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Chapter Text

It was funny how possessing the Spirit of the Hero worked. 

Heroes of legend had apparently faced every single challenge head on with unspeakable courage. Link had been told since the moment he drew the Master Sword that he, too, would share this destiny. He had to live up to every other hero before him. Protect Zelda. Kill Ganon. Save an entire kingdom. Even when he was still so young, that’s all he had known. And of course, despite all the training, despite the years in service to the Royal family, despite all of his friends’ sacrifices, he had failed.

Maybe… It was a mercy that he hardly remembered the fine details of his earlier life.

Now, here he stood upon the Great Plateau, thinking way too hard about what he had to do next. The arsenal in his Sheikah Slate might cut it for Ganon with a bit of luck, but he refused to take a risk like that. Even with the Master Sword, he had still fallen a century ago. The Sword that Seals the Darkness would be too valuable to pass up, even though he knew what it meant for him. It had been in every single one of his memories, staying a constant weight on his back that he thought he would never be free from.

For a brief two years since waking up, he had been free. He wished he could stay free. 

No matter how he actually felt, Link knew he had to see this through. If he ran off to rot away in the far reaches of Hyrule, the Calamity would eventually break free. Already, from the Great Plateau, he could see that the malice surrounding the castle had grown more intense since his awakening. Zelda could only hold on for so long, and she absolutely did not deserve to wait forever. She had done more than enough. All of them had.

Struck with the thought of the Champions again, Link reached out to their respective gifts. The gifts still pulsed in his chest. He would have to visit them after pulling the Master Sword. They deserved to have one last goodbye before Link threw himself into danger. 

They deserve so much more than that, Link bitterly thought, trying to ignore the Divine Beasts in the corners of his vision. It hurt to even acknowledge that his friends were trapped. Was Zelda also trapped like them? Had she also perished in the fight against the Calamity? Even if he killed Ganon, would he find himself face to face with a ghost?

He… wasn’t sure if he could do that again.

Every time he entered a Divine Beast, he erroneously hoped the Champions would still be alive in there somewhere. He had managed to make a full recovery, so why couldn’t they? But no, of course his newly forged optimism after his awakening would betray him. Every time he laid eyes on the ghost of a fallen friend, he could feel another part of himself shrivel up and perish with them. Every single time, Link became more like the person he used to be before the Calamity struck. 

Maybe that was a good thing. Hyrule needed the Link who would die trying to save them. 

Even if his closest friends around Hyrule wanted him to slow down, he no longer could wait. There were no more shrines to find throughout the world. He could no longer use the excuse that he was simply “getting stronger”. Hell, he had even gotten sidetracked helping out everyone he could, and even that now had its limits. There would be no one to help if he did not stop the Calamity. It always would come to this.

Before leaving on this venture, he had gone out of his way to spend time with people he knew would miss him after he pulled the sword. Not even a week ago, he and Sidon managed to convince the other members of the Big Bad Bazz Brigade to join them on an excursion up the largest waterfalls in Zora’s Domain. Link had never felt more free as he soared over the top of the massive waterfalls, water spraying everywhere and glistening in the sunlight. He wanted that forever. It… painfully reminded him of a time he didn’t remember, back before he originally drew the Master Sword. It seemed the Sword was going to take him from them again.

Even across the week, he had checked in with the Gorons to make sure Yunobo was doing fine. For someone who lacked so much self confidence, Link respected the way Yunobo managed to put aside his fears to beat back Vah Rudania. Daruk would’ve known the words to say to Yunobo to ease his fears. Still, the visit had eased many of Yunobo’s worries that Link may not come back. Link hoped that Yunobo would not hold it personally when he drew the Master Sword and truly did leave.

Riju seemed in good spirits as always when he visited. The Gerudo always welcomed him, even if he had to sneak into their town in an outfit he looked quite amazing in. Patricia, the best sand seal, also seemed happy to see him. Link stayed long enough for a few hours of Sand Seal racing. Of course, Riju destroyed him. Patricia simply could not be outmatched. With a face full of sand, Link admitted that Riju would be fine on her own. She was strong, determined, and full of fun. She would do just fine.

Just the day before making his way to the Great Plateau, Link had made his final visit to Rito Village. He sought out Teba and Saki, wishing to merely say goodbye to them. Link had not expected it to turn into a fully fledged dinner in their roost. Tulin had already taken up a spot right next to Link, and the Hylian had to take extra care not to bump into him while eating. 

The three made good company, and Link did not feel an expectation to entertain. He simply got to be, and that made him able to fluently speak to the three around him. Teba nodded along with Link’s retelling of his adventures, and Saki beamed a warm smile when she heard Link get into his element.

In the middle of Link recounting his travels, Tulin grabbed his arm to try to get his attention. What Link heard next finally broke his composure. Innocently, Tulin looked up at him and announced, “One day, I’m gonna grow up to be a hero just like you!” 

Link choked on the nutcake he was eating. Across from the cooking pot, Saki shot him a worried glance. Oh, Tulin, you really don’t want to make me a role model… Link thought to himself. In an attempt to not arouse any worries from the Rito around him, Link held up a hand and successfully cleared his throat. It did nothing to ease the worries of the two Rito across from him, but Tulin had hardly realized anything was wrong.

Instantly, Link’s voice caught in his throat when he tried to answer. It came out as a choked noise, and Link’s fingers balled into a fist, digging into his snowquill clothing. Now, Teba squinted, and Saki nervously clicked her beak. The two Rito glanced at each other, and came to a wordless decision that Link hardly parsed. 

With a slight grunt, Teba stood up. “All right, Tulin. You ate fast enough, so we’ll get some extra flying in today.” Immediately, Link understood what was happening here. Teba abandoned him to be interrogated by Saki for that slip-up.

Tulin, bless his small heart, did not understand nor care that his dad very much was trying to take him away from this situation. The fledgling excitedly stood up, but not before hugging Link’s side. Link tensed for a moment, but he could never be unnerved around Tulin for long. His childlike enthusiasm could not be beat. “Don’t go too long! You have to tell me your stories!” 

Even though he knew he could not keep that promise, Link gave Tulin a nod. The small fledgling took that at face value and quickly ran after his dad. Teba nodded in Link’s direction before continuing on, leaving just him and Saki behind.

And oh, Saki looked so concerned. “Link, is everything all right?”

Now, Link knew what he should do as the last remaining Champion… as a knight of Hyrule. No one else should have to shoulder the burden he would bear, especially not Saki. In fact, if he had any respect for everyone around him, he would warp with his Sheikah Slate right now and simply not show his face until the Calamity had been eradicated. This was his burden to bear, and his only. That is what he should have done.

Instead, his voice betrayed him. “Doing something important tomorrow. May not be back for a while,” Link whispered. That was an understatement. Link probably wouldn’t be back as himself ever. 

Remaining skeptical, Saki scooted over closer to his side of the cooking pot. He fidgeted slightly, but made no further move to stop her. Saki hummed, “You know, Teba has told me many vague things like that in the past, and every time he says that is a time he’s going to do something incredibly reckless.”

Unable to hold back his amusement, Link snorted at her comment. His fingers unfurled from his snowquill ever so slightly. Unfortunately, he had been caught. Pulling the Master Sword would be catastrophic for Link, but absolutely necessary for Hyrule. Ever since he pulled that sword at a young age, he had been thrust into the Hyrulean Army, forever at the King of Hyrule’s beck and call. While that man may be gone now, and Link felt much better about Zelda, pulling the Sword still meant unyielding service to Hyrule. 

“...Complicated,” Link finally choked out, his voice still not cooperating with him. His vision trailed over to the dying embers under the cooking pot. “Might not be able to visit as much.” Everytime he experienced a memory, Link could practically feel the stranglehold around his emotions. He refused to react to anything. Something in him had fundamentally broken in his time with the Hyrulean Army. If Zelda’s diary was accurate, Link would likely return to silence after all of this was over.

His openness in the recent years came from him losing his memories, and therefore feeling depersonalized from his responsibilities. Now, he had a job to do. Now, Hyrule rested on his shoulders alone.

Saki rested an open palm on her lap, a gesture Link had grown all too familiar with. It was an offering of comfort in case he needed it, but not necessarily a demand. He appreciated that. “There is no need to worry about us. You are always welcome in Rito Village. I hope you know that.” Saki paused, her eyes growing sullen, “Did Tulin make you remember something?”

Ah, so she still had not dropped that. At the very least, he could tell Saki did not judge him. It made sense that she would draw these conclusions. Not even a few months ago, Link had fled to Rito Village to get as far away from Necluda as possible. Turns out, seeing your own death played in front of you does a number on your psyche. Link had just wanted to get away, to run as far away from Blatchery Plains as possible. He was thankful for Teba and Saki being around to keep him in check after he unceremoniously warped into Rito Village.

After all Saki had done for him, Link could not hold this from her. Subconsciously, he placed his hand in Saki’s, and her warm smile helped his voice gain the strength he needed to talk again. “He didn’t… make me remember anything,” Link sighed. This next part always proved difficult to explain to others who had not already lived it. “I want him to stay enthusiastic and happy. The person I was before was… not that.”

Saki nodded in understanding. Three Rito currently knew about his real identity: Kass, Saki, and a very disgruntled Teba. “He looks up to who you are now, Link,” Saki countered, her voice staying very soft, “I promise you that who you were in the past no longer matters. You seem so happy now.”

Link’s eyes stung a bit. He ignored it, but Saki’s feathered hand wrapping around his own made it only get worse. For a brief, horrid moment, his defenses broke completely. He turned his head away, using his one free hand to wipe at his face. It came away wet. He couldn’t do this anymore. He could not let himself get wrapped up with his friends for any longer. He had… he had to do his job.

“Link?” Saki broke through his thoughts. She was trying to maintain her smile, but she looked crestfallen. “I’m sure that whatever you are doing, we can help you. You do not have to do this alone.”

But he did.

No one else could pull the Master Sword. No one else could defeat the Calamity. No one else would be dying on his watch.

Link retracted his hand from hers like he had just been burned. His voice no longer responded to him. He needed to be anywhere but here. In a swift, practice movement that he had done far too many times when in a tough battle, Link tore his Sheikah Slate off of his belt and selected the Shrine of Resurrection.

He wanted to say how sorry he was when he heard Saki yelling after him, but it was far too late. His vision faded as he disappeared into blue tendrils of light. Teba would most certainly kill him, but he could live with that for now. As long as everyone else kept their lives by the end of this, he did not mind at all. 

After camping for the night, he had changed into his Champion’s tunic and simply been lost in thought for most of the morning. That brought him to now.

Link realized he had been closing his eyes for a while now, deep in thought about his journey across Hyrule. His ear twitched at the sound of grass rustling. Instinctively, his hand shot for the hilt of his broadsword. His eyes snapped open, but the adrenaline entering his system vanished immediately. Link recognized the black and gray fur coat instantly.

“...Hey wolfie.”

It had been a while since the wolf had made an appearance. At the start of Link’s journey, he had thought it was trying to kill him. After swatting it away with a stick a few times, the wolf relented for maybe an hour… and then promptly came back with a fish in its jaws. Link realized he had at least one friend that day, and that fish tasted great considering it was one of his first larger meals since waking up. The wolf came and went, but Link slowly realized more and more that this wolf was immensely smart. Without any communication, the wolf could help Link take out monster camps, hunt for food, and… it even knew when Link may not be feeling his best.

The wolf moved out of the grass to sit next to Link. He appreciated its company. The wolf had appeared less and less in the past couple of years, and it had been weeks since the last time it had come to him. After patting the ground, Link got the wolf to relax a bit and lay down. “I’m okay,” Link explained, rubbing the intricate design on the wolf’s forehead, “Just going after the Master Sword.”

The wolf’s ears perked up right away. Link felt a little more vindicated in thinking that this thing listened to him. However, that also made him a little more vindicated in wanting to take the shackle off of this poor thing’s leg. The wolf refused to let Link even try.

Sighing, Link elaborated, “I’ll be heading to the Lost Woods in a bit. Sorry if you can’t follow me. Gonna be using the slate to make it easier.” The wolf let out a huff in response. “Then I’ll be warping to all of the Champions and saying goodbye.”

Link paused, and a devilish grin came across his face. “I wish you could go up to Vah Medoh with me. Revali would be livid to know a wolf got up there. He already hates it whenever I warp up to a place only ‘The Most Talented of Rito’ should be able to go.”

The wolf raised its head to look at Link, and he swore he saw it smile. Was this wolf as engaged in messing with Revali as Link was? Link hoped he could stay in high enough spirits with the Sword on his back to get some satisfaction from that interaction. 

Right, the Master Sword.

There was no use staving it off. Besides, if Teba found him here, Link knew fighting the Calamity would be the second hardest battle of his life. “All right, Wolfie, gotta go.” Link pushed himself up to his feet. “Thanks for keeping me company.”

He gave it a few more pats on the head, and Link still could not tell whether or not the wolf liked that or not. Oh well, maybe he would find out another time.

Link tried to fight off the feeling that this would be the last time he saw the wolf. It only ever came to him in the wild, and it had grown more scarce. Link visibly deflated, but just like with all of his friends, he could not linger for long.

Pulling out his Sheikah Slate, Link zoomed into the Lost Woods. He had already passed the forest’s trial. Without a doubt, Link had enough power to pull it. He just… did not want the responsibility that came with it. Still, he had delayed enough. Waving one last goodbye to the wolf, Link selected Keo Ruug shrine, and immediately disappeared into blue tendrils.

When his body and consciousness had finished putting itself back together, Link stood in the Lost Woods. For whatever reason, he half expected the wolf to be here. It sometimes managed to keep up with him at certain distances, but the wolf would not be able to follow from a place like the Great Plateau. He already missed it. He already missed the Big Bad Bazz Brigade. He already missed the mining escapades with Yunobo. He already missed the sand-seal surfing with Riju. He already missed the small dinners with Teba and his family.

He already missed his freedom.

Taking a few steps under the massive roots of the Great Deku Tree, Link could already see the Master Sword. 

It waited for him. It called to him.

“Ah, so you have finally come for the Master Sword,” A booming voice shook Link out of his thoughts. “I trust that means you will be on your way soon, then?”

Link no longer wished to speak. His voice no longer wished to appear either. Every step closer to the Sword felt like a death knell. 

The Great Deku tree hummed, “I see you have returned to silence. I had hoped that if you did not previously recognize me, it meant that you would have a second chance.”

I did, Link wants to say. His second chance had already been used up. He had waited for far too long, and now all that waited was the Sword. Link tried to shut out the Great Deku Tree, taking slow, agonizing steps towards the Master Sword’s pedestal.

“You obtained the Master Sword at such a young age, and you brimmed with life.” The tree almost looked solemn, even though its face had hardly moved. “I have watched hero after hero pull the Master Sword from its pedestal, but never once have I seen one approach the Master Sword with so much resentment.”

Link stopped. His legs anchored him to the ground. One hand had already reached for the sword, but he hesitated. If he could just pull it out, Link could shove down this pain until his duty was done. 

But he hesitated.

The Great Deku Tree continued, “The Koroks told me that you had stopped playing their little game after you were knighted. I could only assume the worst. Now, seeing you, I cannot fathom what must have happened to you.”

Link lowered his head. Truly, he did not know either. He just had instincts, memories, and feelings. 

“The Hero typically struggles with finding happiness when the threat to the land is destroyed…” The Great Deku Tree lamented, and Link could feel a weight pressing in his own chest. “However, the Sword always desired to be an ally to the Hero. It never wished to bring harm to its master.”

What good had that wish done? Ever since Link pulled the Master Sword, expectations had been placed upon his shoulders time and time again. In his memories, Zelda always gazed at him with resentment in her eyes about the Sword. Revali had actively mocked him, claiming that Link’s success only came from the Sword itself. Mipha had been more silent about her feelings, but even she could not hide the pain in her voice about how much she missed Link. 

They were all wrong about one thing. Link had not been divinely blessed with the Spirit of the Hero. He had been cursed.

Link clenched his jaw. He could not allow himself to fail now. Not with everyone relying on him.

He could never have what he wanted. 

Link gripped the hilt of the Master Sword, planting his feet into the ground. The Great Deku Tree fell into silence. Good. Link could do without any more distractions.

Allowing himself one deep breath before the end, Link pulled.

Immediately, Link could feel his vitality being pulled from his body. Rippling pain coursed through his arms, branching out in agonizing paths all throughout his body. At least it hurt much less than the first time he had tried to pull the Master Sword after awakening. Part of him had been thankful that he had failed. It allowed him to waste more time to get stronger.

The Sword shifted upwards. Divine light spewed out from the pedestal. He could do this. He had to.

Gritting his teeth, Link pulled harder. He tried to ignore the phantom memories of the Sword on his back. Could the Great Deku Tree be right? After all, the Master Sword had saved his life. It had given him a second chance after falling in battle near Fort Hateno. Then again, he had been forced into a world with no memories. He had to be reminded of every single one of his failures every time someone recognized him. Perhaps, the Master Sword believed his duty was not yet complete, and simply continued his never ending curse.

Once again, the Master Sword moved. The silvery-blue, divine light pulsed more vibrantly. Link could no longer feel his legs, but he could not stop pulling. 

Could he ask? The Sword spoke to Zelda. It never spoke to him in any of his memories, but perhaps it had in the times he no longer remembered. Link wanted to know what the Sword’s intentions were. Did the Sword truly have wishes of its own?

The Sword shifted again. It was almost free. 

A new feeling chipped away at Link relentlessly. He no longer felt simply content enough to go back to how things were… not yet, at least. Still, content or not, Hyrule needed the Link he used to be, not the one he was now. Link tried to stop his doubts from bubbling up. He was so close.

His fingers had grown numb, but the Sword continued to give way. Just a little bit more…

Link knew better than to hesitate. The training that Link still vaguely remembered from his time in the Hyrulean army had taught him that much. He knew better than to stop now. Even so, one final plea rang out through his head. 

Please, help me.

The divine light shot outward. The pain in Link’s body washed away instantly. Link let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. After readjusting his grip around the hilt of the Sword, Link tugged one final time.

The Master Sword had been fully freed.

Link stared at the sword-guard, almost mesmerized by its appearance. He had seen this Sword so many times in his memories previously, and it remained in the corner of his vision whenever he visited the Lost Woods. Now, with it in his hands, it felt right. 

He turned the Master Sword over in his right hand. The Sword’s weight distribution clicked in a way that no other weapon in his arsenal had. Before, it had become an immense weight on his shoulders. Now, when he held it in his grasp, Link recognized that this weapon had been designed for him. A piece of him that he did not know was missing slotted into place.

Was he… relieved?

Perhaps, the Master Sword had never been the source of the weight on his shoulder. For a moment, he wanted to believe in that. Link shut his eyes, bringing the blade of the Master Sword close to his face. A wave of familiarity washed over Link. For a brief moment, he thought he remembered doing this more than once before. 

Following the footsteps of those who came before him, Link opened his eyes and raised the Master Sword skyward.

It shone brilliantly in the sunlight creeping through the branches of the Lost Woods. The Sword itself began taking in light. Link tilted his head, confused at what the Sword was doing. However, as he tried to bring the Master Sword down, he realized that his mind had begun to fog. Oh no. Link’s entire body began to seize up. The familiar feeling of a memory taking over his senses made him panic, but only for a brief moment.

“Your Master will come for you. Until then, you shall rest safely here.”

Just like the memories surrounding the Champions, Link found himself unable to find any grounding in the memory itself. This was one of Zelda’s memories. He simply remained an observer of events that happened in the past. 

The Master Sword rested sideways on its pedestal. Its brilliant edge had been cracked and scarred.  Ah, so that’s when this happened. The bruises and scrapes covering Zelda’s body only proved to Link when this had taken place. He had fallen, and so had the Master Sword. It looked forlorn and lost without Link’s hand to guide it. Even so, it managed to save his life with its power.

“Although the Slumber of Restoration will most certainly deprive him of his memories…” Zelda prayed, keeping her hands clasped and her voice low. “...please trust me when I say that I know he will arrive before you yet again.”

Link had kept the Sword waiting for far too long. She had rested in the Sacred Grove, waiting for him to arrive. Yes… she. That sounded right. 

“If I may be so bold… what is it that you are planning to do next, Princess?” The Great Deku Tree gently roused Zelda out of her prayer. 

Zelda’s eyes drifted downward to the Sword yet again. Her face grew pale, but her resolve remained unbreakable. “The Master Sword… I heard it speak to me. It seems that my role is unfinished. There is still something I must do.”

So, the Master Sword did prioritize their duties over all else? Link scoffed at the thought. Zelda should have never had this “role”. She had done enough. Being berated every single day by her father about her duties had been more than enough. Zelda should have had a chance to study Sheikah technology like she always wished. If the Sword wanted to debate that, it could. Link would never budge. Zelda, of all people, had been in the direct line of fire from the King of Hyrule for far too long.

Link should have tried to help her more. Maybe, if they had properly studied Sheikah technology, Link could have assisted the Champions in their struggles against the blights. But no, everyone had to follow the strict rulebook on how the battle against the Calamity was supposed to go.

The Deku Tree hesitated just for a moment. He likely echoed the thoughts Link had about this arrangement. Not wanting to miss a beat, the tree calmly said, “I sense there is great strength in your dedication.” 

Of course, the tree also knew that Zelda had to do this if Hyrule was to survive. Link had failed her, and in turn, she had to pay the price.

With a slight stumble, Zelda stood up to her feet. The ceremonial garb she wore would limit her chances of even making it to the castle, but Link already knew that her efforts ended in a success. “Great Deku Tree, I ask of you, when he returns, can you please relay this message…” Dread crept up in Link’s chest. He had grown more worried about this inevitable conversation. “Tell him I-”

“Now then…” The Great Deku Tree stopped her. Zelda stumbled forward ever so slightly, her mouth curling into a slightly confused frown. “Words intended for him would sound much better in the tones of your voice, don’t you think?” 

Instantly, a sheepish and radiant smile replaced her frown. “Yes.” 

Link could not help but smile too. Even if he did not know if he could provide the answer she wanted, Link could feel the weight in his chest lift when he saw the hope in her eyes. The Great Deku Tree trusted her ability enough to know that she would be able to relay this message herself. In her face, Link no longer saw the resentment and hatred that she once bore for him. Link no longer saw the girl with the blood of the Goddess Hylia in her. Link saw Zelda as the way she wanted to be.

Selfishly, he wondered if she wanted that for him too.

However, the moment for that hope had passed. Zelda’s gaze drifted back down to the Master Sword. With the gentleness of laying a good friend to rest, Zelda gripped the hilt of the Sword. She shut her eyes, and the smile she once had vanished. The tip of the blade hovered just over the pedestal. With one, final breath, Zelda whispered, “I’m sorry, Link.”

Resolve steeled her expression. She slowly lowered the Sword to its resting place, and the divine light in the pedestal accepted the blade.

Then, she was gone.

Only the Master Sword remained.

Link’s awareness of his own body came back to him in a flash. His sword pulsed with divine energy as it pointed towards the heavens. Carefully, he brought the sword back down, admiring the sheen of the blade. Unlike in the memory, the Sword’s blade was in perfect condition. The Master Sword felt natural in his hands. Zelda had done so well, and Link wished he could tell her that right now. It would have to wait until after he had turned Ganon into nothing more than a bad memory. 

As a test, Link tried to swing the Master Sword. While the swing had been executed flawlessly, Link did not expect for the divine light wreathing the Master Sword to suddenly lash out. A rolling beam of light surged forward from the blade of the Sword, cutting through grass and sending a few Koroks into excited chittering. The divine slash collided into one of the Great Deku Tree’s roots, dissipating on impact. Link covered his mouth with his free hand. It left no damage, but he had still hit the Deku Tree.

A warm, hearty chuckle came from the tree instead of the scolding Link had expected. Why had he expected scolding? “The Sword, for as long as I have watched over it, has never achieved a feat such as that.”

Link stared at his reflection in the blade of the Sword. Now, it lacked the divine energy that it previously brimmed with. Had he done something different with the Master Sword than before? He wracked his brain for any recognition of what he had just done. Even though he had not regained all of his memories, he still had feelings every now and then that he remembered something. This… hardly rang any bells. There was a distant, soft, and forever out of reach recognition that the Master Sword was capable of this, but he knew for a fact he had never done it.

Link’s ear twitched.

He swore he had heard a familiar sound. His eyes darted around the grove and to the Deku Tree’s face. The Tree seemed just as curious as he was. 

Again, slightly louder this time, Link heard a strange chime. Now that he heard it more clearly, he remembered this noise fondly. The Master Sword only spoke to him every now and then, and it only ever gave warnings about imminent threats. The last time he had heard this chime was after…

…after he had fallen.

Link shook his head, trying to clear away the very vivid memory of the Guardian burns on his chest. The Master Sword vyed for his attention. A gentle glow of light pulsed along the entire blade. It chimed repeatedly, asking louder and louder for his attention.

Unsure of what else to do, Link acknowledged her presence. “I’m listening.”

The yellow gem engraved into the hilt of the Master Sword shone brilliantly for a brief moment. A blue and purple mass emerged from the gem in a flash. It twirled through the air with an elegant flair that looked only natural to Link. 

The figure came to a stop just above the ground in front of Link. Her head lowered immediately into a reverent bow. Link’s eyes widened at the sight of her, and some distant fondness tugged at him. Clearly, she was not something normal. 

Most of her body shared similarities with the divine light that had been pouring out of the pedestal earlier, taking on a vibrant bright blue. The purple and blue cloak she- wore? Was made out of? - billowed in wind that Link could not feel. A gem very similar to the one engraved into the hilt of the Master Sword connected the cloak around her neck. The legs that hovered just above the surface of the ground looked exactly like the design on the hilt of the Master Sword.

He recognized her voice the moment she spoke.

“Greetings, Master. I am thankful to see you again.”

Chapter Text

Link had a firm and resolute idea of what would happen when he pulled the Master Sword. Obviously, when he pulled the Sword, he would feel the weight of the world crash right back into him. He would return to his silent and ever-diligent self, and that would be that. After making Zelda wait for way too long, he would rush the castle and face Ganon head-on with the Divine Beasts supporting him.

Already, the beginning of his plan had broken to utter pieces.

The spirit within the Sword raised her head once more, and even though she lacked pupils, she made eye-contact with Link that shook him to his core. The strange familiarity that this entire spirit gave him only grew more intense with every calculated motion she took. After the silence had continued for a moment too long, Link thought the spirit wanted him to speak.

However, while she had offered a moment for him to speak, she continued naturally, “While we have met before, it is likely that you do not recall our previous meeting. Fi is the name I was given.”

Fi. He knew this name. Why did he know that name? Why did this spirit talk like she knew him? All of these questions bubbled up in his mind, and Fi took a pause. She waited patiently for him to form his sentence in the right way, even though she could not possibly know the thoughts racing through his head.

“I…” Link swallowed, trying to clear his throat, “When did we meet before?”

While her face did not change, the billowing of Fi’s cloak slowed imperceptibly. However, she did not hesitate in her explanation. “I was created for a single purpose. Long before those you call ‘Hylians’ reached the surface world, I helped you fulfill a great destiny.”

Ah, more things he couldn’t remember. Link stiffened at the thought that he had somehow forgotten an entirely different period of his life. However, the mention of a surface world piqued his interest. Did that mean Hylians used to live in the sky? No one quite knew what was that high up. Sometimes, Link witnessed the dragons around Hyrule ascending to those heights. However, they breached through some invisible expanse of clouds, and Link could not follow them no matter how hard he tried. 

Though, Fi's explanation still did not make sense. “If you were created for that purpose, why are you…” Link trailed off, trying to find a way to word this that would not upset Fi. “Did I not fulfill that destiny in some way?” Link winced at his choice of wording. It was a habit borne out of guilt if anything. Sometimes, it just made things easier when he blamed himself instead of upsetting someone else.

Fi, to her credit, took it with immense grace. “You succeeded. At the end of your journey, I entered a slumber that I believed would never end. I lack sufficient data to be certain of the cause of my awakening, but I believe you called upon me. I do not have an alternative to why I have awoken after eons.”

Then… there were now even more questions than answers. Selfishly, Link wondered if this could be another distraction from his end goal. Although, nothing actually prevented him from destroying Ganon now and figuring out this Fi situation later. “I have heard your voice before,” He muttered thoughtfully. Oh no, he really was entertaining the idea of delaying his fight with Ganon. “You spoke to me before I woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection. You…” Suddenly, Link felt ill recounting the memory of his death. He could hear Fi’s voice instructing Zelda on what to do. “You saved my life.”

As if that held little significance, Fi merely nodded. “While my slumber prevented more elaborate thought, I have watched over every one of your iterations. You have no requirement to thank me for fulfilling my purpose.”

A spark of some faint anger rose in Link’s chest. Fulfilling her purpose? The Master Sword had saved his life, and all Fi had to say was that she had been fulfilling her purpose? Similar words had been spoken to Link before, and he had never thought anything of it. Now, the same words being weaponized against his savior made his blood boil. Who had instilled in her that this was merely fulfilling a purpose?

Link took a deep breath, and Fi remained patient. Even in the presence of this strange spirit, Link did not feel any judgement from her. He half expected her to loathe him for his previous failure, but Fi acted as if nothing had happened. “Thank you,” Link earnestly choked out, and a weight in his chest lifted.

For once, the unwavering elegance of Fi ceased. Her eyes widened ever so slightly. “Of course,” She paused, trying to regain the small bit of composure that she had lost, “As my Master, it is my purpose to protect you.”

It is my purpose to protect you.

Once more, that seed of anger budded. Link instinctually clenched a fist, and his expression sunk into utter neutrality. Right, all of this had to be about purpose, didn’t it? Had the Master Sword, this entire time, been as much of a slave to the royal family as he was? Maybe, it was just that they both just knew what needed to be done. Despite wanting to fight her, Link dropped the topic.

“I need your help to fight Calamity Ganon,” Link spoke with a monotone voice that he knew he had used multiple times in the past. “I have freed the four Divine Beasts, and all that is left is for me to say my goodbyes.”

A chime resonated between Fi and the Master Sword itself. “I will offer my aid until your journey is complete.” Her expression never changed once.

Link, who had been counting on solving this mystery after he defeated Ganon, found his mask cracking. He pleaded, “Could you stay longer?” His words came out before he even gave them much thought.

Fi took a second too long to answer, but Link hardly noticed. “It will be necessary for me to return to a slumber with no end. However, I must achieve my purpose for being awoken once more if that is to happen.”

Neither of those things sounded good for Fi. Link felt a twinge of frustration over just how little she seemed to care about the things she was saying. This did buy him a little bit of time to ask her questions about what had happened to him before he had fallen in battle. Since Fi had said she had watched over heroes before, surely she would know a bit about why he acted the way he did in his memories.

Then again, he was probably going to find out very soon on his own. He could already feel his expression slipping into neutrality again. He did not provide an answer, and Fi seemed to not be expecting one.

“Master Link, if you ever have a need for my aid, simply call upon me,” Fi stated, rising up off of the ground. Link eyed her suspiciously before she leapt into a twirl. Just like the way she exited the Master Sword, Fi allowed herself to return to it. In a flash of light, she disappeared into the gem on the Sword’s hilt.

Great, so that answered nothing, and now Link had someone else strapped to his back who shared a very similar fate to his own. He stared at the gem engraved into the Master Sword for far too long. The Great Deku tree did not disturb him. 

This was it. Time to say goodbye.

With a flourish of his Sword, Link sheathed it effortlessly. He hardly registered that a new sheathe had even appeared on his back. The motion just seemed like second-nature to perform. He hated these feelings. The lines between what he knew to be true and what was simply deja-vu were blurring more and more. Link had certainly studied to mimic the heroes of the past back when he used to be in the Hyrulean Army. However, Fi spoke to him like he could be those heroes.

He wasn’t them. They had succeeded in their journeys. He had not.

Before Link could leave, the Deku Tree’s stillness suddenly came to an abrupt end. “I have watched over the Master Sword for many eons. It has never once reached out to others as it just did for you,” The tree carefully emphasized, “Do not ignore the blade. There must be some reason for her awakening.”

With his brow set and determined, Link nodded. First, he had a job to do. He could figure out a course of action with the Sword when he did not have more pressing matters on his mind. Link turned away from the Great Deku Tree to return to the nearby shrine. 

The Master Sword had been one of his major worries, but part of him thought that things would become numbing to him as soon as he pulled it. This left him woefully underprepared for the mental anguish that was saying goodbye to all of the Champions. One part of him hoped that he would be able to see them again when the Calamity had finally ended, but the other, more sensible part of him knew they deserved to move on.

Link’s eyes drifted down to his Sheikah Slate. He had planned to go to Mipha first. It had been too long since Link had called upon her gift, and while that meant he had gotten stronger, it meant the brief moments Mipha could see him had grown scarce. Still, he truly did not think that Mipha enjoyed seeing him in that state. He would need to thank her for so much considering how many times she had brought him back from the brink of death.

That would make the blow even worse since he’d be saying goodbye to someone who had been with him since he was a kid. Mipha never really did stop caring, did she? She deserved so much better.

Selecting Vah Ruta on the Sheikah Slate, Link steeled himself. This one would probably hurt the most.

The swirling blue tendrils of light slowly pieced him back together in front of the hulking figure of Vah Ruta. Link could already feel the rising tingle of anxiety in his chest, but he had to see this through. He had to see this through four times actually.

Every step he took closer to Vah Ruta made him just want to call this whole thing off. Unfortunately, when Link got too close to the Divine Beast, Mipha appeared directly in front of him. The green flames around her form mocked him, and all of Link’s thoughts about putting this whole thing off were now truly vanquished.

Mipha’s eyes trailed over to the Sword on Link’s back for just a moment. She maintained her smile, but the sadness stayed in her eyes. “It is so good to see you again, Link. Have you been well?” Without waiting for his answer, she began to pace around him to check for any injuries.

Link nodded. It did not stop her from checking thoroughly. Even though he had been certain that he sustained no injuries in the past few days, Mipha clicked her tongue. “Link, you look tired. Have you been pushing yourself too hard?” Ah, he had completely neglected the fact that the Master Sword had drained much of his vitality. Mipha’s yellow eyes met his, and she waited for a response.

Sheepishly, Link shook his head. Mipha sighed, a bluish glow beginning to emanate from her ghostly hands. Despite her being unable to touch him, the healing magic worked its way through Link’s body. Warmth eased away at his sore muscles, and he could feel the energy flowing back through him. He hardly wanted to use any of it, though. Using that energy would mean “fulfilling his duty”.

“There, you should be better now.” Mipha pulled away with a satisfied nod. Link still could notice her gaze drifting to the Sword on his back. She kept searching for something in Link’s eyes, and it started to make him shuffle in place. Her face scrunched up, and Link suddenly felt very uneasy under her steady gaze. 

“Link.” Mipha stepped forward again, and her face blossomed into a smile. However, some memory tugged at Link’s subconsciousness. This smile was not one of joy or happiness. Mipha only smiled like this when she had someone caught and was about to pounce. What Mipha didn’t know was that she definitely had Link right where she wanted him. Link had come to say goodbye, so he could not possibly flee. “So help me, Link, if you are not taking care of yourself, I will have to negotiate with Hylia to let me haunt you instead of Vah Ruta.”

Could she do that? Link did not want to know if she could do that. The two stared at each other. Mipha’s condescending smile rivaled Link’s stoic face. However, the more she stared at him, the more the corners of Link’s mouth curved into a smile. An involuntary snort came out of Link’s nose. Mipha’s smile turned more genuine at the same time, and she giggled with him.

He missed this so much. His nerves had slowly calmed down, giving him a moment to finally think of words to say to Mipha. She deserved to hear his thanks in its fullest. “Mipha,” He started.

Immediately, Mipha stopped giggling. Link hardly talked in the past, and Mipha probably had heard his voice the most before he had gone silent. “Yes, Link?” She straightened up, tilting her head in question.

Link turned around, looking across the wetlands of Lanayru to the castle in the far distance. The thick clouds of malice around it had hardly changed since the morning, but he did not count on it staying that way for long. “I’m going to fight Ganon soon,” He finally forced out, his voice threatening to seize up on what he had to say next. “I came to say…”

Green flames flickered in the corner of Link’s vision as Mipha stepped up next to him. “You’ve come to say goodbye.” Her voice slightly wavered too. However, she was very clearly trying to not let Link see it. Link only noticed that it was an act when she turned to him, eyes very clearly watering. “You will have all of our support for the coming battle. Know that I will be by your side, and no harm shall befall you.”

He wished he could hug her, but knew better than to try. Mipha deserved so much better. However, as Link stared towards the castle in the distance, words began spilling out. “I didn’t want to do this so soon, but the princess can’t hold on much longer,” He admitted, expecting judgement from Mipha.

Instead, Mipha nodded in understanding. “The princess is immensely strong. I hope she will be proud of what she has accomplished,” Mipha said knowingly as she casted a sidelong glance to Link, “I hope all of us will be proud of what we have accomplished.”

Link could not stand her gaze. He grimaced and looked away. He had not yet accomplished anything, and even if he did defeat Ganon, he had still failed everyone. The Sword once again felt heavy on his back. 

Mipha held her gaze to Link. He knew he could not hide anything from her. The way she tapped a claw against her cheek meant she certainly had already begun to decipher what was going on in Link’s head. “I want you to be proud of yourself, Link.” She tried to soothe him, but Link could not forget his failures. “I want you to allow yourself to live a happy life when all of this is over.”

Link’s eyes narrowed, glaring daggers at the castle. He grunted, “Can’t.” The word came out so harsh, and he tried desperately to recover. “Hyrule has to be rebuilt.”

To get his attention, Mipha stepped between Link and the castle. His gaze dropped to the ground to try to avoid her, but it had the same desired effect. Mipha spoke softly, “Have you ever considered that you have to be rebuilt before you can do that?”

No, he had not. Link did not think the world would give him the time to do that. The malice around the castle proved that.

Mipha sat down next to him, staring up at him with a questioning gaze. While Link tried to stay strong, he could not deny her this. Link lowered himself to the ground as well, and his heart grew heavy. He did not want a soul as caring as Mipha to leave this world. Even though he hardly deserved her and did not feel the way King Dorephan claimed she did, Mipha had always wanted him to love himself.

“Link, when you next see the Princess… I would like you to relay the message I am giving you now. I want you to hear it too, because I hope it inspires you as well. I hope you can tell her the same thing to help her when she is at her darkest hour” Mipha looked off into the distance, and her gaze finally locked onto the castle. “I am proud of you. I have never been more proud to walk by your side. And… I want you to be selfish.” 

Mipha’s yellow eyes drifted back to Link, and she smiled. “Be happy."

“Well well well, that’s a look I hoped I would never see again,” Urbosa appeared in a flurry of green flame directly in front of Link. Vah Naboris towered behind her, but the Gerudo held a much more imposing presence than the Divine Beast itself.

Surprisingly, Link did not react to that as much as he thought he should. His expression remained straightened and resolute. In all of his memories, Urbosa had never been afraid to speak her mind. Now, apparently, was no different. Mipha’s words had hit him extremely hard, and Link was trying more than ever to stay strong in front of one of his most fearsome peers. 

Urbosa put a hand on her hip, smirking down at Link. “Had it not been for the spark I see in your eyes every time you call upon my Fury, I would have believed you had not changed at all.” 

Link could admit that using Urbosa’s Fury always came with a rush. It had taken Link a few uses of different gifts to realize that the Champions actually saw him whenever he called upon them. Of course, the one to give it away had been Revali. The Rito had berated Link on multiple occasions mid-flight, saying that his Gale was not something to use for “asinine” tasks like getting to a chest on top of some ruins. Link made sure to use Revali’s Gale much more often after that just to see what creative insults the Rito could drum up the next time. They always got more and more creative.

However, it seemed that using the Champions’ abilities with no discretion had come back to bite him. Link grimaced at Urbosa’s reminder that yes, he once was actually having fun. Those days were now over, and he would appreciate it if people stopped reminding him about them. 

Not being deterred in the slightest by his grimace, Urbosa sauntered around him. “Well, I see you have your weapon back in your grasp. I assume you’re on your way to fight Ganon, then?”

Link nodded, gesturing towards the castle. 

Urbosa’s cocky smirk turned into a scowl as she too faced the same way as Link. “That swine has had this coming for a long time now. I have been concerned for Zelda’s safety, but I never doubted that you would rise up when the time was right.”

Well, at least Urbosa had faith in him. Link sure didn’t. He had almost gotten sidetracked by his own Sword of all things. Urbosa cared far too much for Zelda to be happy with Link hanging back for too long. She was not just a fierce combatant with blades. Her words could arguably do more damage when she needed to get a point across.

“So, spill it, Link.” Urbosa’s eyes flicked over to him, and Link shrank away. “Your silence usually speaks for you, but this will be our last time talking together outside of battle. How are you feeling?”

Link only shrank into himself more. Of course, she had caught him. Escaping from Urbosa’s emotional perceptiveness was nigh impossible. How had he managed to mask his feelings from her a century ago? That version of himself must have been good. He looked up to Urbosa’s expectant gaze and tried to speak. His voice refused to make any noise, and it only led into a choked noise that betrayed his previous stoicism. He tried again, and it only got worse, devolving into straight up coughing.

Immediately, Urbosa put up a hand to stop him. “My apologies, I had forgotten that was difficult for you.” She took a few moments to let Link clear his throat. Her statements had not yet ended, though. “You and Zelda have sacrificed far too much for your age. When Ganon has finally been destroyed, I have no doubt that you all will do well.”

Link tilted his head at her as a question. Urbosa’s grin returned, and she sighed, “You have little faith in yourself and Zelda. Be there for her. If I could be there myself, I would in a heartbeat. Sadly, I will need to rely on you.” 

That, Link could do. Finally, someone had actually told him what he had been expecting this whole time. He had to take care of Zelda. He had to take care of Hyrule. Urbosa had made that much clear after she had been freed from her Divine Beast. For yet another time in one day, Link had a selfish thought: He thought Urbosa would do a much better job than him. Link’s shoulders sagged.

Urbosa picked up on his small movements, and she pressed before he had time to recover his composure. “I said this to you when you freed my spirit from Vah Naboris. No one needs to carry blame for what happened. That applies to you as well.”

Link did not believe her. She should blame him. He had utterly failed in his duty to seal Calamity Ganon. Even without the Divine Beasts, he should have been able to rush the castle. He should not have fallen in battle. Heroes many times before had done much more without the Divine Beasts. He had failed where others had succeeded over and over again. Even worse, all of his friends had been trapped for a century while he took a nap to recover, and then he made them wait even longer.

Eyes narrowing, Urbosa crossed her arms. She put up a hand for emphasis and demanded Link’s attention. “I hope you realize that Zelda will no doubt blame herself like you are now. What do you think will go through her mind when she finds out you blame yourself for everything?” 

Her emerald gaze pierced through Link, seeing straight through his facade. The knight lowered his head, knowing very well what the answer was. She would blame herself, too. If Link found himself at fault for everyone falling, Zelda would certainly feel it even more for her sealing power arriving late. That was not her fault though. The king had sent her on a wild goose chase to emulate her mother instead of allowing her to unlock her powers naturally.

“I have said all I could,” Urbosa concluded, her angered gaze drifting towards the castle, “Take care of her, and when you finally do fight Ganon, be sure to send him my regards.”

Electricity crackled in the air around Link, and he could agree with Urbosa on that. The Calamity had taken everyone from him. It had taken his life from him. He would be more than happy to make this fight painful for the beast in a little act of vengeance. 

Link glanced up at Urbosa, and she took her eyes off of the castle to look at him one more time. The hero nodded as his own silent promise to her to give Ganon a taste of her fury.

While the next logical step was to visit Rito village, Link wanted to leave that for last. His untimely departure from the village likely left Saki extremely worried, and Link wanted to avoid the fallout from his rash decisions of the previous night for a bit longer. Unfortunately, that meant Daruk was next. Double unfortunately, that meant Link had to undo his entire outfit to put on Flamebreaker armor. That also meant he would be caked in sweat by the end of this and have to change back.

Link sighed, putting on the Flamebreaker helmet and choosing to warp to Vah Rudania. He immediately lost half of his breath when the slate put him back together. The air up here always stung his lungs even with the armor on. He could stick it out for a little longer. Daruk deserved a happy send off. He never let these things get him down, and Link knew Daruk used to be someone to find solace with.

“How’s it going lil guy?” Daruk bellowed from atop Vah Rudania. He lumbered down from the beast, choosing to walk to Link instead of teleport. “Good to see your face up here at the ol’ lizard instead of in the middle of a fight!”

Daruk wouldn’t hold it against him if Link smiled a little bit, and how could he not smile with Daruk’s optimism? Under the helmet, Link let a little grin out. Daruk’s wide grin more than made up for him dropping his straightened expression just this once. “Well then! It’s good to see you in decent spirits, brother!”

Brother. Link always found that word as a fond memory whenever he witnessed events of the past. For whatever reason, Daruk sometimes called him that. He liked the title, and welled up with a sense of pride every time Daruk called him that. 

“Gotta say, the castle’s lookin’ a lot worse since you freed me.” He scratched his chin and looked at Link with his grin turning into a worried grimace. “Just say the word and I’ll blast Ganon hard enough for you to pound him into oblivion!” Yes, he really would need to get to that soon if every single champion had noticed the increased malice. Still, it was nice that Daruk simply showed unyielding support instead of criticizing Link. 

For the first time in his visits to the Divine Beasts, Link found it very natural to speak. “Thanks, Daruk. You’re the best of us.”

Daruk let out a hearty chuckle, reaching out a hand to clap Link on his back. Unfortunately, the hand phased right through him, and Daruk’s chuckling stopped. “Just hope I can be more of a help in your beatdown with Ganon! You’ve got my protection and my Boulder Breaker!”

Right. The Champion’s weapons. Truthfully, he probably would not use any of them if he could help it. The weapons deserved to be returned to their respective villages intact, and Daruk’s Boulder Breaker would leave him wide open for attack. He had to use the Master Sword to stay consistent. However, it could be devastating if he did have a wide opening. “I’ll put it to good use if I can,” He reassured, though he knew he would probably just resort to the Master Sword.

“I’m sure you will, lil guy!” Daruk walked over to the edge of the Volcano, staring down in the direction of Goron City. “Say, do you know how my people are doing down there? I haven’t been able to see for myself.”

Link couldn’t help but smile. Daruk always reminded him of simpler times. Link got to explaining immediately. “They’re doing great down there. I think they’ll be in good hands.” Link joined Daruk’s side, staring down to Goron City as well. “Yunobo, your grandson, inherited your protection,” Link paused as Daruk’s eyes went wide. “He said that he saw you on your Divine Beast. I really meant it when I said you’re the best of all of us.” 

Daruk’s eyes looked like they were going to water for the first time since Link had known him. “So that’s the little pebble who I saw waving from way down the mountain. I think you’re right, brother.” 

Link did not see it, but Daruk stared down at him. After the Goron had seen Link go through so many different phases of his life, ending with utter tragedy, seeing Link with this smile on his face made him know that he would rest easy. The little guy would do well. 

With a happy chuckle, Daruk turned his gaze to the castle, “You’ve got this, brother. I’ll have your back the whole way!”

Following his lead, Link turned his head to the castle as well. Maybe he could do this.

One more to go. Link could do this. He had taken a moment to get the sweat from the Flamebreaker armor off of him before changing back into his Champion’s tunic. While Link believed that Revali would not be able to actually smell him, this would be a lot easier if the Rito did not berate Link for small things at the moment. After Link clipped on his cold resistant earrings, he warped straight to Vah Medoh.

The Sheikah Slate put him back together as usual. Link looked off the edge of Medoh’s perch, realizing that there was likely a very distressed Teba and Saki down there. He would need to hope Revali did not use his Gale to push Link off the edge. In fact, he should make sure Revali never considers even being able to do that. 

Link walked up to the base of Vah Medoh. No sign of Revali. Rolling his eyes, Link cupped his hands and yelled, “REVALI!” Faster than he thought and in a gust of green flames, Revali materialized before him. Link fought the urge to stumble backwards from the sudden arrival, and he managed to just barely keep his footing. 

Revali looked slightly disappointed at that and clicked his beak. “So the hero has finally decided to bless me with his presence, and he once again cheated to get up here.” Link’s straightened expression would not last long. In fact, Revali turned to see if he had elicited any reaction. Of course, none came from Link. “And I see you have returned to ignoring me as well since you’ve found that darkness sealing sword again. What an amazing guest you are,” Revali drawled out, putting his wings behind his back, “So, hero, why have you decided to disturb me?”

This would be one of Link’s last moments with Revali. While he did give the Rito a lot of arguably deserved grief over it, Link would miss the banter. So, just this once, he would entertain Revali for a bit. “Didn’t cheat,” He started, noting the huff Revali gave off, “I freed Vah Medoh. I can use the perch.”

Rolling his eyes, Revali whipped a finger up to point at Link. “Need I remind you, only the most talented of Rito can make it up to this perch. My species cannot naturally ascend without the usage of updrafts, which is why my Gale-” Oh, he was going off again. “-has revolutionized the way I soar into the sky. The winds respond to me instead of vice versa. That is why anyone with half a brain would have gawked at my Gale the first time they saw it!” Revali emphasized, making sure to pronounce the last few words extra precisely.

Link nodded at Revali’s explanation like he hadn’t been hearing static since the mention of his Gale. Truly, the Gale was impressive. Link had found so many creative uses for it that he had been impressed by Revali’s gift. However, the Rito insisted on using it as a way to punctuate how inept Link was. Flightless Hylian this, lack of taste that. 

When there was once again no reaction, Revali threw his wings in the air and turned around. “I don't even know why I attempt to have any sort of civil conversation with you. Even when you finally decided I was worthy enough to hear you speak, you use your voice for nonsense!” Revali pinched his head like he was coming down with a migraine. The spiel had become so entertaining that Link had not noticed a noise behind him for a few brief moments.

A small click of claws on stone drew Link’s attention away. He reached for the Master Sword on instinct as Revali kept ranting, but his hand did not even reach the hilt. Instead, he experienced a wave of emotions. First was utter, unbelievable shock. Second was the realization that this thing had the audacity to do this. Third was sheer glee at what this would lead into. Fourth was absolute confusion on how the hell this had happened.

The black and gray wolf had somehow appeared on top of Medoh’s perch. 

Like it had not disobeyed several fundamental laws of this world, it nonchalantly trotted over to Link, sitting by his leg. Link’s eyes darted back up to Revali who had stopped his ranting to take a breath. This would be priceless, and if the Sheikah Slate could capture the spirits in its images, Link would immortalize what came next. 

Revali turned around, no doubt to glare at Link, and all of his feathers suddenly flared up at once. He audibly hissed at the wolf that had made it up to his perch. He stood in stunned silence, beak hanging wide open. “Am I seeing this correctly?” Revali rubbed his eyes for a second before squinting at the spot where the wolf stood. “Why in the name of HYLIA is a wolf up here, Link?!?”

Oh? Revali had used his name? He must truly be flabbergasted now. “Dunno,” Link responded, grinning wide.

Trying to compose himself, Revali brushed a hand over his feathers in an attempt to smooth them. “I do not appreciate you bringing a mangy beast up onto my perch with that device of yours!” Revali pointed at the wolf like it had personally offended him, and as far as Link knew, it most certainly did.

Link knelt down next to the wolf, cupping his hands over the wolf’s ears. “Don’t be mean to him! He’s sweet!” The wolf glanced back at Link, and it let out a huff. Link would’ve believed it was mad at him if it was not for the wolf’s tail twitching ever so slightly. 

“Of course you would somehow find kinship in the local wildlife!” Revali scoffed, crossing his wings. He muttered under his breath, “A wolf? Making it up here on its own? Preposterous.”

And then, the wolf did something neither of them had expected. Its blue eyes suddenly locked onto Revali, piercing straight through his emerald green ones. Revali furrowed his brow, staring the wolf down. Link cocked his head, not understanding what was happening. As a test, Revali took one step to the left, keeping his head level the whole time. Without missing a beat, the wolf tracked Revali’s movement and continued to stare him down.

Revali’s feathers and crest flattened and Link’s eyes widened. “Link,” Revali stammered, sounding like some fight or flight reaction had just triggered. “Why in Hylia’s name can that beast see me?”

That was new. Putting a hand on his chin, Link stood up and glanced between the wolf and Revali. “I’ve never brought him up to a Divine Beast before. Maybe animals can just see you?”

“That-” Revali pinched his beak again, taking a deep, steadying breath. “That makes no sense whatsoever. Hylia would be a cruel goddess to not only make me only visible to you, but also only visible to common animals.”

Link cocked his head to the side, smirking as he watched Revali pace back and forth. If he could admit one thing about Revali, it was that his expectations of Link were already at rock bottom. Therefore, Link hardly had to do anything to maintain his image. Revali already thought Link was abhorrent, after all. 

A short chime came from behind Link. He stiffened, and Revali stopped his rant to turn towards the offending noise. With the moment broken, Link sighed, “Yes, Fi?”

Immediately, the twirling blue and purple of Fi sprung out from the Master Sword. Revali squawked and Link swore he sent a few feathers flying in panic. “Master Link,” Fi nonchalantly said, ignoring the sounds of Revali’s cursing in the background, “I have a status update.”

“Master Link,” Revali mimicked in the background, pacing in front of his Divine Beast. “LINK, you have now brought not one, but TWO strange things onto my perch. I expect an explanation out of you-”

Fi glanced over in Revali’s direction, and Revali’s reaction this time stayed much more tame. He glared daggers in Fi’s direction, and Link thought that he was attempting to kill her with his mind. Fi floated gently towards Revali, but the Rito refused to budge from his place. “I am not familiar with your species. However, you bear a resemblance to one that I have recorded in my previous records,” Fi began, “What would you like me to designate your species as?”

Worriedly, Revali glanced past Fi in Link’s direction. Link simply shrugged, keeping a healthy distance from this interaction. Realizing he’d get no help, Revali opened his beak, “We are the Rito, masters of the skies, the best warriors in all of Hyrule, and most certainly not here to deal with this ‘hero’s’ antics.”

Without missing a beat, Fi responded, “Understood. For clarity, I will redact a majority of that title and designate you as Rito.” Link let out a strangled choke. Revali bristled immediately, but Fi’s expression hardly changed about the fact that she may have utterly disintegrated Revali’s attempt at impressing her.

Maybe Fi had more of a personality than he initially thought.

Fi turned and drifted back to face Link. “Apologies, Master Link. I have a status update if you have a moment to spare.”

Right, he had come here to say goodbye to Revali, not inadvertently torture him with multiple new companions he had met on his journey. Still, Link remembered the Sword only speaking to him in the past when it was of utmost importance. Now that Fi had properly awoken, he did not see why that would change. “I have a second. If I keep Revali waiting for too long, he might force me to call up to his Divine Beast again.”

“And at this rate I should!” Revali added, but notably did not disappear into Vah Medoh. 

Fi nodded at only Link. “I have detected the presence of an object that existed in the time I told you about previously,” She turned her head down to Rito Village, and Link realized that he might have to go down there. Oh no. “I recommend seeking it out at your earliest opportunity. It has aided you in the past, and it stands to reason that it may help you now.”

He needed to defeat Ganon first. All of the Champions were now expecting him to go fight Ganon soon. Additionally, he really needed to ask Fi to stop referencing a past he did not remember. “If you help me find it, I’ll look,” Link reassured her, but his grin faded. His resolve had been lost immediately, because he did not have the strength to ask Fi to stop referring to him as a hero of old. 

“Understood.” Fi paused for a moment, and Link felt the Master Sword on his back hum. “The dowsing capability has been readded to your Sword. The Master Sword should now guide you to the item in question.” 

Link raised a hand to ask what that capability even was, but he was immediately interrupted by a very frustrated Revali. “So, hero,” He emphasized with a bite to his tone, “Did you merely come up here to waste my time, or did you have something to say to me?”

Fi returned to the Master Sword in a flash, and Link sighed. Yes, he had come here to do something. Now, Fi had given him the one thing he really did not need right now. Fi had given him yet another thing to get sidetracked by. Well, Fi knew his mission was to defeat Ganon. Surely, this item in question would not delay him too much and would be useful for the actual defeat of the Calamity. 

“I came to say that I’m fighting the Calamity soon,” Link recited, now drifting away from the banter he had with Revali and returning to a more formal composure. “I’ll be heading off soon. I wanted to say goodbye.”

Revali’s grandeur fell into silence for a brief moment. “Well then,” He started to quip again near instantly, “Finally, you’ve decided to put the Calamity in its place. Making us wait for this long for our revenge has been quite… indulgent.”

He really liked that word, didn’t he? Link wanted to banter back, but he also needed to keep this conversation straightforward. He’d had his fun already. “After I handle finding whatever it is Fi needs, you can expect me to be at the castle.” Shit. He had just accidentally committed to handling this extra task before helping Zelda.

“Fantastic.” Revali left the shadow of Vah Medoh and stood closer to Link. “After how much work has gone into destroying this thing, you’d better not disappoint, hero.” His expression remained just as guarded as Link’s, and for a moment, Link wondered if Revali had thought about the possibility of failure just as much as Link had.

“I won’t.” Link’s eyes narrowed as a challenge to Revali.

Revali’s eyes narrowed as well. Although, it hardly lasted long. The ends of his beak curled into a smirk, and he let out a “Hmph” before taking a step back. “So, entertain me for a moment, what is that thing that came out of your Sword?”

“Her name is Fi,” Link stated almost defensively. He had no idea where that feeling came from. “She’s the voice in the Master Sword. She woke up when I pulled it from its pedestal.”

“And the beast?” Revali glanced past Link to the wolf who had laid down on the stone, watching the two’s conversation with surprising attentiveness.

Link shrugged. “He comes and goes when he pleases. He’s surprisingly good at whatever he sets his mind to.”

For a moment, Revali hummed. He seemed to be trying to make sense of the puzzle in front of him, and it made Link want to laugh just a little bit. This puzzle could not be solved. Link just seemed to have the most absurd outcome happen to him every time. After giving up on trying to put any of this together, Revali sighed, “Very well, go on and do whatever it is you need to do.” 

Link frowned, already beginning to pull out his paraglider for his descent into Rito Village. “However!” Revali interrupted, stepping into his immediate vision, “Know that I will not be outdone by that darkness sealing sword, and Vah Medoh and I’s strike on Ganon will finally get some recognition from your inexpressive visage.”

Quirking a brow, Link shot Revali a smile. “Aw, you do care,” He teased, raising his paraglider, “And your Gale is cool, stupid. Why do you think I use it all the time?”

Link caught one good look of all of Revali’s feathers fluffing out before leaping off the edge of Medoh’s perch. The winds guided him slowly down to Rito Village, and he could only laugh at Revali’s shouts after him. 

The joy of that talk did not last long, because Link realized that he would be descending into enemy territory very soon. Teba and Saki would be looking for him, and now Fi was guiding him right into their trap.

This was going to be a long day.

Revali desperately tried to smooth out all of his feathers. Link? Actually appreciating his Gale? Actually saying he thought his Gale impressed him? That did not sound like the Link he knew at all, and it annoyed him to no end. How dare that second-rate hero make a statement that Revali had been trying to get out of him for YEARS so nonchalantly?

Realizing he still had company, Revali glared down at the wolf laying in front of him. Of course, the hero had left his mutt up here to starve. Revali would have to yell at him for that next time Link called upon his Gale. “Your unworthy companion will be up here soon to retrieve you since you have no way of getting down on your own,” He ranted, ignoring how the wolf probably could not understand him, “Do not leave a mess on top of my perch until then! Medoh’s perch is to be treated with utmost respect!”

After taking an extra long time to stretch and yawn, the wolf stood up on its four legs. It looked up to Revali, and the Rito swore that the wolf grinned at him. 

Revali’s eyes went wide, and the wolf had one more trick to show him. It suddenly began to deconstruct itself. Blackened squares began to flake off of the wolf, rising high up into the sky. In a mere instant, the wolf had disappeared into the blackened squares and left nothing behind.

He had no idea how long he stared at the empty space where the wolf was. He had no idea how to even process the mental anguish of the past few minutes of his existence as a spirit. All he knew was that he never wanted to make contact with that wolf again. At least, this thing would be Link’s problem to deal with, not his.

Chapter Text

As it turned out, this “dowsing” ability Fi mentioned made Link look absolutely ridiculous. Thanks to the ability being very similar to his Sheikah Slate’s tracker, dowsing came naturally to him. All Link had to do was simply point the Master Sword in random directions until it pulsed in his hand. However, this had the added effect of making him look like an absolute idiot next to Akh Va’quot Shrine. Some hero he was, getting an all-powerful weapon and swinging it around like a lunatic just outside of a village.

Luckily, the fledglings who stood by this shrine were not around right now. Usually they’d sing here. Their absence did not cause much of a problem for Link. While he loved hanging out with them when he had a chance, the fledglings would absolutely tell Tulin he was here. It would only be a matter of time before Tulin would accidentally rat him out to his parents. He had specifically positioned himself at this shrine to avoid Teba and Saki’s roost, after all. 

Sadly, it seemed like the object Fi wanted rested somewhere within Rito Village. If that was true, Link would undoubtedly run into many Rito. They would all likely be keeping an eye out for him right about now. Link knew Saki cared, but right now it was impeding what he had to do. Link would ask Fi to confirm the item’s position, but he would probably draw more attention to himself if Fi actually left the Master Sword to speak with him right now. He still had not asked if she was still capable of speaking without doing that. It would save some lengthy explanations. 

Link sighed. He had to go into Rito Village properly to keep looking. At least he knew the general location of this mystery object. Actually, scratch that. As Link found the point where the Sword pulsed the most, he realized that he could actually make a very stupid jump to avoid half of the village. He could list at least three Rito who would call him stupid for doing this, but he had done worse jumps before. As long as he did not paraglide directly into…

Wait, was that Kass and Amali’s roost? Well, at least this made his jump considerably easier. What in Hyrule did THEY have in their roost that was somehow supposed to be the key to defeating Calamity Ganon? Did one of their five kids somehow unearth a powerful artifact that would change everything? Was Kass holding out on him? Kass WOULD hold out on him somehow. That Rito had somehow kept it a secret that he knew Link was the same Champion from a century ago, and Link only figured him out when he handed Link the portrait of all the Champions together.

Link grimaced, realizing that Kass currently sat in the roost with a few instruments laid out on a large cloth in front of him. Kass would have definitely been alerted to Link’s stunt the night before, but Link doubted he would raise a fuss over it. In the end, he had no other options. Sighing, Link pulled out his paraglider. He really hoped that whatever object Fi wanted from this place helped.

Time to do a stupid jump with the sole purpose of avoiding most of Rito Village. 

If Teba was going to kill Link already, he’d kill him again after this one. Link leapt off the island with the shrine on it, paragliding in such a way to weave just over the closest roost. Now, that was not the stupid part of this jump. The stupid part was the rock that Link found himself rapidly approaching. 

In a move that he had done many times before and only once nearly shattered his ankle doing, Link collapsed the paraglider for a split second. He briefly felt the wind rush around him before redeploying the paraglider. The momentum from him falling was just a tad too extreme, and he descended roughly onto Rito Village walkway below. During the landing, he stumbled a few extra feet in a desperate attempt to get his feet back under him. Thankfully, he managed to get his hands on the rail before he face-planted into the central village pillar.

Hopefully, Calamity Ganon did not ask for him to paraglide in increasingly stupid manners.

A hearty chuckle came from the direction of the roost he had been aiming for. Link knew who that laugh belonged to. Sheepishly, he turned around to face Kass, who currently had a plethora of instruments laying out before him. His electric-blue wing brushed over his face as he tried to stifle the laugh he had nearly broken into again. “My, that was quite the tumble! Are you all right there, friend?” The slight grin at the ends of his beak gave away that he still found slight amusement in Link’s courageous acts of stupidity.

Link hastily put away the paraglider onto his hip and scrunched his face a bit. “Just looking for something.” Unfortunately, he knew that this mystery object had to be in Kass’ roost. Pulling out a sword in his roost to look for said object was definitely not in the cards. Kass would either think he’s threatening him, or Link would take off the Rito’s head with how unwieldy this ability felt. That meant he had to talk through this. “Actually, my search brought me to your roost somehow?” Link stated as more of a question if anything. 

“Ah, that is quite interesting timing!” Something in Kass’ demeanor changed like he had made up his mind about something. “Come in, come in!” He waved with one wing, and Link quickly obeyed, marching into the roost and staring at all of the instruments on the cloth on the ground.

Was this what Fi had wanted Link to go after? Why?

Link stared down at the few instruments on the floor. Kass’ usual accordion was among them. The other ones… he had never seen Kass play before. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if Kass could play something as dainty as that beige ocarina laying on the ground. The pan flute made even less sense with Rito having beaks. The golden harp in the center could probably be played, but he still had his doubts. Rito fingers were rather large.

Nevermind the fact that every single one of these instruments except the accordion pricked at that familiarity he always felt when seeing Fi.

At Kass’ gesture to sit down, Link took a seat on the opposite side of the cloth. “Now,” The Rito started, putting both of his wings on his knees, “My teacher entrusted me to take immense care of all of these instruments. Legend says that they all once belonged to a hero of old… other than my accordion, of course!” 

Link squinted at all of the instruments closer. They all appeared to be in great shape. Why a Rito would have need for them though, he still did not know. “Do you use them often?” He asked offhandedly, trying to work out this strange puzzle in front of him. Why in Hylia’s name would Fi make him get one of these?

“Me?” Kass shook his head. “No no, but I do try to take good care of them!” Good care indeed. Just from a quick glance, Link could see that each instrument looked extremely pristine. It made Link doubt the claim that these were from ancient heroes even more. How could they still be in half decent condition? “However, the most peculiar thing happened this morning. The harp here began to glow!” Kass poured over the instrument, resting his head on his wing. “It was very strange, and only happened for a brief moment. I can only speculate as to why.”

Immediately, Link began to grow even more suspicious about Fi’s intentions here. He was expecting some kind of weapon to quickly defeat Calamity Ganon. Hadn’t Fi said that she had a mission and existed to complete said mission? None of this made sense. “Could I check something real fast?” Link asked, voice shrinking in on itself from the sheer confusion he was currently feeling. “I have to take out the sword on my back to do it.” At Kass’ concerned expression, Link threw up his hands and clarified, “I’m not gonna break anything I swear!”

The Rito relaxed and nodded. “Do what you must!” Notably, Kass scooted slightly further back out of striking distance of Link. That was fine. While all of Rito Village knew Link could fight at this point, being on the sharp end of a blade would make anyone uncomfortable.

Link carefully drew the Master Sword. He pointed the Sword towards the cloth and-

What the hell, Fi?

“Yep, it’s the harp,” Link muttered in disbelief. 

“That is an… interesting weapon you have procured.” Kass ignored Link’s statement for a second before immediately correcting himself. “Ah yes, this harp is said to be very old, some say it is blessed by Hylia herself!”

At his words, a discordant chime filled the roost, and the Master Sword pulsed. Link paled, but Fi had at least been amicable with Revali. Surely, Kass would be even better for Fi to deal with. Link thought to explain to Kass what was about to happen, but Fi had other plans. Instead of waiting on him, she leapt out of the Master Sword in the same elegant twirl as usual and landed to the side of the roost next to the hammocks. “A report, Master Link.”

Interestingly, Kass hardly flinched. Instead, his eyes sparkled with immense curiosity. “You are full of surprises, my friend,” He murmured, glancing from the Master Sword and back to Fi. “You even have the title of Master! Well overdue, in my humble opinion.”

Link slightly squinted at that. He did not like being called ‘Master’ at all actually. Then, he realized who he was talking to. Right. The Rito obviously saw the word Master in a different light considering that they had titled Revali as a Master as well. He could let it slide, but he really needed to get Fi to stop calling him that. Stuffing his head in his hands, Link groaned, “Yes, Fi?”

Undeterred in the slightest by either reaction, Fi began, “The instrument you are currently discussing was known in my time as the Goddess Harp.” Kass leaned in, listening intently. Link, on the other hand, looked up at her with even more confusion. “It aided you in the past, but I am uncertain as to why it has appeared in this time.”

Link had half a mind to get extremely frustrated about saying he was the hero of old in front of Kass. Instead, the same wish to run cropped up from the night before. Kass would absolutely take Fi’s claim to heart. He’d figured Link’s Champion status out far too early to discount anything now. Right on cue, Kass cut in, “That is rather interesting. My teacher was a court musician and passed the harp onto me.”

Fi appeared to take notice of Link's discomfort and changed the subject. “The harp possesses many capabilities when used in the correct locations. If you allow me to take a moment to dowse for all previous targets of the Master Sword, I may be able to discern the purpose of the Goddess Harp making an appearance here.”

What choice did he have? Link was starting to get a tad concerned that this small little side quest he went on for Fi had now immediately devolved into much longer. Did he enjoy not having to fight Calamity Ganon yet? Yes. Did he realize that time was extremely limited right now? Also yes. Link waved a hand absentmindedly, giving a vague affirmative gesture to Fi.

He was getting exhausted from all of this.

Link slouched over as Fi hovered around the roost. The Master Sword stayed dormant as she did so. None of this made any sense to him. He expected pulling the Master Sword to make the most sense out of anything, but it had somehow devolved into this. 

A soft, feathery hand landed on Link’s shoulder. Link glanced over, seeing that Kass had scooted closer to him. “You look exhausted, friend.” He furrowed his brow in worry. “We have all been very worried about you since last night, you know.”

Ah, so Saki had told everyone what had happened. Link could already feel his chest tightening. He did not want to talk about this. He wanted to be anywhere else. In fact, Link thought he should have just rushed Hyrule Castle instead of pursuing whatever Fi wanted. The spirit still floated around the roost in a methodic pattern, her expression never changing as she searched for whatever it is she was looking for.

When given no response, Kass sighed a bit and reached down for the golden harp directly in front of the pair. “You know, music always soothed my spirits when I was alone on my travels.” He cupped the harp gently, looking between it and Link. Slowly, Kass seemed to come to a decision. “The harp has always been something I could never play on my own,” He started, gently brushing a feathered hand over the strings, “I know it must be a beautiful instrument when played correctly.” 

Link had no idea what that meant. He wanted to ask, but the tight feeling in his chest choked the words out before he could. His mind already felt overwhelmed. Luckily, Kass did not wait for a response. Instead, Link found the harp slowly being placed into his grasp. His eyes darted up at the electric-blue Rito in an instant, and he was only met with a patient smile. Link shook his head. He could not possibly take this.

However, Kass pushed it right back into Link’s arms more firmly this time. Link did not see, but Fi had slightly turned her head to observe the exchange. Her cloak billowed slower as she continued her search. Link stared down at the harp and then back to Kass, bewildered. His hands were not meant for an instrument. Surely, handling something this delicate after being a glorified weapon all of his life would cause the instrument to break?

“Think nothing of it, Champion,” Kass reassured before pulling his wing back, “You have fulfilled my dream of sharing my teacher’s songs with the ancient hero. I owe you far more than an artifact that rightfully belongs to you.”

Link wanted to curse under his breath, but instead he just clenched his jaw. This did not belong to him. Fi needed to stop acting like he was the hero of old. Even wrestling with the idea that he could be the hero of old sounded like a nightmare. It would be rich if Link forgot more than one lifetime somehow. The near constant reminders of lifetimes he could not remember living tortured him. Still, Kass was being kind. This was unyielding kindness, and the Rito was not judging him in any way for forgetting. Instead, he just wanted Link to enjoy something that he found solace in.

He just had trouble seeing it as that instead of seeing it as more expectations being put on him.

With shaking hands, Link picked up the harp properly. He expected for it to shatter the moment he tried to properly touch it. However, he had not prepared himself for the deep, unknowable pain that rooted itself in his chest when he realized that the harp felt right in his grasp. He knew this instrument. Why did he know how it felt? What had he forgotten?

Link’s breath hitched when he heard the ping of a successful dowsing target. Fi, who had been floating just out of vision, gazed up far into the distance towards Vah Medoh. Even though it had not moved from its place, the Master Sword pulsed gently. “I have discovered the correlation between the Goddess Harp’s appearance and my own awakening.” Fi’s voice stayed as stoic as ever, but she did not take her eyes off of Vah Medoh. “I cannot be certain, but there is a high probability that this development will aid you immensely, Master Link.”

How? He wanted to ask, but he still could not formulate what was on his mind. The harp in his hands taunted him, begging him to remember a life that he knew he could not remember. Frustrated, Link glanced down at the harp, seeing his own, cold reflection in it. He had hardly noticed his face had returned to a neutral, dull stare. 

When he glanced back up, he found that Fi had met his gaze. Her expression did not change once, but she immediately turned her attention to Kass. “I do not believe I have recorded a name for you. Your help may be imperative for a moment, and I do not wish to offend.” Link squinted at that. Fi definitely did not care about offending Revali, and certainly had never made mention of understanding that she could offend.

Kass took this in stride, straightening up a tad and readjusting the large feathers on his head. “Ah yes, my name is Kass. And yours?”

At this, Fi’s own pupil-less eyes widened slightly. “Fi was the designation I was given,” She stated, recovering without much pause, but this time Link noticed the slight change. 

It seemed like Kass noticed as well when he hummed in response. However, he kept the conversation moving. With a flourish, he questioned, “And what would you ask of this humble bard?”

Fi’s head turned to the harp in Link’s grasp. “The Goddess Harp previously specialized in opening gates to trials from the Goddess,” She half explained, but it came off to Link as more of speculation. Fi usually spoke with a cold analysis, but this seemed uncertain. “I have detected a similar presence upon what Master Link has designated as a Divine Beast, though this should not be possible.”

Gates? Link stared down at the harp in his hands, and exchanged a confused look with Fi and Kass. Fi continued, completely undeterred by the confusion, “In order for Master Link to investigate, he will likely require a song with the power to open said gate.”

Link had taken part in many trials from the Sheikah already, and they served the Goddess Hylia. Maz Koshia had definitely given him a trial in the name of the goddess herself. Were there more trials waiting for him? However, using a song to start those trials seemed… odd.

Wait a minute.

Now that he thought about it more, Kass’ songs did have a strange power to them. On multiple occasions, Kass would sing a song about each Divine Beast or their champions, and Link would be pulled into a memory that was not his. Even more strange, it became clear in the conversations with Kass afterwards that he had also seen the memory that had just taken place.

Something clicked in Link’s head and the weight in his chest unraveled. “I think-” He stammered, his voice actively fighting him. He had discovered something far too important for his voice to be an issue now. Trying again, he cleared his throat. “Kass’ songs sometimes brought us into memories. Only the ones about the champions did that, though.”

At this, Kass descended even deeper into thought. He clicked his beak every now and then before slowly explaining, “I cannot be sure about the nature of those songs. However, my teacher stressed that many songs over the eons have possessed power in their own right.” He reached over for his accordion and took it up in both of his hands. In practiced motions, he played a simple song that Link had once heard him play near the horse stables. “This song-” He explained, continuing to play as he did so, “-was used by a hero of old to bring his steed to his side no matter the distance.”

Fi chimed and joined in. “Then there is an 85% chance that the song you played to evoke a memory contains an ability similar to the song you just presented.”

“Do you think a song could do multiple things?” Link asked, suddenly leaning forward. His interest and curiosity about this music had now pulled him back into the conversation properly. 

Fi descended back into silence to think about that, but Kass smiled with pride. He answered happily, “Songs of that nature have been rare, and most of what my teacher passed down to me is legend at best. However, there was one song passed down through the royal family that was said to be used in the Temple of Time itself.” Link had been there, and he had definitely not seen a place where it could be used. “However, this song also was said to be able to have a grasp over the flow of time itself. I only heard that from my teacher. Most legends leave that part out.”

So they did exist, then? Link’s interest piqued over a song that could possibly alter the flow of time. He would do so much to go back. “Do you still know that song?”

Sadly, Kass shook his head. “Unfortunately, the song was protected by the royal family in ages past. It has been lost to history.”

Link grimaced, being sure to mark that on the list of things he hated the royal family for. He glanced down at the harp in his hands before looking back to Fi. “Would a song about Vah Medoh work?” He was quickly running out of viable options, and he still did not know what Fi was actually trying to accomplish here.

Once again, the Master Sword chimed. It seemed to do that whenever Fi was thinking. She nodded and said, “There is a high likelihood of failure. However, with no further leads, this would be a worthwhile course of action.”

With an enthusiastic nod, Kass stood up to his feet. “Well, I have theorized on how to play the harp for Revali’s Song. I could give you basic guidance, though you may have to learn the instrument on your own,” He half apologized, and Link felt a twinge of doubt in his head that he could ever learn how to play an instrument like this. 

Obliging, Link also stood up to his feet. He hardly had much of a choice now. However, when he stood up with the harp, he realized he already had a firm grip on it that felt right. Involuntarily, he cupped it between his left hand and chest like he had known how to play it the whole time. Panic shot through his spine as the phantom remembrance came back.

“No need to be too humble now,” Kass chuckled, “You look as if you’ve held that thing your entire life.”

Had he? Link had no idea. He tried to relax, but Fi’s stare from across the room made the feeling so much worse. Distant songs danced at the ends of his memory, taunting him and begging to be played. Link shook his head, trying to cast the thoughts away. It hardly worked, but he righted himself and gave his undivided attention to Kass. 

Kass set his own accordion down to the cloth on the floor. He raised his pointer finger and brought it in line with the harp. “Let’s start with something simple. Go back and forth at this tempo.” Kass slowly began moving his finger from left to right, and Link’s eyes attentively followed.

Steadying himself, Link took a deep breath. He expected this to sound awful for his first go. That was fine. His experience with instruments had been extremely limited. With his eyes locked on Kass’ finger, he followed the movements. His fingers danced along the strings of the harp, and Link instinctively winced.

The notes sounded… mystical.

