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Revali can barely concentrate as he flies back to his divine beast.
He looks ahead. Vah Medoh is still perched where he had left it, right above Rito Village. He tries to focus on getting there as quick as possible, avoiding any disruptions, and keeping his head on straight.
He looks to his right, toward Hyrule Castle. The malice engulfing it grows and grows and grows in size. Revali can barely keep his eyes away.
He looks behind him, toward the base of Mt. Lanayru. He knows, logically, that at this distance, he wouldn’t be able to see Link making his way towards the castle. That doesn’t stop Revali from trying anyway.
He’s certain that he will be the first one to reach his divine beast. Zora’s Domain isn’t too far from Mt. Lanayru, and Mipha has the water to travel by, so she will definitely reach Vah Ruta shortly afterwards. He’s worried about Daruk and Urbosa, who both have quite a hike to make.
Revali has no doubt in the skill of the other champions. He’s just worried about the possibility of them not making it in time. The distance, the terrain, and not to mention the possible aftershocks from the earthquake… That doesn’t even take into account any possible enemies they may encounter on the way.
Revali wonders what might happen to Link if he reaches Calamity Ganon before the champions even have the chance to fire their respective cannons. He would never doubt Link. Of course not. But Revali finds himself re-evaluating the last words they had said to each other anyway.
Was it enough? If he doesn’t make it out of this alive, will he spend his afterlife regretting what he did or didn’t say?
He clears his head. His heart might just burst if he keeps thinking about it.
When he finally looks ahead once more, Medoh is right in front of him. He prepares to land as he goes through his mental catalogue of the divine beast’s controls, and exactly what he has to do.
Ready the system. Adjust its position. Fire.
It’s simple , Revali thinks. He’s gone over the motions over a hundred, a thousand times. He can do this.
He lands on Vah Medoh. The divine beast begins to shake.
“This is...” Revali trails off, carefully stepping inside Vah Medoh. He takes in the interior, as if unable to believe what he is seeing. “Absurd,” he breathes. “Unreal.”
He had been informed of the beast’s size, but no amount of preparation could’ve quite readied him for actually seeing it for himself. The high ceilings, the intricate architecture, the arching windows, it was all so...
“Divine,” Princess Zelda says, with utmost clarity. She looks him over as his eyes fleet from one corner to another, satisfied that even someone as verbose as him could be rendered speechless by the grandeur of ancient technology.
Behind her, Link watches the scene unfold. His first few meetings with the Rito champion had been shaky, so he was keen on taking every opportunity to finally make a good impression. As a knight, he understood that chemistry and amiable relations were essential to making a team work.
Zelda begins leading Revali through the divine beast. “We aren’t completely certain about how the beasts work yet, or their full range of capabilities,” she says, as he finally breaks out of his trance. “But we know for sure that they are the key to beating Ganon.”
Revali quickens his pace to walk next to her, as Link falls behind. “And you need my skill to understand it,” he says, with no small hint of humility. In fact, he says it with no humility at all.
“Of course. We’ll have a meeting to share all that we know about them so far,” Zelda says, patient as ever. “As well the matter of your assignment.”
Link taps Revali on the shoulder to get his attention. “ Two weeks, ” he signs.
“Yes, two weeks from now,” Zelda clarifies, after seeing Revali’s apparent lack of understanding. “All the champions already have a room reserved at the castle. I can also arrange for an escort, if you so desire.”
“There’s no need,” Revali says. “I’ll fly there myself.”
“Very well,” Zelda turns away, seemingly taking in Vah Medoh’s majesty. “Until then, you must familiarize yourself with the divine beast. Learn its ins and outs. The history she has with this land.”
“She?” Revali asks.
“My apologies. Vah Medoh takes its name from the sage, Medli. Perhaps knowing her story will help you in some way,” Zelda explains. After a moment, she turns towards Revali and gives him a look that seems to have an air of importance. “This beast is yours now. Protect her as she will protect you, and all of Hyrule.”
Revali considers this. Protect her as she will protect you . The thought rings clear in his mind for the rest of the encounter.
Revali barely dodges another shot from the blight, as it easily swerves out of the way of his arrows.
He isn’t doing too well at all. If he looks, he can see that Vah Rudania, Vah Ruta, and Vah Naboris are all afflicted with the same malice that suddenly took over Medoh. The other champions must be putting up a fight, too.
Ganon must have known.
No matter. Revali can beat this blight, and wrest control of the divine beast back. He’s sure that the other champions can, too. Then they’ll fire their cannons, seal Ganon away, and Hyrule will be saved.
