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“Even if it is full of love, all a ghost can do is haunt.”
Link grits his teeth and hoists himself higher, grappling for leverage on the steep rock ledge, feeling sorry for his bloody hands and the anxiety settling in his gut at what waited for him at the top. He didn't visit Rito Village much anymore, save for diplomatic reasons with Zelda or to watch Amali’s children because he'd promised he would when he found the time to.
Teba came around the castle town infrequently, sometimes with gifts for Link, little items Tulin had crafted just for him, "You have to test this bow for me, won't you? It's crafted from…bamboo? Some weird plant from the Faron region. Yeah. Got a shipment yesterday. Weird shit, huh?" but usually just for the current Champions descendants to discuss future matters of the kingdom.
The silhouette of the great Sheikah bird swallowed up the sky, and Link looked for the worn out niche in the dusty rock spire to stop and use Revali’s Gale, cringing to himself at the avatar-imitation of the Rito that engulfed Link as he was thrust into the air on high winds, phantom wingtips kissing his waist as it dissipated into nothing.
The real Rito was waiting for him on Medoh’s outstretched wing, an expression ever handsome but always, always so presumptuous. If it weren’t for the chill of air whisking through Link’s lungs, stomach flipping as he was flung on the updraft, he’d be startled by his own reaction to seeing Revali.
It had been months…
Revali’s feet clicked on the ground, tilting his head with an amused frown. "You know, I'd figured you'd grown past being so flaky with me, pointy-ears. You'd think after the big scary Calamity you could spare a few of your precious, Champion of Hyrule moments to actually visit. You know, with the century-long waiting and all. No big deal."
"Revali," Link signs with sweaty palms. The words are thick with relief that yes, he is still stuck here on Medoh, and a twinge of guilt. He's alive, in some way or other. That was enough for Link. There was still wind roaring in his ears as he tucked the paraglider away into his pack, willing the need inside of himself to reach out and embrace Revali.
“Hey, kid,” Revali steps forward to brush his wing across Link’s cheeks, flushed from the temperature, but decided against it and instead watched the Hylian fumble with the contents of his pack. “Doing a little field trip, are we? Glad to know my sorry ass was a good destination spot.”
“Teba is tied up with the village, I guess. Zelda asked me to come here,” Link was grateful the weight of his words wasn’t enough of a tell that he was lying to him. “The others are doing the same with the other Champions…Sidon, Riju, Yunobo…”
“Excuse me?”
“...The Divine Beasts? The Champion descendants are–”
“Yeah, yeah, I know that.” Revali loomed closer, piercing gaze tinged with green, gripping Link’s face. “Why are you here?”
Link couldn’t technically feel the wingtips that held his jaw in place, but if he focused hard enough, Revali’s feathers felt real, pressed firm against his skin. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew the Rito was upset, it was justified… After he had vanquished Calamity Ganon, his knightly responsibilities seemed unending, and though Link wanted to see Revali, like an itch that was just out of reach, he just…couldn’t. Not until he absolutely had no other choice.
“Zelda says that Rhoam always wanted the Beasts to be buried underground again…if they were of no use to us, or we didn’t need them anymore. They’re taking votes about how to move forward…The…people have mixed feelings.”
Revali scoffed. “The ‘people’ are fucking stupid and they all think the same, they were always scared of the Divine Beasts, they only entrusted us with them because they were too chicken to try and steer the things themselves...”
Link chewed his lip. His throat was dry from climbing, and the last thing he wanted was to use his voice. “You–you know that’s not true. It’s not like I’m the one telling them to bury the Divine beasts, Vali.”
In one quick motion Revali released his hold on Link and crossed his wings over his puffed chest, glaring at the cloud cover over Hebra mountains.
“I know, I’m just–”
“I know.” Link reached forward to extend his hand for him, but Revali turned his head away. Slapping him was too cruel, even though Link had made him wait, and wait still. He’d take any sort of contact now, even if it was out of hate.
“No you fuckin’ don’t! Are you the one who’s dead? Are you the one stuck on his heap of stinking metal?” The Rito spat.
Wind whipped Link’s hair across his face, angry and commanding and it burned his wet eyes. Revali was frozen in time, his spirit unaffected by the rumbling weather around them, and the fact made Link cry harder.
Are you the one who’s dead? Do you know what it’s like to know that I can’t even touch you properly?
“I was dead before,” Link had to strain to speak above the draft, and Revali mocked the effort it took Link to step closer and press down on his chest to will the words out of his throat.
“Well, congratulations. Make sure you don’t trip patting yourself on the back on your way out,” Revali heaved a sigh and focused on Link again, on his shivering form on the Beast’s wing. He laughed, a cruel, heartbroken sound to spear Link further. “Is that why you came here? To tell me they’re going to put Medoh into the ground?”
That they’re going to put me there, too?
“It’s either they bury them again, or disassemble them entirely. It’s Sheikah materials, we don’t know what to do with them now with the Calamity over…And we don’t want the possibility of our greatest weapons being used against us again.”
