the Calamity, he resided in Hyrule castle, working on a project alongside the Sheikah. As Ganon first appeared from inside the castle, the craftsman died in one fell swoop, taken by surprise like most others in that accursed place. He never passed on his craft to any apprentice he trained, so his knowledge has been buried alongside him. Your glider is the first one I’ve seen out of the ones in this book I’ve studied. This may as well be the last relic to remember him by.”

Link nodded solemnly and closed the book, handing it back to Amali. She took it from him and placed it back on the shelf. Afterward, she walked back to Link with a thoughtful expression, her eyes no longer stern, but rather filled with sympathy. They looked at each other for a long while, one thinking hard about what to do next and the other still afraid to move too much or to say anything to diffuse the awkward situation they now found themselves in.

“Do you have any time to spare?” Amali said suddenly, “If it doesn’t bother you too much, that is.”

Link, not having expected a request, looked dumbfounded for a second, before quickly nodding as an answer. Anything to get rid of the silence.

“Well then, would you follow me, please?, I know a place that can lift our spirits,” she said, once again not looking if Link would follow her. She really must have figured Link out, because once again, he followed her like a kid usually would, though he was still keeping a respectable distance from her. He still hasn’t figured out if she was mad at him, her face still not showing any betraying thoughts. Better to be safe than sorry, he thought.

The walk was anticlimactic, they just moved to a roost next to the one they literally just walked out from. It did however include a crockpot, so she might be right about wanting to melt the tension. Unless of course, she intended to cook Link, which is probably not totally out of the question.

“I do apologize if I seemed a bit anxious back there, my daughters are getting needier by the day, they really worry me too much sometimes,” Amali said as she lit the fire under the pot. “In times like these I wish he was here, but it’s always been his lifelong dream to travel out there in the wild.”

Link stayed silent and listened to her venting about her stress, how Vah Medoh threatens the village, how her daughters are unsafe. Link was filled with conviction to end the reign of terror soon, so that they may once again live in peace.

“Do you know how to cook?” she said suddenly. This time, Link immediately nodded with a big smile on his face. What a stupid question, does she not know that he has made himself many a dish, including two brunches a day, everyday?

Amali finally revealed a small smirk of her own, removing all the negative thoughts Link has had up to this moment and filling his soul with warmth instead. “So enthusiastic, alright then, how about some salmon meunière? Not a hard dish by any means, but it always lightens my heart when I eat good food like that.”

Link has never made that before, but it wasn’t something too hard, he supposed. He already had plenty of experience making dishes of similar caliber. Curry and rice balls, to name a few. How hard can this really be?

Not hard at all, he soon found out, he didn’t mess anything up. Amali gave him instructions and he tried to add his own flair to make the dish more interesting and elevated. All was going well until it didn’t.

As soon as Link threw the mostly chopped ingredients into the pot, all of the Demise broke loose. “What are you doing, did you really throw the whole ingot of butter in there, including the cover?” She was definitely distressed, to say the least. “And I thought I told you not to throw in ingredients that are only half-chopped.”

Link was embarrassed yet again but still tried to justify his actions, stating that he always cooked like that. That was like dousing a fire with oil because she was not okay with that one bit. Link really didn’t know what to say. It has always worked out for him, the way he cooked, every dish came out quite nicely, even if he did tend to throw in raw fish and a block of salted rock without any finesse. They tasted delicious too, she can ask Link for confirmation, he was the most acclaimed food critic in this land. Or soon to be, he thought.

Their argument was long. But ultimately, Amali won with a mix of common sense and the motherly death stare. Link was powerless to stop her, as she elegantly diced the ingredients and carefully placed it into the pot. This is so unjust , he thought.

All they had to do now was to wait until the salmon was cooked to perfection. Comfortable silence filled the air, along with the smell of passion, broken pride, and some dang good fish.

“Who do you usually cook for?” said Amali suddenly, breaking the monotone sound of sizzling. Link immediately wanted to say that he cooked for himself, but couldn’t say it out loud. He didn’t know why he hesitated. He was always alone, wasn’t he? He didn’t have anyone who cared for his cooking and he cared not about it either.

Amali took his silence as a topic she wasn’t supposed to talk about, “Sorry if this was too personal of a question, it’s just that whenever I cook, I always think of my daughters. I always wonder about the future of our village, of my children... Of him.”

‘I also cook for someone special’ he signed without thinking. What was he doing? Why would he say such a bold lie right to her face? The only person he remembered who was actually still alive to maybe cook something for, was princess Zelda, but she’s kind of busy at the moment, sealing the Calamity and such, y’know, the usual.

The only other person that came to his mind was Kass. He supposed he did indeed cook for him and that Rito was the first one to stay with and talk to him for longer than five minutes. Kass was always nice to him, didn’t pry too much about him, and overall impressed Link with his musical talent.

Fine, maybe he did have someone to cook for, but he hasn’t seen Kass for a long time and he wasn’t really someone special, was he? They were friends, sure, maybe even best friends. But somehow, Link didn’t like to think that he wasn’t special, it made his stomach feel weird. He had no idea what was going on with him and why his mind always replayed so many memories about Kass.

Amali wanted to ask who he cooked for, out of curiosity, but the smell of salmon was getting more noticeable by the second, it was getting burnt because of Link’s excess butter, so she abandoned the question for now. She tried to salvage the dish while Link took out two plates for them both. The salmon looked appetizing and both of them were proud of this work of art. Link a little less, he was still salty about Amali dismissing his “elegant” cooking style.

The two sat next to each other near the fire and dug into their dishes. Bloody delicious, Link had to admit, though he wouldn’t say it out to her anytime soon. Not that he needed to anyway, his face already said enough to make her smile.

They ate their dish in silence and enjoyed the crackling of the fire alongside the warm winds coming from outside the roost. It was comfortable and Link wanted to stay like this forever.

Amali finished her dish first and set it beside her. One question has always been on her mind, ever since Link revealed his paraglider. Now would be as good as time as any to ask him about his identity.

“What’s your name, if I may ask?” she asked Link with a warm voice. Link paused his actions and glanced up at Amali. He found nothing but good intentions coming from her, so he spelled out his name letter by letter.

Link , Amali repeated in her mind. Exactly the same name the Champion had. They even looked eerily similar. Only the Sacred Blade was missing, everything else was there. Even the Ancient Slate, which she hadn’t noticed until now, was there, strapped onto his sash.

This couldn’t be a coincidence, right? This had to be the Hero, but no Hylian could live for so long and still look like a teen. Maybe this is his descendant, then. More plausible, but she hadn’t heard that the hero ever had any children at his age. Only one way to find out , Amali thought and decided to be blunt.

“Are you the Hylian Champion Link who fought against the Calamity over a century ago?” Amali would take full responsibility if she was wrong for talking about such asinine theories out of the blue, but the mildly shocked look Link gave her as he almost choked on his fish gave her some hope.

Link was not ready for a haymaker like that to come straight for his face. He knew she was smart the instant he saw her, but he didn’t expect her to just ask it so suddenly like that, either. One part of him was relieved to finally see someone acknowledge that he indeed was the one and only Silent Knight. Another part of him was filled with apprehension, knowing he failed everyone back then and was the reason so many had died for his incompetence.

“Y-Yes, I am the Hylian Champion, Link,” He said in a wobbly voice. It always hurt to use his voice, save for when he talked to a select few people, but it seemed to come out naturally when talking to Rito for some reason. Especially with Kass and Amali’s daughters, and now Amali, as well.

Amali’s eyes widened for a second, but soon nodded and contemplated her next question. She was very curious now, how could someone live for so long, where has he been all this time, how old is he, anyway?

“If you want to, you can tell me your tale of your adventures so far, I would be willing to listen,” she said in the end and quickly added, “I won’t force you to, your time is far more important than mine, don’t take my need for knowledge too seriously.”

Link nodded and thought for a minute. No one had cared for him to ask about his life in a non-rhetorical manner. No one has been so enthusiastic about it, either. He was divided between his need to complete his duty and his need to talk to someone after being alone for such a long time.

In the end, he stayed and started to vent to her about his life. Amali made him comfortable, gave him pillows to sit on, and made some drinks, all while Link continued to talk about his fractured memories and broken promises. She was mortified to hear how lowly Link talked about his self-esteem, it was practically non-existent. It made sense now why he would be so reckless.

Link confessed to her about his failures and asked for forgiveness. She was sad to see such an innocent youth, practically still a child, ruined by being the Chosen One. How much of his childhood did he really live out? The burden must weigh even heavier now that he lost all his memories and weapons.

“Link, listen to me,” Amali said once Link exhausted his voice and started coughing. “What happened at that time is not your fault, nor will it ever be your fault, or anyone else’s for that matter.”

Link shook his head and wanted to argue back, but Amali wouldn’t let him. “What more could you have possibly done, Link? You said it yourself that princess Zelda’s powers were not awakened in time. If it’s anyone's fault, it would be the King’s, but never yours nor the princess’.”

Link didn’t shake his head this time, but his eyes were still defiant. Amali raised one of her wings to Link’s shoulder and squeezed it lightly. “Link, what happened then happened a long time ago. Right now you have to focus on what’s in front of you and go one step at a time, okay?” Link looked up to her, his eyes looking for comfort. “I don’t know how hard your journey has been, but I do know that now is not the time to doubt yourself. Never, ever forget you have people backing you up. I believe you can defeat the Calamity, but you must do so with a calm mind.”

Amali raised her free hand and put it on Link’s other shoulder, trapping him in warm, grass-colored feathers. Link wanted to hug her, engulf himself in her warmth, but he was frozen, still trying to digest the fact she fully supported him and was trying to make him feel better about himself. It was working, but he still wanted to free Medoh as soon as possible.

Amali sighed and sternly gazed at Link in the eyes. They aren’t so scary-looking anymore, Link thought. She is a sight for sore eyes now.

“I can hear you thinking, you know? I am certain you will try to appease Medoh, but I can assure you now is not the time for that.” She nodded towards Link’s vest. “This flimsy thing isn’t going to protect you for long, not where Medoh is. Besides, it’s way too dark out for anyone to try to raid the Beast. I suggest you rest up before you talk to the Elder. It would benefit no one if you were to suddenly doze off in a critical moment and suffer grievous injuries as a result.”

Link took a quick look outside the roost and was surprised to see the moon shining outside, it’s rays calm and pleasant, much like the winds accompanying it. He didn’t have the energy to argue back and after a moment, decided it wasn’t such a bad idea to rest up. When did he have a good night’s rest since he woke up at the shrine?

“I’m not going to let you get back to the inn, it would wound my pride as a host, so please, rest up here in my roost and use my hammock.” She said in a soft tone, seeing Link’s eyes already half-closed. She pulled Link up and nudged him towards the soft hammock. 

Link tripped when he neared the hammock and fell halfway inside it. He struggled to get his lower half inside as well and let out a deep breath once he did. He fell asleep quickly after, his burden leaving him alone for once, feeling safe and protected.

Amali couldn’t stop a small smile from appearing on her face, seeing the way Link crawled to bed. She made herself comfortable near the dwindling fire pit.

What a cute child he is, she thought to herself, looking at the sleeping kid. She was not happy to see anyone risk their lives carelessly, much less a child’s, but she was not too concerned. She knew he was a capable warrior, perhaps even the strongest of his time, but still, she felt the urge to nag at his foolishness, remind him of his bad habits, and to preen his hair. Have you ever seen the state of that thing? She could have sworn she saw some sticks and leaves inside it.

The night went on and Amali kept on meditating, feeling the clarity sinking in, and hearing Link’s small snores occasionally. It was a calm night, no blood moon in sight, and it almost felt like they were living in a time of peace.

Once the fire was extinguished, she made up her mind and quietly walked out of the roost and into the clothing store. She knows exactly what she could do to help him.

Chapter Text

Disappointment. Nothing but disappointment. Not to say Link’s training wasn’t going horribly, he has talent, if nothing else. But the fact that the kid always seems to hide from him, hide from his destiny, is infuriating him to no end. Damn it, why won’t he learn responsibility, why does he always have to act so selfish. But he knows where hides, Link has exhausted his hiding spots. There is no place he can hide from his father.

But now he has a new problem to deal with. A brownish-red pony with the purest white mane he has ever seen has suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He would just mistake it for a wild pony or someone else’s, were it not for the fact she listens to Link’s commands flawlessly, it makes it seem like they have known each other for a long time. In theory, she could be trained to be Link’s steed in combat. But right now, he has to run after Link and punish him accordingly for running away, again. It would seem that something more extreme is required to teach him his lesson.

So he cut Link’s communication with his friends. He needed no one, and all of them were a distraction, anyway. This is no time to lollygag around, he can have his fun once the Calamity is struck down. Even Mipha, the Zora princess, is no longer able to see Link. He knew the two were good friends, but Link had to put his all to training, he had to. To see the child no longer smile at anything, except for the occasional smirk when his pony was around, hurt his father in so many ways. But he had to stay strong for Link, for their late mother.

In the end, Link had no friends, couldn’t go anywhere not related to training, couldn’t do activities that interested him, and only stopped his training to sleep, eat, or to learn combat tactics. Link was expressionless, as his father wanted him to be, it was a good skill to have in the royal court, and in battle. But he still saw the fear and apprehension in his eyes whenever Link saw his father approach him. He can’t go back on his ways now, he can only push Link forward, whether he wants to, or not. Their nights were quiet, both were tired of their respective jobs and could only focus on regenerating their bodies. He could’ve sworn, though, that he heard Link cry in his bed sometimes. Not that he would go check on him, he can deal with it on his own. He can’t deal with all of Link’s problems.

He would shout at Link to shut up and to sleep, for tomorrow, they would visit the Lost Woods.

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Link woke up, cold sweat covering his body. Another day, another nightmare, it seems. He thought he had seen them all by now, but they were seemingly endless in supply. He sighed and slowly got out of bed. No, a hammock, he realized too late and almost plopped down to the ground, were it not for his reflexes. His body wasn’t aching so much now, but it was still noticeable.

Amali, who cooked breakfast in the same roost, looked up at the commotion Link caused and stopped stirring the pot.

“You’re awake, I hope you had a good night’s rest.” She said with a warm tone in her voice. Link, not wanting to lie to her first thing in the morning, just nodded and sat down next to her to wait for breakfast.

Amali looked at Link’s sleepy body and was mortified. What in the everliving hell is wrong with Link’s hair. It spread out in every direction and she was pretty sure he killed a lynel and just grabbed its fur as a substitute for hair. Ritos have standards in keeping themselves in pristine condition. She was pretty sure every race had at least some care for their physical appearance. Link definitely didn’t.

“Do you always look like that when you wake up?” She asked, genuinely curious about Link’s apparent lack of self-care. He just shrugged and kept looking at the sizzling breakfast dish. Amali was getting a bit annoyed now. “Do you ever take care of your hair?” She asked and quickly added, “ Have you ever?”

Link now looked at her and pointed to his hair. In it was a small band that was supposedly keeping his hair together. It looked more like his hair was keeping the band together, not the opposite. Amali was taking this all in, her plan to surprise Link is much harder now.

“After we eat our food, you will stay here, sit down and wait until I have corrected your hair into something presentable.” Now it was Link’s turn to look shocked. Take care of his hair? Lady, have you seen the condition it’s in? Nope, no way anyone can sort that mess out, he would rather not lose all his hair in an agonizingly painful manner.