Link stopped for a brief moment. When he made eye contact with Kass, he was met with a nod of reassurance. He could do this. Link stole one glance at Fi who simply stared back with what he could only assume was interest.

Okay. Again.

While following Kass’ motions, Link allowed his fingers to glide across the harp. All of the strings let out mystical notes as he did so. It took him a moment to match Kass’ tempo, but soon enough he could pace himself without speeding up involuntarily. 

Kass spoke up, breaking the trance while saying “Hold that tempo.” Link’s eyes went wide when he no longer could rely on Kass for pacing himself. It took an incredible amount of focus for him to not stray as Kass cleared his throat and raised his finger again. “Follow closely.”

The motions of Kass’ finger shifted and changed from the back and forth Link had grown accustomed to. However, Link’s ears pricked at the familiar tune he was playing. He kept overextending on the harp strings, playing one note over or under in anticipation for Kass’ next move. However, the Rito never flinched or looked upon him with judgement. Instead, he simply continued to guide Link through the motions, and the harp responded in tune with ease.

On their third go-around the same melody, Kass continued the motions and cleared his throat. With a boisterous voice, Kass sang, “Recall Medoh’s Champion of flight before he fell to his fateful plight.” Link kept his focus, but his heart grew heavier when he remembered what these songs were truly based on. “Revali’s feat was a wonder to see, so the princess made her plea.”

Link finished the melody on his harp, and he looked to Kass for approval. He had done it. He’d played a musical instrument, and it somehow felt right to him.

The Rito nodded and smiled with pride. “You play with grace and respect for the instrument you hold. I am certain that I’ve entrusted this instrument to someone who will treat it wel-”

Vah Medoh let out a shrill screech from on top of its perch.

Both Link and Kass instinctively flinched at the noise. The Divine Beasts hadn’t made noise since being taken over. Though, as Link rushed over to the edge of the roost to look up, Vah Medoh had not noticeably changed. What was that all about? Was Revali okay?

“Well, that certainly was something.” Kass also moved to stand just out of his roost to check on Vah Medoh. It seemed like other Rito were beginning to do the same. “Pardon me for my harsh reaction. The Divine Beast has not been kind to us,” Kass explained as if Link was not the one to personally tame it.

Link waved him off. He needed to go up there and check on Revali soon. However, as he picked up the Master Sword and scanned the harp into the Sheikah Slate, Link realized that Fi was also looking up at Vah Medoh thoughtfully. Her eyes lingered on it, even as Link watched her gaze up at it for far too long. Was she okay? 

Like nothing had happened, Fi’s gaze landed right back on Link. “Master Link, I have memorized the song and will be able to aid you in playing it on the Divine Beast,” She stated factually like she had not been staring off into space. “I recommend departing at your earliest convenience.”

Link opened his mouth to say something, anything about the strange things she had been doing, but Fi leapt into the Master Sword without another word. This time when she twirled into the jewel on its hilt, Link felt an impact on his back like she had forcefully thrown herself into it. He stumbled forward into Kass, but the Rito had luckily been paying attention.

Well, now there were multiple things Link had questions about relating to Fi.

With another lively chuckle, Kass helped Link back up to his feet. Kass dusted him off with his wing a bit like Link had not been the one to crash into him. “Careful, friend. I wouldn’t want you to stumble into the waters below!” Kass added with a cheeky wink.

Link could only roll his eyes. He had now stumbled twice today, and this would somehow become his legacy. However, he quickly righted and composed himself enough to give a simple “Thank you” to Kass.

“Any time my friend.” Kass cheerfully accepted Link’s thanks, but his gaze drifted further up the pathway to Rito Village. Suddenly, Link’s spine went stiff at what he saw. Kass, on the other hand, had the audacity to continue his thoughts. “I would give anything to pass my songs along, and I would also give anything to make sure you are in good spirits. Speaking of…”

The rapid click of talons on wood did nothing to alleviate Link’s fight or flight response as a very concerned Saki rushed towards him. “Young man you get over here!” She yelled frantically.

Link immediately went for the Sheikah Slate, but he bumped his hand against the guardrail right next to him. This had the unfortunate side effect of making his practiced motions turn into an abhorrent fumble. Link snagged the Sheikah Slate for a second before it slipped out of his hands and into the air. When he tried to grab it, he somehow made it worse and slapped it between both of its hands as it flew precariously through the air. He fumbled for it as Saki drew closer and barely got it in his right hand before-

He only had a second to react before large, pink wings had wrapped around him. Link froze up. Saki had ensnared him in her wings, holding him tightly to her in an iron grip. “Don’t you ever scare us like that again. We thought-” Saki choked up, and Link did not understand why. “We thought you could be hurt, or worse-” She pulled away, and now Link could fully see that- oh.

Had Saki been crying over him?

Link looked to Kass for help, but the bard had decided to march right back into his roost and begin putting away the rest of his instruments. Link wanted to shy away, but Saki would have none of it, making sure she kept a wing on him even when he pulled back. “Now you listen here!” She demanded with a tone that made Link reconsider his choices immediately, “I am not letting go until you promise me you’re going to put that thing away!” She glanced up at the Sheikah Slate with fury in her eyes, all of it directed at an inanimate object.

He’d been thoroughly caught. A pang of guilt rooted him to the spot more than anything. He knew Saki would be upset, but being this upset for him made Link regret many things about the previous night. Resigned to his fate, Link nodded as his own form of a promise. Saki lowered her wings from Link’s shoulders, eyeing the Sheikah Slate with malicious intent. However, Link had promised. He attached the slate to his belt and lowered his head like a scolded child.

Saki clicked her beak and any ounce of anger on her face bled away, morphing to sheer concern. Link half expected her to wrap him up again just from that look alone, but she relented for now. Instead, Saki nervously said, “Link, we thought the worst. Are you okay?”

Without even thinking, Link nodded. It would do him no good to think about his answer. He needed to check on Vah Medoh.

Perceptive as always, Saki’s eyes narrowed. She had spent more than enough time around Link to know that when he struggled to speak, he was hardly okay. Thus, the interrogation tactics began. “Have you eaten today?” She questioned, and a few of her feathers bristled out when Link took time to think about that. “Oh Hylia, that does it.”

Link’s eyes widened as Saki grabbed his hand, dragging him right back up the pathway of Rito Village. He stumbled to keep up with the extremely determined Saki, and he wondered if he could even break out of her grasp if he wanted to. Saki herself had taken to muttering under her breath about whether or not Link ever ate anything when not at her roost. Link did eat things… just not on any set schedule and in very inconsistent quantities. It wasn’t his fault that eating had shockingly been the last thing on his mind today.

Only about halfway up did Link realize that Saki was dragging him to her roost. Teba had already spotted Link, and any hope of escape was immediately dashed. The warrior’s eyes narrowed momentarily as Link waddled up the stairs behind Saki, but Link caught Teba relaxing at the sight of the two of them.

Oh, he really had caused them a lot of grief with that stunt. 

Link half expected for Tulin to burst out of the roost and barrel into him as always, but the fledgling was nowhere to be found. He must be out playing with Molli. That made things slightly worse, because that meant Teba and Saki would be able to grill Link about anything. With his head bowed, Link diligently followed Saki into the roost.

Teba broke the silence immediately. “First of all, don’t do that again.” He gestured to the Sheikah Slate, and Link nodded just as promisingly as the first time. “Second…” Staring down at the Hylian, Teba closed the distance. He raised one feathered hand slowly and very lightly bonked Link on the head. Link hardly felt anything, but he tilted his head in confusion at the gesture. “Good to see you back,” Teba finished.

Even though Link wanted to convey he was sorry, his words would not come out properly. He really shouldn’t have left Saki like that, but he also thought that day that he would not see them again for a while. He was unprepared.

Saki had already moved to set up the cooking pot. The rug that usually stayed on the floor had already been rolled up from the night before. However, Link put up a hand to stop her. He could definitely say sorry in other ways with the food still stored in his Sheikah Slate. Though, when he reached for it, both Teba and Saki tensed up. Teba himself looked like he was ready to lunge for it.

Link quickly shook his hand and faced the screen towards the two Rito in order to show them what he was doing. When they saw the screen full of food, they were equally as confused. Right, they probably still didn’t understand how the slate actually worked. Link sighed and tapped one of the icons. Blue tendrils of light extended out from the slate, depositing three plates of seafood rice balls balanced perfectly on his other arm. See Saki? He did make food!

Of course, the food had been kept warm from the slate. Link put the slate away and extended a plate to Saki as an impromptu ‘sorry’. He didn’t know how else to say it right now. Without a second thought, Saki accepted his apology and took the plate of food from him. “You are a curious one, Link,” She laughed, sounding more relieved if anything. Teba also took his plate without any fuss, and they all took a seat on the floor of the roost together.

He had to leave soon to check on Vah Medoh, but Link owed them this at least.

Teba had been eyeing the Master Sword on Link’s back the whole time while they ate. There was an unsaid tension in the room that no one wanted to broach the subject of first. Link had vanished without anyone knowing where he had gone, and Saki had clearly been distraught before Link arrived here. While Link had expected them to be upset, he had not expected the immense worry on their faces.

“I’m just gonna say it-” Teba broke the truce, earning a sharp glare from Saki. “You shouldn’t up and vanish like that without telling us where you’re headed. ‘Specially after implying you were about to do something really stupid.”

Link shrunk into himself a bit. That was valid, but he had personal reasons for doing so. Explaining to them what the Master Sword meant would be… far too much for him to handle. 

Despite her glares, Saki agreed, “Link, we know you can handle yourself, but…” She stopped herself, mulling over her own words.

Teba caught the implication and continued with the bluntness of a sledgehammer, “You shouldn’t be vanishing like that after how we found you last time.”

Saki’s crest feathers flattened as she made a noise that sounded vaguely like shock. “Teba!”

“What?” Teba crossed his wings with a hint of frustration. He turned back on Link, who had busied himself by devouring the rice on his plate. “Last time you appeared on our doorstep, was after you-” 

Link stopped eating for a moment. He knew Teba wanted to say ‘after you found out you died a century ago.’ But, while Teba was blunt, he knew better than to dredge that up.

However, Teba continued the thought when he noticed Link had the gist. “Look, the fact of the matter is… if you disappear like that when we think something’s wrong, we don’t know where you’ll end up or if anyone can keep an eye on you.”

A valid point. What Teba did not understand was that Link was supposed to be a Hyrulean soldier. He had a duty to slay Ganon as the Chosen Hero . If he could not handle his own emotions in a way that benefited Hyrule, then he would absolutely fail in his final fight. Hyrule didn’t need that right now. In fact, other people should not be shouldering his burden right now.

Saki exhaled, regaining her composure. “What Teba is trying to say is that you do not have to run away for our sake. We are more than ready to take care of you at a moment’s notice. We have before, and we will do it again,” Saki exclaimed with a ferocity that made Link look away from his plate of food and directly at her. Her eyes were burning. “You’re family now, Link. You don’t need to run for our sake.”

Link’s breathing suddenly grew uneven. No, she obviously didn’t mean it like that. He tried to compose himself, but Saki’s gaze remained unyielding. He looked at Teba to try to figure out what was happening here, and he had the same firmness written in his expression. Teba clicked his beak before nonchalantly stating, “Pretty sure all of Rito Village agrees you’re one of us now at this point. Wouldn’t be much of a stretch to personally keep an eye out on you. We’re just getting to you before anyone else does.”

It felt like the floor had been ripped out from under Link. All of his protests died in his throat immediately, but not because he couldn’t form them.

He just… didn’t want to argue.

“We don’t want you to feel like you have nowhere to go if you need something,” Saki reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder in the same way she had many times before. “Besides, Tulin was very upset that he missed all of your stories last night.”

Did… Link want this? He knew he shouldn’t. In fact, he definitely should not rope Teba and Saki into whatever was going on in his life. However, they didn’t seem to be offering him a choice in the matter. They both demanded that Link should have a place where he could feel safe. They demanded that he could go somewhere whenever he could not take care of himself.

And that finally broke him.

It started as a laugh as Link buried his head in one of his hands. His shoulders heaved the more he ran the idea through his head. Then, it got worse. His laughing slowly cracked and withered away into something he was ashamed of. He hardly had time to register the tears falling from his face before a pair of pink wings wrapped around him. Teba had sat down in silence close by. 

Link let himself stay in the moment for a bit longer. He could still feel the Sword on his back, but now it had purpose. Even though he knew he’d be fighting the Calamity for his friends, now it had become even more personal. That thing would not touch anyone he cared about again. For a brief moment, Link felt the Sword quiver in its sheath. Fi radiated approval.

After wiping an arm across his face, Link glanced up at Teba. Saki let go of him quickly. Both Rito could see the blazing resolve in his eyes. 

“I need to go to Vah Medoh.”

Chapter Text

Sheikah-blue tendrils dropped Link off without any issue on Vah Medoh’s perch. Teba and Saki had been hesitant to let him use the slate again, and Saki had forced him to at least change into his snowquill outfit first. Link had hesitated to do so, but after a bit of persuasion about how cold it would be on Medoh’s perch, he relented. His ruby earrings would not protect him fully. Thankfully, all it took was selecting his clothing in the Sheikah Slate for his entire outfit to change in a whirlwind of blue. While he hated doing it like that, he had delayed getting on Vah Medoh for a little too long.

He just needed to investigate the Divine Beast properly for Fi, make sure Revali and Vah Medoh were okay, and then he could return to Teba and Saki to reassure them that everything was fine. Both of them had insisted he be back before nightfall or Teba would come up to Vah Medoh to get him. Link took this threat very seriously. Back when the two of them assaulted Vah Medoh to free it from Ganon’s malice, Teba took a brutal hit to his leg. If he could help it, Link wanted to keep Teba away from Vah Medoh even though he realistically knew Revali would never command the Divine Beast to fire on him.

Still, he couldn’t get rid of the stupid smile that kept breaking his usual neutral expression. They really did care about him. He knew it should make him even more worried about possibly failing to defeat Ganon, but happiness swelled in his chest even still.

Link pulled out the Master Sword and continued to dowse, lining up the blade with the tip of Medoh’s tail. The powerful pulse from the Sword told him exactly what he needed to know. It turned out Fi wasn’t lying. One of the gates she had mentioned rested exactly on Vah Medoh’s tail where the warp access point was. Hopefully, Fi had not somehow detected the Sheikah Warp. That would make all of this for nothing-

A flurry of green flames startled Link. Revali was eyeing Link like he had just caught him doing something egregious. “Are you trying to stab Vah Medoh, hero? Or are you simply swinging that thing around like a headless cucco?”

After he made sure he was not going to accidentally drop the Master Sword thanks to Revali’s interruption, Link glared at the Rito in question. “Yes. I wanted to give it a little poke for how mean you’re being to me,” Link joked, but Revali would take the obvious bait. At least this meant Revali was fine.

“Mean?” There it was. “I’m simply stating the obvious! Besides, I’m allowed to be ‘mean’ after you left your deranged mutt up here with me!” Revali angrily gestured at an open space on the ground like Link was supposed to know what that exact space meant in Revali’s mind. 

Ah, Link had left the wolf up here. He looked around and felt a rising panic. This rock was not that big. Where could it have gone? Link certainly hadn’t seen any wolves falling from the sky. 

“Don’t worry your sorry head, hero,” Revali drawled, preening his own feathers as he spoke, “The mutt disappeared directly in front of me and seemed to know exactly what it was doing. It’s demonic, I tell you. Demonic!” His voice raised a few pitches at the end, and Link covered his mouth to stifle the laugh. Revali glared before realizing Link had changed into snowquill. Pausing his tirade for a moment, he eyed the new outfit before immediately returning to the scheduled rant.  “Now! Why have you come back to torture me? I thought your escapades were done and that you’d be off to fighting Ganon by now.” 

Link put away the Master Sword and took a deep breath. This would be hard to get Revali to do. Taking a note from Teba’s strategy book, Link stated plainly, “I need you to fly Vah Medoh, so I can board it.”

Revali blinked. His head cocked to the side while trying to process this. “And… pray tell, hero…” His voice started low but immediately rose a few pitches. “Why would I do that? Vah Medoh is in a perfectly good position to fire on Ganon! Its pilot has been restored. There is absolutely no reason for you to sully its halls with your presence.”

Thankfully, Link had expected an answer like this. He also knew that he had to do very little work on his front. Reaching a hand up to the hilt of the Master Sword, Link called, “Fi?”

The spirit of the Master Sword twirled into view and landed next to Link. Revali glared at her for her previous infractions against him, but it would never amount to anything against Fi. She hardly emoted at all in the first place. Actually, Revali would hate Fi for that if he hated Link so much in the past for being unreadable. Link found a healthy amount of humor in that and certainly did not look stupid laughing at absolutely nothing while the two stared at each other.

“Getting your sword to explain this to me isn’t going to make me do it, hero,” Revali chastised, pacing in front of Vah Medoh. “Oh gracious sword, please endow me with your wisdom that this buffoon clearly lacks.”

Wow. Link took notice that Revali was in a mood. Normally, his jabs started off standard. Now, he had turned into a loose cannon and laced every single sentence with another jab. Something had definitely set him off. 

However, Fi could not be outdone. “Understood.” Fi slowly floated forward, closing the distance between her and Revali.  “We have discovered the existence of a ‘gate’ upon your Divine Beast. These typically require the person interacting with them to remain in the upright position,” She stated matter-of-factly.

Scratch what he said earlier. Revali DEFINITELY hated Fi at this point. His crest feathers flattened at the analytic sarcasm being thrown his way. “Yes yes, the Sheikah Gate. All Divine Beasts have a warp point, but as I said before, there’s no need for the hero to board Vah Medoh now that it is in position and under my control.”

Fi did not miss a beat and continued, “The gate is separate from the one you are referring to. My hypothesis suggests that Link will need to play a song associated with you and Vah Medoh in order to access it.”

Revali’s eyes narrowed, and he kept his wings folded against himself. “A song activating part of my Divine Beast that I did not know about? Preposterous.” Revali whirled around, confident in his stride. “Go annoy Mipha instead. You will not use my Divine Beasts for your pet projects.”

Well, that seemed to be the end of that to Link. He frowned, looking towards Fi for confirmation of that fact. She turned back to Link, but continued to speak. “My apologies, Master. It appears that the Rito piloting this Divine Beast is incapable of giving us access. Perhaps it would be wise to seek out a more capable pilot.”

Link’s jaw dropped. Revali stiffened and stopped mid stride. 

Oh Hylia.

Revali was going to try to kill her and die again while trying.

The Rito whirled around and marched up to Fi. “I am more than capable of piloting this Divine Beast easily. It wouldn’t even be hard!” Revali exclaimed, throwing his wings in the air, “It is merely an asinine use of time, but if you’re so desperate on wasting the precious time we have left, here!” He whipped a wing upward, and Vah Medoh let out another shriek.

Revali vanished into his Divine Beast, and the large rock it had made its perch lost a few fragments when the talons loosened their grip. Vah Medoh’s fans whirred to life and propelled it effortlessly into the sky. While Link would have been worried about Rito Village’s reaction to the Divine Beast moving again, Link had told Teba to let people know it would be airborne very soon.

Link stepped close to Fi with a smirk on his face. “A capable pilot, huh?”

Fi merely nodded her head, her vision still affixed to the Divine Beast itself. “He appears to be capable enough when prompted.” Capable indeed. Revali had gotten Vah Medoh to immediately ascend from its perch from a stationary position. 

Well, Revali was still continuing his ascent, so this bought Link some valuable time while they waited. Fi still had not taken her eyes off of Vah Medoh. Now, the Divine Beast was extremely neat, and Link could admit that. However, this level of staring seemed… off for Fi. “You’re staring at the Divine Beast a lot,” Link prodded, “Are you okay?”

Fi lowered her head from the Divine Beast at the mention of her staring. “I have speculations about the design of the Divine Beast known as Vah Medoh. It has distracted me. I apologize, Master Link.”

Link frowned. Fi’s expression betrayed nothing. That would work on anyone else, but Link had grown very accustomed to hiding behind a mask. Still, now was a better time than ever to start this conversation. “You don’t need to call me ‘Master’, you know. Just ‘Link’ is fine.” Start small. Maybe he could get Fi to be more comfortable.

However, Fi shook her head immediately. “You have been designated as my master by Her Grace. It would be erroneous to call you anything else.”

Ah, so Hylia was the culprit of this behavior somehow. Link really wanted to say something to press on the matter, but he could not find the right words to say in order to get Fi to stop. Defeated so early, he sighed, “Just know that I like ‘Link’ better.” They both watched Vah Medoh begin to fly in a steady, circular motion high above Rito Village. Revali would be ready for them. After he was no longer pressed for time, Link had to have a very long conversation with Fi. He couldn’t say these things correctly under time pressure.

Link glanced down at his Sheikah Slate and watched as the warp point for Vah Medoh finally lit up. No use in delaying now. Hyrule Castle looked worse and worse by the second, and he had no more time to mess around. “Wouldn’t want to keep Revali waiting,” he grumbled, earning a nod from Fi. The spirit immediately leapt back into the Master Sword without a second thought.

They’d only met this morning. Neither of them had really slowed down since their meeting. Of course Fi wouldn’t want to share anything with him. He just needed to give it more time. 

With a few taps on his Sheikah Slate, Link disappeared once again-

-and came back just fine on Vah Medoh. The chill immediately pricked his exposed skin. Being back on Vah Medoh filled him with separate tremors that had nothing to do with the cold. The stench of malice used to pervade these walls. It had been a long time since Link had defeated the Windblight and freed Vah Medoh, but he had not been within the Divine Beast since then. 

“Are you going to sit there all day and waste my time, hero?” Revali’s voice pulled him right back into reality. Soundlessly, Revali saunted up to the warp point and inspected it like it had personally insulted him. “Now that I have your attention, make this fast so we can get back to the malice infested castle.”

Before Link even had to call, Fi leapt from the Sword. She gazed down at the Sheikah warp Link was standing on, the Master Sword pulsing all the while. “The gate is here, Master Link,” Fi said, seeming to ignore the way Link frowned at his title, “This is where you will be required to play the song provided by Kass.”

Revali let out a strangled noise that tried to sound like a laugh but ended up sounding more like a guffaw. He held up a large winged hand as Link turned to him with a cocked eyebrow. “My apologies.” Revali tried to catch his breath, and now Link realized what the act was. The Rito broke into laughter again before standing upright and eyeing him with a tilt of his head. “The hero has musical talent? I would be so ever grateful to see that disaster.”

Link ignored him for just a second to get the harp out of his Sheikah Slate. When it appeared in his hands, Revali looked like he was about to laugh again. Shooting him a glare, he cupped the harp in his left arm. “Oh like you know how to play an instrument. I’ll be sure to mess it up as much as possible since it’s your song. Wouldn’t want to get your ego too flared up now.” The Link of the past had taken all of Revali’s quips with a barrier of silence. Now, Link took great pleasure in being able to banter back.

Usually, Revali fired back with a more creative insult than the last. This time, he inhaled to say something else, “Rito pride themselves in being able to sing you know, and I won’t have some Hylian-” and then sharply stopped. All the grandeur melted away to a curious question: “My song?” His voice shrunk into itself, a slight quiver barely making itself known.

Link realized, and oh… maybe he shouldn’t joke about this song considering it talked about Revali’s death. Dropping his own banter, he stared absentmindedly at the harp to try to look anywhere other than Revali’s ghostly visage. “Yeah… one of the bards in Rito Village, Kass, made songs for all of us. They’re about um…” Link paused, seeing Revali’s expression sag slightly in the corner of his eye, “...they talk about your deaths in the first line.”

When Link properly tried to gauge a reaction from Revali, the Rito stood back at his usual height. “Well…” His voice cracked, betraying him. “Be on with it then. Show me your imitation of what is no doubt usually a perfect song.” His heart wasn’t in that one. He ushered Link on, but the absence of Revali’s usual spunk made Link worry. When Link lingered on his expression for slightly too long, Revali’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “We don’t have all day.”

Fine. Link turned to Fi with his harp at the ready as Revali stood next to the warp activation podium. He looked for guidance from Fi, who looked like she was about to speak. Vah Medoh, however, decided to let out a gargantuan screech, forcing Link to stumble to try to regain his footing. Revali scoffed and shut his eyes with a hand on his head. “Vah Medoh must be just as annoyed with your meddling as I am-”

“Master Link,” Fi interrupted, knocking Revali out of whatever trance he had just been in and making his crest flatten in anger. She lowered her gaze to the warp point below her, drawing Link’s attention. “While it may be from a separate source, there is an 85% chance that the Divine Beast is mimicking the tempo of the song given to us by Kass.”

Revali glared at the back of Fi’s head, earning no reaction. 

Sure enough, when Link watched the blue lights around the warp point for a little longer, they slowly dimmed and brightened with a methodical rhythm. Curious, he readjusted the harp in his arm and brought his fingers up to the strings. Fi hovered directly over the warp and waited.

Now or never.

With gentle strums, Link’s fingers danced along the strings. He watched the gentle pulsing of Vah Medoh’s lights and followed it to the best of his ability. The harp sang with an etherealness that Link had not heard when playing it with Kass. Revali, who had been getting more and more agitated, momentarily let his beak hang open when he heard that Link could hold a tune. He’d hold that over Revali’s head for a while. 

A new sound joined his song.

Fi began to sing, following the tune Link had begun to play. Kass had not done anything like this, but there was a familiarity with this setup. Standing across from Fi… playing music as she prepared to burst into a song sparked a fondness in his chest that did not belong to him. Still, he continued to play. Sheikah-blue tendrils of light caught his attention as they swirled up from the warp point, forming what looked to be a flower petal design. It took shape immediately, laying itself flat on one side of the warp point.

Both Revali and Link gawked at what was happening, but Link continued to strum the harp back and forth even when his focus was being pulled away. More flower petals formed into view as the Goddess Harp began to resonate in Link’s hands. A golden light wisped away from its metallic frame. When the last petal finally laid itself down, forming the pattern of a strange Sheikah flower, something clicked. 

Fi and Link locked eyes. They both let out a flourish, and Fi immediately burst into song. “Recall Medoh’s Champion of flight before he fell to his fateful plight.” The patterns Kass had taught Link danced on the edges of his mind. He knew how to play this instrument, and Fi’s voice carried through the sky like it belonged there. For a moment, Link let his eyes shut and simply listened to the music. He felt the wind brushing against him, the freedom of the sky, crimson feathers below him as he soared... “Revali’s feat was a wonder to see, so the princess made her plea.”

The song gently faded out, and Link opened his eyes. Vah Medoh was made of stone, but he still felt the freedom of flight deep within him as the song ended. Across from him, Revali just stared. His expression had become unreadable, and none of his usual boisterous behavior came out. Link expected an insult, but he got none. Instead, Revali simply stood there, motionless. 

“Revali?” Link called, taking a few steps towards him. Just when he thought something had happened, Revali blinked and looked away. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” He sighed, words lacking the vitriol they normally possessed, “Your performance was… adequate.” His eyes looked past Link and over to where Fi should be floating. “Now do you mind letting me know what exactly you have done to Vah Medoh?”

Link had been so focused on making sure Revali hadn’t gone catatonic that he forgot about the flower petals. He turned and saw Fi hovering over the warp with the same Sheikah-esque flower petals all around it. She nodded and floated away from the warp itself to let Link get a better look. “We were successful in opening a gate to what should be a trial. However, I detect a foreign presence within.”

“Is that normal?” Link approached the warp, placing the harp back into his slate. Nothing seemed wrong with it. In fact, he could still see the Sheikah eye in the center of the flower design. “The foreign presence, I mean-”

As Link took a step into the central circle, his eyes widened. The Sheikah eye’s usual pristine blue shifted to an eerie violet. 

The stench of malice immediately invaded Link’s nostrils, and he took a few hesitant steps back. Revali went rigid as Link turned on his heel, walking even further away from that accursed circle. No. No. He hadn’t seen that right. He had freed the Divine Beasts and destroyed the malice within. He hadn’t seen the violet of Ganon’s malice. He was seeing things.

But… Revali looked like he was about to fly away at any given moment. He also had backed away from the circle without a second thought. Surely… surely they had gotten rid of the malice?

Link glanced up to Fi who had not feared what was in the circle in the slightest. She explained, “This is not an ordinary trial.” Fi turned her head to look at the circle, and Link felt his sword hand twitch when he noticed that the malice filled Sheikah eye was still there. “I advise you to take extra precautions within this test, Master Link.”

If the malice was still within the Divine Beasts, what was stopping them from turning on him the moment he went to fight Ganon? Was this why Fi wanted to come up here so badly? Link caught Revali in the corner of his eye, and it looked like he had come to the same conclusion with how wide his eyes had become. 

Link stopped her by raising a hand. “Fi, what exactly is in there?”

She hesitated. “Apologies. I do not know.” Link immediately deflated. If Fi didn’t know, then how was he supposed to be prepared for this? “However, I have detected a similar presence once before. I suspect that when you enter this Silent Realm, you will have a 0% chance of returning unless you are successful.”

“Successful?” Revali interjected. His entire composure had become frazzled, but he did not dare to approach the malice. “Explain. Now. Both of you.”

Link desperately gestured to Fi. He had no idea what these were, and she had been frustratingly vague. Expression still unchanging, Fi answered, “Silent Realms in the past contained tests from the Goddess Hylia to strengthen the Chosen Hero’s spirit. When you drive the Master Sword into the circle here, you will be transported into a realm where you will be unable to access any of the tools you have learned to rely on. It is a test of spirit alone.”

“Yes yes all of this is well and good,” Revali chided, getting more and more annoyed by the second. “What precisely are you implying when you say he may not be able to return? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he’s the ONLY one of us remaining who could strike down Ganon.” Link glanced at Revali from the corner of his eye. Was he admitting he thought Link would actually be able to take out Ganon? “So, if you’re planning on sending your hero to his demise, reconsider! The swirling mass around the castle gets worse by the day, and unless you can find another bumbling fool that’s worthy of your blessing, don’t send our only living champion to his death!”

Link was honestly touched that Revali was on his side for once. He didn’t do that often… or at all actually. Whenever Link thought one thing, Revali always laid into him with some creative insult or banter. This was weird for him. Unfortunately, as much as Link liked Revali defending him, he disagreed. “I’m not leaving this place with malice in it, Revali. What’s stopping Ganon from taking over your Divine Beast again?”

“Oh great.” Revali crossed his wings and rolled his eyes. “The hero is going to side with his sword instead of a voice of reason and martyr himself. How noble of you.”

All of the good will that Link had towards Revali melted away instantly. He honestly wasn’t sure if he knew about Link’s death. Well, if Revali was going to make a joke out of him dying, then Link would just have to ignore him. He waved dismissively at Revali and said, “Fi, what exactly do I need to know about this test?”

“You cannot be serious…” Revali muttered under his breath.

Fi, who had been quite patient in all of Revali’s ranting, continued, “When you enter the test, you will receive a Spirit Vessel. It represents a spirit’s growth. Typically in these tests, you must collect objects known as tears scattered around the environment.” Revali looked like he was about to explode the more Fi’s explanation went on. “Most importantly, a single hit to your spirit will be fatal. Typically, you will reform at the start of the trial, but I do not advise testing this with so many unknowns.”

One hit.

Link had prepared to fight Ganon for ages with shrines and a Sheikah Slate full of potions and fairies, but now it all boiled down to a single hit. Okay, well if death wasn’t permanent, he could do that. Fi sounding unsure made things… worse. But hey, the trial of the Great Plateau had forced him to do this before with the One-Hit-Obliterator. This was nothing new… even if he was absolutely terrified during that trial… and even if he would not have a weapon capable of taking out every enemy in a single strike.

“I will have the ability to see your current progress within the test, and will be able to aid you when you enter.” The reassurance was nice, but Link hardly felt enthusiastic about doing this. “Please, step within the circle and drive your sword into it.”

“You will not stab Vah Medoh!” Revali shrieked, voice raising a few octaves. “This Divine Beast has been maintained for eons and now you’re going to impale it?” A low whirring sound came from deep within Vah Medoh. Revali’s spine went stiff before he descended deep in thought for a brief second. Before Link or Fi had to do any convincing, he changed his mind instantly. “Fine, but I’m not happy about this. If this gets our hero killed, I will be dropping your stupid weapon into the depths of Lake Totori.”

While the sudden change of heart seemed odd, Link had the heart to grin a little bit. “See? I knew that you cared.” 

Revali’s feathers ruffled out before the Rito immediately tried to smooth them down again. “Ah yes, you may call me worrying about the fate of an entire kingdom caring. ”

“Whatever you say,” Link conceded, knowing well that Revali would be rather caught dead than showing anyone that he cared in the slightest. 

With no more time to waste, Link stepped into the center of the flower. Malice filled his lungs again the moment it saw an opening. It stung and pervaded the winds that Link adored so much from atop Vah Medoh. He would be happy to destroy this thing once and for all by doing… a test? Somehow, that didn’t seem right. He could do this, though. He had found nine-hundred Koroks across the land of Hyrule. How could a few “tears” be anything difficult? “Fi? I’m ready.”

“Understood, Master Link. Good luck.” Fi twirled back into the Master Sword as Link drew it from its sheath. 

He took one last look at Revali as he raised the Sword in a downward strike. The ends of Revali’s beak had slightly curved into a frown. Link shot him a cheeky grin, trying to tell him that he could do this.

All he got was an indignant scoff.

Link plunged the Sword downwards, and everything went white.

Revali hadn’t been on board with this in the first place. As much as he loathed to admit it, Link was the only one who even had a chance to defeat Calamity Ganon now. Sending the hero to do maintenance on a Divine Beast at the behest of a talking sword sounded utterly asinine, but Link hadn’t taken his advice seriously.

So, when Link drove that cursed sword into his Vah Medoh, he definitely did not flinch when he saw wisps fly off of Link’s body. As a spirit himself, Revali could recognize that those wisps were portions of Link’s own spirit being released from the body. He hastily glanced down, seeing that Link was pale, completely shrouded in light, and frozen with his sword driven into Vah Medoh.

Suddenly, Sheikah tendrils began to curl upward from the strange flower design that had appeared on Vah Medoh. The portions of Link’s spirit were disassembled and pulled right back down into the design… into Vah Medoh. Suddenly, Revali became very aware of an extra presence in his mental connection with Vah Medoh. It was overwhelming, powerful, but comforting all the same. That had to be Link somehow. 

Still, Link’s physical body did not move. Revali could not even tell if he was breathing anymore.

“Well? Are things going all right in there?” Revali called out to that blasted sword that definitely contained that annoying spirit that tormented him constantly. 

Fi did not appear with a twirl this time. Instead, the Master Sword pulsed with a divine energy and chimed. “I cannot communicate with Master Link. It appears something is preventing me from doing so.”

Revali expected anything but that response. He started to say something before shutting his beak and slowly turning to the sword.

“What?”

Link currently floated around with no grounding, and it reminded him of the times he had been part of a memory that was not his. He drifted while completely untethered to the world, only being part of it and watching from afar. Then, in one swift moment, he could feel multiple core parts of him surging towards one central point. They collided, and he immediately grounded right back into one singular being.

He took a moment to look at himself, and found that his entire body felt like glass. His skin and clothes glistened with an ethereal light, and only then did he notice the world around him. He was still on Vah Medoh, but the wonderful chill of Hebra air no longer flowed through the Divine Beast. It hovered in the air, motionless but suspended all the same. The yellows and oranges of normal sunlight had left, and Link couldn't even spot the sun. The sky had taken on a bluish hue. It looked breathtaking, but also sent chills down Link’s spine. 

The rest of the Divine Beast looked roughly the same. Small wisps of light hovered in the air and danced around with no direction. In the very far distance at the map terminal of Vah Medoh, Link could see a sparkling, green light. This must be what Fi had mentioned. At least he’d made it to the Silent Realm in one piece.

“Fi? I made it,” Link called out, flinching at the way his voice echoed endlessly even though it normally would be lost to Vah Medoh’s wind. This place unnerved him. He waited, waited, and waited for Fi to respond.

Nothing.

Well, maybe Revali had held her up. Yeah, that had to be what happened. Besides, even if he was alone, Link had survived in the wild alone for a couple of years now. He could figure this out on his own! He didn’t feel any more comforted, but he just kept repeating that to himself.

A bubbling sensation formed in Link’s chest. He looked down, seeing a light forming where his snowquill tunic was. Something was trying to escape his spirit. He felt colder as it began to pull away, and-. Link gasped, clutching at his chest but being unable to stop the light from escaping.

A connection within Link’s spirit snapped. 

In the midst of arguing with Fi, Revali seized up. He concentrated, shutting his eyes and trying to figure out what this feeling was… or rather wasn’t. Despite being a spirit himself, he could feel the telltale panic of shivers wracking his entire body. 

He couldn’t feel his connection to Link anymore. Link’s ability to call on his Gale had been severed.

“Get him out of there, now!” he demanded, marching up to the Master Sword that chained Link to the ground. 

“That is outside of my current capabilities.”

“Then do anything, because he just lost a very important gift that only he should be able to get rid of!” 

What had that fool done? What had something done to him? The motionless body of Link still shrouded in light betrayed nothing. It remained still, unmoving, and painfully silent.

Revali’s Gale sprung out from Link’s spirit, manifesting as a green spherical light bubbling with power. Winds radiated off of the orb itself, but Link had no idea why it had left him. He grabbed at it, only to see a stem begin to grow from the orb itself. What was it doing? Link could only observe small bulbs of unfilled light budding from the stem. The orb had transformed itself into…

A spirit vessel… He instinctually thought, but he had no recollection of how he knew that. His spirit instinctively knew what it was, but that was hardly what Link worried about. He could no longer feel Revali’s presence in his own spirit. Daruk, Urbosa, and Mipha’s gifts still pulsed vibrantly within him, but Revali was just gone, now transformed into this vessel of one's own spirit.

The spirit vessel fell into Link’s hand. Well, he didn’t want this thing to get swept off the Divine Beast, and Fi said he would need it. It looked like there were six bulbs that he needed to fill. For some reason, he was relieved by that. Now, the next big obstacle was stepping out of the circle he had appeared in. Well, despite the blaring alarm bells in his head telling him to absolutely not do it, Fi hadn’t said anything about the circle having importance.

With his jaw firmly clamped shut, Link inched towards the edge of the circle. It was stupid to get intimidated by crossing a threshold as simple as this when he had no memory of ever being in a Silent Realm, yet crossing proved a more difficult challenge than he imagined. With a deep breath, Link stepped over the threshold and prepared to run instinctively-

Nothing changed.

Hm, for some reason he felt like that was not supposed to happen. Take that phantom memories, he thought to himself, walking more freely around the Divine Beast. Nothing seemed amiss on the tail, so that meant he had to properly explore the interior. Well, Vah Medoh had not been that difficult to traverse with the paraglider and Sheikah Slate, so all he had to do was-

Link reached down for the slate and his hand met air.

Ah.

He checked for his paraglider as well, and it was also missing. In fact, everything was missing.

This would be a problem.

Okay. He just had to climb more often. He could probably find a way to get a grip on some of the walls of Medoh if he really needed to. As long as he ignored the endless expanse of nothingness under Vah Medoh that he could fall into at any moment, things would be fine. Link put these thoughts aside and looked at the glowing light in the distance. That seemed like the best place to start. It should be where the map terminal was, so it wouldn’t be too hard to get to.

In fact, scratch that, it was very easy to get to. The puzzle leading up to it, if Link could even call it that since it was mostly just a simple magnesis if he didn’t paraglide, had already been set in place. It was a strange, straightforward walk to the glowing light. He should be unsettled by how easy it was, especially after Fi had told him to exercise caution. Just what was going on here?

The glowing thing was just ahead, and Link could spot a teardrop shape within the emerald light. These must be the tears that Fi had told him to collect. Well, maybe things would truly kick off after he grabbed this. Carefully, Link inched forward step by step to the tear that hovered just over the map terminal. He got within an arm’s distance and very slowly reached out.

As soon as the tear touched his fingertips, it melted into pure emerald light. It spiraled up his arm before leaping down to his belt into the spirit vessel. Link kept his guard up, putting his back to the terminal. He waited, only hearing the sound of his breath echoing through the Divine Beast.

“I don’t get it, Medoh.”

Link shrieked at the sudden noise, whirling around to see… nothing. The voice was so distinctly Revali, but he couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. It sounded all encompassing, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“That boy hardly acknowledged my existence at the Champion Ceremony despite me working day in and day out to prove myself as your rightful pilot. I suppose I was projecting thinking that he and I had similar paths having to prove ourselves to become Champions. That darkness sealing sword on his back must have just chosen him then.”

The voice lacked a source, but Link now knew it definitely came from Revali. His open hand clenched into a fist. Of course, that bird knew nothing about what he was talking about. If there was one thing that Link was certain about in his past, it was that he had been destroyed in order to make a perfect champion. So what if he didn’t talk enough? 

Link took a deep breath as the voice stopped. He had to remind himself that this was meant to be a trial. Maybe, something in here was trying to break his resolve early. After all, hearing the worst of one of your allies would be a fantastic way to demoralize someone. Right, he would just have to ignore the strange conversations. Link pressed on, trying to follow the route he knew well the first time he traversed the Divine Beast.

After much protest from Revali, he gave up. Fi could not even emerge from the Master Sword in this state, and anything short of piloting Vah Medoh into the village to get help would be useless. He was stuck here until Link finished whatever he was doing, or until Fi confirmed that Link had died. 

He was trying extremely hard to not think about the second possibility. Link had an immense amount of luck on his side. Surely, this minor challenge could not stop him. Still, the minutes dragged on, and Revali had grown antsy. He paced in front of the still form of Link, trying to do anything to distract himself. 

He was only knocked out of his stupor when a terribly familiar sight appeared. Small, black squares descended atop Vah Medoh. While Revali had only seen it once, he knew what it meant. The squares immediately connected into one body, forming the wolf that had so eerily vanished off of Vah Medoh’s perch earlier in the day. Revali folded his wings, glowering at the offending mutt. “This is not a time for you to be sticking your nose into things, you undignified creature.”

The wolf ignored Revali’s jesting. Of course, why would it be able to understand him? The interaction on the perch must have been Revali’s imagination. Still, this proved the wolf could teleport in some unorthodox manner. Why this mutt could do that was beyond Revali, but that was the least of his concerns. The beast made its way over to Link, sniffing at him. He half thought it was about to try to maul Link, but the wolf sat down and stared at Revali with its head tilted as if asking a question.

…Maybe the past interaction wasn’t a fluke. 

Revali huffed. He needed to keep his mind occupied from all the worrying that he was doing over this intensely lucky hero. Of course, Champion Revali didn’t need to worry about the chosen hero. He was above that! So the next best thing was talking to a dog. “This stupid sword has trapped your owner-” Revali ignored the way the wolf snorted at him. “-in some paralysis until he completes some trial. It is beyond me, but we will be here a while.”

The wolf nodded back at Revali as if it had accepted this answer. It joined Revali and sat down, watching Link with an intensity that matched Revali’s. This was stupid. He shouldn’t worry.

Vah Medoh let out a low whirr, and Revali thought to try to communicate with Medoh again now that the stupid sword wouldn’t interrupt him. Instead, he received a ghost of a conversation in his mind. He had been talking to Medoh about how much he was disappointed by Link not speaking with him at the Champion’s ceremony. Now’s not the time, Medoh, he thought to himself, rubbing his forehead as if that could get rid of the thought.

Revali hardly took notice that he could feel a faint heat near his talon where the wolf was laying as both of them continued waiting for Link to return.

Link had encountered the first of many issues. He had dropped down to the lower portion of the Divine Beast which he should have known was a bad idea. There was a terminal across the underside of Medoh’s right wing that he could get to using the gondola… if he had the ability to tilt Medoh. He should have known going lower on the Divine Beast would be stupid since going back up would be even more of a challenge. There were also multiple places on the Divine Beast that would have a similar issue if he could not tilt it.

Link remembered longingly how easy the slate was to use. Simply pressing a button would be enough to command a whole Divine Beast. Now, he was stuck without it. If Revali were here, he could probably do it for him. Unfortunately, he had no way of communicating that to the birdbrain who was probably complaining right now. It was a long shot, but he would either have to find a way to tilt Medoh on his own or do this himself.

Eyeing the small slit that the gondola used as support, Link wondered if he had the dexterity and upper body strength to climb the whole length of Medoh’s wing. One look down into the abyss below cast all thoughts of doing that from his head. So then, how did Revali pilot this thing? Surely, the goddess wouldn’t make this trial impossible. In fact, a puzzle in the previous room had already been solved to make it slightly easier.

Revali had never openly told Link how his connection with his Divine Beast worked. However, Link recalled a memory where Daruk was having trouble with the controls of his Divine Beast. There were no physical controls in the thing other than the main terminal, but a bulbous terminal was not a controller. That meant they had to control it using other means, and none of them had a Sheikah Slate.

And Mipha… Mipha had used Vah Ruta’s trunk to lift the two of them up in one of his memories. She had nothing physical to control it with, but she still had a perfect grasp on moving Ruta’s truck. She had not been taking any action to conduct it as far as Link could tell, so that only left one thing.

It had to be something mental.

So, how would Link be able to do that? The Champions had gone through great efforts to be linked to their Divine Beasts. It wouldn’t be as simple as nicely asking Vah Medoh to move. Link shut his eyes, hanging onto the edges of the gondola. Vah Medoh, can you please turn to the right? 

Nothing. As he thought. While Link would compare it to controlling his own Divine Beast, his had tangible controls. Besides, the Master Cycle Zero was nothing compared to the hulking masses that were Divine Beasts. Then again, if he ever broke focus by… well… wiping out and falling off of it, the Master Cycle would disappear. What if the whole thing could be based on focus? Well, he had no other ideas, and he did not want to climb and have to figure this out later anyway.

So, Link gripped the rail again and shut his eyes. He just thought about tilting, but nothing seemed to happen. Maybe he needed something tangible… something more relatable. The paraglider could work. He imagined the entire Divine Beast as one big paraglider, putting more weight on one end to swerve in that direction. Vah Medoh didn’t budge, but Link kept trying. He felt like it was getting easier.

He thought about playing the harp and how it made him feel like he was soaring through the air. What was it under him? There was a large, crimson bird carrying him through the skies. Link thought about what it felt like to lean to one side and have the bird respond in kind. He was free, soaring through the clouds without a care in the world. Nothing could bring him down. Nothing-

With a shriek, Vah Medoh tilted to the right. The gondola immediately began to move and Link’s eyes snapped open. He grabbed the edge of the guardrail and was promptly carried across the cloudy abyss below. The gondola slammed to a halt on the other side of the wing, flinging Link over the rail and sending him into a tumble. His chest hurt as he stood up, but at least he had not died yet! That didn’t count as a hit!

Sure enough, another tear was here. His theory about them corresponding to terminals seemed to be correct. Link walked up the nearby ramp to claim his prize. The tear did the same thing as the last and joined the spirit vessel. Link already got ready to move onto the next terminal when he heard Revali’s voice again.

“-and do you know WHY this infurates me, Medoh? My Gale is an art that I cannot consistently pull off perfectly, and that so-called hero saw it and did nothing! No reaction whatsoever.” 

Link winced. Revali had really taken that personally. In the past, Link remembered he just acted that way with everyone. He had shut down long before Revali entered the equation. Had that really been the source of Revali’s vendetta against him?

“There’s nothing going on in that head of his. He must be dense as rocks if he cannot so much as emote when I show off an ability that will give the Rito the ability to fly freely!”

It was honestly a really cool ability. Link just… never really had the chance to focus on those things. Even if past Link did know that Revali took it personally, he doubted that he would’ve done anything about it. The Link of the past was too focused on his duty to do much else. Sighing, Link continued on. The next terminal should be nearby. He hoped this one would at least be solved. He only stopped for a moment when he realized Vah Medoh was positioning itself back to its original position.

Vah Medoh moving during this chaos was not something Revali had accounted for. He squawked as his Divine Beast… HIS DIVINE BEAST began to change its flight pattern. He certainly had not done that, and Vah Medoh let out its telltale screech that it had changed course. Without thinking, Revali reached down to grab the mangy mutt. To its credit, the stupid wolf had stood up to its feet and clawed at Medoh’s stonework in order to stay on. Revali moved before he thought, and his wings unceremoniously phased right through the wolf. He felt a brush of phantom warmth on the tip of his wings, but it could not stop the wolf from skittering forward a bit.

Luckily, the beast had some intelligence after all. It finally found a foothold in Medoh’s grooves and righted itself. Well, that was one problem handled. Now… for the other. Revali shut his eyes to command Vah Medoh to move back to its original position, but another low whirr from the Divine Beast forced another conversation in his head. He had been ranting about Link not reacting to his Gale. The version of him from a century ago would have balked at the idea of Link directly complementing his unique ability. Now, Revali had that satisfaction.

Finally, he commanded Vah Medoh to return to its upright position. As he did so, he could feel the extra presence from before boiling brightly. Had that been Link moving his Divine Beast? Well, he had half a mind to berate Link for daring to control his Divine Beast, and he wondered how the hero had even managed, but his thoughts were too preoccupied by the hero actually still kicking in there. Fi would alert him if Link fell, but confirming that the hero was still alive put Revali slightly at ease. 

Revali caught the wolf staring at him with a smirk on its face. He glared back at it, thinking nothing of it.

Thankfully, the next terminal had been solved. The mallet that Link usually had to slam into a switch was already in place. If he had to solve this puzzle the real way, he would need magnesis to get the propellers in the right spot. It seemed like the goddess had mercy on him. Link accepted the tear, and it joined the spirit vessel with the others. He already knew what was coming next, and he braced for what it would be this time.

“I caught that pathetic knight copying my archery technique.” 

This was… not something Link had in any of his memories. Revali had also never brought up this incident. Curious, he stopped to listen.

“Can you believe it? A Hylian practicing aerial archery! I’ve been watching him mindlessly throw himself off that mangy horse he has, mimicking my exact form, and somehow managing to hit targets. It’s as if time itself obeys him with how he falls! It’s insulting! He doesn’t even attempt to catch himself. He simply stumbles to the ground and injures himself! It’s utterly asinine!”

Ah, and here Link was wondering if that was some kind of worry coming from the Champion Revali. Still, Link would have to ask Revali about that another time. He had no recollection of this, and he had simply woken up in the Shrine of Resurrection with the ability to use a bow midair. Now that he thought about it more, his form did look suspiciously like Revali’s did in one of Zelda’s memories.

That was for another time. For now, he had to handle two easier terminals near each other and one terminal that he was utterly dreading. It would be a long walk to all of them on the left wing. Dusting himself off, Link continued.

Revali had gotten into a staredown with the mangy mutt across from him after it had very much smirked at him for a second time. This thing genuinely unsettled him. How could it even see him? Why did it act like it understood everything he said? 

At a loss, Revali turned to the Master Sword that was still currently embedded in the ground. “Oh, Fi was it?” A chime answered him. “Can you enlighten me on what this mutt is supposed to be? You seem to possess… infinite wisdom.” The last part was more strangled out and sarcastic if anything. This stupid sword had imprisoned the last hope of Hyrule in Vah Medoh.

Fi stayed silent for a bit. The wolf glanced in the direction of the Master Sword, and its eyes narrowed. Revali watched all of this with renewed interest before Fi chimed again. She simply stated, “This is not information that I am able to provide.”

Not able to provide? Not able to provide?!? So she was HIDING something! Revali had half a mind to say something before Medoh let out another whirr, flooding him again. Why are you doing this, Medoh? Revali thought as memories of Link copying his shooting technique invaded his mind. That stupid Hylian had endangered himself to try aerial archery. 

That was the first time Revali had blatantly seen Link’s own version of magic. All the Champions had something they could do with it. Mipha’s healing had been the most obvious form of magic. Some were less so. Revali wondered if anyone knew that his Gale was born out of harnessing his own magic considering how natural it appeared. However, it also required immense physical fitness and training to properly utilize it which is why he expected Link to react at all to it. Well, he had that affirmation now.

Revali distinctly remembered what his own Gale felt like. He had practiced it for ages, and the wind in his feathers freed him every day he trained. Maybe when Hylia finally let him go, he could be free in the skies instead of tethered to his Divine Beast. The winds felt so nice.

The wind…

Why could he… feel the wind?

Revali opened his eyes, seeing the rushing winds around Vah Medoh very barely make his feathers twitch. His eyes went wide and he shrieked, frightened as his ghostly feathers kept moving. What was happening to him?

The next two tears were simple. On the left wing with a little bit of tilting Medoh, Link found his way to the next two. One terminal was up on a ledge, and had him struggling to climb on the slick walls of the Divine Beast. The other had just been a straight walk through already solved puzzles. Again, Fi made this sound like it would be difficult, but so far he hadn’t had too many problems. He kept his guard up all the same, but he was confused as to where the actual test was.

Grabbing the tear on the ledge invoked an interesting memory that set a lot of things into place for Link. 

“What a riot, the hero with the Sword that Seals the Darkness being more proficient with a ladle than his actual weapon!”

Link scrunched his nose at that, but he slightly agreed with it. He was, after all, a very good cook. Medoh made a low noise all around Link as if responding to Revali’s quips.

“Yes yes, I suppose I am getting along with my fellow Champions. It is simply a necessity, I assure you.”

Medoh let out another low whirr again in response.

“...Fine. Perhaps it’s not just a necessity.”

Link wished he could understand what Medoh was saying to Revali. The two actually seemed to have full blown conversations which actually shocked Link. There had always been a connection with the Divine Beasts, but he never really put much thought into them being intelligent creatures. That was more Zelda’s thing. While her enthusiasm was great, Link hardly could keep up with her if that frog memory was any indication.

The next tear was the one that confused him the most. When he walked through the already solved puzzle to collect a tear at the nearby terminal, he realized that its light looked strangely subdued. When he reached out for it, it hesitantly curled around his arm before joining the rest on the spirit vessel. Only one more. 

Link half expected this conversation to be subdued as well and was promptly blasted by Revali’s loud voice echoing through Vah Medoh.

“It was merely given to him to prevent him from breaking his spine! Should the Calamity strike when the chosen hero is in bandages due to his reckless archery, we would all be sorry!”

Medoh’s machinery clanked at this notion.

“Why you- Of course, I believe I should not be support for this hero. Obviously. However, if these are the roles we must play, making a paraglider for the hero who insists on killing himself before the Calamity arrives seems like a proper idea.”

The conversation left too soon. Link wanted to listen for longer. That seemed like it could be going somewhere. It also sent Link reeling. Many people in Rito Village had said the paraglider was definitely made by a Rito. He had assumed someone in the royal family had instructed it to be commissioned for him. It seemed so obvious in retrospect. Of course, no one would make a paraglider standard issue. Soldiers wouldn’t typically fling themselves into the sky like Link did.

He’d have to thank Revali for that later. That was something he never knew about, and the paraglider had been one of the best tools he had on this journey. Without it, he likely would have died multiple times over. He had no idea if this was actually the same paraglider, and it would be impressive if it had somehow lasted this long. However, it was just as unlikely that King Rhoam of all people had managed to get a completely unrelated paraglider while a ghost.

Just one more tear to go. This one would be the worst. 

Revali had gone through enough today, and now he had a wolf right next to him attempting to poke and prod at him with its snout. Obviously, it phased right through him. The phantom tingle that Revali kept feeling made this terrible. He could feel something, but the wolf could not fully interact with him. It was perplexing, and he wanted to swat this infernal beast away. 

“That’s enough! Stop prodding me you mutt!” Revali snapped at the wolf, taking a few steps back. It matched his pace and took a few steps forward. “So help me, I will send you careening off of Vah Medoh!”

The wolf huffed and returned to Link’s side just as Vah Medoh began projecting even more conversations into his head. He had enough. He didn’t want to see more of these! Immediately, he recalled a moment of vulnerability after having returned from an excursion with his fellow champions. Zelda had let it slip that Link had eaten rock roast, and Revali insulted him by saying that Link must have been terrible with food if he thought that was something edible.

That was the first time Link rose to one of Revali’s challenges, cooking every Champion a meal that sent Revali reeling. That proved that Link had an actual personality under that mask, and Revali had finally gotten Link to react. Finally. Then, he recalled what happened afterwards. Foolishly, he drafted a design for a paraglider that would be able to aid that foolish hero in flight. It was a spur of the moment decision that Revali would take to the grave. 

When Revali focused back on reality, he experienced something he had not felt in a century. Pain. His entire body ached, but it remained distant and just out of reach. He knew it was there, but there were no visible wounds.

The Master Sword chimed, and both Revali and the wolf shot upright. Fi spoke, “Master Link only has one more tear to obtain before he may leave.”

“He better be quick,” Revali hissed, running a wing up and down his chest, “I don’t think this is normal.”

Of course, it wasn’t easy. The goddess had been merciful thus far, but this was just wrong. The gondola here had fallen eons ago, forcing Link to paraglide to the last terminal in his previous excursion through the Divine Beast. This time, he had no paraglider. Tilting Vah Medoh would hardly get him the distance, but there was a wall that he could climb on if he went the other direction.

So, Link trudged through the Divine Beast, climbing, sweating, and cursing to no one in particular as he ran across Vah Medoh with nothing but his own stamina. The climb was made even worse by him having to cling onto a sleek, stone surface while an abyss of clouds waited below. That would be his demise if he fell. Luckily, Hylia had empowered him on his journey more than enough to be able to hang on and slowly make his way along the side of Vah Medoh to the last terminal.

Link would have to give himself more grace next time he belittled himself for finding all of the shrines. Every damn one of those spirit orbs were putting in work right now for him, and he couldn’t be happier that he had gotten all of those stamina vessels now. When the entrance was in sight, Link leapt for it and stumbled into the room with the tear, exhausted and now realizing he would have to climb back.

With pain in his step, Link reached for the last tear and felt his stamina immediately return. That was nice, but still not enough to get him back up in a timely manner. This time, he had the patience to wait for one more conversation. He actually wanted to hear what Revali would say about him this time.

“I am leaving on an expedition to Mount Lanayru, Medoh. Don’t be sad. It will be a few days with how slow the group travels together, but I will not leave you alone forever!”

Medoh let out a strange groaning noise. It mourned. Link was unsure if this noise even existed in the memory, but… he sympathized either way. Revali hadn’t left Medoh alone forever, but Link thought that sometimes Medoh wished he had.

Link took a rest to get himself ready for the climb back when tendrils of light began to pull at his spirit.

Fi had a very limited perception of things going on around her right now. She had been persistently trying to contact Link while keeping Revali placated. Neither of them were doing well if her calculations were correct, and the wolf also contained similar feelings. She would have to get that wolf alone later. They needed to talk. This, however, would not come to fruition if Link failed this trial.

However, something unprecedented destroyed all of her previous calculations. Revali looked more sickly and worried as Link progressed. This would be expected of anyone expressing what many refer to as worry. When the final tear was collected, Fi chimed and prepared to tell Revali what had occurred.

Revali was gone.

The tendrils deposited Link right on top of Vah Medoh. The wisps of light and bluish sky still took on the hue of a Silent Realm. His spirit vessel was full, but… he had not expected to be moved in the trial. Surely, this meant it should be over. 

He smelled the telltale stench of malice.

Link’s blood ran cold when he looked up from the spirit vessel. He wanted to shriek, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, all that came out was a strangled “Revali?”

Atop Vah Medoh, just above the main terminal, was a moment captured in time. Revali’s feathers had been scattered through the air and locked in a stasis. The cause of this destruction already had another red tracking laser pointed at its victim. Suspended at eye-level with Link was Revali who looked like he, too, had been locked in time mid fall. Link covered his mouth in horror. A red gash cut across Revali’s chest and a portion of his wing. A splatter of frozen blood trailed after Revali in the path where he had fallen from the sky.

Link knew what a guardian laser wound looked like. He also knew what it felt like to die to one. The anguish and terror on Revali’s face went against everything Link had seen from him. It was wrong. Revali was supposed to be a warrior who would never back down in the face of an insurmountable foe. His natural banter and cutting sarcasm would never reveal this… devastation all over his face.

The red laser pointed at Revali’s head drew Link’s attention to the culprit. Windblight was also suspended in this fight, unable to act just as much as his victim was. If time kept moving, Link could only imagine what would’ve happened… what did happen. Revali would have crumpled into the hard stone, broken countless bones in his body, and then…

Understanding, Link took a tentative step towards the wounded Rito. Vah Medoh had painted Link a perfect picture of Revali’s last moments. Had all of the Champions suffered a similar, agonizing moment of realization that they would not be leaving their Divine Beasts alive? Did they know that Link fell just after they did on a field far in Necluda? 

Link reached out. He didn’t know what the gesture meant. He just… wanted to say he was sorry. Gently, he touched a hand down on Revali’s chest, and an angry sob escaped his throat. They had all died like this. Link could now hear Revali’s frantic distress signal ringing out from Vah Medoh’s main terminal. Three others had already been ringing for who knows how long. Revali was the last.

He wished with all of his might that they might get the second chance he did, but every single time he was met with a ghost staring at a comrade who did not remember them.

Shutting his eyes and praying, he wished again, but he did not know if the Goddess would hear him.

A warmth blossomed at Link’s side. 

Link opened his eyes just barely to see the greenish spirit vessel that Revali’s Gale had made. It pulsed ever so gently like a faint heartbeat. With shaking hands, Link pulled it out of its position on his belt. He could feel the full spirit vessel attempt to pull away from his fingers ever so slightly. He was worried what would happen if he let go, but Revali’s Gale was never his to keep. Perhaps, it was best to let it go back to its owner.

Following the pull, Link found the spirit vessel guiding his right hand to Revali’s chest. The vessel began to shed the tears collected within, and, without any delay, they all spiraled around Revali and back into his chest. Revali’s Gale waited, pulsing in Link’s hand just above the Rito’s still chest.

Without a second thought, Link pushed the last piece of Revali back into him.

A loud crash met Link’s ears as the skies of the Silent Realm turned a sickening red.

The deafening noise of the distress signals began to grow even louder. Link’s head whirled around, looking for a response to what he had done. What had he done? Time around him suddenly stuttered. Feathers drifted from the sky. Malice began to pervade the air without a second thought. And Revali-

Link let out a yelp as a mass of feathers collided directly with him, knocking all of the air out of him. They tumbled in a mess across the surface of Vah Medoh, and Link struggled to regain his footing. Already, he could hear the loud beeping of a laser tracking his position. He needed to move. He needed to move Revali-

Revali.

With a grunt, Link rolled. He pulled the mass of feathers with him as a streak of blue light flashed by their heads. The heat next to him meant that the area they had just been was most definitely on fire. Link took the briefest of moments to look down at the disheveled figure in his arms, and saw a bleeding Revali blinking back at him. 

“Where… where am I-” Revali stammered out, breath labored. “What are you… Link?” 

“No time!” Link yelled, dragging Revali behind a stone pillar atop Vah Medoh’s back. Windblight rose up into the air, letting out a breathy and disgusting cackle at their attempt to hide, but Link just needed a breather. “Can you walk?” He asked, ignoring the way Revali looked like he would faint at any moment.

“B-barely!” He looked like shit. If the blood actively caking his feathers wasn’t enough, Revali’s armor had never looked worse. “How can you touch me? What did you do-”

A blast of energy obliterated the pillar the two were hiding behind. Link threw one of Revali’s wings over his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his waist. As rubble started to fall, Link hobbled Revali toward the tail of Vah Medoh. One hit is all it would take. They needed to move. “We’ll talk later. We need to get ou-”

Swirling light appeared in front of them. Windblight emerged with an arm extended and already firing off smaller projectiles. Link charged forward, half scooping Revali off of his talons to move slightly faster. Revali winced in his grasp, but he had to do this. At least Revali was extremely light.

Windblight shifted its cannon slightly ahead of where Link ran. He would not be able to stop on time. The bolt of energy fired, and Link threw up a hand to try to do anything to stop it-

A spherical casing of red energy surrounded both Link and Revali. 

Daruk’s Protection absorbed the shot. With a ferocious yell, Daruk’s spirit burst forward, shielding the two from the blow. He turned around to the two of them, briefly getting out a “You okay little guy?”

Link nodded, continuing to run as Daruk vanished from sight. He hadn’t even thought to use the other champion abilities after losing Revali’s Gale. Daruk’s Protection could bypass needing to avoid damage entirely. 

Still, Windblight would not let them go so easily. It blocked the way to the circle Link had come here in. Surely, the trial had to be over by now. This had to be it or they would both die here. With another grunt, Link scooped Revali off of his feet. The Rito almost looked offended, but he looked too dazed to pull it off. “No time,” Link reiterated as they charged straight for Windblight.

With a cackle, Ganon’s puppet brought a hand back. Wind gathered at its fingertips before spiraling out in a violent tornado. With the proximity, Link had no time to do anything else but throw up Protection.

Daruk blocked the blow again, uneasily looking back at the two. “This is a bad place to be without a weapon, lil guy!”

“I’m aware!” Link forced out as he slid under the blight in front of him. His stamina was definitely finite while carrying an injured Revali. He would hardly make it at this rate. The tail was coming up. He would have to make a terrible jump which might break his ankles in the process. Worse, after the jump he would be in the interior and still have a ways to go.

One glance at Revali’s eyes beginning to shut steeled Link’s resolve.

He had one chance.

Four drones of Windblight began to encircle Link. Of course, it had to try to pin him down with even more. He couldn’t afford to get hit. Daruk’s Protection couldn’t last much longer, and Link needed that for the next fall if he wanted to keep both of them safe. “L-Link?” Revali stuttered, quaking in his grasp.

Link cursed. Revali was reliving his worst nightmare right now and completely helpless. Unfortunately, that made two of them and only one with a working pair of legs.

Windblight fired at one of the drones, causing the bolts of energy to begin ricocheting at a rapid pace. The bolts surrounded Link and Revali, fencing them effortlessly. With a yell, Link shifted one arm under Revali to free it.

He lifted his hand and snapped.

Lightning surrounded both of them as Urbosa surged forward with an echoing battle cry. Her eyes danced around the scene as she directed bolts of lightning in a chain through every drone that was in on the assault. Her gaze landed on Windblight. With a yell, Urbosa sent one final shock through the Windblight, crashing it to the ground.

Her gaze turned to Link and Revali, and her cocky visage turned to panic. “Are you boys oka-” Urbosa had run out of time and disappeared.

Link wasted no time picking Revali back up again and continuing. The Rito held on for dear life. Revali’s beak hung open with labored breaths. He needed help. “I’m going to get you out of here. Just stay awake,” Link yelled, earning a delirious nod from him.

Taking a deep breath as he saw a ledge approaching, Link leapt. Daruk’s Protection activated as Link and Revali crashed into the interior of the Divine Beast. 

It shattered as Daruk appeared one final time. His usual grin had turned into a concerned frown. Link stood up with great strain, and saw that Revali was still breathing. Good. With a mighty grin, Daruk cheered, “You got this lil guy! Keep going!”

When the Goron vanished, Link broke into a sprint. The exit was right there. Link could hear the screech of Windblight from behind, but he knew he could get to the exit on time. Revali needed him to get there. 

“Move… you idiot!” Revali choked out, his eyes opening wide. 

The sound of beeping met Link’s ears. Windblight was targeting him with a Guardian laser. There was no time. Link was running through the threshold of the Divine Beast to the warp point. He couldn’t swerve. He just had to run. Shielding Revali, Link broke into a dead sprint as the beeping grew louder. He just had to-

Pain blossomed across Link’s back and his grip on Revali loosened. He only had a moment to see Revali’s eyes widen and his face shift into utter mortification. With the last of his strength, Link hurled Revali towards the exit as he fell.

“LINK-” Revali’s yell vanished into nothingness, echoing through the Silent Realm as the hero fell prone with safety just inches away.

Link knew what Guardian wounds felt like. He didn’t even need to look at Windblight to know what had happened. With a strangled breath, Link tried to push himself just a little further. His right arm gave out as he collapsed to stone, the pain spreading through his entire body.

The Windblight let out a maniacal cackle as Link whispered to no one who could hear him, “I’m sorry.”

His body grew too weak to hold itself together. With a pained gasp, Link gave in completely. Small wisps of light broke off of his body as his spirit shattered, leaving absolutely nothing behind in its wake.

And he knew nothing.

Except… he could hear a voice calling to him.

What is it that she said to him? That he was supposed to be happy when all of this was over?

“...Link… What is- Link! No no no, you get up right now! I’m not going to let you-”

She was panicking, but Link could feel warmth somewhere. It was disjointed, all over the place, unable to find grounding. Yet, the voice kept pushing, forcing him to continue onward.

“Get up, Link!”

Mipha’s yell forced Link to open his eyes as his entire spirit reassembled itself. Her ghostly form kneeled before him, her face damp with tears. 

Of course. Mipha.

Link mouthed a soundless ‘thank you’ to her. The watery smile she gave before she vanished instilled him with something he had not known properly before now.

The Windblight had erroneously turned its back on Link. He could flee now, but a new feeling brought Link’s spirit to a new height. Struggling, he pushed himself onto one knee. Windblight turned its head. With his blood boiling, Link managed to heave himself up to his feet.

“You…” He growled, glaring daggers through the puppet that was Windblight. The blight didn’t matter. Ganon would hear this. “You will never… take any of them from me again.” Link raised a hand, and only one, electric feeling surged through his veins.

Fury.

Link snapped. The lone sound echoed through the Silent Realm. Time slowed to a crawl as the Windblight lunged forward for Link.

Urbosa was faster.

With a mighty yell, she brought her scimitar down and sent a clean bolt of pure rage straight through Windblight’s sternum. Her gaze turned back to Link, and she shot him a fiery grin.

Firing back with one grin of his own, Link took two steps back into the safety of the trial gate behind him and shut his eyes. Vah Medoh let out a screech that began to fade as Link’s consciousness slipped away from the Silent Realm entirely.

Chapter Text

The cold steel of the Master Sword stung Link’s hands like an old friend. With a loud gasp, he opened his eyes and pulled back. The Sword immediately dislodged itself and clattered recklessly across the cold, stone surface of Vah Medoh. With nothing to hold onto and far too much backward momentum, Link tumbled onto the stone floor with the Sword. Small puffs of breath escaped Link’s lungs and were visible only briefly in the cold, Hebra air. 

He had made it back.

Never before had Link been more grateful to be plunged into the cold. He could feel a tangible body around him again. It had been different when trapped in that realm, like a strange, far off dream. Now, he could actually feel again. For a moment, he had been so far on the brink of death that he truly could not feel anything. He’d have to thank Mipha later. He needed to give all of them an explanation-

Wait, Revali.

The Master Sword chimed at the same time as Link sat upright in an instant. Fi desperately called for his attention, but she hardly needed to. After looking around Vah Medoh’s surface wildly for the bird in question, Link’s eyes landed on a trail of dark blue feathers leading to a mass of feathers, destroyed armor, and…

Revali was still bleeding.

Of course, he would still be bleeding! Ignoring the incessant chiming of Fi, Link lunged to Revali’s side and tried desperately to get the racing thoughts in his head under control. Revali was here. The green flames of a spirit no longer surrounded him. The Rito, injured as he was, still faintly breathed with small puffs of air escaping his beak. He was alive.

But he wouldn’t be for long if Link just sat here.

Fumbling for his Sheikah Slate, Link quickly scrolled through the menus. He tried to recall all of his training as a knight for first aid, but sadly he had not been afforded all too much in the memory department. Still, he had innately retained a few things that worked for him so far in the wild. Already, blood had begun to seep into the stone around Vah Medoh. That wound needed to be handled immediately. If only these menus weren’t so unwieldy.

Finally, Link found the fairy tonic. This would be able to seal a majority of the wounds. As insurance while he worked, Link let a fairy loose into the air from his Sheikah Slate. He was worried it would try to fly away immediately, but it gracefully hovered nearby. It understood the severity of this situation just as much as he did. After unbuckling and ripping off Revali’s quite damaged breastplate, Link uncorked the fairy tonic immediately and began carefully pouring its contents along the large, bloodied gash that continued to tarnish Revali’s feathers.

Normally, sealing wounds with potions hurt so much that Link still hisses whenever he poured it on his wounds. Concerningly, Revali makes no such noise. He does not move in the slightest. The gash closed a healthy amount, but it would not seal entirely. The wing was another problem, but he needed to get pressure on the first wound now that most of the damage had been handled. 

Without even considering the cost, Link pulled his traveling tunic from the Sheikah Slate and ripped it. He had no other cloth in the slate other than his own clothing. It would have to be enough. Careful not to open the wound even more, he started to wrap the tunic around Revali’s chest. Link cursed as he realized the severity of Windblight’s laser that had no doubt knocked Revali out of the sky. It had to have gone deep for fairy tonic to not fully help, and his tunic began to take in a deeper red. He hated how shallow Revali’s breathing sounded. The Rito could hardly be heard over the rushing winds around Vah Medoh.

The fairy nearby let out a small chime and circled around Revali. 

Link’s breath caught in his throat. With one hand flying to the Sheikah Slate, Link pulled out another fairy to standby. He had no time to see how many he had left. Hopefully, his kleptomaniac tendencies would save him for long enough to get Revali somewhere with actual medical help. With the tunic’s help, Link finally got proper pressure on the wound. That would have to be enough. It had to be. He choked back the thought that Revali had just danced on the brink of death and ignored the way his eyes now tingled relentlessly.

Without a prompt from Link, Fi twirled out of the Master Sword. “Master Link, odds of survival should Revali stay up here without medical attention are 20% and are rapidly decreasing.” Thanks Fi. Link loved knowing the exact percentage of survival of one of his friends. 

Continuing to work, Link uncorked another bottle of fairy tonic and moved to the opposite side of Revali where his wounded wing rested. Without looking away from Revali, Link asked, “How long? Need Teba.” His voice came out shakier and nearly incoherent. He knew he couldn’t get Revali down to Rito Village safely on his own. The paraglider required two hands, and Link did not know if the paraglider could support their combined weight. Revali was light, but not that light. Thankfully, Link had made a promise to Teba and Saki that he would be back before sundown. He had to rely on Teba coming up here.

Although she managed to interpret Link’s phrasing, Fi shattered his hopes. “Waiting for Teba’s arrival at sundown raises odds of survival to 40%... also rapidly decreasing.” She drifted closer to Revali to assess the situation, but Link paid her no mind. He was too focused now.

Multiple feathers on Revali’s wing had been shaved completely off by the beam and had been replaced with a line of crimson. If he botched this, Revali would kill him. Lifting the Rito’s large hand onto his lap, Link gently applied his second bottle of fairy tonic. Luckily, this wound sealed much faster than the first. With a hasty scroll through the slate again, Link pulled out his traveler's hood. Without a second thought, he started dabbing away at the bloodied wing. Thankfully, the gash that clipped his wing had only left a hairline scar now.

The chest wound would be a different beast, but he could do nothing further about it up here. Throwing potions at Revali would only do so much to stop the wound from getting worse, but he already teetered on the brink of death. Link placed two fingers on Revali’s neck to check for a pulse, and thankfully it was still there.

“Fi,” Link called, looking around Vah Medoh for an answer as he asked, “Is there a way down without Teba?” His voice threatened to leave him at any moment, but he had to keep talking. He could not afford to let the bubbling stress in his chest rise up and stifle his only form of communication. Somehow, he must have known another way to communicate in the past. He apparently didn’t do much talking.

Fi took far too long to respond, or maybe it was the time pressure beginning to make everything take an agonizingly long time. Finally, she spoke up, “Descending from the Divine Beast on your-” She got stuck on the terminology. “-Sailcloth would be ill advised. It may slow your descent for a crash-landing, but with Revali’s current state odds of survival would be miniscule.” Link tried to ignore the incorrect terminology of what he could only assume was his paraglider. He’d thought as much.

Quickly, Fi began firing off alternative theories. “It may be possible to use the warp function at your disposal should it have the capability to take other passengers with you.” Link had no idea if the slate could even take multiple people. At points, he was scared it could, but he had never tried. Worse, what would happen if he left Revali up here with no one to take care of him on complete accident? He hardly had time to debate on it though. Fi reinforced, “Master Link, I suggest first attempting the alternative. I will be here to watch him should you fail.”

Link pressed down on the shirt tied around Revali’s chest to put more pressure on the still leaking wound. The second fairy had not acted yet, but the crimson dribbling in Revali’s feathers did not inspire confidence. Now, the panic was starting to settle in. Any of his choices now could leave Revali stranded for too long, but he had to take one of the few options. He had no idea how to just leave Fi behind up here, and he hardly knew what she could do alone-

“Master Link, I assure you that I will be capable enough in your absence. Please, do not delay any further,” Fi chimed, trying to draw him back out of his panic.

Link’s eyes caught on the wolf that had mysteriously appeared up here in the time he had been stuck in the silent realm. It looked back with what Link could only describe as a nod. Maybe it was a motion he had interpreted in desperation, but Wolfie understood Link’s commands in the past. The wolf wouldn’t be able to do much, but a familiar face up here made him feel slightly more at ease.

And he didn’t have many other options. Revali’s breathing began to grow shallow while Link’s own breathing rapidly increased. He needed more pressure on that wound if he was going to carry Revali. Carefully, Link lifted the tied up shirt and saw the grizzly sight of Revali’s bleeding chest. He pushed the hood in, trying not to irritate the wound before redoing the knot of the shirt. That seemed to stop the flow ever so slightly.

Link scooped Revali up onto his knees without a second thought and made sure to try to support his head. Praying to Hylia to let this work, Link tapped Akh Va’quot shrine. Blue tendrils began to wrap around both of them, and Link hardly had time to register as he clung to Revali like a lifeline, his vision becoming clouded by something-

-and it did not stop as the tendrils dropped him and an unconscious Revali off at the landing. Sunset had already been cast on the village, but the oranges in the clouds had become nothing but blotches in Link’s eyes. He’d left the damn fairy behind. Did it matter? He had Revali. He was in Rito Village. 

At the foot of the shrine, with no other options, Link cried out for help.