That’s what Revali tells himself as one of the blight’s missiles hits him square on the chest, knocking the wind out of him, and sending him plummeting down.
He hits the floor of the beast with no small amount of gracelessness. He isn’t sure if anything’s broken, but he gets up anyway, feeling every single muscle in his body simultaneously protest.
The blight slowly approaches from the other side of the divine beast. Its attack had knocked Revali quite a ways back. Between them, the main terminal.
Revali weighs his options and counts his arrows. Just enough to stall for time. He makes it to the terminal as quick as possible and sends out an SOS.
It’s a last-ditch effort. After all, who would be able to hear it? The only things capable of receiving the signal would be the other divine beasts, and the sheikah slate.
Revali isn’t giving up. But unless the other champions have miraculously defeated their blight and can make it to him in about fifteen minutes, then the signal may as well just be an alarm sounding defeat. SOS, it rings, but he really means to say sorry, I failed.
He rolls out of the way of another oncoming attack. The blight must be getting tired, too. Its movements are starting to grow sloppy.
In the distance, he can just imagine the other champions putting up a better fight than he is. He can picture Link, Master Sword in hand, defending the princess as they infiltrate the castle. It dawns on him that failure isn’t an option.
The blight is hot on his trail as he uses his gale to soar upwards and fire a barrage of bomb arrows. They hit, and it stuns the blight for a while, and Revali thinks, maybe I haven’t failed .
Revali pushes the doors to his room open and walks in.
He isn’t used to doors. It certainly must show, because the excess force causes them to hit the walls behind them after swinging open.
Link walks in after him. “ Don’t like doors? ” he signs.
Revali tries to subtly brush down his feathers, which had puffed up in embarrassment. “This room is acceptable, thank you,” he says, blatantly ignoring Link’s sardonic statement.
Link signs something back that Revali doesn’t understand. He had just begun learning Hylian sign language, after all.
Upon seeing his confusion, Link opts to fingerspell instead.
“T-R-A…” Revali whispers, to keep track. “Training grounds?” Link nods, smiling, then points towards the far side of the room, to the window. Outside, he can see the edges of the grounds, complete with training dummies and targets.
“I see,” Revali says, putting the pieces together. He turns to face Link, who looks like he was halfway through signing something else. Revali ignores it, cutting him off. “You wish to train with me! I don’t blame you, after seeing my performance back in Rito Village.”
Link shakes his head to clarify, no, I was just showing you where they were , he might have said, if Revali were paying attention.
“I can’t imagine that a Hylian like you would be especially versed in archery or spearmanship, though I suppose I can respect your willingness to learn,” Revali continues, heavily gesticulating. “Give me time to get settled, then we shall meet.”
He supposes it’s the unfamiliar environment, the feeling of being so out of his depth that makes him long to show off now more than usual. Plus, who could resist more opportunities to best the chosen knight ?
Revali arrives at the training grounds not half an hour later (after getting only slightly lost on his way out of the castle). Link is already going through the motions, seemingly oblivious to Revali’s presence.
He thinks about calling out, oh, enough showing off, everybody already knows you can swing that sword around, but he finds himself mesmerized. There’s a certain grace to it. Link’s movements are light and loose, yet calculated and sharp. All the while, barely even breaking a sweat. Revali can’t help but stare.
When Link finally stops, he draws the back of his hand across his forehead as he glances towards Revali. The look in his eye tells Revali that he must have known he had an audience. Link smiles then, and it makes his stomach twist in… annoyance? Annoyance, for sure. Revali smooths his feathers down for the second time that day.
“Sure, you can handle a sword alright,” Revali steadies his voice, still intent on having the upper hand, “but let’s see how much you can do with a bow and arrow.”
Fifteen arrows shot straight to the target later, Revali discovers that Link is almost decent at archery. Of course Revali is much better, getting eighteen targets in the same amount of time, but still. He’s a little bit impressed.
They spar together using spears as well, at which Revali bests Link easily. Then, as if to prove a point, Link insists they try swords next. Revali, of course, is beaten almost instantly.
They also try greatswords, and discover that both of them lack the upper body strength to swing the weapon in an effective manner. They call it a draw.
It’s only when the setting sun has painted all their surroundings orange when Revali realizes that they’d been at it for hours . His tiredness suddenly settles in, all at once. He looks towards Link and sees a sheen of sweat on him. Link smiles back, sincere yet playful in a way that’s so unique to him, when he catches Revali’s eye.
“ Okay? ” Link signs, concerned. Revali doesn’t mean to stare (again), but the sunlight makes it hard to look away.