“You say that as if you’re on board with all of this. And here I was, thinking you weren’t so buddy-buddy with the old hags running around in that castle. What about you, huh? Why didn’t you say something to stop them?”
“Well, Teba thought that–”
Hearing the Rito warriors name for a second time sent Revali aback. The look of shock written on his face was a punch to Link’s gut.
“ Teba never gave a fuck. He was just like me, you know, he'd never want to try and play peacemaker with my ass. He’s all grown up now, isn’t he? I saw him when you destroyed Medoh’s cannons. He’d rather send a letter to my damn grave than come tell me of my own death. Hell, he can't even see me like this, Link. Only you can.”
“Did you think I wanted to do this? Do you think I wanted to come up here and tell you what was going to happen?” He can’t stop his hands from moving, signing quicker than Revali can understand, but he doesn’t care. “It’s just one more thing I have to do, because I’m the hero, the Hyrule Champion, the one who cleans up everyone else’s fucking messes…”
“Well.” His back is turned, and Link can’t see that look of hurt and betrayal on his face anymore. “I’m glad I’m just one more exhausting thing to check off on your list.”
Link cannot possibly allow himself to remain so far away from Revali this time. With weak legs and a coward’s heart he takes Revali’s wing between his palms, as best he can when he craves the love of a ghost, and turns him around to face him again.
“Revali, please ,” Link says to Revali’s temple, but it’s swallowed up by the wind. “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”
The Rito stiffens under Link’s touch, he feels those arms go right through him, yet remain solid across his glowing frame. He’d thought about this moment for months, hundreds of days filled lying inside Vah Medoh, eyes open until the sun rose, dreaming of the stupid Hylian with fragile bones and determined blue eyes.
His lips are delicate, a memory of the real thing, but nonetheless there across his face, his beak. Revali can see Link’s breath puff between them, drawing himself closer to his chest and kissing along the feathers above his scarf, cold mouth on a lifeless body.
I’m sorry.
“Don’t shut me out…please. Not now, not when this is all that we have. Only I can see you, you arrogant bastard. Remember that.” It ends on a laugh, but it’s tense, still too tense , and there’s tears in his pretty blue eyes. He remembers those eyes, heavy with the weight of the world. Revali’s chest aches, suffering and tumbling in on itself like an old dog too stubborn to be put to death. He’d switch places with the Hylian any day of the week to make those tears go away, but even he was too chicken to be the Hero of Hyrule. The fucking irony.
And Revali hates that Link is right. He hates knowing that the man has perfected the art of swaying him whichever way he wanted with just the right touch, a cluster of kisses here, and his fingertips pressing deep into his feathers, trying to peel back his skin and claw his way inside. It was just like old times, except it painfully was not. A deathblow. An arterial wound, spraying out all over them.
“Only you can.” Revali holds him closer, his beak resting atop Link’s ruffled hair. The Hylian crumples forward, hands shaking, unsure what to do with his limbs.
He thumbs across the scar on Link’s chin, the one he got as a child sparring with his father. The barely-there sensation tickles Link’s skin, but makes him long for the possibility that there could have ever been something more after this.
“I’ll ask Zelda,” Link whispered to Revali’s ruffled front. “Soon.”
“I don’t care who you ask– just fucking find a way. They preserved you pretty good back then, didn’t they, hero? Make them bring me back,” Revali bristled.
Link put a palm to the Rito’s chest, the motion prompting him to settle. “–All of you, Vali. Mipha, Daruk, Urbosa–”
“Yeah–whatever, fine. But me specifically, kay? Caveat on that bit.” He kicks an apple that was left there off the side of the machine down to the log houses and nests below. “You know the gifts are really cute and all, but I just throw these down at the village. Seeing their faces when they fall is just too funny to pass up.”
Link glares up at the Rito, lashes wet, bending down to find the small leather skin pouch inside of his bag. “Well, I hope you don’t kick this one down there.”
He ties the rope bindings free and shucks it open, flattening his palm to reveal a star fragment. It is hot to the touch and wrapped in cloth, but Link’s hands are numb and his own well-being is the last thing on his mind.
Revali takes the small thing and it’s surprisingly heavy on his wing.
“And what am I going to do with this, exactly? Put it with my knickknacks? Set it on my nightstand, right next to Vah Medoh’s ass?” He teases.
“You don’t have to take it. I just thought you’d appreciate it…” Link frowned, face hot. This wasn’t going well at all. “It took a long time to get this, just so you know.”
“Well,” Revali straightens up, setting the glowing fragment beside them. He wrapped Link’s shivering form with one of his wings, drawing the stunned Hylian closer. “Thank you for something so uh, beautiful …and so useless.”
Link laughs softly, wiping tears.
He squeezes Link’s shoulders, wishing he could bruise his skin or leave the imprint of his feathers along the scarred flesh there, so he didn’t have any reason to forget him.
“I have to get back.” Link’s mouth is back on his neck that isn’t actually there, hands covering the expanse of his waist, trying to pull him closer, coax the warmth that used to thrum in his veins.
“It can wait,” Revali tells him, because in a world where it’s just the two of them, and the sun isn’t about to set, he’s right.