Teba had never been a very patient man. After all, he had been the same Rito who wanted to throw himself back at Vah Medoh even when Harth had been blown out of the sky just a day before. The suffocating feeling of being unable to act and stewing in his own inability to help always ended up making his patience wear thin extremely fast. He thought taking down Vah Medoh would be the worst of this restlessness. Countless days of preparation had been spent in the Flight Range preparing to take on Vah Medoh alone even though he knew that he would likely die. However, his entire village was at stake if he could not shoot that thing out of the sky.

Who knew that the Hylian who came along to help him tame that Divine Beast would be the source of his concern now?

After Vah Medoh had left its perch, Teba could not contain the unbridled stress that this waiting brought him. Seeing the Divine Beast in the sky already brought up mixed feelings, but knowing that Link was up there made things all the worse. For most of his time with Link, the Hylian had been courageous, determined, and a master in combat. Yet, he carried a softness with him that echoed through Rito Village, something that they needed in the time of being terrorized by Vah Medoh. Link had been a strong warrior who Teba would follow into battle if he so much as asked.

That all changed when Saki found Link collapsed at the foot of the village shrine.

That night had been the turning point in how Teba perceived Link. All of the previous things he thought were still true, but now a more sinister picture was being painted the more details he recontextualized. Link had somehow fallen unconscious in front of this stone structure and had already been entering the first stages of hypothermia in that traveler’s tunic. Had Saki not been on her return trip to the roost for the night, Link could have stayed there for hours.

Teba had too many questions with no answers. Saki had even more. Yet, he could only wait on Link to wake up and explain himself. Even though Link looked like he had been eating and taking care of himself recently, people didn’t just pass out in the middle of Rito Village. Someone like Link would not just submit himself to an icy fate when warmth was right there. Why had he given up? Why had he not called for help? 

The possibilities made Teba’s stomach turn. He did not like this one bit. When Teba checked on the cold Hylian for the last time in the night, it dawned on him just how young Link actually looked shivering under those blankets.

He supposed what happened later that night caused him and Saki to agree that Link should have a safe place to return to. They should be that safe place. They needed to be his home now.

And now, Link stood somewhere up on Vah Medoh, leaving Teba to pace on Revali’s Landing. He had to trust Link. If he flew up to Vah Medoh early, then that would imply that Teba thought Link was incapable or incompetent. The Hylian was anything but that. However, this would not stop him from waiting at Revali’s Landing in preparation to take off as soon as the sun began to dip below the horizon. It would take a moment to get to Vah Medoh with natural updrafts, so he would get up there at exactly sundown. 

Saki had carried similar worries when Link had disappeared to Vah Medoh near instantly after just returning to them. However, she knew that she had to trust him as well. Her way of handling the stress was to find a hammock to set up, so Link could rest when he returned. If he ran himself into the ground any more, Saki would probably take that slate Link used to warp everywhere and throw it into the lake.

Honestly, he wanted to do the same thing. Link would usually be too fast. The way he handled that thing made it seem like he knew exactly how to use it to escape danger. That kind of movement had to be practiced and likely came from necessity. It did not sit right in Teba’s stomach. None of this ever did. Still, he could not deny Link. He had come from a century ago, and clearly had some kind of score to settle.

Teba just wished that Link would let others help him. A layer of irony came with that thought. It had been Link who refused to let Teba fight alone in the first place. Now, the roles had completely swapped, and the Rito felt like he had already lost. Link always tried to handle things on his own and hardly let anyone know what was on his mind. Maybe, now that he knew there were people looking out for him, he would be able to ask for help again.

The sun had finally started to dip under the horizon. Well, he had given Link long enough. Teba spread his wings and almost took off for the Flight Range, but a flash of blue in the corner of his vision cut him off. He knew that glow by now. Relief washed over him as he turned back away from the edge of Revali’s Landing to go get Link.

He hardly had time to register that Link cradled a very injured Rito in his arms before the Hylian cried out for help. In an instant, Teba leapt off the side of Revali’s Landing, flapping his wings so that he could stay airborne long enough to make a direct line to Link. He was by Link’s side in a flurry of feathers, crouched down and surveying what had happened. At the sight of the motionless Rito that Link had retrieved while on Vah Medoh , Teba had far too many questions. The moment his eyes landed on Link’s face and the bloodied shirt haphazardly wrapped around this Rito’s wound, all of the questions died in his throat.

With a click of his beak, Teba already started to lift the Rito into his own wings. Link had a vice grip that Teba could not break, and his eyes looked frantically at who dared to take this Rito from him. “Hey, it’s just me. You can let go.” Teba tried to reassure him, miraculously keeping his own voice steady as he asked, “Are you hurt?”

Link’s grip on the wounded Rito finally loosened. He managed to shake his head at Teba, but no sound came out of his mouth. As much as he wanted to comfort Link right now, the Rito, whose identity he could only speculate about, had already lost a lot of blood. Before Teba even had time to stand up, he heard Saki calling out to Link from behind. Good. The poor kid needed someone to watch him right now. 

Without a moment to lose, Teba took off towards the inn. He caught the glimpses of Kass and Amali staring up at the commotion from their roost down below, and Harth had already left his own roost to see what the commotion was about. Immediately, the entirety of Rito Village flew into action. When he reached the landing just in front of Swallow’s Roost, Verla hastily beckoned him in as Cecili lowered a hammock from the ceiling. This had been a common procedure for wounded Rito. The space the inn provided allowed for all of them to work together.

Amali already appeared at the roost’s entrance with supplies when Teba finally set the injured Rito down on a bed. While he would be moved to the hammock in a moment, they needed to properly inspect and tend to his wounds on an open surface. A cacophony of “What happened?” came through as Teba worked, and he had little answers to give. He only had questions bouncing around in his skull.

The next hour felt like a blur. He only had one task in mind: saving whoever the hell Link had brought down with him. It came to no surprise when Teba heard Link walking into Swallow’s Roost with a protesting Saki in tow.

Multiple Rito stepped aside for the knight. Link’s expression had turned into nothing but a dull stare. It unnerved Teba to see him like that, especially with the bloodstains soaking his snowquill. But, without a word, Link began tapping away at the slate he always carried around. A fairy sprung from it and hovered just above the wounded Rito. Teba had a moment of shock, seeing something as rare as a fairy in front of him, before he experienced far more shock when three bottles of fairy tonic landed on the table directly next to Revali.

That would be… much more potent than the healing potions he had been planning to use when the stitches had been set in place.

Link did not say a word. The night dragged on in a blur, and he never left the other side of the bed. Thankfully, even though Teba’s questions still wracked his brain, he managed to do a fine job on helping the wound. Every last adult Rito knew how to do first aid in the event someone had been wounded. They were a community, and they acted like one. In this case, all of the fairy tonics helped immensely, but Link’s eyes had been trained on the whole process like he expected something to go wrong. 

“He’s gonna be fine. You did good,” Teba offered up, but it earned hardly any reaction. 

Even with all of Teba’s reassurances and Saki hovering over him, Link only moved from his spot once when Nekk insisted he take a new set of snowquill. The blood had already seeped into the fine fabric. It could be washed, but Nekk refused to let Link sit in the cold and offered him a new set entirely. Between that and the large blanket Harth went to fetch from Saki’s roost, Link at least would still have some warmth.

Sadly, the traveler shirt had been ruined. It had done well to stop the blood. The hood could be saved, and the moment Teba mentioned this fact, Saki personally took it in her hand and told Link it would be good as new tomorrow. Since the two parents had been far too hesitant to leave Link alone, it had taken the combined strength of Harth, Kass, and Amali to get all of the fledglings back to bed. None of them had seen the carnage, but Tulin refused to go back to sleep until Harth had said he could have a sleepover in his roost. Teba would have to thank him later.

After he had been certain that this Rito would be fine, Teba scooped him back up and laid him down in the hammock. The same pang of worry entered his mind when he realized just how small this Rito was. Yet, despite being small, Link had found him on the Divine Beast. He tried to shake the thought out of his head and turned back to the Hylian in question.

“You,” he started, earning a startled jump from Link who had started to slowly sag in his position next to the bed, “-need to get some rest.”

Link’s eyes slowly drifted from Teba to the hammock right next to him. With a dejected and hopelessly weary sigh, Link managed to get back to his feet and shamble his way over to the bed just next to the hammock. He took a bit to remove the empty scabbard on his back, and Teba finally took notice that the weapon Link carried into the village had vanished. Link looked at the scabbard with some faintly worried expression, but set it down gently beside the bed.

Before he properly got in, Link paused. Teba wondered if something was wrong before the Hylian whispered, “You saved him. Thank you.”

Ah. Of course, Teba hardly thought about it as something he needed to be thanked for. Rito leaving one of their own to succumb to injuries was simply unheard of. “Don’t mention it. Had you not done some work on the wing before coming down, it probably would’ve been much more permanent.” That got some of the tension from Link’s shoulders to ease out. “But… I gotta ask,” he trailed off, the questions practically begging to be let out, “...who exactly is he?”

Link looked at Teba a little funny. Suddenly, that warm, relieving smile curved across Link’s face. At least he could go home tonight and tell Saki that Link’s spirits had been slightly lifted. With the hint of a tease lacing his tone, Link promised, “I’ll be sure to tell the Master Revali that you saved his life, too.”

The involuntary squawk that left Teba’s beak probably woke up half of Rito Village. 

As the night went on, Teba finally had a moment to return to the roost with Saki. Link had finally resigned himself to going to sleep after dropping that bombshell on his head. Teba was almost thankful that Link hadn’t revealed that earlier. Had he known that he was patching Master Revali’s wounds, his hands would have been shaking much more. He had too many questions for Link when morning came around, and… that was Master Revali. He was alive. What had Link done on Vah Medoh?

The Divine Beast itself still flew high in the sky with no signs of coming back down. It unnerved him, especially now that it definitely had no pilot. Regardless of his opinions, it lazily drifted up in the sky with no care in the world.

As Teba marched back to his roost, he caught a Hylian walking on a lower path alone just outside of Swallow’s Roost. Oh for the love of Naydra. He had told Link to go to sleep, and now he had taken to wandering around Rito Village. In fact, he even changed out of his snowquill to do so! That green tunic he wore hardly looked up to snuff for the cold. If the blade in his hand was any indication, Link must’ve gone back to get his sword. That could’ve waited until tomorrow. With an angry sigh, Teba spread his wings and drifted down to the platform below. He stayed several paces away to not startle Link, but slowly began to close the distance.

When his talons hit the wooden walkway, the Hylian’s ear twitched. It was a subtle movement, but afterwards, Link suddenly began to speed up. He must’ve known he had been caught. With an annoyed sigh, Teba followed after his dumb kid. He really wanted to sleep after how stress-inducing this day had been. Link had made a sharp turn back into Swallow’s Roost, likely trying to hide the fact that he had been wandering around. Oh well, Teba would just have to make sure he stayed there.

As soon as Teba could see into the roost from the outside, he didn’t see Link standing in there. When he properly made his way in, nothing seemed different than how he left it. Revali had not moved a bit, and his bandages seemed fine. Link was back in his snowquill, and looked fast asleep. He was likely faking it, but Teba wouldn’t split hairs now.

The only thing that struck Teba as weird was Link’s weapon back in its scabbard. When Link had been walking Rito Village, he had the blade out with no scabbard on his back. Odd. Even more strange were the weird, wispy strands of… fur on the wooden floor next to it.

This kid was full of mysteries.

As Teba turned to leave, he did not notice a gray and black wolf crawl out from under the bed Link slept on. It vanished into black squares and left as soon as it had a chance.

It came in waves the entire night. 

He wasn’t in the right place to catch Revali when he fell. The sickening crunch of broken bones met his ears before Revali’s entire being shattered-

Windblight led a shot that he couldn’t avoid. He threw up his hand, trying to shield Revali from the blow and was not fast enough. The blast of pure energy pierced through them both and they both shattered-

The drones surrounded them both. There was nowhere to go. Time slowed to a crawl as he tried to thread the needle between the chain of shots. He wasn’t fast enough. He wasn’t-

He didn’t stick the landing and Revali was thrown hard to the stonework, and that was just enough to-

Windblight charged its beam abnormally fast and hit him before he could get Revali to the trial gate. He was so close, he just had to-

He was scrambling to keep Revali alive. He had run out of fairies and Teba had not shown up yet. He had to do something, anything. Revali stopped breathing-

“LINK!”

With a loud gasp, Link’s eyes shot open. He tried to sit up with his right hand itching for a weapon. Immediately, his efforts were stopped by a pink wing pressing him back down. 

“It’s just me.” Saki smiled down at him with a warm voice, and waves of relief started to wash over him immediately. He wasn’t in Medoh. 

Link’s head turned to look at the hammock next to him. It was real. Revali still laid in it, and the end of his beak was just visible over the edge. With a sigh of relief, Link pushed himself up from the bed, slower so as to not worry Saki. Revali was alive. Somehow, some way, he managed to pull Revali out of the Silent Realm. It… it seemed too good to be true, but he was right there.

Following his gaze, Saki’s expression softened even more. She placed a plate of some food in Link’s lap that he didn’t see her holding. “He will be fine. You on the other hand-” Saki placed both of her wings on either side of Link’s face and tore his eyes away from Revali to look at her, “-need to eat something and slow down for one day.”

He would definitely eat something, but now that he knew he could use a song to save one of the Champions, what did that mean for the rest of them? Could he do the same thing again? It had to be possible. Revali being a fluke was simply out of the question. All of this did feel like a fluke, but it took a specific amount of steps with the Divine Beast and all came together and worked. And it all started with-

Fi.

Link looked at the scabbard, expecting to find it empty, but instead saw that the Master Sword had somehow been placed in it overnight. Yet more questions to ask to Fi. Saki immediately brushed his head back in her direction. “Link, I mean it. You have been through too much in the past few days.”

But… he couldn’t stop now. At the bare minimum, he needed to go check in with Mipha. Without a doubt, all of the Champions were worried by now. This was good though! He could go and tell them how he was going to proceed! Link sheepishly looked back at Saki and asked, “Would you get mad at me if I said I can’t do that?”

Saki frowned and eyed the slate on the nearby table. “Link, I’m not mad at you. I just think that you are pushing yourself far too much.”

“I’d listen to her,” Teba interrupted, making his way into Swallow’s Roost as well. It was at this point when Link realized Cecili was also here, trying to ignore the conversation as best as she could. She still had a business to run, and Link tried to give her a sympathetic expression. Cecili caught his eye for a moment before gesturing back at Teba. Nope, she wouldn’t help him. Teba didn’t relent either. “Whatever you did worked out, but at least stop running around for a day.”

Link huffed and started to eat the food in front of him. These two were already very good at double teaming him. His friends were trapped in Divine Beasts and could be freed. Why would he wait to do something like that? Gesturing vaguely at Revali, Link protested, “What I did on Vah Medoh worked. I have to visit the other Divine Beasts.”

“What did you do on Medoh?” Teba crossed his arms and clicked his beak. “We have no idea what you actually did to find a Rito up there, let alone what you did to find Master Revali of all people.”

Should that be open information? Considering neither of the other two Rito in the room acted like this information was new, Link figured the entire village had been told at this point. Revali would kill him. “It’s a long story, and one that probably wouldn’t make much sense,” he explained, vision flickering towards the Master Sword. “There’s something I can do with the Divine Beasts with the harp Kass gave me. I need to go to the others, and…” He hardly believed it. He hardly believed that this could actually work. “I need to free the others.”

Teba squinted. He was a very logically inclined Rito, and everything surrounding Link probably sounded extremely stupid our outlandish. “Okay. And yet you just came back after…” Teba gestured vaguely. “...that. Throwing yourself right back into it without taking a break sounds like a recipe for disaster.”

He couldn’t take a break to do other things. Not now. At the very least, he needed to plan. Going in blind to Vah Medoh was a problem. Now, he knew what to expect. He also needed to speak with Fi and get to the bottom of why that even worked. Revali also still worried him. The Rito was still asleep through this entire conversation, and Link was reluctant to leave him for too long. Additionally, he still had to learn the other songs from Kass.

Maybe today could be a… productive break.

“What if I promise to only talk to people today?” Link tried, attempting to compromise. He could not sit still after learning about all of this, especially with the Master Sword taunting him.

Teba and Saki looked between each other and back at Link. He hoped that would be enough. Still, Teba was not convinced. “Where are you headed, then?”

Well, Link hadn’t thought about all of the places he needed to go today. At the very least, he needed to visit Vah Ruta. Mipha hated when Link didn’t check in after he used her Grace. She especially needed to be talked to now. The other two could wait for the moment, but he might need to reassure them as well. Last they heard, he was about to go fight Ganon. Lastly, he needed to have a private conversation with Fi. She had been doing something under his nose, and it culminated into Revali being alive. 

“Vah Ruta in Zora’s Domain at least,” Link insisted. When he received no protests, he added, “I need to check in with a friend there. She’s worried.”

Teba clicked his beak. “You just disappeared into a Divine Beast yesterday, and now you’re going near a new one?” At this point, Cecili silently excused herself. The conversation was getting a little too in depth for her tastes.

Yeah, probably not the best thing to say in retrospect. “I can’t do anything without learning a song from Kass. I’ll… do that at the end of the day if it helps?” He really wanted to at least do something, even if he had to relatively take it easy. “I already know I can’t rush into the next one, so using today to figure other things out makes sense.” He was going to make his two adoptive parents get tired of him on day two. Honestly, it was their fault for thinking that he would stop for a single moment to just sit while malice was actively gathering around the castle. 

Both of their faces seemed strained. Teba hid it slightly better than Saki, but Link could tell they both wanted to say no. Saki was the first to speak up. “Link, you have to understand that we are a bit apprehensive about what may happen if you’re out and about when we don’t know if you’re… all right.”

Teba joined in when Link deflated. “A couple nights ago, you looked like you were beyond exhausted. You still do.”

“That’s because…” Link paused. He had not considered if he should tell Teba and Saki that he planned to fight the Calamity. He could tell them his other thoughts, though. “That’s because before… I didn’t know I could do this. I didn’t think…” Link’s eyes drifted towards Revali who had not moved once since being placed in that hammock. “I didn’t think I’d see any of my friends again. Now, I can.”

They didn’t know how to respond to that with the way the silence dragged on. Suddenly, Link was not the only thing that had been dragged a century into the future. Now, people who fought by his side could have the same second chance he did. They could not deny him this, and Link hoped that they would see that. They had to understand.

After Teba thought for a moment longer, he conceded, “Do what you’ve gotta do. Just show up for dinner, so we know you’re not dead.”

“Teba!” Saki squawked, evidently not liking this concession.

“We’re not gonna be able to stop him from sneaking out,” He countered, gesturing to the Hylian who could very much hear this argument. “I’d rather know when he’s leaving and know he’s not gonna avoid us.”

Saki relented ever so slightly, but her feathers still stood up slightly despite her best efforts to relax. Link knew that it was out of care rather than anything else, but he needed to keep moving. Who knew how long Zelda could hold out against the Calamity? Who knew if he would lose his chance to get all of the Champions out alive?

He caught Revali in the corner of his eye, still unmoving. Link nodded. “I’ll be back at dinner. I don’t think… I’d be able to stay away for long when he’s still asleep.” Hopefully, Revali would wake up soon. Those injuries might keep him down for a while, but the Rito was strong. Besides, Link was almost certain that Revali would burst if he laid in a bed for a full eight hours.

Defeated, Saki sighed and placed a wing on her head. “Both of you are going to give me a heart attack one day.” Link thought to retort that he would be fine before pink wings wrapped around him. “You better stay safe or I will have to come out there myself.”

Again, he thought to protest, but he found himself getting more used to these hugs. He really owed them one normal dinner with no chaos directly afterwards. “I’ll… try to be less of a worry.”

Had Teba been at an arm’s length, Link thought he would’ve received one of those bonks on the head that he got last time he did something stupid. Teba huffed, “That’s not what she meant, and you know it.”

The Master Sword in the corner of the room decided that she had been neglected long enough. Fi let out a chime that made Link instinctively pull back from the hug. Honestly, he did not want to explain Fi right now to everyone else in the room. They already were eyeing the Sword curiously, but that would be a conversation for later tonight when he wasn’t bursting with questions.

Food already gone and finished, Link set the plate to the side and started getting ready. He promised he would be back by dinner, but for now there were too many questions. It took a bit more poking and prodding from Teba and Saki to let him warp on the slate (he had to show them where Vah Ruta was so that Teba could drag him back if he wasn’t in Rito Village by tonight).

Saki brought Link his traveler hood before he could go. Honestly, he thought that it would’ve been completely ruined, but it looked good as new. That was nice, at least. Though, as he finished charting his route for the day and changing into his Champion’s tunic again, he realized that Revali still had not woken up. That was worrying, and he did not want Revali to wake up and fly into an immediate panic.

To let Revali know that he was okay, Link left his traveler hood in his hammock. If the stupid bird woke up and Link was not around, then at least he wouldn’t fly into a frenzy.

Deciding to try to be easy on himself today, Link warped with the slate. However, he did not immediately go to Vah Ruta like he promised. No, he needed to go somewhere where a private conversation could happen with Fi. He selected the Shrine of Resurrection and disappeared into blue tendrils, ready to finally get some answers from this evasive spirit.

As soon as Link positioned himself on the cliff overlooking the Great Plateau, Fi chimed again. He only nodded, and she immediately knew to hop out of the Sword. “My apologies, Master Link. I have a report, but due to your tasks being time sensitive, I did not wish to go through introductions again.”

Honestly, he was a tad grateful for that. Fi had thought about his needs and gone through with something to help him. Link really did not understand nearly as much about her as he thought. However, as much as he was going to talk to Fi about all of the recent happenings, she had just brought up something weird. “What is it?” He asked, suddenly becoming unsure of what she could possibly have to say that she deemed worthy enough to be private.

“I observed Revali’s current physical state,” Fi started, immediately worrying Link with her first description. “While his odds of survival are now at 100% given proper care, he has made no additional progress towards waking up.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Link fully turned his body to face Fi and his face curved into a frown. The optimism he had a moment ago had started to wither slightly.

Fi, instead of immediately responding, turned her head towards the Temple of Time. “He appears to be in a comatose state. The effects of the malice within the Divine Beast may have had lasting problems.” Link’s frown grew deeper. “I do not have the ability to trace the origins of this state, but I recommend seeking out anyone who may know about the Divine Beasts and their capabilities. Everything that has happened thus far has been… outside of my knowledge.”

Link tilted his head. “What… have you known about then?” To emphasize his point, he pulled the Goddess Harp out of the Sheikah Slate. “I thought your entire goal was to help me with the Calamity, but…” He trailed off, not knowing how to find the words to express that he was extremely grateful but confused.

Fi filled the void and… apologized? “It appears that my intentions were not explicitly stated. My apologies, Master Link. I would be happy to offer clarification if you are willing to hear.”

With a grimace, he waved his hand. “I would, but please don’t feel like you have to wait for me to say things.”

The billowing of her cloak slowed. “Understood,” She said with no inclination on what precisely she understood. “The reason for my creation has always been to eradicate the incarnations of Demise, or what you refer to as the Calamity. This is not a task that I need to be awake to accomplish.” Again, her gaze drifted to the Temple of Time. “I have aided you time and time again, and there has never been a need for me to be conscious.”

Link kept quiet for now, but his fingers dug into the fabric of his tunic. Fi may be part of the Master Sword, but she clearly had more intelligence than a simple weapon. Yet, she acted like she was supposed to only be a weapon even though that was far from the actual case.

“I did not previously know the reason for why I had awoken, other than that I regained consciousness after you called for help,” She explained, never letting a hint of emotion seep out. “However, as you revisited all of the Divine Beasts, and I recognized the Goddess Harp, I understood how Her Grace wished for me to aid you. Champion Revali returning was not something I had predicted, but Her Grace guided me to this conclusion.”

Link’s eyes widened. “Hylia?”

“Yes,” Fi confirmed, “Her Grace has guided me to this path. This is the reason for my awakening.”

Now, Link found himself staring at the Temple of Time. If Hylia was behind this, he had a great way to get answers. Link gestured for Fi to follow him, and she leapt into the Master Sword immediately without any further prompting. “Then… I’ve got some questions I need to ask her.”

Fi did not respond, but a chime that felt like approval radiated out from the Sword. It had been quite some time since Link last visited the Temple of Time or a Statue of Hylia. After he had found the last shrine, he never really went out of his way to visit. In many of his memories, Hylia had been silent no matter how hard Zelda pleaded with Her. Now, the Goddess spoke to him to empower his being when everyone was already dead. To say he resented Hylia after regaining these memories would be… an understatement.

But… Fi claimed that She had a part in this. While he did not have any trust in Hylia, Link trusted Fi. She had been nothing but helpful, and she had been instrumental in bringing Revali back. If he had to go through Hylia to get answers, he would. The Temple of Time was only a short walk away, and Link found himself right in front of the large Goddess Statue.

Strangely, he had an urge to get the Master Sword away from this place. He did not know the feeling’s origin, and Fi did not chime to offer insight. Maybe he just wanted to get away from this place and had projected. Instead of fleeing, he kneeled in front of the Goddess Statue.

Just like many times before, a voice weaved its way into his mind, coming from everywhere and nowhere at all. It softly said, “You who have persevered on your journey and found yourself here, what do you seek?”

Link shut his eyes and pulled from phantom memories to know how to pray to Hylia. With a deep breath, he began, attempting to keep proper dialect with the Goddess. After all, it was how to be respectful. Where had he gotten that from? “I wish to ask for your wisdom.” A warmth spread through his body that told him to continue. “Why have these things been happening?” It was not specific, but Link had no idea how to word his thoughts in any other way. Why were these things happening? Why could he enter the Divine Beasts through a gate? Why had he been given another chance?

Hylia did not respond with words. Instead, Link found himself standing once again. He looked down and saw a green tunic adorning his body. Water rippled gently beneath him and barely licked the bottom of his boots. The Master Sword sang in his right hand in the presence of the foe across from him. The black, scaly creature with intense orange hair pointed at him, laughing and laughing and laughing. Yet, here he stood, in front of the pure form of malice, able to stand and defy it. How did he have the fortitude to stand as a paragon of his kind?

He stood in temple grounds with Zelda standing across from him. She refused to look him in the eye, and continued walking away from him towards a raised platform. For whatever reason, he felt a nervousness growing in his chest. Zelda-- or Hylia, he did not know, spoke to him, “Hylia needed someone with an unbreakable spirit. That someone is you, Link.”

He found himself falling and crashing down onto hard stone. A ruined castle laid under him, and he knew he needed to get up. He had to. But… his Sword was out of reach. Zelda stood with it embedded in the stone right next to her, and fire separated the two of them. A horned, boarlike beast stomped towards his injured body. Disarmed, bloody, and beaten, only one thought invaded his mind: He had to get up. He had to get up-

The large blade embedded in his chest, and his spirit shattered.

But it would be back. He would be back. He would fight again one day. 

The next time he opened his eyes, he laid in bed with the shadow of his… uncle at the nearby table strapping a sword to his back. Someone called out to him, beckoning for him to save her. It would keep repeating. He would keep fighting. Always.

And he fought again, and again, and again. He could fight again, and again, and again. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight, he would appear again. His spirit would always stand against the malice.

Then, he stood on Vah Medoh. The fixed moment in time that he had seen had returned. Revali, falling from the sky, a beam locked onto his chest. They would not receive the same treatment. All that waited for them if Ganon destroyed them was their spirit breaking and never returning. So, why could he stop that? Why could he change that?

What did the Divine Beasts hide?

Hylia offered no more answers, and Link gasped and pulled back from the Goddess statue. It lost its glow, and the Goddess went silent. 

He scrambled back and stumbled over to the nearest wall. Bile rose to his throat as the visions… the memories kept playing in his mind. He had died. How many more times had he died? How many more times would he have to watch his own death? When his stomach turned over, Link leaned over the floor and emptied his breakfast out onto it. Fi pulsed with concern, but he couldn’t pay attention. 

He had been shown something that he was not supposed to comprehend.

Again, he emptied out even more of the food he’d eaten onto the floor. In the past, he probably would have felt terrible for desecrating a temple. But now? He felt no remorse. If Hylia didn’t want him to vomit all over the Temple of Time, she could stop sending her… servant to die.

It was funny how possessing the Spirit of the Hero worked. 

Gritting his teeth, Link took two steps towards the exit of the Temple of Time. Screw that. He was him. He didn’t need to be told constantly how he had failed many times before. He didn’t need to be told he may fail again, but it would be fine since he would just come back again.

“Link.” Fi reached out through his clouded thoughts. “I recommend returning to the village you arrived from. A temporary break may suit you. I apologize.”

Link stopped at the door to the temple. For a moment, he thought over what he had just heard. It distracted him enough to turn back to look at the hilt of the Master Sword on his back. 

Link.

Not Master Link… just Link.

“Thank you, Fi.” His voice broke out of its confinement in a hoarse whisper. Link looked down at his own hand, expecting to see a green tunic on his body. He could not explain to himself why he felt so relieved seeing the Champion blue on his shirt. Calming slowly, Link added, “But my friends are waiting for me.”

Who cared if he was skyward bound? Who cared if he was ever adrift in time? What did it matter if the world was once steeped in the embers of twilight?

These were his friends now.

Fi chimed a wordless ‘ Understood’ as Link pulled out his slate.

He needed to check in with Mipha.

Link had not even finished reforming before Mipha appeared directly in front of him. The flames she gave off flared as she closed the distance between the two of them with a few strides. “You have a lot of explaining to do!”

Immediately, he threw his hands up into the air. After all, Mipha’s furious gaze was the worst weapon to be on the wrong end of. Though, as the two stood at a stalemate, Link couldn’t help but smile. He could save them. Mipha loosened up ever-so-slightly when she saw Link smiling, but her worry did not completely melt away. Taking a few steps back, he sat down and tapped the spot immediately next to him. She understood and practically fell next to him with her fins sagging. 

Where did he even begin?

Link stared at his hands and started with the good. “Revali is okay.”

“Good, we’ve been trying to contact him and he has not responded,” Mipha grumbled, “But I don’t know why that matters. What were you doing on Vah Medoh with nothing on you? Why was there a blight?” Her voice grew more and more frantic as things continued and… ah. Mipha had not seen him with Revali.

“No I mean…” Link trailed off and looked across the land to where Vah Medoh flew high in the sky. “I did something with his Divine Beast. He’s…” Every time he said it, it felt like reliving the fact that he had done it. He had given one of them a second chance. Every repetition felt like grappling with the idea all over again, but Revali was there. “Revali’s alive, Mipha.”

Mipha’s back straightened, and she slowly looked Link up and down. He knew that look. She was trying to figure out if he was lying. “What… do you mean?”

“Daruk and Urbosa saw the rest of it, but you saved me at the end. I- ah.” How did he explain this to her? “There’s some part of the Divine Beast I can enter with the Master Sword. I somehow… pulled Revali out of it.” 

When he turned back to look at Mipha, she looked like he was crazy. “Link… I mean this in the kindest way possible, but are you certain that I fully healed you?”

He rolled his eyes in response. “I didn’t hit my head, Mipha.” But again, a fire reignited in his chest. He could do this. “Revali’s alive. He’s in Rito Village right now. I-I know how to repeat it with everyone else. I can- I can save all of you!”

“Link,” Mipha interrupted, taking a deep breath to steady herself, “I am afraid I will need you to start from the beginning. This is…” Her eyes drifted to the castle where Zelda continued to fight. The malice had gotten even worse. “...this seems too good to be true.”

The moment Link prepared himself to explain, the Master Sword chimed. Fi wanted to speak. That… was actually a perfect idea. Of course, Fi could explain it much better than he could. “Yes, Fi?” Link called, now feeling very comfortable with the pattern the two had easily developed.

“What is the sword doing-” Mipha shrieked as Fi suddenly twirled out from the Master Sword and landed just a few paces away from the two. Link could only laugh at her reaction, and Mipha futilely tried to swat at him. Oh, he would have to value his time where she was still unable to fight him for his crimes. 

“Mipha, Fi. Fi, Mipha.” Link gestured between the two of them with a content grin on his face. While Fi bowed her head slightly, Mipha simply scowled at Link. “Fi can explain things and prove that I am not lying.” 

After getting a mean scowl in, Mipha turned back to the Spirit of the Sword with her expression returning back to a warm smile in an instant. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I apologize. Link here simply startled me.”

“Of course. The pleasure is mine.” At Fi’s voice, Mipha’s eyes went wide. Her voice was ethereal and carried a weightlessness to it that would surprise anyone. Link wondered why he hadn’t realized that before. “I shall start from the beginning. We will have enough time before Link must return to Rito Village for a scheduled dinner.”

Mipha’s eyes went wide and her head whipped towards Link who could only shrug. He laughed, “Sorry, I got adopted.”

This did not help her surprise at all. Her yellow eyes somehow went wider as a squeal escaped her lips. Had she the ability to do so, Link was certain she would have tackled him into a full body hug. Instead, she simply leaned forward. “Oh Link, I’m so happy for you! That sounds fantastic! What are they like-”

It did sound fantastic. It really did. However, Link had to save those explanations for later. “Fi?”

“Of course, Link.” And immediately, Fi started recounting the previous day. She spoke of Link learning the Goddess Harp which Mipha BEGGED to see and only relented when he finally took it out of his slate. Fi only stopped explaining in the moments where Link’s input was needed. After all, Fi could not see what Link had been doing in the Silent Realm. Mipha listened with wide eyes for most of the explanation until Link brought up the blights. Then, her expression shifted to something sullen as it dawned on her just how Link fell and why she had to physically pull his own spirit back together.

She timidly interrupted Fi as she mused, “I… suppose that makes sense. I was uncertain if my magic could do something like that, but I knew I… had to.”

Link smiled at her. “You’re awesome, Mipha.” He earned a warm grin right back, and Fi continued right where she left off.

She seemed to struggle when Fi insisted that Revali was alive. Again, Fi did not know how to decipher why Revali had not woken up yet. Sometimes, people needed larger recovery periods, but Fi expressed uncertainty that it was simply something that would be solved with time. In fact, Fi seemed more certain about that than last time, and Link did not like that in the slightest.

So, Mipha spoke up again, “If… if Revali is asleep, who is currently piloting Vah Medoh?”

“No one.” Link watched the Divine Beast flying lazily through the sky. Even without Revali at the helm, it could still maintain itself just fine. “That shouldn’t be a problem though, right?”

Mipha frowned and shook her head. “Link, we need to be at our Divine Beasts to fire on the Calamity when the time comes! If Revali is not there…” she trailed off and glanced at the castle which currently served as a ticking time bomb. “You could have significantly less chances against Ganon. Zelda will not be able to hold on for much longer… and you said that you lost Revali’s Gale?”

Link paled. He had not tried to use Gale since losing it in the Silent Realm. Wordlessly and feeling slightly sick to his stomach, Link crouched down. The winds did not respond to his call. Gale had fully gone back to his original owner. “Can’t use it.” It felt wrong to no longer feel Revali’s spirit resting inside his own, but it only meant that Revali was okay.

“Link!” Mipha put a hand on her head. “I need you to understand. If you free all of us before defeating the Calamity, then you will lose all of our gifts. You would risk not having the Divine Beasts on your side for the fight. You would be alone!” She grew more frantic with every horrifying realization.

Worst of all, she was completely right. Should he go fight Ganon with no abilities on his side, it would just be him, the Master Sword, and the Sheikah Slate. He had died a century ago in a very similar state. What would stop it from happening again? 

But… he had to try.

“I can handle it,” he lied through his teeth, “I don’t know what’s keeping you all here, and if I defeat the Calamity and you all are gone I’d-” Link didn’t even want to entertain that thought. That would not happen. They would all be safe. “I’d never forgive myself.”

“And we would never forgive ourselves if you perished in battle, because we were not there!” She protested.

Link didn’t get it. Why did she not understand that they could be free? They could be saved! All they had to do was let him. He grit his teeth and looked for the right words. And, when he remembered the view from this rock from yesterday, the words hit him. “You were the one who told me to be happy.” He pointed an accusatory finger at Mipha. “I wouldn’t know how to do that knowing all of you are gone.”

Mipha wanted to protest. He could tell. Silence passed between them, and only the sound of the distant waterfalls filled the void. Link refused to back down, wordlessly pleading with her to see what he was capable of. They had to let him try.

She stared at the castle, and something in her expression changed. “Well,” Mipha dusted herself off (not that there was any dust) and stood up to her feet, “If I cannot stop you, then you are going to let me help you.”

A weight lifted from Link’s chest as he scrambled to his feet. Ha! Like he would refuse Mipha’s help! She was probably going to be far smarter about this than him. Although, he had no idea what she could actually do to help other than keeping him alive.

“To start off,” She began, humming in thought, “You lost Revali’s Gale when freeing him. That means you are going to lose all of our abilities when you free each of us. It will become harder the more of us you free.”

Of course, he hadn’t thought about that. Revali’s Gale being completely gone had not occurred to him before coming here. “Everything helped out a lot, though,” He thought out loud. “Urbosa got me out of a pinch. Daruk could help me when I knew the hit was coming. You saved me when I didn’t have any other options.” Every single Champion had been instrumental in escaping. Losing any abilities would be catastrophic.

Mipha raised a finger to interrupt. “If you are going to get me to agree to this, I am forcing you to handle Vah Ruta last. You will not gain access to my Divine Beast otherwise. I can wait if it means I know I can protect you.”

As much as it hurt to leave Mipha in her Divine Beast, that seemed to be the best course of action. He loathed that, but what choice did he have now that Mipha also shared a similar sentiment? “Fine. Then that leaves Daruk and Urbosa.”

“It depends on what you personally believe helps you the most.” She tapped a finger to her chin and paced a bit, running the story over in her head.

Fi chimed in, “Link, I believe you said that you encountered a spawn of the Calamity within the Divine Beast. I recommend handling the most difficult option when you have more abilities at your disposal.”

Link grimaced. He had not thought about the fact that he would likely be facing all of the other blights as well. That meant… “Thunderblight.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Mipha questioned, tilting her head.

“I’m going after Urbosa next.” Link covered his eyes with his hands and dragged down his face. Yeah, he would definitely need the rest of this day to relax if he had to fight Thunderblight with only a few hits to his name. “Thunderblight was ruthless. I’ll need Daruk’s Protection to stand a chance.”

Mipha shivered at that. “I… had not considered facing our own blights again.” She looked like she would be sick, but suddenly, her eyes widened in realization. “You made mention of Revali being wounded after you saved him. That may be another point to prepare against.”

Yeah, Link was not doing a rerun of what happened to Revali. There would be people on standby this time. “I already have plans for that. I’m just worried about how I’ll even get some of them to the exit.” Link did not want to imagine trying to protect Daruk from Fireblight.

Once again, Fi joined in. “You made mention of Champion Revali being caught in the moment just before he died. He had taken a direct hit. Should other Champions be in better conditions before the final blow, it may be feasible for them to move on their own.”

Mipha shrunk in on herself slightly with Fi’s very cold and calculating analyses of their deaths. However, she agreed, “Yes. I-I cannot speak for everyone else, but I… unfortunately was taken by surprise.” The last part came out in a rush as Mipha took another deep breath. “Should it be just before that… last blow came, I would be able to walk on my own.”

The odds were tipping closer to his favor, but he could not be so certain about how the others would fare. He would have to broach that subject with Urbosa tomorrow. He had to figure out how to control their Divine Beasts as well. Simply using intuition probably wouldn’t work out with… whatever Vah Naboris was doing.

“I…” Mipha gazed in the direction of Zora’s Domain. Link did not notice that it was an attempt to mask her expression. “I do hope you are successful, Link. You do not need to do this for us. We… lost our chance with our last failure.”

Link frowned and joined her side. What was it that Urbosa told him yesterday? That if he blamed himself for his failure, Zelda would blame herself too? “We all failed.” Link winced at how poorly conveyed that thought was, but he caught Mipha’s gaze from the corner of her eye. “But honestly, I seemed really boring in the past. I missed out on too much fun with all of you, and I’ll just have to get all of that back.”

At that, a laugh escaped from Mipha. Her shoulders shook a bit as she tried to compose herself. “We will all hold you to that, you know.”

Link smiled back. “I’m counting on it.”

“Besides!” She lit up a bit more, and Link could practically see the stars in her eyes. “After how long she has fought, I would be more than happy to see the Princess be allowed to pursue what she enjoys… and that she too has a bit of fun.”

Mipha had a look in her eye that said she would not let either of them escape mandatory relaxation time. Should Mipha ever meet Teba and Saki, Link would never be allowed to do anything slightly difficult. However, when all of this is over, he would probably embrace sleeping for a few days. 

Fi chimed, and Link remembered that she was still there. “Mas- Link.” She almost slipped, but Link felt grateful that she was trying nonetheless. “Your mandatory return to Rito Village will be expected in a few hours. Should you wish to do anything else, you may wish to start now.”

“Hear that, Mipha?” Link whispered, leaning in, “Fi hates fun.”

“Now now, Link,” Mipha tsked, a grin spreading across her face, “You wouldn’t want to worry your parents.”

Oh, she was DEFINITELY going to menace him. Link swore he saw a slight movement of Fi’s mouth into a smile, but he genuinely could not tell. These two were in cahoots already. Sighing, he beckoned Fi back to the Master Sword. “Fine, I’ll get going.”

Mipha waved. “Be safe! If you call on my Grace, please come check in!”

Of course, he would. Link waved back and tapped at his Sheikah Slate. Fi leapt into the Sword, and in an instant, he was off to Rito Village.

He could do this.

He could free them all.

Urbosa was next.

Chapter Text

“Recall Naboris’ Champion of sand, before she was lost to the land… Chief Urbosa’s heart was strong, so the princess came along.”

Both Kass and Link finished the song off with one final flourish, and the small landing next to the village shrine fell into silence. Only the distant echoes of a voice and a harp carried on the wind. Kass did not let the silence pass for long and gently pat Link on the shoulder. “Once again, I am happy I could be of service. May I say that it is impressive how well you’ve grown into that harp?”

Link scratched the back of his head sheepishly. That was another song under his belt, and the harp continued to resonate with him. Whenever he played, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Maybe in another life, he would have been a bard too. It certainly would have suited him better than being a member of the Royal Guard. He smiled at Kass and scanned the harp back into the Sheikah Slate. “Wouldn’t be nearly as good at these songs without a good teacher.”

“Ah, you flatter me,” Kass chuckled, “But drawing enough power from a song to bring back a Champion is a feat in its own right. You should be proud of that.”

He should, and he was. However, his journey was far from done. Until he succeeded three more times at the same feat, he would not truly be proud of himself. Still, he couldn’t help but smile wider at Kass’ words. He tapped the Sword on his back, receiving a chime from Fi. “I had some help, but thank you.”

With a curious side-eye at the Sword, Kass hummed, “That’s very humble of you.” He paused for a bit to get the right words. “However, do make sure you are giving yourself enough credit for your feats, or as a traveling bard, I will have to sing your praises myself.” 

While Link did choke out a laugh, he really hoped Kass was not serious. Rito Village had been so kind to him, but he did not need them singing his praises from the hilltops even though Saki would probably fully support that. Revali was going to have a blast trying to correct every single Rito in the village that Link was… what word did he like to use all the time… asinine.

His smile started to vanish when he remembered that Revali still rested in Swallow’s Roost with no signs of waking up. Hylia had provided… vague and awful answers. However, he still had faith that he could discover why they were not waking up. After Vah Naboris, he planned to go talk to Purah if Urbosa did not wake up either. There were so many things to do, and Zelda’s power waned the more time he wasted. It made him feel slightly guilty for the dinner he planned to have with Teba and Saki, but if he didn’t, more problems would probably come up later.

They deserved to know he was fine, too. However, he really needed to pick up the pace. 

Kass noticed Link had not responded for quite a bit and mentioned, “I am sure Teba and Saki would like to see you. Tulin has also been looking around for you all day. Do make sure you see them before being on your way.”

Link nodded back. He planned to do that every day to pick up another song from Kass on the way. Taking a day off was no longer in the cards. Every day that malice grew, he became more and more uneasy. If something were to go wrong at the castle while Link had been taking even more of a break, he would never forgive himself. It sucked that he had taken his break today, because he had less wind in his sails now that he knew their were further complications with Revali. Him not waking up sparked an immense dread in Link. He’d succeeded. They were supposed to be fine.

He just had to keep reminding himself that he could fix this. He had not yet talked to Purah. It could be something extremely simple.

And so, he said goodbye to Kass, thanking him for the new song under his belt. Saki and Teba would be expecting him soon, and he did not want either of the Rito to be halfway to Vah Ruta if he missed dinner.  Besides, Link hadn’t had much time to talk to Tulin in the past few days with all of the chaos happening. He needed to make good on his promise to tell him more stories. 

Sure enough, as Link walked up the steps on the way to their roost, Tulin waited anxiously for him. Their eyes locked, and Link only had a moment before the small Rito bounded for him and leaped. He yelped and scrambled to catch the small mass of feathers hurtling at him. 

Thankfully, Tulin safely landed in his arms and started flailing his wings happily. “Link!” He squealed, “Mom told me you’re my brother now! She said you’re coming home for dinner every day!” 

Saki had deployed the dirty tactics it seemed. Although, Link could not be angry at the joyous ball of energy in his arms. He tilted his head and laughed, “Not every day Tulin, but most days.”

“Oh, Tulin, he’s messing with you. He’s coming every day!” Saki called from the open roost, earning a grimace from Link that Tulin did not notice. She only smiled at him with a knowing look that said you’re not escaping this. He would be sure to let the Princess of Hyrule know that his duties had been relieved, because he needed to go to dinner.

Turning back to Link with wide eyes, Tulin whooped, “I knew it!” He started rocking back and forth, shaking Link in his excitement. “We’re going to do so much together! You can teach me how you do that thing with your bow where you go-” He attempted to mimic drawing arrows in rapid succession, and Link could only laugh at the very rough demonstration of his aerial archery.

Teba shook his head when he saw the two of them. “Tulin, let Link get into the roost before you start pestering him.”

Tulin let out a frustrated huff, but he hardly needed to comply. Link simply carried him the rest of the way into the roost before letting him down. On a quick scan of the roost, Link noticed something had changed. A new hammock had been strung low in the limited space. A strange warmth filled his chest at the sight. Was it just the confirmation that he really was their family now? He didn’t know, but his eyes lingered on the hammock for too long.

Saki brought him back by placing a plate of salmon meunière in his hands. Her warm smile told him that she had noticed, but she did not say a thing. The food further reinforced what she wanted to say to him. He was family now. 

That night was full of stories of the Gerudo Desert and Chief Riju. After Link had informed Teba and Saki where he would be headed the next day, Tulin had wanted to know everything about the desert. None of them had really been that far down south on their own volition, but they were all interested nonetheless. At the talk of invading the Yiga Clan Hideout, Link had to avoid most of the more terrifying details of the ordeal for Tulin’s sake. However, he loved the fact that Yiga could be distracted by bananas.

It slightly eased his worries about the next day. Both of his new parents looked uneasy when he mentioned he would be leaving again. As long as he came back for dinner, their worries would be put at ease. Tomorrow, however, may extend far beyond that time. Link told them that, but Saki was still extremely concerned. He could not let them know about the specifics of the Silent Realm. Should they know he would perish in one strike, they would never stop worrying.

Besides, he didn’t want to worry Tulin either.

Before he retired properly for the night, Link made one more stop at Swallow's Roost. Revali had not awoken, but the Hylian traveler hood now rested on his bedside table. At this point, Link would leave that there as a sign for him. He thought to leave the Great Eagle Bow behind as well, but when he eyed its icon in the Sheikah Slate, he realized that Revali would probably immediately overexert himself if given a weapon. That Rito did not need any excuses to break his body during a recovery period. If he wanted it, he could wait until Link knew he would be fine.

He surveyed the nearby area instinctively to make sure it was safe. Of course, it would be safe. Rito Village had guards on duty at all times. Seeing him laying there with a bound injury just… made Link remember that Revali had been on the verge of death in his arms just yesterday. He needed to make sure that never happened again. Still, he had done his due diligence and would check back in the morning. Besides, Revali would probably berate him for thinking that the Master Revali needed constant surveillance.

So, he returned to the roost and finally set his weapon down. Fi had been silent for most of the night, and she had not chimed during dinner. He… appreciated that a bit, but also needed to let Fi know that it would be nice to see her out more often. Her being trapped in the Sword did not sit well with Link, and she had proven that she was a friend. Maybe, if Link got to introduce her to everyone without her twirling out of the Sword at random, she could join more often. He knew she was curious. These talks could be good for her.

Link crawled into his hammock for the night and shut his eyes. The chill of Hebra hardly affected him under the large blanket he had been given. Sleeping in a hammock felt slightly new, but he could get used to it. He had slept on rock outcroppings before. He had gotten very good about not rolling off the edge of things.

At some point in the night, he was briefly awoken by a very small weight crawling into his personal space. His mind thought to reach for a weapon, but he immediately relaxed when he registered the small wings climbing in. Tulin let out a tired noise from the exertion of climbing and sank into place… directly on top of Link. He tried very hard not to move, but Tulin squeaked out a little “Good night” before going completely lax.

Link ignored the tears of joy pricking in the corners of his eyes before gently wrapping his arms around his new brother.

He had to protect this with all he had.

The next morning was bright and early for everyone. Link had already charted his route for the day after Saki graciously removed the sleeping Tulin from his hammock. It was a tad strange to see Teba and Saki with their hair out of their usual braids, but now he understood that the Rito braided each other’s hair. Not only that, but Teba and Saki braided each other’s feathers into their hair. That was adorable, but Link would not openly admit it. His vision stayed fixated on the Sheikah Slate, and he absolutely did not get caught by Saki.

She tilted her head at him with a smile. “You know, Link, now that you’re family we could show you how to braid your hair as well.”

Now that he’s family? Was it a family only thing? He heavily considered it for a moment before realizing his two Gerudo outfits did not exactly take kindly to other hairstyles, and he did not want to ruin the braids so soon. “After I get back from the desert?” Link said as more of a question.

Saki clicked her beak and nodded. “Of course.” There was some personal victory there, but Link had no idea what it was. It was only a few moments before he realized that he had essentially made a promise for tonight, meaning he had to be home.

She was way too good at this.

Link got out of bed and said his goodbyes to everyone. Tulin was sad to see him go, but he promised he would be back by dinner. Hopefully, he would manage to keep that promise. He realized he did not need to change his outfit yet for the searing Gerudo heat. Vah Naboris had rather cold temperatures near where it was currently stationed, so he could at least delay the inevitable of changing into the Gerudo Vai outfit. He had to remember to move a healthy distance away from Vah Naboris before changing. Otherwise, he would never hear the end of it from Urbosa.

Selecting Vah Naboris on the Sheikah Slate, Link disappeared into blue tendrils.

Last time he came to Vah Naboris, Link had been certain he would be fighting Ganon extremely soon. He had been quiet, reclusive, and did not communicate much with Urbosa. The nerves of fighting the Calamity had made him fall into silence, and he had not been able to form any words. Now, that would be different. She had definitely seen what happened from within Vah Medoh in the Silent Realm. 

Fi let out a chime, and Link knew what she was likely trying to indicate. He drew the Master Sword and pointed it towards the Divine Beast. Sure enough, it pulsed when it found the correct dowsing target. Another trial gate definitely rested on Vah Naboris. With a smile, Link sheathed the Sword and began to walk forward.

When he stepped closer, Urbosa appeared in front of him with her eyebrow curled up. She looked him up and down for a moment with her hands on her hips before speaking, “Well well, look who finally decided to let me know that he had made it out fine.”

Link scratched the back of his head and grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She wasted no time in closing the distance between the two of them and circling around Link. It was her way of starting an interrogation as well as subtly making sure that he had not sustained any injuries. “We’ve been trying to contact Revali for quite some time, and Mipha told us that things were normal.” Urbosa stepped back in front of Link’s vision and cocked her head. “Care to explain what I saw when you called upon my Fury? I’ve never felt you call upon it with that powerful of a spark.”

“Revali’s alive,” he blurted out, and Urbosa’s demeanor faltered for a moment. “I can interact with the Divine Beasts. Mipha and I already talked about it, but I can get all of you out. I just need entry.”

Urbosa placed a hand on her chin and muttered, “So that’s why Revali hasn’t responded to anything.” A spark of realization lit up in her eyes as she turned back to Link. “Would that be the reason why I saw him wounded when you called upon my Fury the first time?”

“He’s okay now, I promise,” Link clarified, “But… yes. He was still wounded while I was trying to get him out of there.”

Urbosa squinted, taking an expression very similar to the one that Mipha had when she thought his head had been injured. However, she had seen both Windblight and Revali. Her disbelief turned into a low chuckle and a shake of her head. “I’m afraid I will have to hear the whole story, Link. Just so I know what you’re trying to tell me.”

Ah, so she would get to meet Fi too, then. Same procedure as yesterday. With a slight grin, Link called out to the Master Sword. “Mipha already met her, but there’s someone I’d like you to meet who can explain it much better than I can.”

With a fancy twirl that had many more spins than Link had seen previously, Fi leapt from the Master Sword and landed. When Urbosa stared in wonder with a curious smile, Link gestured to the large rock next to the Divine Beast. This would take a moment.

Their hideout had been in disrepair for quite some time after the hero came through and ravaged all of their precious resources, stole the one advantage they had over the Gerudo, and cast their leader into a pit that led to who knows where. However, it had been long enough to where they could regroup, track the hero’s movement, and destroy him for what he did to their glorious Master Kohga.

Link had been elusive. Without a leader, they could not effectively unite and track the boy. This led to encounters on the road where Yiga scouts would find him, engage far too early, and get mopped on the floor. Sometimes when a scout stayed back long enough to call for a blademaster, even that wasn’t enough. The hero had grown too strong to be bested in single-combat.

This made his appearance in Gerudo Desert extremely appealing.

One of the Yiga scouts had found Link conversing to absolutely no one near the Divine Beast. It seemed the hero had gone stir-crazy. The scout did well to stay far enough away, and overheard that Link would be returning to this very location later in the day. It was perfect. For once, a plethora of Yiga members still left at the base now had a common location to go to. 

With their suits on, masks fastened, weapons ready, and bananas holstered, the Yiga clan would be unstoppable.

Glory to Master Kohga.

Urbosa had been uncharacteristically quiet as the reality of the situation set in. Link wondered if he or Fi had said something wrong during their lengthy explanation. Her head rested on her chin as she mulled over all of the information that had just been laid on her. 

Instead of asking any more questions, Urbosa lifted her gaze to stare at him. “Then… all of this means I will be able to see my little bird again.”

Of course, she would say that. Link nodded, his own gaze drifting to the castle off in the distance. “You will, and I’m going to get you out of there. I just need to do this right.” 

“It sounds like the last time you went in, you had no idea what to expect.” Urbosa cocked her head slightly. “This time, you are aware of what foe will be waiting for you.”

Yes, Thunderblight. It would be horrible to try to go up against, especially considering Urbosa’s injuries. Over the course of their conversation, Link had found out that she had been thrown off of the central platform by one of Thunderblight’s attacks. Thanks to the fall and the round structure of Vah Naboris’ chamber, she had likely broken her ankle on impact. That had slowed her down in the ensuing fight and led to her end.

“You’ll do just fine,” she reassured, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. He did not feel her touch, but the gesture still helped. “After all, you were just improvising last time. I am sure that between the two of us, we will get out just fine.” 

The confidence she had shocked Link considering she had witnessed Revali’s injured state. That had been desperate. Yet, Urbosa took everything in stride. He softly asked, “How are you so calm about all of this?”

She stared at him for a moment before breaking into uproarious laughter. “Hearing that I can take away Ganon’s victory over me has cast all fear out of my mind.” As her laughter petered out, she grew slightly more somber. “Besides, I wish to see my little bird again. None of the fear I have will keep me from that goal.”

That made sense, and he nodded. Ever since freeing Revali, that feeling had begun to make him increasingly reckless. Sure, going into Vah Naboris was terrifying, but he could save all of his friends. He couldn’t afford to be scared if it meant they would be alive soon. So on that, they could agree.

“However, how are you faring?” Urbosa went on the offensive, and she immediately zeroed in on Link shrinking into himself. “You just had to carry one of your allies on the brink of death. I would not blame you if that was hard on you.” 

The stretch of time where he didn’t know if Revali would survive was something Link did not want to relive. He worried that it would be that way with all of the Champions, but so far Revali had it the worst. That wound had cut deep, and Link hated thinking about it. Almost too analytically for his own tastes, Link stated, “He’s being watched by Rito I trust. I just hope he wakes up soon.”

A spark of something started to form in Urbosa’s eyes, but Link hardly noticed it. She hummed for a moment before her mouth curved into a smirk. “I never thought I’d see you two not actively being at each other’s throats.” At Link’s grimace, Urbosa clarified, “Well, more that he was always at your throat while you hardly let him get under your skin. I hope this means he will be more amicable to you in the future.”

That’s the thing. Revali continued to banter with Link, but he could not tell whether or not the Rito actually enjoyed his company. The reveal that Revali had made his paraglider brought up far too many questions that Link simply did not have the answers to. Although, someone who still had memories of that time might. “Did you know he made my paraglider?” Link asked, pulling the bundle of cloth away from his belt.

“Ah, that thing.” Urbosa looked it over for quite a bit. “You started using it late into our travels. I never saw him actually give it to you, but…” A wide grin spread across her face. She must have connected some dots, but Link only stared with confusion. “Well, that’s a story best saved for when we’re all sitting around a campfire after this. I’m sure Revali would love to tell you all about the lengths he went to in order to get a reaction out of you.”

Link smiled and tilted his head. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Revali? He’d rather die than admit that.”

Urbosa threw her head back and laughed, “You’ve made it very clear that he can’t die to escape you.”

While that was funny, it was also a very sobering reminder that he needed to move. They had gotten off topic, and Link needed to head to Gerudo Town to speak with Riju very soon. Should Urbosa be wounded or unconscious, he wanted the Gerudo to be ready. There would not be a repeat of what happened to Revali. He stood up to his feet and dusted himself off. Only his second day and he was already ruining Nekk’s new snowquill. 

“I’ll be back here when I’ve got some help, Urbosa.” 

Her grin started to fade as she nodded and stood up. “Of course, I’d expect nothing less. I will await your return. Oh, and…” Urbosa pointed behind Link. “I’d check on your sword there. She seems… contemplative.”

Sure enough, when he turned around, Fi stared off into space across the canyons. She had joined in for explanations, but at some point she must have slipped away. She stared a moment longer before her eyes narrowed. The Master Sword chimed to alert Link that she needed something, but he was already paying attention. “Fi?”

“A report.” Her eyes continued to scan the horizon. “I have detected that an additional person was listening to our conversation. They have fled.”

Link instinctively reached for the Master Sword and joined Fi in scanning the horizon. There was nothing there, but Fi didn’t simply make errors. If she had seen something, he had to take that as a real threat. 

Urbosa grimaced and seemed to echo Link’s current thoughts. “Then I believe we may have visitors soon. While I would love to show them the full might of Vah Naboris and its defensive capabilities… I would risk harming anyone you bring along.”

Link could just tell everyone to wait at Daqo Chisay shrine for his arrival with Urbosa. Should someone be ready to tend to her wounds, he could just warp the moment he exited the Silent Realm. However, there was one issue. Link shielded his eyes from the sun and followed the Master Sword to where the trial gate was positioned. A well placed shot could hit him if a Yiga managed to get close enough… and they were known to be able to vanish at a moment’s notice.

“Can Naboris detect Yiga if they’re not visible?” Link asked, not really enjoying the idea of being a human pincushion while inside the Silent Realm.

Urbosa pondered this for a moment. “Unless they gain entry, no. Though, anyone foolish enough to approach the thunderstorm Naboris can create would get blasted regardless.” She placed a hand on her hip and followed Link’s gaze to the warp point. With their recap of how the last Silent Realm went, she knew that’s where he would be positioned. “If a Yiga happens to get on Naboris, that could be catastrophic if you had no one watching you.”

“Then I guess I’ll need to find a guard.” Link made a mental note and brought out his Sheikah Slate. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Be thorough,” Urbosa called as Link began to disappear into blue light. “Don’t make a mistake because you’re rushing.”

He had to rush. Zelda couldn’t hold on forever.

While making his way through Gerudo Town in his disguise, Link kept his eyes trained on the palace. He could not linger here for long, and while he loved checking in with some of the people in this place, he had to talk to Riju immediately. Last they’d spoken, it was about something simple like proper sand seal maintenance. Despite Riju being chief, she never really burst into politics around Link unless he was literally standing in front of her throne.

He could appreciate that. All of the phantom memories of the Hyrulean court made Link sick. Having a fun-loving chief meant the Gerudo were in good hands, and they all seemed to feel the same. Riju was loved by her people, and that would help her at that age. In that regard, Link was excited to see her again. 

He trudged up the village steps and nodded to Ploka and Reeza. They both greeted him with a “sav’aaq” as he entered the palace doors. Riju sat on her throne as usual, but she had a rather large sand seal currently begging for her attention with its head in her lap. Patricia had become a menace in the past days, and it seemed like Riju was encouraging this behavior.

Buliara noticed his presence first. Her eyes remained trained on him until he approached a threshold close enough to Riju’s throne, and she immediately raised her weapon to tap its blade on the floor. Link knew the motion meant ‘stop’. In her distraction, Riju seemed to have not noticed him entering. She jumped, straightening herself. Strangely enough, Patricia did the same thing like she had just been caught too.

Riju’s eyes widened when she saw Link, and all of the tension faded into a smile that looked suspiciously like Urbosa’s. They would get along well. “I did not think I would see you back in the desert for quite some time, Link.” Riju cocked a brow and rested her head on her fist. “What brings you back here so soon?”

Being in the midst of a court never did well for Link’s voice. However, Riju was his friend. He was their trusted ally too. He had already been reciting what he wanted to say in his head on the way here, so he could try to force it out. There was no reason to beat around the bush with the Gerudo.

Link cleared his throat and began, “Lady Urbosa is alive.”

Immediately, even though there were very few people in the room, an unseen tension grew in the air. He had invoked the name of one of their legends. Buliara’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and she made the same tap with her sword as before. “Lady Urbosa fell in battle a century ago. That is impossible.” Her voice carried a dangerous edge to it as a warning to Link that he should not continue.

Riju put up a hand to subdue her. She leaned forward with interest. “Now, Buliara, let Link speak. After all, he was an ally of Lady Urbosa. I am sure he would not say such words without reason.”

Thankful, Link nodded and proceeded. Buliara’s stare did not leave the corner of his eyes. “She’s not alive yet. I have to enter Vah Naboris in order to free her.” He did a quick scan of the room, and Buliara still eyed him with suspicion. “You can send someone to Rito Village. I have already done this for Champion Revali. I can’t wait for that, though. We’re running out of time.”

Buliara almost interrupted again, but Riju raised her hand once more. She whispered something in Buliara’s ear, and her eyes widened. Riju turned back to Link and nodded. “I understand that you plan to fight the Calamity, and we have grown worried about the cloud of malice over the castle ruins. Although, if you can bring Lady Urbosa back as you say, why have you come here?”

Link had to take a moment to clear his throat again. Just thinking about what happened with Revali had started to naturally cause his chest to tighten. “Champion Revali came back injured. If the same thing happens to Lady Urbosa, I need someone there to be able to help her.” Link’s face hardened, and he met Buliara’s stare. “The Yiga also know I will be there, and I won’t be able to defend myself.”

The tension in the room grew even thicker. Both of the Gerudo across from him exchanged a glance. After a moment of deliberation, Riju turned her attention back on Link. “I have a personal interest in protecting one of our greatest friends from the Yiga Clan as well as sending a message. How much aid do you require?”

All of this proper speaking had started to get the better of Link. The reminder that he was their friend did well to ease his nerves, but he hadn’t talked with Riju in this setting for quite some time. He absently wondered if this is what awaited him if he freed Zelda. However, he could not think about that now. Riju asked how many allies he needed, and that was a rather difficult question.

After mulling over it for a moment, he started, “Naboris will have its defensive measures up. I’ll need someone to personally join me on Vah Naboris in case the Yiga get past that as well as someone ready if Urbosa is injured.” He didn’t know how many Gerudo that would be. Rito Village had swarmed around Revali, but it had only taken Teba and a few supplies to actually patch his wounds. Urbosa had made it sound like her wound was a broken ankle.

Buliara grimaced. “I could do both, and would easily dispatch any Yiga that would dare to threaten your life. However, my responsibility here is with Chief Riju, and sending portions of our army out in a time where the Yiga Clan is active would be a misstep.”

“Come now, Buliara,” Riju said with a smirk, “Do you really think I would miss out on greeting Lady Urbosa? What chief would I be if I was not there?”

Buliara’s face steeled. “It is far too dangerous,” she insisted, “Should the Yiga find you there-”

“We will dispatch them easily,” Riju interrupted, her smile only growing wider. She stole a glance back at Link who had personally backed out of this argument. “Come now, I’ve already assisted in taming Vah Naboris once. Now that she is on our side, I believe I should be allowed to be a good chief and welcome Lady Urbosa back to us.”

Buliara’s resolve began to fade. The fight had already been won, and Riju was far too headstrong to back down. Link agreed. Riju could handle herself in a fight, even though he really did not want to rope someone young into his problems. If she wanted to help, Link doubted that he would be able to stop her. Besides, the Yiga probably wouldn’t get onto Vah Naboris in the first place. This was only a worst case scenario.

Finally, Buliara relented, “Fine, I will begin preparations immediately.” She lifted her weapon and began to make her way towards the guard barracks within the city. However, she stopped midway, taking a cursory glance back at Link. “You are a trusted ally. I hope you do not make me regret this.”

Link paled. Of course, he wouldn’t fail. He.. he couldn’t. Not now.

Even as Riju stood up to make her way to the barracks with Patricia in tow, Link remained motionless. He stared off after them with his arms limp at his sides.

It would be nice if everyone stopped thinking he would fail at every given turn.

As Link, Riju, and Buliara reappeared, he noted that the Sheikah Slate could take at least three people now. He also noted that he was no longer being warped onto the ground directly next to the Divine Beast. Instead, they all appeared on the underside of Vah Naboris at the warp gate. He also noticed that he was still wearing his Gerudo Vai outfit and hastily tapped away at the screen to change into his alternative Gerudo outfit. After that was out of the way, Link saw both Riju and Buliara stumbling at the sudden sensation of being warped and needing a moment to catch their breath. 

“I will say, Patricia gives me less nausea than that thing.” Riju gagged, taking a moment to steady herself. The Sheikah Slate did take a bit of getting used to.

Buliara managed to straighten up much faster, but even Link could see that it was a front. However, a short moment later, she immediately drew her weapon and assumed a battle stance. Hand flying for the Master Sword, Link followed Buliara’s gaze only to spin around and find-

Ah, it was just Wolfie. Laughing, he loosened his grip on the Master Sword. Buliara looked at him like he was crazy, but she immediately relented when Link patted the wolf on the head. She brought her broadsword back to a neutral stance and questioned, “I do not believe you mentioned that a wolf would be up here.”

“He comes and goes whenever he wants.” Link appreciated the constant that the wolf’s company had started to become. “Besides, he’s got a very good scent for Yiga.”

“A wolf that tracks Yiga…” Buliara approached the wolf and leaned over to give it a once over. She went from wary to immediately impressed. “What a respectable beast…”

A lightning strike from outside the Divine Beast made everyone’s hair begin to rise from the static. The sky was hardly visible anymore, and large lightning bolts struck intermittently. At least that meant Urbosa was protecting them. Speaking of which, Link didn’t see her anywhere. He expected her to be waiting.

Right on cue, a burst of green flames appeared next to the warp gate. “Apologies, I had to make sure Naboris was all well. Now…” Urbosa put a hand on her hip and gestured to the two Gerudo before her. “Introduce me to your friends.”

Riju’s eyes widened when Urbosa appeared before her. All of the royal demeanor had vanished for a brief second in favor of sheer awe. “Link was not lying…” She muttered before giving a slight bow to the spirit before her. “Lady Urbosa, it is an honor to meet you after all of this time. I am Chief Riju.”

“No need for bowing, then,” Urbosa chuckled at her surprised expression, “You’re the leader of the Gerudo. In fact, I should be bowing to you. You have led my people through what was undoubtedly a moment of hardship and strife.” Urbosa lowered herself into a bow with a grand smile. “You have my utmost respect.”

At a loss for words, Riju straightened up. Buliara gazed in the same direction Riju had, but she made no move to bow either. Her face instead scrunched into confusion. “Chief Riju, is there something there?”

Both Link and Riju stared at Buliara. Could she not see Urbosa?

“Lady Urbosa, she’s right there.” Riju gestured at the spirit, but Buliara looked even more perplexed. “Can you not see her?”

That didn’t sound right. Even Wolfie’s attention was locked on Urbosa at the moment. How could Buliara not see her? For once, Buliara looked to Link for guidance. He clarified, “Urbosa is there, but I guess you can’t see her?” It came off as more of a question if anything. How could only some people see the spirits, one of those being a wolf of all things?

“How strange,” Urbosa murmured, “But it’s best not to dwell on it now. Vah Naboris can keep up its defensive measures for quite some time, but I would prefer to save power for our attack on the Calamity.” Riju told the same to Buliara, but she still looked spooked about whatever was happening that she could not see. Urbosa turned her attention to Link. “Now, I believe you said this had to do with a fancy instrument?”

He nodded and pulled the Goddess Harp from the Sheikah Slate. As he did so, all three Gerudo eyed the instrument with awe. It truly was something beautiful, but they had no time to waste. Link put a hand on the hilt of the Master Sword and called, “Fi? It’s time.” 

As Fi twirled out of the Master Sword, Buliara once again drew her broadsword. Link hastily waved his hand for her to stop, but even Riju watched Fi with much curiosity. Fi’s head turned to Buliara slightly, and the blank stare she gave likely made the Gerudo slightly more uneasy. “I apologize for the sudden entrance. However, as Champion Urbosa stated, we must conserve power and proceed.”

Buliara opened her mouth to make a comment about how another person could see Urbosa and she could not, but Riju waved her off. The chief gripped the scimitar on her waist and nodded to Link. “Do what you must. We will await your return.”

No more time to waste.

Link raised the harp and Fi readied herself. The warp gate began to pulse in the same rhythm he had learned from Kass. With methodical, slow strums, Link began to play. Music rang out through the thunderstorm as Fi began to lead him through the intro to the song. Sheikah petals began to form around the central warp point, and Link could only smile knowing that this would indeed work a second time. Then, as the last petal flickered into view, he and Fi locked eyes.

“Recall Naboris’ Champion of sand, before she was lost to the land…” Something sparked in Link’s distant memory. The desert winds were familiar. He had learned a song in these deserts long ago, but when? Was the instrument the same? No, he used some kind of flute back then, an ocarina, but someone else wielded the harp. He could see a masked figure, a Sheikah, standing before him with the Goddess Harp. He played the harp beautifully, and Link found himself being reminded of an old friend that he never got to spend enough time with. “Chief Urbosa’s heart was strong, so the princess came along.”

Once again, as the song finished, the Sheikah eye in the center of the warp point flashed a dangerous violet. As Link opened his eyes, his face curved into disgust at the sight. Thunderblight would be making his life difficult, it seemed. 

Urbosa smiled as she walked into Link’s peripheral vision. “You play that harp as if it is second nature. Color me surprised.” The praise made him nearly fumble the harp out of his hands, and Riju nodded in agreement. Link put the harp into the Sheikah Slate without a second thought while Urbosa approached the eye of malice in the center of the trial gate. “Well, it seems you were right about Ganon still having a level of control in my Divine Beast.”

Riju kept a safe distance away but peered curiously at the telltale sign of malice. “Should we be concerned about that?”

The Master Sword chimed as Fi shook her head. “Provided that Champion Urbosa is not vanquished within the Silent Realm, there is a 0% chance that Ganon will be able to exert any control over the Divine Beast.”

Unsurprisingly, that did nothing to ease anyone’s worries. They were all relying on Link to do his job. Buliara shot him the same glance that she did back in the palace, and a weight pressed down in his chest. 

Urbosa took notice and stepped in. “Link and I have gone over this extensively,” She claimed with a growl to her voice that Buliara wouldn’t even be able to hear, “It will be difficult, but we are ready. As a matter of fact…” She turned to Link who half wanted to get into the Silent Realm, since Thunderblight would be an easier foe than Buliara. “Link, while we did not come to a consensus in our talk earlier about how you would control my Divine Beast, I have decided to rotate the central components at a constant, slow pace. This should allow you enough time to reach each terminal.”

That was… rather smart actually. Link nodded in appreciation. He really had no idea how he would intuitively control Vah Naboris, so this seemed like the next best thing. Thankfully, Urbosa had been thinking about this while he was gone. Vah Naboris had been a mess, so he hardly remembered which terminals required what rotation. This would at least give him leeway.

“Then be on your way!” Urbosa gestured to the trial gate with a wink.  “I will be seeing you on the other side.”

With a thunderstorm crackling around him, Link drew the Master Sword and stepped towards the trial gate. Fi twirled into the hilt. Now or never.

Riju caught his eye before he could plunge the Sword downward into the Divine Beast. She raised her hand to stop him, and cast a warm smile towards him. “Best of luck, Link.”

Ah, well now Thunderblight was screwed.

Revali said it the best. Link had unfathomable luck. Giving him even more? Well, how would Ganon ever stand a chance? With a grin, he plunged the Master Sword down into Vah Naboris, and his spirit plunged into the depths of the Silent Realm.

Well, now that was curious. Urbosa witnessed Link’s spirit as it was pulled from the air by Vah Naboris into its very systems. Such a display was quite shocking, but he had done this before. Chief Riju had audibly gasped, but this seemed according to plan. The Master Sword also did not deign to speak about the matter, so all must be well.

Sure enough, another presence made itself known within her Divine Beast. Initially, she did not understand what it could possibly be. However, when she paid more attention to it, she felt a bonfire of strength surging outward from whatever presence was currently with her. It radiated comfort, rage, and courage all the same. That must be Link.

“Well well well,” Urbosa hummed, catching Riju’s attention, “It seems our Champion’s spirit is quite powerful in its own right.”

She wondered if Revali felt the same thing. A spirit like that would hardly be able to drift under the radar. It was nothing short of impressive, but Urbosa expected nothing less of Link. She simply loved that after a century of losing all of his memories, he still burned bright as ever. Urbosa decided to gaze out on the thunderstorm raging around her Divine Beast. She was waiting for one more cue.

As expected, Urbosa could feel a thin connection to Link beginning to sever. Her Fury vanished, and that sliver of connection that he had to her finally severed. They anticipated this, and Urbosa hardly took this with any panic. She could feel Link’s spirit within the Divine Beast, traveling its halls with unstoppable courage. 

She hoped Naboris guided him well.

So, maybe constantly rotating the Divine Beast’s main terminal was not a great idea. Other than the abrupt motion sickness, Link found the map terminal shockingly annoying to access. At the very least, the Silent Realm had continued to follow the same formula as last time. He had already lost Urbosa’s Fury, and it had turned into a golden flower which now rested in his belt. Unfortunately for him, the tear he currently had his gaze set upon was in the map terminal room, leaving him to walk in the main chamber like a simple animal on a wheel.

Finally, the ramp came down to greet him. He leapt on and dove into the map terminal room. The tears here carried a vibrant golden hue. That would be… slightly difficult to spot with the surfaces of this Divine Beast being a faded yellow. This would take a while. 

He reached out to grab the tear and braced himself for a voice to cut through the void.

“Vah Naboris,” Urbosa’s voice cut through the empty space and echoed endlessly, “I come to you as a humble chief of my people. While I do seek aid for the hardships to come, this is not my reasoning for wishing to be your pilot.” A rumble coursed through the halls of the Divine Beast. A question. A prompt. “My people have been entrapped in a history of bloodshed, and we have taken great efforts to break the chains that bind us to the Calamity who once took the form of a Gerudo in ages past.” She stopped, and Link could feel a name pricking at the corner of his memory.

“I wish to show Hyrule that we are here, that we love this land, and that we will stand by their side against his ancient evil. I wish to protect these lands, and I wish to protect my people. Whether or not you accept me, I will fight for this cause. I hope that you join me as well.”

A large cry resonated from Vah Naboris, and Link found himself reeling as the voices stopped. He… felt like he should know what Urbosa spoke of, but it remained as a far off memory. He reached out to the memory before spotting a glow in the corner of his eye.

One of the terminals carried a tear in large circles through the center of Vah Naboris. Lovely. Somehow, he wondered if this rotation had made things worse. Memories forgotten, he chased down the next tear.

Ah, what a day it was when Urbosa had earned the respect of Vah Naboris. She could feel the memory coming from the Divine Beast, and knew Link must be seeing them as well. After all, Vah Naboris’ communication was intrinsically linked to its pilot. If Link existed alongside Urbosa’s consciousness, he would no doubt be receiving these messages as well. 

But oh, the absolute joy that Naboris’ allegiance was. While her failure had been brutal in the end, Vah Naboris always remained a loyal ally. She was fully content using Naboris to fire on Calamity Ganon as revenge for him daring to take the form of a Gerudo, but now she could do one better. Now, she could actively cheat Ganon out of his victory over her. It was absolutely delightful.

Besides, even though she failed, her people still prospered. Chief Riju had taken position next to the majestic wolf that kept watch. It was surely a beautiful beast, and far more intelligent than she anticipated. It could also see her which was quite the surprise, but she doubted this thing was normal ever since laying eyes on it. Additionally, the way Chief Riju handled herself around such a wild animal was admirable. She was a paragon of a Gerudo, and they would do well with her as their chief.

Urbosa continued her vigil over the thunderstorm, but kept an eye on Chief Riju. She could not wait to properly meet her under better circumstances.