“Don’t you dare deny your hair is in good shape, I will not let you leave here like an animal. Besides, I do have a small surprise for you if you stick through with it.” Amali said in her smooth voice. A surprise, well it definitely intrigued Link, and she seemed to know what she was saying, she was a mother of five, after all.

Breakfast was ready and was gone as quickly as one would say Link, for the love of... Link had taken a massive portion and dug into it with vigor equal to a hungry Goron. Amali glared at Link, and he seemed to sense her eyes on him. He stopped his eating for a second, looked at Amali, who had an expectant look on her face, and figured out what he was doing wrong. He raised his pinky and kept shoving food in his mouth like there was no tomorrow. Amali gave up and started eating her dish. Another time, perhaps, she would need to reshape his entire being.

Once they were finished, Amali collected their empty bowls and put them aside. Now, time to deal with the sad excuse for hair Link had. She picked up a comb and a few ribbons from the nearby drawer. Link’s ears perked up and glanced at the comb with an expression of someone who had just seen the Calamity.

“Sit straight, please, and keep looking forward. It’s a lot less painful if you do what I say, alright?” Amali stated and started to unravel his hair with her fingers. She was right, it wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t entirely too pleasant, either. He’s had a bad relationship with brushes, last time he tried to use it, it got stuck in his hair, lost so much hair trying to pull it out, before finally cutting off a chunk of it, including the brush. Naturally, he has never used a brush since that day.

“How do you even manage something like that?” Amali muttered as she slowly ran her deft fingers through his hair. Starting it off with a brush would’ve been a lost cause and she would rather not lose her favorite brush inside the void of oblivion Link dares to call hair. There were knots everywhere, but it wasn’t something she wasn’t used to. Of course, the number of knots he had was equal to the times her daughters have had messy hair combined, but she would not give up so easily. 

As time passed, so did the number of swirls in Link’s hair. She took it slow and tried to be careful with her movements. If she did indeed accidentally pull his hair, Link wouldn’t say it out loud. At least he was more mature than his daughters. Link, who at first dreaded the preening, steadily started to enjoy it more and more. Once Amali reached his scalp and started to untangle his hair there, he melted. She scratched his scalp and it almost felt like a massage, but in reality, she just tried to take her time to get every single spot unraveled. Link hummed and unconsciously leaned back to receive more of the godlike pleasure.

“Hey, I told you not to move, stay still!” Amali said as she pushed Link to his original position. She noticed his humming but didn’t comment on it. At least one of us is enjoying it, she thought to herself. Not that she minded it, she was also quite glad to take care of his hair, but only because she has something to focus on, she reminds herself. He would look like a rather fine young man if she could finally finish this mess.

Half an hour had passed and Link’s hair was almost silky smooth. It wasn’t perfect, but at this point, Amali thought it was impossible to get it perfect. She brushed a few more times before picking up two chunks of his hair and started braiding them together. Link, who had almost dozed off, was surprised to feel his hair getting twisted around. He didn’t know why she did that, he thought she wanted to loosen his hair, but he wouldn’t mind someone braiding his hair for him.

“If you’re wondering, this is part of the surprise I want to show you later on.” She said and used the ribbons to tie up his side-hair. She did that with both sides of his head and finally tried to create a ponytail with a ring holding it together. It was complex, Link wouldn’t even dare to replicate the work she was doing for him. Her hands might’ve been big and fluffy, but she still handled his hair with care and precision.

Link felt Amali putting something behind one of his ears. It was feathery and metallic at the same time and it exuded warmth all over Link’s body. Once Amali adjusted this earpiece and put her hands to her sides, did Link finally move his arms and legs, which were numb. Amali looked at Link’s hair judgingly and revealed her verdict. 

“It’s not my best work, but considering the state of your hair, I think I managed pretty well.” She sounded tired, but moved over to the dresser and searched for the clothing she bought last night. Link at the same time took out his slate and looked at himself with the camera. He was wordless, it was beautiful, to say the least. The white ribbons complimented his brown hair and they seemed to hold his hair in tight. It would definitely survive a fight or two.

But it was his ear that caught his attention the most. Three feathers, all of them were the same red and white-colored ones he saw before, were standing proudly on his hair. And to top it off, his earpiece was socketed with a ruby. Makes sense now, why he suddenly felt so warm. In summary, the intricate work was masterfully done and he would wear it with pride and honor. Damn, now I can’t just throw myself into whatever bush I find, I could risk messing up my hair again. Not that he wouldn’t mind Amali doing his hair again, but she looked like she was ready to jump into Death mountain after she was done with his hair.

“Now then, would you mind taking a look at this?” Amali announced and presented a set of armor to Link. It consisted of a brown chest piece and boots, mixed in with cream-colored trousers and fluffy wool covering the connecting parts of the armor.

“This is snowquill armor, it’s made of Rito plumage, so it has great insulating power. It’s also lightweight, so you move around freely, even during heavy blizzards.”

Link eyed the armor, it looked warm and inviting, perfect for raiding the Divine Beast up in the sky. So the headdress must’ve been a part of the set, Link thought. This must be the surprise she wanted me to see.

“If you’re going to free Divine Beast Vah Medoh, I insist you wear this armor, it’s the least I can do to thank you for your hard work.” Link was surprised, he hadn’t expected a gift for doing anything, he hasn’t even finished the quest yet.

‘Why are you giving me this, I could have just made some food to warm me up on the way there,’ Link signed with clear confusion. Amali just smiled at Link and sat down near the fire. “Maybe so, but I think it looks cute on you, don’t you think?”

Link blushed a little at the praise and Amali gave him a small chuckle, “Besides, your money is better spent somewhere else, so please, let this be my gratitude for you.”

Link couldn’t protest, knowing it was a failing battle if he tried. Instead, he bowed and thanked her profusely. Amali had none of that and grabbed Link by his shoulders, the same gesture she made the day before. “Just be sure to take care of yourself, alright? We need you at your best not only now, but later on, as well.”

‘ I can’t promise anything, but I will give it my best’ Link signed back. He knew she knew he was going to get hurt at some point, but maybe that’s not her point. She had ulterior motives and Link was confused as to why he’s got so many mixed signals. One part of him wanted to hug her, to say Thank you so much for everything , and be happy for once. But instead, he nodded and released himself from her grasp, stating he had to go now. Distraction, my son, haven’t I told you that many times by now? They are nothing but static you need not remember.

Link put on his new gear and left her roost without saying anything to Amali. He quickly went to the Elder’s roost and got new instructions there. Find this person, save that person, something monotonous as usual. He could focus on that, so he wouldn’t feel his emotions trying to cry out. He had procrastinated long enough, he would save Revali with no further breaks on the way.

Amali stayed behind and tried not to pity Link. So much pressure could be felt from him once she gave him the armor. Was it a mistake? No, it definitely would help him on his journey, so why did his eyes reek of cold and almost disgusting indifference aimed at people, and himself, most of all. She thought she had reasoned with him and tried to steer him away from that kind of behavior, to try and make him more sociable. But something just snapped in his mind, it would seem. She prayed to the Goddesses for him to be safe.

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The freezing cold was much more bearable now with his armor. It felt like he was in a warm bed, with rays of sunshine beaming on his face. Pieces of snow that smacked against his face gave the same feeling, anyway. Link was on his way to the Flight Range and could feel nothing but emptiness at the sight of the wooden building. 

Every memory he recovered was a distant reminder of his old self, steadily gnawing on his mind. A failure, I’m so disappointed in you, I thought I trained you better than that. He held back the breakfast trying to leave his body and trekked forward.

Teba was a new face, but he tried to forget him as soon as possible. He was a nice guy, but he couldn’t look at him at the moment. Every time he met someone he hadn’t seen before, his thoughts were getting louder and more obnoxious. So he just silently stood there and gave minimal responses to the gruff Rito. Five targets, shoot them, get to the Divine Beast. As simple as that.

His aim was impeccable, clearly trained in the art of archery, and it almost seemed like he was frozen in time for seconds at a time when he aimed down the sights. This was all too easy for him, he didn’t get bullseye’s but he got the all targets with a single shot each, anyway. Sloppy .

Link kept his mask on, almost seemed aloof when Teba explained how their little raid was going to happen. Link wanted nothing more than to do something, anything at all. He felt like he was going to burst at Teba any moment now.

  “Why are you doing all this?” Teba asked suddenly, “There has to be a reason for you to help us, I won’t believe you are doing this without expecting something in return.”

Link thought for a moment, his mind was once again split into multiple parts, each with their own answers. Two of them were the loudest, one clashing against the other. His past self and its thoughts and his newer self. The duty he had or the friends he made. He loved every moment when he could talk to someone without being afraid of someone breathing down his neck. He loved the way most people were happy to see him be who he was. He was happy to see Kass, the kids, and Amali…

‘I’m doing this for princess Zelda,’ He signed after some time. The snow around there got colder and he could feel numbness kicking into his fingers. He felt numb inside as well, but he was used to that, already. Disappointing, you are so weak , his thoughts said, but they were not voiced by his father. It was his own voice this time, telling him he was afraid to say the truth, lest he would succumb to the voices and do something he would regret.

I already regret so many things.

The Divine Beast was all but a haze when he finally got onto it. Teba was hurt and retreated back to the village. Link wanted to care, but couldn’t, so he moved on, step-by-step. Revali was snarky as always, but he could feel he was overjoyed to see Link. He has always been sassy and it hurt Link. How could he act like nothing had happened, I have failed him, have I not?

Everything was dreadful, the atmosphere had so much pressure in it, it could probably make diamonds out of thin air. Every time Revali spoke to him, he wanted to scream at him to shut up. Not that Revali did anything wrong, but he barely could hold himself together, only hanging on by a thread.

Get going, you idiot , he could hear his father’s venomous faint voice. Take care of yourself, alright? said another one, warm and inviting. He wanted this all to end, so he picked up his pace.

Revali said nothing when Link charged into enemies haphazardly. He wasn’t good with people himself, but he wished he knew how to convey to Link that he was being an idiot and that he would stop it. 

Somehow, he made it through the maze and activated all the terminals with minor scratches. The blight, however, was not so merciful. The blaster it had was rather annoying and Link wasn’t exactly stacked with arrows, either. The shots that hit him left burns over his armor and made him madder, his pain lessened with each blow.

He let his emotions loose, a bone-chilling battle cry was released and Link charged the blight head-on. Revali wanted to facepalm and to laugh at him, but Link’s plan was working to some extent. The monster was more accustomed to long-ranged combat and it clearly didn’t expect a flurry of blows up close from the livid Hylian. It tried to phase to safety, but immediately after doing so, it got a face full of arrows.

The battle was fierce, countless shots were made by the blight who got more agitated the longer it fought Link. Even the reflective drones it summoned weren’t enough to deter Link’s rampage. He would just dodge the beams or counterattack the beast when it was trying to start a combo.

Link felt good, each time his sword hit the fleshy part of the blight, he felt satisfaction when it screamed out in pain. His blood was flowing, his mind was as clear as day and he could think rationally. A momentary abatement, but a welcome one. He relentlessly attacked the beast and gave it no quarter.

It was weakening and it wasn’t long before it fell to one of Link’s blows. His sword broke and only his hilt remained, the blade itself was stuck in the eye of the blight. It was bleeding out profusely from every pore of its body and just for good measure, Link threw the hilt in its face, before it blew up and vaporized from existence. What a refreshing sight that was. Gruesome, but Link needed the stress relief.

He was sure he heard Revali cheer for him, but Revali would deny he said anything in the aftermath. He gave Link his power and berated Link for his stupidity. Link held a small smile the whole time and was happy to see him so alive, like the last 100 years didn’t happen.

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Link was transported back to the village and he slowly calmed himself down. He took his time talking to Revali and learned of his past. He seemed like a nice guy overall, behind the layers of unbearable sass. Revali laughed at Link when he noticed the feathers near his ears and said that Link was lucky that someone was brave enough to take him to their care. Of course, Link was confused and before he could ask anything, Revali kicked him off the Divine Beast. Nevermind what he said about Revali being nice, he was still an asshole.

It was evening by the time Link got back from his raid and saw the sunset, creating vibrant colors all around it. Since the Hebra region had a clear atmosphere, the colors created a majestic artwork that was a sight to behold. Link wished he could sit down and gaze at the sky all night long, but he could feel his anxiousness return to him. Not only that, but his body was once again crying out in pain, the armor scratching his burn wounds.

He wanted to stay with Amali for the night, but he couldn’t bring himself to make that decision. He was afraid of the disappointment Amali might’ve had when he returned, so Link took a deep breath and started to walk out of the village. Link would come back to her after the Calamity and apologize to her, she was one of the friendliest people he met and he was glad to have her as an anchor to lean on.

Before he could step out into the wild, he was stopped by a small, purple, feathery hand grabbing his own hand.

“Wait mister, where are you going?” questioned Kheel, who was out of breath trying to run after Link. “Momma told us you were going to stay with us for a while and that we could all meet each other.”

Link stopped in his tracks and looked at their intertwined hands. His gaze then wandered towards Kheel’s face. She looked so hopeful, she was excited to have company. Her sisters were getting annoying at times, but with Link they could finally have a fun night without it resorting to discord and crying.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have the time right now, I have an important task to take part in” Amali looked crestfallen and Link quickly added, “But I will come to visit you in a few weeks, I promise you that.”

“Really?” Amali said with a happy voice, her feathers fluffing up again. Link nodded and gave her a small smile. Well, there goes my plan, Link thought to himself, though he didn’t mind the change of plans. How does Kheel do it? So easily swaying Link’s mind without any malicious intent behind it.

Kheel pulled on Link’s hand and he was forced to kneel in front of her. She chirped and ran into Link’s arms, hugging him tightly. His breathing hitched, but this time, he didn’t stand by but hugged her back with trembling arms. She smelled of pines, it reminded him of the forests he likes to visit.

“Momma told me to say to you that you are always welcome to visit her and stay in her home,” Kheel mumbled into Link’s shirt. “She was- is still worried about your safety and she wants to see you as soon as possible.”

Link exhaled loudly and held her tighter. “I will, as soon as I get a free chance, I will come here, as fast as I possibly can.” He finally let go of Kheel and started jogging onto the bridge.

He didn’t look back, so he missed when Kheel waved him goodbye. It was hard not to show any emotions, but the constant running made it easier. He wasn’t running away from his feelings, he just wanted to be done with this as soon as possible.

He reached the stable house in record time and almost tripped on a rock as a prize.

Chapter Text

A calm wind rushed through the air. Nothing but peace was on everyone’s mind - clarity. The fires that were near the Tabantha Bridge stable were blazing with passion. It brought solace to anyone close enough to hear its roars of ire. 

Along with the tranquil atmosphere, a lonely tune rode along with the air. It’s the same song you sometimes hear in stables every now and then when people are in an unusually good mood. This, however, was played by an instrument, big and powerful. The music sounded majestic, but you could hear some sort of anxiety underlying in the otherwise joyous tunes. The air was getting heavier by the minute.

“Damn it,” Said Kass, hitting another sour note while playing the tunes. He wasn’t irritated by his many mistakes -- too many, his mentor would be rather disappointed -- but he was worried about the giant red beam currently pointed at Hyrule castle. Just over a day ago, he thought of the mysteries of his verses when suddenly, the ground shook from the miniature shockwave that the laser emitted.

