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Revali couldn’t help but scoff at the prospect of the sword-bearing hero. Revali has worked his hardest, collapsed and bruised his pale skin, has see some of his beautiful blue feathers snap off his wings. But of course, the goddess will always have the last laugh, does she not? All it takes is for him to be able to wield that sword for him to fly levels higher than Revali’s own.
He hated looking at the boy and feeling inferior. The rito-hylian knew he was faster, quicker, better, and he’d hoped he’d be able to make that very clear upon the first meeting. Of course, that little wingless heathen had been just as keen, which made Revali all the more angry.
He trickled back into the world by the questioning screech of Medoh. Revali shook his head, he knew Medoh was aware of his thoughts. He had no way of phrasing how he felt, for once he could not yap about how unfair his situation is. He morphed his wings back into his arms and sighed, rubbing his eyes.
“How irritating,” He sighed. Crouching down, he gave Medoh a good couple pats and dove off of the left wing. His blue and white feathers started sprouting from his arms and a familiar lightness came over him. He made a careful landing onto the platform to Rito Village. From the look of the sun, it seemed to be time that he headed to the spring of wisdom.
Under his feet, there started to be intense and sharp rumblings that seemed to be rising from the very core of the earth. Revali used his gale and shot up into the sky, he hovered in the air and flashed to get a view of Hyrule Castle.
His heart sank. Purple goop seemed to twist and turn around the castle, holding it like thorns on a vine. He knew his job, and he was going to do it well . Dropping onto the wooden paths of the village, a harsh roar came from the center of the land.
“ Shit ,” He gritted, trying to stabilize. Others were already rushing to see what was happening. There were a couple screams from the village.
Revali shot up again, heading straight to his divine beast. Dread was killing him, but he
was determined if he wasn’t anything else. Just as he landed on the floor of Vah Medoh, there was a purple blob that sprouted arms. It was disgusting and Revali's face scrunched. He pulled down his goggles and drew his bow… He was going to win this…
How foolish, how naive he had been.
“Just a second longer, maybe if I twisted then- turned there,” He tried to reason, but no matter what, it did not turn back time. He was over the physical criticisms of his past self. The regret now rests in his soul, but doesn’t hurt.
What does still stab at him was his feelings. He knew he had a right to be angry about his position in the past and he’d be damned if he still was not slightly bitter about that... but somehow it was not the main reason. It was the blonde swordmans stupid smile and pitiful laugh still struck him the most. The sound cannot ring within his head now, and the boys face became blurry over the many years.
Words spoken during late nights on watch, smiles shared during those claustrophobic official meetings, little flirty teasing during training. All of those concepts still reek of nostalgia, and all Revali knows is that he should have shoved aside his ugly ego and chased that happiness while he could have.
Long, agonizing years pass and pass and he wishes nothing more than for the Goddess to let him finally die- soul and all.
Of course, as he had said, the goddesses were all cruel. Every single one.
One day, he heard the high pitched screeches of Medoh. Where they could not see, his spirit saw the same snow feathered rito-hylian moving to distract the machine. But now, as Revali's sharp green eyes (that cannot cry, but certainly would have of they could) fell upon a Hylian with the same paraglider Revali could have sworn he had given his all those years ago.
One look at his face as he shot the defences of Medoh caused every blurry memory to flood back tenfold. Every locked emotion filled the holes in his heart.
“I can feel the calamity coming nearer and nearer,” Link said one night, crossing his arms over his knees as they sat near the fire that was lit in the Flight Range.
Revali sighed and placed his bow to the side.
“I was not the only one with such a suspicion, huh?”
Link turned his blue eyes to look at him. He laid his head down onto his folded arms. Revali loved seeing Link as he is now, not so guarded, and his posture relaxed.
The blonde didn’t seem sad, but more nervous.
“I am so used to running into battle, I don’t like what I don’t know.”
Revali nodded and looked into the range in thought.
Link then spoke once again, “I am also afraid that I wont be here to help you… or the others.”
Revali bit back a comment about how he could hold his own… Link’s concern is much like his own. He turned back to the blonde and hummed.
“We worry about the same. I may not be there for you whenever Calamity strikes,” He whispers, somehow losing his voice. The cold must be effecting him...
Link laughs, lifting his head back up.
“I will find you again no matter what happens,” He said proudly, confidently.
Revali shook his head, his blue hair swaying and his green eyes amused.
“Oh? And what if you… say… lose your memories?” He tested, a smirk coming onto his pink lips.
Link rubbed his chin for a moment and his face went into a thinking expression. Then he grinned, grabbing onto Revali’s arms and turning his towards him.
“I will find your heart, and then I’ll know!”
The Rito-Hylian had no clue what he meant at first, and he squawked at him for an answer, but that boy just held his mouth shut and claimed that only he will know, and when he finds him again, he’ll answer.
Leading Link through the puzzles was easy, but speaking to his was not. Nothing lead him to believe that the man he was talking to now was the same as the past.
When Windblight Ganon crumpled and burned, finally releasing Medoh, and himself, from the pain of the last century. But now, as Revali’s spirit became visible, and Link turned to see him, he knew.
“Revali…”
His voice was hoarse from disuse, but it was still beautiful… just as the rest of him as he stood in full Snowquill armor, specialty of his homeland. Blonde, outgrown hair blew in the breeze and blue eyes wide.
“You found me, congratulations,” Revali said, holding onto his arms behind his back.
Link nodded, and the pale man waited for him to tell him the stupid secret.
“I found your… heart,” Link said, stepping forward, “In the village, your heart marks home…”
Link seemed to be speaking with half of his vision elsewhere. Revali thought of the village. Could it be his home? The landing? But he thought harder… and the memory of him helping Link with his gale near the village rang a bell.
One angle of the pillar in the sky that was the landmark of Rito village could be shown as a heart. Link remembered… and tried showing him...
“I… remember ,” Link said finally, running up to Revali who thought the shorter was going to phase right through, but somehow he felt the breeze touch his skin. The suns rays fall over his skin. He felt the warm, gloved hands of Link hold onto his upper arms.
He gasped and felt the prickle as tears beginning to fall from his wide eyes.
His heart will always be home for Link. No matter how far.