“Yes,” He replies, not fully understanding why he feels breathless. He clears his throat and tries again, looking away. “You did well. Though I still can’t understand how you were chosen over me, when I am clearly the superior combatant.”
Link smiles at that, poking Revali with a wooden sword that had been nearby.
“Oh, enough with the sword already,” Revali swats him away. Link laughs at that, a sound that rings clear in the quiet afternoon.
The Windblight defeats him, eventually.
The moments leading up to his death seem to pass like a still, windless night. Quiet and slow, yet certain in its inevitability.
He dodges one missile, but flies right into another. If he had any doubts about his imminent failure before, he’s certain now.
He wonders, briefly, if any of the other champions are falling to the same fate as him. The blight approaches slowly, as if it knows that Revali can no longer fight. He wonders if he’s alone in his failure.
He wonders about Link, and how he must be holding up. He watches as the blight aims its cannon at him. He wonders what Link would think when having to recover his body. Masterful, multitalented no longer.
His last thoughts are a prayer for Link’s safety. He shuts his eyes.
From a distance, Link hears divine beast Vah Medoh’s cry. He doesn’t allow himself to think of what it might mean.
“Rudania’s been a struggle alright, but I’m definitely getting somewhere,” Daruk says contemplatively. He looks down towards Revali, who seems to be listening intently.
The meeting had ended just moments ago, leaving the champions to disperse and do whatever they pleased until they were summoned once more. The princesses, Mipha and Zelda, had naturally gone together to who knows where, with Urbosa seemingly chaperoning. That had left Daruk to trail by Revali, who had initially planned on finding solitude.
However, Daruk made for good conversation, so Revali didn’t mind.
“In truth, I’m surprised we can even control these beasts at all,” Revali says, in a rare display of humility. “But most of the work comes from inner synchronicity and feeling, rather than calculation. That’s what helps me, at least.”
Daruk seems to consider this, humming in thought.
Link arrives then, appearing from behind the two of them, tapping Daruk to get his attention. He signs something he hopes is helpful.
At Daruk’s confusion, Revali translates. “He said that it might help if you looked into the anatomy of a lizard.”
“Lizards, huh?” Daruk says, as if seriously considering this option. He strokes his chin in thought, and looks away.
Revali gives Link a look like what he just made him say was absurd. Link shrugs in response as if to say, it might work .
Daruk looks back at Link. “Thanks for the suggestion, little guy,” turning to Revali, he says, “And you too.” Revali nods in response, while Link gives him a dutiful thumbs up.
“I didn’t know you could speak Hylian sign language so well,” Daruk adds as an afterthought.
Revali is about to say of course he can speak it well, how else would he talk to us, before he realizes the comment was directed towards him. He glances towards Link who seems to be in agreement with Daruk.
Revali huffs at that. “Communication is the most important thing when working as a team,” he looks away, as if embarrassed. “It’s a fairly simple language, anyway.”
Daruk chuckles at that, but there’s no malice behind it. When Revali looks back towards the two of them, he catches Link sign, “ Masterful. Multitalented!”
Then, seeing that Revali had been watching, Link makes eye contact and draws his fingertips to his chin, then back down. “ Thank you,” he signs with a smile, and it’s genuine. It’s almost sobering.
Revali finds it hard to look away, but does. “It’s not a big deal,” he mutters, not wanting to admit that making a good impression on the knight was just as important to him.
Link signs something to Daruk that Revali doesn’t quite catch. Revali hears Daruk laugh and say, “Yeah, I can tell he is.”
Time has lost all rhyme and reason. After spending so long floating, incorporeal, trapped as a spirit within the divine beast, Revali no longer keeps track.
He’s sure that he’s been a spirit for longer than he’d been alive. 30 years now , Revali thinks. Maybe 40 .
Days bleed into weeks bleed into months bleed into years. Yet ever the same, the same sight, the same beast.
The blight still lives inside the Vah Medoh, waiting. That’s a clear indication that Calamity Ganon hasn’t been defeated. He doesn’t know what became of the princess, or of Link, but he thinks that if the malice still exists, there must still be hope. After all, what else would the windblight be waiting for if not a knight who will come to rescue Revali?
He has no other reason to believe that Link is alive. By all means, logic points to him having perished years ago with the rest of the champions. But Revali has a feeling, a certain tug at the back of his mind telling him no . It tells him that Link is still alive, sleeping somewhere, recovering. It tells him to wait.
He thinks he must be losing his mind. It tells him that Link is alive, resting in the Shrine of Resurrection, and that he will return to free his spirit someday.
Against all logic, Revali replies.