Kass could see it originated from Rito village. He was excited to see such a massive beast perched on the rock that held up the village, it was a sight to behold. But soon after he was filled with an apprehending feeling he couldn’t shake off, not even now. Is his family okay? Did Link really do it? Is he…

He grunted and shook his head, trying to remove the invading thoughts from his mind. Of course Link is fine, he is a fine warrior, once a knight of the Royal family. Still, something felt off ever since the Divine Beast was tamed. Kass’s gut feelings told him to return to the village and also to somewhere else he couldn’t name at the moment. It was a weird feeling, he wasn’t sure what to do.

The wind was ominous, it warned him of something that would change someone’s life for better or for worse. Even the fires were timid, afraid of the somber mood that clouded Kass’s mind. Kass squeezed the concertina and it let out a puff of air sans the normally happy tunes. He sighed and sat down on the ground, closing his eyes and started to meditate. 

Rito have the ability to stay still for a long period of time, sorting out their thoughts and reflecting on their mistakes. The people in the stable gave him a curious glance. They always saw him carry a calming aura alongside some peaceful tunes, even in the nighttime, he would carry on, though they were a little more soft and quiet. To see the progenitor of good mood sit still like a statue, changing facial expressions from frowns to anger, it was a worrisome sight, but they left him alone.

Kass traveled through his memories and tried to find the source of his problems. He skimmed through them all, new and old alike. It was apparent the older recollections have a smaller impact on his current mood, so it had to be one of the newer ones. His face scrunched up and focused on more recent events. Leaving the village and leaving behind his family -- though not the source of his worries, he still wanted to know the state of his village --, seeing countless people struggle to live in this land, almost getting shot at by a guardian once, almost getting shot at by a pack of bokoblins almost immediately after. No, that wasn’t it. 

The recent storm, perhaps? Getting warmer, but not close enough. Something after that? No, it was definitely something during the downpour. But the only interesting event that happened during that time was the sudden appearance of a Hylian. A Hylian named…

“That’s it!” Kass said out loud and stood up suddenly. The folk near the fire were even more worried now, why was he yelling so loud? He had sat there for an hour, at least, looking like a gargoyle, until he became as animated as a Guardian would. The two Hylians next to the fire just looked at each other and shrugged it off. People these days, they would think.

The revelation did nothing to calm his mind, but he had found the root of his worries. He knew what he had to do now, he needed to find Link. The Champion from 100 years ago sacrificed his life for the Princess, a truly selfless act. Kass knew the knight would do anything to save the lives of anyone and everyone he had met. But he had to stay alive, not to fight the Calamity, but to live out his life as a normal person. He deserved that much for his endless service.

Kass had no idea where Link could be, but he might as well start with Rito village. Before he could take off, he saw a small fairy hover next to him, seemingly trailing around Kass. It almost felt like some divine goddess was giving him a blessing. He buckled his concertina to his chest and started to flap his wings. There wasn’t much of an updraft here, but he would make do. The winds were calm and the village wasn’t too far away, it would be a breeze to fly over there.

Ironically, a small breeze grazed his feathers, it was an unnatural wind, it felt like someone had created it out of thin air. He glanced at the direction it came from and couldn’t see anything that might’ve caused it. A strange feeling took root in his stomach and he felt obligated to fly towards the mounds, to see what was behind them. The fairy from before flew behind him, a strange occurrence, fairies usually never show themselves unless they are near a Great Fairy fountain or the person they meet is a Kokiri, but no one has seen one in these lands for a long, long time.

Just as he was about to cross the hill, he felt the air dry up and everything went silent. No birds sang at that moment, no blade of grass dared to move, and even the Sun’s rays felt cold. Kass felt his feathers stand up and moved faster than ever before.

He crossed the mound and saw a horrific sight: a Hylian and a golden-maned beast, both bloodied up and breathing heavily. They were staring at each other’s eyes, both waiting for the other to move. The Hylian was ready to collapse at any moment, but he still held his blade up high, his grip tight on it. The beast, with its massive spear, roared and raised the weapon, aiming it towards the ground.

The Hylian quickly responded by grabbing his shield, his weapon fell from his grip, slippery from all the spilt blood. He kneeled and held his shield in front of him, blocking his body from the incoming harm.

Kass flew closer and could recognize the familiar face. Blonde hair and blue eyes, shoulder pierced by an arrow, still fizzing with electricity every now and then. The golden beast, which he now recognized to be a lynel, started to thrust the spear into the ground.

“Link!” Kass shouted, and tried to reach Link. Link appeared to ignore him and focused on the enemy, instead. Although he did glance at the distraught Rito for a second. They looked at each other and time seemed to stand still at that moment. Link’s eyes seemed hollow and tired, his face numb from pain. He exhaled and closed his eyes.

The lynel’s spear struck the ground and both the beast and Link were engulfed by flames.

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Link was walking briskly, his tempo erratic and his breathing uneven. He hadn’t stopped walking since he left the village and he was paying the price now. His lungs ached for air and his body wanted a rest, but he couldn’t stop now, he still had a ways to go until he reached his destination.

He wanted to reach the Gerudo desert as soon as possible, climbing mountains, crossing rivers, anything that would make him reach the place quicker. Ignoring the pain that was getting increasingly more intense, he climbed yet another mound. He was past the Tabantha stable and Link felt regret for not staying nor visiting it for at least a few minutes. Even if he didn’t want to rest, restocking on supplies would’ve been a smart idea in the long run.

Link’s head felt stuffy and his vision was getting a little blurry. He had to stop and rest now, collapsing from exhaustion wasn’t on his to-do list at the moment. The winds were cool and the Sun was forgiving, Link kneeled down and took deep breaths. His lungs were burning, but the constant flow of air seemed to mend the pain a little.

After a few minutes he stood back up and took a deeper look at his surroundings, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Trees and rocks covered the area, some small critters were running around and held as many berries as they were able to. Link walked around a bit and noticed one tree to be bigger than the others. Scratch that, it was massive, and by the looks of it, more than a century old. The bark was hardened to the point of being as tough as the stones near the tree.

Link gazed at the colossal tree with a curious expression. There was something about it that seemed familiar to him. All of the surrounding area here was somewhat nostalgic like he had been here before. He took out his slate and looked at Zelda’s pictures for reference, but didn’t see any correlation between the sights.

With a clear mind once again, he focused his gaze on the tree and just kept staring at it, hoping that something would happen if he kept at it long enough. Nothing happened, life continued without him.

But he didn’t give up just yet, he was stubborn and he won’t leave until he’s had enough. The more he looked, the quieter the surrounding area became. His peripheral was getting hazy and something clicked in the back of his mind. It was now completely silent and he only saw the tree, swaying yellow leaves towards Link.

The silence was the answer and he felt his mind recollect a memory.

Silence. Nothing else was heard in the distance. Two figures stood apart from each other, holding a fair distance. One of them was covered in silver armor, bruised and scratched in every place imaginable, the other wore a royal blue tunic, unscathed and still majestic in the sunlight. Both of them had an expressionless face, eyes locked on each other. The air was not moving and both of them waited for the other one to make a move.

“So you move out to Lanayru Spring tomorrow, then?” the older one finally asked. The younger one gave the smallest of nods, still neutral. The father scowled and glanced at the small tree that grew next to them.

“The princess’s last chance to awaken her powers,” the old man emitted a gloomy mood, “Without it, we will all surely die.”

With a sigh, the man steeled his gaze and looked back at the kid with conviction in his eyes. “Do not come back home if she fails to succeed in her duties, do not come back home until the Calamity is defeated.”

Link’s lips were thinned but he kept his composure, he wanted to scream back at him, but he knew he was right. So he took it and added it to his ever-growing pile of burdens.

The father looked at him, his gaze never straying from Link’s eyes. “I must go now, duty awaits us both,” he said with a tired voice.

He started walking away from Link, not looking back at him even once, knowing this could be the last chance to ever see him again. Link tightly squeezed his bracers until his knuckles were white. He tried to hold back his tears and barely did so.

“Goodbye Link,” he heard his father say, still walking further away from him, “And may the Goddess smile upon you… upon us all.”

He knew Link wanted to say something back to him, come home and be with him, catch up on all the activities they used to do, but that isn’t possible now. If Link or the princess fail now, they will pay the consequences, but he can’t be with Link until the world ends. Link deserves far better than an old man who has forsaken his duties as a father to train a poor boy to an expressionless savior.

Maybe, just maybe, if Link succeeded, they would start on a blank paper, forget their burdens for a while, and live their lives as a happy family.

Link collapsed to the ground, his body felt weak and his eyes were misty. The emotions he felt were raw and he wanted to cry out as he wanted to in the memory, but once again, kept them at bay.

He hated recollecting memories, none of them seemed to be positive, his father, even the Princess seemed to hate him, and there was only so much he could take before he fell apart.

Not now , Link thought to himself, fighting tears and exhaustion. Once he would reach the desert, he could relax a little. He stood up once again and took another deep breath. It was cut short by a low growl emitted by something near the tree.

Link quickly looked over the tree and felt his heart skip a beat. A massive beast emerged from behind the tree with a nasty-looking bow in its hands, ready to draw arrows at any moment. He quickly drew his own weapons and felt like he was under-equipped to take on the beast.

Cold sweat ran down his face as the winds started howling. The beast drew the bow and Link ran towards it with his shield in front of him. Their battle cries were engulfed by the mounds, their warnings went unnoticed by many.

The battle was gruesome: Link broke many of his swords and axes trying to pierce through the tough hide of the lynel while dodging the endless barrage of arrows it shot at him. The sharp spear made several small cuts all over his body, but with each blow, Link countered it with one of his own. He felt his ribs break when the beast charged him head-on, felt time slow down when he dodged perfectly and produced a flurry of blows onto his opponent. It was like his old self projected itself on the battlefield, many forgotten moves just performed instinctually.

Minutes were drawn out to hours and the ground lost its greenery, a desolate wasteland replacing it. Link was nearing his limits, he needed to win the battle as soon as possible. His scorched clothes singed his bleeding skin, uncomfortable, but it could be worse. The lynel was also wounded, it favored its right arm and one of its eyes was swollen. Both of them readied an attack, one going for a massive volley of fireballs and the other wanted to perform an aerial assault.

Link had one trick up his sleeve, he found an arrow in a chest a while ago that he had preserved for a situation like this. The arrow was makeshift, its head was replaced by an ancient Sheikah weapon, a dagger, presumably. He pushed a button on the blade and pulled a small lever hidden inside the weapon.

The arrow unfolded and a bright blue light appeared on the tip of the arrow. He didn’t know what the arrow was capable of, but he hoped it was as strong as the other ancient weaponry he had found in shrines. Link readied his bow and kneeled down on the ground. A small gust of wind surrounded Link and he jumped up as soon as the first fireball came towards him at a fast speed.

He was up in the air, far above the fire, even the old tree was getting smaller by the second. Revali flew around Link with a glowing green sheen on his feathers. For the first time Link has seen Revali, he actually looked worried for a second. His eyes glowed brighter than the fire or the grass, Be careful was written all over his face. Link gave a small nod to Revali as he disappeared and took aim, his sights set on the beast.

His aim was spot-on, fingers were firm but loose, and he let out an exhale.

Release the string in three, two, one…

Link reached the apex of his jump and slowly started to fall down again. A perfect shot, no way he was going to miss, it was a point-blank, really.

Except that he couldn’t let go of the string, his hand wouldn’t listen to him, actually, none of his body parts seemed to. A sharp pain came over him soon after and he let out a hiss of pain. When he finally gained control over his body, he saw that he had an arrow lodged through his shoulder.

Shit , Link thought, He must’ve shot it while he breathed out the first fireball. The fireball was merely a decoy, and Link fell for it. Idiot.

He drew his paraglider to soften the fall and landed on his two feet. He wanted to remove the arrow, but he had to get rid of the lynel first. Unfortunately, he dropped his bow and arrow while he fell, they were feet away from him, much closer to the lynel than Link.

He could barely move, the electricity was surging through his nerves, inhibiting his movement, only his arms seemed to cooperate. Link shot a glare at the lynel who looked back at Link with a sadistic glee in its eyes. His anger grew and he tried to force himself to move, the lynel raised its spear and prepared a mighty attack that would be fatal for Link if he just stood there.

As he tried to reach for his shield, he thought he heard a familiar voice call for him. Link ignored it, thinking it to be a hallucination, but when something came in his peripherals, he dared a glance at the figure.

Link couldn’t do anything but look at Kass. He looked so distraught, Link didn’t have the power to warn him of the coming attack, so he just raised a shield and blocked himself from the incoming blast. In the second or two, they just kept their eyes connected, the battle momentarily forgotten.

Finally, Link closed his eyes and hoped that Kass would stay away from the range of the blast. He almost looked like… he cared about me? It was all he wanted, just for someone to have that look on their face that made him warm. If he dies now, then it will be with happy thoughts.

A searing fire engulfed him.

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Kass barely avoided the massive explosion but was still struck by the heatwave. He grunted but shook it off soon after. He flew into the smoke, searching for anything that might indicate Link had survived the blast. Thank the Goddess for blessing Rito with good eyes.

He found Link almost immediately and sharply landed next to him. Even through the thick smoke, he could see that Link was on death’s door. He didn’t have any potions or bandages to heal him with, but he doubted that it would help him now, anyway.

A growl took him out of his thoughts and saw the lynel still standing tall and proud with the spear in its hands. The smoke dissipated and Kass noticed the bow Link dropped, along with a strange looking arrow a good bit away from it. He was furious, he unclasped the concertina and dropped it to the ground with no care, breaking a few cogs in the process. Kass’s eyes glinted with a plan and quickly started flying towards the arrow.

The heat had produced a small updraft, allowing Kass to glide low to the ground with surprising speed. He grabbed the arrow and quickly turned to where the bow was. The lynel quickly caught up to his plan and snorted. It raised its spear and thrust it towards Kass.

Kass predicted the move and swiftly dodged it, but the spear pierced the bow in half Kass was trying to reach. I see, a smart one, it seems , He thought. Unfortunately for the lynel, Kass also thought of that possibility and flew straight towards the beast.

The lynel had no way of defending itself, the spear was deep in the ground, so the only course of action for it was to take the arrow Kass was about to thrust into its neck.

A massive vortex surrounded the beast and was quickly engulfed by a blinding light. It wanted to scream out, but the light quickly spread out in every direction and imploded on itself. A majestic spectacle to see, not so much to experience. In a flash, the beast was gone, no trace of it remaining, not even the spear had survived it. Even the arrow was removed from existence, cast off into oblivion.

Kass was shocked by the sight and tried his best to comprehend what happened. He took a deep breath and then remembered Link’s critical condition. Almost immediately, he was back at Link’s side and tried to get him out of his burnt clothes.

The Hylian didn’t respond to any stimuli and Kass barely kept his composure. Once Link’s upper body was stripped of clothing, he checked his pulse and breathing. It was faint, but it was still there. His eyes were still and he didn’t blink, however much Kass called out to him.

Kass was about to fly off to get some help, but the small fairy that had followed him appeared out of nowhere. It slowly hovered over Link’s body and started sprinkling some of its dust onto him. The specks were absorbed by Link’s scarred and charred skin and it slowly started to regain its normal pigment. The bloody wounds were slowly closing up and the broken bones were set back to their original position. Kass tried to help and pulled the shock arrow out of Link’s shoulder.