Yeah, the motion sickness was definitely going to be a problem going forward. While scooping the tear from the terminal had been fine while it passed by, all of the moving parts of this thing combined with the… lucid nature of the Silent Realm made Link feel slightly sick. He had to rush to solid ground, knowing damn well another rush of voices were about to enter his head.

He did not have such luck and was forced to walk in place while voices echoed throughout the Divine Beast.

“Urbosa! It’s so wonderful that Naboris chose you. I was worried that-” The voice was distinctly Zelda, and Link flinched when he heard it. He hadn’t realized other voices could be picked up.

“Now now little bird, I am happy as well. With Vah Naboris’ support, I now have the ability to fight by your side at my fullest potential.”

“Truthfully…” Zelda sounded wistful, stressed, and outright tired. “I was concerned that I may not know any of my fellow Champions other than… him. You being here certainly eases my nerves quite a bit.”

A chuckle rang out through the empty halls, lost and with no direction. “Of course, little bird. I’m sure you will manage to get along with all of your fellow Champions. They all seem to have taken to you quite well, even that hard headed Rito you told me about.”

“I… I hope they have. I know they probably look at me and think-”

She was cut off as Urbosa interrupted her. “There’s no need for that. How about I show you a more scenic view of the desert? It will calm your nerves.”

Somehow, Link didn’t think he was supposed to hear that conversation. Revali had just been talking to himself, but hearing a genuine conversation between Urbosa and Zelda felt… far too invasive. Sadly, he had no choice, and he pressed on.

Chief Riju’s guard (Buliara was it?) had taken a liking to glaring at the wolf, and the wolf seemed to be glaring right back. Urbosa found great humor in that as she looked between the two of them. She rather liked this wolf that Link had brought along.

Her gaze between the two of them faltered when another memory made itself known. Ah, that one was certainly more personal. Although, it may be a good thing for Link to learn about these things on his own. Her little bird had faced far too much strife for someone so young. She hoped Link would see that too. However, now was a chance to make things right on her own. If he succeeded, Urbosa would be able to watch over Zelda and fill that void her father undoubtedly left.

That man still made her blood boil. She could feel the heat in her veins.

Ganon could throw as many of his forces at her as he wanted. She would never be separated from Zelda again.

After being dangled over a void of nothingness on Vah Medoh, the outside of Vah Naboris had been a less precarious sight. He had more solid footing under his feet and did not have to constantly look down into a void. Granted, there certainly was an endless expanse of void down there that Vah Naboris stood in, but he at least wasn’t always at risk of being thrown into it.

Without the Sheikah Slate, finding the terminals was a bit of a headache, especially on a Divine Beast like this. Luckily, one of the tears was visible through the strange, branching walls in the central chamber. He remembered how to get to that one, and was thankful he caught a glimpse of the golden glow. That terminal had been a nightmare to find on his first venture through Vah Naboris, and he had nearly forgotten about it.

With a quick trip outside and some impatient waiting, Link managed to dive into the room and snag another tear. He then promptly realized he would be stuck in here until Naboris made another rotation. Oh well, more motion sickness with a memory attached. He braced himself and started navigating the turning room.

“Why did you bring him here, Urbosa?!? I never get time to myself with him constantly at my back, and you bring him here?” Link winced. Zelda was definitely talking about him. He realized which memory might be associated with that.

“So, I take it you two are not getting along then,” Urbosa chided, and Link could feel Naboris slightly vibrate under him. “He means well. His silence may be seen as a barrier to you, but I believe if you talk with him, you may find each other’s company not as… strained as whatever this is.”

“Absolutely not!” Zelda yelled, and that made Link fully flinch. “You don’t understand how people at the castle talk. My father’s own royal court is out to make a mockery of me, and they have some ‘destined hero’ following me around like I am some lost dog! I will not have it!”

There was silence. Cruel, deafening silence. Link thought that was it, and his heart dropped. He knew things improved with Zelda in the end, but that one hurt.

Urbosa’s voice rang out again. “I only ask that you give it some thought. He could even turn out to be an ally or friend to you if you learn to communicate with him.” She paused, and the silence grew even worse. “He’s so young, just like you. Perhaps, you two may be more alike than you’d think.”

Maybe they were.

Link stepped out of the turning chamber and set off to his next destination.

He hoped they were.

That one was a painful memory, no doubt even worse for Link.

Urbosa could now feel the sparks of lightning from the outside making the hairs on her body rise. She was still a spirit, but that familiar rush of electricity around her had become something tangible. Link was doing well then. Good. She only hoped that he had not taken that memory too personally. Zelda had been difficult back then, and she did eventually take Urbosa’s advice. Her little bird was lost for a very long time, and saw the Master Sword, and Link, as a reminder of her failures.

If only she could’ve seen herself now, holding the Calamity at bay for a century.

Turning her focus away from the storm, Urbosa spotted Chief Riju pacing and keeping watch. So many people had responsibility thrust on them at such a young age, and Riju was no exception. No one had mentioned to Zelda how well she was doing nearly enough, even though Urbosa certainly tried. How often did Riju hear that?

“Chief Riju,” She began, catching Riju’s attention mid strike, “I must commend you yet again for taking care of our people, and for joining Link in his assault on Vah Naboris.”

“O-Oh!” Riju stammered, and her composure dropped for a split-second before it was regained. “Of course, Lady Urbosa. While I only became chief a few years back, I have done my utmost to protect them.”

With a smile, Urbosa decided to continue further, “Indeed. I must also thank you for aiding one of my dearest friends in his moment of need. Link may not be here himself, but thank you for that.”

The way Riju lit up proved to be worth every single compliment.

Goddess. Damn. This. Divine. Beast.

Okay, so maybe trying to go for the tear that would be on the roof was a bad idea. Sure. However, he forgot just how much complicated nonsense he had to do to get to this one. Whichever Sheikah monk had put this terminal on the hump of Vah Naboris would get an earful if he hadn’t already completed all of the shrines.

As usual, none of the puzzles functioned quite properly. This meant Link had to climb to the top of Vah Naboris which took a stupid amount of time to do. Then, he had to march across the upper surface only to grab a singular tear. At least the view was nice… is what he would say if it wasn’t all infinite void. Urbosa could have Vah Naboris. He didn’t want to come back to this Divine Beast in the near future… ever preferably.

The tear leapt into the spirit vessel as soon as he made contact, and a rush of voices followed.

“It’s strange, Naboris. So many young warriors make up our group that is supposed to destroy Ganon. None of them seem to have received any of the care they needed growing up. Mipha is the only exception, and even she sometimes loses herself in trying to take care of everyone and not taking care of herself.”

Vah Naboris rumbled a response.

“Link keeps to himself, but that’s exactly his issue. He seems to have stifled everything in favor of his job. I can see why it gets on Revali’s nerves, but that boy is even more of a mess. I’m convinced he has some pent up issues, and the way he targets Link is… interesting. Zelda has the weight of an entire kingdom on her shoulders…”

“I sincerely hope they all have a moment of reprieve soon.”

Riju had many stories to share about Link’s antics in Gerudo Town. Her personal favorite was the disguise that Link had certainly been spotted wearing when he entered Vah Naboris. He probably thought he’d gotten away with changing out of that outfit, but she had definitely seen it. That would be a very fun story to bring out whenever all of the Champions met back together.

Another memory invaded Urbosa’s senses. This one… still held true. While Link had certainly come out of his shell, she had seen him regress when he came to say his goodbyes. Link had fully resigned himself to the fight against the Calamity. That could not happen again. 

Additionally, Urbosa had figured out what Revali’s deal was now. That would also be a funny thing to bring up to him specifically. She doubted that the dumb bird knew how to process the meaning behind his own actions.

Ah well, she hoped after this, all of the young people brought into this war could finally have a moment to rest.

A lightning bolt struck far off, and Urbosa now realized she could feel burns across her body. Her ankle also carried searing pain. Well, her assessment of her injuries was mostly correct. The lightning burns hadn’t been something she thought about, and the adrenaline of the fight must have allowed her to ignore them. Still, she would hopefully be able to act on her own.

Just a bit longer.

Well, at least the elevators were operational. 

The next tear was a mercy. The puzzles were solved for him, and it was a straight shot after going down the elevators. His arms thanked him for that, and he needed to conserve energy for Thunderblight. The tears always gave him an extra boost, but he just wanted to be sure. Link grabbed the next tear, and already started trying to get down from this place before voices kicked up again. He really didn’t think he should be listening to these by now-

A simple rumble came from Vah Naboris.

“They’re doing well and getting along much better too. I can scarcely believe it myself, but my little bird has begun speaking with Link more regularly. He still does not vocalize, but I have caught him communicating with Zelda through sign. It is good to see them getting along.”

Sign? Did he once know how to sign? He thought he did, now that Urbosa mentioned it. Had the Shrine of Resurrection wiped all recollection of that?

“Daruk was also the catalyst for Revali to eat his words. Link’s cooking was far too good for that birdbrain to hide his facial expressions, and it is rather hilarious to see him flounder when asked about it.”

That’s the second time his cooking was brought up. Link smiled at that. He liked knowing he could do more than simply swing a weapon around.

“Mipha still overextends far too much, but she did approach me with an interesting proposition. She wished to aid Zelda in awakening her power, but did not know how to broach the subject without offending her. I do think that would be a good thing for my little bird, to have someone experienced in healing magic helping her.”

So, they were all doing well near the end?

Link wished he could remember most of that. Most of his memories were just about Zelda. He’d… have to ask about all of this when they all were safe. He also needed to figure out how an entire form of speaking left his memory.

Urbosa had sat down to continue her vigil over the thunderstorm. The wolf had curiously joined her side. She found it… difficult to stand at the moment. The pain only grew, and she realized just how hurt she might have actually been during that fight. In a pinch, she may be able to stand, but it now made sense why she fell. Thunderblight had been far too fast, and she had misstepped in their dance to the death far too many times.

The wolf prodded her with its snout, and she feigned offense as it connected. 

It did not try again.

Suddenly, the Master Sword let out a discordant chime. All heads turned to it, and Fi’s voice came out. “A report. Link is approaching the last tear. Champion Urbosa, you should be prepared to awaken within the Divine Beast.”

Well, that had taken a moment, but Link worked decently fast. Vah Naboris was a complicated thing, so she could understand how he may have struggled on the way. Urbosa nodded, and the shine of the Master Sword vanished once again.

Link still crouched with the Sword in his hands, unmoving. It unnerved her, but she knew he was still burning brightly somewhere in the Divine Beast.

Out of everyone, he deserved the most rest after this.

Urbosa felt her consciousness tug away. She instinctively tried to resist, but-

As the elevator brought Link up to the head of Vah Naboris, he collected the last tear. He knew what this memory would likely be about. On the descent back down, he listened clearly.

“My little bird believes that Mount Lanayru is her last chance to awaken her power. Rhoam is a fool, and after this ends I will be demanding that he try a different approach. Mipha has yet to broach the subject of tutoring with Zelda, but I truly believe that her influence may provide aid.”

“I am off to meet her at the base of the mountain. Whether she succeeds or fails, I hope she always knows that I will be there to catch her.”

That never hurt less.

The spirit vessel had entirely filled up, and Link knew what that meant. Something waited for him in the central chamber. It would never be easier to see each Champion’s death, but he had to push onward. After all, he was about to undo it. Steeling his nerves, he pressed towards the central chamber which had strangely stopped moving.

Riju knew Urbosa was likely about to vanish, but seeing her spirit flicker out sent her heart to her chest. They had just been talking a moment ago, and now she was gone. Worse, the thunderstorm that had been brewing had ceased entirely. Had Urbosa lost control? 

Buliara saw the same thing as her and lifted her blade. They moved to opposite sides of Link’s paralyzed body and scanned the surrounding land. Surely, nothing would have been stupid enough to come near after that storm. Still, Riju felt uneasy, apprehensive, and refused to let her guard down as she placed her hand on her scimitar.

A low growl brewed in the wolf’s throat. It stalked closer to Link as well, closing the perimeter around him. Its ears flicked in every direction, and Riju found herself glancing at it to try to get a clue of what was happening.

They were listening to the sound of each other’s breathing. No one dared to remove their hands from their weapons. The wolf’s eyes snapped somewhere further along the lower walkway of the Divine Beast. Riju’s gaze followed.

A chorus of laughter rang out as spell paper and magic filled the air. 

Buliara let out a battle cry and rushed towards the flare of magical energy. A massive, hulking figure dressed in red stood on eye level with her. His large blade clashed with hers as she stared into the inverted eye on his mask.

Yiga.

Urbosa had fought hard.

Link stared at the frozen moment in time before him, and thoughts rushed through his head on how it probably happened. He wanted to block them out, but they still kept leaking through. 

Without a doubt, she had landed on the curved surface down below in a way that broke her ankle on impact. While Urbosa could take large falls, being launched off of the central platform by a blow like that would’ve done her in. Lightning burns rippled across her body. Many good hits had landed on her, and Link had never seen her this close to the brink.

However, Thunderblight actually did not look much better. Strings of malice trailed from its body as it rushed towards Urbosa. Multiple metal spires had been embedded across the battlefield, meaning it had to have gotten slightly desperate. She had given Ganon a fight worth remembering, and that was slightly terrifying. Link knew that Urbosa was strong, but no wonder Thunderblight had been sent against her. She was a menace.

Now, he needed to strategize to pull this off. The scene was gruesome, but he could change it. He could do this. This killing blow did not have to happen.

Urbosa didn’t have any weapons on her, but Link figured that may just be an effect of the Silent Realm. Revali didn’t have his bow either. With the way Thunderblight was currently rushing towards her, he would need to either throw her out of the way or use Daruk’s Protection to block the hit. After that, it would be a matter of fleeing out the large exit behind Urbosa and making a mad dash for the trial gate down below. The problem was that Thunderblight was fast, and Urbosa likely couldn’t move quickly with that ankle.

He had an idea, but it relied completely on Thunderblight focusing on him. It also meant he would be in immediate danger for all of this.

Link marched up to Urbosa and brought the full spirit vessel to her back as she was currently hunched over. Before pushing it in, he raised Daruk’s Protection and could feel the Goron at the ready. He would be one usage of Protection down, but he had his ways to deal with that. 

With a yell, Link forced the spirit vessel into her body, and time rapidly began to start again.

A flash of lightning rebounded off of Daruk’s Protection, and the Goron leapt forward with a yell. Thunderblight reeled for a moment from the impact, and Daruk took the chance to look back at Link. His eyes trailed from Link to Urbosa, and a triumphant grin spread across his face. “Oh, I think I’m seeing what you’re putting down here lil guy! Get her out safe!”

Urbosa grunted and lifted herself to her feet. She winced at the broken ankle and her body was no doubt screaming from the burns, but neither of them had any time. She looked to Link as Thunderblight began to recover from Daruk’s Protection.

Link whispered, “Make your way to the exit. I’ll cover. I can take the hits.”

Though there was skepticism in her eyes, Urbosa nodded. “Stay safe, Link.” Without any fuss, she began to limp for the large opening in Naboris. Link split off in the other direction towards Thunderblight. The blight let out a high pitched shriek and leaned. 

Link knew what that meant. If he had one advantage over the blight, it was that he knew it was predictable. It turned into a blur, speeding through the air. Link counted the pivots in quick succession, seeing three.

In an instant, he leapt into a backflip and there.

Time slowed to a crawl as the blade of lightning narrowly passed Link’s body on the fourth strike. He landed on his feet and created some distance between him and Thunderblight before time continued its normal speed. He couldn’t get in a flurry of attacks without a weapon, but he could stall.

The blight raised its curved Sheikah weapon and charged a ball of lightning on the end of it. Link’s eyes widened as he dove to the side.

Builiara shoved her blade forward, managing to get the Yiga Blademaster to stumble. She tried to continue the assault by following up with a horizontal slash, but the Yiga positioned his weapon vertically and cemented the two in another deadlock.

She left it and came in for a slash on the opposite side. The Yiga moved to block again, but this one was merely a feint. The moment their blades collided, she pivoted it to slash upwards. It cut into the Yiga’s armor, sending the Blademaster stumbling backwards on his feet. 

With another battlecry, she leapt off of her feet and began to spin in the air. Her blade followed suit, and the Yiga vanished into spell paper as the broadsword crashed into the stone where he once was. He appeared behind her with a weapon raised.

Riju had her own problems on the other side of the Divine Beast. Three standard Yiga had taken it upon themselves to attack Link from the other end. She raised her shield to block the arrows aimed directly at her friend, but this put her in a precarious position. Two other Yiga had begun to advance on her with vicious sickles in hand. Arrows clattered uselessly to the ground when she blocked, but she could not advance. 

The wolf beside her did not have such problems.

In a streak of black, it leapt forward, jaws wrapping around the arm of one of the Yiga. The Yiga let out a high pitched shriek as it was shaken like a ragdoll, and visible blood had begun to pool in the Yiga’s clothing. His friend decided to try to intervene with a quick strike of the sickle, and Riju panicked.

The wolf vanished into black squares as the strike almost hit, and she thought it had perished-

-until the wolf reformed directly behind the archer in the back, and another high pitched shriek rang out when teeth met flesh.

Riju ran forward with her scimitar drawn.

Urbosa had made it to the exit and had started to hobble down the ramp when Thunderblight finally had enough of Link. He had continued to evade the pathetic balls of lightning lobbed in his direction, and Thunderblight’s strikes had all been met with a perfectly timed dodge. Its frustration grew, and Link should have noticed that it was going to change tactics. The pillars around the arena should have clued him in.

He was unprepared when electric charge began to fill the air. All of the dormant metallic pillars around the room began to spark, and Link found himself near one. He should have paid better attention, but Thunderblight already started to lean into another attack as lightning struck.

Link leapt backwards in anticipation for the dash, and completely missed the dormant pillar.

Lightning struck, and he felt electricity surge through his body. It was trying to split him apart and break him at the seams. Link screamed as his body started to destroy itself. He heard Urbosa yell before-

His spirit shattered, but not for long.

Mipha appeared in his view as Thunderblight already leaned into another flurry of slashes. “Link! Be careful-”

He was laying down from the previous hit already, and he hardly had time to move for the next series of slashes. Link threw up a hand, and Protection encased him in a protective red light. The blade of Thunderblight pierced through and remained just barely inches from his face. Mipha gasped before running out of time and vanishing.

Daruk had just gotten started, yelling out and shoving a Goron sized fist into Thunderblight’s face, sending it reeling backwards. “Too close, lil guy! Make the last one count!”

Thanks Daruk. As he disappeared, Link rolled to his feet and made a mad dash for the ramp. Urbosa should be close enough to get out, but Thunderblight was in hot pursuit of the both of them.

The assault against the Blademaster continued. He and Buliara circled each other slowly, waiting for an opening. He made the first move and summoned wind to the edge of his blade. A downward strike crashed into the stone far away from where she was actually standing, but Buliara had seen this before.

On the other end, Riju found her scimitar hooked in the sickle’s grasp. The stupid Yiga thought that they could take her weapon. With her frankly absurd strength, she wrenched the weapon from the Yiga’s hands and sent it flying off the Divine Beast. The wolf was tearing into the archer relentlessly, and he panicked as the wolf tore into his armor and began to meet flesh. That thing was ruthless and going for the chest. The archer vanished into spellpaper as soon as he freed his hands.

A slash of wind cut just past Buliara. She sidestepped perfectly for it to move past her, but she had made a critical error in doing so. Link was vulnerable, and the Yiga had positioned her between him and Link. The wind cut towards him. It was slow enough to offer a bit of time with their distance, but she would not be able to outpace it.

Riju had one Yiga weaponless and another still with his sickle. She rushed the one with the weapon and met his attack with her shield. She managed to knock him off balance with a shove to his chest as his friend tried to assault from behind. Riju kicked backwards, knocking the unsuspecting Yiga off his feet while she bashed the current one with her shield. She caught a current of wind headed for Link in the corner of her eye, and she yelled out.

It happened in a flash. Black squares materialized just in front of Link, and the wolf had suddenly materialized in the line of the strike. The wolf brushed against the Master Sword, quite frankly a risky maneuver, and something changed. There was a flash of green and the sound of the wind hitting metal.

Riju’s attention had already locked back on her foes. One was on the ground scrambling to get back up, and the other was still on the offensive. She stole a glance back at Link and saw that he was still fine and the wolf was making its way back over to her position. Riju ducked under a strike of the vicious sickle and kicked out, managing to sweep the legs of the one standing Yiga onto the ground. It was time to finish this.

Buliara hadn’t the time to look at the carnage behind her, and she spun back around to parry a slash down at her head. The inverted eye of the Yiga stared her down, but she would not relent.

With a furious yell, she shoved the Blademaster off of her and gripped the broadsword in one hand. This action caught him off guard and managed to knock him off balance as the blade hit his center. It lacked the power to deal substantial damage with only one hand, but that was all she needed.

Buliara rushed forward with both hands on the hilt of the blade and slashed upwards. Off balance, the Yiga tried to block the blow but found his windcleaver careening off the edge of the Divine Beast.

She was not done. As soon as she saw the opening, she kicked the Yiga hard in his stomach. He toppled over on himself, and Buliara raised her broadsword high before bringing it down on his head.

The blade cut through skin, sending blood splattering on the Divine Beast before the Yiga vanished into spellpaper.

Buliara turned around to see Riju pointing her scimitar at a downed Yiga and a wolf with blood staining its teeth. Both of the sights were brutal, and she could not have been more proud of the both of them. The last Yiga vanished into spell paper in sheer panic.

They were on the final stretch, and Link had one more usage of Daruk’s Protection. The tell tale beeping of a Guardian laser charging up met his ears. Luckily, this time, he would be ready for it. He put himself in between Urbosa and Thunderblight, but the tracking beam was clearly tracking her. That was fine. Link could take this.

The beeping grew more rapid as it fully locked on, and Link activated Daruk’s Protection.

The beam never fired, and Thunderblight leaned once more.

Link’s eyes widened as the electric crackle of the blight’s weapon hit the magical barrier around him. 

Urbosa saw Daruk spring out for one last time and look at her with panic written all over his face. She would be too slow to reach Link at this pace. With no other options, she snapped her fingers and yelled.

The lightning strike crashed into the blight’s back. It caught Thunderblight off guard just enough for its second strike to delay slightly.

When the second part of the flurry came for Link, he had been given just the delay he needed. Time began to slow as he dove out of the way of the slash, and an idea came to him. Urbosa was just inches away from the exit, and Link grinned. 

Time would stay slow for a little longer, and that’s all he needed. Thunderblight’s rapid strike chased him as he charged for Urbosa, crashing into her and diving for the Trial Gate.

Electricity threatened to singe Link’s foot as the two of them tumbled into the trial gate, and-

Link gripped the Master Sword in his hands and gasped, pulling it out of the Divine Beast. Blood splatters that definitely weren’t there littered the Divine Beast, and his wolf looked a lot more manic than the last time he saw it.

However, he saw no Urbosa. Panicked, he glanced around the surface of the Divine Beast. Where was she? Had something gone wrong? Riju looked like she was about to say something before blue tendrils began to spill out from the trial gate.

All of the tension left his shoulders as he saw Urbosa being slowly reformed on the surface of the Divine Beast. Buliara and Riju both gasped at the sight before them.

Unconscious, burned, and certainly injured, rested Urbosa.

Link wanted to collapse from joy.

Chapter Text

Getting Urbosa back to town had been much less stress inducing than Revali. Unlike his injuries, hers were not on a time limit. The lightning burns need to be treated with ointment that Buliara knew how to make. When asked how she knew, she vaguely mentioned something about the Chief causing small storms of her own. That… was something Link would have to ask about later. The warp back to Daqo Chisay Shrine had gone just fine, but Link shrank back at the sheer power in the commands Buliara began to bark the moment they arrived.

The guards at the right side entrance of Gerudo Town immediately got the memo. The side entrance was a great choice that allowed them to get Urbosa into the palace without being seen by anyone except the town’s guards. The stretcher instantly brought out made things easier, and Link was grateful to be much less alone this time during the return trip. He was hands off this time, and with the respect Urbosa was being handled with, he was more than fine with that. Being pressed to treat Revali’s wounds on his own before warping had been far too much “excitement” for the rest of his life.

He did check his stockpile of fairies and fairy tonic just in case it was needed. Buliara insisted that the tonics would heal the burns quickly but cause them to be a more permanent fixture. Since her condition was not life threatening, she insisted that Link allow her to stick to ointments designed for dealing with these burns. That was probably a good thing, because Link’s supply had started to dwindle after what happened with Revali. He had three tonics and five fairies to his name at the moment. Not bad, but not particularly good either.

It was at that point when Link saw the Scimitar of the Seven and Daybreaker still in his Sheikah Slate. Daybreaker had seen better days, but was still intact. Despite knowing he could probably withhold Revali’s Great Eagle Bow, withholding Urbosa’s weapons sounded like a death sentence. So, he returned the weapons to Buliara. They would be better suited with their Champion now that Link had the Master Sword and a Hylian Shield of his own.

After attempting to rouse Urbosa had not worked, there was much debate on where she would even be staying. There were hushed whispers about a place under the palace, but Riju gave a resounding ‘no’ and insisted that she would not be a good chief if she did not offer Urbosa a place to heal in the privacy of Riju’s room. Thus, a (very nice) cot was placed in Riju’s room… with an absurd amount of pillows given to it. Her ankle would be the hardest thing to heal, so they didn’t go crazy with the bedding, but Buliara refused to let the Lady Urbosa sleep on only a cot.

At some point, there was shouting downstairs, and both Link and Buliara exchanged a glance before rushing down. Wolfie had decided to make his presence known and walked straight into town with a bloodstained muzzle. The guards did not take this quite well until Buliara yelled that the wolf was a mighty warrior, a divine beast in its own right. Whatever the wolf had done while Link was in the Silent Realm, it had earned Buliara’s undying respect. That was… interesting.

Wolfie was not allowed to walk around with the blood on his muzzle, and that’s how Link distracted himself. The Gerudo had everything handled at the moment, and talks of celebration were already buzzing in the palace. He wanted nothing to do with that. While this had been a victory, he still needed two more in order to get everyone back. Next time, he wouldn’t even have Daruk’s Protection. He had needed it far too many times against Thunderblight.

So, Link mulled over these thoughts while taking a bucket of water and trying to scrub the blood off of his wolf’s muzzle. Wolfie did not take this well and kept shying away. To prove a point, the mischievous thing even started to paw at its own face to try to get the blood out of its fur on its own. This did not work well, and the wolf let out a strangely animated huff and finally resigned itself. That made this a lot easier, and Link reveled in being able to pet the wolf for more than five seconds when he wasn’t panicking.

It was a moment to slow down and plan the next couple of days. He planned to release Daruk tomorrow and Mipha the day after that. If Urbosa could not be woken up, Link would be making his way over to Purah’s laboratory to ask her what all of this could mean. Secretly, he hoped Revali was only in a coma due to never getting enough sleep. This could just be the Goddess’ way of telling him to take a nap. The thought made Link snort to himself, earning a strange look from the wolf he was currently washing.

Without prompting, Fi leapt out from the Sword and floated aimlessly for a moment. She looked between Link and the wolf before coming to a decision and lowering herself into a sitting position. Well, she imitated sitting. She was still a few inches off of the ground. “M- Link, if I recall correctly, you had to disguise yourself in order to enter this town. You are not currently wearing the same disguise,” She observed, and Link choked.

Yes, he definitely did not have time to change into his Vai outfit during the rush. He also had not considered that Fi would definitely have seen the outfit. The real reason he choked was that he hadn’t even realized he forgot to change outfits. This had happened a few times where in his excitement he forgot to change back, but all of those times ended with him getting unceremoniously tossed back out. This time, it seemed that no one had even bothered even though he currently sat in Patricia’s sandy pen. 

Link hummed while continuing to clean the disgruntled wolf in front of him. “Don’t know why they haven’t thrown me out yet. Maybe in Buliara’s orders she said not to?”

“That would be my doing, actually!” Riju called up from the staircase just behind him before marching her way down. “You’ve saved our people from Vah Naboris already and just brought Lady Urbosa back to us. Exceptions can be made to century old rules, you know.” Her expression scrunched up at the sight of the bloodied wolf being cleaned off. “Your wolf is a terrifying fighter by the way. I’m surprised he’s even letting you do that.”

A snicker escaped Link’s mouth, and the wolf rolled its eyes. He caught the expressiveness this time, but thought his eyes must be playing tricks on him. “I heard you were a terrifying fighter too,” He mentioned, and Fi nodded to confirm this fact.

“You could say that, yes,” she conceded that fact, but her gaze was still fixated on the wolf, “...but I also do not possess the ability that you two have where you can simply disappear at one location and reappear at another. And for a wolf to be able to do such things…” She trailed off, and Link had no idea what she could possibly be talking about. Recently, the wolf HAD been appearing in many suspicious places across stretches of land it should not be able to traverse…

Fi chimed and notably changed the subject. “Chief Riju, has Champion Urbosa’s recovery been facilitated? While she is not in a critical condition, Link would likely find this information useful.” Had Link not been wincing at the hyper-analytic language Fi had just used to Chief Riju, he might have noticed the wolf shooting Fi a thankful glance. 

Riju also tilted her head at the wording but took it in stride. “She will be making a full recovery very soon. The ankle is an issue, but nothing that time cannot heal. The burns are unlike any we have ever seen, but Buliara is more than capable of handling them. However, Lady Urbosa has not awoken.” That confirmed it. Link had to go visit Purah now. Before he could start thinking about that, something in Riju’s face lit up as she remembered why she came out here. “As a matter of fact, we are holding a celebration in town for the return of Lady Urbosa. I would love to introduce you properly to our people without the need for a disguise.”

That did sound enticing, but Link had a vague, distant recollection of Gerudo parties. He also had seen what Noble Pursuit was capable of, and there would likely be much of that drink there. Even worse, he had already promised Teba and Saki that he would check in before dinner, and the sun had begun to dip lower in the sky. He didn’t have time for it. As much as he enjoyed hanging out with Riju, this would have to wait. “I promised someone I would check in with them. She’s a tad persuasive.”

“Oh?” A smirk curled across Riju’s face. “What is this vai like?”

Ah. No. Link choked and shook his hands in the air. “Not like that. Got adopted. A Rito family up in Rito Village. They want me to check in. Promised them I’d be back tonight.” 

Riju’s smirk only grew wider at the word ‘adopted’. She leaned in like she was about to partake in some amazing gossip. “I never took you for the type to settle down. We haven’t been in correspondence with Rito Village for quite some time, but the Rito vai who stays here has sworn that it is a fantastic place to live.” Riju whistled, calling Patricia over. She used the large sand seal as a backrest which Patricia did not mind in the slightest. “Plan on settling down after your final fight?”

Link’s smile morphed into a frown. He… did not know what he would be doing afterwards. Sure, he had made many promises to his friends and family, but the Princess would likely wish to rebuild Hyrule. Letting her traverse the lands on her own would be dangerous with Ganon’s monsters still about, and that was if he even survived. He was her knight first and foremost. At that thought, the Sword once again reminded him that it weighed on his back. “Depends.”

Riju nodded. “Well it’s good to have someone to return to should you not know what to do when all is said and done, though they must be terrified knowing you are about to fight the Calamity. While I understand your capabilities now, it is still a massive feat-” She paused, because she saw Link wince. Her eyes narrowed. “Link? They do know you’re going to fight the Calamity, right?”

He was going to get around to it… maybe. They would never stop worrying if he blatantly told them. Hell, they should know by now that he would fight the Calamity considering that he was the Champion with the Sword that Seals the Darkness. Him reclaiming the Master Sword should have betrayed his intentions. He just… had not blatantly told them yet.

The wolf, now with its muzzle clean, tilted its head to Fi, and she proceeded to betray Link. “Unless they were told prior to my awakening, Link has not yet made this information explicitly known to them.”

He shot her a look that very blatantly said ‘what the hell?’, but Fi remained completely indifferent in her expression. 

Riju went on the offensive, placing one hand on her hip and pointing at him. “You cannot be serious.”

“I’ll tell them eventually,” he lied, looking over his work on cleaning his wolf off. He knew all the blood had been washed off, he just did not want to make eye contact with Riju. “Besides, I still need to get a Sheikah to look at a Divine Beast if Urbosa hasn’t woken up yet. I don’t really have time to waste right now.” Practiced motion. Left hand reaching for his belt to grab the slate. Fi twirling into his Sword. Like clockwork. “There might be Sheikah up at Vah Naboris. Not Yiga.”

“Link, as your friend, you really need to slow down-” Too late. The Sheikah blue had already reached down to whisk him away. Riju’s eyes widened as Link vanished.

She stood there for a moment, trying to grapple with how quickly Link changed the moment he had been told to tell people that he was about to risk his life. She didn’t like that at all, and especially did not like the wolf staring up at her at the moment. For the love of Nabooru, that poor thing had been left behind. She’d have to make a note to get onto Link for that later.

However, the wolf slapped its paw on the ground multiple times. It stared at Riju with intent, and she was once again reminded that this thing had immense amounts of intelligence. Being able to strategize in a fight with Yiga like that did not come from instinct alone. Besides, Patricia could certainly understand her and even sometimes speak. What made this wolf so different? It could likely speak too.

Kneeling down, Riju brought herself to eye level with the beast. It sat at attention. Interesting. “Are you worried too?” She asked.

Despite what she had just been thinking, it did shock her to see the wolf fully nod at her. It remained attentive, and nodded again as if to reinforce its point. Just what was this thing?

An idea came to her. She told the wolf to stay there for a moment and ran to get a spear propped up against one of the walls. Link had clearly been showing signs of recklessness, and Riju could not help but worry. She now knew where to reach out to, but not who. If Link found out her intentions, he may end up being even more reckless. Besides, if he had trusted someone enough to get adopted, they would likely be much better at approaching the subject than she could.

Riju knelt back down and presented the spear to the wolf. It tilted its head in question. She set it down and said, “I wish to reach out to those closest to Link in order to make him see reason, and to alert someone if he does do something reckless. Do you know who his parents are?”

The wolf understood. It grabbed the spear in its jaws and started to haphazardly draw lines and shapes in the sand. Riju tried to follow the spelling, but now things had started to make even less sense. The characters were very clearly Hylian in nature, but she could not make out the exact lettering. It looked more like scripts found in ancient ruins. Then, it dawned on her. She was looking at something scratched out in the sand written in Ancient Hylian. Why did a wolf know Ancient Hylian?

“Buliara?” Riju called, her voice slightly wavering as the wolf finished whatever it was writing. The wolf continued scrawling the shaky characters as multiple Gerudo guards walked out to see what was unmistakably Ancient Hylian to the trained eye. 

It took far too much fumbling around to find anyone who could actually translate the message. Despite being mostly known for her classes on voe, Ashai’s cultural awareness and studies spread far beyond simply voe. However, this was a behemoth. This wasn’t typical Ancient Hylian. While the Gerudo did not know much about times before the first awakening of Calamity Ganon, there were a few contradictory accounts on what happened in the same periods of time in history. 

Being Gerudo, they knew of the form Calamity Ganon once took, but what Ganon precisely did in that form varied from which historian they’d ask. The Gerudo did not have much of their own history to go off of. Instead, pre-Calamity, they relied on the accounts of Zora, Rito, and Gorons. The Zora believed in the myth that Ganon sought to bathe the land in twilight. The Rito spoke of a man terrorizing the ocean waters. The Gorons more heavily leaned to the Zora’s interpretation, but some swore by the Rito as well.

Had Gerudo Town not been far enough into the desert, most of this knowledge likely would have died a century ago when the Calamity awoke. In fact, with Vah Naboris turning on them, much of it did die. They still had myths, oral tradition, and rough translations to carry on, and that had been just enough.

All of this culminated into Ashai finally finding the correct cipher to translate the Ancient Hylian in front of the wolf that had waited patiently this whole time. “It just says… Teba.” Ashai looked confused at this result, but she did not know what question it had been asked.

Riju glanced at the beast that had written this out for any confirmation that they were correct. The wolf nodded, and she had her answer. 

“Buliara,” Riju called, her voice taking on the practiced tone of a true chief, “Get me someone willing to make the trek to Rito Village. I have a message to send.”

Link’s destination had been a hastily selected lab on a hill just outside of Hateno. He had been planning to come here in the first place, but he had not expected to leave that abruptly. He wanted to get out of this sandy outfit and angrily tapped away at the Sheikah Slate to get his snowquill back on. Sure, maybe Fi had not intentionally thrown him under the legs of a metaphorical horse, but getting scolded by Riju didn’t feel that great. He was just doing his job!

With a huff, Link put a hand on the hilt of the Master Sword. Fi did not need to be called. She twirled out instantly, appearing directly in front of Link with an unreadable expression.

He took a deep breath and clasped both of his palms together. When he finally found his words, he simply requested, “Please do not do that again.”

Fi seemed to take a very long time to piece together a response to that which only agitated Link more. She had to know she’d overstepped. Yet, she stayed silent, and her expression finally shifted to something ever-so-slightly different. Her eyes narrowed, and her head lowered like she was deep in thought. “My apologies,” she finally spoke, “There are a multitude of factors currently altering your success against the Calamity. I thought it wise to do something that would increase your chances of success.”

He needed to take a moment to think about that. On one hand, he wanted to be mad about Fi’s assumption that telling Saki and Teba about fighting the Calamity would help him. On the other hand, multiple factors were apparently altering his success that she had not let him in on. So, Link diverted, “What factors?”

Fi hesitated. Recently, she had taken longer and longer to respond. When she was certain of her response, she hardly missed a beat. She had started to hesitate more and more, and this time had become far too noticeable. 

Unfortunately for Link, she did not have time to respond. The doors to the Hateno Lab swung open with a very annoyed Symin at the door. Symin looked like he was about to say something, likely that they were being loud, but his eyes locked on Fi and his face paled. 

Interrupted again. That was it. Tonight, after whatever dinner Saki was going to subject him to, Link was sitting down with Fi and having a talk about everything . No more distractions.

Fi took one look at the Sheikah in front of her and immediately seemed to drop her gaze to observe the Sheikah more closely. They both stared at each other for a moment, each surprised by the other’s presence.

“Symin, are you done telling Linky to quit babbling and get in here-” Purah yelled from deep inside the Hateno Laboratory, no doubt being in the middle of something. She leaned back and Link could barely see her head over the heaps of machinery strewn about on the floor. As soon as she spotted Fi, she went bug-eyed. “Ooooh, you didn’t tell me you were bringing a friend, or that you were bringing yourself over here Linky!”

He hated that nickname. As much of a genius as Purah was, Link found her quite overwhelming in the earlier days after waking up. The silence of the Shrine of Resurrection had been so deafening that it probably made meeting her MUCH worse. Link opened his mouth to respond, but Fi interrupted- “It is good to know that the Sheikah are faring well,” -and immediately zipped back into the Master Sword.

Well, he had forced her to do many explanations over the past few days. Despite him being a little angry at her, this was some karma.

Okay, he needed to make this as fast as possible. Link walked into the lab as soon as Symin stepped out of the way of the door. The sun was already dipping in the sky, and he needed this done now. Purah had already leapt up to greet him further, but before she could go on another tirade, he interrupted, “I need your help with the Divine Beasts.”

Though annoyed that she got interrupted, Purah’s annoyance shifted into sheer interest. “Ooooh that’s a good one Linky. We’ve seen TWO of the Divine Beast beams power down lately!” She practically smacked a stool into position for Link to sit on before leaping up on a stool of her own. “Do you have something to do with that?”

Fi made no move to come back out of the Master Sword. Yep, he was definitely going to have to explain all of this. Now, he cursed himself for not talking to Mipha first about the entire form of communication that the Shrine of Resurrection had robbed him of.

So, Link receded into a neutral expression and began a short and concise explanation on just what had happened. He could not go through reciting this story to everyone yet again. “The Champions are alive.” He noticed Purah about to say something and he put up a hand to stop her. “Revali and Urbosa have been freed, but they haven’t woken up. We- I don’t know why.” He really did not want to explain Fi of all things right now.

Now that Link had stopped his very-not-precise recount of the situation, Purah’s eyes narrowed in a way that was trying to figure out whether or not he was lying. “Okaaay,” She hummed to herself and made some kind of gesture that Symin understood. “Now, I would usually believe you with this kinda thing since you also didn’t stay dead, but the other Champions didn’t get thrown in the Shrine of Resurrection like you did.”

Right, that’s why he came here. In all honesty, this shouldn’t have worked. “I can take you to Rito Village if you want to see for yourself,” He offered, but he really just needed them to believe him now. He couldn’t explain this in a concise enough way while getting in all of the details. Maybe this is why being silent came easier in the past. “...Or I could take you to the warp gates. You can see what exactly happened when I played some songs.”

He looked up and saw Purah staring at him with an amused smirk on her face. “Wow Linky, I wasn’t gonna believe you at first, but with how much trouble you’re having explaining this, you definitely messed with the Divine Beasts.” She hopped off of her stool and put that strange little jetpack device on. She yelled at Symin who was right there, “Symin, you’re in charge!!” And she immediately turned back to Link. “Sure, take me there. Your Slate should be able to take us both!”

Link blinked. He had really explained that so terribly that it made Purah believe something had happened WAY above his level. While he would usually be offended, that made things so much less stressful for him. He pulled out the Slate and aimed for Vah Naboris. That would be easier to get down from if things went wrong, and these two were not dressed for Vah Medoh.

When he took out the slate, he asked, “How many can this thing take?”

“Oh, probably six!” Purah answered without a second thought. “It was supposed to be specifically designed to transport all of the Champions at once if needed. It could maaaybe do much more if rigged up to a nifty power source. We just never got it to do much more than the camera rune before the Calamity hit!”

That would’ve been useful. Link somehow felt bitter about that. If they had that, maybe he could’ve been at every Divine Beast to help everyone in the first place instead of being stranded at Mount Lanayru with Zelda. Purah’s cheery tone about this discovery could not be more different than his feelings on it.

Better late than never. It had been instrumental in saving Revali’s life, so that had to be worth something. 

“Oooh wait I just had an idea.” Purah pushed her stool right up next to Link and looked over his shoulder at the Sheikah Slate he was busy looking through. “We should go pick up Robbie! He’d get a kick out of this and would try to kill me if I didn’t tell him we went on this little adventure of ours!”

Link tilted his head. “Haven’t you two not been in touch in a while?”

She nodded. “Mhm! All the more reason to go pick him up. It can be a fun little field trip!”

He was never going to make it to dinner, was he?

Resigning himself, Link waited for Purah to grab onto him before tapping the travel gate for the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. Maybe, it was a mistake to indulge Purah at all. Oh well, no turning back now. They both vanished into blue light and-

-as Link saw all of the guardian tech around the lab, he realized not much had changed since the last time he was here. 

He’d actually stopped by right before he planned to finally assault Hyrule Castle. The amount of ancient arrows he purchased from Robbie had been excessive, but there was no such thing as excessive when it came to fighting Ganon. His ancient armor had been fully upgraded by the Great Fairies and checked over by Robbie for any defects. And, if he really decided to swap off of Revali’s Great Eagle Bow, the Ancient Bows in his arsenal would more than cover for him.

 Therefore, Robbie was not at all surprised to see Link standing at his door when he opened it. “Run out of your arrows already, Link?” He asked before going bug-eyed at the sight of the mini Sheikah right next to Link. “Purah, is that you?”

“Sure is me ya old GEEZER! Check it!” 

This was a mistake.

Truly, it was good to see two good friends meeting back up again. Unfortunately, only one of Link’s memories even had Purah in it, so he had no idea what the two even meant to each other in the past. They bounced off of each other like old friends, and it was a wonder that they hadn’t visited each other recently. These two would be a menace on the same side.

Link stayed off to the side of the room to let them catch up, but the conversation began to turn into low buzzing in his ears. He vaguely caught Purah making a joke about him breaking the Divine Beasts, but he was somewhere else during this conversation. His mind had drifted to how to free Daruk. After all, there were still two more Divine Beasts. He had no information on how Fireblight killed Daruk, but for something to kill a Goron, it had to deal considerable damage.

Purah and Robbie had started talking about how to get diagnostics from the Divine Beasts with the Sheikah Slate.

Riju hadn’t taken all of this too well. That was fine. Maybe he was doing a disservice to Teba and Saki by not telling them about the Calamity getting stronger. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. He’d left Riju in a rush, but he had no time to waste. He especially couldn’t sit around arguing over whether or not to fight the Calamity when it was an inevitability. It was like all of them thought he wasn’t a trained knight specifically engineered for this purpose.

And now, his own Sword had begun to work against him in that regard.

He didn’t want to do any of this. He would gladly run away to live a life in Rito Village free from all of this. That wouldn’t stop the Calamity, and that would lead to everyone he had grown to love dying all over again. His stalling had only made that worse, and now it was time to face the music. 

“Helloooo? Hyrule to Link?” Purah was in the process of leaping up to wave a hand in front of his face. He jumped with a start, and realized that he had tuned out of the entire conversation. “Good, you’re back. We already figured out what we’re gonna do.”

That fast? Or had he been gone for that long?

Robbie cut in to answer his wordless question, “Purah and I got a LOT of catching up to do which’ll be easier over some good ol’ Sheikah Tech. Gonna be an all-nighter for us!” The two exchanged a high-five that looked way too happy for an all-nighter.

“And we’ll need your Sheikah Slate,” Purah quickly added, which made Link immediately bristle. “We’ll just drop you off somewhere and have it back to you by the morning, but we need that thing to get a reading on the Divine Beasts… aaaand we might need to enter one that’s still active.”

He’d have no Sheikah Slate and would need to rely on Purah’s timeline. That would be actual torture. Link bet he could get halfway to Goron City on foot by the time they finished up with whatever they were doing. Besides, this didn’t even depend on him. If they needed a Divine Beast that was still active, the best option was Vah Ruta which would mean… Link cleared his throat before speaking again, “I’ll have to talk to Mipha.”

Robbie squinted at this information. “Mipha’s still kickin?”

Purah, who had not fifteen minutes ago almost decided Link was crazy, answered with a simple: “All of em are, apparently!” She did eye the Master Sword for a second. “Say, you wouldn’t mind introducing me to whatever is hiding in your sword right now, would you?”

Even though Fi let out a chime, Link brought a hand back to the hilt. “Absolutely not right now.” The light of the Master Sword dimmed, and he felt slightly bad for that one. They needed to keep moving. “I’ll bring you to Ruta, so Mipha won’t turn on the defensive mechanisms. Then, you can drop me off at Rito Village and quickly do whatever it is you do to figure out why the Champions wouldn’t be waking up.”

The two Sheikah took a moment to do their own personal huddle. Link caught Robbie saying, “Are you sure he isn’t crazy?” and Purah responding with “No, but I wanna look at some Divine Beasts.”

At this point, Fi once again ignored Link’s commands. She twirled out from the Master Sword, immediately breaking the huddle just by being a presence in this little talk. Robbie went bug-eyed again, and Purah immediately turned away from their little conversation to look at her.

However, Fi was not here to entertain them. She simply stated, “Link requires the Sheikah Slate back in his possession at approximately sunrise tomorrow morning. I advise departing immediately to remain on this schedule.” Her voice carried its sharp analytical tone, but the firmness she used surprised even Link. She did not let anyone get in another word. She just… twirled back into the Sword without a second thought.

…and Link still could not tell whose side she was actually on.

Purah glanced between the Master Sword and him, coming to a decision based on what she just saw. “Yeaaaaah, probably a good idea to obey the Sword that Seals the Darkness… but you’re definitely letting us take a look at that when this whole Calamity thingy is over with.”

He was never going to escape them.

Hastily, Link gestured for the two of them to grab on. Robbie had a few tools packed in a satchel, but hopefully it went without stating to not deconstruct Divine Beasts. He finally got the two of them to grab on at the same time, and Link selected Vah Ruta.

Finally, they were off-

-and right back down in Zora’s Domain with the sun going down. Saki was going to kill him. 

He didn’t need to worry about Saki for long, because rematerializing made him realize that Mipha was also going to kill him.

While Purah and Robbie were cheering at being warped for the first time, they were completely unaware of the glowing ghost making her way directly to Link. Mipha had already closed the distance between Vah Ruta and Link, pointing an accusatory finger his way. “You better be more careful next time, or I will have to tell your mother all about this!” She threatened.

Oh for the love of the golden goddesses, she had a new threat. Link put his head in his hand and snorted. The other two Sheikah scientists looked up at him like he was crazy when he said, “I’m fine, Mipha. You got me out of that close call.”

She did not seem placated and continued to cross her arms. “While I am happy that you are still with us, you must be aware that you will only have my Grace next time. Please be more careful in the future. Also, you look exhausted, and you should not be out right now.”

He felt exhausted. Truly, he hadn’t even done most of the heavy lifting today unless he counted the Silent Realm. That was just his spirit doing the work though, not his physical body. When he thought about it, he realized that was somehow worse. Still, he felt like he had done much worse in his days as a knight. This was nothing. “I’ll be fine. Can’t use the Slate tonight anyway. Purah and Robbie need to check the Divine Beasts to figure out why people aren’t waking up.”

Mipha’s eyes widened as she glanced at the two people before her. She undoubtedly knew them in the past. “What in Hyrule happened to Purah? And is that Robbie? Oh my how time passes.”

“Uh, Linky? You doing all right there?” Purah asked, and oh.

They couldn’t see Mipha.

Link drew out a long sigh. “Mipha’s right there as a spirit. Only some people can see her apparently.”

“Uh-huh, and who would these people be?”

That was a very fun question that raised more questions than answers. “So far, it’s been me, Chief Riju…” Link scrunched his face. “...the Master Sword, and a wolf that follows me around a lot.”

“Riiiight…” Purah’s concern only grew the more details he gave, but she was a woman of science and would not back down. “Well, guess that’s another one to try and figure out. Link, if she’s actually there, can you ask her not to blast us when we check out the Divine Beast?”

Now, Mipha looked a tad bit concerned herself. “Link, they’re not planning on tearing Vah Ruta to pieces, right?”

Understanding, Link turned to Purah. “You can’t take Vah Ruta apart at all.”

“Oh, we know that Linky. Don’t you worry!” Purah bounced on her heels, pointing at the Slate with her fingers itching to grab it right off of Link’s belt. “That Slate there lets us figure out all kinds of neat stuff about the Divine Beasts without needing to move a thing. You’ve got nothing to worry about!”

Mipha sighed, but the tension left her shoulders at Purah’s reassurances. “Well then, I would be happy to contribute to finding out what has happened with our fellow Champions… By the way, is Urbosa all right?”

Link had already started to deposit some essentials from the Slate. “Urbosa is recovering much better. Her wounds were less time-sensitive than Revali.” As he spoke, he placed a bottle of fairy tonic into a satchel just in case. “She’s in great care.”

“That is wonderful to hear.” Mipha watched Link as he brought out the Goddess Harp and carefully hooked it onto his belt. The Great Eagle Bow that shortly followed from the Slate made something in her eyes change, but he did not pay it much mind. He refused to leave the Great Eagle Bow in someone else’s care.

That… would really be all of the essentials for the night. His snowquill would do fine for the weather up in Hebra. Though, when Purah took the Sheikah Slate and began to babble something to Robbie, Link remembered something he was supposed to ask. His eyes lit up as he turned back to Mipha. “Did I once… know how to sign?”

Mipha’s eyes widened in shock. Her mouth fell open for a second before she regained her composure. “I… yes, you did. I had not realized you forgot how. I thought you simply no longer felt burdened by your position as a knight…” She had come to a revelation that made her more sad than anything. Her pained smile betrayed her.

He knew he never talked much before, but this was news to him. What had the extent been? “Did I always sign?”

Mipha had begun to fiddle with one of the ornaments adorning her face. “Only when necessary. Ever since drawing the Master Sword, I never even heard your voice.”

That sounded right, and it hurt to know. However, he had gotten better. Even if it sometimes became difficult to speak, he had been doing so much better at that. Still, it would be a relief to have another way to talk if it got too difficult. “Talking is still hard sometimes, but… would you be willing to teach me what I forgot?”

Mipha’s fins had begun to sag the entire conversation, but now her face lit up like she had just been given the best gift imaginable. “When all of this is over, I would love to.”

“Heyyyy Linky!” Purah interrupted, bouncing up and down just a few feet away. “Robbie and I are ready to go! Where do you wanna be dropped off for the night?”

That was his cue. He turned to Mipha one more time. “I’ll be going to Daruk tomorrow. Then, it’s your turn.”

Her happiness slightly broke into worry, but she nodded her head at the prospect of being freed as well. “You have my support, Link,” she said with a warm smile, waving him goodbye.

And so, Link turned back to Purah and shortly found himself warping back to Rito Village where he planned to meet the Sheikah again in the morning. Thus, the long wait began.

The first thing Link did on arrival to Rito Village was immediately leap off of the shrine to get down to Swallow’s Roost faster. Teba and Saki could wait a little longer, but he couldn’t help himself. He had to see if Revali was doing any better. 

Verla let out a loud squawk as Link landed onto the wooden walkway just outside of the inn. He ignored the frustrated protests at his method of arrival and burst into the inn. Cecili looked up for just a moment at who had arrived and immediately went back down to reading. This was normal for her, and she was not going to care in the slightest that Link had once again crash landed near her roost.

Revali’s hammock had hardly moved. He had changed position slightly, but that was likely only due to the fresh set of bandages on his chest. Nothing had changed, but he still looked peaceful. At least, he was having a very good nap. He deserved the rest. Still, a weight pressed in Link’s chest when seeing Revali still completely unkempt and unmoving. That stupid bird was supposed to be insulting him, not sleeping.

It shouldn’t have hurt him that much to see Revali out of commission, but every time he came down here, the weight in his chest grew heavier. 

Suddenly lacking direction, Link glanced around. He didn’t know why he got his hopes up so much when jumping down here, but at least Revali’s health was improving. That would have to be enough for now. Besides, maybe tomorrow Purah and Robbie would have the answers he needed. It sounded dumb in his head, but Link wished he had the privacy to promise Revali things would be fine. He didn’t, and he turned around to go back to his family.

He’d be fine. Everything would be fine.

The long way up to the upper roosts felt worse without Revali’s Gale to call upon.

When he finally did trudge his way back up to the roost, Tulin had once again been waiting at the top of the stairs for him. The sour mood quickly turned around when Link was dive bombed by the small fledgling, and he couldn’t help but feel his mouth quirk into a smile when Tulin went on and on about how he saw Link paraglide down into Swallow’s Roost and had been waiting ever since.

Saki watched from inside the roost with an expression Link couldn’t quite decipher. Sure, she looked at their little hug with joy, but when she looked at him specifically, her smile faltered just a bit. When he finally got in the roost, all she did was force him to sit down and eat while she commented on the fact that he had gotten sand in his hair. 

When Teba saw the Great Eagle Bow strapped to Link’s back, he couldn’t help himself and asked to see it. Everyone else had already eaten, and Link had been completely late. No one commented on it, but it left everyone except him to their own devices. Teba had decided to show Tulin the intricacies of the Great Eagle Bow’s design, much to Saki’s dismay. Link could understand. He had said the same thing before. Tulin had a life ahead of him, and it wouldn’t be great to follow in the footsteps of a warrior like Link.

At some point while he was eating, Saki knelt down next to him with a comb in hand. Ah, he had forgotten about that. She tilted her head and asked, “Link, are you still comfortable with me putting your hair in braids?”

Comfortable? “Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked with a mouthful of rice. Braiding hair was just something lots of people did. 

“Braiding in Rito culture means something different than what you’re probably thinking,” Teba cut in, looking up from the Great Eagle Bow. “It’s reserved exclusively for family or partners.”

Saki nodded. “It’s a sign of trust and family among Rito. I only ask to make sure you’re comfortable with it. We are family, but it is ultimately up to you.”

He had no idea how important it was to Rito, but he would hardly say he was uncomfortable. In fact, that made his heart swell far too much than it should have. All of the family stuff was starting to get to him far too much, but he couldn’t help it. They were being far too kind, but he would cherish this while he had the time. “I’m comfortable, thank you.” He smiled, and Saki smiled back.

As she undid the braids the Sheikah Slate naturally made, Saki started to comb the mess that was his hair. He had gotten too much sand in it, but that was Urbosa’s thunderstorm’s fault, not his. Saki didn’t seem to mind, and she made sure not to excessively tug on his hair. That was the moment she broached the subject of Link traveling to Swallow’s Roost. “He will be all right, you know.”

Link made sure not to move too much, but his shoulders sagged when he pictured Revali somewhere down below. “I tried to get someone to figure out why he’s not waking up, so I can only hope.” He really hoped that Purah and Robbie could figure out just how to wake all of them up. Simply wishing wasn’t enough.

Teba had started to eye Link’s belt with a bit of suspicion. He must’ve noticed the Sheikah Slate was gone, but he did not bring it up. Instead, he continued to inspect the bow and tend to its string as he talked, “He’s making fine progress. You did a good job.”

“Not good enough,” Link muttered under his breath.

Saki must’ve heard him, because she very slightly tugged on his hair to get his attention. “Absolutely none of that out of you. You’ve been running yourself around Hyrule doing far more than you should. You’re doing just fine if I have anything to say about it.” Her voice rose a few pitches, and Teba had already clicked his beak firmly shut to give her the floor. “I am sure he will be thankful for you taking care of him after he wakes up.”

At that, Link couldn’t hide a loud exhale from his nose. Revali? Thanking him? That was a laugh. “I think Revali would rather forfeit his bow than thank me.”

This time it was Teba laughing. He had definitely read Revali’s diary, and that certainly tracked. Saki was less amused, but she continued to focus on separating Link’s hair into partitions. “Well, he does not have his bow, so he will be thanking you.”

Link would pay to see Revali get scolded by Saki.

Now that Link had finished his food, he was still being held captive by her diligently working on his braids. That made his eyes look at Teba’s own braids, and he saw a pink feather woven into each. He had seen them weave their feathers into each other’s braids in the morning. So, he asked, “What do the feathers in your braids mean?”

Teba’s own feathers ruffled very slightly, but he maintained an iron gaze on the bow in front of him. Still, he answered, “Rito exchange feathers only when they’re either courting or married. One feather means courting, two feathers means married.”

That made sense. He had seen them both do exactly that the previous morning. That was honestly rather endearing. He made a mental note to check other Rito’s braids when walking around the village. Without a doubt, Kass and Amali had each other’s feathers. The amount of Rito customs he had probably missed out on were very interesting, and he’d probably be learning many more.

He would learn many more if he actually got to stay in Rito Village, but that would probably come to an end soon.

Finally, Saki let go of the finished braids. They were much more elaborate than whatever the Sheikah Slate did with his hair, and Link found himself liking the style when he felt them with his hand. They would definitely hold up well if he jostled them too much, which he would absolutely be doing. Unfortunately, the Sheikah Slate would sometimes change his hairstyle, so he would have to stop trying to swap clothes on the fly. He hated doing that still, but it had become too convenient when warping all over the place.

Link whispered a “thank you” to Saki, and she gave him one of her warmest smiles yet. He should have been expecting the follow up hug, but he was still surprised as ever when pink feathers wrapped around him. Had Tulin not already not fallen asleep up against Teba, he probably would have joined in on the hug too. 

He wished it could be like this forever.

But, his eyes drifted to the Master Sword laying dormant under his hammock.

Excusing himself that night had been easier than usual. Saki and Teba were less nervous now that he didn’t have the Sheikah Slate on him, and the shrine was not that far away. He couldn’t go too far to have a private conversation with Fi, so this would have to do. Hopefully, no one saw the very glowy manifestation of the Master Sword in the depths of night.

So, when he found himself alone with the Master Sword on his back, Link reached out to Fi. He didn’t even need to call her name. Link sat down on the landing next to the shrine as she twirled out from the Sword and sat down next to him. Silence passed for a moment, and Link didn’t know how to start.

This would be a long night, and a blood moon was on the horizon.

“Fi, why couldn’t you answer me earlier?” he started. Felt like a good place if any. “...about my chances against the Calamity? What did that mean?”

Again, Fi took a moment, but Link could be patient now. He had time for this, and he would wait. Fi eventually responded, “My goal is to help you defeat the incarnation of Demise. I think of the most effective way to do such a thing. While I could give you the odds and what factors influence your victory, there are moments where telling you these things would decrease your chances.”

While that made a bit of sense, Link found himself a bit skeptical. “How? I’d know where I need to improve instead of being grilled by Riju.”

The Master Sword let out another chime. Fi was thinking. She opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again. It took her multiple tries, but Link tried to be as patient as possible. He knew firsthand how difficult speaking his mind could be. She finally got something out: “I understand that you do not wish to be compared to your previous iterations. However, it may be helpful to provide one as an example as to why I do not share some information.”

That was interesting. Her tone with him had shifted ever since Hylia plagued him with that vision in the Temple of Time. However, if it helped… “Please do.”

She nodded. “Understood. The first time you wielded me, or rather the Chosen Hero-” she attempted to change her language, “-there was a moment where I knew the exact odds of success of his final battle against Demise. I did not impart this information upon him, as it would only serve to lower his chances if he was only thinking about the number rather than who he was fighting for. I simply wished him good luck instead.”

Would it help if he knew the exact odds of his success? Link thought back to being on Vah Medoh with Revali. Fi had told him the exact survival chance if he continued on a certain course of action which had helped him to avoid those actions. That had only stressed Link out more, but it succeeded in ruling out possible life-threatening errors. The Calamity was something unavoidable that he would HAVE to fight. If he knew the exact odds of that… he would only get stress out of it. 

As much as he hated it, she was probably right on that front. He sighed, “I get it now.”

Fi nodded once more, her gaze trailing to the silhouette of Vah Medoh in the sky. “Understood. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Yes actually.” Link followed her gaze to Vah Medoh. “Why do you stare at Medoh so often?”

She broke her gaze immediately and took to staring across Lake Totori. “Its design reminds me of a time long gone. It has distracted me.” She glanced at Link who gestured for her to go on. “Its design reminds me of a birdlike creature that used to be a companion of the Chosen Hero. They were known as loftwings. I simply remember being carried through the sky, and it distracts me. My apologies.”

Link recalled the red bird he conjured in order to pilot Vah Medoh. He wondered if it had something to do with that. However, he ended up shaking his head when Fi tried to apologize for that. “You know you don’t have to apologize for reminiscing, right?”

“It is an error that prevents me from achieving my purpose,” She quickly replied with her voice growing to be more rigid.

Link decided to lay his back down onto the landing and stare up into the night sky. “To be honest, I know what it’s like to wake up in a world you know nothing about. There’s nothing wrong with thinking about what you lost.” He became very aware of how much he might be projecting, but he still muttered, “Hylia knows I do it all the time.”

Shockingly, Fi chose to lay down opposite him and stare at the sky too. She seemed much more rigid about it, and it might’ve just been a mimicry of Link’s pose. However, she did not immediately respond. Her cloak billowed slowly as she lowered herself down onto the flat surface. Link thought that was the first time she had actually touched the ground around him. 

“I will attempt to consider this fact more often.”

He hadn’t expected that from her, but it was so much progress that he couldn’t help but smile. His pushback against being compared to earlier heroes might’ve been detrimental to her reminiscing, but she still had the right to do so. He just didn’t like when it was projected on him. 

With a sigh, he asked, “One more question?”

“You may ask as many questions as you would like.”

This one was the hardest, and with the malice of the castle being visible from Rito Village, he had to ask, “How much time do I have left?”

Fi hesitated, but she did not fall into complete silence like before. Instead, she asked him something different, “Would you like to know with the understanding that it may lower your odds?”

He thought of Tulin bounding into his arms every day. He thought of Teba’s concern and care throughout the past few weeks. He thought of Saki braiding his hair and making sure he was properly resting. He needed to know how long that could last, and when it was time to stop living in a fantasy.

“Yes, I’d like to know.”

Fi chimed, but Link could see that she no longer had the strength to lay down. She floated upright and stared at the flaking malice around the castle. The air began to turn a sickly red, and Link could see the malice beginning to take shape around the village itself. The moon had taken on a sickly red as it rose closer to the peak of the sky. A blood moon.

As monsters across the land returned to life for another shot, Link found himself shuddering under the red moonlight. Fi turned to him, and seemed to be wanting to say something. “Master Link- apologies- Link, you must not fear the malice. Your blade defies and repels it, and so will I. You may have forgotten this technique, but I should share it with you now with the information you ask for. Draw your weapon.”

The Master Sword chimed once more. Link turned to Fi with a questioning gaze, but followed her directions. The blood moon grew in intensity as Link drew the Master Sword. It hummed with energy as the malice grew. 

Fi gazed up at the stars and the moon up above. “Raise your weapon skyward.”

Link held the blade of the Master Sword in front of his face. Yes, he could do that. Even though a phantom memory pulled at the edges of his brain from multiple directions, including one he just recently had, he knew he could do this. He raised his weapon high in the sky, and divine energy began to course through the blade of the Master Sword. This had happened at the Sacred Grove. This had happened when Zelda had fallen from the sky and he had no other option. This had happened when he needed to protect his friends. 

On instinct, he brought the Master Sword downward in a wide arc, and a slash of pure divine energy surged forward, cutting through the night sky. The malice in his immediate vicinity fled from the strike as it faded away into the night. He knew the name of that move.

A Skyward Strike.

Fi had her answer to Link’s question. He had learned something new. He had gained something that could repel the malice more effectively. What could she say that would… tip the odds back to being even?

“Zelda’s power will wane within the next day.”

He shouldn’t have asked.

Chapter Text

He didn’t have the Sheikah Slate.

Even if he set out immediately, he didn’t have any supplies to traverse Death Mountain. He might be able to free Mipha on time, but he was still all the way across Hyrule! He would need to traverse the roads of Lanayru without the aid of Revali’s Gale. It would take too long. It would all take too long! 

Revali and Urbosa were still asleep. Medoh and Naboris wouldn’t even be able to aid him in the fight against Ganon. He had knowingly crippled himself in the coming fight, and it was all because he had stalled for far too long! 

Fi looked on with concern and said something, but it only registered as a low buzz in his ears. He couldn’t focus on her voice when things were going to go so terribly wrong. Here he was, messing around in Rito Village while Ganon threatened to finally break Zelda’s seal. What kind of pathetic knight was he? What kind of pathetic person was he to prioritize himself over the rest of Hyrule? For two years he stalled under the guise of getting stronger. For two years, he avoided the Master Sword when it would have helped him. 

His throat felt tight as he slumped down onto the landing. He’d never had issues with breathing at this elevation before.

The Master Sword chimed, but Link only responded by setting it down next to him and ignoring it. He couldn’t look at it. He had utterly failed in his responsibility, because he would rather spend all of his time building a town in Akkala instead of saving the rest of Hyrule. He would rather waste precious moments building a house just so that he could delay from being a knight for just a little longer.

Look at where that had gotten him.

Here he sat, too late to properly do his job. Here he was, letting down every single person he tried to be friends with on borrowed time. Here he fell, lying to himself that he was anything other than a weapon designed to fight the Calamity.

As he slumped over in defeat, he looked down and saw that his tunic had changed color to the vibrant green that plagued his memories. Link’s eyes clouded over, and he remembered.

He had been so close. The Demon Lord had tried his best, but he couldn’t deter Link. Now, the only thing deterring him was the Sheikah woman telling Zelda to simply walk away to achieve some purpose. Zelda was right there, and she had been convinced by this person to simply leave! But… the gate she went through was still open. He could still make it, even with that woman with a Sheikah Eye on her head blocking the way. He had to make it. 

As he stumbled up the steps, the woman turned with a side-eye that demanded for him to freeze. He did not want to fight her, and his limbs locked up. Surely, if she just knew he was trying to help Zelda too, she would let him-

“It took you far too long to get here. Looking at you, I fear the goddess is mistaken in her choice of agents.”

He flinched. So that’s what this was all about? He had been too slow? He had been chasing after Zelda for so long, and he had somehow done it wrong?

“If this failure is any indication, you have no hope of defending Her Grace from those who seek to assail her.”

He shook. His arms trembled. Did she know what he had to sacrifice? Did she know how it felt to watch his friend get pulled from the sky? 

She did not care. “Do my words anger you, boy?” She shook her head, scowling at him. “Do my words sting? Let them. If I had not come when I did, your Zelda would already have fallen into the hands of the enemy.”

But… he had tried! He had taken up the Goddess Sword without any hesitation. Fi had tried to aid him in reaching Zelda as soon as possible, but she always seemed slightly out of reach. And yet…

She was right. The Demon Lord almost killed her. 

“The truth of it is you were late. You were late, and you failed to protect her.”

Link gasped for air.

He had been too late to save everyone. It hadn’t even been the first time. It must have just been in his nature to be too perpetually late to do a single thing correctly. Because of his failures, Zelda’s power threatened to break. She wouldn’t be able to hold back Ganon forever, and what would become of Hyrule if Link couldn’t defeat the Calamity?

Half of the Divine Beasts couldn’t fire now. Half of the Champions could no longer bestow their gifts upon him. The other half remained trapped, and Link could not bear to leave them behind. If he had more time, he could fix all of this. He could wake them all up. They would attack the Calamity like they were meant to: together.

But he was too late.

And again, he remembered-

Sheik had already told him where to go. He needed to free the sages. That was simple enough, but all of his limbs felt wrong. One moment, he had pulled the Master Sword, and the next he had been informed that he had been sealed away for seven years. He didn’t know how to feel about that. It had been seven years in a stasis, and he didn’t know why. Wasn’t he supposed to pull the Master Sword and bring a stop to Ganondorf? That’s what he was supposed to do, right? He could stop Ganondorf before things got even worse.

Walking out of the Temple of Time revealed a different story.

Terror seized Link’s heart as he gazed upon the carnage. Castle Town had been completely razed and destroyed. Shambling husks of tightened flesh stood motionless in the streets. Smog covered the sky and blotted out the sun completely. 

He was supposed to stop this, right? Wasn’t that why Zelda trusted him with the Ocarina of Time?

But, if everything looked like this, then he was already too late-

“Stop,” Link whispered, but the memories were unrelenting. He hardly noticed the faint golden glow on his hand. “Please-”

He couldn’t breathe. But he kept remembering.

That thing had taken his sister. He ran towards the massive birdlike creature that had grasped her in its talons. It had flown too far already, and he stumbled uselessly off the cliffside. Had Tetra not been there to catch him, he would have fallen. But- that was his sister! He couldn’t just let it get away. He had to go after it. He had to! Tetra’s words snapped him out of it. He had been too late.

Did he have a sister? He thought he might have. He didn’t know anymore. He didn’t know.

The welt growing on his head panged over and over again. He couldn’t tend to it now. Those beasts had taken every single kid from the village, and he’d let his guard down for a second. Ilia had been taken too. He was fast. He could trail after them, find Epona, and make chase. He skidded to a stop at a shroud of darkness blocking his way. They had passed through. A claw reached through the barrier of twilight and grasped his chest. He couldn’t save them. He was already too late.

Link’s nails dug into the wood on the landing. He shut his eyes to try to force the memories away. He didn’t want to see it anymore. He didn’t want to-

He remembered.

Zelda hadn’t unlocked her sealing power, but what choice did they all have? Link grimaced as he plucked a shield off of a fallen guard in the now ruined Castle Town. The Guardian laser currently trained on him finally sped up in its methodical beeping. He took a deep breath and let go of Zelda for a brief moment to make some distance. When the beam fired, he wasted no time in sending it right back.

How were they supposed to know that Ganon could turn the ancient technology against them?

The Guardian Stalker crumpled and lost its ability to fight back. Good, now for the rest of them. He just needed to cut his way through Castle Town and make it to the Castle Sanctum. The next step of the battle would be up to the Divine Beasts. He turned back around to grab Zelda’s wrist, but her gaze had been transfixed on something else far in the distance.

He followed her gaze, and his heart shattered.

Vah Medoh’s brilliant blue lights began to flicker to a violent magenta. Revali was in danger, and Link had no way to come to his aid. His head swiveled to the directions of the other three Divine Beasts on the far off horizon. The same struggle persisted across all of them, and Vah Ruta-

Vah Ruta’s lights flashed magenta, and they never changed back.

Mipha had fallen.

More guardians began to swarm over the roofs of burning houses. They were surrounded. Without the Divine Beasts, Link couldn’t fight his way through. There were too many. The Sheikah pillars that had risen around the castle spewed out guardian after guardian, and they all began to swarm in his general direction. More and more continued to unscrew themselves from the pillars, and they continued endlessly. 

They couldn’t stay.

Grabbing Zelda’s wrist, Link whispered a frantic apology to everyone he was abandoning. They had to fall back. If they could just make it to Fort Hateno, there may be a fighting chance. The Sheikah in Kakariko could help. They just had to regroup.

He had been too late to save Mipha. Later that night, the rest of his friends would soon follow.

And so would he.

He was just always too late.

Teba noted that Link seemed exhausted when he entered their roost for dinner. That Sheikah device he always carried around was strangely absent, and Teba felt relieved by that. The constant warping had become too much, and this meant that Link would be forced to take a small break tonight. Out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that Saki had similar feelings about this. She had been worried sick every time Link left to a Divine Beast, and now that the Sheikah Slate was absent, she looked much less tense.

When Link mentioned that he needed to handle something before he retired for the night, Teba thought nothing of it. He didn’t have that slate, and he said he wouldn’t go far. Even Saki didn’t protest much. The blood moon rising into the sky made him feel slightly more perturbed, but Link had been out during these before. Regardless of how many monsters rose again, the village was protected by the greatest archers in Hyrule. Things would be fine. The blood moon passed, and nothing happened.

So, when Saki had already put Tulin to bed and Teba prepared to fly up to his own hammock, he had not expected to see something- or someone floating towards his roost. 

Rito night vision had never been quite great, but this thing shimmered. He had no idea where the light was coming from, unless it was coming off of this figure specifically. She did not take on the appearance of anything Teba could possibly recognize, and he had never once seen anyone in Hyrule look like this. The strange blue that made up her entire form stood in stark contrast to the purple on her cloak. 

The next thought was whether or not she would be a threat. 

Teba had a falcon bow stored up in the rafters of his roost. If he really needed it, he could just fly up there and snatch it. However, this person seemed lost. She drifted by Harth’s roost without a second thought, and Teba could barely make out the darker Rito tracking this strange thing as well. They both exchanged a glance of worry, but the person locked eyes with Teba.

Immediately, she hovered up the staircase to his roost, and Teba drew himself up to his full height in front of the entrance. Saki looked over his shoulder and finally realized what was happening. With a scathing bite to his tone, Teba demanded, “Not a step further.”

She drifted to a stop. The billowing of her cloak slowed even though the winds remained at a steady constant. Her head dipped slightly, but not enough to be a formal bow. “My apologies. The name I was given is Fi. It is my understanding that you are Master Link’s caretaker.”

That had not been the words Teba was expecting. In fact, he almost had not expected words at all. She could’ve been a common monster, but he had never seen one like this. Her voice drifted through the air in a way that Teba couldn’t possibly describe. And yet, at the mention of Link, Teba bristled. He exchanged a glance over his shoulder to Saki, and nodded his head upward to where he knew the bow was hidden. She understood, and took a much more defensive position. Should this thing attack, Saki was more than capable of taking a precise shot.

When he focused back on the person in front of him, she had not moved an inch. Teba had a massive height advantage on her. It was the wisest option for her to not try anything. Or, she did not intend to. “That would be us,” Teba finally confirmed, “What about it?”

This “Fi” nodded like she already knew the answer to this question. She seemed completely undeterred by how guarded Teba was, and answered, “I have exhausted all of the possibilities to calm Link’s emotional state. However, he has not improved. There is a high likelihood that you would be much more effective. I heavily suggest you follow me.”

All of the defensiveness dropped in a single moment. Link had only been gone for a small bit. How had something gone wrong? Fi left no time for answers and began to drift back towards the way she came. Saki had already begun to push past Teba, but he put up a steadying wing to stop her. 

“Could be a trap,” He murmured under his breath. She didn’t seem even slightly reassured by this information. Gently, Teba pressed his forehead against hers, and her nerves calmed too. “I’ll be back.” Before he went, he snatched the falcon bow from the rafters before soaring after Fi. 

He did not have to fly far.

This shrine had to have some kind of curse. 

Link’s eyes stared off into the distance at nothing in particular. He swayed in his spot hunched over on the ground, and his face remained slack. Every now and then, he twitched before returning to complete stillness. Teba had seen this expression once before, and his wariness about Fi evaporated in favor of crouching down next to his kid. 

Not again. Never again.

He was no Saki, but he could at least get him to her. He brought himself to crouch directly in front of Link. The boy didn’t react at all, his eyes looking somewhere far beyond Teba. Even more concerning, his hand glowed with some strange golden light. This symbol reminded him of something in ancient history, but only one of the triangles shimmered. It looked more like a brand if anything. He clicked his beak nervously, glancing up at Fi. “How did this happen?”

The Master Sword which laid off to the side chimed at the same time the gem on the center of Fi’s cloak pulsed. “I have not been awake for long, so I can only speculate. He fell into a similar state on the day he was instructed to take a break.” Teba flinched at the insinuation that he had somehow caused this, but Fi quickly corrected herself. “It occurred when he was on the Great Plateau communing with the Goddess Hylia. It happens when he receives memories.”

She was right about that, but the triangles on his hand were new. He tilted his beak at the idea that Link had been talking directly to the goddess. He’d… never mentioned anything like that before. The statue somewhere down in Rito Village never talked, but Teba had found Link kneeling in front of it back when he was still new to the village. Well, he could ask these questions on the way to someone more capable of pulling Link out of this stupor. 

First, he put the Master Sword back in its sheath. He hardly noticed the way the Sword tingled in his grasp before the feeling immediately dissipated at the sound of another chime from Fi. After slinging the sheath over his shoulder, Teba brought one of his wings under the Hylian’s back for support before lifting him off the ground. Once again, Link was far too light, far too small, and far too fragile.