“ You’ve improved a lot,” Link signs, attention split between Revali standing next to him and the divine beast in the sky.
Princess Zelda had once again journeyed to check on the divine beasts. With their goal more clearly defined after the general meeting months ago, progress had picked up enough to be worth checking on once more.
The pair had decided to visit the shrine just by the ancient columns, putting some distance between themselves and the village. Vah Medoh, however, was still a large presence in the sky.
“But of course,” Revali says, his usual flourish present as ever as he takes a seat by the edge of the cliff. “What else did you expect?” Link laughs at that, still a sound ringing clear in the midday haze.
Link takes a seat next to him, legs dangling off the edge of the cliff. For a while, they’re silent as they watch the beast fly above Rito village in the distance. From here, responsibility seems so far away.
Link taps his shoulder to get his attention, breaking the silence, so to speak. “ Zelda and some Sheikah members found a shrine the other day,” he signs.
Revali narrows his eyes, unimpressed. “Oh joy, another one.” After a while, the constant discovery of shrines had simply gotten old.
Link shakes his head. “ This one’s different,” he signs, “ She called it the Shrine of ...” Link sticks two fingers out, then quickly taps his palm—a sign that Revali doesn’t recognize.
At Revali’s apparent confusion, Link opts to fingerspell.
“Resurrection,” Revali says, saving it in his mental database of obscure signs that will likely never come up again. “That sounds quite ominous. Did they find a corpse inside?” he asks, before realizing they wouldn’t find a corpse since it’s the shrine of resurrection. “... Did someone walk out?” he corrects.
Link shakes his head. “ I think there’s a prophecy. ”
Revali groans. “There’s always a prophecy,” he says darkly.
Link laughs, soft, and Revali can’t fathom why.
“If they knew to build it,” Link speaks, eyes unusually bright, “it’s bound to happen.”
Revali doesn’t know what to say to that. He lets silence settle over them as he begins chewing on a nearby wildberry. What did Link even mean by that? He has a sinking feeling in his gut that says maybe the hero in question is a bit too willing to throw everything away to fulfill the destiny imposed unto him.
The silence has gone on for too long. Revali starts, “Link—”
“It’s ok, Revali,” Link cuts him off, and Revali can’t even take pleasure in how he says his name with the feeling of dread growing in him. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to save Hyrule. Just like you, or anyone else would.”
By all means, it’s a noble sentiment. If anyone had asked Revali before what he was willing to do to protect the world, he would have said the same thing: whatever it takes. But when Link says it, it makes his gut wrench.
He takes another bite of the wildberry. The silence between them grows. It isn’t comfortable this time, but it can’t be helped— Revali has no idea what to say.
He wants to let Link know that there’s a middle ground between martyrdom and self-preservation, and that maybe he’d be a little bit sad if he died. But he’s afraid he’ll say something wrong, something too soft.
“Link,” he says before swallowing his mouthful of wildberry. He hasn’t thought this through, but he knows he has to say something to break the silence. Talking is easy, just say words! “Don’t be stupid.” God damn it.
Link is staring at him. “I mean,” Revali starts again, pretending like this was all planned. “You don’t think you’re being heroic by dying, are you? Sacrifice or no, the whole death schtick is a tad bit overdone.”
Link laughs at that. It starts soft, as if he was taken by surprise by the whole thing, then it escalates into that loud, lovely sound that Revali feels is a privilege to hear.
“Fine,” Link says when his laughter dies down. “I promise to stay alive. You too, ok?”
“Oh please,” Revali allows himself to smile at that. “I’ll be nowhere near the action. Don’t get all ruffled worrying over me, Sir Sword That Seals The Darkness.”
It’s been a hundred years, Revali knows that now. Time passes differently while trapped in the divine beast, but of this he can be sure. He still hears that voice sometimes, echoing in his head yet seeming to come from somewhere beyond even the walls of Vah Medoh.
Distantly, he thinks that he recognizes the voice and knows exactly who it belongs to. Yet, even after a hundred years, he cannot bring himself to accept the fate that must have befallen the princess. Still, she speaks to him, and he assumes she does the same for the rest of the campions. She tells him to hold on, to be patient, and to have hope.
He has no other choice. When the time finally comes, he can tell when Link stumbles out of the Shrine of Resurrection—something in Hyrule shifts, like clouds parting slightly to allow some meager rays of light to shine through.
He waits as Link stumbles through Hyrule, making his way through each of the divine beasts. Revali, alone in Vah Medoh for a hundred years, has had nothing but his own memories to keep him company. He remembers everything. Not like it was yesterday, no, but like it’s a wound that’s healed over yet threatens to start bleeding again at the slightest tear. Time has dulled the pain, but his regret never seems to fade.