Once the fairy finished the healing process, it flew away back to wherever it came from. Kass’s eyes never left Link’s for a single moment, he waited for any indication that Link would eventually wake up. He slowly plopped down onto the ground and put his wing around Link’s back, holding him up from the dirty ground.

Link finally opened his eyes and coughed violently. He had the decency to cover his face, but Kass still felt some of his saliva fly into his face. Not that he cared at the moment, Link was alive and well.

Link looked flabbergasted for a second, not remembering what had happened and once he did, he frantically tried to look for the now obliterated lynel.

“Wh- Where is-” Link said in a raspy voice, before coughing yet again, his throat raw. 

“The lynel is no more Link.” Kass preemptively answered his question. “Everything is alright, okay?”

Link couldn’t believe his ears, did Kass just say he defeated the lynel. He tried to sit up, but his muscles screamed in protest and laid down again into Kass’s warm wings with a soft grunt.

“Try not to move too much, rest here for as long as you need,” Kass said with a warm tone, “I was so worried for you, you know that?”

Link breathed in and out in a practiced manner, trying to soothe the pain he felt. He felt so weak, but also so strong at the same time where Kass held him.

“H- How did you even find me?” Link asked once he regained his senses.

Kass did not answer immediately, he looked up in the sky and looked thoughtful. What was it exactly that urged him to head to Link’s direction? A divine intervention, luck, something else, perhaps? After a while, he looked back to Link, who had an innocent look in his eyes. No, he knew why he found Link.

“Call it a fatherly instinct,” Kass answered finally with a small smirk. Link didn’t know what to do with that information. He certainly hadn’t expected that answer, he hadn’t expected an answer, to be honest. If anything, he half expected him to ask for a reward for saving Link, as any other person would.

So why wouldn’t he, why was he always so… friendly? The warm atmosphere he brought alongside him, the cheerful voice he had, courageous, the attributes of a hero.

Link was so confused by everything. His recent memories, the battle, Kass, everything. He’s had enough of this, this is too much for him.

A tear streamed down his face, followed by another and another. The bottled up feelings were finally let loose, every emotion for the last 100 years, were now free. They were aging there like a fine wine, and it felt good to finally let the cork loose. So he did, with sobs and endless tears.

“Link, what’s wrong?” Kass asked with a concerned voice. He was worried to see Link suddenly have a breakdown, but it seemed like it wasn’t from any physical pain. Kass only got another whimper as an answer, the feathers on his hands were getting slightly damp.

It’s not the first time he has been in a situation like this. Granted, his children were not exactly the heroes of Hyrule, but a kid is a kid, and he knew how to deal with them accordingly. So he started to slowly rub Link’s back only to find himself nearly toppled when Link suddenly threw himself at him.

“Please don’t leave me ! ” He cried out and held Kass tightly. He was still crying and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Kass didn’t answer, but covered Link with his wings and held him there comfortingly.

Link hid his face in Kass’s neck and almost disappeared in the fluffy feathers. His grip stayed as strong as it was, afraid Kass would vanish if he let go. Kass slowly started rocking them both in a calming manner, as one would do with a distressed kid.

They stayed like that for a while, ignoring the Sun and the wind, only focusing on each other. The whole mound was quiet, nothing dared to move but them. They kept swaying slowly in rhythm, like a pendulum, never slowing down.

Link managed to calm down his sobbing a little and tried to glance at Kass to see if he was okay with this. When Kass returned the gaze with a doting look, he returned his head to the safe haven that was Kass’s body. Link tried to bury himself even deeper into the plumage, so Kass tried to lift his head to give him better access to them. He immediately felt the small head rubbing itself against the soft feathers. Kass held his head on top of Link’s, locking the Hylian into a tight embrace, where no harm could come to him.

Eventually, Link stopped crying and instead just closed his eyes and played with the beige-colored feathers on Kass’s chest. They were contempt with silence and Link reveled in the soothing air Kass produced.

“Kass?” Link mumbled into his feathers. Kass made a small noise indicating he was listening, but otherwise still continued his movement. “Would you- would you please listen to my story?”  

“Always.”

So Link told him everything he knew, from his memories as a Champion to his adventures as an amnesiac. Kass listened and said nothing in response, only swayed back and forth every once in a while. He was a little mad about Link’s father, though. How dare he commit such horrendous acts of parenting, instilling fear, and idiotic ideals onto a small child.

“Link,” Kass interrupted Link when he was getting self-deprecating, “Listen to me now, okay? Please.”

Link stopped his rambling and looked at Kass with misty eyes. Kass also stopped his swaying and removed one wing from Link’s back.

“Never, ever blame yourself for any of this, do you understand me?” Kass said in a stern voice, Link had wanted to protest, but Kass continued, “Look at what happened when you are forced to bear your burdens in this manner.”

Link didn’t answer, but he glanced away from Kass, still not fully convinced. Kass raised his wing to Link’s chin and forced him to turn his gaze back. 

“You have been given a second chance, Link,” Kass swept away the remains of Link’s tears, “If you continue the way you are now, you’re just repeating the same mistakes you once did. You need to change the way you are if you want a happy ending.”

“I don’t know how, Kass,” Link said in a wobbly voice, his face leaned towards Kass’s feathered hand, “All I’ve known is this, I have always been so… alone.”

Kass hummed and thought of a good answer. He noticed that Link’s hair was braided, the white ribbon still standing after the battle. That gave Kass a bold idea, but it would be a beneficial gamble for them both if it paid off.

“In that case, why not join me and my family, we always have room for more,” Kass said in a fatherly voice. Link looked at him wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

“I-I… What?” He stammered out, shocked to hear Kass’s suggestion. Kass frowned, thinking he must’ve crossed a line somewhere.

“Of course it’s merely a suggestion, you have all the rights to continue your adventure without joining me and my family.” He tried to salvage, still keeping his tone warm, “I’m sorry if I offended you.”

Link shook his head and opened his mouth a few times, trying to answer. He took another deep breath and opened his mouth again.

“No, it just took me by surprise,” Link looked into Kass’s eyes, “I would very much like to be part of your family if that’s still a possibility that is.”

Link had a faint blush on his face, he was eager to get these words out, but they sounded pretty cheesy to him. Kass only glanced at Link before letting out a small chuckle.

“Of course you can,” Kass nudged Link, wanting to stand up. Link obliged and hopped off Kass’s lap. “Well, in that case, we better get going then.”

Link nodded and was filled with many emotions, all of them were positive. He was giddy to have someone he liked taking care of him. He put on his blue tunic and walked to Kass with a bouncy step. It was dusk, the winds were getting colder, but Link only felt warmth.

He tripped on a hidden rock, but this time was caught by Kass. Never again would he be afraid of tripping, for he knew there was someone to grasp onto.

Chapter Text

Link ran back to the charred ground and started to salvage what was left of his weapons. The sun was starting to set and the muddy ground made Link’s vision even more blurry than it already was. When he found his bow, it was more reminiscent of some weapons the Sheikah would use, nunchucks, were they? Whatever they were, they were of no use to anyone, and to be frank, it wasn’t of the best quality anyway. Link continued his search and tried to recover his other tools.

In the meantime, Kass also tried to find his instrument. When he spotted it, he walked over to it and was sad to see its state. Some of the buttons were pushed in indefinitely and a small hole was peeking out of the bellows. Nothing he can’t fix, but it still hurt him somewhat to see the damage done to his concertina. Carefully, he picked it back up and strapped the instrument to his vest, minding the gears and fragile body. Once he was sure it wouldn’t fall off, Kass looked at what Link was doing.

Link… flailed his broken bow around, trying to look menacing, but instead reminded Kass of his daughters when they had an all-out “war” with sticks of various shapes and sizes. He wonders if Link has already met his daughters, judging by the feathers he wore on his hair, Kass would guess that he had indeed met with Amali and others. His hair was also a lot cleaner and it looked presentable, even after a near-death situation. A small grin appeared on Kass’s face when Link finally slipped and smacked himself in the face with the bow.

“You know, Link, you should treat your tools with respect, even when they are not usable for the time being.” Kass walked towards Link, hands crossed and face neutral. Link turned towards Kass, one of his cheeks stained red from the smack he received, and glanced at his bow.

“Why bother, you can always get new ones from wherever you want, it’s not like the world has a shortage of bows,” He dropped the bow to the ground and looked back towards Kass, “Besides, this junk barely qualifies as a bow, I needed to get a new one, anyway.”

Kass remained silent and only raised a brow. Has he really been scrounging for new weapons constantly, instead of actually taking good care of them? In hindsight he should have seen it coming, there’s no reason Link needed to know preservation -- and self-preservation--, you are awoken to a brand new world with nothing to lose, it would make sense to just mindlessly go through weapons as a distressed chef would go through food. Thankfully Link doesn't just mass-produce food, right?

“Even so, there’s no reason not to preserve what you have instead of throwing all your equipment away.” Kass leaned his wings on his concertina. It let out a sad puff of agreement. Link landed his eyes on the broken instrument.

‘Maybe so, maybe not.’ Link also crossed his arms, but not without wincing. His body was finally coming out of the adrenaline and Oh Goddess, this hurts. He quickly unwound his arms and tried to remain as still as possible.

“What actually happened here?” Link tried to deflect the current topic. “To the lynel?”

Kass furrowed his brows at Link as if trying to understand why he stood there like a frozen talus. He closed his eyes and hummed for a few moments, processing the events that occurred.

“It appears that the ancient technology can be quite dangerous,” Link stood unmovingly, “That, uh, arrow certainly had more power in it than one would expect.”

“But you had no bow to shoot it with, and if I’m not mistaken…” Link leaned sideways to see Kass’s back, “Not even a Rito can magically conjure a bow out of thin air, right?”

Kass only raised a brow and glanced at the slate on Link’s hip, You’re one to talk. As if Link could read the words in Kass’s eyes, he followed the gaze onto the device. “Well, you know what I mean.”

“No, I solemnly swear we don’t have an innate ability to create bows out of nothing.” In an exaggerated gesture, he put one of his wings on his chest and winked at Link. “In all seriousness, I just rammed it into the lynel with as much strength as I could muster.”

…

“Wha-?” Was all Link could answer. “But…,” Link scratched his head until he remembered his body still hurt. It’s a plan, but it sounds like something Link would’ve done, just rush into something and hope it perishes before he does. He never thought Kass was capable of something so grand and so, so stupid.

“You could have just thrown the arrow, why risk yourself like that?”  

Kass held eye contact with Link, never showing any signs of backing down like he had planned all of his actions. Had he? Link wouldn’t know, not any strategy at least, only muscle memory remained, or what was left of it.

“It would have indeed been many times safer and less extreme, but what if it missed?” Their eyes were still glued together. “No, I had to make sure to get rid of it, maim it at the very least, enough to get you into safety.”

Link wouldn’t let up his gaze, as if trying to find a better reason for Kass’s actions. Kass sighed and clarified further.

“Link, every Rito born in the village has to go through mandatory service. Even I at one point had to learn strategy and combat. Training your body and your mind is an important part of every Rito. Besides, it wouldn’t be a smart idea to travel the wilderness without properly preparing for it, hmm?”

Link’s eyes softened up, but still had some amount of doubt hidden in them.

“Also,” Kass added to make sure Link was fully informed of his training, “I haven’t told you yet, but before I became a travelling musician, I was trained by a Sheikah poet. Now mind you, the Sheikah are quiet about their ways of training, but I was lucky enough to have some bits of wisdom bestowed upon me. Not only was I trained by Rito, but I also learned quick decision making and analysis by the Sheikah, in addition to music, of course. In theory, I am much more prepared to take on a dangerous foe right now than you are. ”

Link didn’t disagree with that statement, so he sighed and looked at the broken instrument instead. A musical expert and a tactical expert too, it seems. What else couldn’t Kass do?

Link smiled and looked back up to Kass. Even becoming a surrogate father isn’t enough to stop this majestic bird. Not that he minded, now he could brag about having a cool dad.

“It’s starting to get late, we should probably get some shelter.” Kass looked up into the darkening sky. The ground was becoming colder by the minute and soon after, the dead would rise.

“Unless you want to split up and walk your own path?” Kass asked Link. He was still giving Link a chance to continue his journey alone. Maybe some time ago he would have taken it, to try to quicken his journey and to end the constant dull pain in his chest.

“You aren’t trying to get rid of me, are you?” Link grinned, “Never!”

Kass had a small smile on his face and moved closer to Link. “I see, your loss then.” Link shrugged and experimentally took hold of Kass’s feathered hand. Kass didn’t even seem to notice like it was natural.

“But where to now, there aren’t many spots that wouldn’t have any monsters popping out of the ground,” Kass hummed in thought, “Though we could go to a stable to rejuvenate.”

Link wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea, but he still didn’t want to be around so many people, not any strangers, at least. But he did have an idea on where to go next. His body was still in pain, and for the first time since he woke up at the Plateau, he wanted to cool down and take a few days off. Link took a breath and tugged at Kass’s wing, getting his attention.

“Maybe, uh, maybe we could go to Rito village?”

------------------------------------------------

“Please put that down,” “Oh, for the love of- NO come down here,” “I swear, I’m going insane.”

A voice of distress and a bunch of shrill laughter-filled Rito village. The pastel-green Rito took a deep breath and continued her trek to find all her daughters hiding in some obscure spots.

“Every time I want you to go to bed, you just have to make it a living pain for me, huh?” muttered Amali, catching her breath after running back and forth for what seemed like the fourth lap around the stairs. So far, she had found three of the five rascals, but the last two seemed to disappear into thin air.

“Maybe they went into Tulin’s roost?” suggested Kheel, who decided to follow her and help her poor mother after she was found. She always liked hide-and-seek and for her, it was but a matter of testing her skills in tracking and hunting or something like that.

“I don’t think Saki would allow them to stay in there so late unless they have hidden themselves in there without her knowledge,” Amali sighed yet again and started to walk back up the stairs, which seemed to grow longer the minute she ascended.

Kheel jovially bounced up the stairs with seemingly endless stamina, humming a small tune while Amali tried to catch up, her eyes lit with enough hatred to burn the very stairs she walked on. Goddesses, how I sometimes wish we could use some sort of elevation system to move us up or down.

Whilst she thought of a plan to send the stairs to damnation, Kheel ran into Tulin himself, who carried a handful of tools: mostly oils and smaller screws for bows. Both lost their balance for a moment, but neither seemed to fall down. Tulin looked like he was in a world of pain though.

“Oh, hey Tulin,” said Kheel, who recovered far quicker than the white-feathered kid. 

“Heya,” answered Tulin, who wanted to just unload the heavy burden he wore on his wings. He was just about to step into his roost when Amali called out to him.

“Hi Tulin, you haven’t seen Kotts or Notts anywhere, have you?”

Tulin froze in place and seemingly tried to avoid looking back at her. He subtly glanced at his wardrobe and just as quickly looked back at the floor. His feathers were slightly starting to puff.

“Nope, not at all,” was all he said, before rushing into his roost and starting to sort out the tools he held.

Amali was about to step inside their neighbour’s home, but Kheel was squinting her eyes at something off in the distance before her eyes widened. She gasped and quickly grabbed her mother’s hand and started pointing at the distance.