Again, he twitched, fighting a war that no one else could see. Link had said what his memories contained the last time this had happened, even though he did not intend to. Teba wondered if he was reliving that night again. He hoped that whoever sent kids to fight the Calamity had died for their hubris. 

Teba cocked his head to see if Fi was following. She drifted slowly behind him, keeping a close eye on Link. She seemed far too pensive to be a threat, and Teba started to compare the weapon he just had in his hands to her. Ah. He wondered, “Have you been with him this whole time?”

“Ever since he pulled me from my pedestal.” Her voice sounded smaller this time, less all-encompassing than before. “I suspect you will learn this in your own time, but he does not plan on slowing down. I believe I made that substantially worse.”

He stopped in his tracks, and he could already feel his grip around Link tightening. Dangerously, he glanced at Fi with one eye. “What’d you tell him?”

She did not even flinch under his gaze. Instead, she hovered slightly higher and shook her head. “That is not something I can tell you, as you will likely attempt to stop him.”

At this point, Teba had gotten to the front of Harth’s roost. The darker Rito had taken to trying to coax Molli back to sleep, but he was definitely listening. The rest of the village would be just as worried about Link as he was, but he wanted to get Link out of the open. With a nod to Harth meant to convey that he had this handled, Teba continued up to his own roost. 

On the way, he scowled at the spirit that trailed after him. “Wouldn’t it be a good thing if I knew that my kid was about to do something reckless?”

The Master Sword let out another one of those chimes, and he had no idea what it meant. It seemed intrinsically connected to whenever the spirit was thinking. She reasoned, “Typically, yes. You are correct in that he has pushed himself too hard. Unfortunately, he has no other options.”

He’d gotten halfway up the staircase and stopped. His beak clamped shut for a moment, only because he was trying to compose himself. Had this thing been convincing Link to be so reckless? Was this another person whispering in his ear to tell him that he had to fight a battle he should’ve never been a part of? Teba let out a low, guttural noise and glared. “Are you telling me you encourage this? Does this look necessary to you?” he spat, his grip on Link growing tighter. Saki had now stepped out of the roost. Her eyes widened at the sight of Link twitching in Teba’s arms.

The billowing of Fi’s cloak slowed, and she lowered herself down slightly. Teba still dwarfed her, but this did not seem to be a defensive action. She just had not been expecting the question. “If you asked me that question when I first woke up, I would have said yes.” Fi’s voice once again sounded distant as she looked down at Link. “I begin to grow more unsure.”

He scoffed at that, “I think it’s a pretty simple answer.”

Her head lowered in something that Teba could only describe as shame. “Perhaps it is.” He didn’t need to retort, because Fi moved from her place and seemed to vanish within the Master Sword itself.

Suddenly, the weapon on his back looked much more sinister to Teba.

As soon as the threat of the spirit seemed gone, Saki rushed forward and started trying to cradle Link in her own arms. Teba immediately relented, and focused more on getting this damn weapon off of his back. He wanted to throw it down into the lake. Somehow, the hilt started feeling warm to the touch even under all of his feathers, and he decided against it. The sword ended up somewhere under Link’s hammock when he threw it. Tulin thankfully did not wake up.

Neither did Link. He remained in a distant stupor. Saki took to letting out a low croon in an attempt to bring him back. That had helped last time, and Teba did not dare interrupt. She looked at him with a glance that said, “We are talking about this later” but did not vocally express that.

Even though Link’s eyes never refocused, they did shut. His breathing slowed down, and Saki thought it was safe enough to lay him down in his hammock. It had repeated all over again, and Teba had no idea why. Would Link wake up again in a blind panic, thinking he was still on the battlefield? Those were questions for after Link rested, and questions for when Tulin was out of the roost and not possibly listening.

Even in the horrible lighting, he could see Saki’s eyes had begun to glisten. She wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight. Gently, he brushed the side of her face and pressed his crest to hers. They would be okay. Link would be okay.

When he woke up the next morning, Link’s hammock was empty.

It was early morning when Fi felt herself being lifted.

The previous night had been yet another error, and she had been mulling over the question Teba had given her for the entire night. She still did not have an answer that satisfied her. 

She found herself being slung over Link’s back in sword form. Master Link stared forward at nothing in particular. His eyes appeared to be transfixed on something she could not see, and any emotion that he previously displayed had vanished. Without a word, he fell into a neutral state and began to leave. Notably, he did not take the Great Eagle Bow with him. This would be an error. Even Fi could see that the bow held immense strength, and leaving it behind would be a mistake.

However, she did not dare to voice these concerns to Link due to the risk of either of his caretakers waking up. If he had risen from his sleep at this early of an hour when the sun had barely peeked over the horizon, then he wished to not be seen. Therefore, she respected her master’s wishes. Master Link walked down to a lower roost with the Goddess Harp in hand. He must be on his way to receive the final songs. Returning to Rito Village later today would be a mistake, as both Champions would not be able to be freed before Ganon finally broke free of Zelda’s seal. Obtaining both songs now seemed like the most logical option.

Kass had risen early as well. This was strange considering he had multiple children to take care of, but he stood on the same landing that Link had been on the night before. Fi noted that her master did not even flinch when approaching the landing. His eyes stared straight ahead to his goal. Strangely, she knew this version of her master, even though she once was asleep. He had carried her on his back a century ago, and she was reminded of his previous self with his now locked expression.

When he was three paces away from Kass, Link stopped. The bard looked up and curled a brow with a question, “Ah, Link. What are you doing up so early?”

Fi felt Link’s hand graze the hilt of the Master Sword, and registered this as him calling on her aid. He had done this many times before since her awakening. This typically indicated that he needed her to speak for him. Without any delay, she twirled from the Master Sword and landed beside Link. “I believe Link is ready to learn the two last songs you have, Kass,” she quickly stated. This seemed to be what he wanted, because Link did not protest.

Kass’ eyes trailed away to look across the lake. Fi noted that his accordion sat right next to him despite not being played all morning. Had he been expecting them? Kass sighed, “I feared you would say that. Time is growing short…”

Link brought his harp up in his arm as a way of confirming what Kass was saying.

There were no further protests. It appeared that Kass knew as well as they did that time was up. Personally, while Fi believed all of these songs to be memorials in their own way, they now sounded like a dirge between the two players. Neither of them smiled. They both knew what would be happening soon. That was intriguing to Fi, but she supposed that the malice of the castle was visible from here. Anyone with knowledge of what the malice meant would know that this was the prelude for disaster.

It took less time than usual for Link to learn both songs. The moment he was done, he only nodded to Kass and fastened the Goddess Harp back to his belt.

Kass made some halfhearted excuse about needing to prepare for his daughters to wake up and that Amali would be looking for him. Whether Link saw through the thinly veiled lie or not hardly mattered, as he did not react either way. He simply nodded and took to staring at the shrine. This would be the best course of action. While he could begin making his way to Vah Rudania and Vah Ruta, it would likely be slower in the long run. Additionally, Link stored most of his materials within the Sheikah Slate. It would be a grievous error to abandon it before the fight against the Calamity.

While now would be an optimal time to eat in preparation for the day ahead, Link did no such thing. Fi had returned to her position in the Master Sword to draw less attention to them. As much as she wanted to advise Link to eat, that would mean going back into Rito Village and risk being caught. She should not disobey, but the Rito warrior’s words continued to make her doubt if any of this was necessary. The Calamity would not wait for them to find out what was necessary.

She did have one hope, but that hope held a mystery as well. From within the Master Sword, she once more gazed up at the soaring form of Vah Medoh. She only hoped that he had found a way to make Chief Riju aware of the current circumstances.

Link’s head had begun to slowly sag. He was obviously exhausted, and it was unlikely he had much actual sleep the previous night. That concerned Fi. He would need to have as much energy as possible throughout this day, but Link seemed to not care. All of her instincts told her to tell him that he needed to slow down, but her creation dictated that he needed to destroy this incarnation of Demise. Simply letting the lands succumb was not an option.

She could not directly rely on her other option. He made his wishes clear. His journey had already come to an end, and he expressed doubts that he could face a foe of this magnitude alone. That’s why he was off doing something else to help.

It had been an enlightening conversation.

Back when they had just freed Revali, Master Link had just warped off of Vah Medoh. Thankfully, Fi’s idea had worked. Champion Revali vanished with Link into blue tendrils of light. Hopefully, that meant they were safe. It would be quite a while before she would get that confirmation, and she had no way of moving the Master Sword without Link’s own hand. She had tried before when separated from her Master, and she could do nothing but wait in the scorching heat of Eldin for him to find her.

However, she did not feel like Link was actually that far away. As his weapon, she carried an intrinsic connection to him. This made it even more strange that she felt that connection twice. She knew what it meant, but this went against everything she thought to be true about the Spirit of the Hero. Even worse, the wolf next to her had very obviously glared at her attempts to identify it when Champion Revali inquired about it.

Now, they were alone.

Fi drifted closer to the wolf, and immediately detected something faint inside of it. It had been cursed. The darkness shied away from her presence at the same time the wolf did. It shifted backwards, and she stopped.

“You are cursed,” she stated, not advancing further, “I can cleanse it, if you would allow me.”

Fi saw the sharp, blue eyes of the wolf glance at the Master Sword itself. It seemed unsure, glancing between her and the weapon. 

Again, she tried to softly coax this obviously cursed creature into getting some form of help. “I may not know what has cursed you, but I have the vague recollection that this would not be the first time I have fought back this curse.”

To confirm her suspicion, the wolf shook its head. She had deciphered that the wolf had some higher form of intelligence, but this had fully confirmed her theory. It had the capability of understanding her, and it certainly knew about the Master Sword’s ability to fight back its curse. The only people who would truly know the limits of the Master Sword would be her wielders.

Was this one of them?

Hesitantly, Fi reached out again. The same reaction occurred with the wolf shying back to keep a healthy distance away from her. She stopped again. No progress. “I cannot help your situation unless you allow me to fight back the curse.”

It searched her face. It was looking for something. Carefully, it began to circle around her. Fi could not discern why until she saw the wolf approaching the Master Sword. It rested on the stonework of Vah Medoh still, and she watched with curiosity as the wolf approached.

The wolf shut its eyes and placed a singular paw on the hilt of the Master Sword, and something changed.

Fi could immediately sense the accursed object keeping the wolf bound to this form. As soon as he made contact with the Master Sword, both it and her began to shine with the brilliant divine light that had been known to beat back the darkness. The wolf lost its shape, black squares flaking off of its body and hovering in the air just inches away from it. It turned into nothing more than an indistinguishable blob of darkness for just a moment before-

Fi’s eyes widened.

It was the same style of green tunic her old master used to wear. A Hylian sat before her, bearing a striking resemblance to- well- the Chosen Hero of long ago as well as the Link that currently walked the paths of Rito Village down below. The remainder of the blackened squares shot into the Hylian’s chest and appeared to stay there. His face had been set in a scowl, not at Fi, but at the blade that currently rested in his hand.

And she… did not know what to do.

The Hylian… no… this was Link. She knew it had to be him. The Spirit of the Hero flickered inside of him too. Just as every hero before, she instinctively knew that this was also her master. He glanced up at her and narrowed his eyes, saying only a single word, “Happy?”

Ah, she had managed to anger him. “You were cursed. Was this not the correct course of action?”

“Link” exhaled, continuing to stay seated with his arms resting on his knees. He looked off into the distance from Vah Medoh instead of daring to look at Fi. “Cursed…” He muttered to himself, and one of his fists balled up, “What’s next? You gonna tell me I’m an interloper too? Get in line.”

Well… yes. He was not supposed to be here. Two heroes wandering around the same lands sounded like somewhere, something had gone terribly wrong. However, the bite to his tone indicated to Fi that he meant something far different. Holding her ground, Fi chimed, “I simply do not understand how you are here. How are you my master, but the Link we both just saw was also my master.”

“What’s it to you?” Link’s eyes narrowed with his teeth bared. “Ask your Goddesses. They don’t take to responding to me kindly.”

Goddesses. Plural. She knew of other Goddesses, and she had an idea of which ones he could be referring to. However, she could not decipher what any of this implied. “I am asking you.” She grew uncertain of this Link’s intent, but… Hylia would not err in her chosen hero, right?

There was something in Link’s eyes toward Fi that she once again did not understand. Why did he look at her like that? His gaze lingered for a second before dropping, and he let out a pained sigh. “Sorry, that’s not fair to you.”

Fi tried to draw from every memory she had to understand just what this hero was thinking about. She had remained asleep ever since being put in her pedestal by her original master, so everything seemed so blurred after that. The curse she intrinsically recognized, but that explained even less. How was he here? Instead, she took a different approach to this subject. Carefully, she questioned, “Your actions imply that you wish to not be seen like this. Is that true?”

Again, he glanced dangerously at her. “Don’t tell anyone about this. Do you know what that’d do to Link if he saw this? I succeeded. My journey was over. What do you think that’d do to him?” 

She did not follow. Wouldn’t it be better for Link to know that he had the support of another hero who had succeeded once before?

“Maybe you don’t,” he looked away again, “You haven’t been with him as long as I have.”

She had been with him for eons. She had been with all of them for longer than they ever knew. However, this version of Link did not make it seem that way. She opened her mouth to say something, but-

“You mighta been our weapon, but only one of us actually knew you,” he interrupted. Fi withered into herself at that notion, but the Hylian continued, “I’m asking you as his friend, don’t tell him.”

She may have been their weapon, but she only knew one of them. She had been asleep for all of the rest. Coming from one wielding the Spirit of the Hero, hearing that sent an unfamiliar twist through her own spirit. Still, this was a wielder of the Master Sword. She deferred, “Understood.”

He seemed to relax. The fingers that had curled into a fist finally loosened slightly. They did not talk for a bit, seeing it more fit to stay in silence after that exchange. Only the whipping winds of Vah Medoh surrounded them, and Fi found herself reminiscing again about the last time she felt like this. 

At some point, “Link” stood to his feet and walked to the edge of Vah Medoh. The Master Sword never left his hand. He took to staring off at the castle which had been infested with malice. Fi could tell that this amount of malice managing to escape the castle spelled disaster. While she had not seen its original state, the hatred of Demise’s incarnation had already started to overcome the divine light granted by Hylia.

The Hylian echoed her thoughts. “How long does he got?”

“It will take me more observation to be exact in my calculation, but a few days at most.”

Link eyed her with that same look he had been giving her before. She did not turn to meet his gaze, but she could feel some judgement being cast on her. Whether it meant anything or not, he turned back to the castle. “You saw how happy he was talking with that stupid bird. He’s not gonna stop at helping just one Champion.”

Fi understood that this must be going somewhere. “Of course, Master Link appeared apprehensive when speaking with all of them. It would only be logical that by finding out he could save one, he will attempt to save all of them.”

The other Link nodded. “And I’ve seen a thing or two about how he does these things. He was already running himself dry before pulling the Master Sword. He’s gonna do it again.”

If he had been following Link for as long as he implied, then Fi thought this to be a perfectly reasonable conclusion. After all, she could not monitor Link until after her awakening. However, to accept this theory would be to accept the last one that she did not know Link as much as she thought she did. Then, she remembered how hard her Link pushed himself after one undesirable encounter with a servant of the Goddess.

Yes, he would push himself to his limits to achieve a goal.

“I suspect that you are not telling me this randomly,” she said.

He shook his head.

“Then what are you planning, and how may I aid?”

“Link” thought for quite a bit on that. He mulled over his thoughts out loud, “I’m joining him in the fight. I’m not wielding you during the fight.” 

Fi could agree with that, but she could still feel the curse thrumming in the Hylian’s chest. If he did not have access to the Master Sword, would he maintain this form? Suddenly, Fi understood. He did not want Link to know about his true form. Of course, he would like to remain as a wolf. If he was this confident in his abilities, Fi saw less of an issue. If things became far too difficult for one Link to handle, the Master Sword could be swapped.

She suspected that would only occur in dire circumstances. This “Link” did not appear to want the Master Sword in his grasp.

He continued thinking out loud, “Link didn’t tell anyone he was gonna fight the Calamity. Champions don’t count. They’re dead- or were dead.” They very much do count, but Fi was not going to argue semantics. “Doesn’t take a genius to see that the bird was way too hurt to fight.”

Fi immediately understood where this conversation was headed. “You mean to imply that Link would be facing the incarnation of Demise alone.”

“Not counting me,” he corrected, but the next part of his line of reasoning stopped short. His hand dropped to his side, and he stared far off into the distance. “I have an idea, but I’m keeping it as a last resort. Do not let him in on this.”

Hiding something from one master in favor of another did not sound appealing. Keeping secrets from someone she was supposed to aid sounded unthinkable. However, in doing so, she would obey a previous wielder of the Master Sword.

She did not know what would become of this, but she reluctantly agreed.

The rest of Rito Village had not yet stirred when two groups of blue lights descended near the shrine. Link immediately perked up, and Fi left the Master Sword. She would likely need to speak for him, and she wanted to hear this as well. The Sheikah, while previously servants of the Goddess, may have forgotten their history and need her assistance. She had not spent enough time around them to discern whether or not they remembered that.

The blue lights ended up forming into Purah and Robbie, but both of them looked rather frazzled. The usual high energy nature of the childlike Sheikah had entirely faded into something harrowed. “Okay, so… we have a lot to talk about. First, hang on to me. We’re going back to our lab and not getting any eavesdroppers here.” She gestured vaguely around the village, and Link did not hesitate in the slightest.

Fi realized that Link had not visited Champion Revali today. Something was now certainly amiss.

The warp went off without a hitch, and Fi took note that she would be warped wherever the Master Sword was even if not still inside of it. That was interesting data.

Link extended a hand, and Purah seemed reluctant to oblige with his wordless request. With a drawn out sigh, she slammed the Sheikah Slate back into his hands. In an instant while listening, Link started tapping away at the menus of the Sheikah Slate. A skewer of what Fi could only describe as green mushrooms popped out of it, and Link used that as food. He appeared less tired, but if he planned to sustain himself on those all day, that would likely have diminishing returns.

Now without the Sheikah Slate, Purah took a deep breath that made Fi firmly believe they were talking to someone much older than she thought. The Sheikah gestured vaguely at Vah Medoh. “The Divine Beasts were hiding something from us, and it took us all night to crack what that is exactly.”

Robbie grimaced and rubbed his chin anxiously. “The first half of it is something we do understand. The second half of it is… very out there even for us.”

“Then begin with the first half,” Fi prompted, speaking in Link’s stead. She had a very keen idea on what the second part of it would be. “I will fill in any gaps you may have, as we did not fully describe the situation before you entered the Divine Beast.”

Purah, now having a proper chance to engage Fi in conversation, focused directly on her like Link wasn’t even there. Somehow, he probably appreciated that. “So, Linky here probably knows the story already. I won’t repeat it!” she added, seeing Link’s shoulder’s tense up. “Long story short, Robbie and I had a good look at the mechanisms of the Shrine of Resurrection when we had to bring Link there. What we didn’t realize is that the Divine Beasts have something similar that’s completely inaccessible from any part of the Divine Beast.”

Link’s attention did not waver far from the Sheikah Slate, but his movements grew slightly sloppy. Fi recognized this as him trying to disengage from the conversation while eavesdropping. Apparently, he was not great at this skill. Luckily, Fi also had a decent recognition of the Shrine of Resurrection. The previous hero from ten-thousand years ago had used the shrine as a command center, and this allowed Fi the knowledge to send Zelda there when Link fell.

“I am familiar with the mechanism,” Fi stated, “However, I have witnessed the Champions being freed from their respective Divine Beasts. They appear in a similar manner to the Sheikah Slate’s warp capability. This does not match up with the Shrine of Resurrection allowing someone to merely step out of it.”

“Yeeeaaah so that’s the thing.” Purah nervously tapped her foot. “It’s inaccessible for a reason. The Shrine of Resurrection could be sealed off, and it’s pretty hard to get through that kind of tech! The Divine Beasts took things one step further and made it so that there weren’t even sealable entrances…”

Fi nodded. That seemed reasonable. “Should Champions fall in battle, they would be brought somewhere where the incarnation of Demise-” she stopped herself as Robbie’s eyebrows raised, “...Where Ganon cannot reach their bodies and destroy them.”

Once again, Fi could tell Link was definitely listening. He had occupied himself with putting on a strange suit of armor that looked far too clunky to be effective. He had worn it last time he appeared on Death Mountain. Notably, as to not allow the Sheikah Slate to disturb his Rito braids, Link placed the helmet on manually. The braids would be safe under there.

Purah latched on to Fi’s line of reasoning and gestured at the Sheikah Slate. “So, after a bit of digging through the core systems of a Divine Beast- which was really intriguing by the way- we noticed that the healing process was way behind what it should be. Everyone has had a century to heal, so everyone should’ve woken up at the same time as Linky here.”

“However, they were critically wounded when the Divine Beasts let go of them,” Fi added, feeding into Purah’s thoughts.

“Meaning the healing process was interrupted!” Robbie finished off, earning a glare from Purah at her revelation being stolen. “It’s entirely plausible that the Divine Beasts didn’t have the ability to heal their Champions when staving off whatever beasts Ganon sent to infect their systems.”

Fi did not have a timeframe for when exactly Link freed the Divine Beasts. It seemed like he had no interest in answering, and he had begun to pace. She needed to expedite this. “Are you aware of when Link freed the Divine Beasts?”

“Iiit’s been a while,” Purah said in a way that seemed like a tad bit chastising. “But hey, if he didn’t wait for so long, the healing process might’ve not gotten far enough for them to be saved! That would’ve been much worse!”

Some tension in Link’s shoulders slipped away at the mention of waiting, but it was only perceptible to Fi. However, this made sense. Each Champion had been locked in a moment just barely before their deaths where they had not sustained the worst of their injuries: the fatal blow. The Divine Beasts had managed to heal the end of the fight in the time between Link freeing them and now. Had they done this any sooner, it would have been likely for the Champions to be locked in time just a moment after they had already sustained lethal damage to their bodies.

Fi was thankful Link did not have to go through seeing them die a second time.

That did raise the question of why their spirits had been locked in time in the first place.

“That’s the part we understand, but here’s what we don’t.” Now Purah looked uncomfortable, and pointedly kept her gaze fixated on Fi. “A century ago, when all of the Champions linked to their Divine Beasts, you could detect that link through the Sheikah Slate. There was a lot of hot debate on what that link actually was, but it was there.”

“Their spirit,” Fi stated with a matter-of-fact tone.

A strange interaction happened where Robbie nudged Purah’s arm. She rolled her eyes and produced a pouch of rupees from her pocket, handing it to the other Sheikah. She refocused quickly like that did not happen. “Sure, their spirit. Champion Mipha’s link was still present in Ruta, but it was broken into little pieces scattered around the Divine Beast. And if it is a spirit, then that raises so many more questions like…”

“How do you break a spirit?” Robbie finished the question.

Now, Link’s back had gone straight. He turned to focus on the conversation even more. Without a doubt, he probably had begun to think of his conversation with Hylia.

Fi knew that she was certainly mulling over it as she spoke, “The many incarnations I have faced over the ages do not merely try to stop at killing the body.” She recollected the curse Demise placed on Link’s very spirit at the start of all of this. He had not managed to defeat Link in battle, but the unyielding spirit of the hero had been killed in its own way. “It stands to reason that Ganon would not stop at that either. He would aim for eradication of anyone who dared to oppose him. That is the extent of his cycling hatred.” 

Fi remembered watching Link’s unbreakable spirit fight against Demise in their final clash. Had any mortal dared to stand up to him and fallen, they would have not merely died. They would have been shattered. The core of their being would have been erased.

Suddenly, she did not feel envious of the positions all of the Champions found themselves in when on the opposite end of a blight’s weapons.

“Just checking my sources here,” Purah chimed in, her voice slightly unsure, “I figure you’re the supposed voice inside the Master Sword, but I just wanna confirm that so I know if everything you’re saying is true.”

“That is what I am commonly known as in this time, yes,” Fi answered. “As clarification, I do not believe there would have been anything to recover of the Champions’ spirits if Ganon did eradicate them.” Her language was having a visible effect on Link, and she made a mental note to tone it down. “The trial gates that Link can open with the appropriate song appear to be a second failsafe, allowing him to piece their spirit back together.”

Purah nodded. “That’s what we were getting to. The gate thingy you keep talking about was definitely Sheikah Tech, but that’s not something we have recorded how to do. There was a LOT lost from the last Calamity, but THAT?”

“It may be distant now, but Sheikah began as servants to the Goddess Hylia,” Fi emphasized, remembering the Impa she once knew. “The trial gates were explicitly knowledge Hylia possessed. She must have shared it with your ancestors.”

“Well!” Purah seemed excited at that, but she pointedly glanced at Link. “Linky, the moment you’re done pulling everyone out of those things, you better let us take a look! I’d love to get a bit of our history back, especially with the Goddess helping!”

Link let out a noncommittal grunt. This behavior was odd considering how excited he had sounded about the Divine Beasts the past few days. Once again, Teba’s words rang through her mind. Had this been her fault?

Even Purah sensed something was wrong, but she did not comment on it and continued her spiel. “Also, from what we can tell, the reason the Champions couldn’t heal was because the power had been redirected, so the power storage to revive the Champions is probably next to nothing right now. You probably shouldn’t let the Divine Beasts do ANYTHING that would strain them before getting each Champion out.”

Even though he was still wearing the clunky armor, Fi could see Link’s eyes gloss over. He had resigned himself to something that she could not parse. With a nod, Link began to tap away at the Sheikah Slate to pull up the map. He had apparently heard enough.

Fi’s eyes widened slightly, and she turned to the Sheikah. “We appreciate your aid. I would be happy to assist later, but we are in a rush-”

And they were already teleporting away, just like that. Both Purah and Robbie realized something, but their voices died in the air as Link and Fi were whisked away-

It was a minor discrepancy, but Fi noticed it all the same. Previously, when Link warped to Vah Rudania, he ended up on the lip of a volcano. This time, they both landed on the warp gate of the Divine Beast. Not only that, Vah Rudania had moved itself all the way down to a bridge at a lower point on the volcano. Fi could not help but feel the corners of her mouth move up. The wolf had been here ahead of them.

Even with his clunky helmet on, Fi could sense Link’s surprise. He jolted at the sight, and looked around for any indication of what could have happened. His answer stood right before him. Two Gorons, one painfully see through and one not, both talked and laughed with one another. The one who Fi designated as Champion Daruk chuckled at the sight of Link while the other one gave a sheepish wave.

Daruk laughed, “You look surprised, lil guy!” Link must’ve looked even more confused, because the Goron continued, “Looks like you had some friends looking out for you! Just don’t know why they’d send a really big dog to help out with that…”

Notably, Daruk’s face curved into a frown at the mention of a “big dog”. Fi had a very good idea of who that was, and she once more found herself glad that he found some success. That paved the way for things to be much easier for Link. Without a doubt, Link likely did not understand what was happening at the moment.

So, Fi stepped in. “Is it safe to assume that you know what Link has come here to accomplish?” she asked.

“I-Is it true?” The more timid Goron spoke up. Now that Fi thought about it more, this was likely Yunobo. Link had mentioned him in his last goodbye to Daruk. While she could not see the resemblance, she sensed a similar magic within both of them. “Is it true that you can bring him back?”

Even though his hand couldn’t make contact with Yunobo, Daruk mimicked slapping his back. “Couldn’t believe it myself when I saw you carrying Revali and helping Urbosa out. You’re really making tremors, lil guy!” 

Link nodded to both of them. To emphasize the point, Fi followed up, “Yes, Link will be able to enter your Divine Beast. However-” Who knew how much information the wolf had actually been able to get across? “-we do need to know how severe your injuries were before the final blow.”

A heavy air settled in for the two Gorons. Neither Fi nor Link had an adverse reaction to it. They had dealt with this multiple times, but the Gorons had not. 

Daruk nervously stroked his beard. “Well, Ganon’s pain in the crag got a lot of good hits on me. Us Goron don’t really go down without a fight!” He paused, looking Fi over. “Say, I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. New friend?”

The Master Sword let out a chime in sync with Fi. She bowed her head slightly as usual. “You may call me Fi. It is a pleasure to meet you, Champion Daruk.” The Goron waved a large hand in response to her bow, and she took it as a gesture to not need to bow in the first place. Nevertheless, she kept questioning, “What was the extent of your injuries?”

“Hm…” Daruk checked himself over as if his spirit displayed his injuries. “I remember not being able to stand. Thing got too many hits on me and bested me. Not too proud of it, but it got a few chips off of the ol’ block.” 

Fi did not quite follow his expressions, but that did mean that his injuries had been substantial enough to limit his mobility. That would be concerning to deal with. “Your injuries will persist during your return. In my memory of Gorons, you are made of rock. Would traditional healing suffice?”

“O-oh actually!” Yunobo piped up with his hand raised. Daruk grinned at him fondly. “I uh, told the boss I’d be up here. He said he’d bring a few Goron up in a bit. We um, mostly heal our worst injuries with molten rock.”

Now, Fi usually could not hear Link’s thoughts. She had an intrinsic connection to him, but most of his inner feelings remain private. This time, she could hear the resounding ‘what’ in his head, and she echoed that sentiment.

Daruk nodded like this was common knowledge. Oh well, she’d update her database to reflect this. He said, “Yup, Mipha could heal me all the time, but traditionally we just let some molten rock harden in the wounds and bam, problem solved! Leaves a nifty lookin’ color too!”

He did not seem perturbed by this in the slightest. Well, they could certainly work with that. Fi shook her head. “As long as the Gorons arrive in a timely manner, all should be well. Link?” she called and quickly saw that he already had the Goddess Harp in his hands.

He hardly wanted to exchange pleasantries. His behavior had grown increasingly down-to-business, and this did not stop when seeing another Champion. Even with Champion Urbosa, he had been enthusiastic to explain to her that she could be revived. Now, Link simply proceeded as if this was business as usual. She wanted to say something, but he had already stepped up to the warp gate with the intention to play the song.

Opinions did not come naturally to Fi. Typically, she gauged her next response based on its usefulness and likelihood for later success. However, as she remembered Teba’s words to her, she realized that she did not like this.

Something had to be wrong.

However, she could not ascertain whether or not she had the ability to act on that. After all, Link did have to destroy Demise’s newest incarnation. If she interfered, she would be against Hylia. No matter how attached she had gotten to the Chosen Hero, she always had to defer to her main purpose.

And she hated it.

So, she drifted over the warp gate, and the Sheikah lights responded to her. They asked for her to begin the song, and she did. If they had more time, maybe she would defy Link. Right now, she could not. Every petal of the Silent Realm that formed felt like another step closer to failure and success simultaneously. She tried to watch Link as he played, but she could not see the same wistfulness that entered his eyes whenever he played with her. Now, there was nothing but a blank stare.

And as they finally locked eyes for the song, she noticed how resigned he looked.

“Recall Rudania’s Champion of flame, before his fated moment finally came,” she sang, never letting a single one of her thoughts pass the immovable barrier that was her face. Link seemed to have mastered the same thing, but he appeared to be fighting off something else. His jaw clenched as he continued to play. He was trying to stave something off. “This is the tale of Great Daruk’s task, and the princess who came to ask.”

Link’s expression settled back into pure neutrality as he scanned the harp back into the Sheikah Slate. Daruk grinned widely as the song ended, giving Link one of the back slaps he certainly could not feel. “Good work there lil guy! It’s cool to see how it looks on your end for once! Wouldn’t have believed it a century ago if you told me someone made a song about me.”

Again, Link hardly reacted. He pulled out the Master Sword, and Fi realized what he was doing. She twirled back into the hilt of the Master Sword as Link turned it over in his hands, aiming it down at the center of the trial gate.

Was he not going to speak with anyone?

He paused. He did not stab the Master Sword into the trial gate just yet. Instead, he brought it back down and fumbled for the Sheikah Slate. Had he forgotten something? The Sheikah Slate began letting out its signature blue light, and it formed into a large, club-like object on the ground. Both Yunobo and Daruk recognized it.

Daruk scratched his chin and looked between the weapon and Link. “Been a while since I’ve seen the ol’ Boulder Breaker. Thanks for bringing it back to me, lil guy!”

He seemed to not understand that he too would likely be in a coma after this.

Link did not appear to be concerned either way. He took up the Master Sword without so much as acknowledging the comment and stabbed the trial gate. His spirit separated from his body before being pulled into the depths of the Divine Beast. Yunobo jumped with a start at the sudden action, and Daruk’s grin curved into a frown. Of course, neither of them had seen what this would look like.

Now, Fi had been rooted in place, tethered to the Master Sword. She knew that Link had arrived into the Silent Realm just fine, but… she worried. 

And then, Daruk reacted like he had been punched. “Uh… was he supposed to not be able to use my Protection? He’s been relying on that a lot.”

The Master Sword let off an ethereal glow as Fi responded, “Link did not appear to wish to use valuable time explaining… or talking.” Her usual analysis had been thrown off. She needed to pull it together. “Losing the Champion gifts is natural for each stage of the Silent Realm. He still has Champion Mipha’s Grace.”

Yunobo leaned over to pick up the Boulder Breaker, trying to look anywhere but at the still form of Link. He seemed to grow more jittery the closer he came. “H-he was pretty talkative last time he was here! Don’t know why he’d not…” he trailed off, growing more and more unsure of whatever thought he attempted to form.

Daruk took to directly trying to study Link’s face. It was no use. Even if the bulky Flamebreaker helmet did not cover his face, his expression had been locked the moment he entered the Silent Realm. Daruk frowned. “Well, the lil guy never really said much back in the day. He usually at least looked like he was listening, though…”

“He cannot currently hear what we are discussing,” Fi chimed, “Therefore, I am willing to impart this information. This was a change that occurred after last night.”

Yunobo whispered, “What could’ve done something like that?”

It had been her fault. She knew better than to tell Link the exact time limit. However, it wasn’t like she had brought on the Calamity. It would’ve broken free today whether she told Link or not. “Calamity Ganon will break free later today. Zelda’s power is waning.”

With another large frown, Daruk mused, “Woulda thought I’d have more time to recover. Ah well, the ol’ lizard and I will be able to handle it. Ganon probably doesn’t even know we’re free!”

He likely knew they were free. A piece of Ganon existing in the Silent Realm was not an isolated thing. Ganon could likely see through his fragments. However, that was not even the worst of it. “Champion Daruk,” Fi paused, making sure Yunobo could hear this next part, “You will not awaken by the time the Calamity breaks free. Neither Champion Urbosa nor Champion Revali have awoken, and Link plans to fight the Calamity alone.”

“But that-” Daruk grunted, and he clutched at his head.

“You know, this’d be a lot easier if we could work together!” Daruk’s voice rang out through the darkness of the Silent Realm. Link kept walking to the next tear. The voice hardly registered in his mind anymore. “I’m happy you chose me as your pilot, ya big lizard, but I might need some help with the controls. This whole thing is a little confusing.” The Divine Beast made a chittering noise back. It sounded vaguely like mirth.

Link kept walking, indifferent with a spirit vessel hanging in his belt.

“What was I saying…” Daruk finally appeared to get his wits back together. “Oh right! That’s not a good idea. Without our gifts or our support, the lil guy might not have a good shot at Ganon.”

Yunobo had gone silent. Fi took the initiative to fill the silence. “Correct. However, you will be unable to assist in a comatose state. Your Divine Beast will also be unable to assist without your input. Two Champions have already been freed, and Link refuses to stop there.”

“Well then…” he trailed off, but he looked restless and started looking around at the Silent Realm circle as if he could interact with it in any way, “Can ya turn it off? I’d be fine with pounding Calamity Ganon into oblivion, and waiting a little longer for him to come help. He needs us with him.”

She chimed again to try to stop his movements. “Link will not be able to exit the Silent Realm unless he is successful. Additionally, the resurrection chamber keeping you alive would likely run out of power should you exhaust all of your energy in what I assume is your assault on Hyrule Castle.” They could not help. Purah and Robbie had made that clear enough for even Link to react to it.

Daruk clutched his head like he was having another headache.

“Ya know, I’m a little worried. I shouldn’t be lookin’ down on smaller people, but it is just a little worrying to see a lot of pebbles out there being brought into the fight against Ganon.” 

Link stopped moving for a moment. Then, he grit his teeth. Hylia had never been hesitant about pulling children into whatever accursed fate he was currently trapped in. He saw the flashes of a past life. He knew just how young he must’ve been in those… how young they must’ve been. Hylia didn’t care.

“It’s just a little weird, y’know? They all sound real accomplished, but they seem a bit too young to have that much of a legacy already, y’know?”  

They were. He’d be too young again one day. He was already too young this time. What would happen next time, he wondered? Link kept moving. Those were answers for after his journey was done . 

“S-so he’s gonna be alone?” Yunobo seemed to be struggling just as much as Daruk was with the concept of fighting Calamity Ganon under a time constraint. 

She ignored the fact that she had already clarified that yes, Link would likely be alone. “He plans on fighting Calamity Ganon alone. However, it has already been decided that at least one ally will be with him.” The other Link would need to put in some work to even the field with just the two of them for however long he needed. “Link does not wish to put anyone else in danger.”

Yunobo’s eyes continued to be locked on the Boulder Breaker. Fi detected that this had to be some form of contemplation. She would not force a decision, but she certainly had to play a part in letting him know the decision was there. “I-I mean, last time Link and I fought together, h-he had to tell me what to do. Was less of a fight and more me being a projectile, but…”

“But it was an impressive thing to see!” Daruk, recovered from his headache, encouraged Yunobo. “I still remember watching you and the lil guy making your way up to ol’ Rudania. Gave that blight a run for its rupees too!” 

“Y-you think so?” The smaller Goron looked a little more hopeful, a small smile cracking on his face. “It… it was all your Protection though.”

“And you used it in an ingenious way!” Daruk kept going, his grin growing even wider, “Usually, I just used it to keep anything from getting past me, but using it like a weapon was really neat! Urbosa and I thought of somethin’ like that back in the day, but never got to really try it out…”

Now, Yunobo’s smile broke out fully. They kept chatting about the applications of Daruk’s Protection, even though Fi could certainly tell that Daruk was clutching at his head ever-so-slightly.

“Not really great at this whole thing, Rudania. Feel like I’m goin’ in circles trying to keep everyone working together.” 

A pause. Link kept walking to the next tear, thankful that all of the terminals on this Divine Beast were solved and tightly packed together. The voice followed him, of course. Why wouldn’t it?

“The princess and the lil guy hardly seem to get along. Kinda bad when we’re on field missions. Can’t imagine what it’s like when they have to travel alone… I think the lil guy took my advice to heart, but I have no advice for whatever beef the lil guy and Revali have. I’m not much of a math guy but… that’s half the group tryna be at each other’s throats.”

He didn’t do anything. Maybe he should have done more. It hardly mattered now. Their fondness didn’t matter in the end. Their fondness of him hardly mattered when he let them all fall when they needed him the most. That would not happen again.

Fi could feel Link making steady progress. She found little comfort in that. While she had faith in Link to defeat every one of these trials with ease, she did not feel any better. The weird, whirling feelings in her own spirit had grown far too distracting. She had been distracted all day. She needed to focus to be at her best when facing the incarnation of Demise. 

This had been happening ever since she had witnessed Hylia’s vision to Link. While FI knew that Hylia’s message had to mean something, her application of it hardly did her master any good. Even Fi could not truly decipher what Hylia was trying to convey. It had to mean something, but it also was the first time that Fi had witnessed the true extent of Demise’s curse. Link likely felt a burning hatred towards Hylia now, which was a shame considering they once loved one another. Then again, the Link of her time and this Link were no longer the same, were they? 

This curse had muddled things.

The two Goron had devolved into talking about applications with Daruk’s Protection beyond its namesake. Yunobo talked about the many times he had been fired out of a cannon with it, and the blunt force had been enough to destroy anything he collided with. Daruk echoed the same sentiment. The blunt force had been enough to send Vah Rudania on the retreat, so it had to mean something.

Fi only hoped that Yunobo came to the conclusion that she attempted to lead him to. Hopefully, if the fight turned out to be marginally easier than anticipated, other participants in the fight would not be needed. However, the other Link had been adamant that a backup plan was needed. 

She wondered why he had been so apprehensive about the two of them fighting together. Surely, two heroes against one incarnation of Demise would be unstoppable, especially when one of them had already succeeded. He did not share this sentiment. He said that a core reason for his victory had been lost forever, and he did not ever mention what that core reason was.

Fi faintly felt Link collect another tear.

“Talked about this with Urbosa, but I wanted to see what you thought, ya big ol’ lizard.” 

Rudania rumbled back. Link obviously did not stop to listen. Another tear was already in sight on one of the walls.

“So, maybe not everyone gets along. The princess has started turnin’ around I think, but Revali still hasn’t. All of ‘em still antagonize each other in their own ways. I think the lil guy has the most fun with it. I swore I saw him smile after that wild meal he gave us all.”

A beat of silence. For whatever reason, Link stopped to listen.

“But I figured, hey, as long as no one’s hurtin’ one another, what’s the issue with all the bickering? It’s a chance for ‘em to all loosen up, be the kids they’re supposed to be. They don’t gotta be all proper all the time like the castle wants ‘em to be. What do you think, Rudania?”

Another chittering noise came through, but Daruk did not respond again.

Link had to force himself to keep moving forward. For a brief moment, he caught himself faltering and thinking of how much he liked the banter with Revali up on Vah Medoh’s Perch. He couldn’t have that anymore. He had to keep moving.

“Yunobo, you don’t gotta do this, you know,” Daruk said after coming out of another one of his headaches. He had been enthusiastic about this before, but his demeanor notably dropped the moment Link collected his fourth tear. “No one’s forcin’ ya to throw your life on the line for this.”

“I-I’m definitely scared of it, I think.” Yunobo finally stole a glance at the still form of Link hunched over the Master Sword. “B-but, if I’m needed, I think I could really help out! Link has been telling me this whole time that I did a great job with Rudania, a-and he’s been trying to get me to be more confident in myself…”

The Master Sword lit up with Divine Energy as Fi thought it wise to step in. “Additionally, you appear to have a stronger idea of how to wield Daruk’s Protection to your advantage. Should we need to call upon you, it would cover for one of Link’s possible weaknesses.”

“Hold on, now.” Daruk put a hand up. “Let him come to his own decision on this. I’ve seen too many young pebbles being thrown into the fray without a choice. I wanna make sure this is the choice he wants to make.”

Yunobo truly did stop and consider. It almost concerned Fi how easily he recoiled back into himself the moment he lost momentum. Helping Link would be a boon to his survival, but Daruk did have a very fair and reasonable point. Many had perished in the previous fight against this incarnation of Demise. The next fight would be just as brutal, if not moreso. 

Yet, the Goron steeled himself, taking the Boulder Breaker up into one of his hands and raising it skyward. “I won’t let you all down, goro! I’m gonna help Link, and I’m gonna make you proud, grandpa!”

When he looked down at Daruk, his expression changed. Was Daruk… wiping a tear from his eye? Fi realized she probably should not be spectating this interaction, but she was quite literally rooted to the spot. Daruk wiped the tear away and nodded his head, saying with his boisterous voice breaking up, “You’ve already made me proud. Now, for the plan!”

Fi chimed, “Yes, here is what we have discussed so far…”

“I think it’ll all be okay, Rudania.”

Link fought off the instinctual wince. It had not been “all okay”.

“Everyone’s gettin’ along a lot better now. The lil guy seems like he’s enjoying his time with us. I look forward to all the road trips we get. It means he’s in his element, soaking up the wild like he should.”

Don’t think about it. He couldn’t think about what would be lost.

“I think if the princess could do the same, things’ll start really lookin’ up! Gotta keep her hopes up as well. She’s gonna do great, you’ll see!”

She did. Link just didn’t buy them enough time for her to do so.

“Hah, ouch,” Daruk coughed, beginning to feel for something on his body that was not there. “Uh, I think I’m starting to feel something.”

Ah, Link had gotten to the last tear. Fi had finished her explanations, so this had been perfect timing. She noted that Link had been much faster with this Divine Beast than the others. Hopefully, that was a sign of improving rather than rushing. Fi explained, “You are about to enter the Silent Realm as well. Remember, both of you can only be hit once before your spirits shatter. Be wise.”

Daruk thought about that for a moment. He scratched his beard, humming and ha’ing to himself. He stole one glance at Yunobo, and a grin split across his face. “I’ll see all of ya on the other side! Time to pay the lil guy a visit.”

He vanished in a flurry of green-blue flames as his spirit finally became one.

Fi silently prayed to Hylia that their luck could hold out.

Collecting the last tear had been an ordeal, but not one he had been unfamiliar with. Without being able to tilt Vah Rudania on his own, getting to the tear meant climbing the outer frame of the Divine Beast. He would test whether or not he could orient it on his own, but he hardly remembered the orientation of Rudania from outside. Tilting it would not work in the same way, and he really did not want to throw Yunobo off into a river of lava… or his own body, thank you very much.

So, when he reached the top of Rudania and collected the final tear, he already knew what was coming. 

“Everyone’s all hung up on this Spring of Wisdom in Mount Lanayru, sayin’ it’s the princess’ last chance and all. I don’t buy it.”

Well, Daruk, you should have.

“I just hope it works for her. She’s worked so hard already, and she’s taking it real personally. It… matters a lot. I think it’ll hurt more to see her upset! I really hope when her and the lil guy walk down that mountain, we’ll be able to give a good ol’ congratulations!”

Optimistic as ever.

As Link looked down to the surface of Vah Rudania, he saw where that optimism had gotten Daruk. He did not wince this time. He had muted his thoughts enough to steel himself as he did a century ago. Link climbed down and better surveyed the scene, looking for potential openings and the extent of Daruk’s injuries. This was a battlefield, not a place to reminisce.

As his feet landed on solid ground, he realized how difficult this would be. Daruk’s injuries had been understated by him. Multiple gashes had been carved out of him. Being made of rocks, Link could see the gaps said gashes left. It looked gruesome, and Link doubted that Daruk would be able to walk. Even worse, Fireblight’s finisher had been a fiery blade directly down at Daruk. Said blade hovered way too close while frozen in time. If that thing continued its motion, it would strike Daruk before Link had a chance to make a pitiful attempt at moving his very large body.

That left one option entirely dependent on Daruk’s reaction time.

He quickly went over every attack he had seen Fireblight do during their fight. Most of them were highly telegraphed, but the spray of fire that this thing always left behind had been troublesome. Fire, as Link had found out during his time with the One-Hit Obliterator, was immensely terrifying considering it introduced a unique challenge of being to get around. Still, there was no need to change his strategy. If Daruk could roll like most Goron could, then he could distract Fireblight for long enough.

As long as it didn’t suck up all of the heat into that massive blast it loved to do. Link would need bombs to even think about challenging that. His slate, predictably, had not joined him on this excursion.

The blade aiming for Daruk had only one feasible solution. After it already happened twice, Link did not fear his spirit shattering. He did fear losing Mipha’s Grace this early and having to perform flawlessly. However, he had to look on the bright side. This gave him perfect practice for escaping Waterblight later.

Stepping in between Daruk and the fiery blade, Link brought out the full spirit vessel that had been formed out of Daruk’s Protection. This would be a rough fight without that gift, but it belonged to Daruk. He’d need it later. With a deep breath, Link pushed the spirit vessel into Daruk’s chest and turned to face his imminent demise.

As predicted, the fiery blade crashed down into Link. He yelled, pushing back as his spirit began to break apart. With every ounce of his strength, he pushed the blade to the side so it would hit the ground next to him instead of the vulnerable Goron. 

His spirit finally gave out as he heard a slam-

“Link, are you out of your mind?!?” Mipha screeched, pulling his spirit back together the same way she had many times before. He glanced at her as he came back together, his expression betraying nothing. Her eyes widened, but she vanished before she could get another word in.

No time to waste. Link took a glance back at Daruk who rubbed his head groggily. Well, hopefully he'd get up soon. They couldn’t stay here forever. The blight stared down at Link with some form of curiosity before fire gathered in its hand. With a grunt, Link took off in a sprint, and the blight followed.

A hailstorm of fire crackled after him, but Link managed to dart behind a pillar as Fireblight bore down on him. He caught Daruk’s gaze and motioned for the direction of the trial gate. “Exit. Now,” he demanded, earning at least some recognition in Daruk’s eyes.

Thankfully, the Goron began to roll. Unthankfully, his roll was incredibly slow and stilted due to the damages in his body. That was fine. Link could hold Fireblight’s attention. 

He darted out from his hiding place and waved at Fireblight. The mindless thing took the bait and started pursuing him with a vertical slash of its blade. Link leapt to the left, seeing the blade hit directly next to him and sending ripples of flame after him. One trail of flame ignited near his left boot and one on his right. He retreated backwards to create distance between the opposing walls.

Daruk was beginning to make headway when the Fireblight turned around. It saw the Goron attempting to make his way for the exit, and Link suddenly rescinded the “mindless” part of his previous thoughts.

Fireblight shrunk into a ball of blue Sheikah light before moving between them and their exit. Its own mockery of Daruk’s Protection flared to life, and Link realized that the damn thing had positioned its shield to block all walkways to the exit. Daruk could roll, but he certainly could not climb.

Mipha’s Grace had vanished, and Link doubted that both of them could hold on long enough for her to regain her strength. He had no way of interacting with that shield without burning himself. Their options were very limited, and Daruk had stopped rolling to see the issue. 

Fireblight began to suck in all of the hot air around them. It was going to let out a massive blast. Link gestured to one of the pillar-frames closest to Daruk, and he got the message. A glob of superheated flame began to lazily drift through the air, and Link had seen that before. Both Link and Daruk managed to shield themselves behind the framing of Vah Rudania before a blast of heat scalded the middle battle-platform.

Usually after that, Fireblight would move. It did not, and started the same process again. It knew that their method of escape was the trial gate. After two failed attempts at stopping him, Ganon must be learning.

“LIL GUY!” Daruk shouted from across the Silent Realm. It painfully echoed loud and clear. “Hold onto something! Yunobo taught me this one!”

He had no idea what Daruk could possibly be implying until Vah Rudania began to move. Specifically, it began to tilt. Its head began to look up as it started to climb, creating a vertical slope toward the trial gate. Link grabbed onto the frame and lifted himself onto it as the entire Divine Beast began to tilt.

Daruk’s Protection flared to life around the Goron, and he tucked into a roll.

Link had briefly seen Urbosa use her fury, but seeing Daruk fully employ his Protection was nothing short of amazing. He built up speed down the steep slope, rolling faster and faster before-

The sheer blunt force of Daruk’s Protection managed to shatter the mockery Fireblight had created. The blight screeched and flinched backwards, and Daruk kept rolling. Link, taking the cue, leapt from his place on the frame and began to slide down the cliff-like surface of Vah Rudania. He just needed to get in the trial gate. 

Daruk used the portion separating Rudania’s tail from its body as a ramp. He continued his roll, crashing straight into Fireblight and sending it careening down into the smoke. Link could still see the malice, but that created just enough time. 

He pushed off of the surface of Rudania, and found himself in freefall. The trial gate was awkwardly angled, but he could hit it. Daruk’s laugh rang out through the Silent Realm as he vanished into the safety of the trial gate.

Fireblight began to rise out of the smog, and it let out an angered screech. Fire collected in its hand as it tried for one last attempt to rain fire upon Link.

Both he and the fire careened towards the trial gate as Link tucked his body in to reduce air resistance.

With a flash, he passed through the gate as fire crashed all around him. The heat of Fireblight could not compare to Eldin Volcano as he came back to his senses with the Master Sword in hand.

Yunobo had already flown into a panic at the sight of Daruk’s injured form reforming onto Vah Rudania, but Link had seen this once before. The flutter of happiness in his chest immediately subdued once more.

He took a cursory glance around and saw three Gorons crossing the Bridge of Eldin to their position.

Then, Link realized they were still sideways, and he was in fact currently slipping while hanging onto the Master Sword. Yunobo was not panicking due to Daruk appearing. He was panicking, because they were about to fall.

The Gorons down below got into position, but they shouldn’t have worried. Vah Rudania’s tail curved up slightly as Daruk very gently rolled the rest of the way down before uncurling.

Asleep.

Link grimaced at the reminder, and his sights immediately turned to Vah Ruta.

Chapter Text

The usual places Link frequented had been a bust. Without the slate, Teba thought he couldn’t have gone far. The rest of Rito Village had been checked thoroughly already. The moment he saw Link had vanished, Teba immediately took off in search of him. That kid should not be out at all. It had taken him days to get back on his feet last time, and if he’d wandered off and gotten himself hurt…

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Teba continued to scan the nearby stable from up above. He wasn’t sure why he had circled back around to it. After all, he’d already landed and the stable owner said that she hadn’t seen Link in quite some time. He had just run out of options for places Link would’ve gone to. The Flight Range had come up empty. Cecili hadn’t even seen him in Swallow’s Roost all morning. He could be on the spire at the top of Rito Village, but Teba had used the flight range updrafts to soar up high and hadn’t seen him up there at all.

Link’s weapon had been taken. That likely meant he left. The Great Eagle Bow had not been taken which muddled things. He probably still wasn’t thinking clearly, and Teba doubted that the thing inside that Sword was a good influence on him.

As Teba began to lean to the left to circle back around the rim of Lake Totori, he caught the sight of a blackish-blue dot taking flight around Rito Village. That must be Harth calling him back. Maybe Link had cropped up in the village after all. Changing course immediately, he soared across Lake Totori to touch down on Revali’s landing. He didn’t even take a moment to fix his disheveled feathers. If Harth had found Link, he needed to know now.

The dark-blue Rito waited for him on the landing. Beside him was a maroon Rito who had been gone for quite some time. Everyone in Rito Village recognized each other at this point, and he would remember Frita. She had taken a trip to Gerudo Desert that had undoubtedly lasted much longer than planned. It was good to see her back, but she seemed extremely anxious with something in her hand. More concerningly was her feathers in more disarray than his. She looked like she’d made the journey from the desert to Hebra in a day.

Teba had no clue why she kept fidgeting, but he had more pressing matters. His focus immediately locked on Harth who had called him back. “Did you find anything?” 

Instead of answering directly, Harth turned his head to Frita and clicked his beak. “Go ahead. Tell him what you told me.”

Ah, so Frita was here for a reason. Teba’s mind had been moving at a mile per minute, and he finally slowed down enough to be courteous enough to acknowledge the third Rito on the landing. He nodded to her, giving her his full attention. He was just far too frazzled about all of this, and he’d let his guard down for one night only for Link to vanish. In the midst of the swirling chaos in his head, he realized he probably should check on Saki soon. She had dealt with this situation by continuing to work on new clothing for whenever Revali woke up. A distraction, and one that was definitely not working.

Teba knew if she didn’t do that, she would be halfway across Hyrule taking names to figure out where Link had gone. This was for the best.

Frita presented whatever she was holding, and now Teba could see a stamp that reeked of some type of royalty. It was a Gerudo crest. Contact between settlements had been sparse, and getting a direct letter from the Chief of the Gerudo of all people seemed odd. Frita explained, “Well, I was enjoying my visit which had become more of a permanent stay with how dangerous the skies and roads have become, and… well… the Chief of Gerudo Town asked if I would be willing to deliver a message to you.”

Clicking his beak, Teba shook his head. “That’s something for Elder Kaneli then. I’m busy, and the elder should be handling something like this.”

“Er…” Frita shoved the letter closer to his face. “The Chief specifically named you. Just because I’ve been gone awhile doesn’t mean I forgot how the village worked!” Her crest flattened, and Teba realized that she was likely far too exhausted to be dealing with his own snappiness. 

Glancing between her and the letter, Teba finally resigned himself. He’d never personally met Chief Riju, but Link had told their family much about her. For her to contact him by name… that meant it likely had something to do with Link. With a sharp exhale, Teba took the letter and looked over the seal one last time like it would somehow change the contents of this letter. However, both Harth and Frita stared at him with the same anxiousness he felt.

He opened the letter and braced himself.

Sav’aaq, Teba of the Rito.

It has come to my attention that a mutual friend of ours is currently planning on doing something incredibly reckless. Link inadvertently revealed to me that he had not informed you of his intentions. He plans to enter Hyrule Castle to face the Calamity.

No… he wouldn’t. Except, Teba couldn’t possibly believe his initial reaction. Link absolutely would try to face the Calamity on his own. He’d flown up to Vah Medoh on Teba’s back without so much as a second thought. Teba kept reading the letter, pushing past the two Rito and moving up the stairs towards his roost. Frita huffed and muttered something he hardly tuned in to as Harth worriedly began to follow.

You are one of his caretakers, and I firmly believe that you should be aware of his intentions. If he has not willingly told you, then he is likely about to do something incredibly reckless. 

As a gesture of good will and to aid our friend, a messenger will be sent to the two remaining Divine Beasts to prepare for his arrival. He need not bear this alone, and if he has not yet returned to you, I hope this gesture will prove that. Should we make any further plans, our messenger will be sent to your village with our crest. 

-Chief Riju of the Gerudo

Had this arrived any sooner, he would’ve never let Link out of his sight. Teba understood the need to fight something terrorizing people’s homes, but the Calamity was the one thing no one dared to go up against. It had been trapped for a century in Hyrule Castle for a reason. And oh, he should’ve KNOWN Link would be one to do something like this. Of course, he’d missed the signs. Link had gotten the Master Sword for a REASON. They’d known that Link wielded that blade a century ago. What else would he have gotten it for?

That spirit had said something last night. Now, Teba fully parsed what it meant. She had willingly told Teba that she withheld information, because he may attempt to stop Link. This was it. This had to be it.

A wing touched him on the shoulder, and he flinched before realizing it was just Harth. He loosened up, but he couldn’t look away from the letter. He kept reading it over and over like something secret was hidden in this brief and pleading text, but there was nothing. Was he supposed to wait then? No, he’d grown far too impatient.

Harth waved his wing in front of Teba’s face and said, “Don’t keep us in suspense. Last time I saw you this up in arms was with Medoh, and you’re not getting away with hiding in the Flight Range again.” He waved an accusatory finger in front of Teba as he talked like he hadn’t also been up in arms about Medoh.

Unfortunately, Teba couldn’t find the humor in this situation. He rolled up the sheet of paper and once again checked the broken stamp. Definitely Gerudo. This couldn’t have been easily faked, especially not if Frita delivered it. He bristled and sighed, “Link decided to go to Hyrule Castle.”

Immediately, Harth’s jovial look vanished. Everyone knew that Central Hyrule was off limits. Anyone who went through that area further than the stable network might as well have a death wish. “You really think he’d do that?”

Every part of him wanted to scream a ‘no’, but he gave a resolute “yes” instead. In fact, Link had probably already set on his way. That kid could teleport, and Chief Riju said he would be going to the other Divine Beasts very soon. How long ago had that been? If he flew for long enough, he could try to cut across Central Hyrule to make it to Vah Ruta, but if the winds weren’t in his favor, that could take days.

But… he’d see if anything happened at the castle on the way. He didn’t want to enter the castle, but if Link planned to fight the Calamity, he’d surely see that on the way to Vah Ruta.

“Kass said something similar,” Harth admitted, earning a sideways glance from Teba. Had Kass known something? “He said Link came early in the morning to grab two songs. Dunno what that means, but he seemed real hung up about it.”

That confirmed it. Link was heading to more Divine Beasts and likely to Hyrule Castle. Now, Teba could be reasonable and wait. After all, Link had now gotten into the habit of returning nightly. Maybe, he would be back after his business with the other Divine Beasts. However, he had no idea what kind of state Link could be in. It had taken days for him to recover the last time he had “remembered” something. This meant traveling across Hyrule, but he’d rather do that than be wrong. If Link was somewhere out there headed for Hyrule Castle, he was going to stop him before he got there.

So, Teba clicked his beak and thanked Harth. He also conceded, “The search around the village should be called off. He’s definitely not in the area, and I don’t want anyone out for any longer after last night’s blood moon.”

Harth rolled his eyes. “And here you were saying the elder should make these decisions. Fine, just don’t do anything equally stupid.” He lightly nudged Teba’s shoulder and they parted ways at his and Saki’s roost. Harth needed to go talk to Elder Kaneli to officially call things off anyway.

That left Teba entering his roost with Saki hanging up a very nicely made Rito tunic all things considered. She’d been working on that the past few days, and the stress seemed to have finally forced her into finishing it. A sinking guilt entered Teba’s chest as he realized there would probably be even more stress soon. Tulin had taken to making a very crude drawing of what Teba could only describe as some dried fish looking thing. Must be the Molduga that Link described.

Saki turned to him as soon as he entered, and Teba noticed that she looked as tired as he felt. It had been her who took flight to look around the village the moment they saw Link was gone. She’d gone two laps around Lake Totori by the time Teba finally got her to take care of herself. She’d left the roost in a hurry and had been completely disheveled. He’d taken up the search after that, but he wasn’t sure whether or not Saki would be flying across Hyrule when he told her the news.

“I know where he might be now,” Teba admitted, handing Saki the letter he’d received. “I’m going after him.”

Saki’s beak curved into a frown as she took the piece of paper. As she read, Teba flew up to the falcon bow and quiver that he kept in the rafters. She eyed him warily but continued reading, and her crest began to flatten the more she read. When Teba flew back down fully kitted, her hands were shaking. She stole a wary glance at Tulin who had now looked up from his drawing when he saw his dad getting out the bow. Tulin stood up and cheered, “Is it time for practice yet dad?”

Putting a wing in front of Tulin, Saki took a few deep breaths. Sadly, Tulin seemed to notice a shift in the room as much as both of them tried to hide it. He looked between the two of them, confused that neither of them were saying anything.

Saki opened and shut her beak a few times, the words failing her. Finally, she settled on something. “You really think he would go to Hyrule Castle, don’t you?” It was a question to see if he echoed her own thoughts, and he knew it.

“Positive,” he bluntly confirmed, stealing a glance at the Great Eagle Bow tucked away in the corner. It’d be a powerful weapon to bring with him, but no Rito had been able to wield it midair other than Master Revali. If he’d had more time to train with it, he may have been able to use it. For now, he needed to be at peak performance if Link went into Hyrule Castle. He’d take other Rito with him, but they’d be needed at the village if the Calamity broke free. Someone needed to keep a lookout for Link and watch Tulin. 

Saki wanted to protest. She really did. Her crest kept moving as she put a hand on her beak and kept thinking. “When will you come back?” she asked, her voice coming out hushed, “How will I know if something has happened?”

Many Rito had been lost in the days of the Calamity. The amount of monsters had waned since then, but they were still dangerous. Some Rito still found themselves in situations they couldn’t handle with beasts all around them. It was life now. Knowing what happened to Harth’s spouse had been terrible. Those long days where Harth had to wait, hoping she’d turn up soon. Dread crept in more and more until there were no doubts left that something terrible had happened.

Teba pressed his forehead to Saki’s, trying to ignore the thoughts of that ever happening to them. He’d come back. Link would come back. They would be fine. It was more than possible that Link would turn up later that night and all of this stress would be for nothing. “We’ll come back safe,” he promised, “I’ll try not to be gone long.”

“Both of you better not be reckless.” She leaned in and pointed at him, lightly tapping his chest. “Be safe.”

He couldn’t promise that. He would likely be flying into the most dangerous place in Hyrule with no plan. However, Link had saved Rito Village alongside him. He could try to return the favor if it came down to it. Besides, that was his stupid kid. “I’ll drag him back here kicking and screaming if I have to,” he decided, managing to lift the spirits as Saki slightly smiled at that.

Then Tulin piped up and it all came crashing down. “Are you leaving?” His talons clicked as he tugged on Teba’s wing to try to bring him down to his height. It was obviously unsuccessful. “You gotta take me with you!”

Absolutely not. It was out of the question. However, he had a great way of distracting Tulin. He put on his best dad voice and asked, “And who’s going to be keeping an eye on Master Revali if we’re both gone? Don’t you wanna meet him?”

The distraction took a moment to actually work. However, at the mention of meeting the Master Revali, Tulin’s face set into one of pure resolve. Of course, it was betrayed by the fact that he looked dopey while doing it. “I’ll try super super hard and make sure mom doesn’t get to him first!”

Saki’s beak slightly fell open as Teba chuckled. He wrapped his wings around Tulin, knowing very well the possibility that he may not come back. He didn’t want to think about that, but he needed to be prepared for the worst. “Don’t give your mom too much trouble. I love you.”

Teba tried not to wonder how Rito Village would fare while he prepared. If the Calamity truly did break free, they would be another warrior down. The village had faced worse, but at least Teba had been there for most of the issues in the recent years and had been able to help. Now, he would be halfway across Hyrule with no way of knowing how his family was doing.

He took extra care to bring the Great Eagle Bow back down to Master Revali’s roost. If Master Revali did happen to wake up, he hoped he wouldn’t need to use it. However, he was the only one who could wield that bow. If push came to shove, Teba didn’t want Revali to be unarmed. He placed the bow down next to a hood that he knew Link wore many times before. It had been left here. Hm.

Teba set his sights in the direction of Zora’s Domain with a quiver full of ice, bomb, and regular arrows. This would be a long flight, but he couldn’t wait if Link was out there somewhere.

He took flight, not knowing whether or not this was a mistake. 

Riju just finished tying another note around the wolf’s neck. This one was intended for Prince Sidon of Zora’s Domain. Luckily, it seemed communications with the Gorons went well. The wolf had left with a stone tablet strapped to its back alongside elixirs to resist the heat of Death Mountain slathered in its fur. The wolf had returned with no stone tablet and none of the elixirs on it anymore. It had also been a bit wet like it had jumped into water at some point. 

“This note should be lighter weight for you. I am once again sorry for the stone tablet,” she apologized to the wolf, earning a nod from it, “Paper just cannot hold up in the heat of Death Mountain. This one should be much simpler.” She slotted the note into place with the Gerudo crest upon it. “I take it you know where Zora’s Domain is as well?”

Once again, the wolf nodded. Their form of communication had grown to be something that came with ease. Riju smiled and patted the wolf on the head. It seemed to handle petting strangely. While it certainly enjoyed it, the wolf would always shrink back after a bit. This time was no different, and it began to slink back out of arm’s reach.

Riju hummed and thought out loud, “We have not been in contact with the Zora for quite some time. Link has described Prince Sidon to me once before, though Link is also a man of few words.” It had been almost a week ago when Link had visited last. “He said he is very tall and very red. Hard to miss, apparently.”

The wolf once again nodded and stood up to its feet. It was rushing, and Riju noticed. She hardly minded. Being able to send messages across Hyrule like this had its advantages. She just hoped that wherever Link was, this would help him out in the long run. As she watched the wolf vanish into black squares, she couldn’t help but step out onto the balcony to look in the direction of Hyrule Castle. 

The malice had begun to spiral higher than ever before. The Calamity would likely appear soon, and she needed to be ready. She had been working on a new technique in case something like this happened. While her control over her own lightning had only just begun to form, she could channel it through metal. While she had melee prowess, she still had not fully grown which left her at a physical disadvantage. She would not hold a candle to something like the Calamity if it came down to it.

The alternative was making electric arrows on demand.

She could stay at range, and if she was effective enough with a bow, she could briefly immobilize foes before they even reached her. If she did need to fight in close range, she could even risk channeling through her scimitar even though that had a much higher failure rate so far. Buliara had adamantly requested that Riju stop doing that, but she had to be improving for her people. If she had been blessed with magic like many of her ancestors, she needed to learn how to control and respect it.

Stealing a look at Lady Urbosa, Riju wondered whether she would ever be able to match Urbosa’s prowess over her own magic.

Well, this wasn’t going well so far. Since he looked like a wolf, he’d never tried to go into any towns. Sure, the Gorons didn’t really care much about his presence other than very threatening stares if he attempted anything. A wolf was far within their abilities to deal with, and he really didn’t appreciate having to deal with the Gorons back in his own time. However, the Gorons in Goron City hadn’t actively tried to attack him if they didn’t attack him.

The Zora had not been so friendly.

Really, he should’ve expected this. They had a much more rigorous guard system, and he really hadn’t been great in the stealth department. Unfortunately, trying to find a prince was rather difficult when he was in the most guarded room in Zora’s Domain. Joy. Amazing. Riju had also given him PAPER, something that probably shouldn’t get wet which meant half of his usual reckless maneuvers were off the table.

Getting across the bridge had been the easy part. The throne room would be much more difficult now that every single guard in the city had seen him. For once, he wished he could be in human form if only to wear the Zora armor and say “hey I’m a friend stop trying to murder me.” He was already on the wrong end of multiple spears, and he sighed and knew where this was headed. In this wild world, he had found out very quickly that no one had qualms with trying to spear anything they possibly saw as a threat.

Now, he had tried to not warp while people could see him. Granted, Revali had been an exception, because he was a total ass and his reaction had been more than worth it. Riju had learned of his teleportation out of pure necessity. Had he not gone all out against those Yiga, Link could’ve been wounded in the fight. He didn’t want to find out if the one-hit clause counted external hits.

However, his qualms against warping in public ended now that he had seven spears pointed at him. Midna would scold him if she was here. “People will freak out if they see you warping” she always claimed. Well, he was freaking out about the seven Zora closing in.

The throne room was obvious. Getting there would probably put even more Zora on him. If he could just drop the message anywhere, it likely would find its way to Sidon, but everything here was coated in a layer of water. He’d have to do this the hard way. Calling upon the twilight he now knew how to traverse like second nature, he vanished into black squares before reappearing on the steps to the throne room. There were confused yells behind him, and that meant he had time. They’d have to go the long way up the stairs that surrounded Mipha’s statue.

The Goddesses were doing a terrible job at punishing him if he could just warp to places he knew and could see. He’d be sure to thank them next time they endowed another one of their “punishments” on him. They’d love that.

As he began to charge up the stairs, he could already pick out a conversation. There was some heated argument about the increasing monsters in the last blood moon. Ganon’s power had grown stronger with Zelda’s power beginning to wane. Hopefully, that issue would be solved in the near future.

As he crossed the threshold to the throne room, he realized that all eyes were now on him. Well, he’d found a Zora that definitely fit the tall description. The Zora king stared down at him, as did two guards and a much older Zora. Then, he spotted his target. Prince Sidon must be the giant, red, shark-looking Zora.

Immediately, he began to trot over to Sidon. Both guards had already started rushing towards him, and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He’d tried to appear non threatening by not running, but it seemed everyone here wanted to make his life difficult. 

“See? This is exactly what I’m talking about!” The older, wrinkly Zora yelled, “A monster, in our own domain nonetheless!”

This must be Muzu. Link had gone on a very passionate rant about an old Zora who had it out for him back when he was just starting out. Yeah, he hated this Zora too. Ignoring the two spears now actually trying to impale him, he made a mad dash for Sidon. The large Zora seemed more curious of him if anything, and he did not have a weapon of his own on his person. This seemed like the safest bet.

The two guards shouted as he got far too close to Sidon, but he didn’t do anything but circle around the Zora’s legs, trying desperately to get his attention. He’d heard that Sidon was kind and optimistic, so he really hoped that the Zora wouldn’t punt him across the room. 

Sidon whirled around to try to follow his movements before two spears jabbing at the wolf caused the Zora to look up with a dangerous glare. “Do not hurt this creature. If it planned on attacking, it would have already!” He demanded before doing something that made the wolf bristle. 

Now, he was a rather large wolf. He had yet to see another canine in Hyrule come close to his height. To say he was surprised when Sidon scooped him off the ground would  be an understatement. In fact, he started thrashing, suddenly feeling very constricted and not at all happy. 

Sidon had the gall to chuckle, “Come now! Calm down!” Muzu somehow looked like he had aged a few more years with the sheer stress exuding from him. The two guards looked on with utter confusion before seven other Zora stumbled into the room. Everyone looked on the sight of Sidon restricting this massive wolf and decided that this was likely “handled”.

The wolf resigned himself with a huff, going limp. Even though this was rather humiliating, it definitely beat being on the pointy end of a spear again. He tried to lift his head to show off the note tied around his neck that had been creased at this point from the stranglehold Sidon had on him. 

Thankfully, the prince seemed to notice. He undid the ornate string currently tied around the wolf’s neck with one hand. The wolf felt like he was about to slip and be sent crashing down onto the floor, but Sidon had an iron grip on him. He did not like being handled like this. Being a wolf had its perks, but this was not one of them. Sidon let the wolf down, and he quickly darted behind the Zora to put a body between him and the guards eyeing him with suspicion.

Muzu would not go quietly into the night. He loudly complained, “Prince Sidon! Don’t touch that beast! It looks like another one of Ganon’s monsters!”

The king, who the wolf had reasoned out to be King Dorephan at this point, finally thought it wise to take the floor back. “Muzu, calm yourself,” he demanded, and the buzzing chaos in the room fell into silence. Muzu grumbled and started talking in a hushed tone to a few of the guards. Dorephan ignored this and turned to Sidon who had already opened the letter and had been pouring over it. “A message? From who?”

As the wolf peeked around his one and only protector in this situation, he saw that Sidon’s grip over the sheet of paper had grown tighter. Sidon’s eyes grew wider and wider with every word he read. His eyes scanned frantically, trying to piece together what he was reading. Without a doubt, it would be difficult for everyone in this room to understand what it meant for Mipha to be alive. The wolf was suddenly very thankful that he could not speak. Being in the middle of the conversation about to break out would be terrible.

“It… It came from Chief Riju of the Gerudo. The crest proves it.” Sidon presented the letter, but he did not give it up to anyone else. He retracted his hand the moment Muzu began to walk towards him in order to see it for himself. “I… I do know what to believe. If this is true…” His words caught in his throat, and he turned his gaze to Vah Ruta. The wolf could see that Sidon was now visibly shaking.

King Dorephan leaned forward, his old eyes widening slightly. “Sidon? What does it say?”

“It-” He took a moment to compose himself, taking a deep breath and scanning over the letter again like it held some kind of deceit. “It claims that two Champions have risen, and if that’s true…” The unspoken words echoed through the room, and everyone knew the implication. If two other Champions had risen, what did that mean for Mipha? Sidon’s gaze shot up from the letter, and he flew into action. “We must prepare. Link is on his way to Vah Ruta as we speak, and this letter claims that he will need defense as well as a healer on standby.”

Huh, some prince indeed. Link had described him as a little too optimistic, and sometimes that might hurt him. However, the wolf disagreed. This was someone who had dealt with loss before, and he knew how to seize the moment in order to help his loved ones. That was commendable, if anything.

No one dared to move. Everyone looked towards King Dorephan who finally extended his hand to take the letter. Sidon seemed apprehensive and hardly wanted to let go of this life-changing message, but he gave it to his father. 

As Dorephan read, Muzu found it within him to cut in again, “This note came to us tied to a beast which allegedly was seen disappearing and reappearing with dark magic. How do we know this can be trusted?” 

The wolf had to fight off the urge to instinctively growl. Yes, it was magic born from twilight. The twilight also had its own beauty. Just because the magic had been man made instead of being sourced from the Goddesses didn’t mean it couldn’t have its merits. He’d used it to save these lands once before, and suddenly the Goddesses had an issue when he wanted to use it to find an old friend? The wolf huffed, shooting a piercing glare at Muzu who seemed to notice and flinch slightly backwards.

King Dorephan must have finished reading, because he had to take a moment away from the letter to wipe his eyes. “It is unmistakably the Gerudo crest. It has been ages, but it is still the same one.” He too began to look towards Vah Ruta. “If Link is involved and on his way, we should be prepared. While the Gerudo’s method of delivery is… questionable…” He glanced pointedly at the wolf who tilted his head back. “I would never hesitate for a chance to return my daughter to us.”

With that last point, everyone agreed in hushed murmurs. Muzu even finally relented, but his eyes stayed transfixed on the wolf. Oh well, that old Zora didn’t hold a candle to the fury of the Goddesses. He’d dealt with worse.

“Then we must prepare!” Sidon exclaimed, and the guards who the wolf had lovingly delivered to the throne room immediately nodded their heads. “Of course, my sister may be able to heal herself, but we should have a healing pool ready. I am going up to Vah Ruta myself, and anyone who would join me is welcome!”

Everyone would be joining. This was Mipha they were talking about.

The wolf prepared to warp to Vah Ruta before Sidon knelt down next to him. Honestly, the prince would look absolutely terrifying if the wolf hadn’t already heard from Link that he was fantastic. 

Sidon gave a toothy grin and gave the wolf a reassuring pat on the back. “Thank you for bringing us this news, friend. I apologize for everyone’s hostility.”

Against his better judgement, the wolf gave a very obvious nod that betrayed how intelligent he actually was. He’d been doing that too much lately, but it had inspired many fun reactions.

As if he hardly even noticed, Sidon kept on going. “I will tell the guards not to attack you if you ever deliver more messages to us.”

Ah, no. He was not a messenger dog. This situation had been a one-time thing, and he would be going back to searching the wilds when Ganon had been put back into the ground. He shook his head, and now Sidon seemed to notice.

Sidon let out a ‘hm’ that certainly meant he realized something. His grin only grew wider. “Well then, safe travels friend! I hope to thank you when all of this is over, and to thank Chief Riju as well!”

The wolf decided to walk to the steps, notably jostling his head in the direction of Vah Ruta. They needed to go quickly.

Sidon only laughed, kneeling down to pat the wolf on the head again. “Of course, you want to see this through then? Let’s be off!”

With an entourage of Zora and one large wolf, they began to move to Vah Ruta where a very confused Mipha would likely be. Jumping her with a small group of her people sounded bad in retrospect, but this needed to be done quickly. Keeping Link from needing to engage with these politics was essential, and things seemed like they were going well.

Well, at least Daruk was going fine. Yunobo almost admired how much the greyed scars completed the mighty Daruk’s look. Now, he looked even more grand than before, and he couldn’t believe that this was the same Daruk that’d complimented Yunobo’s usage of a skill that he himself had made. It all seemed like a dream that was too good to be true, but Daruk had yet to wake up.