He’s sure, though, that Link doesn’t remember any of it. However, when Revali sees him step onto the divine beast, his suspicions are neither confirmed nor denied. There doesn’t seem to be any recognition in Link’s eyes, but as he solves the puzzles, he moves about the divine beast with a certain ache. As if he doesn’t know where he’s going, but he should; like it should be second nature, but when he tries to remember what this place is or who used to be in it, there’s nothing there.
Revali watches as the Windblight appears and challenges Link, who defeats it with ease. All at once, he feels a rush of air burst through him, freeing him from the blight’s trap, and in an instant, he finds himself floating down to meet Link face to face.
“Well, I’ll be plucked,” he says, because he doesn’t want to overwhelm Link. “You defeated him, eh? Who would’ve thought?”
It’s tough to see him like this, Revali thinks as he speaks, especially when it’s their first time really seeing each other after a hundred years. Link looks the same, and it brings back all the memories they’d shared together—battles fought, conversations had, and trust built. More than trust, really, but even now, Revali can’t bring himself to admit what he really felt.
He opens his beak to continue speaking when Link interrupts him. “I remember you,” he says, voice unsteady with only the slightest tremble. Despite making it all the way up to Vah Medoh and slaying the Windblight, Link seems upset. There’s cause for celebration, but he looks sadder than Revali can ever recall seeing him before.
Link’s distress is written all over his face—like he should feel something, but feels nothing at all, and it’s breaking him.
“I think I needed to tell you something back then,” he continues, and Revali wants to stop him right there. His heart can’t take much more. “But I can’t remember what it was.”
In response, Revali just laughs; a soft, melancholic sound. “Figures you’d forget,” he says. “That’s alright. It’s not a lot, but through some miracle, I think I can tell what you mean.”
The hurt on Link’s face doesn’t go away entirely, but there’s now something else there too. It’s hard to pin down, but Revali recognizes it as a mix of hope and gratitude, with a bit of regret. Without giving him another chance to speak, Revali thanks him for freeing his spirit, gifts him the ability to call the Gale, and reminds him of his duty to the the princess.
Hylia’s light begins to surround Link, making him glow a soft yellow, as he is sent down to Rito Village once more. Revali watches as he gives a small wave. Before he disappears entirely, Revali thinks he sees Link uncertainly put down his ring finger and middle finger, keeping the remaining fingers up.
It isn’t much, Revali thinks as he smiles to himself in resignation, but it’s enough. He still regrets not having said more, but he feels as if his heart can rest a little bit easier now.
The ground shakes, cutting Mipha off. In a heartbeat, Revali is in the sky, greeted with the ugly smoke erupting from Hyrule castle, enveloping it entirely within seconds.
He does his best to keep calm while warning the other Champions. Daruk rallies everyone, reminding them all of what they must do. After reassuring Zelda’s safety, Daruk, Mipha, and Urbosa are quick to move, intensity in their expressions as they begin the journey back to their divine beasts.
Revali’s thoughts race a mile a minute. He’s about to summon his Gale with the intent of making it to Vah Medoh as fast as possible when Link reaches forward and grabs a hold of his wing.
In an instant, his thoughts slow, as if steadied and grounded by just Link’s touch. Revali turns his head to face him, and their eyes meet. His grip on Revali’s wing isn’t too tight, but it’s urgent and wanting. Wanting what, Revali can’t tell. He simply watches as Link opens his mouth as if to say something, then closes it again as if he couldn’t find the words.
“Link,” Revali turns the rest of his body to face him properly. “Take care.” His voice sounds caught in his throat, like more words, more sentiment are pushing its way out, but he isn’t going to let them. Link just nods in response, eyes full of emotion.
“Come find me when it’s over,” he continues, and he feels Link’s grip on his wing tighten just the slightest bit. “I’ll wait for you.”
He just nods again at that, eyebrows knitting together. Throughout it all, he doesn’t let go of Revali, as if he wants to pull him in, to tell him he loves him, anything.
If Revali knows this or feels the same way, he doesn’t do anything; he merely watches, not knowing that the same intensity in Link’s eyes are reflected in his own. “We have to go,” he says.
At that, he finally lets go. Slowly and gently, as if he doesn’t want to. When his hands are free, he draws his sword. Before turning away to accompany Zelda to Hyrule Castle, he signs “ I’ll come to you later, ” then takes out his shield.
With determination to see Link again and finally say what needs to be said, he sets off towards his divine beast.