“Mama, look, look, Papa’s back home,” she stated in a loud voice. Amali just looked at her with unimpressed eyes. It’s not the first time she has been fooled by a trick such as this. Whenever she was close to finding someone, one of the girls would distract her, allowing the others to relocate to another of their hidden hiding spots.

Though, she was mildly impressed that Kheel has improved her method acting so much in such a short amount of time. Usually, she wouldn’t sound so convincing, her eyes or her voice would usually give her away. Well, it’s not like the girls can go anywhere from here, she thought . Amali stood right next to the doorway so there really was no way the girls could escape unnoticed.

Daring a glance at wherever Kheel was pointing, she was met with a Rito she instantly recognised, flying towards Revali’s landing. It was the sky-colored Rito with his bandoneon, proudly extended wings, and boundless sassy wisdom. Also, he had something- someone else on his back, clinging on for dear life. It was hard to see who it was, but they had a recognizable hairstyle. Was that…

“Link!” yelled Kheel as she ran past Amali towards Revali’s landing. 

Amali stood still, as did time itself for a moment. She could only see his husband, eyes weary and wings almost cramped, but still strong enough to hold Link. He seemed ready to catch Link if he would accidentally slip off his body, so he tried to fly in a position awkward for a Rito, chest puffed, reminiscent of the late Champion Revali. She could see Kass wanting to land and fall over till he slept like a mountain.

And Link, he too looked far worse for wear than she last saw him. His arms and legs had a vice grip on Kass’s torso, it was almost like he was in a piggyback ride if he didn’t look like he was about to dive headfirst into the lake below. 

Kass only eyed the platform that was gradually coming closer to him, he didn’t notice his wife or his daughters, who came out of hiding, running towards the boardwalk to greet him. Just a little bit more, who knew Link would be so heavy with all this equipment on him. Thank the Goddess they were so close to the village, he would have dreaded to carry him multiple times in one day.

Link’s face was hidden behind the feathers in Kass’s shoulders. “I don’t want my face to freeze to an ice block.” he would say to Kass when they started to fly. It was partially true, the blue feathers were effective at insulating the harsh winds in this region, but Link just wanted to embrace someone for once. It’s not his fault he was cold and Kass was warm. He almost dozed off a few times during the trip, but for Kass’s sake, he would try to stay awake.

Feeling the change of altitude, Link raised his head from the comfort of fluffy feathers and dared a look forward. He saw familiar faces with varying types of surprise on them and some faces that were new to him. Four small Rito with vastly different colored plumage were waving and cheering at his-- or Kass’s--  direction. These must be the siblings of Kheel , he thought. If he didn’t actively try to avoid falling off at every possible moment, he would try to wave back and smile, but it seems like the fairy only healed the scarred tissue, it didn’t really rejuvenate him in any way. Now that he has fully exhausted all hormones in his body, he only felt the soreness and the aches on his body trying to shut him down for his own good.

Finally, Kass landed and Link unmounted the Rito. As soon as he hit the ground, he felt lightheaded and only stood still because he held onto Kass at the last minute. Kass grabbed Link but otherwise didn’t look back at him.

Amali, who stood next to her kids, and Kass held eye contact while the small ones quickly tackled Kass. Link was used as a meat shield against the onslaught of Rito children, but the half-asleep Hylian proved no match for the kids who climbed over him or stepped beside him. Amali slowly stepped forward as well with a small smirk on her face, seeing the poor dad try to fend off his kids.

In the end, everyone was huddled in a vibrant pile of plumage and hair, Link was squeezed in all sides by the feathery folk. It was so painful, his muscled screamed out in pain, but Link still had a smile on his face. It was pretty warm.

“Took you long enough,” Amali whispered to Kass whilst everyone was giggling or poking at each other.

“I’m still not done with it,” Kass responded in a soft tone, his eyes so tired and his body cramped.

Amali hummed and looked at Link who was leaning onto Amali’s side, the feather she gave him almost tickling her beak.

“It’s only been a day, yet he looks like he’s fought a lynel and a hinox at the same time, what-”

“Don’t even start.” Kass groaned.

“- could possibly have happened to him in a single day, honey?”

“It’s nothing we need to worry about, dear.”

“Uh-huh,” mumbled Amali with a deadpan look in her eyes. She pointed her finger at Kass’s broken instrument.

“And this? Is this something we need to worry about?”

Kass looked at his bandoneon. Amali poked her finger inside the broken bellow to prove her point.

“Performance of my lifetime?” Kass tried to avoid the subject, he knew Amali doesn’t like rash behavior. I ran into a lynel with an arrow would probably get him a smack to the head alongside an angry glare.

“You wouldn’t break this if your, or someone’s, life wasn’t in grave danger,” Amali said to him with a heavy look, “I believe that’s what you have told me many times before.”

Kass grumbled but didn’t try to defend himself. “I’ll tell you what has happened to me in the morning, I don’t feel like I can stay conscious for too much longer.”

Amali sighed but let the topic slide. She tried to disentangle herself from the group, but only Link wouldn’t let go of her.

“Link?”

No response, the kids were starting to move out into their roost when Kass told them to go to bed, and Kass himself was starting to ascend the set of stairs.

“Everything okay?” Kass asked when he saw Amali wouldn’t move from the landing. He had a curious look on his face when Link still clung to her. Cute .

“ I think he passed out,” Amali answered when she poked Link and saw no visible response from him. Oh, not so cute.

She picked Link up and with wobbly legs, started to follow Kass up the stairs. Normally he would ask her if she needs help, but her stubborn nature has taught him a great many things about keeping his beak shut. So instead, he gave her a small smile and walked the stairs at a pace that would allow her to keep up. Amali smiled back and seemingly hastened her pace, trying to goad him into a race back to their roost.

Together they went, as a family, with a new member to brighten up the village. Still cute.

Chapter Text

Sometimes warmth is not a feeling that envelops a part of your body, rather a part of your soul instead. A powerful type of bliss, capable of rendering one’s body immobile in a caring, gentle way. The ignorance as a side effect isn’t detrimental to anyone, it cleanses the spirit of foul thoughts and slights. That was exactly the sort of feeling Link was experiencing. For the first time in a long while, he isn’t having any dreams nor nightmares, no regrets at the back of his mind, only the warmth that’s surging through his veins. It was so comforting.

Why now? he almost cared to ask himself, before forgetting the skeptical part of himself and indulged in his more selfish nature. Who cares why, maybe because he found something that has given him hope or someone has imparted to him some wisdom on life and the existence of living beings. Well, now that his mind was slowly drifting towards those thoughts, it was becoming rather obvious why he was at peace. 

After all, he passed out in a group hug from his new family. The feelings intensified as if to egg him on to think more about them. Warmth… so soothing and feathery, what a coincidence, huh? Suddenly he felt his surroundings shift, though he couldn’t really see anything at all. Something was lurking right next to him, it slowly hovered towards his arm and in a few moments, climbed on it. It felt so real, the ghostly touch, was it even a touch? It was rather clumsy.

In the span of a few seconds, the weird tangible feeling moved over to his chest area and stood still, as if planning something devious. The pressure on him was getting heavier, until suddenly…

“Wake up, Link!”

As soon as the pressure went away, it came back, knocking his breath out of him. He was sure he saw stars everywhere he looked, figuratively of course. Alarmed, Link opened his eyes, and saw a blurry image of a small, purple figure, bouncing on his chest.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” said the voice, full of laughter and joy, whilst Link was making a noise close to a squeak. His brain caught up to him and identified the jovial soul as Kheel, who now jumped off of his hammock, enjoying the distressed look on Link’s face. 

His body woke up as well and sent him a wave of pain as a greeting. Seems like his muscles will never be happy with him. At least they were lenient today, the dull pain was barely noticeable. The warmth he felt earlier still hasn’t left him, surprisingly.

“What time is it?” Link yawned out and looked at his surroundings. He was in Amali’s roost if he wasn’t mistaken. The air outside was timid and inviting, begging him to enjoy the sun and the feeling of freedom.

“It’s afternoon already,” Kheel answered in a happy tone, “Mom told me to wake you up and drag you to our kitchen, so come on, let’s go!”

She started to bounce to the communal kitchen that was currently occupied by the entirety of Kass’s family. It seems they were waiting for someone else to join them for lunch. Link quickly jumped off his hammock, ran his hands through his hair to feel if it was presentable, and followed after Kheel into the kitchen.

The family was chattering about different things. Amali shooed the yellow and green colored Rito away from the cooking pot and Kass was fiddling with his instrument with some ancient parts lying around him. The red and blue feathered kids annoyed Kass, trying to make him recite his tales of Hyrule. Link felt partially guilty when he didn’t know the names of Kass’s children, aside from Kheel, but it was overcome by the sense of peace when he saw all of them living out their lives like normal people.

“You’re finally awake,” said Amali while stirring the cooking pot, emitting steam and a faint aroma. That smells good.  

“I presume you were awakened by one of Kheel’s specialties,” she said to Link, “I heard you cry out from the roost.”

Link scratched his neck while giving out a small chuckle. Not one of his highlights, but really, how can anyone expect a surprise attack when you’re in such a safe space.

“Well, sit down, I’m almost done with lunch, you can- Hey cut it out,” Amali said to the green Rito child who looked ready to eat the entire dish by herself. “Everyone, please sit down next to each other, including you, honey.”

The children obliged and sat down in a semicircle, leaving Link in the middle. All of them, except for Kheel, held a small distance from him, which was perfectly fine by Link. He would have time to meet ‘n’ greet all of them sooner or later, anyway.

Kass sighed, put down his instrument, and moved next to one of the kids, giving Link a small smile on the way, which he reciprocated almost instantaneously. Amali stopped stirring and put the lid on the stew, leaving it to brew for a while. She sat down next to Kass and gave him a quick look, before making an announcement.

“Alright everyone, listen up,” Amali said in a commanding voice, silencing everyone. A few seconds went by, almost bordering the line of awkwardness before she motioned with her wings and continued her speech.

“As of today, our little flock here is growing by a number of one,” almost everyone gasped or widened their eyes, seemingly surprised by this revelation. Some of the kids looked at each other with excited looks plastered all over them. A glance or two at Amali’s chest, to see if she has any abnormalities, but to no avail, she looked completely fine.

“You are going to have a big brother on your side, so please, let’s welcome him…” She made a dramatic sweep with her wings, pointing directly at… ”Link, you are the eighth member of our little family.”

Once again, everyone stood silent, absorbing the new information. Then suddenly, Kheel cheered out, followed by Amali and then Kass. The other girls also burst out of joy, “Wow, that’s so cool- We finally got a brother- A Hylian who looks awesome!”  

Everything was a mess, Link was the only one who stayed silent. He sat still, not daring to move a muscle. Not a single emotion ran through his face. A stony mask, worn by the late Hylian champion, was placed on his face. But it seems not even the invisible veil was enough to fully cover his thought process. Slowly, a blush came over his face and made itself noticeable to others. He felt warm, lightheaded, and was ready to collapse right back into the roost he recently came from.

Kass, who was smiling at the surprise fest, looked at Link’s reaction and tried not to let out a chuckle. He was mildly surprised at the look on his face, Link had glossy eyes and he looked ready to cry out in joy. They both exchanged a glance and Kass read what Link’s eyes conveyed to him. It was as clear as day what he wanted to say: Thank you, thank you so much for all of this.

“Okay,” called out Amali in a clear voice, her beak contorted to a small smile herself, “Link, I think it’s time to meet your sister’s, hmm?”

Link felt eyes on him and he fell out of his stupor, nodding in agreement. He looked around himself and saw all of the kid- his siblings, surrounding him in a circle.

“I’m Kheel,” said the smiling purple Rito, giving him a small wave. Link gave her a shy smile and waved back. “I’m Notts,” said the red one. Link nodded and continued listening to all of them. One by one they introduced themselves and Link was trying his hardest to remember all of them.

Red Notts, Yellow Kotts, Green Genli, Blue Cree, and Purple Kheel, was how he internalized their names. All of them put together make a rainbow, neat.

When they were done with the boring part, the girls went to ask Link about his adventures. “How is it outside? Have you fought anything big? Did you fly up to Medoh?” Link was quickly overwhelmed by the questions but tried to answer them all anyway. He talked about his life so far, making grandiose gestures like Amali did, and captivated the attention of all his siblings.

Amali in the meantime finished cooking and started to serve the dish into wooden bowls. The engraved dishes were steaming hot and smelled of creamy fish and buttery broth. She listened in on his stories as well, huffing when Link was obviously exaggerating about his conquests and almost frowned when she heard of his unnecessarily detailed battles.

Kass was also listening with half an ear, mostly once more focused on fixing his bandoneon, tempering with the gears and brass parts on the inside of the instrument. He hummed discontentedly, the damage wasn’t irredeemable, it was just annoying to delve so deep into the instrument to make it in working order again. Oh well, such is the life we live.

Link didn’t pause his narration for a bit, even when a hot bowl of soup was given to him. Though he did thank her with a smile. All in all, it was just a quiet afternoon, families enjoying the peaceful lives they were given. Laughter filled the air and everything seemed so perfect.

“All right kids, you can go out and play now,” said Amali long after everyone was finished with their meals. Only Link and Genli ate more than one portion and even then, Link didn’t seem to show any signs of stopping.

“Aww, really? Can we have Link with us as well?” asked Kheel, disheartened by the sudden interruption. Amali shook her head and collected all the empty bowls off the ground. “I’m sorry, but we need to have a talk with Link, a serious one.”

Her voice was warm no more, Link was not going to enjoy this, was he? At least Kass was still here, though his expression was also neutral and his hands were crossed. Dear Goddess Hylia, don’t let this be a long lecture.

The smaller Rito understood that tone of Amali’s and quickly fled the roost. All of them sent him a look, pitying the poor Hylian who got caught up on the short end of the stick. “See you soon, Link,” they said in unison, giving him encouraging smiles on the way. Link gulped and steeled himself for the coming battle of wits. He’s done this before, he can do it, he can survive another one.

“Link, look at me,” asked Amali with a patient voice. Link did as he was told and once she was satisfied with his attention to her, she continued, “We’re not going to talk about anything you’ve done, at least that’s not the main focus.”

Link kept looking at her and nodded a little. Some of the tension melted away, but he was still wary.

“As much as I would like to remind you of the complete idiocy of facing a lynel with no experience, both of you,” she sent a glare towards Kass, “I am thankful both of you returned with no mortal wounds.”

“How did you know I faced a lynel?” Link asked her, already suspecting who did it.

“Luckily for you Link, my husband told me all about it this morning, and as a result, he took the brunt of my… concerns,” Link looked at Kass and mouthed him a small thank you. He hummed at Link and continued to listen to Amali.

“I know you have a duty, a heavy burden placed on your shoulders,” said Amali with a saddened tone, “I know I can’t stop you, I know it’s not wise to try either. BUT…”

She stood up and opened a nearby drawer and started to rummage through stacks of books. Link heard Kass clear his throat, and so he gave him his attention.

“Link, you told me yesterday that you wouldn’t continue your journey alone, is that statement true?” Link nodded quickly, nothing could change his mind on that. Kass hummed and continued, “Then we must agree on some rules from now on, are you alright with that?”

Another nod, so far so good.

“First off,” said Amali suddenly, shoving a heavy book onto Link’s hands. He looked back and forth between the book and Amali. “I was told you aren’t exactly caring for your weapons, so in order to change that, I decided to make you learn how to do that.”