That lady… Fi had said that would happen. It still made him anxious to see Daruk sleeping through having the molten lava poured into his wounds. His anxiety came less from Daruk and more from Link.

Link had left the moment he saw Daruk in good hands. It had hardly been fifteen seconds after Link came back to consciousness before he disappeared into a flash of blue. That Fi lady had to be right. Link wasn’t doing well.

And… Yunobo had promised to stay close by to the nearby shrine in case he was needed.

The thought terrified him, but his grandfather had given him the encouragement he needed. If he could be any help to Link, then he would do it. Besides, he wasn’t sure if he could sit idly by when Daruk had put so much faith into him. It seemed backwards, but the pressure seemed even less when he had his granddad’s boundless optimism on his side. He couldn’t possibly stay worried.

With the Boulder Breaker on his back, Yunobo anxiously made his way to the shrine as instructed. Nothing had changed at the castle, but he waited anyway. He couldn’t let anyone down.

When Link touched down to Vah Ruta, he expected an immediate barrage from Mipha. Steeling herself in front of her would be difficult, but it had to be done. He’d push through her Divine Beast and enter the Silent Realm without her help if he needed to. He had to do it if they wanted a chance to live again.

That’s what he had expected.

He had not expected to touch down next to Vah Ruta and see Mipha already appearing in a flurry of flames with Sidon just finishing climbing up the mountain. What were they doing here already? First Yunobo, and now this? He wouldn’t complain about it, but two times in a row seemed quite suspicious. His answer came in the form of a wolf appearing in black squares right alongside Sidon. Its ears flicked up as it saw him, and it ran to meet him, barking at the Zora to indicate something to him. 

So… maybe Riju had been right about his wolf being able to teleport.

Mipha, who had appeared with her mouth already open to scold Link, whirled around at the sight of other Zora coming up the hill. While he would expect her to flinch at the sight of Sidon, she must’ve not registered who it was. She spun back to Link with her eyes widened in alarm. “Link, why did you bring them up here? You had better not be planning to try to free me today!”

He shrugged, gesturing at the wolf. He hadn’t done this, but he certainly was planning on doing two in one day whether she liked it or not. Link touched the hilt of the Master Sword to call Fi.

Mipha didn’t like that. Even as Fi appeared, she did not relent. “We are not doing this today, especially not after you threw yourself in front of a flaming sword. Link? What were you thinking?!?” Her voice rose a few octaves, but Link didn’t betray any expression.

Fi chimed, “We unfortunately are out of time and must do this now. I recommend raising your Divine Beast slightly in order for Link to board.”

With a rage filled glare, Mipha turned on Fi. “Absolutely not! What do you mean there is no time?” She pointed an accusatory finger, and seemed to not be noticing the larger red Zora approaching from behind.

Fi glanced over Mipha’s head. She’d seen Sidon approaching as well. However, she must’ve thought it prudent to answer Mipha’s question. “Zelda’s power is waning. We must free you now-”

“Sister?” 

Sidon’s voice cut through the heated argument, and Mipha’s resolve faltered. In the middle of taking in a breath to fight Fi on this, she completely locked up. She hadn’t seen Sidon in ages, and hearing his voice shocked her. Hesitantly, she turned around, and her breath hitched. 

“Sidon? Is… is that really you?” Her voice quaked as she couldn’t hold onto her fury. Last Mipha had seen him, he had been extremely small and tripped over his own fin. Now, he dwarfed her. “You can see me?”

As if to answer her question, Sidon knelt down and tried to hug her. Link had to turn away to avoid seeing the sight of his arms phasing right through her. Sidon winced and pulled back, but stayed on eye level with her. “I suppose I should have seen that coming. When we heard you were alive, I rushed as fast as I could.”

Mipha looked as if she was about to cry, and she reached out to mime pressing a hand to his cheek. “You’ve grown to be so strong,” she mused, “Yes, it is possible for me to come back, but…” Her righteous fury turned back on Link. “He shouldn’t have gotten you so soon. He needs to rest. He’s already freed Daruk today, and he did something incredibly stupid to do so!”

Sidon looked even more confused. “Actually, he didn’t come and get me. This wolf here delivered a message from Chief Riju that he would be on his way!” Sidon flexed an arm and grinned. Link took to staring at the offending wolf with a hint of curiosity. “I planned to bring a group of Zora up here, but there were no natural waterfalls. Naturally, I climbed up here on my own. Chief Riju’s message stated that you could be transported to a shrine, so everyone else is waiting for your arrival! Muzu will complain endlessly that I came alone, but I could not wait!”

Wringing her hands, Mipha anxiously looked down at Zora’s Domain. “Sidon, while all of this is well and good, I cannot in good conscience allow Link to do this now. He’s rushing and…” Link had started walking towards Vah Ruta, and she caught him. “AND YOU! Do not think for a second that I cannot see that mask you are trying to wear! Whatever is going through your mind, I do not enjoy it one bit!”

Link squinted back at her, gesturing towards Vah Ruta again. They needed to go. Fi echoed this sentiment, “I apologize, Champion Mipha. We are currently running out of time. As I attempted to clarify before, Zelda’s power will wane very soon.”

“Zelda’s power will…” Mipha faltered for a moment before picking up the pace to keep up with Link. Sidon followed as well, growing increasingly concerned at the argument he was not privy to. “Then that is yet another reason as to why you should not free me yet! You cannot fight Calamity Ganon without any of our support and gifts!”

Ignoring her arguments, Link began to fiddle with the Sheikah Slate. He made a mental note that he had left a warp in front of the Castle Sanctum when preparing a few days ago. Oh, how times had changed since he had believed he would be fighting Calamity Ganon with his friends dying. Well, that warp would do him well if the Calamity broke free immediately after he finished with this. Swapping off the map, he thumbed through until he found the Zora armor. If Mipha would be difficult, he’d just have to get on the Divine Beast himself.

As Link’s clothing changed instantly, except for the headpiece, Fi continued to reiterate her point, “Champion Mipha, as I am sure you know by now from the Sheikah, power consumption beyond what is absolutely necessary may result in us being unable to recover you. This must happen now.”

“But he-” She gestured uselessly at Link who gave her one last glance. He was going to jump in the water to get to that Divine Beast if she didn’t open it. He’d open that warp point with the map terminal if he really needed to. “Link, you need to slow down!”

Right, he had forgotten to do something. Link swapped to the weapon selection in his Sheikah Slate and deposited the Lightscale Trident. Mipha would need it later. He just hoped that she would forgive him when all of this was over. 

Link finished securing the Zora helmet to his head so as to not disturb his Rito braids. He crouched down instinctively to call upon Revali’s Gale, and then winced when nothing happened. That one would continue to hurt for a while. The others he only ever needed to call upon in combat. Gale had become second nature to him, and he realized it might be slightly harder than he’d thought to get into Vah Ruta. That was fine. He could climb.

After picking up the Lightscale Trident for himself, Sidon had other plans and put a hand on Link’s shoulder. “Link, my friend, are you sure you are well enough to do this?”

No. He had never been more unwell. He knew that. However, the more he thought about the task ahead, the more he thought about turning back. Therefore, he had to stop thinking about it. So, he nodded knowing fully well that it was a lie.

And Sidon, as amazing as he was, could not read past the impenetrable wall that was Link’s face. He stood up and flexed his arm with one of his signature smiles again. “Then I see no reason as to why I should not put my utmost faith into you! Sister, if he truly believes he can bring you back, then I have to trust him!” He said with absolute seriousness. Mipha wanted to protest, but he just kept going. “Link is a valuable friend to me, and he has already freed Ruta once. He put faith into me when approaching the Domain for the first time, so I must do the same for him!”

Mipha swayed slightly now that she was on the backfoot of this argument. “Sidon, I have seen him like this before. Something is incredibly wrong.”

Fi took one look at Link and appeared to decide enough was enough. “There is a 100% chance that Link will enter Vah Ruta even if you attempt to prevent him from doing so. Zelda cannot hold on forever.” Her voice held a newfound sense of urgency, and Link found himself being a little impressed.

“Then we must support him, sister. Please,” he begged, and Link realized he sounded desperate. He probably wanted to see Mipha alive just as much as everyone else did. “Come home.”

Mipha wanted to say something back. However, as she turned to look at Sidon, she saw the castle in the corner of her eye. Link could now blatantly tell that Zelda’s power was waning. The violet clouds that surrounded Hyrule Castle had turned into an almost impenetrable smog. He was now very thankful he had placed that warp point in the castle beforehand.

She was outnumbered by the rest of them. She had to stare her brother in the face if she wanted to tell him no. If she wanted to argue, she would have to argue with Calamity Ganon. Mipha began to wring her hands as she stared at the castle, and as much as she tried to keep her composure, her breathing grew faster and faster.

Finally, she said, “I do not support this.” She left it at that, but the warp gate on Vah Ruta folded open and lit up. Mipha looked away before vanishing and waiting at the warp. She looked unhappy with everything that was happening.

Wordlessly, Link grabbed Sidon’s wrist and selected the warp for Vah Ruta. They both reappeared in an instant, and Sidon took it surprisingly well. Everyone else had suffered from nausea afterwards, but he looked just as enthusiastic as ever. Good. At least some people in the room were still optimistic. He sure couldn’t be.

Well, better to get this over with now. Wordlessly, Link pulled the Goddess Harp out from the Sheikah Slate. He hoped he would have time to return it to Kass, but that would likely not be the case. Fi was getting antsy herself, which meant that Calamity Ganon would probably awaken soon. He’d love to delay, but his time for delaying had finally run out. He glanced at Fi, and she got the message, hovering over the warp gate.

One more time.

Last time was strange. As much as he tried to force out the memory that always took place when he played the harp, he completely failed. This one also did not contain the Goddess Harp. It was something much more jovial which was FAR off from how he felt in that moment. In the memory, he had certainly been near a volcano. There was heat close by. However, he was playing a jovial song that caused the Goron in front of him to start dancing. A fondness sparked when he saw it, but he really didn’t feel that way in the moment of playing the song with Fi.

He knew another memory would appear. It was inevitable.

As the lights of Vah Ruta pulsed in tune with the song Link played, Fi began to sing. The energy that usually sparked between them when they started to play didn’t really feel right this time. Neither of them really had their hearts in it knowing what was coming soon. However, they had a job to do. Link began to play as Fi recited the lyrics by heart, “Recall the Champion of Ruta’s wrath, before she walked her chosen path.”

The memory that cut into Link’s memory immediately hurt. He could not trace why he felt that way, but he remembered staring up at a large fish. Eight instruments hovered around him, all playing the same song: a ballad. He didn’t understand. Most of the memories were inspired by the environment he was playing the songs in. This one seemed to have nothing to do with Ruta, and he didn’t know why it hurt so much.

The song kept playing on, and he wanted to panic. The island he found himself standing on started fading away. Why had he played the song? Why wasn’t there another way to-

He found himself floating in the middle of an ocean on a piece of driftwood. The island had vanished, and all of his friends with it. There was someone he knew he missed the most, but he no longer knew her name in this time. 

“Mipha’s kindness was known to all, which is why the princess came to call.”

As Link finally came back to his senses with the end of the song, he realized why this memory had appeared. He had experienced loss many times before. Perhaps, the pattern had been broken due to what was coming next.

He’d have to experience loss again in the worst possible way, and he could do nothing to stop it.

“Link, are you all right?” Mipha asked, closing the distance between them, “Like I said, you are not well. You should try to take a moment to rest-”

Fi twirled into the Master Sword as Link plunged his weapon into the trial gate, his spirit vanishing into Vah Ruta in an instant.

He could rest later.

Not now.

All things considered, Mipha thought that she had done a fantastic job maintaining her composure. She had been understandably worried about her friend, had her brother’s arrival sprung on her, and had been dealing with peer pressure from everyone around her. She had been bullied into allowing Link onto her Divine Beast when she knew better than anyone here that Link looked extremely unwell. 

So, she allowed herself a bit of grace when she shrieked at the sight of Link’s spirit being pulled into Vah Ruta very suddenly. She had seen Link’s spirit when using her own magic to heal him, but watching it get separated from his body shook her in a way she had not expected. Additionally, Link had done that when she was trying to check if he was okay. Even more concerning, she could instantly feel some burning spirit inside of Vah Ruta. That had to be him, but it still scared her half to death.

The Master Sword began to shine, and Fi’s voice called out, “Apologies, Champion Mipha. This is the second time he has done this.”

Mipha sighed and took a moment to compose herself. “That is why I recommended he rest. Neither of you saw his face the last time he called upon my Grace. He’s pushing too far.” As she said that, she grunted and felt Grace being severed. 

Immediately, Sidon knelt by her side. “Sister? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she reassured through gritted teeth. Not being able to ensure Link’s protection hit harder than she thought it would. “I just hope he is cautious.”

Once again, Fi’s voice rang out. “Yes, he has been pushing too far, but stopping the Calamity is an unfortunate priority. I am doing everything within my power to prevent this from ending in disaster.”

While Mipha personally doubted that Fi would go out of her way to harm Link, she seemed to be taking this as far too much of a necessity. Mipha frowned and asked, “What is it that you hope to do?”

With dramatic timing, blackened squares began to form right next to Link. Mipha had to hold back her shriek this time. However, she was immediately relieved to see that it was just the wolf. Sidon grinned immediately and somehow managed to hug the thing. “My friend! You made it. I wondered if you would be joining us!”

The wolf very quickly wiggled its way out of Sidon’s grasp. It carried a grim expression on its face and began to move towards the Master Sword. Tilting her head at the wolf and noticing Fi had not commented, Mipha simply watched.

Then it touched the hilt of the Sword with its nose, and something changed.

Just one more.

Link could do this. Vah Ruta could be traversed through climbing (he hoped), and he could deal with the water with his Zora armor. While not having Grace did worry him a bit, it hardly mattered. The Silent Realms had been mostly safe before he would have to face off with the blights. Luckily, that situation looked like it had resolved itself. The trial gate was actually quite close to Ruta’s main terminal. If he and Mipha were fast, they could get out of here quickly. 

However, he really wasn’t looking forward to listening to Mipha’s memories. They had been good friends in the past, and intruding on her conversations with Vah Ruta seemed a bit much. The more memories he listened to, the more he might accidentally reminisce. He could not afford to deal with any distractions. If he backed down now, he would never have the resolve to face Calamity Ganon.

The first two tears were actually very close by, one of them being with the map terminal and another being underwater. He decided on the map terminal first, collecting the tear through the open gate with ease. It sprung into the crystalline blue spirit vessel at his hip, and Link tried to shut out the ensuing conversation.

“It’s frustrating, Ruta. He used to be the most playful and mischievous boy I have ever seen in our Domain, and now he has been silenced by a pain he will not reveal to any of us.” 

Link clenched his fist and waded back through the water to go find the other tear. He didn’t want to listen to this one, actually.

“I apologize. You have only just accepted me as your Champion, and yet I am already speaking to you like this. The Champion Ceremony just ended up being too much to bear, I’m afraid.”

Ruta let out a low cry. Link kept walking and eyeing the second tear that rested under the water. 

“If… if you really think that, then I will learn to lean on you. Thank you, Ruta.”

It seemed that Vah Ruta had been a comforting presence for Mipha. Out of all the Champions, Link thought that she might need it the most after Revali. She was also incredibly young for a Zora, and dealing with a political court for comfort probably never really helped her much. She also found comfort in her fellow Champions, but it was nice to know that even a Divine Beast could not deny Mipha a shoulder to lean on.

He was reminiscing. He needed to stop.

Taking a deep breath, Link dove for the second tear. The Zora armor made swimming into the small pool quite easily even though the water was absurdly cold. He hadn’t realized it until he resurfaced from the water with another tear, but he REALLY did not trust the water here. A distant memory told him “DO NOT STEP IN THE WATER IN SILENT REALMS”, but clearly things had gone fine.

Whatever trials his past self had to face must have been brutal. He was glad none of those arbitrary rules that danced in his distant memory seemed to apply here. Was that by mistake or by design?

Another conversation flooded his mind as he tried to figure out which route he should take. It had been so long since he had visited Vah Ruta, so things were a little blurry-

Ruta rumbled first. The conversation seemed to start with the Divine Beast.

“I know, Ruta. You obviously saw that disaster. I wanted to reach out to him, and I tried. He hardly even reacted to the prospect of spending more time together. I just wanted to get him away from that castle. It… it is destroying him.” 

Astute observation, Mipha. Unfortunately, no one could stop him from being destroyed by the castle after all. That battle had been lost the moment he had been cursed a millenia ago. 

“I have an idea of how to get him away. I would be giving away part of myself that I would like to keep, but I would do that for someone like Link. I do love him. I love who he once could be. I do not believe he harbors the same feelings, but I would do anything to see him at least smile again.”

Link stopped and lowered his head. One of his locks of hair fell in front of his eyes, and he had to fight back the stinging in his eyes. Yeah, this would be difficult to get through. 

“I’m sorry, Mipha,” he whispered, staring out into the endless expanse of the Silent Realm, “I’m so sorry.”

The wolf had completely vanished, and in its place stood…

Link?

Mipha’s eyes scanned between the Link currently shrouded in light and the one who had just emerged from darkness. She tried to word a question, but her words died in her throat when Vah Ruta began projecting very personal conversations into her head. She had no idea why Ruta would be doing this now, but her focus had to remain on this other Link who had just appeared right in front of her.

The strange Link in a green tunic pointed between her and Sidon. Well, he completely missed the mark on where Mipha actually stood. “Both of you, don’t try to figure this out. This is the only time I can do this, and you’d better not say a word to him about this.”

All of this rushing finally sent Mipha over the edge. She marched up to this weird, slightly altered version of Link and pointed at him. “You have a lot of explaining to do if you think I will allow you onto my Divine Beast during a moment of crisis!”

The other Link did not even react to her in the slightest. It was like she wasn’t even there. Instead, he knelt down for the Sheikah Slate, taking it off of Link’s hip. He looked down at the Master Sword and asked, “Got any bright ideas for things to put in here, Fi?”

For some insane reason, Fi actually responded, “Any new tools would likely be detrimental in the long run as Link will not have time to understand their learning curve. Potions would be helpful as well as making sure you understand the Sheikah Slate functionality for later.”

Surely, Mipha had to be missing out on some kind of prank here. Why was Fi currently participating in this subterfuge? Sidon must have begun to get worried as well, because he stepped up closer to the strange other Link in front of him and questioned, “Excuse me, good friend, I do not believe that is yours, and my sister is trying to get your attention.”

The other Link sighed, not even making eye-contact with Sidon. “Tell her I’m sorry. Unless I’m back in wolf form, I can’t sense spirits.” That made even less sense than before! Mipha wanted to claw her scales off. “Just give me a sec. Link used up too many resources and hasn’t restocked yet, so I’m giving an extra boost.” Neither of them had time to question what that meant before the other Link pulled out a bottle of some shimmering purple substance, pressing it to the screen of the Sheikah Slate and watching it scan in.

Sidon immediately changed tone, doing his signature flex and grin. “Well then! A friend of Link is a friend of mine! Tell me, have you been the wolf this whole time? If so I greatly apologize-”

The other Link waved a dismissive hand. “You’re fine. I thought you were gonna punt me, drop me, or kill me in that order, but you defended me instead. Thanks, by the way. Usually, I get stabbed.” He thought for a moment as he thumbed through the Sheikah Slate. “And… don’t worry about the whole petting thing. I’m used to being a wolf at this point. Nothing really bothers me.”

Sidon nodded like he was following, and Mipha wondered how on earth her brother had developed this much optimism under his circumstances. She honestly thought it was quite amazing.

“That being said,” the other Link started, pointedly looking at Sidon now, “We gotta talk.”

The next tear was spinning around on a water wheel and had been very easy to snatch. The great part about not needing to interface with terminals was that he could grab the tears at any given time without dealing with puzzles. Honestly, the puzzles would be a great distraction from the brewing turmoil in Link’s head, but appreciating the Sheikah giving him a straight walkthrough of the Divine Beast also served as a fantastic distraction.

He also had been quite thankful that he had the foresight to change into Zora armor. The water would have been terrible in his usual outfit, and he did not want to arrive at the Castle Sanctum completely drenched. Of course, the tear brought another surge of voices.

“I have realized something terrible, Ruta.”

Link almost wanted to try diving under the water to avoid this. It would make this so much easier.

“It is not just Link. He may have been silenced, but… I managed to speak with the Princess on our travels. She expresses utter disdain for him which frustrates me to no end. However, I have managed to have slightly more grace with her after I had to heal her when she passed out in the middle of prayer. She confided in me… and I learned something terrible.”

“It’s not just Link who is having his entire personality rewritten by the royal family. Even Zelda has had her interests squashed at every turn by her own father. I can hardly stand it. I do not know what to do. I do not know if I have the power to help them all. I have to, but I do not know if I have the strength to do so!”

Mipha’s voice faded away into panic.

For someone always focused on making sure Link rested, Mipha hardly allowed herself the grace to fall. From what Link could tell, she was being tugged in multiple different directions, feeling like she had to help them all.

He wished he could say sorry again, because things were about to get much worse.

Fi very lightly observed the ensuing argument between Champion Mipha, Prince Sidon, and the other Link who could not currently see Champion Mipha. The plan, as the other Link had explained it, did NOT go over well with Mipha in the slightest. If the Champion had already been angry, she now had turned into a bonfire.

However, Fi did not have to engage in this conversation at the moment, and she found herself mulling over the information Purah had told them in the previous morning. This would be the last time she could interact with a Silent Realm from one of these Divine Beasts, so she wanted to think about this now. The Sheikah had insisted this was not something they knew how to do, and Fi had believed Hylia somehow instructed the Sheikah so these trial gates would exist within the Divine Beasts.

However, Hylia’s trials had rules, and Link had hardly encountered any. Additionally, Hylia’s trials could not be corrupted by beings of Demise’s hatred. Hylia’s blessing purged the darkness after all. This had to be a result of a vulnerability in Sheikah technology, but that raised even more questions. If these trial gates had been a result of Sheikah Technology, then how could mere technology trap fragments of a shattered spirit inside of them?

Fi knew how to go about sealing a trapped spirit away. In fact, that was her main purpose. Demise had been shattered and sealed into the Master Sword, and he still rotted away within her seal to this day. Had the Divine Beasts somehow replicated this phenomenon, managing to seal away their own Champions until help could arrive?

It almost felt blasphemous, but it had worked as intended. Fi took comfort in knowing that Link would be able to be with his friends again. She just wondered how Sheikah had managed to replicate something Hylia herself had made, or if they had even replicated it at all.

A shift from the other Link caught Fi’s attention. He had gone on the defensive, crossing his arms. “Like I said, this is a last resort. I’m only going to do it if Link has no other options. Besides, prince, it’s your choice. Mipha can’t really hold you back if you wanna help Link too.”

Fi could hear Mipha fuming. The other Link could not hear her in the slightest, and it made for an amusing dynamic. It would be amusing if it weren’t for the fact that Sidon could very much perish if this plan went awry. 

Sidon pondered for a few seconds and then immediately came to a decision.

The next terminal had its gate already open. The large spinning wheel moved on its own without any influence from Ruta’s truck which made getting the tear a bit of a challenge. He had to leap in and out to collect it to avoid going for an upside-down spin. He had enough of that in Vah Naboris thank you very much!

Link had already started heading down to climb on the water wheel when Mipha’s voice came out again. This time, it was joined by a familiar one.

Zelda’s voice rang out throughout Vah Ruta, and it carried on at a frantic and enthusiastic pace. She ranted, “Mipha, this is wonderful! Having a connection with Vah Ruta this soon is nothing short of amazing. Being able to communicate with your Divine Beast instead of merely controlling it is something I never could have dreamed of! Does that mean they are sentient? Are they more than just Sheikah machinery? Mipha, this is wonderful!”

Laughter rang out, and Link couldn’t help but smile. Zelda always did sound at her best when able to rant about the things she enjoyed. He hoped that he would be able to at least reunite her with everyone else. She deserved it more than anyone.

Mipha’s voice came next, “Princess, I believe I have realized something.” A questioning noise came from Zelda, and Mipha continued, “Us Zora are attuned to magic more than other species. It’s why we do not particularly enjoy elemental arrows, and why potions do not quite work on us. All of this is a very long winded way of saying that when you speak about the things you enjoy, it is almost as if I can feel you glowing!”

Link paused. Mipha had… felt magic from Zelda before her power had awoken? In his last memory before dropping dead, he certainly could describe the feeling of Zelda’s power being radiant in its purest form. Mipha had to have felt the sealing power somehow. 

Zelda spoke again after a long pause, and she sounded more unsure of herself. “You would never lie to me Mipha. I find it hard to believe that you feel that, but thank you,” she said earnestly, “And please, just call me Zelda. If I do not have to call you by your title, you certainly do not have to call me by mine.” 

“I can agree to that!”

Link found himself smiling again, but it quickly faded.

He wouldn’t get to see them happy, would he?

By this point, the Champions typically felt pain and started reacting strangely. Mipha did not appear to have this issue, although she did check herself a few times. She had claimed her injuries had not been severe before the final blow as she had been taken by surprise. Fi hoped that this information was true. Both Champions being mobile during their escape would be incredibly important.

However, Fi could not rule out the fact that Mipha simply could not feel her injuries, because her laser focus had been dedicated to fretting over Sidon. “...and if you do not come home safely, know that I will be chasing you down to heal you and then berate you for ages and get you grounded by father indefinitely!” She stressed, her fins flailing with every word she said. 

Her focus suddenly faltered, and her gaze turned back towards the castle. Fi, Sidon, and the other Link all stared towards it as well. Golden light pierced through the violet cloud desperately, and the malice began to grow more and more violent. The swirling cloud of Calamity Ganon kept trying to manifest in a spiral around the castle, but it continued to be pulled into the grasp of the Castle Sanctum every time.

Mipha stole a glance at Link, and then to Sidon. The other Link grimaced and said, “I’ll be there with him at the start of the fight. That thing is going to break free soon. Just remember what I told you, and be on the lookout for me.” He removed his hand from the Master Sword and transformed back into a wolf instantly. 

The wolf sat on the edge of Vah Ruta, staring intently at the castle. 

Fi thought it wise to speak up now, “I will not allow him to fall in this fight. You have my word, Champion Mipha.”

It was a promise that had a statistically low chance of actually being correct. However, it was a promise she intended to keep.

For some reason, Mipha believed her.

Climbing Ruta’s trunk with no control over it had to be one of the most awful experiences yet. There was the vague shimmer of water beneath him if he fell, but leaving the bounds of the Divine Beast sounded like a terrible idea, especially when he would be crashing into water at a speed that would certainly count as a hit. He had managed to collect the tear, and he already began to scale back. He wanted off this ride.

“Ruta… I saw everyone today as the happiest they have ever been. Link was at the center of it all, and I think things are going to be okay for a little bit longer. Everyone seems to have warmed up to him, and he has found comfort with all of us as well. Those moments by the fire will be something I will never forget, even though it must have seemed small for the others.”

No, it wasn't small. Everyone remembered it fondly. He wished he could as well. Every Champion had mentioned Link’s cooking as some kind of turning point. Perhaps, it had been a reminder that all of them could just be friends and family together instead of feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders. Link had to fight off that feeling. He would never get it again, but that was okay. They would, and that’s what mattered.

“I do not believe the armor I created for Link will be necessary anymore. I cannot offer it to him now. Regardless of what happens after the Calamity, I believe we will be able to keep him from the castle without unnecessary marriages. Besides, I have been given some insight on how to aid Zelda in awakening her sealing power, and I hope to spend some time with her. Her power is welling up inside her, but it wilts around that castle. I have a different approach that I would like her to try.” 

A weight on Link’s shoulders lifted. He was glad that Mipha’s feelings had turned away at the end, even though he thought he should feel hurt by that. But no, he did not harbor those feelings for Mipha either. She was a great friend who he would cherish for as long as he could, but he could never lead her on like that. Besides, it made what came next slightly easier.

He turned to the direction of the final tear, the last of these conversations almost complete.

Despite not being able to touch, Mipha tried to rest her head on Sidon’s shoulder as they sat together. It half worked, and she found herself being strangely propped up by the action. Sidon tensed before wrapping her in a hug that felt just a little more than nothing. They sat like that for who knew how long, staring at the castle. 

A single, overwhelming memory invaded Mipha’s spirit. She gazed off to the castle as a conversation with Vah Ruta played out before her. 

She truly hoped that everything would be okay. She hoped that her brother would return safely, and that Link would be successful in defeating the Calamity. They all needed to be here together. They all could be here together. However, to do that, she had to give up control and trust that everything would be fine until she woke up.

A single tear escaped, and she quickly wiped it away. She could not cry now. There would be more than enough tears for when all of the Champions could sit together around another fire with one another without the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Fi chimed, “Link has almost collected the last tear. Brace yourself, Champion Mipha… and good luck.”

Mipha nodded, and tilted her head up to look at her brother who had grown so much. She was so proud of him, even though she fretted endlessly. He would be okay. Sidon stared down at her, and another toothy grin spread across his face. 

“See you soon, sister?”

“See you soon.”

The last reminder of Mount Lanayru played out before him.

“I will be departing for Mount Lanayru shortly. We all plan on meeting Zelda there, but I want to be there to welcome her if this does not work. I have my doubts that it will, but I am hoping that I will have the courage to offer my assistance to her afterwards. She will need some hope if things go wrong.”

“Be well, Ruta.”

The voice petered out, and Link felt cold. Sheikah tendrils wrapped around his body. This had not happened the last few times, most likely because he had been so close to the main terminal. This time, he was lifted there by Sheikah technology. He appreciated it. This needed to be done now.

With a full spirit vessel, Link was deposited close to the main terminal. The first thing he noticed was that Waterblight had completely altered its strategy when fighting him. Waterblight had flooded the room when fighting Link, as water would be disadvantageous to a Hylian. For a Zora, the water would allow more maneuverability. Waterblight knew this and had frozen the water before attacking Mipha.

Like she said, she had been taken by surprise. Her hand rested on the terminal, and she had been in the process of turning around with Waterblight’s spear pointing directly at her. At least, it had been quick. Now, it would be nothing at all. Link refused to let someone as precious as Mipha die again, even if he had to skate on ice to do so. 

He precariously maneuvered across the ice to reach Mipha. This would be hard to get a foothold, but as long as he pushed off the wall after time resumed, he could potentially get to the ramp and onto solid ground. Then, between the two of them, it would just be a matter of outmaneuvering Waterblight.

For one final time, he removed the Spirit Vessel from his belt. He could press it to Mipha’s chest now, but he needed momentum on the ice. Instead, he skidded to a wall parallel to Waterblight’s spear with the plan to kick off and collide with Mipha. With one deep breath, he threw himself at Mipha with the Spirit Vessel in hand, sending it crashing into her and sending them both crashing into the opposite wall. 

The spear soared just past their heads, and Link reached out for his own magic. He would not even give Waterblight a chance. With Mipha in his arms and not quite aware yet, Link felt the flow of time slow. He kicked off the wall to pass Waterblight with time slowed down, and immediately skidded halfway across the arena before time resumed to its usual flow. 

Mipha glanced up at him from her position in his arms, and she yelled a quick, “Look out!” 

Immediately, Link leapt. A glowing Sheikah spear passed right under him in a sweeping motion, but he and Mipha carried right over it. One again, time slowed to a crawl, and Link remembered that comparatively to the other blights, Waterblight had been the easiest. Still, he could not let his guard down now.

Both he and Mipha skidded to a stop on the ramp and bolted. Mipha had no issue moving on her own, and Link could appreciate that blessing. “That was rude to separate your spirit from your body when I was trying to help, by the way!” Mipha called as Waterblight summoned five blocks of ice. 

These things homed. Link remembered that. He had used the slate to break them, but now that was not an option. They could move faster than the two of them, and the ramp was too thin for Link to outmaneuver them. He gestured for Mipha to keep going and focused.

Waterblight vanished into blue light and began to swirl towards the exit. Shit. That meant it would be focusing on Mipha. Still, Link had to deal with the current issue. He sidestepped the first one with too much force, but he could afford to do something like that. He needed the opening, anyway. Once more, time dilated to his whims as he dove under the second block of ice.

The third and fourth crashed into each other as Link pushed off the ground and leapt over them. The fifth chased pathetically after him as time resumed, and Link latched onto the wall and pulled himself over the lip of the ramp. He needed to catch up with Mipha.

Once again, the blight had taken to guarding the warp gate. A laser had been trained on Mipha already, and she took to sprinting perpendicular to its tracking. Waterblight fired before Link could respond, but Mipha was faster. She tucked into a roll, diving into the pool next to the map terminal. 

The added mobility let Mipha surge out of the way as she kicked through the water. She began to make her way back to the surface, but Link saw the edges of the water beginning to freeze.

Waterblight had one claw outstretched, and Link found out something awful about his magic.

His ability to bend time only occurred when someone in his immediate vicinity made a mistake that left them wide open. Up until this point, he believed it only worked on his foes. However, time began to bend the moment he saw Mipha in danger, and his fury turned on Waterblight.

He had no weapons, but he had to make it stop.

With the water beginning to freeze into a solid block, Link charged. He moved as fast as his legs would carry him with the sole purpose of ripping that arm off of Waterblight’s body if he had to. 

The swirling eye of Ganon’s puppet had a moment to look down at him with curiosity before Link leapt up at the clawed hand and wrapped around it, jostling Waterblight down from its floating position. Its focus broke, and the freezing water ceased as Mipha managed to break out of the top with a spray of water.

However, as Link pulled the arm down, he could feel the malice already beginning to burn him. Usually, malice didn’t disturb him, but he could feel his heart drop the moment he registered a burning sensation. It spread through his whole body, and he hardly even had a moment before the Waterblight began to shift the malice of its lone claw.

Something sharp broke through Link’s spirit, and he could feel himself beginning to break. He knew he didn’t have any failsafes, but he had to do that. He had to make sure Mipha didn’t die. If he hadn’t done that, then-

His spirit started to crumble. He needed to hold on a little longer. He stared into the eye of the Waterblight before it dropped him to focus back on Mipha. He saw Mipha running towards him. She was saying something, but he couldn’t-

He at least hoped that he would have survived until Ganon, but it had all been for-

“You promised me that we would make new memories again, didn’t you? Get up!” 

Link felt a surge of energy coursing through his body, not dissimilar at all from Mipha’s Grace. Then, he felt her glassy hand on his chest, and he wanted to slap himself for being so stupid. His spirit remained intact, and Mipha leaned over him with a death glare at the Waterblight.

Link hazily remembered Daruk and Urbosa using their Champion abilities in the Silent Realm, and he wanted to curse at himself for not putting it together that Mipha may be able to as well. She had figured it out, at least.

He stumbled back to his feet, but Mipha put an arm in front of him. She snarled and walked towards the Waterblight, fearless even though she had no weapon. It watched her with some new curiosity, like she had become some toy to play with.

Mipha did not come here to play games, and she raised one hand. “I believe you are forgetting that you have entered my Divine Beast, and that Vah Ruta’s control has been restored to me.”

Three balls riddled with spikes rose up from the depths of the Silent Realm. Link immediately recognized these as coming from Vah Ruta’s defensive system. Mipha growled again, and she pulled her arm towards her. The Waterblight spun around before being sent careening to the other end of Vah Ruta on the wrong end of a cryonis weapon.

“And I am TIRED OF YOU!” She yelled after it, grabbing Link’s hand and beginning to charge for the exit. “And you need to stop throwing yourself into attacks!” She yelled right at him.

He finally let his expression break, and muttered a small, “I’m sorry.”

She’d never know what he was apologizing for, because they both plunged through the trial gate.

Usually when Link felt his grip on the Master Sword again, it came with immense relief. 

This time, things could not be more different. 

As his senses came back to him, he could already see that the sky had been tinted a violent magenta. Wisps of malice began to branch off from the castle, monsters beginning to appear where they fell.

In the center of it all, he could see Zelda’s power beginning to flicker. It kept resurging over and over again as she tried to fight, but this was a losing battle.

The fog that made up Calamity Ganon began to surge out from the Castle Sanctum. It orbited the castle as lightning began to strike from a storm that gathered out of nowhere. It roared, demanding the world’s attention as it rose from its seal once again. The pillars around the castle suddenly opened up, and guardians began to unscrew themselves from the Sheikah technology to terrorize the land once more.

He needed to go. Now.

Sidon gasped as Link stood up, and Mipha began to reform right next to Link. He hoped that Mipha would somehow be awake right now, but as Sidon scooped her up, she did not react. It hadn’t been anything to do with all of them not being freed. Maybe, given a little more time, they would all awaken now that every Divine Beast had its Champion freed. “Sister, are you all right?” He futilely asked, cradling her in his arms.

The Master Sword hummed in his grip as he pulled it out of Vah Ruta. He went for his Sheikah Slate, finding quickly on his belt. He didn’t have time to talk to Sidon. Placing a hand on the Zora, Link selected the shrine in the center of Zora’s Domain. The name hardly mattered anymore. He was panicking, but he knew which shrine to click.

Fi pulsed on his back as the tendrils of light dropped all of them off at the shrine. Multiple Zora crowded around, and some seemed to relax at the sight of Mipha in Sidon’s arms. However, the entire Domain had flown into disarray. Who wouldn’t? The world was quite literally ending.

Link had no time to waste. He did not even say goodbye, and he hoped that Mipha would forgive him one day. He hoped that all of them would.

Steeling himself, Link selected his travel gate in front of the Castle Sanctum. He half expected some divine prank to disrupt the Sheikah tech, but it warped him all the same. Tendrils of light dropped him off just outside the Sanctum, and Link drew the Master Sword. He could feel the Calamity bursting at the seams from within. The stench of malice invaded his lungs as Fi pulsed in his hand.

He had never felt her burn this brightly, and he found comfort knowing that he had one companion in this fight. He hoped that wherever she ended up, she would be safe in the end. She did not say anything, but her presence comforted Link in its own simple way.

Then, another mass joined him. Blackened squares dropped from the sky, forming into the telltale figure of his wolf. Link’s heart seized. Wolfie shouldn’t be here. He should be running.

Immediately, Link knelt down next to his best companion on this journey. He struggled to find the words, but he cupped the wolf’s snout in his hand. “You don’t have to be here. Please, run,” he begged, hoping that the wolf would understand him as it always did.

It shook its head, and it began to walk towards the Sanctum.

It didn’t understand what he meant. It could warp though. If things got to be too much, the wolf could leave. Link hoped that it did.

With one quick interaction of the Sheikah Slate, Link selected his Ancient Sheikah Armor. His Rito braids finally fell out of his hair as the armor formed along his body, and he began to glow with brilliant, bright, blue light. Part of him broke when the Rito braids finally came undone, because it meant that he had finally let go.

Link removed his Hylian shield from his back and advanced.

Hylia had given him a vision in the Temple of Time. While it had been difficult to understand at first, Link realized when leaving his hammock this morning that he knew exactly what it meant.

Everyone else in Hyrule only had one shot. They did not possess the Unbreakable Spirit of the Hero. Should they die, they would be lost forever. That is what made him so different from the Champions. That is why he could always come back and fight again. It was his destiny to be infinitely reborn to fight Ganon again, again, and again.

So, the plan became completely clear to Link. He knew he was woefully underprepared for this fight, and he knew that he had burned himself dry from freeing two Divine Beasts in a single day. He could not change this. He walked into this fight at a severe disadvantage, which would no doubt make it nearly impossible to actually kill Ganon outright. He wasn’t naive. He had died a century ago with even more on his side.

However, he could lock Ganon in combat for as long as possible. If he could stall… if he could make Ganon work for every single ounce of blood of Link’s that he spilt, then he may be able to give the rest a fighting chance. He had already done his part in leaving the Champions their weapons. When they woke up, they would wake up to Ganon still terrorizing the lands. However, Link would make sure that the Ganon they fought was severely wounded.

He would make Ganon hurt for every single friend he was about to lose.

Link was not walking into a battlefield. He knew this.

He willingly marched into his grave to give Hyrule a fighting chance.

As he walked into the center Sanctum, he looked up to see the writhing mass of malice up above. Zelda’s light waned and dimmed, but when Link entered, she began to burn brighter. “Link… I’m sorry… I can’t hold him-”

Four screeches came from the corners of Hyrule. 

Link half expected to see flashes of blue energy streaking across the land to strike Ganon down. He almost wondered if his friends had woken up and made their way to their Divine Beasts to aid him.

But no, things would never be that easy.

Four swirling masses of malice streaked across the land. Each Divine Beast let out their own parasite, and they came to join Ganon in the final battle. They met in the Sanctum in a flurry of magenta light, all coalescing together and staring Link down.

He would say he was surprised, but his emotions drifted into pure, unwavering rage.

Link’s hand went for his Sheikah Slate, and he summoned a single bottle from it. He downed one of his best hasty elixirs, and decided to finally face the fate he had been designed for.

He raised the Master Sword skyward, and all four blights flew at him in rage.

Chapter Text

While Fi bore witness to the beginning of the cycle, she never personally saw Demise’s incarnations. She knew they existed. She understood that she aided every hero in slaying them. However, the only one she had ever personally known was Demise who had been sealed deep within the Master Sword. 

What she detected now could only be described as pure, undiluted malice. Demise’s curse had specified that an incarnation of his hatred would destroy these lands for all time, but she had not expected that hatred to take such a raw form. Even as Zelda’s power threatened to flicker out, she held the main source of the malice back as Link charged at his current foes. Their hatred was merely an extension, but it burned all the same.

And she would annihilate it.

A surge of golden light shone from the bulbous mass on the ceiling. Fi could clearly sense Hylia’s power coming from inside, and the overwhelming presence of malice attempting to snuff it out. Zelda continued to fight.

Link’s blade pulsed with divine light when he lashed outward to meet the blights head on. Thunderblight came first, and Sheikah energy crackled through the air as it surged forward to meet the Master Sword head on.

With a premature slash, the Skyward Strike leapt out from the Master Sword, piercing the Thunderblight’s malice covered body.  The blight screeched and writhed with the might of Hylia rippled through its body.

Three flashes of blue light came from across the room. Link raised his Hylian Shield on instinct. With three clangs, bolts of Sheikah energy from the Windblight clashed against his shield. 

Fi noticed the Waterblight beginning to wind up to throw its spear, and she chimed, “Coming from your right.”

In a hasty elixir-fueled motion, Link’s shield arm reached down for his belt and snagged the Sheikah Slate. A flash of yellow light crossed the room as similarly yellow chains wrapped around Waterblight’s body. Its wind-up suddenly froze in time for a brief second as Link clipped the Sheikah Slate back to his belt. His vision locked on the final foe in front of him: Fireblight.

Time bent at the precise moment Link leapt over the flaming blade that slashed just a hair away from him. He landed on the burning blade before propelling himself up to Fireblight’s eye and unleashing a flurry of blows onto the horrific mass that made up its “face”. The Master Sword burned through the malice and sent Fireblight shaking and reeling, trying to get Link off as it floated backwards and clawed at him desperately.

Link thought it best to get off now and dove for the floor, executing a roll and managing to create distance. He moved like a blur, and Fi could sense the sheer power in his strikes. Her master had not lost his touch after all of this time. 

Interestingly, the blights studied Link while he studied them. Fi noticed that their close shave with the Master Sword may have begged them to reconsider their options. Then, she noticed the malice pouring out of their wounds, and noticed even further that even the blights that Link had not yet attacked somehow already sustained some wounds. In fact, all of them seemed to be waiting to react to Link now instead of going on the offensive.

They had massive injuries, and if Fi was correct, they arrived from the direction of the four Divine Beasts. Perhaps, they would be easier to deal with than anticipated. “Link,” she chimed as he raised the Master Sword skyward, “The blights appear to be critically wounded.”

Link nodded and slashed in the direction of Waterblight. The divine light tore through the air before being intercepted by Thunderblight’s shield. Luckily, Link did not seem too eager to re-enter the fray. He was testing the waters as he began to circle the room. Thunderblight retreated behind Fireblight once more. 

Immediately, Link identified what its role would be. In retrospect, it was quite a smart thing for them to do and made him question the supposed mindlessness of his foe. Thunderblight could move fast enough to protect its other allies. He would need to deal with it somehow, but nothing would be done by just standing here. His hasty elixir would wear off if he analyzed for too long.

“Would be better if they could stay down,” he grunted, charging forward in a blur. Really, these blights were coming back for round three, and at the worst possible time. He thought he had eradicated them the first time, and they just would not stay gone. 

Link caught movement in the corner of his eye. A streak of black leapt through the air from the top of the stairs leading to the throne. Thunderblight took notice and immediately lost interest in Link as it met Wolfie’s claws head on with its shield. The wolf propelled itself off of the shield towards Windblight’s shoulder and latched on, digging its teeth into the malice.

Using the distraction, Link closed the distance and dove under a rain of fire sent by Fireblight. He skidded so close under the projectiles that he could feel time bend to his whims, and all of that energy redirected at Fireblight. Before he could drive the Master Sword into its chest, it vanished into an orb of Sheikah Blue to fly across the room. The momentum from Link’s assault sent him slamming into the wall. 

A flash of blue in the corner of his vision was the only warning he got before a Sheikah spear narrowly glanced past his armor. It managed to chip away some of the breastplate, but Link luckily didn’t feel any wounds. The Ancient Armor had been designed for this purpose.

Windblight finally shook Wolfie off, sending him careening across the room. Link half expected him to land on his feet, but the wolf tumbled with a loud hissing sound. Link could barely make out the violet malice around its mouth, and realized it was burning the wolf. Wolfie was trying desperately to shake it off, but Link still had three blights near him while Fireblight reformed nearby the wolf. 

This is why he didn’t want anyone coming in here.

Windblight began tracking Link with its laser, and he instinctively called on Daruk’s Protection only to be met with a hollowness in his chest. Right, didn’t have that anymore. He would have to do this himself. The laser fired quickly, and Link met it with his Hylian Shield. With a perfect parry, he deflected the laser at Waterblight who was stuck pulling its spear out of the wall. It reeled backwards, clutching at its face when the laser connected.

The wolf had gotten on its feet again, though it was already swaying. The malice had finally flaked off of it, but some of its fur had singed away. If Link could get to him, he could help. Thunderblight immediately blocked his path when he started running, so Link retaliated with a Skyward Strike of his own. Fi lashed out in her own righteous fury, but the Sheikah shield deflected most of the impact.

Link and Thunderblight locked blades, and his hand went down for the Sheikah Slate. Once more, yellow chains wrapped around Thunderblight, suspending it in time. He ran around Thunderblight, running it through with the Master Sword as Stasis ended. 

It let out a pained shriek before vanishing into tendrils of malice and joining the bulbous object up on the ceiling. Zelda’s power continued to pulse, and Link swore that the mark on his hand began to glow at the same time as her own power. He appreciated the second wind that Zelda had gotten and continued to run to Wolfie.

One down. Three to go.

Fireblight’s sword let loose a stream of fire on the ground, but the wolf managed to dive out of the way into Link’s direct path. The Sheikah Slate couldn’t use stasis again for a moment, so he needed to work with this. Seeing the updrafts the fire created, Link pulled out his paraglider and tried not to think of how he never got to thank Revali for making it. He took flight and drew his bow in a practiced motion as time around him slowed.

He nocked one ancient arrow in a swift motion and fired. At some points, Link wondered how the Sheikah had managed to create a weapon that could obliterate most foes. Ancient Arrows were horrifying, but extremely effective. The arrow struck true directly into Fireblight’s eye, causing an explosion of blue and for the blight to reel back. It did not go down, but it stopped its assault as Link hit the ground. The wolf trailed next to him and did not run off yet.

With the time he had, Link pulled a fairy tonic out of his Sheikah Slate. The burns on the wolf’s mouth had gotten extremely bad, and some of the malice still remained. There was no time to apply it by pouring it on the wounds, so Link shoved the tonic in the wolf’s mouth and forced it to drink despite it fighting him on the matter. “Don’t chew on malice!” He yelled, and the wolf solemnly nodded.

The remaining three blights began another assault, and the wolf split off from Link’s position. It would be better off flanking to keep the blights’ attention scattered. That’s the only reason he had an opening against Thunderblight in the first place. 

The Master Sword chimed once more as Waterblight raised its hand. Five blocks of sharped cryonis appeared in the air and hurtled towards Link. As he took off into a sprint perpendicular to the ice, Fi chimed, “There are positives to this situation.” One cryonis block crashed into the wall behind Link while he took out his Sheikah Slate. “After thinking about how the blights could be here, I realized we never truly did purge them from the Divine Beasts.” 

Link mashed the Cryonis icon to detonate three of the other ice blocks assailing him before seeing Windblight’s drones taking into the air. They distracted him just enough for the fifth shard of ice to crash into him. His Ancient Armor absorbed most of its energy into it, but Link could already see the armor beginning to take considerable damage. With a low grunt, he responded to Fi, “Noted. Don’t know why we thought they’d be gone when they were still clearly in that Silent Realm.”

Windblight’s drones began to rocket towards him as Waterblight readied its spear for a slam attack. He knew that spear could cause the ground to erupt into energy, and he also happened to know that those drones would surround him given the opportunity. 

A flurry of black squares descended as Wolfie landed on top of one of the drones. He began to tear into one of them, ripping out some of the small components inside of them. Windblight shrieked and fired a bolt of energy at one of the other three drones, and all of their shots redirected at the wolf. 

Link took the time to focus solely on his end of the fight. Fireblight had taken to being more defensive and hurling fire from across the room. It had not attempted to use its massive blast, but Link figured that would be due to it possibly damaging the other blights in the room. Good, he didn’t particularly want to deal with that.

As Waterblight’s spear started to slam down, Link barely managed to use Stasis once more in order to stop it just long enough. He felt the rain of fire from Fireblight crashing against his armor, and he knew that he was pushing it. He couldn’t let this armor break before the real fight began. However, this bought him just enough time for Waterblight’s slam to miss, and Link retaliated by swapping to his bow and firing off multiple bomb arrows at its face.

It began to hiss and writhe, and Link saw his chance. The wolf continued to leap from drone to drone, teleporting when it nearly fell. Fireblight began to charge for Link to attempt to stop him, but that hasty elixir had made him far too fast. 

The Master Sword practically sang in his hand as he drove it through Waterblight’s mask, ripping straight down its torso and finally piercing out the back. It writhed in pain and retreated to the bulb on top of the ceiling. Zelda’s power flickered once more, and Link could hear her yelling in rage to try to keep the Calamity at bay. 

He could see her now. In the bulb was a spidery mass attempting to break free, and Zelda hovered within trying to seal it once more. Just like the symbol on his hand, he could see one on hers and one within the beast itself. It was a harrowing reminder of his duty, but he could not think about why he came here yet. He was simply fighting the echoes of Ganon’s malice, not the real deal.

In fact, he should have felt quite stupid, because Fireblight took the time to slash horizontally with its blade. Link had lingered on Zelda for far too long, and he could hardly react. The best he could do was hold up his shield, and the sheer strength behind the blow sent his boots skidding across the floor. 

He held his ground and shifted his weight to slip under the blade. He did not quite get the opportunity to call upon his magic, but at least he had not been decapitated. Both he and Fireblight ended with their backs turned to each other before whirling on one another again. Link raised his shield as the Fireblight let loose another hail of fire, most of the projectiles clashed against the metal as Link dove to the side and gripped the hilt of the Master Sword tighter.

The Fireblight began to go into a spin to try to swat Link away from approaching, and Link’s eyes widened. He once again had to shield against the blade and skid across the floor. With a stupid idea, he drove the Master Sword into the ground just behind him and watched Fireblight’s blade collide with it and be completely unable to proceed further. The blight couldn’t dislodge the Sword from the ground. Nice.

A pulse from the Sheikah Slate indicated Stasis had come back. Link immediately locked Fireblight in place and wrenched the Master Sword from the ground. With a flurry of blows fueled by the hasty elixir, Link left five gashes in the Fireblight before it had a chance to recover.

Strangely, out of all of them, this blight was still standing and Link gritted his teeth as it threw up its mockery of Daruk’s Protection. 

Fi chimed once more, “To your last point, these blights must have infected the systems of the Divine Beasts in some way to even appear in those Silent Realms. To muster the strength to fight like this, there is a 99% chance that the Divine Beasts are now uncorrupted.”

Link could take solace in that. At least, the Divine Beasts would finally be completely safe. Maybe that was what had kept the Champions from waking up all this time. The malice had not yet been entirely purged from the thing that had kept them alive for so long. He hoped that was the case, and that the Champions would wake up to finish the job when Link inevitably couldn’t. Already his Ancient Armor sparked from the hits he had taken. These blights meant business.

The wolf had taken to ripping entire chunks out of Windblight’s mask, and it lacked the limbs to properly get him off. Its drones had already been scattered to pieces, and Wolfie had taken to exposing as many weak points as possible for Link to handle later. If the wolf were to bite into the malice again, it likely would be hurt even more. 

Fireblight began to suck in hot air, and Link shook his head at the sheer audacity. He summoned a bomb from the Sheikah Slate and hurled it through the mockery of Daruk’s Protection, detonating it at the perfect time for Fireblight to hit the ground. 

A streak of blue tendrils and black squares crossed Link’s vision as he raced forward. Both Windblight and Wolfie had warped at the same time, landing next to each other and continuing their chase. The wolf refused to let Windblight breathe, allowing Link free reign over handling Fireblight once and for all. 

Link raised his weapon skyward before leaping into the air and driving it downward. The Master Sword pierced through Fireblight’s eye, sending malice surging around Link in an attempt to burn him. Fi did not allow it as the divine light of the Master Sword repelled the darkness. It instead retreated back to Ganon leaving only one blight remaining. 

The malice in the air flaked upwards in specks of magenta light. Zelda’s power, as much as she struggled, would fall soon. He needed to handle Windblight before that happened. Wolfie had finally been dislodged, but Link figured that happened by choice. 

The wolf skidded to the stonework floor, leaving a perfect opening for Link to fire. As he drew an ancient arrow and fired, Windblight managed to just barely get out of the way by vanishing into blue tendrils once more. It reappeared near instantly next to where it just was and took aim with its arm-cannon. Link expertly weaved out of the way of the first two, and Windblight led its third shot.

But, he had seen that trick before.

With a well timed parry, Link sent the bolt of light right back at Windblight. It summoned more drones to try to distract him, but Wolfie was already on it, tearing a few to pieces. Link drew yet another arrow as Windblight fired at the last remaining drown. Two streaks of blue light flashed through the air, one colliding with Windblight’s eye and the other colliding with a drone and ricocheting back towards Link.

Committing to shooting that arrow across the throne room left him open, and the lone bolt of energy struck Link’s Ancient Armor and sent it sparking in some places. It still had a little more life in it, but he could see the armor beginning to flicker out. Luckily, Windblight also couldn’t take any more of this, and it vaporized into the blue light of the Ancient Arrow and wisped away into malice. It drifted upwards into the bulb.

Link knew what had to be done.

He approached the center of the arena with the Master Sword in hand. Wolfie walked close by, looking slightly worse for wear but still bouncing with energy. The burns had healed at least. Link’s gaze trailed up to where Zelda continued to fight.

She reached out with a strained voice, “Link… I’m sorry, but my power isn’t strong enough. I can’t hold him.”

He nodded, taking another step forward. This may be the last time he could speak to her, and he knew what had to happen now. “It’s okay,” he whispered, clutching the Master Sword tightly.

Nothing would ever be okay again for him, but hopefully she could find peace when all of this was over. 

The golden power from within the bulb on the ceiling finally flickered out. Blue beams of light lashed out from the inside, carving across the floor and decimating the throne. For once, Link could agree with the Calamity as he saw the throne itself get destroyed. He held up his arms, shielding himself from the blinding light and making sure none of it got close enough to hit him.

Steam billowed out from the bulb, and he realized the Sheikah designs on it. Ganon had corrupted the Sheikah technology to a point where it had become fully organic. In a disgusting explosion, malice surged outward from the bulb and something large fell. Fi pulsed even brighter like a beacon, and the thing crashed down onto the floor.

Link hardly had time to understand what he was looking at before the ground beneath him gave out. He sheathed the Master Sword and reached for his paraglider as the wolf leapt back onto solid ground. The floor completely caved in, and he hardly had time to do anything else but prepare as he fell into the abyss below. 

How something even existed below the Castle Sanctum boggled his mind, but he hardly had time to think about that. He watched the mass of malice and Sheikah technology plummet into the depths of this hole as he pulled out his paraglider. The chunks of floor scattered as they hit the bottom of this rapidly opening area, and the writhing mass struck the ground with a dull thud. 

As the smoke cleared, Link saw him: Ganon.

Link soared towards the floor while Ganon stumbled to its feet. This thing could only be described as spider-like. Its multiple legs scittered across the floor when it tried to lift itself up. Multiple Sheikah weapons protruded from its various limbs, and as Link finally touched down next to it, the beast began to move its head towards him. It knew who he was, and it wanted him dead.

He could see it smile as it rose up on its hind legs to let out a mighty roar. Link flinched back from the sheer magnitude of the sound passing over him. All of its Sheikah weapons shined a brilliant blue, and Link pulled the Master Sword out from its sheath.

This is what he had been designed for. This is why he had been given the Spirit of the Hero. Even though he had to face this foe without the Divine Beasts, he would make it hurt for how much it had taken from him. Had Link not been bound to this curse, he may have been able to be part of a family. Had he never even drawn the Master Sword, maybe he could have led a half-normal life. Had he never been cursed at all, maybe Hyrule wouldn’t lie in ruins with every incarnation of this hatred.

What he wished for hardly mattered anymore. The Champions’ success relied on him wounding Ganon as much as possible. Hyrule’s survival relied on him wounding Ganon as much as possible. As long as they could finish the job, him dying here would not be in vain. After all, he would just come back the next time a crisis struck Hyrule. What did his death matter compared to those he cared about?

It didn’t matter anymore, and he would make Ganon hurt for taking that away from him.

Blue energy crackled from under Ganon, and Link knew what that meant. He retreated backwards with his weapon held skyward as Ganon crashed down sending a pulse of Sheikah energy outward. 

While the Master Sword hummed with energy, Link noticed that Ganon was hardly slow. A Sheikah weapon that looked like a claw lashed out at him as he retreated, shaving his armor and forcing him to dive to the side. As he regained his footing, Link sent the Skyward Strike tearing through the air. It hit its mark, but Ganon hardly even flinched. The strike certainly tore away at the malice, but this beast was far stronger than any of the blights.

He needed to be careful. When Link realized his own movements had grown sluggish, he retreated back towards the wall and pulled another hasty elixir from the Sheikah Slate. Black squares appeared next to him as he downed the elixir. The wolf had decided to join the fray yet again. It nodded at Link and bolted around the perimeter of the room to keep a wide berth from Ganon.

Ganon did not like being ignored and raised an arm cannon that looked the exact same as Windblight’s. Recognizing the pattern, Link took off in the opposite direction from the wolf, bolts of energy colliding with the space where he once was. Link thought it would only be three shots and erroneously slowed down to draw his bow, but the Calamity continued to fire. Three more bolts of energy hit Link’s armor dead on. The second shot peeled part of the breastplate off, allowing the third shot to get through and hit skin. 

Link gasped out in pain as he used Stasis to buy a second of time. The Calamity was hardly held by the yellow chains, but it bought Link enough time to get out a fairy tonic to heal the wound that was currently exposed. He hissed in pain from the sensation, but the wound closed. Unfortunately, the entire shoulder of his armor had broken off, but this was the best thing he had for now. He didn’t want to swap armor pieces until he knew he couldn’t afford to use the Ancient Set anymore.

The wolf made its move, charging in to wrap its teeth around some of the metal placing on the arm cannon. Ganon’s face turned to stare at his assailant, and the giant pincer on one of his arms started moving towards Wolfie. 

Link stole this moment to draw his bow, firing three ancient arrows one after the other. They all collided with Ganon but hardly did anything noticeable. It did get Ganon’s attention just enough for the wolf to pull away with a chunk of plating from Ganon’s arm cannon. Not enough to deal any real damage, but they had to start small to do anything. 

The Calamity began to move with its strange Guardian legs, and Link grimaced when he saw it beginning to scale one of the walls. Metallic pillars began to materialize in blue tendrils, and Link immediately took off running. The pillars drove into the ground right behind him, sparking with electricity. Lightning soon followed, and Link took the moment to draw his bow while running and fire off another ancient arrow. His investment in the Ancient Bow had done him well, allowing the straight shots to connect even with the Calamity high on the wall.

The Master Sword let out another chime, and Fi analyzed, “I do not detect any discernible weak points. You are clearly impacting him, but it appears there will be no easy way to end this fight.”

Well, at least now he knew he wasn’t missing something.

A large ball of concentrated flame formed in one of Ganon’s hands. Link hadn’t seen the Calamity need to suck in any air to do that, and he was already hurling it. Wolfie was far too close to get away, and the wolf appeared to not understand what this attack would do. His voice cooperated with him as he yelled, “MOVE!”

The wolf understood as the glob of fire detonated. It vanished into the massive explosion, and Link could not be certain it had actually moved. When black squares soared through the air and reconstructed Wolfie right next to him, Link breathed a sigh of relief. Some of its fur had been singed, but it had avoided the bulk of the attack.

Strangely, it was Fi who chastised the wolf, “Keep your distance as often as possible. There are far too many weapons to account for.” Her focus shifted back to Link. “Link, you must begin to strike with the Master Sword. While your arrows are dealing considerable damage, it is best to make use of your elixir while we have the opportunity.”

Things regarding Wolfie had gotten strange, but Link hardly had time to think. The Calamity clambered down the walls and raised its arm cannon. A red laser began to track him, and the beeping was already fast. He and the wolf split off, and the Calamity was indeed targeting Link. He raised his shield to prepare to parry only for the beam to fire far earlier than he was used to.

The beam glanced off of the Hylian Shield, and Link was impressed by the sturdiness of this thing. Still, he could not let that happen again. 

He charged forward with immense speed and saw metallic pillars beginning to fall around him again. Taking a note from his fight against the Windblight, Link used Magnesis to pick up one of the lightning rods before hurling it at the Calamity. The lightning struck true, giving Link a brief moment to close the distance. WIth the Sheikah Slate already out, Link activated Stasis and began to slash as fast as he could with the Master Sword.

The weapon carved through the malice effortlessly, but it continued to snag on the Sheikah technology, forcing Link to stagger his strikes. The Calamity appeared to be still stunned, so he incorporated a Skyward Strike into the mix in an attempt to deal more damage-

“Coming from your left-” Fi yelled out before Link’s ears rang.

A sharp, Sheikah blade collided with his Ancient Helmet and sent him tumbling across the floor. The helmet itself sparked and dislodged from Link’s head, completely useless. It had saved his life, but he had lost it in such a stupid way. His Sword clattered across the floor, and Link scrambled for it in a haze as Ganon slashed down at him with the gigantic, flaming blade.

Link managed to roll, snatching the Master Sword and rolling onto his feet. He ran for the flames and took flight with the paraglider. The arm cannon already started tracking him again, and he had only a few moments to fly away and collapse the paraglider. The blue beam of a Guardian laser soared just over his head as he crashed to the ground. He could barely make out Wolfie beginning to try to take apart the arm cannon again. The Calamity focused its attention on the wolf for a moment.

He needed to replace that headgear with something equally as potent. If he used both his diamond circlet and a strange helmet he had unearthed a while back, it just might do. The Sheikah Slate indicated that this helmet had resistance to Guardians, but Link had no idea why that would be. It looked to be a stone helmet with two large prongs jutting out of the top vertically. One, lone eye remained in the mask. The Sheikah Slate had labeled it as “Midna’s Helmet”, and he knew he should know that name. 

Teasing laughter. He felt as though he was being manipulated, but she had been helpful in traversing the twilight. There was something in her voice that betrayed the walls she tried to put up. When they finally had collected the fused shadow, she sounded somber that his time with her would be up. She nearly died. She had come so close. Then there was fondness, a mutual understanding of one another, of the pain they both had been through. Then the helmet she always wore had been crushed and destroyed, and Midna gave a farewell that broke him-

As the memory flashed before his eyes, he wondered just how many friends he had lost over the multiple lives he had lived. Would he forget his friends here as well? When he had finally done his duty, would he never remember the few memories he still had? 

Would he be unable to remember the feeling of Teba and Saki telling him that they would be his family now? Would he never be able to recall Daruk accepting him as one of his Goron brothers? Would he be unable to hear Urbosa reminding him that this wasn’t his fault? Would he never remember Mipha refusing to let him give up and pulling him back from the brink with determination he had never seen before? When he met Zelda again, would she be the same one, or forever changed?

Would he forget the small things that he cherished, like finding out his wolf had decided to prank Revali with him? Would he forget the way Revali had fluffed up and actually hissed at the wolf? Would he forget the levity and happiness those silly moments brought him? He hoped he wouldn’t, but it would be equally as painful to remember what he lost.

So it was best to not think about it. He couldn’t be weak now.

Link donned the helmet and circlet together. The Sheikah Slate wouldn’t allow for both, but he could slip both on manually just fine. In a blur, he rushed back into the fray with the Master Sword drawn. Fi echoed his own fury and shone brightly.

When Link checked if Wolfie was fine, he saw it had clambered on top of the Calamity to try to remove the blade that had struck Link. Its efforts came up short as it leapt off in response to claws slashing at it. The wolf hit the ground and cast its gaze in Link’s direction. It and Link made eye-contact, and he watched the wolf’s body go entirely rigid. It looked scared .

Its eyes remained wide, and time slowed down. Link noticed the slowdown and saw Ganon’s Sheikah spear aiming for the wolf’s side. He ran, trying desperately to get to the wolf before it connected. It wasn’t enough. 

Time resumed its normal pace and the end of the spear cut through the wolf’s side. Blood coated the spear as the wolf was sent tumbling to the opposite side of the room. 

Adrenaline began to surge through Link as he fumbled for the Sheikah Slate. He could see the gaping wound in the wolf’s side, and Wolfie wasn’t getting back up. He released two fairies and yelled, “GO!”

The fairies understood and began to soar across the room. Link yelled and clamped his shield to his back. He rushed in with the hilt of the Master Sword in both hands, digging the blade deep into the Calamity’s side. How many more? How many more would need to die before this thing was satisfied? How many more needed to die before this cycle ended?

Tears burned at the corners of his eyes as he drove the Master Sword through the Calamity as much as he could. He didn’t notice the claws coming down to slash at his armor, and he sustained a direct hit. He winced as more of his Ancient Armor came off, but he couldn’t stop now. Link clashed with one of the lone blades from Ganon, and the beast laughed at him.

Link yelled, deflecting the blade and catching the claws with his shield. He dove under pincers coming from the other side and saw red, sliding under the arm and cleaving it with the Master Sword. The pincer did not fall off, but the Calamity shrieked. Good. Serves it right for daring to laugh at him… for daring to hurt HIS friends.

When Link glanced back at Wolfie, he saw that the fairies were gone and the wound had been largely healed. Link had lost two second chances by doing that, but the wolf was looking around in a daze and unable to stand. Turning, he peppered the Calamity with ancient arrows in an attempt to get it to retreat. Luckily, it began to move backwards towards the wall in an attempt to climb it. That was fine. This bought Link time.

With a majority of his armor disheveled and broken, Link knelt down next to the wolf and contemplated. He knew what his own fate was, and while he wanted to delay that as much as possible, he could not let his best companion fall here. Uncorking his last fairy tonic, Link poured it on the wound on Wolfie’s side, smoothing over the patch of fur that had been disheveled and burned away.

Begging, Link whispered, “Please. Go.”

The wolf looked up at him in a daze. Its eyes once more met his face, and it grew rigid again. Eventually, the wolf shook its head and began to stand to its feet. With two fairies and a tonic, it had gotten to its feet just fine with renewed vigor. Link knew it could warp now. It needed to leave, but it refused to listen.

And then beeping met Link’s ears, and he already raised his shield. Wolfie dove out of the way, but Link had been too slow. The Guardian beam burned through the armor and met the skin on his back. He crashed to the floor where the wolf once was, and he realized that he was getting close to the end of being able to fight if this kept up. His hasty elixir had once more worn off, and he hadn’t prepared enough to give him the burst of speed he sorely needed.

Besides, he couldn’t mix elixirs, and he needed to wound the Calamity more than he already had. Link drank one of his lesser healing elixirs and threw the bottle to the side. It shattered on impact as he stood up with the Calamity already charging up another blast of fire. The wound on his back hardly closed from the healing. In the slate, Link navigated to his mighty elixirs and spotted a purple bottle he had not put in there. He would have to make a note of that later when he was not actively supposed to be dodging an attack.

As fast as he could, Link ran away from the ensuing explosion. He could feel the heat on his back. Simultaneously, he brought a mighty elixir out of the Sheikah Slate and drank it, feeling strengthened again. Unfortunately, the Ancient Armor had been spent. It would be useless now. Link swapped to his Champion tunic and standard pants. While they may be cloth and chainmail, they could still defend him thanks to Great Fairies enhancing them. 

He kept the helmet and circlet on. They still were doing fine, but he could not help but feel that the helmet may have caused Wolfie to freeze. He wished he could look into that later, but there was no ‘later’ anymore.

Suddenly, Fi chimed once more, “Link, your wounds are becoming substantial. This must be done now. You warped here with a means that appeared different than usual. Should you have the capabilities of placing a warp point down here, I suggest you do so.”

The travel medallion could do that, but Link had no idea how Fi figured that out nor why she thought it would be helpful right now. Still, he trusted her advice enough to do it. He navigated to his Sheikah Slate and saw a warp point activate right below him. Breaking the moment, more metallic pillars fell around Link and sparked with electricity. He immediately used Magnesis to hurl one back at the encroaching Calamity and charged.

Lightning struck the Calamity, and it began charging yet another laser. This time, instead of parrying back at the Calamity, Link parried the laser to send it to the ground in front of him. The moment the laser collided with the stonework, fire ignited and created an updraft. Link used it easily with his paraglider and drew the Ancient Bow. Time slowed to a crawl as he drew ancient arrow after ancient arrow, watching blue explosions ripple out across the Calamity over and over.

When he landed, the Calamity had reeled enough to the point where Link saw an opening. He brought the paraglider out again to soar over the Calamity and plunged downward with the Master Sword. Slash after slash he tore through its back, trying to destroy as much of the malice as possible. Fi pulsed brilliantly as the Calamity recovered, but Link wasn’t done. He activated Stasis to keep the Calamity at bay for just a bit longer as he drove the Master Sword deeper and deeper.

Finally, Stasis gave out and multiple sharp blades shot out at Link. He blocked one with his shield, slashing away another before claws rose up from behind and raked across his back. The wound cut deep and the claws pulled away with blood. Link cried out in pain. The Sheikah Slate released a fairy on its own, and the fairy closed the wound immediately before it could get any worse. The fairy had deemed that a likely fatal wound to react that soon.

Link leapt off of Ganon’s back to get back on the ground. He’d pushed it with that damage, but it certainly hurt the Calamity. It started to retreat back up the wall, taking more shots at him while he recovered. Only two shots actually came for Link before the arm cannon had a wolf teleporting directly onto it. Ganon hissed and tried to shake Wolfie off as Link blocked one shot and parried the second. The bolt collided with Ganon’s face, and the wolf warped away.

They were doing well, but the Calamity looked like it still had far too much fight left in it. Link also only had two fairies left, and he wanted to save them in case something happened to the wolf again. Wolfie had also just taken a fatal hit and proceeded to teleport back onto Ganon, so clearly the wolf was NOT LISTENING to Link’s advice to run.

Ganon circled around the room on the wall before propelling himself off towards Link. His eyes widened as he ran, but without the hasty elixir he could not get far enough. The impact let out a surge of Sheikah energy that sent Link flying. He hurtled through the air as a blue spear followed up, threatening to impale straight through him. 

Link threw his shield in front of him, managing to throw off the spear’s trajectory just barely. It glanced off to the side, but pain still shot through Link’s side. The side of his Champion’s tunic tore open as the spear grazed him. Without the Ancient Armor, the weapons were far more potent than before. Link toppled to the ground, clutching at the wound. It had gone far too deep, and he found himself struggling to move. 

Another fairy leapt out from his Sheikah Slate to heal him. 

One more.

Ganon tried to further press on the offensive with the flaming blade, but Link managed to throw himself into a backflip over it. Time slowed, and Link could still feel the mighty elixir in his veins. He needed to make this count. He rushed through the flames with the Master Sword pulsing and raised it skyward.

The Skyward Strike hit first, forcing the Calamity to reel back in pain as Link drove the Master Sword towards its head. He managed to get off four slashes, making the Calamity actually flinch. Now, he could see malice beginning to seep out of its wounds. He was finally making tangible progress. 

The pincers once more threatened Link’s position, but a blur of black fur wrenched the pincers down to the ground. Latching onto the Sheikah components, the wolf started to tear into the more sensitive machinery as best it could. Link managed to retreat again, sending one last ancient arrow at the Calamity for the wolf to have an opening to escape.

Unfortunately, the Calamity had other plans. The pincers rose up into the air with the wolf still hanging on, and Ganon hurled the wolf across the room at Link. He caught Wolfie, skidding backwards and managing to set the wolf down. At least no harm had come to either of them from that-

At point blank, the Calamity fired a Guardian laser without a single warning. Link threw himself in front of the wolf and tried to raise his shield. The laser dented the Hylian Shield and forced Link’s arm away from its defensive position in front of him. Three more bolts of energy followed up, and immediately collided with Link’s chest. He could feel blood beginning to pool in his mouth before the final fairy released from the Sheikah Slate.

“Link, I implore you not to do that. The wolf can warp,” Fi chimed, concerned in her tone, “Additionally, while your wounds would have been substantially worse had you not worn that headgear, it is likely negatively impacting your depth perception. Your circlet has also lost its protective capabilities.”

Link wiped the blood off of his mouth and stood back up to his feet. The Hylian Shield was spent as well. He hit the Calamity with another Stasis and swapped to an Ancient Shield. This would have to do for now. He scanned his spent circlet and shield back into his Sheikah Slate. The diamond embedded in the circlet had already shattered. The helmet would stay. While Fi was right about the depth perception, Link somehow did just fine without one of his eyes. He almost thought it was natural. However, as Link assessed what he had left, he realized that Wolfie looked on with concern, and the problem became evident. 

The Calamity chuckled and had the audacity to wait. Link had no more resources left on his side, and he turned back to face the Calamity. Before charging, he asked Fi, “Will you be safe if I fall here?” Time was up.

More worried than he’d ever heard her, Fi responded quickly, “You will not die here. I will not allow you to fall.”

“That wasn’t the question,” he grunted as he felt his legs beginning to burn from how much stress he had already put them under. “Will you be fine?”

Fi hesitated, and the glow of the Master Sword and her resolve started to fade. “Another hero would inevitably rise. However, this would be undesirable, and… I do not want you to fall here.”

He would be back for her again. That was all he needed.

Link raised the Master Sword skyward and charged at the Calamity. Stasis had already recharged, but he needed to wait for the perfect moment to do as much damage as possible. The Calamity chuckled and readied its spear. Perfect.

It jabbed straight for Link, and he sidestepped just a hair away from the glowing weapon. Time obeyed Link’s wish, and he moved for the Calamity at a rapid pace. He went for the skull, aiming for the eyes with every slash and trying to damage every component he could. Light from the Master Sword leapt out and dug into the Calamity with every slash.

His left hand went for the Sheikah Slate, and he hit Stasis one more time. The Calamity froze, and Link drove the Master Sword as deep as he could into the beast’s skull. The Calamity unfroze and reeled, lashing out with all three of its standard weapons. Link dove under the blade, allowing time to slow yet again.

He drove the Master Sword into the arm that just attacked him, trying to break it off. The Sheikah components held strong, and Link already saw the claws moving to try to scrape his back again. He spun to parry them with the Master Sword and slashed at the wrist they were situated on.

Time resumed and the pincers came next. Link leapt back and felt the flow of time obey him again. He reached into his Sheikah Slate and pulled out something he had been saving for quite some time. In an attempt to damage the Sheikah components, Link pulled a thunder rod out from the slate. In a whirlwind of electricity and divine energy, Link zapped the Sheikah components and cut through the malice.

The Calamity hissed, and it began to lash out wildly with all of its weapons. The thunder rod shattered as the last of its energy poured into the Sheikah components. With one desperate roar, the Calamity spun with its blades outstretched, and Link ended up feeling the blunt end of the blue spear knocking the air out of him. 

He gasped, tumbling back across the floor. At some point during the fall, Midna’s helmet fell off of his head. He couldn’t get to his feet fast enough. The Calamity saw its opening, and its spear rushed forward in an attempt to finally finish Link off.

He lowered his head, bracing himself for the inevitable end that he couldn’t fight off.

Wind whipped around the room. Link only glanced up for a moment to see a streak of white flash across his vision. Talons wrapped around his shoulders as the blue spear pierced through the air just inches from where Link once was. The talons had a death grip on him, but Link did not have the strength to struggle. He only felt relief as he kept his own death grip on the Master Sword.

With a rough landing, the two tumbled onto the floor near the wall. Link breathed heavily, and when he looked up, he could see Teba breathing just as heavily with a face full of rage and unbridled concern. 

Teba pointed one finger at Link and jabbed it against his chest. “You’re grounded.”

Link swore when he felt wind that Revali had finally gotten up from his nap, but seeing Teba here relieved him far more than it should. He hardly had the strength to express that, but Link gave a shaky thumbs up and moved for the Sheikah Slate. Then, as the Calamity screeched, he realized the problem.

Teba was now here and in immediate danger.

The Rito drew his falcon bow and began to fire off bomb arrow after bomb arrow at the Calamity. It screeched and moved backwards from the explosions, though Link knew that the bomb arrows would be fairly ineffective. “What is that thing?” Teba questioned as he continued to fire.