The book was old, some of the pages were tattered, but the covers were still in almost pristine condition. It read out ‘Hyrule Blacksmith Guild: Weapons of Every type’, written by Cedro the Blacksmith.

“You’ll find a lot of useful information about almost all of the weapons the warriors all around Hyrule used. That includes weapon maintenance and preservation, alongside some tips on how to fuse and enhance your tools and armor alike.”

“Okay,” Link said to all of that. Sure, he could do with some reading, he always liked books, or at least, he thinks he did.

“Secondly,” Amali gave him no quarter to say anything, “You are going to Elder Kaneli’s roost, apologize to him for being an idiot for not returning to him earlier, and then listen to him on what he has to say to you. I’m sure you both of you will benefit from it, whatever the outcome.”

Damn , he did forget to inform Kaneli of Medoh and instead ran away the first moment he could. Teba probably told him about the whole ordeal anyway, but he still felt a sudden wave of guilt consume his mind. Was Teba even okay? The last time he saw him, he was crippled by a stray blast of a cannon of Medoh’s. He needs to apologize to him too, as well as his wife and son for neglecting his lifelong promise of protecting the people of Hyrule. At this point, he might as well plaster a sign on him that says ‘I’m an idiot, please forgive me’ .

“Thirdly, when you’re done with the Elder, seek out Harth, our craftsman, to further learn about the importance of preservation. I’m sure he would be most glad to help you out, so don’t be afraid to ask him any questions, alright?”

“Right,” Link was afraid he might have to jot down some notes, she wouldn’t stop giving him errands. When Amali didn’t say anything further, Link digested the bundle of information he received. It wasn’t anything too taxing, just the amount of talking that was necessary was alarmingly high. He could talk for days, but that was when he considered the one he talked to a friend. Strangers were a tad bit more… enigmatic than he liked. But since he now officially lived in Rito village -- he did live there, right?--,  Link might as well get comfortable with his new neighbors.

Link stood up from the pillow he sat on, stretched his mellow muscles, and started to walk out of the roost.

“Oh, Link!” Link stopped in the middle of leaving the roost and looked back at Kass, who called him out. Kass stood up as well and walked towards Link, “Do you mind if I could borrow this slate of yours, I was always curious about this device on your hip?”

Link unclipped the slate and held it between his fingers. “Only if you give me a hug,” he said jokingly. He was partly surprised when Kass picked him up with his wings and crushed him between the Rito’s chest. Link yelped and almost dropped the device, but he held on with all his might. Soon, he was dropped back onto the ground and Kass ruffled Link’s hair.

“That good enough?” he asked, a smirk on his charcoal-colored beak. Link laughed and handed him the slate. He didn’t really have any need for it while in the village. To be honest, he didn’t really use it too much either, only when a shrine required it or when a hidden chest was in sight.

With a quest in sight and determination unlimited, he jogged upwards to the elder’s roost.

“Don’t blow up the roost while I’m gone,” yelled Link after Kass, who only nodded as an answer, seemingly invested in the ‘toy’. 

One floor down, two floors down, only one more to go. He climbed the stairs triumphantly, out of breath almost immediately after the first set of stairs, but he shall not give up so easily. Someone should build a lift or something.

Link zipped by Teba’s roost on the way, but none of the occupants were wary of the zooming Hylian who ran past them. Tulin was still asleep, Saki was watching out of the windows and Teba traversed through the depths of his mind. Link would need to come back to them in a bit.

The elder’s roost looked far more inviting now than it did before. It looked warm and even though the wood was slowly decaying, the aura it gave off was soothing. The last time Link ventured here, he didn’t even notice the pottery and trinkets that were all around the building. It felt like he had a fever dream, then, he was aware of his surroundings, but never consciously made any decisions.

“Ah, Link, come on in,” hooted the old owl, “I was expecting you to arrive, please, make yourself comfortable.” Elder Kaneli moved around in his chair and made himself a more pleasant position. Link didn’t expect the warm welcome, he was ready for a more stern discussion, like with Amali, not the reception he was receiving. He supposed the elderly are always welcoming, even when left hanging.

Link scooted in and sat down on a pillow next to the elder. He felt like a kid, getting a wizened person to talk about their life experiences. He missed those times.

“Hmm, are you well-rested?” Kaneli asked once Link relaxed on the plush pillow. He nodded and listened intently. The owl stroked his beard and muttered to himself about someone yelling him awake this morning. Link didn’t say a word, lest it be known that he yelped like a kid who Ganon under their bed.

“In that case, congratulations are in order… ” Link was praised for his good deeds and actions. For a while, they went back and forth between the appraisals and Link’s insistence on not wanting any rewards. The elder, very much used to the hot-headed kids in Rito village, found no problem making the Hylian flustered with kindness rivaled by the Goddess.

Link's cheeks were reddened, nothing he said would convince the old bird that he wasn’t deserving of anything. The elder’s stubbornness was far more polished than his own rash nature. When the Rito stood up from the chair and strutted over to a corner in the roost, Link sighed and walked alongside him. There was a chest hidden in the backside which he didn’t notice when he came in, it was dusty but it carried a certain air of importance.

Kaneli hooted jovially when the Hylian helped carry the heavy chest, seeing the kid’s defeated expression. Link let out a small smile despite the fact he just lost the verbal battle, he couldn’t say that he wasn’t interested when he saw an ancient-looking treasure trove. Scratch it, he was itching to open it, if he had to name one weakness of his, it was the desire to kick open the chests.

“Now then,” said the Elder, stretching his back and hearing a few pops. He turned towards Link, who was wringing his hands to keep himself in check. When a feathery hand squeezed Link’s shoulder and he got an encouraging smile from the owl, the brave Hylian pulled open the dusty box. The wind was howling.

…

Link coughed from the dust.

Is this?

“This is Master Revali’s weapon, the Great Eagle bow, it has unparalleled power when drawn back and a capable user can comfortably fire multiple arrows with ease.”

“Wow,” Link muttered quietly. The bow looked intricate, but still held a respectable aura of pride. The little blue tunic wrapped around the bow was flapping around excitedly like it recognized the Hylian. Link fiddled with the soft material, feeling the sturdy wood and string. It felt like he was right at home.

Suddenly, Link looked up at Kaneli. “But- Why are you giving me this?” he asked. The Elder hummed and looked out of the window, into the sunny grasslands and snowy fields. The wind was calm once more.

“It could be because you’re the Hylian Champion,” he stated after a minute. Link’s eyes widened a little, but Kaneli was still observing the wilderness. Since when did he find that out? “ It could be because you’re a capable warrior worthy of the weapon Master Revali once used.”

The Elder turned towards Link and walked up to him. One of his wings flicked the feather on Link’s head. “Or maybe because you’re one of us now.” The small Hylian looked up at the wise owl. Kaneli smirked at Link and placed a wing on his cheek. He was instinctively drawn toward the feathery hand, but before the Hylian could nudge the hand, it was suddenly removed and instead ruffled Link’s hair.

“But I’m most likely just going senile,” laughed Kaneli, sitting back on his trusty chair. Link, with ruffled hair, huffed and held back a giggle of his own. The braids still held on and Kass’s family symbol was still proudly represented on his headdress.

“Now then, I’m sure you have somewhere to be, so flap on along. We’ll have a heart to heart sometime later,” Kaneli said to Link, who now corrected his hair. He gave him a bow and trotted back into the staircases.

A short while later Link ended up in the roost occupied by a single black-feathered Rito. The last time he saw the grumpy bird, Harth was in a world of pain and with a singular glare, made Link beeline straight into the Elder’s roost, forgoing any attempt to console the Rito.

Link took one long look at the gloomy roost, a deep breath, and in he went.

“Hello, are you Harth?”

Harth looked up from his lap where he worked on an experimental bow and raised an eyebrow. 

“Who are you?” He looked weary, though his shoulders slightly lumped when he recognized the Hylian who saved Vah Medoh. 

“I’m Link, I- uh,” He momentarily forgot what he came here for, social situations aren’t exactly his strong suit, despite his easygoing personality. Harth didn’t fare much better, the silence between those two was unnerving. He was gritting his beak and fidgeted with a small component with his fingers. After a painstakingly long minute, Link’s brain finally caught up to him and he remembered his purpose to visit Harth.

“I wanted to talk to you.”  

Harth blinked. He couldn’t understand why the Hylian wouldn’t say it earlier, he was already not the best when conversing with others, was the silence really necessary?

“Uh-uh,” he responded and continued to fidget with the small piece. Link took his response as a confirmation to come inside. He was irritated at himself for being such an awkward person but was glad he hasn’t lost his voice yet. 

“Do you have any free time?” Link asked, “I want to learn how to- umm- make my weapons last longer and such.” Smooth.

Harth perked up at the mention of weapons, though his demeanor was still mostly stiff. Link started to fidget with his sleeve and looked at the many oils and parts used to create a masterful bow. The dark Rito sighed, this was going to be a long lecture.

Chapter Text

Interesting… Concerning… We’re doomed… Those were the running thoughts of Harth. After an hour and a half of trying to lecture him about the importance of weapon preservation and decay and such, he was sure that the Hylian was Demise incarnate. The way he spoke of his adventures, it was so innocent like. A skirmish with a lynel? No biggie. Almost blowing himself up with ancient bombs? It happens. Blowing up a bokoblin camp with said bombs? Like taking a stroll in the park.

And when he finally got to see his weapons as a demonstration, Harth was sure he would start molding the day after. Why? He knew that weapons deteriorate faster when used by an inexperienced wielder, but… How the actual fuck did Link bend a sledgehammer into a shape of a lollipop? It was made out of iron, and he just…

“Okay, let’s go over these steps one at a time,” Harth said in a calm tone. He wanted to educate the savage if only to protect him from himself.

“You see this?” he held out one of the nearly broken swords Link has summoned out of nowhere. The Hylian nodded, not perplexed by the cracks on the hilt nor the blade.

“Generally, people don’t want their weapons to look like that, right?” Link nodded, not with vigor, but not with boredom, either. So far so good, now for the next step.

“What do you think you should do? Tell me, what’s your first instinct?” Harth didn’t have high hopes, but he needed to know what he was up against. A good understanding of theory makes practice all the easier. Link was quiet for a moment, his eyes glancing up at the patient Rito before looking up at the ceiling. It took a while, though the silence was less erratic this time.

With squinted eyes, he managed to conjure an answer: “Don’t… hit them so hard against, uh, stuff,” Harth was close to rolling his eyes but kept himself from doing so. It’s progress they’re making, however small.

“That is true, anything else come up?” he dared to ask. Link’s face showed no emotion, but Harth can see plenty of it in the sky blue eyes. Every Rito can really, they have sharp eyes for a reason.

Right now, Link was close to fidgeting, his body tense and he looked panicky. This time, Harth wanted to sigh all of his burdens away, but he still had to look like a mentor of sorts. People told him he was aloof, so he tried to make up for it, but the Hylian was making it as rough as he could, of course.

“Don’t fizzle your brain, it’s alright not to know,” he said at last when Link puffed his cheeks and started swaying back and forth. The small Hylian deflated immediately, grateful for the interruption. He looked at Harth with a bashful face, ‘ I’m sorry’ clearly written all over it. The bird was now close to groaning out loud.

It’s almost dinnertime, Harth thought to himself. He wasn’t really hungry per se, but his daughter, Molli, was most definitely famished after playing with others all day. The black-feathered Rito needed to finish up his lesson soon, though he wasn’t even close to actually teaching him anything that would be effective for the little guy. That meant he would need to arrange more one-on-one sessions. Harth was starting to get a headache the more he realized that.

“Oh Champion of Hyrule, what are we going to do with you?” He muttered while massaging his temple. Link’s eyes widened a little at the mention, though Harth didn’t notice it, he was busy trying not to bash his head against the floor.

“What did you call me?” Link asked him, anxiousness and curiosity peaked. The Rito only looked back at him with a questioning glance. 

“You called me-”

“The champion of Hyrule, not the descendant of the Champion, is that what you’re trying to get at?” Link was taken aback for a moment, before nodding at Harth.

“Were it not for the Elder announcing that we have an honorary citizen this morning, I would still have believed you to be a descendant.” He started explaining with a bored tone, looking at the warm Sun, coloring the nearby land golden bronze. “Kass insisted that you were the Hylian Champion, not even giving a second thought that it would be utterly preposterous for one to live for so long.”

Harth glanced back at Link with a somewhat softened expression, “And then Amali backed him up like she too saw something that couldn’t be expressed with words, and before you know it, a Hylian is suddenly a part of our minstrel’s family.”

The smallest of smirks slowly appeared on the Rito’s face, thinking of how absurd this whole situation is. Not only did Kass return from his travels, which is a rarity of its own, but it has been a few decades since a non Rito has been adopted by the avians. In such a short time so much has happened that would affect the people all around Hyrule, it was starting to get hard to keep up with it all. But if Link was the catalyst for these events then Harth would do his part: help the poor kid learn or relearn the skills a knight of old would have.

“Now then,” he said in a slightly higher voice, “We have derailed our conversation, I still need to figure out the most effective training schedule for you.” Harth hummed to himself and twiddled with his hair. Link also appeared to be in thought, Man, I’m hungry, his brain told him. Clearly, he had his priorities set straight.

A pause erupted from the room, silencing everything nearby.

The Sun was slowly starting to set, the fields were still blooming, and the wildlife was lush. Peace and quiet as far as the eye can see. Even the village, held high up from the ground, was enjoying this nice atmosphere. No threat of any kind loomed over the children who were playing catch, nor the guards who were chatting about the new kid in town, nor the villagers who could laugh and smile with no repercussions. Just peace, and a Rito with the urge to jump off said village.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you were a knight of the Hylian army, right,?” asked Harth suddenly, his gears grinding. Link's head snapped from the window to the Rito’s face, a tad bit alarmed at the deep noise. “Yes, I think I was a part of it, maybe even a royal guard, though I can’t really remember it well enough.”

Harth shuffled from his position and leaned forwards, listening intently, prompting Link to continue. He continued to think a little while longer, trying to remember. “Yeah, the upper class wasn’t really happy about me, a lowly citizen, becoming a high standing guard for the King. Even more so when I was announced to become a bodyguard for the Princess. All I remember is… the looks everyone gave me as if I had committed a serious crime. Even my father, he… he-”

Link’s voice cut off, he hadn’t breathed for a while. His throat was beginning to become sore and a deep cut in his soul was slowly being bled.

“Got it,” was Harth’s quick response, no remarks or emotions about the story about Link’s past nor the way he saw his hands twitching. The lonely Rito knew that look, the pain it carried alongside the irises. Loss, regret, and guilt, it was something Harth could relate to, so he stopped the current topic. There would be a time Link needs to confront it, but not now, for it is still too early for the kid. One day, the avian can heal alongside him, to find solace among the countless lost souls.

A deep breath calmed the air around them. The mood was somber, though it also carried a sense of relief, for there were those who understood each other. Still, Harth carried the topic elsewhere.

“I think I might have had something to help you out,” He hummed, wings twirling a bauble between his feathers. It dropped to the ground with a clunk after it slipped by the soft hand. “There is a book I used to have, it was written by a knight who served in the army before the Calamity. It should contain much information about the training regiments the Hylians used to go through, including different weapon stances and such. I couldn’t really use any techniques provided there, but it was still an interesting read. It should be… in Teba’s hut if I’m not mistaken, I borrowed it to him when he wanted something boring to read.”

Link’s eyes were hopeful, after such a long time, he finally found something that would make him relearn the skills he once had. He was excited by the prospect of going through that manual and seeing what he once again could be able to perform. For now, he remained calm, but judging by the raised brow of Mr. Grumpy, he failed to keep it under check. Not that it really matters, he didn’t care what emotions flew through him, it felt freeing to do so.

“Now before you go, remember that we still need to do a routine check-up of your gear, so if you have time, feel free to come back here,” Harth dismissed Link and resumed his sketches of some experimental bow. Link hummed in thanks, not daring to give him a more appropriate goodbye, maybe once he knew the Rito better, he could. The Hylian started to step out of the roost before he was stopped one last time.

“Especially since you now wield the Great Eagle bow, please try not to break it,” Link only smiled an innocent smile and gave him a thumbs up. After he left, Harth finally laid down on the chill wooden planks and spread himself out like a snow angel. He was done with social interactions for today and felt like he deserved a medal for surviving the kid for so long. So he closed his eyes and took a well-deserved nap. Only Molli could now wake his dad up and make themselves dinner, but for now, he just was… existing.

------------------------------------------------

Thunk

“Close, just need more practice, everything else is good to go.”

“If you say so.”

Thunk

“Don’t undersell yourself, you weren’t such a bad shot when we were younger, remember?”

“I only remember you boasting about the skills you had, how much better you were.”

Huff

“Oh come on, like you didn’t boast about your musical prowess either, we were just kids back then.”

“Oh right, you wanted to impress Saki back then, right? You puffed your chest out so much whenever she came by, only for you to trip and make her bandage you up.”

A choking sound was heard loud and clear, alongside a musical chuckle.

“Shut up,” said the gruff-voiced Teba, running his hand through his hair. His training partner, Kass, still emitted a few chortles, but otherwise kept his shooting stance straight. His swallow bow stretched out, arrow knocked, and gaze on the luminescent target. Breathe in, and out. Shoot!

The whistling arrow pierced the second innermost ring, where most other arrows resided. Some hit the bullseye, but the ratio was more on the outer side. Not a bad effort for someone who hadn’t shot a bow in a few years, but there was definitely room for improvement.

Teba looked at the target with a hum before turning back at the focused bard.

“How’s the kid?” he asked, a sign for a small break. Kass lowered his weapon and sighed in relief. He started following after Teba, who flew up to the Flight Range.

“Well, aside from the fact that he nearly died from a lynel,” Kass landed on the wooden platform, “And having an emotional breakdown, he’s fine.”

Teba raised an eyebrow towards Kass, who only shrugged in response. He sighed and sat down by the fire in the middle of the room. The Sun was starting to set, soon they would have to return to the village. But for now, the snow was still sparkling, and the winds were more than inviting, making them want to soar.

The Rito put their weapons back to their stands and tidied up the place, after all, it was for everyone to use, and their people were nothing if disciplined. After a minute or two soaking up the warmth of the campfire, Teba spoke up.

“Why did you adopt Link?” he asked in a serious tone, more so than usual, “He’s a Champion, after all, I don’t think he needs the coddling any more than we do. In fact, he’s probably far more acquainted with the horrors.”

The Rito kept looking at the fire, the embers slowly landing on the wooden floor harmlessly, or mixing with the snow particles, creating a show of light being slowly drowned by water. It was silent.

“That’s what I thought too, but…” Kass’s feathers moved along the breeze like a slow dance, “Have you seen the look in his eyes, the desperation in them?” 

Teba finally looked away from the fire and gazed at the bard. The white-feathered Rito closed his eyes and hummed for a short while, remembering the last time he saw Link.

“I saw no desperation, though I did feel like he wasn’t there,” Kass perked at that and looked at Teba to further inquire about his viewpoint. They both stayed silent once more, only focusing on the sounds of bone-cracking pops of burning wood. Teba sighed and continued.

“He was distant, there was no shine in those eyes, nothing at all. I don’t know what you’ve seen, but what I saw was a look of someone who has nothing to live for.”

“I see,” was all Kass could respond with. Even the fire mellowed down, as if in thought. The carbon that was emitted made the air stuffy, making it harder to think.

“Is that why you took him in your wing? To keep him from a premature death?”

“No,” said Kass in a resolute tone, making Teba focus his golden eyes on the minstrel’s. “If you had seen what the kid was doing and what he has said to me, you’d have done the same.”

Teba only continued to search Kass’s eyes for any doubts or lies, but when he found none, he only hummed and turned his attention back to the fire. It was quiet yet again, though it hasn’t reached its peak in its volume.

“Still…” mumbled Teba with closed eyes, feeling the breeze engulf his feathers, almost making him shiver, “To make the decision to just adopt Link, why?”

“Even in these dark times, we must not forget who we are. Kindred souls, not heartless animals. We can’t relinquish our morals just because we can, we are beings that must follow our code in order to feel the satisfaction of filling our hearts with something irreplaceable.” Kass recited in a bit of a drawled voice, deep and monotone.

No more embers were escaping the fire, only the orange veins of heat took residence in the blackened wood, though even they would soon find out that the cold was far more fierce than it could ever be.

Teba hummed and stated: “You didn’t really answer my question.”

Kass formed a small smirk on his beak: “I don’t know, don’t have an answer.”

The grumpy Rito rolled his eyes, but a tiny smile also forced its way onto his maize beak. Their eyes pierced the almost extinguished fire and found solace within the chill winds.

“I’m going with Link, wherever he goes, I follow, ” Kass said suddenly, making Teba wide-eyed for a moment, before regaining himself. “I still have to finish what my mentor started, so it’s a win-win either way.”

“Whatever you say, just make sure he comes back alive, I’ve yet to thank him for his help,” responded Teba, not a deadpan voice this time.

“As soon as he stops breaking his weapons, and eats less than a royal banquet’s worth of food, maybe,” joked Kass, which resulted in a small chuckle from Teba.

Suddenly a bright blue flash came from the direction of the village and soon after, a loud noise of an explosion followed. “That's our cue to leave,” said Kass with a sigh, standing up and walking towards the updrafts.

Teba hummed and followed after Kass, slightly concerned by that weird explosion. But if Kass seemed to be annoyed by it, then he might have an idea who caused it. Teba almost snickered, poor Hylian, he probably was going to get an earful from many of the Rito there now that he disturbed their sleep.

In a matter of seconds, both Rito were high up in the sky and majestically flew towards the village. The fire in the roost was now fully extinguished, the embers were no more, only smoke seemed to slowly seep out of the crisp wood, trying to catch up to the Rito in the nighttime sky. But its goal could never be accomplished, for there is nothing that could catch up with a Rito in the air.

------------------------------------------------

“There we go,” said the pink-feathered Saki, handing the small Hylian the knight manual. Link sighed, for once glad that he doesn’t have to run over Hyrule for a simple ingredient or something else. But no Teba was in sight, which means he can’t apologize for his cowardice, not that he minded. He can meet him another time, right?

“Thank the Goddess we get rid of this awful book,” Saki stated, mopping the bookshelf with a wing, “Teba really fixates on that sometimes, trying to pick up flashy moves or some other extravaganza he really doesn’t need.”

She sighed, in relief or in exasperation, Link couldn’t tell. “I get the need for a ‘Spin Attack’, it’s an old, but effective move, but if he really thinks trying it out in our roost is a good idea…”

Link nodded in agreement, though he would do the exact same thing, or something even worse. He hummed and waved Saki goodbye, not really in the mood for more lectures. Link can sense them now, he knows when someone’s body tenses up and their eyes get all that glitter in them. Not that scoldings aren’t necessary, it’s just that he himself is in no need for them, he can take care of himself. Mostly 

With Saki now waving back and turning towards the emptier bookshelf, he left the roost and trekked downstairs. Today’s deeds are done, now he would only need to read multiple books and plan out a way to rescue Hyrule. Easy.

And back down we go, one set, two sets. three… Uh oh, that’s a person. He might’ve jumped the last few steps, which resulted in him crashing down on an unsuspecting Rito. Though they seemed to have a great reaction time, catching both themselves and Link with a wing each.

Link let out a breath and smiled in thanks. His savior was a purple-feathered Rito he hasn’t seen before. Were they local? He wanted to ask but suddenly felt something in the air. A tingle that went through his body, alerting all his senses. Someone was in danger.

He ran past the Rito, who opened their mouth to speak but held back, letting the Hylian go. Link used his glider instead of jumping down the stairs. His feet grazed the ground a couple of times, but he remained hasty. He hasn’t felt this feeling before, but it was by no means alien. Just a long-forgotten emotion or reflex his body suddenly remembered.

The feeling amplified when he reached the floor where his family resided, making him have goosebumps. He saw no immediate threat, but that gave him little solace. Link sprinted with all his might towards his siblings’ roost, zooming by an unaware Amali, who stirred dinner in the cooking pot.

The kids were shocked. They were only playing, when suddenly, a huge fluorescent bomb appeared. The red-feathered Notts, holding the Sheikah slate, gasped in surprise and dropped the tablet. Time slowed down, each of their eyes locked on the slowly dropping explosive. Just as quickly as the bomb came, it was gone as fast as well.

Link, who appeared almost like a blur, kicked the ancient explosive out the window. In hindsight, it seems like a horrible idea, but it worked. It flew in a curve, spinning away from the village. The slate now made contact with the ground and the impact made the screen all wobbly, thus mistakenly activating the bomb.

It blew up in a bright blue color, lighting up the darkened sky for a moment. The loud noise pierced through the village, making everyone alert. The birds that sat on top of the sharp-edged rocks croaked and flew away in a big flock.

The kids, still shocked, slowly came to their senses and one by one looked at the dashing Hylian whose hair flung alongside the wind, his face so stoic, his eyes as blue as the crackling explosion that just went by. This was the hero of Hyrule, but more importantly, their brother. Link tried not to wince, that kick felt like he broke his toe.

The kids clapped at their savior, just forgetting about the severity of their mishap like a snap. Their Hylian brother tried to hold a menacing and disappointed glare, but seeing as they started talking amongst themselves and ignoring his gaze, he just sighed and went on to pick up the slate. Notts picked up the tablet first and handed it back to him with an innocent-looking smile. Link again tried to make a disapproving look but the little chick’s attention was currently on someone behind him.

Link heard said someone clear their throat and his heart stopped a beat. He didn’t need to look behind him to see who it was, he would recognize that voice from anywhere. It was Amali, who held a soup ladle.

Chapter Text

Total darkness consumed his mind, feeling cold and suffocated. Everywhere he looked was the same, nothing, not even a speck of light to guide the way. For some reason, Link was conscious in this dream, which usually never happened. Most of the time it was a nightmare or a memory of sorts, all of which were static, but this instead felt lucid. Is this what it was? A lucid dream, where he can move freely? He has lived  five days in Rito village now and he never once had something like this happen to him.

Even so, he couldn't will some brightness to the damp darkness, as much as he tried to. Sensing that it was a fruitless endeavor, he gave up and instead just started walking in a straight line, hoping that he would end up somewhere. It felt weird to stomp on tangible shadows, they were squiggly, but also firm, like barely cooked pastry. His body movement felt unnatural, his brain trying to make sense of how to properly function and sending out signals that made him somewhat move forward.

The cold air though felt real, it nipped on his fingers but it didn’t make Link shiver. Still, he instinctively rubbed his arms against each other and hastened his steps. For a minute or four-- it was hard to measure time -- he trodded without a care of where he was going. All he could do was to reminisce and sort out his thoughts. There were memories or snippets of them he remembered that were of him as a knight, and those memories were dreadful. The way he had to suppress his emotions to serve Hyrule, it felt disgusting.

Then there were those that the Slate provided the locations for. They were by far the longest and cohesive, but still, they felt somewhat off. Link hadn’t seen all of them, far from it actually, but the ones he saw weren’t shiny nor warming. From the princess’s cold glare to the uneasy companionship of the Champions. At least that's what he's feeling like when experiencing those memories. He could only hope that the rest of them were easier to swallow.

Speaking of, the snippets he was most happy to receive were of mundane tasks and conversations with… anyone really. He felt like he wasn’t really supposed to remember those, because they were generally unimportant or uninformative, but he felt genuine glee whenever he saw one of those. It made him feel more humane or at least made the knight of old have some emotion which he desperately wanted to see. Link was tired of the charade the Champion put up, maybe he was being facetious because he didn’t know the exact reasoning why he once was so annoyingly aloof. Sure, he didn’t want to burden the princess, but there must’ve been an ulterior motive to that. Still, it felt ironic that his past self made him mad, just like he did everybody else.

Link conjured up a memory of him talking to someone with actual words. It was a small girl with blonde hair, whom he could still feel deep affection towards, even if he couldn’t remember her. He only knew that she was someone important to him. That only made his heartache more so he quickly switched memories. Now Link thought of the times he interacted with the late Champions. The times he actually expressed something other than a shrug or a glance. It was these memories he cherished the most. Currently, he knew little about them, only that each of them was terrifyingly strong in their own ways. 

The more he thought about them, the more his mind strived towards Revali. He’s the first one Link remembered and to be honest, not the best first impressions with that guy. Cocky, arrogant, and hateful towards Link, that was supposed to be the Rito Champion? That was his thought process about him for a while, but recently he’s gotten more subdued memories of the two of them. There’s less arguing and false fronts between those distant conversations he struggled to remember, it was endearing in a way.

He wonders why he hasn’t recollected more fragments about the others, maybe it was because he’s spent so much time in Rito village and opened up to the villagers? In any case, his heart started to speed up once a memory of him talked to Revali. He remembers the feeling of hope and bliss once he finally broke through the navy Rito’s tough exterior and in turn shed his own shell of apathy. For some reason, Link felt warm, too warm, and he didn’t know why. He tried to think of something else before his stomach started to flutter. It wasn’t the first time it did that, whenever he delved too deep into his memories of the beau- cocky bird, it started doing that. Link had little clue why that was the case, but when he once tried to explain it to Amali, she only looked at him with unnervingly knowing eyes and laughed out loud, “Still a child,” he thought he heard her mutter before a saddened glint gleamed in her eyes. Must’ve been the food he’s eaten recently to make him feel that way.

His thoughts were halted, as were his steps when he noticed a distant gloomy light. Link tensed his muscles and carefully trodded towards the… campfire it seemed like. He evened his breath and was mentally prepared for all sorts of fun eldritch nightmares to come to jump him. Certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Probably not the last either.

Much to his surprise, the closer he got, the more he was sure that someone was sitting next to it. It appeared to be an older man of sorts with a sword in hand, polished to shine like a diamond. The male seemed to notice Link’s arrival, even with his back towards him, but made no effort to turn around nor greet him. Instead, he just kept his eyes at the fire, sword tightly clung to his hands.

Now that Link was closer, he could distinguish the features of the man. Strong, bulky body, gruff white beard, and a bandanna covering his head, all the while sporting armor which were used by Hylian knights. A cold shock ran through Link’s neck, suspicion taking over his thoughts. When he finally reached the campfire and sat down opposite to the old man, none of them spoke. The Champion dared not to glance at the stranger's face, instead opting to look at the blazing fire. A good ten or so seconds went by in complete silence, the scorched wood impossibly still intact and not making a sound.