Wolfie appeared in a mass of black squares next to Link, and Teba flinched. One of his bomb arrows went wide and hit the floor just shy of the Calamity. As soon as Wolfie appeared, Fi chimed again, “Link, please take the bottle from your Sheikah Slate that was not previously there. How long do you believe you can last without the Slate?”

What kind of question was that? Teba glanced at the Master Sword with a shadow over his face, but he did not make further comments as he nocked an ice arrow. He managed to hit the arm cannon and freeze it over before it could properly fire.

Link tabbed through the Slate and found the potion he made a note of earlier. He had no idea what it would do, but the Sheikah Slate labeled it as Great Fairy Tears. Well, he wouldn’t pass up a potion if Fi said it would help him. The next question worried him. “Not long. Why?”

As soon as Link had the new potion in his hand, the Sheikah Slate was suddenly snatched out of his hands. In an act of pure betrayal, Wolfie took the Sheikah Slate from him. Link grunted as he tried to reach for it, looking quite stupid in the middle of the fight with the Calamity. 

Fi spoke, but not to Link, “Get the others. It’s time.”

Wolfie vanished into black squares, taking the Sheikah Slate with him. Link did not see the wolf reappear, but he didn’t have time for that. The Calamity realized Teba was a ranged fighter and was beginning to come for them. Without the Slate, Link felt like he had much less control over the situation, but he had to trust Fi. He downed the Great Fairy Tears, and felt magic surge through his system like never before. 

All of the wounds he previously sustained began to fully close, and Link felt even more power surging through him just waiting to be unleashed. He had no idea how that had gotten in his Sheikah Slate, but now wasn’t the time. Dying simply wasn’t an option now, not when Teba was currently stuck down here. Drawing the Master Sword and activating his Ancient Shield, Link charged forward.

The Calamity tried to strike Link with its three faster limbs, but it was met with a flurry of bomb arrows from Teba. The arms couldn’t strike before Link closed the distance. Fi cut through the sounds of the fight, “Link, the pincer arm is currently weak. With your temporary strength, you should be able to deal with it permanently.”

Fueled by a newfound magical strength, Link began to cleave through the malice once more. His blade carved through the arm holding the spear, causing the Calamity to reel back even more. The pincers finally came back for another round, and Link had enough. He let them get close enough and then launched into a backflip. His magic activated, and he saw the weak point he had opened earlier. 

Using the strength that potion had given him, Link deactivated the Ancient Shield to hold the Master Sword in both hands. With a vertical slash, the Sword carved through the malice and cleanly slashed it off. The Sheikah pincers deactivated as they fell uselessly to the ground, and the Calamity ceased its attacking.

It retreated backwards as Link fell back too. His strength had regrettably already faded, but his wounds had still been healed by the potion. This second wind would have to be used well, and Link couldn’t bear the thought of Teba getting hit in here. The fact that Teba even got here was worrying enough, and this had very much complicated Link’s goals for this fight.

The Calamity decided to make things much, much worse. 

In an enraged roar, the Calamity erupted into a molten, fiery substance. Its malice hardened as it summoned the mockery of Daruk’s Protection that Fireblight typically wielded. The protective measures vanished, but the Calamity now looked like it had been entirely lit on fire. All of its skin, Sheikah tech, and malice had erupted into a vibrant orange. That couldn’t be good.

Teba thought the same, “That’s probably not good.”

Fi lit up as the Calamity slammed down with its fiery blade. “Indeed. It appears that the Calamity has made itself impervious to traditional attacks-” As Link leapt to the side of the fire, Fi saw the light on its body momentarily flicker out. “Correction: Almost impervious. It seems that it must redirect this energy in order to attack.”

Link also had a theory of his own. He nocked an Ancient Arrow and sent it flying. He only had ten of these left in his quiver, and the rest were in his Sheikah Slate which Wolfie had STOLEN from him. The ancient arrow struck true, and the aspect of the arrow that appeared to absorb the surrounding energy also happened to sap away the Calamity’s shield for a brief moment. Teba followed up instantly with a barrage of three bomb arrows, but the shield came back up not a moment later.

For some odd reason, it felt nice to be fighting by Teba’s side again. Support being here in this fight was rather terrifying, but he knew Teba was good at fighting. It gave Link the slightest glimmer of hope that this would not end terribly, but the Calamity had just made itself extremely difficult to hit. Luckily, the fire from its blade created an updraft that Teba instantly took advantage of, soaring into the air.

The Rito yelled down, “Link! When you get a window, hit it with those arrows! I’ll follow up!”

He could do that.

Link realized the missing weight on his head and that Midna’s helmet was gone. He could probably find it if he really looked, but right now wasn’t the time. Instead, he also took to the skies on his paraglider. The Calamity tracked him with another guardian laser, and Link had to go into freefall for a brief moment to avoid it. The heat rippled over his head as he drew his Ancient Bow, firing off another arrow to absorb the shield.

Right on cue, Teba shifted his falcon bow from his talons to his hands. He also did a similar improvised fall, nocking three arrows at once and sending them blasting into the other side of the Calamity. They were becoming a force to be reckoned with. 

The Calamity roared and shifted its arm cannon to aim at Teba. The Rito fired an ice arrow in an attempt to stop it, but the Calamity had already adapted. The heat radiating off of the arm cannon made the ice arrow do nothing, and a beam of light streaked out at Teba. The Rito went into a dive, and Link had a brief flashback to seeing Teba get hit in the leg by one of Medoh’s beams. Luckily, Teba had learned, and his dive got him out of the way.

Unfortunately, it had the added side effect of dropping Teba down to the floor again. Playing defensively, the Calamity already started readying another laser. Link touched down right in front of Teba, activating his Ancient Shield. He only had one shot at this, and he needed to make it count.

With one last beep, energy collected in the arm cannon and the laser fired. Link parried perfectly, and the laser crashed back into the Calamity. Link rushed forward with the Master Sword and started hacking away at the arm cannon. He wanted it gone. Unfortunately, the Calamity began to flash an orange light, and Link didn’t realize that it meant the shield was coming back. The mockery of Daruk’s Protection sent Link careening backwards.

Luckily, he managed to catch his footing with only a few singes. Teba scowled at him and demanded, “Be careful. Don’t throw yourself too far in there like that.”

Link wiped sweat from his brow and shrugged. “Was designed for this. Have to protect all of you.”

“I swear to Valoo-” Teba flapped his wings to push himself out of the way of a bolt of Sheikah energy. “You and I are gonna have a long talk after this about the difference between protecting people and becoming a meat-shield!”

Honestly, Link had never seen Teba this frazzled before. If Link managed to live through this, Saki would probably kill him anyway. Well, better that than his sworn enemy. He parried a bolt aimed his way and sent it into the wall harmlessly before retreating again.

In the corner of his eye, he could see Sheikah tendrils forming from where he had placed the travel medallion. Link shielded his eyes for a moment as he saw four figures beginning to take shape.

Fi chimed happily, “It appears the help is here. Ready yourself.”

The distinctly Goron shape of Yunobo rolled forward, yelling out and throwing Daruk’s Protection up as multiple bolts of Sheikah energy crashed uselessly against it. He glanced back at Link with a smile, and Link could only look back dumbfounded. “Sorry to keep you waiting!” Yunobo apologized, but it came with a smile that slightly muddled the apology, “Miss Fi only said she’d bring us here if things got bad! And well it looks like- ohmygoro what is that!” Yunobo must have finally seen the Calamity, and it certainly noticed his shield.

“A stupid sentiment, in my opinion,” Riju advanced with a golden bow, Scimitar of the Seven, and Daybreaker all tied to her hip. She tilted her head and extended her hand which currently held the Sheikah Slate. “Good to see that everyone received my message. Your wolf appears to have your best interests in mind far more than you do, Link.” To prove her point, Wolfie trotted up next to her with a very smug look on its face. Yes, the wolf had betrayed him after all by seemingly giving all of his friends the ability to warp here.

Sidon rushed forward, flexing his arm and giving a toothy grin. “I am honored to be a part of this fight, my friend! Mipha did scream many profanities while we talked about what would be happening, but we can deal with that later! For now…” Sidon raised the Lightscale Trident towards Calamity Ganon. “I shall have my revenge on this creature for daring to harm my sister and my friend!”

“Buliara also does not know I am here,” Riju revealed, getting a side-eye from Link, “She would have never let me support you in this fight, but I could not bear to not see this plan through myself.”

Teba caught up with all of them, keeping a wary eye in the Calamity. “Okay, but after this is said and done, we’re all in favor of forcing Link to take ONE break, right?”

Link shouldn’t have been surprised to hear a chorus of muttered agreements from literally everyone except Yunobo, and that was only because Yunobo was currently drawing the Calamity’s fire and likely did not have the audacity to try to join in.

Handing Link back his Sheikah Slate, Riju drew her golden bow. “Okay, since we are all in agreement… Let us bring this thing down for good.”

 Link was worried for all of them, but every last one of them nodded in agreement and drew their weapons. The Calamity roared back at them, and its tracking beam landed on Link immediately. He took off from the rest of the group.

Their fighting style ended up being very interesting. Sidon trailed after Link himself, keeping enough of a distance from the Guardian laser. Yunobo remained in the back with Riju, and she nocked an electric arrow and took aim. Wolfie took to running in a completely random direction on the battlefield while Teba remained grounded due to the circumstances.

Link parried the beam back in a swift motion, and both bomb and electric arrows surged through the air. They all collided, but Teba looked vulnerable on the ground. This only grew to be worse when the Calamity leapt down from its position on the wall, and Link, Sidon, and Teba all had to retreat. Teba had been slow enough for Link’s magic to activate.

As soon as time slowed, Link spun around with an ancient arrow. He let it fly, and it slammed into the Calamity’s stomach. The arrow sent the Calamity careening backwards just enough for Teba to get out of the way, and Link decided that was one close call too many. 

“Teba, spread your wings,” Link demanded, combing through the slate for a Korok Leaf.

Teba could only get out an unsure “what-” before being sent soaring into the air. The air created by the leaf gave him the equivalent of an updraft, and Link swore he heard a chuckle coming from Teba as he soared through the air.

Link turned around to see Sidon rushing the Calamity. Joining in, he also ran with the Master Sword drawn. The Calamity looked like it would focus on Sidon, but the moment it caught Link in its view, it completely changed targets. Its giant flaming blade crashed down where Link once was, and time slowed down long enough for Sidon to drive his spear into its neck and for Link to follow up with a flurry of slashes at its face. An electric arrow collided with its smaller sword arm, deactivating the Sheikah tech. Not to be outdone, Teba also sent another barrage of bomb arrows prematurely when he saw the Calamity attacking.

The Calamity instantly scurried backwards, deciding being on the ground had caused more problems than solutions. It clambered up to the ceiling and saw multiple targets hiding in the back. The laser took aim at Riju, and Yunobo immediately stepped in the way. His Protection blocked the laser, and Yunobo yelled out as the energy gathered within his own shield. With one final cry, he let the energy soar right back towards the blight, knocking it off the wall.

“Last one to the Calamity is a rotten Lizalfos egg!” Sidon yelled as he ran past Link, and he found himself unable to keep up with the tall Zora. By the time Link arrived to rip the Calamity a new one, Sidon had already started trying to decimate the arm cannon. Link joined in, wedging the Master Sword into some sensitive components and ripping outward. The Master Sword continued to hiss against the malice, and Link wondered if they could be winning now.

The Calamity retreated again, and this time began to summon another orb of fire. Ah, that would be an issue. Link called out, “Everyone stay back!” This would be especially bad for Sidon and Teba who were not currently in cover.

Yunobo called out next, “Everyone get to me!” 

Link didn’t need to be told twice, and Sidon already bounded towards Yunobo. The Goron himself rolled to the center of the arena, and Link wondered how Riju would be able to run fast enough to get to them since Yunobo had left her behind. Then, he saw the most glorious sight imaginable. Wolfie ran up from behind Riju, and she effortlessly leapt onto its back. It carried her all the way to Yunobo, and Teba dropped into a nose dive when he saw everyone was in the clear.

The glob of fire lazily drifted towards them as Yunobo activated Protection. All of them were shrouded in its defense as the Goron managed to hold up the defenses without breaking a sweat. Really, it was impressive just how well he could use this power. 

“That thing doesn’t have much left in it,” Teba noted, clicking his beak, “If we could make an opening big enough for all of us to attack, I think we could finish this.”

Sidon nodded in agreement. “Link’s weapon appears to carve through that beast effortlessly. I have an idea of how to get him to the Calamity the moment its barrier is down, but that would require one of us to handle the barrier.”

Wordlessly, Link handed Teba an ancient arrow. The Rito’s eyes widened at the Sheikah tech, and Link realized he probably just created a monster.

Riju hummed, “Hey Link, remember that thing on your slate you used to cheat against me in seal surfing?” He nodded. Stasis. She had still beaten him regardless. “Could you perhaps use that on Yunobo and use him as a projectile?”

“O-oh,” The Goron stammered, realizing he had just been volunteered as an impromptu projectile. “You know what? Let’s do it! Daruk’s Protection can take a lot of hits!” This was news to Link. Daruk’s Protection only lasted a small bit whenever he used it, but he supposed that the ability in the right hands would be much more potent.

With the group huddle settled, everyone faced the Calamity which had gone into self-preservation mode. Link grinned wildly. His hopes began to swell, and he nodded to Sidon. 

Wolfie sprinted out of cover in a blur. The Calamity began to target him with its laser, and everyone leapt into action. Link brought out the Korok Leaf to propel Teba into the air. Curling into a ball, Yunobo activated Protection. Link immediately activated Stasis, and Riju cackled madly as she slashed away at the orb. A large arrow began to display indicating his trajectory, and Link took note about how fast it turned red from her strikes.

Finally, Sidon lowered the end of his spear close to the ground. They had only practiced this one time, and it ended with Link careening into a waterfall. However, it had been one of the most hilarious moments of his life, and he would love to employ that to kill the Calamity once and for all.

Link positioned his feet on two of the prongs of the Lightscale Trident, and Sidon grinned. He launched Link like he was catapulting him into the air, and it worked perfectly. Link soared through the air and whipped out his paraglider. Teba took aim and fired the ancient arrow, striking the Calamity in the face and causing it to fall. Stasis released and sent Yunobo hurtling towards the Calamity, bashing the damn thing so hard that Link was convinced Yunobo would have a concussion. Instead, the Goron started beating it down with the Boulder Breaker.

Finally, when Link was just overhead the Calamity, he collapsed the paraglider and aimed downward. With a yell, he slammed the Master Sword directly through the beast’s head, and it screamed out in pain.

He could feel the malice under him suddenly dissipate into clouds as the Calamity lost form, wisping away into the air and-

Was it leaving the castle?

Everyone watched as the Calamity seemed to vanish into malice and surge upward through where Link had fallen in. Now, with the Travel Medallion down here, Link couldn’t exactly warp them back to the top. 

Sidon scratched his head as he stared up, the thrill of the battle suddenly lost to confusion. “Truly, I thought that would be it.”

Link could still feel Fi humming in his hand, and she decided to leave the Master Sword. At this point, everyone here had met her, and only Teba seemed actively agitated by her appearance. Fi noted, “It appears the Calamity has retreated. I detect its presence somewhere within Hyrule Field.”

Well, Link knew how to get there. He immediately went for his Sheikah Slate, but saw a golden light beginning to collect around everyone. It had been so long since he’d seen this, but now he made the connection that Zelda had warped him out of the Divine Beasts all those times. Everyone else looked at their bodies with confusion, but Link only took a deep breath and prepared himself for what awaited in Hyrule Field. 

Blinding light swept across his vision before the air once again filled with malice.

Everyone touched down in Hyrule Field, and Link finally saw the swirling thunderhead of malice before him. It writhed and pulsed as all of Link’s friends began to land right next to him. Comparatively to how they looked when they warped in on the Sheikah Slate, this landing had been much smoother for everyone involved. Although, all of their eyes were trained on the sight before them.

The storm of malice transformed into something solid. A large, boar-like creature stepped out of the fog with a mighty roar, and Link realized just how large this foe truly was. Had they really expected him to fight this with only the Master Sword a century ago? Sure, the Divine Beasts could help, but THIS?

“Any bright ideas?” Teba worriedly asked as the beast locked eyes with them. Black squares also landed next to them. It seemed Wolfie didn’t get the special warp treatment, and Teba eyed the wolf warily. Luckily, it seemed to have found Midna’s helmet and had it clamped in its jaws. Teba continued his thoughts shortly after, “I feel like there’s not really a weak point on this thing.”

A voice broke out from nowhere and everywhere at once. By the way everyone flinched, Link could tell they could hear her too. Zelda called out, her voice breaking and faint, “Link… his power over me has grown too strong… I can’t-” A small flash of golden light began to break out in the air above them. He could barely make out the shape of a bow, but it began to flicker and fade. “I’m sorry, Link. I-I can’t-”

The warmth where her voice once was vanished into something cold, and the bow vanished into thin air. Link’s blood ran cold when he realized that the bow was likely meant to aid him, and now it meant nothing. Zelda probably used up too much power just keeping Ganon at bay while he fought the blights, and now they were left at a severe disadvantage.

Worst of all, multiple magenta lights began to peek over the nearby hills. Legs scurried towards them, and Link saw multiple red lasers light up and point in their direction. Very clearly, Link recalled the Guardians that had been unscrewing themselves from the pillars around Hyrule Castle. The flow had stopped now, but they were now coming to Ganon’s aid.

Shit. Shit.

Fi chimed and began to speak while Link fumbled through the Sheikah Slate to find the best source of mobility possible, “The malice could be destroyed by multiple things. I can carve through it. The Sheikah arrows can obliterate some of it, and Guardian energy may be able to substitute for this. I recommend all of you to prepare yourselves.”

Yunobo called upon Protection as multiple Guardian lasers fired in their direction. The energy began to surge through the shield to a point where Link thought it would break, but they all harmlessly glanced off into the grass as soon as Yunobo let go and didn’t attempt to parry. “O-Okay! I-I guess it’s um- me on Guardian duty?” He seemed nervous in reference to the Guardians. 

Teba realized these were the things that likely killed Link the first time around, and his blood started to boil. Luckily, updrafts had been created by the fire. He turned to Link as a very strange mechanical contraption materialized in front of the warrior. Holding out a hand, he asked, “Have any more of those arrows? I can cover from above.”

Wordlessly, Link took out a quiver of ancient arrows that looked absolutely ludicrous. How many of these did he have? Then, Link pulled out something even MORE ridiculous. Was that a Lynel bow? Teba tested out the string and found out that yes, this was the best Lynel bow that one could get, and Link had it in his possession and had not been using it during the fight. Granted, drawing five arrows at a time would be laborious in the heat of battle, but Teba was born for this. 

Link squinted at the Calamity, seeing that its eyes remained trained on him specifically. It waited, wanting for him to challenge it. Seeing the Guardians charging up more blasts, Link explained quickly, “Riju, Yunobo, Sidon, and Wolfie, you all stay down here on the ground and handle the Guardians. Please run if things get bad. Teba and I will try to whittle this thing down.”

Sidon was the first to nod and speak, “We won’t let you down, Link!”

Riju squinted, “Not gonna give me some arrows? Golden bows have range, you know.”

Link considered this for a moment and saw the number of ancient arrows in his Sheikah Slate still well in the triple digits. Yeah, they would have enough. All of Hyrule owed Robbie thanks after this one. Riju nocked an arrow and nodded the moment she had her quiver.

After the next wave of Guardian lasers fired, Teba caught an updraft and soared into the sky. Link leapt on his newly summoned Master Cycle Zero and sped into the fray. Immediately, multiple Guardian lasers targeted him, and the Calamity roared angrily. It spewed out a line of fire, tearing across the ground towards Link. He maneuvered his Divine Beast to the right, going into a momentary drift before taking off towards the Calamity’s right side.

Already, Link could see Teba drawing dive arrows at a time and going into freefall to let out a barrage on Calamity Ganon’s side. Yes, Link had awoken a monster with those ancient arrows, and he couldn’t find it in himself to regret it. Worriedly, he wondered what Revali would do when discovering those. Oh Hylia he prayed he never found out about them. 

Link had to keep his distance from the Calamity, but he could still make this work with Skyward Strikes. Using a bow was out of the question while in the Master Cycle, and if he slowed down, the Guardian lasers that were firing behind him would certainly catch up. Link held the handles with one hand and raised his weapon skyward, sending a slash into Ganon’s leg. This would take a while, but they could manage. 

Yunobo had continued the defensive perimeter around his allies, and Riju had taken to sniping multiple Guardians with her bow. They continued to explode into spare parts all around them, and Link swore he saw one of the arrows cause a lightning bolt to strike from the sky. Multiple times, Link saw the wolf warping onto another Guardian, gnashing his teeth into their eyes and ripping out their core components. Sidon remained with Yunobo, as they had formed a strategy to get the Guardians to accidentally climb on Daruk’s Protection, revealing their undersides. Sidon’s spear perfectly impaled their shielded components, and they made a dastardly team. Every time Link thought Yunobo’s shield would break, the residual energy gathered within it reflected directly at the beast for devastating impacts.

That left Link and Teba with the main beast. 

What the Dark Beast made up for in power, it completely lacked in speed. The Master Cycle Zero had never had a better use for this moment, and Link found himself weaving in between the beast’s legs. At one point, he managed to slip under and directly drive the Master Sword upwards, cutting a massive gash through its underside. It didn’t like that, and it tried to fall directly down onto him. Link pivoted the bike to drift and lean just low enough to drive under one of the beast’s tusks.

Teba eyed Link warily, flying close by to get more ancient arrows. “That was too close of a call. Play it safe. We have the time.”

“Never thought you’d be the voice of reason,” Link yelled back, tossing him another quiver of ancient arrows that Teba caught in his talons. Truly, Teba had really evolved with how absolutely reckless was. Previously, it would always be Teba getting into heaps of trouble and doing stupid things. Now, Link EASILY outmatched him.

The Rito sighed and caught another updraft, beginning to rain hell on the Dark Beast. Link didn’t want to admit it so easily, but they were winning. Realistically, nothing was going wrong here, and he could keep this up for as long as he needed. With everyone else controlling the Guardians, and him alongside Teba fighting the beast itself, this would simply be a war of attrition that they could win.

He could win. They could be safe.

Ganon’s large eyes suddenly trained on Link as he drove by its head. Link passed another set of ancient arrows from the slate to Riju, and it seemed to observe this interaction. Link hardly noticed what had happened until every single Guardian snapped their heads towards him. However, instead of aiming at his chest, they were aiming in multiple different places.

They were training their shots on the Master Cycle and Link’s waist… directly at the Sheikah Slate. Suddenly, Ganon let out a blast of energy from his mouth, causing the area directly in front of where Link was driving to erupt into flames. He had to skid to a stop, and only then did he notice his fatal error.

He had been forced to stop, and every Guardian laser fired. The Master Cycle vanished immediately as soon as it took damage, and Link felt every single laser make contact with his skin. He choked in agony as he felt burns covering his skin and deeper into his flesh, and multiple lasers continued to soar over his head as he fell into the grass. He heard yelling, but his ears rang in pain as every single part of his body hurt. 

Blood pooled in the grass below him. He knew he was bleeding somewhere, but not where. Desperately, he reached for the Sheikah Slate in an attempt to retrieve one of his weaker potions.

And was met with a dented screen with the Sheikah icon flickering. He couldn’t get it to activate no matter what he tried, and horror dawned on him.

Ganon had targeted the slate.

Above him, Link could see Teba firing arrow after arrow to keep the encroaching Guardians at bay. He was yelling something to someone else, but Link couldn’t hear anything. His ears continued to ring as he tried to push himself to his feet and oh goddess everything hurt.

Fi chimed. Her voice cut through the muddled thoughts and penetrated his mind, “Link, you are severely wounded.” He knew that already, and expected her to come up with a solution. However, she hesitated, and Link understood why. She didn’t know what to do. They could both see it. 

The Guardians had started to track Teba, forcing him to continue flying to avoid their lasers. They seemed to be forming a defensive wall around the Dark Beast. On the other side of the battlefield, Yunobo, Riju, and Sidon were all being swarmed by far too many Guardians. The waves were getting worse and worse now that their tempo had been lost, and Link had messed up enough for that to happen.

And yet, he could see something. 

This entire time, Link had yet to see Zelda. He had been forcing down the thought that she was dead for his own wellbeing, but he had not seen her in the flesh. Now, he could see golden light beginning to swell out from the Dark Beast. He couldn’t be sure if it was her, but he saw the symbol of the Triforce on his hand, and could see the same light glowing from within the Dark Beast itself.

And the light began to tear open something in the beast’s skull. There was an eye, and Zelda’s power began to wrench open a tear in the malice for Link to be able to see the weak point. Many times, he had seen spots of malice across Hyrule with eyes as their source. Ganon, a being purely formed of malice, would logically follow those same rules, and Zelda was giving them an opening.

Yet, as he looked around the battlefield, he could not see anyone else who could pull this off. His bow had been lost somewhere in the fray, and Teba was fighting desperately to keep the targeting lasers off of him. There was no telling where the wolf had gone, but a wolf could not do this. He had to. 

Link picked up the Master Sword from the ground and noticed the updrafts right in front of him. He had one shot at this, and he needed to make it count. Leaping into the flames, Link brought out his paraglider and soared into the sky. He faintly recalled the feeling of soaring upwards in Revali’s Gale, and the memory gave him comfort as he rocketed into the sky.

His arms screamed as he held onto the paraglider. Every bone in his body begged for mercy, but he would not get it until this was done. Link soared above the Calamity, and he saw the eye staring out at him. It was animalistic and afraid, and Link could see Zelda’s power growing brighter and brighter. Her voice had yet to come back, but the opening she had made would be just enough.

All Guardian lasers suddenly snapped onto Link, and the ones that had already been charged fired.

The paraglider suddenly gave out. Link felt the wind rushing around him. The burnt and frayed piece of wood and cloth flapped in the wind uselessly. Link could see the fading light of the Guardian laser that had undoubtedly torn through it, and something in his heart shattered when he saw the embroidering on the paraglider begin to turn to ashes.

As his attention faced back towards the ground below, Link realized he was falling.

In the end, it truly was foolish that he thought there would ever be an ‘after’. Over every age and eon, what happened after every hero defeated their foe had been erased from legend. Perhaps, it had never been a part of legend at all. The Spirit of the Hero always appeared when necessary and then faded into obscurity when the job was done. To think he would have been any different was hubris. He had prepared himself for this, but he allowed himself to hope when he saw all of his friends come to his aid.

Link let go of the paraglider and drew the Master Sword. He lifted it up above his head, and tried to ignore Fi chiming at him while the weapon began to glow with Divine light.

He dared to hope, but at least he could rest easy knowing that they would all be safe.

As Link stared at the eye of malice below him, he held the Master Sword tightly and readied himself. For a moment, he had been scared. He had feared his fight against the Calamity, and he had fled across Hyrule for two years in sheer cowardice. He never thought courage would come to him. He thought he would never remember what it felt like to be the hero his friends needed.

But courage need not be remembered… for it is never forgotten.

With one last yell for everything he’d lost, Link crashed down upon the glowing eye of malice. He drove the blade into it with his and Fi’s combined fury. The speed of the fall caused the blade to slice clean through the eye. Malice poured out, burning and searing his skin, but he continued to fall. His vision started to blur as the searing pain overwhelmed his senses, but he couldn’t stop. The malice poured out the more he slashed downwards, and eventually friction finally stopped him.

The Calamity shook him off, and he couldn’t hold onto Fi. He hurtled through the air and only barely registered being caught by talons. There was a voice screaming to him, but he couldn’t quite make it out. He could make out the sound of Fi chiming in a rhythmic flow. He had heard that sound in this way once before on Blatchery Plain. The Goddesses were cruel to remind him of this in his last moments.

He could see a spark of golden light rise out from the malice. Zelda hovered in the air with her power surging out of her in bursts. Link found himself being set to the grass, but his attention focused on only her. He had to know. He had to know she was safe. He had to know the last friend he’d failed was still alive.

She looked so exhausted. Yet, she stood in front of the beast without flinching even as it roared. She held out her hand, and the beast began to try to flee. It collapsed into smoke, soaring up into the air. However, Zelda had seen enough. Link could only smile watching her raise her hand higher. A lone triforce already shimmered brightly on her hand, and Link could feel his own hand burning.

The Triforce of Courage momentarily left him, and he could see the Triforce of Power get stolen from Ganon. With Wisdom already in her possession, Zelda finally had tipped the scales enough to seal him away. With all three pieces, she rose up into the air with the Triforce resonating. Golden light poured out into the air, and the Calamity roared in a desperate attempt to escape. She pressed harder, and the Triforce responded. The malice began to dissipate and get sucked into the light.

Zelda clenched her fist, and the power that shined like the sun suddenly contorted into one, singular black hole in the sky. She confined him to oblivion. The golden light snuffed Ganon out, and all three Triforce pieces once more scattered. Link hardly registered that his piece came back to him before his head rolled back to look up at the sky. He could see blurred figures looming above him. He couldn’t make out any of them anymore. How could he when he was crying?

It hurt so much.

He could hear Zelda yelling for him now, joining the panicked voices around him. Didn’t they see? It would all be okay. They had each other, and he would be back another time. His spirit would continue on. Link’s hearing began to fade into a deeper and deeper dream. The world around him shuttered into darkness, and all he was left with was the rhythmic pulsing of the Master Sword close by. It remained clear, the only thing anchoring him to consciousness.

Absently, as he drifted further and further away, he wondered who he would get the chance to meet next time.

Chapter Text

Fi noticed just a moment too late when the guardians switched targets. The fight had been going well. In fact, Link’s odds of survival were beginning to increase further and further, and victory seemed certain. In her lapse of judgement, she failed to notice Ganon watching Link’s movements. She failed to notice when every malice-filled guardian turned their heads towards him. She failed to react fast enough to warn Link. She failed to see Ganon’s plan to strike the Sheikah Slate, and it caused Link to fall to the ground in a bloody heap with one of his most valuable assets destroyed.

For a terrifying few seconds, Link didn’t move.

Multiple guardians encroached on their location, and Fi found herself unable to do anything. She may be the Master Sword, but her abilities were limited when not in Link’s hand. But… this was Link. This was her master. This was her friend. She wanted so badly to help, but she could only watch and wait. 

Thankfully, Teba took notice and began to rain ancient arrows down from the sky overhead. He took one look down at Link and his eyes went wide. More panicked than Fi had ever heard him, Teba shouted, “Link’s down! Get over here!” 

Fi saw the dome of Daruk’s Protection begin to shift. Both Sidon and Riju doubled their efforts in destroying the guardians to make a path to Link, and Teba continued his defense to try to buy time. They were moving too slow to get to him with the amount of guardians flowing in. Fi heard Link coughing, and she immediately chimed, “Link, you are severely wounded.”

Of course, he was wounded. She couldn’t offer anything else other than stating the obvious. What could she possibly do as merely a weapon? Try as she might, she couldn’t move the Master Sword on her own. She couldn’t fight alone. And yet, Link’s grip on the Master Sword tightened, and he rose to his feet. She could see multiple places where the guardian lasers had pierced through flesh. The left side of his hip was turning red and now began bordering on black. However, despite this debilitating wound, Link still got to his feet and ran for the updrafts.

Fi hadn’t seen it before, but she followed Link’s gaze. The distinct signature of Hylia’s power began to pour out of Ganon’s skull. The princess must be fighting back, and Link wished to take this opportunity to help. Fi primed herself, getting ready for the final strike and being ready for any further threats. The guardians refocused their efforts now that Link had gone up into the sky, and they appeared to be fighting the forces on the ground…

…until Fi saw multiple lasers target Link and fire within a split second. The guardians were charging their shots at the other combatants before they shifted up to Link intentionally. The Master Sword lit up as Fi tried to call out, but the sound of all the shots firing cut her off. Link’s paraglider erupted into flames, and he started to fall. He had no conceivable way to slow down, but he didn’t appear to hesitate in the slightest. He drew the Master Sword, and Fi realized what was coming next.

It would be a tie. Yes, Link would be successful. Yes, the hero would have completed his duty for this cycle. Zelda, using the power of Hylia, would be able to seal away this incarnation, so that the land may know peace for a little longer. Even when falling from the sky, Link would be successful… if Fi thought Hyrule surviving was the bare minimum for a success. 

However, Ganon forced this tie. He specifically targeted Link, making sure to take away all of his options. This incarnation of hatred decided to strip him away from any possibility for happiness after this. Fi could see Teba already beginning to change his flight path, and he might have a chance to at least catch him. However, as Link fell, she could feel herself reacting more and more to the overwhelming presence of malice. 

She needed to annihilate it, but not at this cost.

Unable to control this or help, Fi resigned herself to her duty once more. Link cleaved straight through the giant eye of Calamity Ganon, and the malice began to burn into his arms and legs. It lashed out at his already open wound as well, trying to infect it. Try as she might, Fi couldn’t repel it nearly enough. He was sliding down the beast and driving the weapon deeper and deeper. Desperately, she tried to call on more of Hylia’s blessing. She wanted- no she NEEDED to keep him alive.

She alone could not stop the malice, but Link had no intention of relenting. Fi cleaved through the Dark Beast effortlessly, and she became overwhelmed by a power much greater surging outward from the eye. She had only a moment to look before the Dark Beast shook them both off, and she was tumbling through the air. The Master Sword fell to the ground uselessly, and Fi desperately tried to find Link in the fray. He was close by, having been brought quickly to the ground by Teba who couldn’t maintain his flight.

And Link was dying.

The Master Sword began to pulse desperately. She needed someone to get over here- someone with the capability of healing. Without the slate, what options did they have? Link no longer possessed the ability Champion Mipha bestowed upon him, and she certainly wasn’t coming. 

Teba’s hands trembled. Arriving quickly, Yunobo rolled close to put a protective shield around Link. The Rito reached for bandages he brought with him, but he could see that this damage would not be undone by mere bandaging. Link’s arms up to his elbow and his legs up to his knee both had blistering, magenta burns. He was still conscious, but Fi didn’t know how long that would last. None of them knew how long that would last.

Link’s eyes remained just barely focused at something across the field. Fi could see her too. She could also see the Triforce beginning to form on Zelda’s hand as she prepared to wipe out the Calamity. While impressive and while raising multiple questions, Fi did not have time to ponder the nature of them. Link was fading. She could feel him slipping away, and she saw his eyes begin to grow more and more unfocused.

“Kid! Stay with us!” Teba yelled, trying to prop Link’s head up on his hand. The Rito clicked his beak worriedly and looked desperately at any of the other people who had joined him in this fight. “He’s… He’s not…” His voice began to break, and his gaze flickered over to the Master Sword pulsing on the ground. “Do something!”

She couldn’t. She couldn’t do anything. “Are there… Are any of you capable of healing?” Fi questioned, hoping briefly that Sidon may have inherited the strong healing power that Mipha once possessed. 

No response.

Golden light burst forth from Zelda’s hand. She was fighting the Calamity on her own now, and it certainly had started to immediately panic. It could not dare to stave off the power of Zelda’s natural sealing power combined with the Triforce. The golden light spread across Hyrule field, and they were afforded one mercy. The malice that covered Link’s skin melted away from merely being in proximity to the sealing power, but the burns that it left behind…

Sidon knelt down next to Link and placed a hand over him. He seemed to be trying something. There was a flicker of magic in his hand, but Fi could see it was far too weak to do anything. “I-I do not possess the same healing capabilities as my sister. I never could master it like her.” His voice strained, no doubt due to him having to tell his friends that he couldn’t do this when he was the one the most likely to be able to heal.

Riju began to unhook a healing tonic from her belt in an attempt to seal the wounds from the guardian lasers. Luckily, all of those automatons had been destroyed in the blast, and would not be active again… not after Zelda confined the Calamity into a singular hole in the sky to be sealed.

Fi needed to think. This wasn’t enough. He was dying.

Yunobo finally let the barrier down when Zelda spun around, rushing towards their group. Her eyes fell on Link, and her face went from one of relief to sheer terror. Her face fell, and she rushed down next to him and saw what the rest of them did. Frantically, she yelled, “No no no, not again. This cannot be happening again!” Without a second thought, she tried to position her own hand over Link and simply push her own power into him. Nothing but the faint flash of golden light left her palm, and Fi doubted that it could even be used for healing in the first place. “Please Hylia, not again! Link, stay awake!”

Think. Think. What did Fi know? What could she use to stop this? She’d saved Link’s life once before, but that had come at an immeasurable cost. Putting him in the Shrine of Resurrection again would be another century of healing if he perished now, and she might as well be confining him to a fate worse than death. 

At some point, the other Link appeared next to Fi. Desperately, she asked, “Do you have anything that could-”

Before she even finished saying her sentence, the wolf shook its head. It didn’t have anything either. Its resources had been spent.

Zelda’s head turned towards Fi, and she hastily scrambled to pick up the Master Sword. They’d been in this situation once before, and she begged for guidance, “Please, tell me how to stop this. I can’t lose him again!”

Link was so distant now. His spirit would shatter soon to be reborn again in another cycle. She needed to think. What could she possibly do now?

The Divine Beasts. They were a mystery that Fi had been unable to solve. Being able to preserve a spirit, even when shattered, was a major feat. Only the Goddess could achieve something like that, and somehow these pieces of machinery had replicated it. Somehow, they had managed to seal away the spirits of their fallen Champions. They held out for a century in hopes that their bodies could heal in stasis, and their spirits were supposedly kept safe from harm using some method of sealing.

A horrible, terrible thought entered her mind. It would be nothing short of blasphemy to do this. By taking this action, she would be utterly defying her original purpose to eradicate Demise from this land. She would be risking everyone here and Hyrule included, as well as any form of Hyrule that could come later. She would defy Her Grace’s wishes.

Hylia had given her life. Hylia had given her a goal. Hylia was the only reason Fi had the chance to exist.

…but…

Her master had been the one to trust her with all he had. Her Link taught her what it felt like to be thanked, to be appreciated, to be cared about… and most importantly, he taught her how painful it was to let go. Throughout his entire journey, and through many journeys more, she fought by his side. She may not have been awake, but her first journey spoke volumes. She watched a boy take up the mantle of the Goddess’ Chosen Hero, because he wanted to protect his friends. 

She watched that same boy be cursed for partaking in a destiny that he had been manipulated into.

Now, here he was, reborn and still plagued by this curse. Hylia had long taken up her status as a Goddess again. While Zelda contained relations to Hylia by blood alone, Fi knew that this Zelda was not Hylia. Likewise, this incarnation of malice was not Demise. It was an echo.

That left Link trapped in this cycle with no end, and he was about to lose everything again.

Not this time.

Whether she liked it or not, Fi witnessed this Link push himself to his limits for the chance to give all of his friends a second chance. She had only been with him for a few days, but she had seen enough. He may deny it. She respected his wishes to deny it. However, she saw the same love and care in him that she saw from her Link. She watched as he agonized over how to save every single one of his allies from their fates. He dashed across Hyrule with reckless abandon even though many were screaming at him to stop. He had a family.

Briefly, Fi recalled Teba asking her if any of this was necessary. Was it truly necessary to sentence Link to a gruesome fate after every single cycle? Just this once, she wanted to change that for herself.

That was enough for her. That was enough for her to want to risk it all. Back in the Sealed Grounds, before she drifted into a slumber with no end,  she never got the chance to properly express her thanks to her friend , and she now had the chance.

She was the Sword that Seals the Darkness, but did she only really have to seal darkness? The Divine Beasts were proof that the rules could be bent. It would be a betrayal of purpose and outright blasphemous.

Hylia may have created her, but Link was her friend.

The Master Sword hummed in Zelda’s hands. Fi didn’t focus on anything around her. She couldn’t afford to, not when she had to maintain precise focus. The problem with sealing Link away was not that it was difficult to do, it was that she had sealed away something else in the distant past. If that thing got out, she would never forgive herself. She desperately needed to cling to both of them.

Fi could feel Link’s spirit drifting further and further away, but she refused to let it go any farther. She refused to let this be his fate. “Zelda,” she said, drawing everyone’s attention to the Sword, “Bring him somewhere safe. I will not allow him to fall.” Zelda stared down at the Master Sword, and her own hands started to tremble with the responsibility placed over her head. “Trust me.”

In a flash, wisps rose out of Link’s body. Fi had seen this many times, as did everyone here except Teba. His spirit drifted through the air in small wisps, and Fi reached out. The blade of the Master Sword began to shine brighter and brighter, and she focused entirely on Link.

His spirit surged towards the Master Sword, and the divine light of the blade absorbed it entirely. 

Link stopped breathing.

Fi felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her as she distinctly felt Link’s presence within the blade. He was there. Weak, but there. 

“What did she do?” Teba questioned in alarm, clutching Link in his wings while looking between him and Fi. “What did she do?!?”

She couldn’t respond. For the second time in her existence, she felt tired. The last time this happened was when she entered a slumber with no end. This time, she needed to stay conscious. Her task was not over yet. 

Instead of answering Teba, Zelda started to cup her hands together and pray. “Please… please just a little more.” Golden light flickered in her palms. Her Triforce of Wisdom began to burn brighter and brighter, and Zelda thrust her hands into the air. A small trail of blood trickled out of her nose from the exertion, but she yelled, “Just… a little… MORE!”

Golden light collected around everyone. Small wisps of light trailed up their bodies, and in a flash, they all vanished into the same golden sparks to trail off into the sky.

Fi didn’t know where they were going, but she trusted Zelda. She had no other choice.

Well… there went the malice trapped in Medoh. With what little sentience it did have, Medoh really was a little annoyed when Link didn’t come back up to check on it later. If he did, it might’ve been able to impart the information that there was still malice inside of it that was very insistent on not allowing one of the protocols to be disabled.

The Sheikah had thought ahead for the event that the Champions did manage to heal earlier than expected or could not be released due to an active threat in the Divine Beast. If the Champions healed, the Sheikah wouldn’t want them waking up in a confined space with no way out until help arrived. That would likely lead to far more agonizing stress and would also probably lead to Champions sustaining damage to themselves in hysteria. Besides, they did not know what the effects of a body waking up with its spirit in pieces would be. The Champions absolutely could not be released until their spirit was put back together. Luckily, Link managed to do that, filling one of the criteria for awakening and being released.

However, the active threat in the Divine Beast had never really left. Unfortunately, Ganon thought it wise to force the blights to retreat when Link slayed them the first time. They certainly didn’t have enough strength to take over the Divine Beasts on their own again. Medoh would not allow that after last time. The great news was that the Champions could be freed now that their spirits had been put back together. After all, the blights were weak. Medoh luckily could discern this and allowed Champion Revali to be freed.

But… waking up the Champions revolved around their spiritual link with their Divine Beasts. Medoh had to actually allow Revali to wake up when it knew he was in the clear. So of course, the blight being as obnoxious as it was, decided to specifically stifle Medoh’s ability to communicate with Revali with what little strength it had. There was the ability to override this in a Divine Beast on the Great Plateau, but Medoh never got the chance to communicate that to Link when it realized what was going on.

This was targeted. Medoh could see that. It was a small act of defiance from the Calamity, but this obviously was Ganon attempting to take Link’s allies out of the equation. Fear drove the Calamity to specifically begin to target Link, to isolate him, and to utterly destroy him. Without their pilots, the Divine Beasts would sit dormant when the fight actually came. The Calamity had adapted with Link none the wiser. 

It was calculated.

This left the Champions no longer in the Divine Beast… but still asleep due to a non-threat that was likely far away. If Medoh had more sentience, it would probably laugh in misery at having its wings clipped due to an unintended oversight. Luckily, it could no longer feel the malice within its systems. In fact, the malice had been called back to Hyrule Castle a while ago.

Perhaps, Ganon had not won after all.

That meant that Champion Revali should be awake soon. Medoh let out a loud cry at the notion, and Revali better have heard it. This had been an annoying endeavor, and Medoh hoped that Revali would share the sentiment.

It had been a long, sleepless night. There were still a few hours until the sun broke over the horizon. Zelda had certainly overdone things by attempting to use her power to bring everyone to Zora’s Domain, but what choice did she have? The spirit in the Master Sword gave clear instructions that Link needed to be somewhere safe, and the first place Zelda thought of was the Domain. They had healers there. Surely, if anyone could do anything about Link, it could be them. She couldn’t let Link die, and she was now dealing with a pounding headache that certainly felt like the result of holding the Calamity back for that long, sealing him, and then trying to bring multiple people across Hyrule instantaneously.

She would take a thousand of these headaches if it meant Link would survive.

The exact nature of what the Master Sword did still eluded Zelda. After unceremoniously arriving at the Domain, she was recognized immediately. Link certainly was recognized as well, and panic ensued. Thankfully, they got him to one of their healing pools and got to work. It took… much convincing from Zelda for them to heal Link when he clearly was not breathing or moving. She had to trust the Master Sword, and it radiated approval in her hands while she instructed the whole ordeal.

Many of Link’s friends couldn’t watch. It was understandable, Zelda thought. Seeing Link’s life hanging in the balance like that would do a number on anyone. However, the Rito known as Teba remained close by, almost concerningly so. While he gave the Zora room to work, he hovered constantly, keeping a keen eye on the whole situation. Actually getting him to put Link in the healing pool was difficult enough, but he eventually relented. After his outburst about the Master Sword on Hyrule Field, he’d calmed down and resorted to silent watching.

He only slightly loosened up when the Zora managed to patch up the worst of his wounds, but he kept glancing at the Sword. While Zelda had never met the spirit within the Sword for more than a few minutes, it appeared Teba certainly had. He watched it with a scathing glare, as if unsure of its true intentions. Zelda knew that the Master Sword could only want what’s best for Link, but she didn’t know how to express that. She didn’t know how to express anything right now. There was no guarantee the healing was actually doing anything. His wounds may be slowly stitching back together, but he wasn’t moving or breathing.

Teba must’ve thought the same, because he looked like a kettle about to boil over. Honestly, he would’ve been unnerving to Zelda if he hadn’t done one little thing. When night fell and Zelda was still awake, he caught her eye for a brief moment. After that, he left the makeshift room and came back a few minutes later with cooked fish from the nearby rivers. He insisted she take it and eat something , and she absolutely did not cry when she tasted food for the first time in a century.

Teba stayed after that. Zelda refused to sleep until she saw this through. While Link may no longer need multiple Zora tending to his wounds, he had not woken up yet. She didn’t even know if he remembered her. He’d fallen in battle for a second time, and it was because of her failure. She’d failed to draw on her power fast enough in the fight against the Calamity, and it had nearly cost him his life. It might still have cost him his life. She couldn’t be certain, and the Master Sword next to her remained deathly silent.

If she lost Link too, then how would she even be able to pick herself back up again? She’d already lost all of her friends in the Calamity, and they would never be coming back. Link was the last connection she had to the world that was lost, and he may not even remember her. It hurt and tore at her relentlessly that she would never be able to relive the brief moments of happiness she had with the Champions. They were all gone, and even though the Calamity had finally fallen, it had certainly won in her eyes.

Vah Ruta cried out when Zelda first entered the Domain, but she hardly took notice of it. Now that she had time to think about it, she wondered if Ruta mourned just as much as she did. Maybe, when the only privacy she had wasn’t just a few curtains surrounding this healing pool, she could let all of that out as well. Until then, she had to stay strong. She had to be prepared for the worst possibility.

Besides, she wouldn’t want to wake Teba. He had fallen asleep standing up, something Zelda knew well that Rito could do. Revali had been quite proud of the fact that he could sleep lightly enough to be ready at a moment’s notice. Mipha scolded him relentlessly that being constantly on guard wouldn’t be healthy for sleep, but he never regarded her any further. 

Oh, Mipha…

If she were here right now, she could solve this. While the other Zora certainly were doing their best, especially under the scrutiny of an angry Rito and the reemerged Princess of Hyrule, they could not match Mipha’s healing ability. Zelda wished that she knew how to heal. Sitting off to the side like this felt so useless. 

Zelda sat in those thoughts until morning, constantly mulling over everything over and over. She thought about dozing off many times, but was constantly awoken by the phantom stench of malice in her nose. She stayed awake and vigilant, watching Teba rest and seeing Link still floating in the healing pool.

“...out of my way!”

Ah, some Zora must be hastily making her way here if that yell was any indication. Hopefully, it wasn’t to ask Zelda any questions. She was… rather winded at the moment and hardly coherent.

“Sister! Calm down! You’re going to hurt yourself-”

“That is very interesting coming from you considering you threw yourself at the Calamity!”

Someone must be arguing with Sidon, then. However, if Sidon was the other voice, and he called this Zora his sister, then wouldn’t that mean-

Zelda’s heart leapt into her throat when a red scaled Zora burst through the curtains with a yell, “WHERE IS HE?!?”

In all of her time with Mipha, Zelda always saw her at her best. Mipha prided herself in meticulously fitting Zora jewelry to herself, and they really completed her look. She always carried a certain grace about her, and only lost her temper on occasions where someone did something extremely stupid. However, the Mipha that Zelda was currently witnessing had only her garments on, and she looked entirely disheveled and notably pissed.

Zelda suddenly felt extremely lightheaded and nearly fainted when seeing Mipha’s face. Surely, she was dreaming. Mipha was gone. She couldn’t possibly be here! And yet, they both looked at each other for a few seconds, disbelief in both of their expressions. It couldn’t be real. She had to have fallen asleep and this would be gone when she opened her eyes-

And yet, Mipha didn’t vanish. Instead, Zelda found herself wrapped in a tight hug which immediately brought tears to her eyes. She didn’t know when the last time was that she felt someone’s embrace. It had to have been Urbosa before the Calamity struck… before Mount Lanayru. It had been so long, and yet she could feel Mipha’s touch. It was real, but it didn’t make sense.

Zelda wrapped her shaking arms around Mipha, only uttering a small “How?”

“I am unsure myself,” Mipha admitted, pulling back ever-so-slightly, “We have Link to thank for that, and-” she cut herself off, looking back at the healing pool. “Apologies, but I have a reckless Hylian to attend to.”

Zelda let go, and she missed the grounding feeling of having Mipha right there. She still watched with wonder as the Zora stepped into the healing pool, placing her hands over Link. “I thought we lost all of you…” she whispered. Despite the little bit of privacy, she was still slightly intimidated by the now-awake Rito in the room. Teba must’ve been woken up by Mipha yelling.

A second later, Sidon opened the curtain and slid into the enclosure. He grinned when seeing Zelda and gave her a nod of acknowledgement. Politically, they were of similar rank. And honestly, Zelda much more preferred for the casual greetings. Sidon answered, “As did we! It wasn’t until yesterday when Link came to the Domain to free Mipha before going off to fight the Calamity.”

“Zelda! He isn’t breathing!” Mipha exclaimed, and oh yes she had been so preoccupied with Mipha being in the room that she’d neglected to mention that. 

Teba beat her to it with a less than stellar response. “Great, so I’m not the only one who doesn’t like this.”

Not… the best response. She was certainly uncomfortable too, but this was under control. Zelda finally found her words and spoke up, “The Master Sword insists that he is all right, but he needs to be healed before she can… undo whatever it is she did.” Really, Zelda had no idea what had happened when the Master Sword reacted to Link out on Hyrule Field, and the Master Sword hardly explained. She remained eerily silent.

Despite the rough explanation, Mipha nodded and continued to work. The burns on Link’s arms and legs were healing much faster with her help, but Zelda could see her fins beginning to sag. She looked exhausted. Zelda frowned. “Mipha? Are you sure you are well enough to do this right now?”

“Yes,” she quickly responded with enough energy that Zelda could honestly believe her, “This is just a much more taxing process when I have to keep in mind that my own body has limitations.”

Clicking his beak, Teba sat down close to the pool to keep an eye on what was going on. Still, he shook his head in disapproval. “So is this a thing with all of you? So far I’m going three for three with Champions who keep pushing themselves beyond their limits…” He glanced at Zelda and suddenly shrank back a little. “No offense, princess.”

“Just Zelda, please,” she insisted, and Teba nodded right back. Really, there was no need for formalities. “And well… I would say this is a necessity. Link needs us right now, and I would be remiss if I didn’t repay him for making it to Hyrule Castle before my strength gave out. I just wish I could do more…”

Mipha grit her teeth and her own healing magic flickered. She had to pull back for a second to get her bearings. “I suppose I’m out of practice. I likely can’t rush this, especially when he seems to be locked in a very strange state…”

Teba gestured at the Master Sword. “The spirit hasn’t said anything yet, which would be helpful right about now, so we all stop worrying.”

As expected, the Master Sword did not respond. Mipha’s brow furrowed in worry, but she continued to very gently wave her hand across Link’s wounds. She started letting her magic flow out at a much slower pace. “Fi is typically very responsive. If she’s not speaking right now, I assume that’s for a reason. However, I do not support Link diving head first into the Calamity and refusing my help.” Mipha’s shoulders suddenly tensed, and she turned back to Zelda. “The… Calamity has fallen, correct?”

Zelda nodded, “Link made sure of that. It’s been sealed away.”

Mipha’s face broke into a large grin, and she turned back to continue her vigil over Link. “You made sure of it as well, Zelda. You’re strong to have lasted a century.”

Suddenly, she felt unsure. The doubts from earlier crept back in, and her face fell. “And yet, I was too weak in the end to give Link the strength needed to finish Ganon off…” she mused and buried her head in her hands. Failing to create the Bow of Light directly contributed to Link’s current injuries. If he could’ve attacked at range, he wouldn’t have been burned by all of that malice.

Surprisingly, it was Sidon who sat down next to her and patted her on the back. “Nonsense! Without you, we would’ve never been able to get rid of him for good!”

“And you got Link to safety,” Teba added, “With that slate damaged, I don’t know how else I would’ve gotten him somewhere on time.”

Ah yes, the Sheikah Slate. Zelda had set it off to the side near the Master Sword, and it still flickered with blue light. She had lamented over it while simultaneously lamenting over Link. It could certainly be fixed, but that had to wait. She really wanted to understand how that thing worked ever since Link apparently cracked the code. 

It wasn’t until she thought back to what everyone was saying that she realized they took her mind off of her failure. She… needed that. She just wished she could’ve done more. When she saw Link on the ground, she fully believed he had fallen this time. The Goddess must have been merciful…

Having other people here to talk her out of her stupor helped far more than she realized. Spending a century alone with the Calamity had taken its toll, and being around people that wouldn’t pounce at any insecurity certainly eased her worries. These people weren’t the royal court of her father. These people weren’t the Calamity trying to break her. They were simply her friends… even though she had no idea who Teba was. 

Tilting her head, she inquired, “So, how did you and Link meet, Teba?”

“Ah.” Teba put his hand on his beak and thought about that for a bit. “Well, I met him at the Flight Range. Thought he was going to try to convince me not to shoot at Vah Medoh when it was attacking our village. Instead, he told me that he wanted to join in, proceeded to kick the training course’s ass, and then kick Vah Medoh’s ass.” 

Zelda covered her face to laugh at the sudden crassness. The tension in the room slowly began to lift.

“He came around Rito Village a lot. Got along well with Kass and his kids. Joined Tulin and I a lot for training. He even started stopping by our roost when my wife finally caught him,” he mused, a smile curving onto his beak. Then, he must’ve thought about something he didn’t like, because it vanished. He eyed Zelda with a bit more of a pensive look, but it quickly went away. “We decided to take him under our wings after a particularly bad night. Didn’t seem like a good idea for him to be wandering the wilds with nowhere to return to.”

Oh? Did that mean what she thought it meant? Her question was answered by Mipha straightening up and leaning forward with renewed interest. “Oh, so you’re one of his parents? Oh do I have some stories to tell you!”

“He’s already grounded,” Teba reassured Mipha with his wings folding.

“As am I!” Sidon proudly exclaimed, flexing his arm and smiling yet again. “Father was quite displeased to know that I fought the Calamity, but I’ll have you know I didn’t have a single scratch.”

Mipha scrunched her face. “Sidon, I healed a guardian burn on your arm.”

“And now I do not have a single scratch!”

Zelda smiled at the two and found herself getting more tired. Still, she really didn’t want to sleep. She was worried that going to sleep would mean waking up back in the clutches of the Calamity, all of this being just a small illusion. Instead of sleeping, she continued talking to Teba, now armed with the knowledge that Link had somehow been adopted, “Thank you for looking out for him. I wish I could have done more, but I could only leave him the Slate and my memories.”

Something in Teba’s expression shifted, but he was trying to fight it off. Suddenly, Zelda didn’t like the tension in the room. Slowly, he questioned, “Did you know he saw the memory where he died?”

Oh.

She’d asked Impa to show him that memory last. She did know about it, but she’d hoped that his mind would be full enough to not be broken by it. That’s… why she positioned the other twelve first. The other memories were meant to act as guides in order to restore his memory over time, not necessarily as the only thing he received. Her downtrodden expression was all Teba needed to see. She could feel judgement on her, but he quickly disguised the look and turned away.

Suddenly, the lifted spirits in the room came crashing down. If Teba’s silence was any indication, Link had reacted harshly to that memory. She should’ve seen it coming. Even worse, Link likely resented her for it. The reason she even shared it with him in the first place was so that he’d be able to find peace in that he tried his hardest. He fought until the very end, and he shouldn’t blame himself for what happened. He needed to be ready to hear that, though. If Impa thought he was ready for it, then Zelda trusted her. Impa had been given specific instructions to not give him that memory unless he was ready, but…

What if Link never would’ve been ready? Did Impa move too quickly? Was that why Link had taken so long to fight the Calamity? She had given him a memory of his own death!

Oh Goddess above this was all her fault!

“Listen…” Teba started again, his voice dipping into something much softer even though he was still gruff, “Ever since Link brought Master Revali down from Medoh, I’ve been thinking about how young you all were.” Whatever Zelda was expecting, it wasn’t that. She thought she was about to be scolded for failing in her responsibility, but Teba kept talking. “To be honest, I thought whoever left him that memory had to be malicious. Now, I’m just mad at whoever made a group of kids fight a Calamity.”

Zelda looked down at her own hands. Who was to blame for that? Was it her father? He had brought together all the Champions. He selected them from each region and instructed Zelda to visit them. Or… could it have been Hylia? Were all of their fates chosen from the start? She and Link certainly felt that way when they used to speak to one another in the past. Link… certainly disliked her father, but he certainly vocalized his disdain for Hylia not answering Zelda’s prayers.

Zelda couldn’t help but feel the same.

Still, it was her fault for giving Link that memory. She wouldn’t hold it against him if he hated her after that. He probably didn’t even remember her. Maybe that was for the best. He’d been unhappy under the Royal Family. Maybe, now that he was with a new family, things could change a bit. She certainly needed to ask him about becoming her knight again. With the lands still so uncertain, she wondered if someone escorting her would be necessary. If she hurt him like that though, she truly did not deserve it.

Her thoughts were broken by the telltale sound of a chime further off in the room.

The Master Sword pulsed.

Ah, Rito Village. Truly, it was an amazing place to be. Already, Revali could hear the sound of the wind chimes scattered about the place. They carried through the wind wonderfully, and for a moment he lost himself in the moment. A breeze passed through the roost he was in, and he wondered how he had gotten into another roost. The Flight Range he’d commissioned for himself certainly didn’t have any wind chimes… which meant he had to have fallen asleep in the village. He didn’t do that often.

Wait a minute.

Revali paid more attention. Why in Hylia’s name did his chest hurt so much? His wing had a similar tingling sensation but to a much lesser degree. He tried to focus on that feeling while draping a wing over his face. Had he sustained an injury in flight? Ah, maybe Link somehow injured him when he…

And then it all clicked. 

Revali shot up straight from the hammock, his entire body yelling at him. However, he could yell louder, and yell he did, “That IDIOT!” 

That stupid Hylian. That stupid, insufferable Hylian. Some hero he was, forgetting about the one rule of that awful place which was you cannot take a singular strike or you die. His sword had been fairly clear about that, and unless Link’s ears were full of wool, Revali knew he had to have heard that. He had to, and he had the audacity to shield Revali with his body! That idiot. That IDIOT! That stupid Hylian got himself killed!

He looked around wildly, and suddenly became very aware of the sensation of actually being in a hammock. The pain he remembered. Link had even managed to touch him within the Silent Realm, but it registered to him as more like touching glass. The fabric under him was tangible, and being able to feel things on his feathers sent them all spiking upward.

And oh, his feathers were in disarray too. In fact, he was entirely in disarray. His hair had certainly lost all of its braids, and his armor was nowhere to be found. Even worse, he had bandages wrapped around his chest and a very uncomfortable feeling of stitches somewhere under his feathers. Whichever Rito did those must’ve been good, but-

THAT STUPID HYLIAN!

He’d almost forgotten while looking over his disheveled state, but the sheer rage- yes only rage- came back. He was absolutely not worried out of his mind. No, he had to maintain his composure. Surely, if that imbecile had tragically fallen, someone here would know. Someone in… this… village…

Revali’s eyes trailed down to a very small Rito who he had been ignoring this whole time. He was definitely still a fledgling, and his white-feathered face stared up at Revali with wide eyes. Ah, suddenly he felt intimidated, which was strange considering he was the Champion Revali. If anything, this fledgling should be quaking right about now, but he simply didn’t. Instead, the child kept staring up at him with wide eyes and a tilted head.

The kid flapped his wings a little, spinning around and yelling to another Rito that was walking down the path. He opened his beak and squealed, “Mom! Master Revali is awake!”

Oh, he had given Revali away. Bristling, Revali tried to straighten out his feathers the best he could. He looked like an absolute mess, and had to look completely presentable to everyone right now. If… if they got the wrong idea about him on a first impression, that’d be terrible. Then again, did that fledgling just call him Master Revali? He had never been granted that title in life. All of his feathers bristled again, destroying his hard work. 

On a scan around this roost, he realized it wasn’t even a personal roost. He was in an inn, and this inn certainly was not where it used to be back when he frequented the village. Revali would never admit it, but he began to feel a bit apprehensive. The pink-feathered Rito approaching made things even worse. He started glancing around the room to try to get any control of this situation. If he could make sense of what was going on, he could play it off like he always did. Yes, he could slip into the role of Master Revali.

Though, when he took a proper look around his current lodgings, he noticed a hood lying on a table near his hammock. For whatever reason, it stood out in his memory. Multiple times when Link called upon his Gale, he saw the so-called hero wearing that thing. To see it here meant one of three things: Link was dead, Link left it here, or it was another random Hylian’s hood. With his panicked brain, Revali went with the first option and panicked even further. The only thing that marginally calmed him down was seeing his Great Eagle Bow propped up close by. He’d seen Link with it a few times, so it was nice to know it had survived over a century and not been destroyed by that hero.

He was trying to ignore the image of what happened the last time he had seen Link. That hero was abnormally lucky. He had to be fine. More importantly, he needed to be alive to explain what the actual pluck he was thinking. But… where would he even be? Was the hood left here to let Revali know he had perished? No, the Sword that Seals the Darkness would be more easily identifiable. No one would leave a stupid hood here for him if Link had perished.

“Master Revali?” A softer, caring voice broke through the ensuing panic. No, he wasn’t panicking. He was just naturally concerned for someone who got hit in the one place he was not supposed to get hit! His head swerved a little too quickly to eye the pink Rito. She seemed almost as disheveled as him with half of her feathers unkempt and a bow strapped to her back. Had fighting happened recently? She hardly seemed to pay that much mind, moving closer. “Are you all right?”

Yes, and he was perfectly certain of that. Her unerring concern would be better spent elsewhere. “I’m fine,” he choked, realizing far too late that his throat was dry. In retrospect, he should’ve expected his voice to sound raspy. He hadn’t properly used his body in a century… 

Then, crushing reality decided to make itself known to him. Oh Goddess above, he was alive. It hadn’t truly dawned on him until now, and he started breathing a little heavier. No, he must be dreaming. That spawn of Ganon had tricked him. Now that Revali knew that thing was in his Divine Beast, he could easily see through what must be some illusion. Well, he wouldn’t play into this. He wouldn’t give Ganon the satisfaction of giving him hope and then ripping it away. 

Despite Revali pointedly trying to avert his gaze from the two Rito who had arrived in the early morning, the smaller one immediately positioned himself right beside Revali’s hammock and started flapping his wings. “Dad said you’d be up soon! Is it true? Are you Master Revali?” The small Rito’s wings beat up and down, and Revali instinctively folded his wings over himself defensively. One of them itched.

“Tulin,” the pink feathered Rito chided, “Give Master Revali some space.”

Honestly, Revali didn’t exactly mind the smaller Rito known as Tulin. The other Rito in the room concerned him much more considering she currently had a weapon and looked as if she had used it in the past few hours. Even though Tulin appeared to be bursting with energy, he did manage to stay at least a wing’s length away from Revali.

Saki seemed to have no such reservations despite being the one to demand that Revali had space. Instead, she certainly encroached on his personal space and removed a waterskin from her hip. As a peace offering, she extended a wing for him to take it. “My name is Saki. From what I understand, you’ve been… away for quite some time.”

Ah, so they knew about his fate. Of course they did. He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or afraid that his legacy had somehow lived on. If anything, he wanted to fly away right now, but he was bedridden without anything proper to wear and with a precarious roof blocking his ascent. Instead, he looked between Saki and the waterskin she presented him, trying to gauge whether or not this was a trap of some kind. It had to be. None of this could possibly be real. He couldn’t be real.

Tentatively, he took the waterskin from her and nothing lashed out at him. Nothing attempted to kill him. Nothing plunged him back into the malice-filled halls of his own Divine Beast. His wing was shaking when he took it, and he cursed inwardly at himself. He couldn’t look weak now. What was there to worry about? He had this situation under control.

He took a drink from the waterskin, and it certainly helped. It offered him a slight relief from a headache he hadn’t even realized yet, and now he knew he could actually speak without sounding like gravel. For good measure, he cleared his throat and pointedly made eye-contact with Saki to try to prove that he was not scared of this situation. “‘Away’ is a polite way to put it, I suppose,” he started, his voice still not quite containing the same confidence it used to, “If you are really here, and this is not some strange dream post-mortem, then I suppose I have returned.” 

Saki quirked a brow and folded her wings. Whatever she expected from him, she found a hint of amusement in. “You’re certainly not dead, though we were getting worried. It has been a few days since Link found you.”

Revali straightened up and his beak clacked fully shut. So that imbecile was still alive? Gaze moving over to the hood on the table, he leaned over to scoop it up in one wing. That cracked his back a little bit, and he realized that laying in a hammock for that long probably did not do him any favors. How undignified. “And I suppose that… Hylian is still around, then?” He gestured at the hood in his hands.

For a moment, Saki squinted at him, but was interrupted by Tulin rambling, “Oh yeah! Link promised to tell me stories at dinner every night and he missed last night! I think that’s why the monsters came!”

Now, it was Revali’s turn to squint and try to parse whatever truth could be in that statement. The monsters were more concerning, and he very carefully asked, “What happened last night?”

Saki sighed and moved to a nearby table to pick up Rito-made clothing. It certainly didn’t look like his armor, but it would do if she was intending to give that to him. She spoke as she walked, “Late yesterday, the Calamity broke free.”

Immediately, Revali shot up and started to get out of the hammock. If the Calamity had broken free, he needed to be up at Medoh, not here! Even though the mere prospect of going back up there with that blight still present terrified him, he was essential in the assault on the Calamity. If it had already been free for that long, there was no telling what destruction it’d wrought already!

Saki yelled in protest and threw up her wings, blocking Revali from moving any further. She essentially pushed him back into the hammock with a wing, and Revali did not have the leverage to resist. He was more extremely put off by the feeling of being touched at all. That felt too real to be a mere illusion, and he certainly did not like the feeling after being without it for so long.

“Oh no you don’t! You’re still injured young man!” Saki clacked her beak angrily, and that only made Revali more agitated. The Calamity wasn’t just something that could be put off.  “Our village is handled. We’ve already cut the bridges and have been fighting all night. The flow of monsters has stopped.”

Revali had heard enough and interrupted, “I hope you do realize that means nothing if the Calamity has escaped!” He tried to struggle out of the hammock, but with a wing pressing him down and an injury he really didn’t want to agitate, that became more difficult. “Fighting the Calamity alone didn’t work last time all of us were absent. It won’t work this time!”

Even with Saki protesting, Revali heard Tulin’s voice loud and clear. “Maybe that’s where Link is! He got that cool sword, right?”

No, he wouldn’t have done that, right? Revali now regarded Tulin a bit more carefully, and he realized that this fledgling might be more perceptive than he initially thought. Unfortunately, this had the added effect of Saki successfully containing him again. He paid her no mind and focused on Tulin instead. Carefully, he began to drawl, “Well, it’s very rude of him to be away for so long. After all, he did promise you a story.” Revali paused to gauge whether Tulin was following, and he certainly had the fledgling’s attention. “Surely, he would have told you all where he was going.”

He just needed confirmation that Link hadn’t rushed at the Calamity alone. While that hero was obscenely lucky- he had to be if he survived Windblight’s strike- he would be stupid to try to fight the Calamity without one of the Divine Beasts. Unless… this was all some humiliation tactic. Had Link purposefully removed him from the fight? As much as he laughed at the thought and almost entertained it, that hero would never have it in him to do something like that intentionally. Doing it unintentionally, however, would make much more sense.

Tulin nodded his head and bounded up closer to Revali. “He wasn’t there when I woke up! Mom and dad were flying everywhere to look for him. Dad went and flew somewhere too!”

Saki gently placed the Rito clothing down next to Revali’s hammock and set her wing on Tulin’s shoulder. “Tulin, would you go get some of the breakfast I made? Master Revali is probably very hungry.” Even Revali could see that she was trying to remove him from the situation, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Surely, any Rito would know about the life of a warrior by now.

However, Tulin had been given a task to help Revali, and he seemed very enthusiastic about doing that. He nodded and immediately began to run up the stairs to find whatever food Saki had made. Ah well, there went his most genuine source of figuring out what the hell was happening. 

As soon as Tulin was out of earshot, Saki folded her wings. Her expression took on something filled to the brim with unwavering concern. “Apologies, I don’t want Tulin to… hear about this. Not until I know for sure that my husband and Link are fine.”

That certainly didn’t help things. Revali kept his beak shut, but he nodded in understanding. If none of them knew where Link actually was, and that hero had somehow wormed his way into all of their hearts, it would be terrible if he was found dead. That did absolutely nothing to calm Revali down, and he found himself trying to sit up again.

Saki watched him carefully but let him actually sit upright this time. “Yesterday morning, Link appeared to have vanished in a time where he… did not seem quite in his right mind.” Not in his right mind? Sure, Link could be dull at times and absolutely infuriating, but Revali had never seen him exhibit anything that could make Saki’s tone carry this much weight. “My husband, Teba, received a message from Gerudo Town that he was likely on his way to fight the Calamity.”

Revali audibly squawked, because of course he did. Truly, this imbecile thought he could face the Calamity without the full might of the Divine Beasts? Why risk it? Even Revali wouldn’t dare to do something as reckless as fighting the Calamity all on his own. Not after… well… 

He didn’t want to think about falling to the Windblight, and he certainly pushed the thought out of his mind the moment it came. No, he thought he rather liked the prospect of having allies in a fight like this. “Saki, was it?” Revali started, taking a look around the roost for how many contents would be destroyed if he used his Gale now, “I’m sure you can reasonably understand why I would be needed on my Divine Beast instead of bedridden.”

She scoffed, “Should’ve known you’d be just as reckless as him.” She gestured at the clothes she’d brought. “You still haven’t had nearly enough time to heal from a wound like that, and you probably don’t need to go up to your Divine Beast. Whatever was going on at the castle ended at sundown last night. The monsters didn’t stop until much later.”

Revali leaned over to snatch the clothing that she had brought him. Despite the bandages, he could manage just fine. His wing did itch still, but it was still incredibly mobile. There were… small blessings to his injury. “I’m not reckless, I just know that he’s an exceptionally lucky lunatic who absolutely would have gone to fight the Calamity on his own, and I merely wish to ensure the Calamity is gone.” Really, how could he have stopped the Calamity alone? It didn’t seem possible.

She muttered to herself loud enough for Revali to hear, “Why do none of you know how to take breaks?” A break? He’d never heard of it. “It would be wise to wait here. Teba will be back with him if all went well. There’s no reason to go out there yourself.”

Revali finished buckling the thin leather strap over his shoulder. The bandaging and stitches felt uncomfortable in the clothing, but it would be just fine. He’d flown in much worse condition, and he wasn’t going to be told to simply wait. The Calamity needed to be eradicated, and Link couldn’t do that without them! Besides, he told that hero that his attack on the Calamity would not be outdone by a mere sword!

His thoughts were interrupted by a faint, strange voice.

He’d heard that voice before, but it took him a moment to actually register that it wasn’t Saki. His eyes darted around the room, but no one was here. He thought he might’ve just been hearing the wind, but the voice called out again. He listened more attentively this time, and made out only a handful of words.

“Safe… Zora’s Domain…”

And he realized that was Zelda speaking. He couldn’t see her anywhere, and a strange, warm presence suddenly left the air. How long had she been trying to communicate? What was she trying to communicate? He had a location, and he had the vague idea that she was… safe?

Had he missed the fight after all?

“Well, it seems you’re wrong about one thing…” Revali finally managed to shift his weight out of the hammock, landing on his talons and only stumbling just barely. “There does appear to be a place I need to be going.” His wound did hurt quite a bit from that exertion, but he needed to get used to it anyway. This would be a long flight. “You wouldn’t happen to know if this hood is Link’s would you?” He asked as if Saki wasn’t watching his every move for a chance of him escaping.

“It is…” She kept her eyes trained on Revali. “He came to visit you many times during your recovery.”

That sparked a twinge of something in him, but he paid it no mind. Well, that hero clearly still needed to work on his ability to communicate, because Revali thought this meant he had died. His Great Eagle Bow was propped up right next him. Ah, they’d left him a clear route out of here. “Ah well, thank you for your hospitality. Tell Tulin I said thank you for keeping watch over me.” He fastened Link’s hood onto his own neck and waved. “I wouldn’t want him to be too disappointed that I’m gone!”

Saki must have noticed the winds around them changing, because she squawked and tried to stop him from taking off. Too late. Revali had refined his Gale for years, and he was going to use it.

With one powerful flap of his wings, he soared out of the side of the inn. All of its contents scattered about, but he wouldn’t be around long enough for the innkeeper to discover that. He had a job to do, and if Zelda said she would be at Zora’s Domain… well… who was he to wait around for information to get to him? 

He thought of taking Medoh to get to the Domain, but the moment he thought about being back on that Divine Beast, chills went up his spine. He was high enough to see the castle now, and sure enough there was no more malice. Well… maybe he didn’t need Medoh. Maybe all of this had been handled… and he could simply fly on his own.

Yes, he needed to stretch his wings anyway. It had been so long since he had taken flight, and relegating all of that travel to Medoh would be unbecoming of his title as Champion. He could fly to the Domain just fine with the use of his Gale, and any stray monsters could be dealt with easily whenever he stopped for arrows. For now, he would stay high in the sky, focused on Zora’s Domain in the far, far distance.

If Link had succeeded, then that stupid Hylian owed him answers, and he would be getting them!

When he started thinking again, he could feel water. 

He managed to push himself up, and nothing really hurt anymore. That was strange. In fact, all of this felt too strange. Was this what the afterlife felt like? 

Link managed to gain his bearings again. Yes, he’d certainly fallen in Hyrule Field. He could still see the burns on his hands, but the rest of his body had been covered by a green tunic. Ah, this again. He felt glassy, and took a closer look at the tunic. Almost imperceptibly, he could see the light shining through his body. He was a spirit.

So… he really had died?

It was… odd. He could certainly remember everything that happened still. He knew that shouldn’t be right. It had taken him a very long time to remember his past lives, and they certainly didn’t persist every single time. Maybe, they had and he’d simply forgotten all about it when placed in the Shrine of Resurrection. Still, it seemed odd to be able to remember everything. Last time he’d died, he hadn’t been given that much sympathy.

Link pushed himself to his feet. Again, nothing really hurt. Being able to stand just fine almost unnerved him. In fact, everything here unnerved him. The water he had been laying in couldn’t have been more than a centimeter high, and ripples carried gently across it, made by his own movement. This place seemed so peaceful… so why did he carry so much suspicion towards it? 

The air wasn’t moving at all. There were clouds moving over him, but the lack of wind ruined the effect. It all felt far too fake and far too wrong. Worse, he knew he’d somehow been here before, but there had been someone else here with him. He’d seen this place before. Yet, as he wracked his brain for the memory, he couldn’t quite find it. Was this what it felt like to simply be dead? Was it this endless expanse of water with nothing else?

He reached for his back to call on Fi. His hand came up empty. She wasn’t here.

“Looking for a weapon? How peculiar…” A deep, overwhelming voice sounded out from behind Link.

He spun on his heel, and his eyes went wide. He knew this thing. He’d seen this thing before. He’d seen it point at him and laugh, reveling in his destruction. This beast’s black scales absorbed the light that was cast on them, and all of that light channeled through its stark, orange hair. He knew this being. He knew this was a foe. This foe towered over him, but he, too, did not have a weapon of his own.

Yet, his face split into a toothy grin, staring Link down with renewed interest. “It has been some time, human. It is curious to see how your misplaced valor has brought you face to face with me once again.”

Link’s voice caught. He took a step back. His hand grasped in the air for nothing. He needed a weapon. This couldn’t be an afterlife. This thing, Demise, could not be in the afterlife. 

Like a predatorial beast, Demise began to circle Link. Each footstep made a resounding thud in the water, causing it to ripple out as his cloak dragged along behind him. “I told you our last fight would not be the end. Now look at you, forsaken by your own weapon. Your spirit has been broken and mended over and over, recycled again and again.”

Fi would never. She would never betray him. 