When he felt heard the older Hylian sigh and stare at the younger one, he too finally mustered the will to gaze back at him. Instantly he was filled with regret. What he saw were the baby blue eyes that pierced through his own. There was no doubt now.

“Father,” Link muttered more to himself than the other man. His father displayed no emotion on his face, not even his eyes, long training covering the one option Link had to decipher the older individual. It was unnerving. ‘Probably for this exact reason,’ Link ventured to guess. The father’s chest rose and fell slowly, inspecting the kid.

“Son,” he said at last with a booming voice that demanded respect and attention, though it was certainly toned down a few notches, more akin to someone with a sore throat. Link clenched his teeth and dug his nails into his arms. That man was the epitome of why he dreaded to trudge through his memories, he was scared beyond belief whenever he saw the images of his father berating and reminding him of his service to Hylia. Goddess, he was sick and tired of hearing those same lines over and over again, how could someone ever be so cold towards their children?

“Why are you here?” Link said with as little venom as he could muster. Is he even real? Or is this the start of another nightmare? He hoped it was the latter.

“I do not know,” his father responded after a few long seconds. He seemed almost frustrated himself, now looking at the campfire once again.

“It is rare for spirits to communicate to living beings, it requires specialized training or extreme malice in one’s soul to do so,” the gruff man hummed, tapping a finger against the stainless blade of his, “and I have filled none of those requirements, it might be possible the Goddess Hylia willed it so.”

Fat chance of that, Link thought to himself bitterly, even though he probably suspects that to be true in some form. He catches his father’s eyes when he felt them on him. The old man looks the kid over with no judgement displayed in those luminous eyes.

“I see you have made yourself acquainted with the Rito,” his father said with a neutral tone. Link looked at his clothing: he wore the Rito outfit gifted by Amali. Since the old one kind of burnt to a crisp when he had the face-off with the lynel, she insisted on making a new one for him herself. It had the base of the usual garment, but the feathers felt softer with better insulation and some of the embroideries differed from the one sold in shops. ‘A little touch of our family,’ she said to him as he took it with pride.

Link looked back at his father with a challenging gaze, daring him to make a comment about it. His father didn’t take the bait and instead made a minuscule sigh. “You did always seem to find something interesting about them.”

He provided no further comment on that topic, making Link a tad bit confused. What was that supposed to mean? He wasn’t going to ask either, not wanting to prolong the already uncomfortable situation he’s in. Why couldn’t he just wake up.

“You haven’t defeated more of those Divine beings yet,” the old man stated after a few ponderous beats. Link’s breath hitched, here we go again.

“I’m working on it,” he said back to him with a calm tone. It wasn’t a lie by any means, he and Kass made plans to venture Hyrule together so they could make quick progress of eliminating the Calamity. Plus the bard can work on his pieces to complete a collection of verses of all of Hyrule. It’s a win-win situation.

“Maybe so, but I can feel you spend a good amount of time around their village, not making any progress,” his father responded, a more inquisitive undertone in his voice, “you have not even taken care of those Sheikah tribe shrines that are located in Hyrule or near Rito village.”

“As I said, I am taking care of it as fast as I possibly can, I don’t need you to tell me what I have or haven’t done,” Link's voice also rose a small amount, he felt his face getting more heated.

His father said nothing for a moment, choosing instead to keep his eyes focused on Link’s own, neither of them breaking contact. Feeling the tenseness, his father made sure to make his posture as tall as possible. At last, he spoke with a more serious tone.

“People keep getting killed by your inactivity, Link, even now there are many lives that depend on you,” a disappointed tone slipping through the bulky father, “you must not forget your duty.”

“What do you think I've been doing all these years!” Link lashed out at him, bottled anger coursing through his body, “I am trying my hardest, I never wanted any of this to happen. Just because you’re too selfish to see me as anything other than a tool doesn’t mean I don’t remember what I need to do.”

“Selfish?” his father said to himself with the same calm tone, agitating Link even further. “I am no more selfish than you are.”

Link’s whole mind went blank for a moment. Him? As selfish? He couldn’t understand. A small tinge of the anxiety he so dreaded wanted to resurface in his mind.

His father sensed the momentary hesitation and kept pushing: “You were the one to take liberty in cutting any communication with almost all of the people you’ve known. In turn, you refused to use your voice, not even to speak to the princess.”

Guilt washed through him. He knew all these things from the various memories, but still somehow felt the many looks of various people he had disappointed weigh on his shoulders. ‘That’s not how I am now, I have changed,’ he kept thinking to himself, but the argument felt weaker by the moment.

“Since you did not communicate with the princess, she could not properly awaken her powers, she could have gained them if you opened up to her and cooperated with her. Who knows what would have changed had you not decided to keep your mouth shut.”

Link couldn’t talk back to him, he gripped his throat and tried to lessen the lump growing there. He knew only a raspy cough would emerge if he spoke now. He felt so weak, he wanted to prove his father wrong but was unable to do so. His face was flushed and the beginnings of tears threatened to form in his eyes. He wanted to tell him to stop, he wanted not to feel the crushing weight of responsibility all on him alone. He just wanted someone to care for his feelings too.

“And now you are prolonging the takeover of Hyrule castle by deciding to settle down with some-”

Link couldn’t hear the rest, he felt himself suddenly get dragged away by someone. They were moving at a speed which shouldn’t be possible and quickly withdrew from the campfire alongside the surprised Hylian. He felt lightheaded, his head was heavy, and his limbs weren’t responding, but he tried to look at his captor. The Hylian saw navy and white feathers around his waist. He tried to look behind him, his vision was getting hazier by the minute. Before he passed out though, he saw a light blue scarf around his savior’s neck and emerald green eyes looking at him with an indescribable gaze. 

For some reason, even when his mind was shutting down, those eyes made his stomach do the flips he tried to avoid earlier. His eyes forcefully closed and with a warm feeling in his body, was unconscious yet again.

------------------------------------------------

E, A, C-sharp, E, A, and D… no, replace the last A with G instead. Yes, that sounds better already. Kass is humming the tune alongside his newly repaired bandoneon, testing its limits. He has been repairing it for a few days and finally got around to make the finishing touches. With a new coat of varnish, his itchy and disheveled fingers can once more scramble around the many buttons of his instrument.

And the people of Rito couldn’t be happier… mostly. Maybe they would be more ecstatic if he didn’t play it so early in the morning. Not that he cared too much about it, he's been waiting a while to hear those notes, any notes, the villagers can file a complaint with the Elder if they wanted him to stop. Besides, no one could really cavil at him, everybody seemed to love his so-called theme anyway. He was called the mysterious Rito who knew far more than they seemed to let out, appearing everywhere over Hyrule with that catchy motif. Kass let out a small snort, still amused by the gossip surrounding him. Really, what was there to ponder so much about? He has warrior training from multiple races and vast amounts of knowledge from his wife who is a scholar. Still, he was honored to have a reputation that extended to all corners of this land.

The early Sun rose and illuminated the wooden landing around him. Deep mahogany streaks intertwined with lighter tones, splashing the surrounding area with rich colors. Even the normally dull rocks which were at the moment covered by morning dew reflected the rays of light and created bright flares, too much for the eye to bear. Vah Medoh, which stood tall and proud with its colossal wings, basked in the sunlight and its propellers slowly swirled round and round. Kass looked at the Divine Beast with wondrous eyes, an idea slowly taking place in his mind. Nothing worthwhile yet, but maybe in a few weeks he could construct a new verse dedicated to what he was seeing now. Something devoted to their Champion perhaps? Nothing came to his mind now, more travelling would certainly help sort out his thoughts.

He did think of something suspicious, though. Some may think him to be crazy, and he himself felt a tad unsure of this theory, but… he was getting some mixed feelings about one particular resident of his village. Namely the purple-feathered one, he hasn’t seen that individual not once before he came back after his excursion. Of course, he was away for a while, it’s a big possibility that they just came to the village after a long trip themselves. It isn’t impossible for a Rito to reside in a place other than their village, some have even left Hyrule altogether, but he hasn’t seen any return. In any case, he hasn’t really cared about knowing them, if they aren’t a threat to the village, they are good in his book. But the one time he did try to chase after them to get their name, poof, gone after Kass lost sight of them for a few seconds. Weird.

But he was soon snapped back to reality when he heard footsteps nearing his position. They weren’t clattering on wood, so it could only be a Hylian, and only one of them would be awake at these hours. Kass looked back down and saw Link slowly approaching him, his eyes looking over the wooden railing and fingers fidgeting against each other. His face was barely concealing a frown, shoulders were tense and eyes puffy with dark bags under the lids. It was one of those nights, it would seem, Kass sighs and tosses his instrument over his shoulder with a new built-in strap. Slowly, he knelt towards Link and extended his wings to his side with an open gesture.

He barely had time to react when the kid lunged into his arms with a burning passion, hiding his face in the crook between the Rito’s neck and face. Link was a rather affectionate person, always using gestures while speaking and shaking hands or hugging the villagers whenever he felt jovial. It was humorous to see the many reactions that the Rito displayed. Some were shocked into staying still like Harth, some eagerly returned them like Kaneli and Saki, and younger folk like Fyson tried to unsuccessfully untie themselves from the clingy Hylian.

Even so, the kid rarely allowed himself to show any other emotion than positive ones. Rarely would someone other than his family see the frowns and curses he flings whenever he overcooks something or makes a mistake in some activity. Only once has he seen the Hylian cry, letting down all his barriers, confessing, and profusely apologizing for whatever he has done wrong in the past. Of course, he was met with overwhelming support and after much protesting, accepted that he wasn’t worthless. Never was, never will be.

Whenever Kass sees one of his children in a sour mood, he has always hummed a special tune, bringing out a smile to them in the end. This time was no different, he calmly picked Link up and walked towards the Shrine’s exterior, wanting a more comfortable position for the two of them to rest on. He never once stopped his little tune, bringing out the deepest of notes, making his chest vibrate. Link clutched onto him harder, scared of suddenly losing his father if he would loosen his grip. The musical Rito tried his hardest not to stumble, the Hylian wasn’t exactly the lightest person around and the instrument on his side certainly didn’t help him balance his weight. Rito have hollow bones dammit. 

And so they stayed together for many a minute, as one’s chest rose, so did the other’s. When they were fully synchronised, the teary-eyed boy separated himself from Kass only far enough to establish eye contact. Golden eyes met blue ones, one filled with deep hurt and the other with the will to take over the burden. Link didn’t say anything, still focusing on his breathing, wanting to find the right words to say. Whatever happened must’ve been something horrible indeed, the broken look on the kid’s face was unnatural, too innocent to deserve such heavy tears.

“Do you want to talk about it?” asked Kass with a calming tone. His voice was warm and confident, charismatic aura seeping into the scarred boy. Link looked at his father…  yes, father for a moment before nodding his head slightly. He tried opening his mouth but immediately closed it back up, still afraid his voice would fail him. Instead, he quickly signed at his throat with a gesture and let his head fall back into the Rito’s now dampened neck. Kass hummed with understanding and restarted his little tune of healing. Large wings covered the Hylian almost completely, encapsulating him from the cool air of Hebra. Half a minute went by, the blue shimmers of the nearby shrine flowing like blood through the tubes and cracks.

“Do you-” Kass could hear Link’s rough muffled voice, his breath rippling the azure feathers. He vehemently cleared his throat and moved his head so his chin would rest on the Rito’s shoulder. The Hylian drew in a shaky breath.

“Am I stalling?”

The bard was left confused, he wasn’t expecting a question so vague as this.

“Stalling what?” he tilted his head slightly, a natural reflex for a Rito.

“The Calamity, I’m supposed to prevent further casualties and destruction, and yet here I am, loitering, all the while people are getting hurt. How can I call myself a Champion if I just…” Link was searching for words, “let all of this happen, this isn’t right.”

“Hey!” Kass said as an immediate sharp answer. The loud voice made the Hylian jump, but nuzzled back into the soft feathers, albeit more hesitatingly. 

“Link, we already had this conversation, no matter what you had done before, I will not allow you to wallow in self-pity. You must see that not everything is your fault, thinking so would make anyone insane.” The Rito drew in a small breath and let out a small sigh, making Link sink deeper into Kass’s chest. “What happened, Link? Did you catch another vision?”

A small shake of a head answered his question, no more words were exchanged for a little while. Link was slowly gathering his courage to talk to Kass about his experience, idly playing with the primary feathers covering the large Rito’s hand. The Sun was slowly creeping up towards their position, the rays almost close enough to warm the wood they sat on. The bard was about to pick up his tune where he last left it, but the Hylian once again removed himself from the cozy crook and gazed at his father with determination.

“I saw my father,” his face scrunched up for an iota, “he wasn’t a vision, I think, an apparition rather. Like when I saw the King, just without the glowy green fire thingamajig. He scares me.”

“How come? Did he hurt you?”

“Not physically…”

“I see,” Kass hummed, one finger pushing Link’s disheveled locks out of his face. “What made you so shaken up, then? Certainly not his appearance, I reckon.”

Link puffed out a small burst of air through his nose, trying to remain passive: “He’s certainly buff, but that’s not where I got my good looks from. No, I- I’m… It’s just the things he said to me, they got me good, I don’t know why. Probably some sort of muscle memory. I wonder if that’s always been the case whenever I saw him,” he said it with a defeated tone, sighing, and looking at Kass, searching for consolation.

The Rito said nothing in response but held a small smirk that was forming on his beak. He nuzzled Link’s cheeks lightly and immediately after flicked his forehead with minimal pressure. “Oh dear, looks like you can never catch a break,” Kass pretended to be in thought and rubbed his feathered chin, mimicking a beard, “But luckily, there’s always someone who’s ready and willing to hear you out, no matter how bad it gets for you.”

Link gazed into Kass’s eyes, before looking away into the mountainous wilderness that lay so close to the village. He felt his head slowly turned back towards Kass with a multicolored finger, forced to once more look at the Rito’s amber gaze. The Sun finally hits its rays onto the bard, making him look shiny and gave him the illusion of a halo around his head.

“Always,” said Kass resolutely.

The Hylian held his eyes for a quick few moments before disentangling himself from the teal feathers and standing up on the hardened wood. He felt his knees pop and stretched himself to feel the rush of blood flow through his veins. He felt invigorated once more, the feeling of dread and misery banished into the depths of his mind, forgotten by his rational thoughts. The need for action and adventure was yearned by his soul, the lack of blade or bow in his hands making him feel squeamish.

He could see clearly now that the morning light stirred activity in the village, watching one Rito after another hop down from their roosts to begin their daily activities. Chatter and camaraderie filled the air around him, making him feel safe and wanted. From the corner of his eyes, he saw his sisters slowly shuffling down from their hammocks, ready to start another day filled with games alongside some choir practice. He saw Amali and Saki share a crockpot, gossiping around the latest news, Harth finally working on his new prototype bow by gathering ingredients. Link needed to protect all of this, a place he didn’t think twice about calling home. He still didn’t see Teba anywhere.

“By noon, we shall have moved out,” the Hylian stated, not glancing behind towards Kass. He needed to make some progress, it was due time.

“To Gerudo?” he heard Kass say with a jaunty tone, the bard too ready to move out, his instrument strapped to his chest once more.

“To Gerudo, together.”