He stopped and turned his head to Link, that same grin plastered on his face. “After a millennia of waiting, your spirit remains the same. I find that… amusing.” He raised a hand, cupping it in the air. From Demise’s line of sight, he could see Link positioned in his fist. “It may be the same, but you’re beaten and battered. My hatred has broken you, and it has finally broken your weapon. She faltered.” He clenched his hand into a fist, and the sky began to turn a sickly black.

Link’s breath picked up. He couldn’t let this thing know he was afraid, but he’d already given that away. What did it mean? What was it talking about?

“Have you become the same as those other humans, mewling and cowering to your goddess? A shame.” He started to laugh, and laugh, and laugh. “Spend what little time your world has left cowering and crying, as befits your kind.” He started to vanish. He started to leave. “I will enjoy plunging those who you struggled to save into an endless night.”

Link frowned, and then he bared his teeth. Even with no weapon, he could feel the raw anger boiling in his veins. He charged, but it was already too late. Both he and the demon in front of him began to vanish into the air. 

He couldn’t let this happen. He couldn’t let-

He woke up.

There was blue all around him. He was floating in water. There was so much blue. He panicked. He thrashed. Zelda was calling his name again. What was his name? What had he been doing?

Link. Yes. His name was Link.

“Link! Please! You’re okay! You’re safe!”

No, no no no he wasn’t safe. They wouldn’t have put him back in the shrine. They wouldn’t have. He struggled against the water, grabbing onto the stone flooring and trying to heave himself out. Oh Goddess everything hurt. Everything burned.

“Link! Look at me!” Zelda pleaded, grabbing his shoulders and making him face her. She looked terrified, her eyes wide. “You’re safe. You’re in Zora’s Domain. It’s okay!”

Who was he? Who was he?

His name was Link. Yes, he knew that. Over the past two years, he had been running. He’d been running away from his duty. He made friends. He freed older friends. He wished he could save them. He went out of his way to talk with all of them. He wanted them to know how much he cared. They needed to know. They needed to know someone would think of them every day even after they were gone. He had a family. He had a family who was worried about him. He fell in Hyrule Field. He…

He still remembered.

Slowly, his breathing began to slow. The blues around him were not Sheikah in origin at all. They were merely the luminous stones of Zora’s Domain. He was in a healing pool, not the Shrine of Resurrection. Zelda was there, not just a disembodied voice.

He stared at her face just to be sure… just to be sure this was real.

And he couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t fight it anymore. He leaned into Zelda, hugging her tightly like she would vanish at any moment. How was he alive? How was he still here?

“I’m sorry…” he mumbled, trembling and shaking with no end in sight.

“No, I’m sorry,” she insisted, trying to lower him back into the healing pool, “I’ll go get Mipha. Please, wait here.”

No. He didn’t want to let go. He needed someone here with him. Yet, he looked around and saw that there were people outside. There were others beyond the curtain going about their day. He was safe. No one could hurt him here. No one…

He took a deep breath, and he found it in him to let go. 

Zelda smiled, and she let go as well. She vanished to the other side of the curtain, and Link could hear her walking up nearby stairs.

He was alive.

It didn’t make any sense. He wasn’t coherent enough to make sense of it. For a moment, he’d been dreaming of something else. He’d been somewhere else. His head hurt. His hands hurt. The Goddess knew that his feet absolutely burned. His side was on fire. Everything hurt, but he was still alive. Zelda was alive. He’d made it. How had he made it?

“Fi?” He called out, hoping to have an answer. His voice came out strained, and he knew it would likely try to fight him soon. He just needed someone to keep him company, someone who might know what had happened to him.

No one answered.

The Master Sword wasn’t here.

He wanted to climb out of the healing pool then and there. Where had the Master Sword gone? Had it been lost on the battlefield? Surely, they wouldn’t leave Fi behind, right? She was his friend. She couldn’t have just been discarded! Surely, they hadn’t taken her back to the forest!

He had to stay calm. Getting out of the healing pool made things much worse, and he immediately lowered himself back in. It was the only thing keeping him from being in far more pain, and this moving wasn’t helping. Despite this, he was restless. He wanted to move.

Luckily, a breeze began to blow through Zora’s Domain. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think a storm would be coming through soon. That was some powerful wind, and it honestly felt quite nice on his skin. It did well to alleviate a little bit of the stress on him. Feeling the wind again after… that horrible dream… made things much more tolerable.

He should’ve known that the wind was a precursor.

A flash of navy blue feathers pushed open his curtains, and Link found himself staring straight at Revali. They locked eyes, and Link froze. He was awake? When had he woken up? Why was his chest splotched red?

Revali didn’t seem to care.

Instead, he screeched out one word with unbridled rage: “YOU!”

Chapter Text

In the memories Link did remember about Revali, the Rito could be very… difficult. Revali certainly stated his opinions without a second thought, and he did so with no regard for a time or place. He was well spoken, but he always had a certain calmness. That calmness had been completely shattered ever since Link freed him from Vah Medoh the first time. Instead, now that Revali couldn’t rehearse the speeches he wanted to say to Link, he ended up flabbergasted. Sometimes, Link even wondered whether or not the Rito’s sass bordered on anger.

Yet, he had never seen Revali looking one wrong move from boiling over. And… Link was stuck in this healing pool with no discernable way out.

The vitriol behind Revali’s expression seemed to fade out for a moment. His eyes quickly flashed over Link’s entire body, and Link realized just how little was being hidden right now. He was clothed as he was in the Shrine of Resurrection, and all that burning he’d been feeling before actually came from multiple patches of scar tissue that were not there before. Now that Link did a once over of himself, the one wound on his chest had now been joined by another spider pattern on his waist. Worse, his legs had a similar fate. Strangely enough, his hands hadn’t been affected nearly as much as he’d thought with the Master Sword being that close to the malice.

He’d count his blessings now, because Revali sure didn’t see this as a blessing.

“You imbecile!” Revali screeched, moving three steps forward and getting much closer to Link with a finger pointed at him. “What kind of fool are you? What part about ‘you cannot take a single hit or your spirit shatters’ did you NOT UNDERSTAND!” All of his feathers started to rise, and his crest had practically shot up vertically.

Ah, right. Link now saw his hood draped around Revali’s neck like a scarf. The last time Revali had seen him was… right when he got hit in the back by Windblight. Well, he’d turned out fine in the end. Link didn’t see why Revali was so mad about this. He was fine, and he had been fine after the Silent Realm ended. Besides, it wasn’t like Link was going to abandon Revali while in the Silent Realm. That’d risk his safety.

Thinking he was being ignored, Revali bristled even further. He scoffed, glaring daggers at Link, “Giving me the silent treatment now?” He tilted his head, and still got no response from Link. It wasn’t from a lack of trying! Link was still reeling at the fact that Revali was even here. “What? I know you can speak now. Pray tell, hero, what possessed you to do something as stupid as allowing a laser to hit you at a time like that?”

Well, he’d been hit by many guardian lasers at this point. That one was just a little more impactful than the rest. Honestly, that was the last thing on his mind. He was just now beginning to connect the dots on multiple things he’d heard in the last few minutes. Zelda said she was going to get Mipha, which would imply that she was also conscious. Revali looked like he had flown across the entirety of Hyrule with how ruffled his feathers were. Had they woken up at the same time? Why? 

He didn’t even have it in him to complain. Compared to what he looked like when he was motionless in a hammock, Revali looked right now. This was the Revali he knew, and now Link knew that this stupid bird would be fine… even if that wound on his chest looked like it’d been opened back up. Mipha was gonna kill both of them.

He dragged a hand over his face and shielded his eyes for just a second. Something bubbled up in his throat, and he found himself unable to hold back a small laugh escaping his throat.

Immediately, Revali clenched the ends of his wings into fists and approached even closer. He was now essentially hovering over Link as best he could on the edge of the pool. Seeing his face looking even more puffed up than normal only made Link start to laugh more, the faint breathy noise now turning into something more involuntary and louder.

Revali angrily clacked his beak and kicked some of the water at him. “What? You think this is funny? Do you find amusement in the fact that I thought you were dead?” 

Link’s shoulders were shaking. As sobering as that was, he found himself unable to be brought down by it. Didn’t Revali get it? He was standing here! He wasn’t just a spirit! Link tried to get his small laughs under control, managing to whisper out a hoarse, “Thought you were dead too.”

“You’re impossible.” Revali brushed his own hair back after it’d draped over his scarf. Notably, Revali didn’t have any braids in. It made his entire look just slightly more unkempt with how much the winds must’ve tousled it. “Of course, I was dead! We knew I was dead! What part of jumping in front of a laser was supposed to change that?”

Link could only smile and cock his head to the side as a silent answer.

Impossibly, Revali’s feathers rose again. He rolled his eyes and glowered, trying to maintain his death glare. “Yes, it appears your boundless luck has restored me in some inconceivable way.” He took extra time to preen his own feathers in an attempt to get them to go down. However, he didn’t take his eyes off Link for more than a second. “And yet! It seems you went out of your way to dispatch the Calamity while I was still asleep!” He pronounced the last few words with much more bite.

Link didn’t see the problem. The Calamity was dead. Or at least… it should be. Hopefully, that hadn’t changed in the time he’d been asleep. “No one woke up. Wasn’t just you,” he explained with a bit of trouble. He only had a few words and not nearly enough to explain the exact intricacies of this situation to Revali. Link put a hand on his chin and thought about how to word this next part, but he tried, “Good to see you awake.”

All of Revali’s hard work on his feathers came undone in an instant. That last part wasn’t what he focused on though. Instead, his crest started to rise once again as he questioned, “Are you meaning to tell me that you did that to everyone’s Divine Beast? Does that mean-”

It would’ve been comical to Link how Mipha and Zelda burst through the curtains at this very moment. However, his levity immediately evaporated when it clicked that Mipha was moving around with seemingly no issues at all. She wasn’t even asleep. For the brief moment before he went to fight the Calamity, she hadn’t woken up. Did this mean all of them could be awake now?

He couldn’t voice these questions, because Mipha saw Revali first. Her eyes went wide for only a moment, looking at the scene in front of her. Her eyes went from Revali, to Link, and then her head turned so quickly back to Revali that the fin on her head hit Zelda on the way back. “Revali!” Mipha exclaimed, rushing forward and crushing him in a hug.

Both Revali and Zelda winced. Zelda, from the impact of Mipha’s fin and Revali from Mipha colliding with his chest. To his credit, he almost managed to hide a hiss of pain coming from his beak. He froze up in Mipha’s grasp and looked down at her like she’d personally offended him, but his heart wasn’t in it. Eventually, he loosened up and sighed, “Yes, yes, it’s good to see you too, but I was in the middle of interrogating this imbecile.”

Link wanted to shrink into himself and flee, but Mipha already had her sights on Revali first. That red splotch on his chest bleeding into his new tunic had already turned fairly bad. When Mipha drew back, she brought her hand up to the wound with a faint glow in her hands. “May I fix that, friend?”

Revali huffed and looked away, “I assure you it’s nothing. I would not be opposed, although I would apologize to the other princess. Your fin hit her on the way in.”

Even though Zelda had been giggling ever since she got slapped by the fin, Mipha still glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was fine. When Zelda waved a hand to say it was okay, Mipha only smiled back and started to heal the wound. 

Zelda leaned to the side to get Revali’s attention. “By the way, just Zelda is fine now. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, there’s not exactly a monarchy anymore.”

“Yes, yes of course-” Mid sentence, Revali cut himself off, glaring back at Link. “Don’t think you’ve gotten out of this, hero! You have a lot of nerve impaling my Divine Beast and then deciding to run amok and destroy the Calamity while I was unconscious!”

Ah, yeah he probably could’ve pieced that together while flying to the Domain. Link once again didn’t see the issue. The Calamity was dead, so what was the difference? He shrugged, and this only made things much worse.

Revali started to lean away from Mipha’s healing to lift a wing and point at Link. “Oh yes, I’m sure you’re relishing the fact that you managed to do that all on your own. Didn’t need any of us for the attack, did you?” He sneered.

Link frowned. No, he definitely needed them. He knew he needed them, which was why he thought he would be dying in that sanctum in the first place. It was only due to sheer chance that other people came to his aid. “Had help,” he half-explained, and he suddenly became very worried when he didn’t see any of the others anywhere in the room. 

Something in Mipha’s expression soured. She glanced in Link’s direction and held a finger up to stop Revali from saying whatever he was about to. “Link, you did not plan on having any help. While Revali is grievously incorrect about your intentions…” She glared at him to try to send a silent threat. “You apparently did rush into the fight without a second thought.”

Link wanted to defend himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t even get a chance. Zelda crossed her arms and took his side. Her voice started off soft, but slowly descended into the fiery, calculative tone that Link remembered very vividly from some of his memories. “And if he was a second too late then the Calamity would have been released!” Something bright burned in Zelda’s eyes, and Link took the cue to let her take the floor. “At least, don’t be mad at him for fighting the Calamity when he did. He had no other choice!”

“Ah yes,” Revali drawled, now free from Mipha’s healing and moving to buckle his tunic back over his shoulder, “And I’m sure the fight couldn’t have been moved to an earlier date when all of us were very much at our Divine Beasts, hm?” Something in Link’s chest tightened, and one of his hands balled into a fist. 

Mipha’s eyes went wide. “Revali-”

“No no, you may not have seen this Zelda , but your hero took great pleasure in galavanting across Hyrule before and after our Divine Beasts were freed!” Despite Revali’s spiel, Zelda didn’t seem surprised at this information. Link hardly noticed, and he could hear the blood pumping in his ears. “I don’t see a single reason why he needed to run across the land doing menial tasks for people instead of comprehending the fact that there’s a Calamity brewing!”

Zelda’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Link thought he was about to hear her yell at him. All of his memories of her berating him flashed in front of his vision at once, and he instinctively shied away. However, her vitriol aimed towards Revali. She pointed an accusatory finger at the Rito. “And you think he should’ve rushed to the castle at the first possible moment? The way I see it, he’s the only reason you’re alive!”

Revali clicked his beak shut and regarded Zelda much more cautiously. At this rate, Link wanted to sink below the waters of the healing pool to drown all of this out. His heart was beating out of his chest, and he couldn’t find a way to defend himself.

Yet, Revali had even more words prepared. “Yes, because he was an absolute idiot and risked the fate of an entire kingdom on the whim of a sword!”

“A sword that saved his life!” Zelda yelled, throwing her hands to the side. 

The argument started to turn into low buzzing. It was becoming harder and harder to track. All of his friends had finally reunited, and they’d already started arguing. Did it matter what had happened? All of them were here. All of them were fine! No one had died. Then again, where was Fi? Zelda said she saved him, but he didn’t remember that in the slightest. He just remembered her being the last thing he heard before that dream.

Link was brought back when Revali threw his wings in the air in frustration. “If the sword supposedly knew what it was doing, then why in Hylia’s name would he take so long to get it back?” He wished he hadn’t tuned back in. “Surely, this information could’ve been gained much sooner.”

“And why would he get it back?” Mipha snapped back, “You never saw what he was like before pulling the Master Sword. Why would he want a responsibility like that back?”

Revali scowled. “Oh, I don’t know Mipha, maybe I expected the so-called hero to take a world-ending threat slightly more seriously, especially when he never gave any indication of hating that blade before.”

Having enough, Zelda jumped in and yelled, “Stop it! Both of you! The Shrine of Resurrection did far more than just heal him.” She directed the next part at Revali, glaring daggers. “And you do not have the right to berate him for taking that long when he didn’t even know who he was.”

It was his worst kept secret. Link hadn’t gone out of his way to tell any Champions that he couldn’t remember them. The silent act worked just fine on all of them at first. Only when he started conversing with them idly did he get some looks about information he didn’t quite remember. Mipha certainly had figured him out after he’d asked whether or not he knew how to sign. Honestly, he didn’t think they needed to know about his amnesia. It was his burden to bear when they were gone, and he didn’t need the specifics of those past memories to care about them. He already felt fondly for them, and the more memories he gained back, the more that feeling inexplicably grew.

Revali didn’t know that. He’d never been told. Link thought that he might’ve missed what Zelda was implying, but unfortunately for him, Revali caught on quickly. He turned his head away silently, and the argument looked like it’d be over. “So what, then?” It wasn’t over. Revali refused to stop talking, “You mean to tell me that he did all of this on a whim? Some perfect hero Hylia crafted…”

The uncomfortable feeling in his chest finally began to swell beyond what Link could handle. It would be so easy to let Revali misinterpret his intentions like so many times before. Revali loved to misinterpret even the slightest of things. However, Link didn’t spend agonizing days mulling over whether or not Revali would ever wake up… just for this Rito to say that. 

He breathed in and forced past the suffocating inability to speak. His voice came out hoarse, but it called everyone’s attention. “Why is…” He grimaced, struggling to find the right words. “Why is it so hard for you to figure out that I care?”

Revali looked like he was about to retort, but his beak hung open uselessly before shutting again. Some of his feathers started to rise once more, and the room fell to utter silence. There was a point of tension forming between the two of them, and Link could tell that Revali wanted to break it. He wanted to say something to retort. He wanted to misconstrue this in some way. However, Link had been extremely clear. He did this because he cared, and Revali would just have to deal with that.

Finally, Revali gave in and looked away. Instead, he occupied himself with looking around the small, makeshift room that the Zora had made. There really wasn’t much in terms of privacy. Link had been afforded a space in the healing pools to rest with curtains provided to at least offer the slightest bit of privacy. Honestly, he would take this over being trapped in a stifled room like the Shrine of Resurrection.

“Where is that sword, anyway?” Revali asked no one in particular, looking around the room for any answers. 

Link thought Zelda would know the answer, but she looked just as dumbfounded as everyone else. She went a few shades paler and glanced around the room. “I-it was right there when I… passed out.” She pointed at a spot close to the healing pool which very much did not contain the Master Sword anymore. “I didn’t see anyone come in. I… don’t think anyone would’ve moved it.” She looked to Mipha in a silent question of whether or not she had taken the Master Sword.

Mipha raised her hands. “I did not move it. I unfortunately had to retire as well after I was certain Link would be all right.”

“Wasn’t Teba here?” Zelda questioned, and Link suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over him knowing that Teba was around somewhere. “He was sleeping lightly. He woke me up with food this morning, and I’ve been awake ever since…”

Revali started grumbling to himself and pointedly moving further away from Link. “Well, it sounds like your life-saving sword has been stolen. Congratulations!” He said in a mocking tone, glancing back at the rest of the room. “Well, while you all are handling this imbecile, I have things I need to take care of.”

While Zelda didn’t move to stop him, Mipha did try to say something, “Revali-”

“No no, my apologies!” He said with a wave, “Clearly, it wasn’t wise of me to question your hero’s methods that almost got him killed! Just don’t come sobbing to me when he gets himself in a situation that his luck cannot help with!” 

With an exaggerated flick of his wing, he pushed open the curtain and began to walk away. Mipha looked like she might go after him, but Zelda placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. “He just needs time to cool off,” she insisted. Mipha sighed and let him go.

Somehow, Link didn’t believe her, but he also couldn’t move. He was also currently extremely worried about what had happened to Fi. He couldn’t move though. Everything still hurt far too much to even think about trying to get out of this cursed pool. Hopefully, Revali wouldn’t go too far. To be honest, his blood was still boiling. Maybe he needed time to cool off after that one. What was Revali’s problem? Everything had gone fine.

Zelda let out a sharp exhale and buried her head in her hands. “I am very happy he made it here just fine, but I am afraid I’m too exhausted to deal with that right now.”

Mipha nodded in solemn agreement, taking up her shift next to Link. “Zelda, you have been fighting for a century and are on four hours of sleep at most. Please, go get some rest. I will keep an eye on Link.” Zelda opened her mouth in protest but Mipha waved her away. “There will be more than enough time for you two to talk when you’re well rested.”

Sighing, Zelda relented and relaxed her shoulders. “Fine, you’re right.” Even though she sounded mad about the prospect of sleep, she really did look like she’d collapse at any moment. Before she left, she lifted her gaze to stare at Link. “Thank you, Link, for choosing to come for me.”

He could only nod. It was all she needed, and her face broke out into a smile that carried even as she left the room. Link tried to relax again with less prying eyes on him, but Mipha was still in here.

That was fine. On second thought, being alone would be worse. For the brief moment before Revali came in, it had been worse. Mipha had taken to trying to tend to his wounds with her magic, and it alleviated the burning on his skin somewhat. He tried to express his appreciation with a thumbs up, and she seemed to get the message.

“He will come around eventually,” she tried to reassure him. “I have been through many of his bouts before, but that was uncalled for.”

Link shrugged. Revali had seemed extremely frazzled for many reasons, all of which turned out fine in the end.

Mipha hummed a tune for a bit as she worked. “Although… I can sympathize with being concerned about your approach at the castle. Still, that doesn’t give him the right to imply it was negligence.”

It was, Link wanted to say. I waited too long. He couldn’t voice that. Revali had been right that he’d had taken too long. Things had worked out, but it did hurt to know that he’d cut it that close. 

He realized he was staring off into space and refocused back on Mipha. She was thinking about something, and a happy smile came on her face. “Well, since you’re stuck here, I believe you said you wanted to learn how to sign once more?”

She was offering him a clear way out of further interrogation. Who knew that Mipha had the slightest bit of mercy left in her? Link nodded excitedly, and the prospect of having an “after” finally struck him fully.

Of course, his efforts to instill reason in this group would go unappreciated. Obviously, Revali had been happy to see the Calamity’s presence in the castle vanquished. Link had done a fine job of fighting the Calamity without them, despite the immense risk that brought. The world was indeed saved and everything would be fine. It was a perfect, storybook ending that would be recorded in the history books and be lost to legend years in the future. Hylia forbid that any of the Champions who risked life and limb would get a shot at the Calamity that destroyed them so handily!

He thought Link would relish in the glory of winning a fight singlehandedly. He thought that hero had dispatched of the Calamity on his own. He thought Link was just acting on the whims of a goddess. 

Revali consciously tried to fight off even entertaining what Link said. What was it? Something about caring? Ha! If that stupid hero had even a modicum of care in his system, then he would’ve shown it off ages ago. If he cared, he wouldn’t have kept them all trapped in their tombs for that long. Link waited to fight the Calamity.

Link almost sacrificed everything they worked for in a split-second decision to shield Revali from a fatal blow.

The image of Windblight’s laser striking Link’s back was still burned in his vision. Link looked panicked, shocked, and yet still managed to hurl Revali towards the exit. The panic in those large blue eyes shouldn’t have set Revali off. It shouldn’t hurt him nearly as much as it did, but Revali couldn’t force it away. Why did Link lack any understanding of what was at stake? Why would he throw himself in front of an attack, knowing that if he fell, Hyrule would certainly be doomed?

Why would he do something like that for someone who he should hate?

Revali flew to the west. He should’ve probably stayed in Zora’s Domain longer to rest after that long flight, but he didn’t want to risk anyone going after him. No, he needed to put himself back together. Then he could think about this. He needed to find some wood to carve new beads, since he wouldn’t be in Rito Village anytime soon. Perhaps, it would be wiser to go back to Rito Village. He’d clearly burned the bridges here already, and returning to the village would be easy. After all, they gave him the title of “master”.

Somehow, that gave him even less comfort, and he started scanning Upper Zorana for a place to land. Just above a waterfall to the west, he found a spot that would be half-decent to think about what to do next. It’d take anyone a bit to get up here if they even wanted to try to follow him.

Unfortunately, the area looked to be occupied. Revali’s eyes focused on a distant figure. He could make out a Hylian in a distinct blue shade of armor. Huh, that was a rarity. He could see scales on the breastplate of the armor, indicating that it had to have been made as a proposal gift. Well, it certainly looked shabby for Zora armor. There were far more scales on the breastplate than usually was the standard, and the hat came to a much longer and sharper point.

However, as Revali was observing the strange Hylian, he noticed a particularly odd shaped cloth draped on the Hylian’s back. It was exactly where the sheath of a sword would be positioned, but it had been meticulously covered by scraps of cloth. Well, wasn’t that just interesting? The only thing pointing to this perhaps not being the person who stole the Master Sword was that he’d stopped at all.

This figure seemed to be holding a stone helmet of some kind while roasting a skewer on an open fire. Hm. Well, since no one else seemed nearly concerned enough about the Master Sword appearing, he supposed he would at least check out this possible lead.

Tucking in his wings, Revali went in for a nose dive. Just before hitting the ground, he expertly shifted his weight and flapped his wings, sending out a gust of air powerful enough to snuff out the fire. The display would be glorious to anyone who saw it. Revali preened his feathers, now FINALLY managing to get them under control. His hair was a different story, but he quickly swept it over his shoulder. Unfortunately, in doing so, he realized that he completely forgot to give Link back this stupid hood. Ergh, a problem for later.

The Hylian who Revali had pointedly been ignoring looked up with a cocked eyebrow. The mask on the Zora armor was up, but large blue eyes stared at Revali as the Hylian complained, “I was using that.”

Ah, the fire. Yes, his display HAD extinguished the fire. Boohoo. A bit of wasted tinder was incomparable to his Gale. However, Revali had to play investigator, and he was looking for someone to grill endlessly right now to get his thoughts off of Link. “Ah yes, apologies. I was looking for a place to land and couldn’t help but notice the far off location for someone in Zora armor.”

The Hylian tilted his head, and despite Revali being unable to see half of his face, he could see the Hylian’s eyes light up in something akin to amusement. “Yeah, guess it is a weird place,” he said in a way that made him look even more suspicious. “I can see why you wanted to land. You’re shaking a bit.” He gestured at Revali with a fish skewer.

“I’m not-” Revali glanced down at his hand and saw that it was indeed shaking. He must be out of practice. Still, he wouldn’t allow this nuisance to get away with saying something like that about him. “I assure you, flying across Hyrule in a day is the least of my capabilities.” 

The Hylian looked at him incredulously again before placing the fish skewer on a cloth. Honestly, that glance annoyed Revali to no end. Was he mocking him? “Neat. Any reason you’re telling me that?” Like some kind of predator, the Hylian pounced on yet another weakness. “Sounds to me like you’re about to follow up with a threat, and you’re not exactly in the best shape to be making them.”

He WAS mocking him!

However, Revali would not be outdone! One thing Revali knew for certain was that the Master Sword could only be drawn by someone it chose. That’s why Link got on his nerves so much, after all. The Master Sword had to choose him for some divine destiny. If this strange Hylian really thought it wise to steal the Master Sword of all things, he would be a fool to attempt to draw it against Revali. 

Holding his wings behind his back, he started to pace. “Well, I couldn’t help but notice that inconspicuously hidden sword on your back. Care to explain to me why you’re hiding your weapon? Surely, that would make it harder to reach.”

“Fair,” the Hylian conceded, leaning forward to pick up the strange, unsettling helmet on the ground. “I’d probably get more questions if I had the sword out in the open, to be honest.” He stared down at the helmet, humming a bit as if Revali wasn’t even there.

Revali wondered why the Hylian was revealing far more information than he reasonably should. That was a dead giveaway that the weapon on his back was the Master Sword. Still, Revali wouldn’t pass up the opportunity for free information. “For a sword to bring about that many questions, it must surely have to be a magnificent blade,” he drawled, earning yet another one of those incredulous glances, “Would you mind if I quickly glanced at it? Just to verify your story, of course!”

The Hylian sighed, “You know, subtlety isn’t really your strong suit.” At that, Revali’s grandeur flickered out, and he clicked his beak shut. “But fine, ya got me already. Just try not to scrape me with your talons.”

Sure enough, when the Hylian reached for his back and removed the cloth, Revali saw the hilt of the Master Sword shimmering in the sunlight. It looked the same as it always did. Revali thought something might’ve been wrong if that strange spirit within the blade hadn’t done something about it. She’d been silent during this entire thing. It struck Revali as quite odd, although that spirit took great pleasure in mocking him before. Maybe, she just wanted to see him get mocked a little more.

The Hylian had the gall to pull the Master Sword out of its sheath which provoked an involuntary squawk from Revali. The blade effortlessly slid out with no resistance, and the Hylian placed it on the grass in front of him like it was some common blade. The stark divine light glowing from the blade looked wrong when placed in dirt. Even worse, its blade slightly cut into the grass with the way the Hylian propped the hilt up on his knee.

At Revali’s thousand yard stare, the Hylian started to explain, “You’ve met Fi, I’m sure. She needed time away to rest.”

Revali shook his head, trying to clear the jumbled mess of thoughts in his head. How in the hell did this random Hylian draw the Master Sword? How did he know Revali had spoken with Fi before? The only time he’d spoken to Fi was on his Divine Beast, and this Hylian had obviously not been there…

“You’ll figure it out eventually,” the Hylian interrupted, sending his train of thoughts into an even larger spiral. “I’ll bring Fi back in a bit. She just needs some time.”

Revali wracked his brain for any recollection of this Hylian. There was nothing. No other Hylian, let alone anything other than birds had made it to Medoh’s perch. Link had been the only one to ever speak with him during his imprisonment in Vah Medoh.

Except…

His crest began to rise the more he stared at this Hylian. No, that had to be impossible. He almost tricked himself into connecting this Hylian to that wolf on Medoh’s perch. That would be impossible. That wolf had been a mere fluke. 

Doubt began to creep in. Yes, the wolf had been a strange fluke, but it had also very visibly teleported in some way. It had been able to see him. And, with every small action it took to mortify Revali, the wolf had a strange, smug smile on its face. He had that memory of the wolf in his head as he stared at the Hylian before him, and Revali realized something terrifying.

Their eyes were nearly identical.

His feathers began to rise once more, and even with that damned mask over his face, Revali could tell the Hylian was smirking at him. Now with a renewed sense of caution at the wolf-turned-Hylian that could wield the Master Sword, Revali questioned, “Would you perhaps be a certain beast I tried to shoo off my perch?”

The Hylian actually laughed, leaning back a little and coughing into his arm. “Naw, what’d make you think that?” Revali hated that tone. He HATED this. “Even if I was, no one would believe you, anyway.”

That was an admission if Revali had anything to say about it. However, he wasn’t quite in the mood to deal with the semantics of this situation now. In fact, he wanted to be away from this strange thing that he was currently talking to. Instead, he tried to change the subject to Fi. “And… pray tell, why would a weapon need to sleep?”

The Hylian glanced down at the Master Sword, and then decided to pick up that strange, two-pronged, stone helmet instead. “There’s not really a good way to say this,” he started before placing his chin on his hand. Instead, he answered with a question, “Have you seen Link, yet? I see you got his hood.”

That was a strange question to follow up with. Revali huffed, glancing down to the Domain below, “Yes, I’ve seen that imbecile. He was as insufferable as always.”

Nodding like he expected an answer like that, the Hylian brought the Master Sword into his lap. “I’m also sure that you know by now that the Master Sword was designed to seal darkness?”

With a scoff, Revali answered, “Of course, it’s quite literally in the title.” This Hylian was talking to him like he wouldn’t be able to comprehend even the simplest of things when he’d been perfectly content in running Revali in circles about his actual identity.

The Hylian didn’t smirk this time, and he seemed quite pensive about the Master Sword. It was at this point when Revali saw that the divine light in the blade wasn’t constant. It was pulsing in and out very slowly, like slow, labored breaths . The Hylian asked yet again, “Are you sure you actually wanna know?”

Revali’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He really wanted to just tackle this Hylian now and throw him over the nearest waterfall. “You’re stalling,” he commented, and he seemed to hit the mark.

The Hylian nodded again and sighed, “Fine, I tried to warn you.” Even still, he paused. The Hylian seemed more interested in studying the blade of the Master Sword instead of answering a single question. Finally, he inhaled sharply and answered, “Link was dead.” Revali reacted like he’d been punched, and the Hylian appeared to have been waiting for that reaction. “Fi explained it to me as something similar to what your Divine Beasts did to you. She sealed his spirit until his body could be healed enough to be safe again.”

While Revali got a grip on this situation, his mind was reeling. Did anyone else know Link had briefly been dead? What did that mean? What did that even imply? He looked to the only one here with answers and exclaimed, “But- he’s fine. You say that like it’s an issue!” He didn’t like the way his own voice rose a few pitches, but he was rightfully concerned!

“It’s not an issue for him,” the Hylian mused, “...but you tell me what’ll happen to a divinely blessed weapon that defies its Goddess.”

Personally, Revali had never put much stake into being divinely favored. Those kinds of things were for Link and Zelda to handle. He didn’t need a divine being to acknowledge him. He forced the winds to obey him, and he didn’t need Hylia to tell him that he could do that in the first place.

If only he didn’t feel a pit in his stomach from the idea of having divine favor revoked.

“I hardly see it as defying anything,” Revali grumbled, now staring down at the blade as well. Really, she’d saved Hylia’s hero. Surely, that counted for something. “Wouldn’t Hylia want her divinely sanctioned hero to live?”

The Hylian glanced at Revali, and then his eyes drifted downward. They fell not on the Master Sword, but on the helmet currently laying on the ground. He picked up the helmet in his hands, handling it like it was an item that deserved more respect than the Master Sword itself. One, solemn word escaped his mouth: “No.”

If it wasn’t for the grave tone in the Hylian’s voice, Revali would’ve laughed at how preposterous that was. Instead, he found himself even more uncomfortable in the presence of this Hylian. “And how would you know, oh random wolf?” He spat out in an attempt to get that feeling of control back.

For the first time since starting this talk, Revali saw genuine anger beginning to take form when the Hylian balled his hand into a fist. The anger may have been directed at Revali, but the Hylian made no move to prove that. He didn’t even glance at the Rito. 

“I knew someone,” the Hylian looked like he would burst at any moment, but his voice remained level. Keeping it together, he gripped that helmet tighter. “He was a hero, you could say. Didn't really put two and two together for awhile, and I only figured it out when I found his grave. He served the royal family until his dying breath.” The Hylian’s voice sounded slightly uneven, and his shaking fist made Revali not want to interrupt lest that anger be redirected at him. “He taught me everything I know, called me his child, and I’ll never know whether or not we really were related.”

Revali didn’t recall being signed up for this. Typically, he could simply fly away from conversations like this. He was never good with them, especially not with strangers. However, the Hylian didn’t even give him an opening. Revali watched as the Hylian lowered the mask of the Zora Armor, and…

He froze.

He was staring at the spitting image of Link.

There were details that were wrong. The eyes were different, most notably, just ever so slightly. He certainly looked taller, and Revali wouldn’t have ever realized that his build could be Link until seeing that face. They looked too similar. Revali wanted to scream. He wanted to reach back for an arrow in his quiver and pierce this thing through the skull. Surely, Link hadn’t managed to get up here. No, he couldn’t have. Revali had moved too fast. There weren’t even any shrines nearby that he could’ve warped to.

What… was this thing?

“I’d know, because when my journey ended, the Goddesses were perfectly fine with getting rid of me the moment I became an issue.” The imposter shook his head, staring right back down at the helmet. “Your Calamity was dead. Link wasn’t needed anymore. Fi risked everything.”

Revali didn’t know what to do. This was a conversation he should’ve never been privy to. This was something so personal that he had stepped into by complete accident, and he could no longer escape it. The Hylian had warned him, and now he knew far more than he ever wished. Although, this could be some elaborate trick. This could just be all lies and deceit. In fact, this thing could just be a Yiga soldier in disguise. Yes, they could imitate appearances. They’d go out of their way to do that.

…but they wouldn’t be able to mimic or steal the Master Sword. 

The Hylian squinted. “Can you sit down? You look like you’re going to shake out of your skin.”

“Actually, I think I’ll be taking my leave!” Revali decided and began searching for the wind currents. “You seem to have things figured out here, and I’m quite fine taking my leave from this…” He gestured at the blade and Hylian. “...situation.”

With a furrowed brow, the Hylian started to stand up. “You’re kidding, right?” He gestured out to the horizon where Revali would likely try to flee to. “You look like you’re about to collapse.”

All of his muscles were screaming at him, and he really did feel like he wouldn’t get back up if he sat down. However, Revali would like to find rest away from this strange doppelganger. “I don’t recall asking for your input,” he stated, beginning to lower his wings to the ground to call upon his Gale.

“Honestly, I don’t get what Link likes about you,” The Hylian muttered. He reached down for a pouch on his belt and pulled out a boomerang with edges designed like white feathers. “Seriously, cut it out. Link didn’t go through all of the effort of saving your ass for you to crash land in the middle of Hyrule Field.”

Comment about the possibility of Link liking anything about him aside, Revali would like to see this doppelganger try to stop him. A mere boomerang would never be able to knock him out of the sky. “Then I guess you both will have to be disappointed, because I would not do something as stupid as crash into Hyrule Field!” He flapped his wings, feeling the winds respond to his call. “Good luck with that darkness sealing sword!”

With one more powerful flap, he launched himself into the air. His Gale pushed him high into the sky, ruffling through his feathers and bringing him higher and higher. The whirlwind remained steady, and he remained within the eye effortlessly. 

And then the winds suddenly shifted.

Revali felt something change about the spiral of wind, and he glanced down to see that boomerang soaring through the air. A loud squawk escaped his beak. The boomerang wasn’t just cutting through the winds, it was actively stealing them from him. His Gale suddenly disobeyed him, and Revali found himself getting pulled into the tornado forming around the boomerang.

All sense of direction left him as he found himself spiraling back down towards the ground. The boomerang tossed and turned him, and multiple loose feathers drifted aimlessly in the air from the whiplash. He tried to flap his wings, but found himself being pulled right back towards the ground.

In one final spin, he was sent falling to his back into the grass. It was a much more gentle landing than he was used to, the winds managing to actually deposit him instead of slamming him to the ground. The boomerang let the winds dissipate, and the Hylian caught it in his left hand. 

Revali was out of breath. He gasped for air on the ground, the world spinning above him. What in Farore’s name was that? How had a Hylian stolen the winds out from under him? The Hylian in question poked his head into Revali’s vision with the boomerang still in hand, that annoying smirk back. 

“You’re a dumbass,” the Hylian stated matter-of-factually, “And if you do that again, I’m using the clawshot.”

He decided that he did not want to find out what the clawshot was. Instead, he rolled over and lifted himself off the ground. His hair was a mess again. When his muscles screamed at him, he decided he would stay seated. Unfortunately, that meant dealing with this Hylian for even longer. With how annoying this doppelganger was, Revali almost wouldn’t blame the Goddesses for wanting to get rid of him.

He managed to stay sitting up, and the Hylian had already restarted the fire. The fish skewer that had been left unattended suddenly ended up in Revali’s face. Quite honestly, it looked burnt in multiple places. “Eat it,” the Hylian insisted.

“I assure you, I’m fine,” Revali managed to choke out, having completely lost his dignity multiple times over.

The Hylian rolled his eyes and insisted even further, “I bet you didn’t even eat when you woke up. Eat, or I’ll find a way to get Teba on your case.” The Hylian muttered very quietly under his breath, “Had to wait for that guy to leave before I could even try and get the sword.”

Teba. That was Saki’s wife, and this was the second time Revali had heard about him. Well, it was good to know he had lived. Still, that didn’t explain why this Hylian knew him. He was in no position to deny the food any longer, and he begrudgingly took the stupid fish skewer. In his humble opinion, it tasted like charcoal. He winced at the taste, noting that while this doppelganger looked like Link, he could not cook like him.

The Hylian must’ve noticed and laughed, “Come on, give me a break. I haven’t exactly been able to use my hands in two years.”

“So, you admit that you’re that beast, then?” Honestly, Revali still didn’t know what to make of this, but all signs pointed to that being the case.

Nodding, the Hylian started to make a fish skewer for himself. “Used to not be awful at cooking fish. Fishing was one of my favorite pastimes. Must’ve gotten rusty with the cooking part.”

Revali eyed the fish more suspiciously. He could eat raw food, but he didn’t like to. “Rusty is quite a bit of an understatement.”

“Asshole,” the Hylian snapped back, though it seemed in good nature, “You try having to eat through carcasses directly and tell me you still have a refined sense of taste.”

Ew. Absolutely not. The thought made Revali feel disgusted already. “And the boomerang?” He asked, still very upset with the previous events that already stripped him of any dignity he had left.

“You would get offended by a boomerang that shared your magic.” The Hylian once again smirked like he’d figured something out, and Revali absolutely did not bristle at the thought that this boomerang was anywhere the same as his Gale. “Don’t take it too personally. There’s a wind fairy in it.”

He would absolutely take it personally. This wasn’t the Link he knew, but it appeared that Links just had an uncanny ability to get things handed to them that Revali had undoubtedly worked hard for. He decided to vocalize that thought, “Of course, yet another hero who has another ability handed to them.”

 The Hylian waved a hand dismissively, and then stopped to think for a second. He leaned back and stared across the land to where Hyrule Castle resided. “That fight wasn’t handed to him, that’s for sure.”

“He’s an idiot for going to that fight alone in the first place,” Revali muttered.

He was surprised when the Hylian actually nodded in agreement. “True. Can’t say I’m a fan of people trying to sacrifice themselves when it’s really unnecessary. I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of that.” He paused and took the fish skewer off of its spot on the campfire. “...but also maybe don’t be too hard on him for it. He did that for you all, after all.”

Revali looked away. Grappling with the idea of Link fighting the Calamity alone for them gave him an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. At least someone around here echoed his thoughts that this entire thing had been stupid. “Then… he’s a self-sacrificing idiot.” Revali updated his previous thoughts to give Link a slight benefit of the doubt.

The Hylian smiled and took a bite out of his own fish skewer. “Y’know, you remind me of someone.” Revali glanced up with a questioning look, and the Hylian had already grabbed that helmet off the ground again. “Sassy, rude, sometimes a bit of an asshole…” He stopped for a moment when Revali’s crest rose, but continued anyway despite the anger, “Eventually, she came around. Ended up becoming one of my closest friends, and maybe…”

Slowly, the Hylian trailed off and seemed transfixed on that helmet again. Revali would be fine if the story never continued, but he found himself slightly interested in what the Hylian was trying to say. “Maybe what?”

“Maybe she was more. I’ll never know,” he finally finished with his voice coming out slightly more aggressive, tearing his gaze away from the helmet, “All I’m trying to say is don’t burn bridges. I’m pretty sure he at least wants to be friends.”

“Doubtful,” Revali snapped back. That would be an impossibility after everything Revali had said to him on numerous occasions. “He likely resents me.”

“Ehh.” The Hylian seemed to doubt Revali’s response even more before realizing something. “Right, you were asleep for all of this, but he was keeping an eye on you when you were in that weird coma.” That was news to Revali. He lifted his gaze and looked at the Hylian with renewed curiosity. “When your Divine Beast released you, you were about to die. Your wounds were definitely the worst out of everyone’s.” Revali glared daggers at what he perceived as a slight. “He didn’t give up when trying to save your life though, so I can’t say he does resent you.”

Revali broke eye-contact and stared back down at the grass. “Ah yes,” he hissed, “Not allowing someone to die! This must be the step just above resentment.”

“You didn’t see how much he panicked over you.”

Revali clicked his beak shut and folded his wings. Everyone had been trying to scream this at him, but he had the right to think that Link wouldn’t even want to speak with him. Besides, he didn’t know why he was putting so much thought into it. Link hadn’t spoken to him at all before they all fell in battle. Why did he worry so much about it now? If they went back to antagonistic silence, it shouldn’t bother him.

“If it makes you feel any better…” The Hylian broke the silence once more, and Revali became indignant. He didn’t need to feel better. He was perfectly fine! “I traveled with him a lot, and I have a pretty good read on when someone is getting on his nerves. He talked about you like you’re funny, not like he wanted to spill your guts.” The Hylian paused and muttered to himself, “Still don’t know what he had against that flower lady’s island.”

Revali didn’t want to talk about this anymore, but something in him shifted. He did need to… at the very least… make an attempt at an apology. He would attempt to, but it would likely fail. Then, he could blame this infernal Hylian/wolf for filling his mind with happy endings. 

Still, this did remind him of something he was curious about. “How does one become a wolf? It doesn’t appear to be your form of choice.”

The Hylian stopped eating for a moment and mulled over that for a bit. Honestly, Revali was surprised it took that long. Was he genuinely weighing the pros and cons of being a mutt? “It’s a curse.” When the Hylian glanced up at Revali, he must’ve realized the Rito looked confused still. So, he started elaborating, “Long story short, I had a crystal shoved in me that turns me into a wolf. Holding the Master Sword fights it back.”

A mere crystal? That was so incredibly specific that Revali wondered whether or not this Hylian was trying to pull his leg again. 

Unfortunately, the Hylian kept explaining, meaning this was likely somehow true, “Fi was blessed with divine power that pushes it back. Originally, the crystal would be taken out of me and wouldn’t curse me until I touched it again.” The Hylian reached for the collar of his Zora armor and pulled it down slightly.

Revali’s eyes went wide at the side of large, black veins protruding from near his chest and up his neck. He leaned back, suddenly very wary of the Hylian that appeared to be handling this curse with no physical pain.

Letting go, the Hylian continued, “The Goddesses made it more permanent when they sent me here. Woke up on Palmorae Beach as a wolf, and I have to carry the Master Sword on me for the curse to go away.”

Palmorae Beach… That was somewhere near Faron if Revali remembered correctly. Personally, he despised the region, so he likely wouldn’t do any investigating himself. Still, if he needed to stretch his wings, he just might go over there to investigate. It was unlikely considering how humid that region could become, soiling his feathers and his mood in one fell swoop. Zora’s Domain was bad enough.

Revali realized that the conversation had once again returned to the Goddesses. This doppelganger appeared to have nothing but resentment for them. “You said the Goddesses did this to you?”

“As a punishment,” the Hylian sighed and lifted a hand to feel the area on his chest through the scale-mail, “I tapped into some magic they didn’t quite like. Repair an ancient artifact and suddenly every Goddess forgets you saved their lands.” He tapped the helmet a bit with his knuckle. “Still, I’m surprised this thing survived. I thought the Goddesses would’ve destroyed it after they sent me here. Makes me wonder if the other three pieces are still out there.”

This was getting too cryptic for Revali’s tastes. The helmet started to make his feathers stand on end. Had the Goddesses wanted to destroy that measly slab of stone? What could it do if that were the case? He realized that his first instincts about the wolf were correct in the end, and he wished that he let Link deal with this after all. Unfortunately, he’d stumbled into the wolf again in human form.

The Hylian wasn’t done musing though. He tapped the spot on his chest methodically, a low hum coming from his throat. “Can’t really say it’s a punishment though. I don’t really mind just being a friendly wolf. There’s not much responsibility when people see you as an oversized dog. I can go where I want. It gave me a nifty teleport too-”

“You could teleport and you didn’t think to simply warp the Calamity into an ocean?” Revali questioned with actual sincerity.

“One, I don’t think even the Sheikah Slate could do that,” the Hylian chuckled, “Two, I don’t have nearly as much control over it as other people like me do. I could only ever get it to work for myself.” He waved a hand. “Besides, teleporting aside, Link sure needed someone supporting him, and I think being a friendly wolf helped with that.”

“Does he know?” Revali found himself asking, not knowing where that came from.

“No, and-” The Hylian’s calmness suddenly turned into a glare directly into Revali’s eyes. “He shouldn’t know.”

Oh, so this Hylian was perfectly capable of telling Revali nearly everything, but the prospect of Link knowing about it was too much? That didn’t sound quite fair at all! Besides, didn’t this Hylian say he once carried the mantle of being the hero once? Wouldn’t Link and this Hylian get along far too well? Revali questioned, “And why is that? If he needs support like you said, wouldn’t that be easier if you’re able to speak to him?”

The Hylian shook his head. “It’s not that. It’s like-” He put a hand on his chin to think before using them to explain. “It’s not my place to explain what the burden of being the hero means to someone like Link. It’s just that if he knew that I’ve been a ‘successful’ hero by the Goddesses standards this whole time, he’d probably start to doubt his own capabilities again.” Revali didn’t get it. The Hylian didn’t seem satisfied with his answer, either. “I don’t want him thinking that he needed another hero to swoop in and fix his mistakes. I want him to be proud of what he did do right, because there’s a lot of it.”

Revali still wasn’t quite understanding that answer. However, he did know that he’d prefer not to burn any more bridges with Link. If this Hylian wanted to remain anonymous under the assumption it’d hurt Link more, then maybe he was worth listening to. Maybe. “So what, then? You’ll continue to be around him under the guise of a wolf?”

“Sometimes, I might.” The Hylian poured a flask of water on the fire, quenching the flames enough for it to start to die out faster. It seemed their conversation would be coming to an end soon. “But I think after Fi’s returned, I’ll be heading back to Palmorae Beach. Doubt I’ll find answers, but I did what I needed to do here.”

“Seems quite convenient for you,” Revali grumbled, finally managing to push himself to his feet. Not operating on an empty stomach certainly helped, and the prospect of returning to the Domain seemed less daunting. 

“Convenient, but not all that ea- Agh-” The Hylian suddenly winced, holding his hand to his chest like the air was burning him. The Master Sword clattered to the ground when he got up, and Revali saw blackened squares beginning to gather around the Hylian. The crystal that Revali had been told about suddenly began to shimmer through the Zora armor, and that was the last Revali saw of the Hylian standing there.

The Hylian became shrouded in complete darkness before being forced down to all fours. Its form painfully changed, and then the darkness flaked away into black squares. The crystal stopped consuming the light around it, and all that was left was a black and gray wolf with a shackle on its leg.

He wasn’t lying. He really was that wolf.

Revali’s beak hung open in sheer astonishment, but the wolf didn’t seem to be worried about that. Instead, the wolf pressed its paw to the hilt of the Master Sword.

Nothing happened.

Didn’t he say that the Master Sword drove back the curse? Why wasn’t it-

Revali watched in horror as the divine light in the Master Sword began to flicker. The rhythmic pulsing came to a stop, and the light grew fainter and fainter. Slowly, as if being peeled away from the tip of the blade, the divine light left the sword. It continued further and further down, leaving a pale, hollow blade in its wake. The Triforce design near the hilt completely vanished, and the hilt itself began to move. The two wing-like edges of the cross-guard folded in on themselves, making the blade look much less grand than before.

The entire blade looked as if the colors had been slightly muted, and both Revali and the wolf watched on in sheer horror. It looked nothing like the grand blade it once was. It still looked like an impressive weapon, but it completely lacked the glow of the Goddess’ blessing.

“Fi?” Revali called out in the same way Link used to, and he hated the way his voice quivered at the thought of her not responding.

There was a small, faint chime within the blade. Fi’s ethereal voice rang through, but she sounded far more quiet. Her voice came out raw and vulnerable, “I have failed in my mission to seal away Demise. Hylia has revoked her blessing.”

What… happened?

Fi had been focusing completely on Link the moment she had sealed his spirit away. The only thing she allowed herself to otherwise monitor was his physical state. The moment his body was healed enough for her to know he wasn’t going to die, she would release his spirit again. Until then, she had to remain concentrated. There were too many variables that could go wrong, and if she messed up at any given point, this would be disastrous.

Thankfully, sealing Link’s spirit away had forced his body into a very similar state as entering a Silent Realm. His body wouldn’t deteriorate necessarily, but with all of those open wounds, he needed to be taken care of. The Zora within the room were already managing him well, and Mipha’s arrival was certainly quickening the process of healing. She wouldn’t be able to keep his physical form in this very limited stasis for long. It was a miracle that he even went into a Silent Realm-esque stasis in the first place.

With his physical body being handled, her goal was now to continue to keep Link and Demise’s spirits separate. She could not particularly enforce this, as they had been sealed in the same blade. However, she could attempt to distract Demise. Whether or not they were capable of hurting each other was still debatable. She’d rather not test it considering the Divine Beasts certainly weren’t safe for Link to be sealed in either.

The Divine Beasts were the only reason Fi even thought to do this. She was thankful that this had even worked in the first place. Using a sealing power for anything other than sealing the darkness was rather dangerous in her eyes, but she couldn’t stop now. She didn’t want to stop until Link was safe. If Sheikah machinery could do this, then she certainly could as well with her unique sealing power.

She just prayed that Hylia wouldn’t frown upon her.

Between the Zora healing him and Mipha’s arrival, the entire process of healing took all night. It was much faster than calculated when Mipha appeared, and Fi was thankful for that. She just needed to hold out for a little longer. Demise had yet to stir, and he may not have even realized that the nature of his seal had changed.

She was foolish to believe that, as when they were just close enough to the end, she felt a presence awaken.

Fi monitored Link’s physical status and found that she was almost there. She could get his spirit out now, and he would likely be fine. The risk of him perishing at this point was rapidly decreasing, and Mipha was only helping with that. So, to everyone in the room, she sent out a chime.

All attention in the room landed on her. She needed to make this quick, or Demise may find Link and destroy him. She answered everyone’s questioning gazes, “Link is in a state where I can return his spirit to him. Please place me close by.”

Teba moved faster than anyone. This made sense. He had been itching for something to do this entire time, and Fi seemed to be the only one aware that his eyes had been watery for most of this experience despite how much he attempted to fight it off. She could sympathize with the fear. 

Despite his previous issues with her, Teba lifted the Master Sword from its position next to the healing pool. Fi allowed him to lift the blade, giving him the brief moment he needed to return it to Link’s grasp. Carefully, she instructed, “Place me in his hands. Contact will make this easier for me.” She didn’t know if it was possible to lose pieces of Link’s spirit, and she didn’t want to find out now. The closer he was to her, the faster she could close the seal once more.

Teba did as instructed, and Mipha aided with keeping Link afloat on the water with the added weight of the Master Sword. Zelda and Sidon kept their distance, but continued to peek over the shoulders of Teba and Mipha in an attempt to see what was happening. There wouldn’t be much to see. Hopefully, all of this would go fine.

“How interesting… it seems this blade has the ability to defy its Goddess after all.”

A single voice rang out from within the blade. Fi was certain no one else heard it. That voice was directed at her and her only. It pulled her in, trying to break her focus. She couldn’t let it get out. She needed to keep the seal from breaking.

“It is amusing how Hylia modeled you after the humans she cherishes. You carry the same fear they do.”

She couldn’t let him know she was afraid. She couldn’t let him see her weakness. With a chime, Fi began to call out for Link. She needed him to wake up. She called over and over, trying to beckon for him to follow her back to his body. Something moved, but she couldn’t tell which presence it was.

“It is pitiful how you believe you can release him while keeping me trapped here. You were supposed to be intelligent. I am intrigued by your audacity, and I commend the attempt.”

It would not be an attempt. She would succeed. She could feel Link’s spirit now. She could pull him back. If she just could hold on a little longer, she could fix all of this. The seal may be weak, but this was what she had been designed for. She could keep the darkness at bay.

One final time, she called out to Link to set him free. She heard a conversation. She felt Demise’s presence overlapping with his. Just as she pulled Link’s spirit out and pressed it back into his own physical form, something else started to slip through the cracks of Hylia’s sealing power. Something else began to imperceptibly escape. No one else in the room seemed to understand that something was getting out.

She was worried it would go into Link. She was worried Demise would attempt to use him. However, she only felt his spirit beginning to fade from the blade itself. He wanted nothing to do with Link. 

With one final struggle, Fi forced Link’s spirit back into his body and closed the seal once more. She felt exhausted. She couldn’t figure out whether or not he was fine. All of her calculations were failing, and it all was because of echoing laughter in the night sky. No one else heard it, but she could.

And she could sense the absence of something within the blade.

Slowly, Link began to draw short, labored breaths. He didn’t wake up, but he would be fine if he was breathing. Fi found Mipha carefully lifting the Master Sword away from Link, and Fi only panicked more.

Everyone else was shouting in sheer glee. Zelda had rushed to the side of the healing pool, trying to get a better look. Mipha gently set the blade in its sheath and rushed back into the healing pool in case she was needed. Teba had finally let the tears free that he’d been holding back the entire night. Sidon hollered and rushed out to the rest of Zora’s Domain to proclaim their victory.

They deserved this victory.

And in her weakness, Fi had just destroyed it.

Chapter Text

Link regretted ever wishing to get out of that damn healing pool. 

Mipha had only taught him just a few basic signs before deciding his time for comfort was over. She insisted that he “couldn’t stay in the water for much longer” and that “it would likely cause damage to his skin to the point where the healing wouldn’t be worth it”. Well, getting out of the pool felt like it was much worse than potentially getting shriveled up skin from laying in a pond.

She also said something about needing to move to keep the burns from having long-term effects, but at that point he’d stopped listening. The burns were mostly fine. Mipha had done well healing him, but any more healing from her would be superficial. As a spirit, she had been able to pour all of her magic in without any regard for her actual body. Now, she had to keep things as a steady stream. Her days of outright defying death were likely over… but this was Mipha. Mipha would somehow find a way to push well beyond what she was currently capable of.

Oh yeah, the burns.

His entire body had been screaming at him the moment he finally managed to get out of the healing pool. Mipha tried to alleviate some of it, but her magic could only do so much for actual pain at this point. Link’s entire body had stiffened considerably floating motionless in a pool of water, and now all of his muscles were burning. There was not a single part of his body that felt normal at the moment, and he really wanted to fall over. However, with how earnest Mipha was about letting him move around on his own two feet, he forced through the blistering pain.

As much as this hurt, he was still kicking. The Calamity hadn’t gotten its final wish to send him plummeting into the ground. He was here with friends, and even though Revali had flown off, Link was looking forward to being around them again. Urbosa and Daruk were still unaccounted for, but he figured they would be here soon. Urbosa definitely wouldn’t wait around in Gerudo Town for news on the Calamity. If she ever got wind that Zelda was in Zora’s Domain, she would find a way over here.

Now that he was out in the sun, Link appreciated being dragged out here. The pool of water was uncomfortable, and as long as he didn’t do anything stupid for a while, this pain would go away soon. He probably made it infinitely worse when putting on his clothing for the day. Clothing options were limited here as a Hylian with no clothing shops in sight, and he might as well be wearing a really scuffed robe. If he had the Sheikah Slate, he’d just pull out all of his outfits and call it a day. 

Link hadn’t seen the Sheikah Slate since waking up, but he doubted it was in any working condition after the guardian beams hit it dead on. He really hoped that could be fixed. Nekk would KILL him if he found out he lost yet another batch of Snowquill within a few days of ruining the last set.

Speaking of people who probably wanted to kill him right about now, Link could see a distinct white dot on the horizon.

A distinct white dot that undoubtedly meant Teba was rapidly approaching.

Mipha followed Link’s gaze and a terrifying grin spread across her face. “Ah, I do not believe Teba was here to be told that you’ve woken up. Won’t that be fun?”

The way Mipha’s voice held nothing but pure intrigue made Link want to run in the opposite direction. He’d been wondering where Teba was, and now suddenly he realized that Teba was probably worried sick the entire time. Hell, he'd caught Link when the Calamity threw him. If Mipha was so certain that this would be a fun conversation, then he was absolutely terrified.

“How worried was he?” Link asked, very much not liking how the white dot was becoming more distinct and certainly getting closer.

Mipha hummed as if she was putting actual thought into her answer. However, the grin splitting across her face betrayed her. “Oh, I am sure if you asked him that question, he would love to explain to you just how worried he was.”

Now that Teba had started closing the distance even faster, Link saw something clutched in his talons. Tattered fabric and broken wood dangled, bunched up in his grasp. He couldn’t be sure from this distance, but that had to be the paraglider. Mipha’s words finally registered, and Link whirled around when he heard the sound of her walking away. She’d already made it a good distance towards the inn where Zelda was supposed to be staying, giving a cheeky wave in Link’s direction knowing he likely couldn’t follow fast enough.

Damn you, Mipha.

Link had already been yelled at by one Rito today. He didn’t fancy getting yelled at by another. However, this was Teba. Surely, Mipha was overexaggerating. She was absolutely menacing him. Well, if he really wanted to, he could make it over to her on his own. Despite the discomfort in his legs, he started to try to pivot to follow her. Oh Goddesses, everything was still way too sore to do this on his own.

A small gust of wind kicked up behind Link, and he realized that Teba could indeed fly extremely fast. First, there was a clatter of wood on stone before the click of Teba’s talons set down just a few moments after. Considering what happened with Revali, Link was fully prepared for Teba to lay into him, and he stopped walking and slowly turned around to face the Rito.

Instead of doing anything that he expected, Teba lifted the scraps of Link’s paraglider into one hand and declared in the most deadpan voice, “Found it.”

Link squinted. He wasn’t expecting that to be the first thing to come from Teba at all. The Rito seemed much more nonchalant than Mipha let on, but she could’ve just been trying to torture him. Whatever the reason, Link hardly cared anymore. Teba was still very much alive and looked like he had come out relatively unscathed. Link could see a small patch of feathers on Teba’s extended hand that appeared to be burnt on the ends. Had a guardian laser really come that close?

Teba noticed the staring and clicked his beak. “...Are you really worrying about the singed feathers when you look like you walked through a fire?”

The sheer bluntness of Teba’s words struck Link so hard that he couldn’t help but let a small laugh escape. He shook his head and took to staring at the paraglider instead. The guardian beam that managed to hit it certainly reduced it to near unusable scrap. It was a wonder that a guardian hadn’t hit it before with how often Link used it to escape their beams. Ah well, he supposed that his luck would run out at some point. 

Teba more forcefully extended his hand, and Link had to scramble to take the scraps of the paraglider in his arms. He managed to collect the mismatched bundle of wood and cloth, cradling it like something precious. Even if it was broken, this was supposedly a gift from Revali. He really didn’t want to lose it.

“It might be fixable,” Teba commented offhandedly, “Harth would know the most about it. The design is a bit uh… out there for us. We used to make those, but that stopped after the Calamity.”

Link knew who would know how to make one. He glanced up at the direction where Revali supposedly flew off to. He swore he saw a glimpse of navy blue feathers over the top of the cliff, but it went right back down to the ground so fast that he must’ve been seeing things. He ignored it and turned back to Teba, saying, “Revali made it for me. He’d probably know how to fix it.”

“Master Revali did that? Huh…” Teba brushed the bottom of his beak, looking at the paraglider with renewed interest. “No offense, I didn’t think he liked you all that much.”

“I still don’t think he does,” Link agreed, trying to find a way to bundle up the broken wood and fabric in a way that could be stored on his belt. It was much harder when the contraption no longer collapsed properly. “He wasn’t very happy with me when he flew in.”

Some of Teba’s feathers began to rise. He glanced around the area like Revali could be lurking around any corner, and he looked slightly mortified. “He’s here? How did he get over here that quickly? Did he just… fly across Hyrule that quickly?”

“Apparently.” Link finally managed to get the paraglider slightly situated in a makeshift bundle of its own cloth. He was just trying to do anything with his hands in an attempt to ignore how tense this was making him. They were both dancing around the fact that Link had nearly died in a fight. The only thing Link regretted about the entire thing was that Teba had joined the fight and been put in danger. Everything had turned out fine, but that didn’t make it any better that he unwittingly dragged them into the fight.

He really needed to figure out how Wolfie had brought everyone into the fight like that.

Link didn’t know how to apologize for this in the slightest. Everyone was clearly frustrated with him, but everyone had come out the other side alive. There was no issue here other than the fact that people had to come into the fight to pick up his slack. 

Luckily for him, Teba had the strangest ability to attack any problem with the equivalent of blunt force. “Let’s get this over with.” Bless you, Teba. “So we agree that what you did was reckless, right?” Teba asked while folding his wings.

Link didn’t want to meet his gaze. He decided that the view of Vah Ruta was much more interesting right now. “Didn’t have a choice,” he weakly replied, knowing this was not going to go the way he wanted.

“Sure ya did.” Teba walked in front of Link’s vision, now blocking the view of Vah Ruta. Suddenly, the cliff face now looked like an interesting spot for Link to look at. “You didn’t tell anyone where you were going, and I only found out because Chief Riju sent me a message on time.”

How had Riju managed to do that and figure out who Teba was in that timeframe? Wherever she was, Link hoped she was fine. Hopefully, Buliara wasn’t about to explode from the stress of Chief Riju just being gone. 

Link crossed his arms and continued to look anywhere that wasn’t Teba in case he saw that signature stare of immense disappointment. “Didn’t want anyone to join me. It was my fight.” How could he possibly explain what Hylia had shown him? How could he possibly explain to Teba how he ultimately would reincarnate again and again to face the same force of evil. Anyone who joined him in that fight would be risking much more than he was.

“Hey, no.” Teba once again entered his line of sight, and Link tried to look away once more. “You forgot, apparently, so I’m gonna remind you. Saki and I wanted to know where you were going, so you wouldn’t try to avoid us if you were going to do something stupid.” 

“You wouldn’t have let me fight the Calamity,” Link insisted. 

Teba nodded like he agreed with what Link said in some way. “I wouldn’t have let you fight it alone if you let me know earlier. You may be my kid now, but you still proved yourself with Vah Medoh. I wouldn’t have let anyone talk me down from that, so I get it.”

Visibly deflating, Link lowered his head. Teba was indeed reckless, and the fact that he had even shown up in Central Hyrule proved that. “Does that mean you’re still mad?” Link finally glanced up at Teba, and oh goddess he shouldn’t have. 

Teba’s beak formed into a half-hearted scowl, and he softly bonked Link on the head with his wing. “Yeah, I’m pretty mad. You’re still grounded, and after things are situated here, you’re coming back with me to say sorry to Saki.”

That was about what he expected, and he shrunk into himself like a scolded child. However, Link honestly didn’t know if he would be going back. Now that Zelda was free, she would almost certainly need him as her knight again. That was always what he thought would happen after the Calamity was defeated. He may be alive, but his dedication to the royal family persisted anyway. Whatever Zelda asked of him, he would need to do.

…Even if the thought made him want to scream.

“That being said,” Teba interrupted, breaking through the start of Link’s spiral, “Good job.”

Link’s head snapped back up, and his face curved into sheer confusion. What? He tilted his head in a silent question. That was… a strange change in tone from before. Teba’s scowl had slipped into something much more like… pride? 

“Don’t tell Saki this, but…” Teba placed a wing on his head and shook his head. “You definitely know what you’re doing in a fight. For how big that thing was, you did a number on it before I got there.” His eyes practically radiated approval towards Link. “That Calamity has been terrorizing Hyrule with monsters ever since I was born. You finished the damn thing off. Good job.”

Oh.

He wasn’t really expecting any form of thanks for doing his job. It was his job after all. No one really should be thanking him for picking up the pieces a century later. Still, hearing that from Teba made some pride begin to swell in Link’s chest. He could only force out a weak “Thanks” while scratching the back of his head.

Teba nodded and lifted a bundle off of his back. Link had hardly noticed he was carrying something else with him. “Yeah yeah, just don’t mention I said any of that to Saki. She’ll kill both of us.” When Teba undid the bindings around the bundle, he handed one portion of it to Link. Turned out that he had brought multiple things back with him from Hyrule Field. “Clothes for you that’ll probably be more comfortable than what you have,” Teba explained, “I’ll give the other one to the princess when I see her.”

Link was about to gesture to the inn when he felt the wind suddenly shift. Teba must’ve sensed it as well, because his head snapped up to look for the source of the winds changing. Already, Link knew to look for the flash of navy blue feathers that would undoubtedly be descending soon. 

Unfortunately for him, by focusing on finding Revali, he ignored the blackened squares beginning to appear next to him. Link jumped out of his skin when he saw Wolfie appear just inches away, using that strange warp that it apparently knew how to do. He quickly recovered and was instead filled with sheer joy. Carefully reaching out a hand, Link tried to pet the wolf. It huffed, but relented anyway and pressed its head into the palm of his hand. It was good to see that Wolfie was fine.

While he wasn’t paying attention, a gust of wind nearly barreled him over. Revali landed on the stonework just a few feet away, and his landing wasn’t nearly as dignified as the one that Link remembered. His landing was followed up by a slight bit of wobbling and holding a wing out precariously to balance himself.

Revali dusted himself off with an indignant scoff. His face curved into disbelief, and he looked like half of his feathers had been thrown in different directions. “Amazing. It appears I can never get your undivided attention when I am using my Gale. There must be some force at play preventing you from paying attention.” The wolf smirked at Revali, but Link completely missed the interaction. Revali was glaring daggers right back at it, too.

Link was busy glancing at Teba who looked absolutely mortified about Revali being here. But, when he looked back at Revali, he noticed something else on him. The Master Sword was currently strapped to his back, and something about it looked incredibly wrong. Had Revali gone and looked for it?

Not giving Link a chance to respond, Revali rolled his eyes. “Right right, of course you’d be concerned about your weapon.” He quickly pulled the strap off from his shoulder. Link half-expected Revali to throw it at him, but the Rito actually handled the blade quite gently when handing it over to him. 

Now with a closer look at the blade, Link knew something had definitely changed. The entire weapon lacked its vibrant colors, and the cross-guard had completely changed. He couldn’t draw the Sword with his hands full, but he didn’t need to. Somewhere, in the distant past, he knew that he had seen the blade like this before. 

Revali was explaining something, but Link’s hearing began to fade into a low buzz. It was happening again. The Master Sword pulled at something in a distant memory, begging for him to pay attention. 

The entire world around him began to look blurry. Only the Master Sword retained its shape, and he unwillingly remembered.

He knelt in front of a Goddess. His hand remained extended, grasped in Zelda’s- no, Hylia’s own hand. He didn’t know which was which anymore, or what to call her by. The symbol of the triforce shone brightly on his hand, and it reacted more and more as Hylia continued to pray.

“Along your travels, you have found wisdom, power, and courage, and for this I shall bless your sword with the Goddess’ power. May it give you and your sword the strength to drive back the abomination that threatens this land!”

Hylia kept speaking to him, encouraging him to become the hero that he was destined to be. He would face this abomination that she wished for him to vanquish. He would do it for Zelda. When she asked him to draw the Master Sword, he raised it skyward. Its pale, dull metal and faded colors burst into vibrant color, being imbued with the blessings of the Goddess herself.

Link remained transfixed on the Sword. He could faintly see the symbol of the triforce still on his right hand, but only one triangle was still pulsing. Two blurs of color were now trying to get his attention, but he remained stuck, unable to do anything but remember.

His sister was safe with Tetra. She’d be able to get her to safety. For now, Link had to deal with the main threat in front of him. Ganondorf was rambling about something that he couldn’t comprehend. The Master Sword was apparently a seal or something, but Link didn’t care about any of that. He needed to make sure his sister and his friends would be safe from this man. If using the Master Sword was how he did that, he’d pick up this supposed destiny as a hero.

The Master Sword was pale and dull again, but Link didn’t even think about that. His real self was screaming, knowing that the blade lacked the blessing of the Goddess Hylia. In his memory, he charged forward at Ganondorf without a single moment of hesitation. He stabbed, hoping desperately that the Sword would just end this already-

It hardly succeeded in piercing through the magic Ganondorf shrouded himself in. It might as well have been any normal blade. That was supposed to work-

Ganondorf raised one measly hand and backhanded Link with a force that sent him sprawling across the room. He was far too small to do anything against a towering figure like Ganondorf, and before he knew it there was the end of a sword at his head, daring him to move.

“You cannot defeat me with-”

Link found himself suddenly completely off balance, the force of rushing winds barreling him over. Luckily, Teba caught him, managing to keep him from cracking his head on the stonework. 

“Well, that certainly woke him up,” Revali said, and Link realized that the Rito had just tried to knock him over with his Gale. What an asshole-

Teba glared in Revali’s direction, having apparently lost some of his reservations against scolding the Master Revali. “You nearly broke his skull on the damn stonework!” He lifted Link back up to his feet, and went to gather the bundle of clothing that had fallen on the stone. 

Link wanted to vomit. Standing on his own two feet felt all too unstable. The memory of fighting that man at the top of that fortress had been slightly too much. Even with the Calamity dead, memories were still plaguing him. Now, one of them had been completely interrupted by Revali. If that was supposed to be a divine message from Hylia, then the most haughty bird had foiled her plans.

Rolling his eyes and shrugging, Revali said, “And yet, he is now out of that little stupor. Simply waving a wing in front of his face wasn’t going to do it.” He started to walk around Link like he was about to begin another tirade. Had this bird really not given up? Link wanted to fall over at the moment, and Revali just kept talking, “So, hero, care to explain what inspired you to return to ignoring everyone around you?”

Link hardly had the ability to say anything coherent, but the entire conversation was interrupted by a sharp bark coming from the wolf. Revali flinched from the loud noise and eyed the wolf with a death glare. It only glared back, letting out a low growl. 

Finally gaining a semblance of stability, Link lied through his teeth, “It was nothing.” He didn’t want to talk to Revali anyways if he was just going to throw out insults even after supposedly cooling off. Instead of verbally engaging, he wordlessly gestured at the Master Sword, asking a silent question. How had Revali found the Master Sword?

The silence that followed was not what Link expected. Revali glanced around nervously, and no answer bubbled up. Surely, explaining how he found the Master Sword like this wouldn’t be that hard. 

Finally, Revali answered him, “I’m sure the blade can tell you what I cannot. In the meantime, I have business to attend to now that I’ve graciously decided to deliver your own weapon to you.” Nevermind, Revali giving him a straight answer would be like asking a Zora to touch an electric arrow. 

Link hardly even got a word in before the winds gathered again and sent Revali rocketing into the sky. Of course, why would he expect anything else? Link heard the wolf bark again, but it too had its fur blown back by the rushing winds. It was slightly amusing the way its fur was sent into disarray, and that gave Link a little bit of levity.

Teba watched the sky with awe. Link decided to not give Revali the satisfaction of him watching his Gale. Revali got his Gale back, and the first thing he did was flaunt it again. Go figure. Before Link could even call out to Fi for an explanation, Teba muttered to himself, “That’s four out of six Champions who are reckless. I wonder if the other two will be worse…”

Daruk and Urbosa were only worse in their special ways. They could be reckless, but they had the power and wisdom to avoid being reckless when possible. Urbosa simply was a master tactician, and Daruk simply could be reckless without actually being reckless, because his Protection would defend him against nearly any mistakes. Link was looking forward to seeing them. Hopefully, they would be more reasonable.

A flash of black squares crossed Link’s vision, and he watched them streak across the sky in the direction that Revali must’ve gone. Wolfie was full of surprises, and Link wondered if he would ever get used to it just being able to do that. No wonder Saki hated his warping so much. 

Honestly, he had the weirdest set of allies. It was getting a bit absurd just how many stupid things could happen around him at any given moment.

“That wolf is weird,” Teba echoed Link’s thoughts. He likely had seen Wolfie warping during the fight already. “You good, by the way?” He asked, making sure to stay close to Link in case he was about to fall over. “That’s not the first time I’ve seen that look on your face.”

Ah, the memory. Link clutched at his head and felt a blistering pain in it and on the back of his hand. Interrupting that memory probably wasn’t the best idea. He waved off Teba, managing to stay upright. “Just a memory. Get them sometimes.” It was hardly a stable defense, but he didn’t want to even try to explain what he was seeing to Teba.

Teba wasn’t buying it. He clicked his beak and squinted. “Last time I found you with that symbol on your hand, and you didn’t respond to anything. The next morning, you were gone.” He wasn’t going to let Link hide anything, was he? 

Link managed to take his hand off his head and straighten up. He needed to look at least halfway conscious to even convince Teba he was fine. He half heartedly joked, “Not like I can get far like this if I tried. Don’t have the slate.”

“True,” Teba cocked his head to the side, “But if those memories start to make you sleep walk, I’m gonna start having issues.”

Link only waved his hand dismissively again. So far, the memories had only rooted him in place. Actually taking actions while under the influence of them hadn’t happened. If it did, he would definitely be telling someone. Not having control over his own actions sounded like a nightmare.

Thankfully, Teba found the mercy in his heart to change the subject. “Also, speaking of other Champions, I saw Naboris and Rudania moving on the way back. They’ll probably be here soon.”

That was some of the best news he’d heard in awhile. Urbosa being here would be great for Zelda, and Link needed to apologize to Daruk for putting him off the whole time at his Divine Beast. Still, he hoped the sight of two Divine Beasts encroaching on Zora’s Domain wouldn’t be too much of a scare. Link smiled. “So… we’re staying here a bit longer?”

“A bit,” Teba conceded, “But we can’t stay too long. Saki and Tulin are expecting both of us, and I don’t wanna be gone too long. They might think we’re dead if we keep 'em waiting much longer.”

Saki was going to kill them.

Maybe, he’d have to convince Zelda to pick him up if she could find a way to repair the Sheikah Slate. Rito Village was extremely far away, and getting back using one of his stabled horses would be a long travel time. He wanted to visit Saki and Tulin regardless. Surely, she would allow him to do that before he continued being her knight. He didn’t have the heart to break that news to Teba right now. Their temporary adoption might just be nothing more than formality in the end.

Despite what Zelda might want him to do, Link nodded in agreement. They would need to leave for Rito Village soon… at least in the next few days. It was a long ride on horseback, and that might be shortened if Teba let him hitch a ride. He just needed to find Zelda.

But first, he needed to address the issue of Fi. 

Link lifted the Master Sword back off the ground where it had fallen. He just barely caught Teba eyeing the Sword suspiciously before glancing away. Link wondered, “Have you met Fi? Outside of the fight, I mean.” The Master Sword itself wasn’t an object to look at with disdain. Only Link would really be the person who’d look at it like that, and that time had passed ever since he met Fi. The Master Sword did represent being bound to the royal family, but at least it wasn’t the Sword’s fault. It was never the Master Sword’s fault.

“Yeah, I met her.” Teba folded his wings uncomfortably. He still eyed the sword with utter disdain. “She isn’t very straightforward with me.”

That didn’t sound right considering that Fi was straightforward almost to a fault. She had been listing off the odds of Revali’s death when they were on Vah Medoh. Her being dodgy with someone else seemed a tad off. Then again, she did try to avoid talking about certain subjects. She was certainly capable of deceit.

“She means well,” Link decided on, “And she’s a good friend.” Fi had been willing to stay by his side until the very end. He valued her friendship too much to merely reduce her to the Master Sword.

Teba looked unconvinced, but he looked away from the blade and finally dropped his gaze. “If you say so, but she better not have convinced you to fight the Calamity on your own.”

Immediately, Link shook his head. “She didn’t. That was me.” Although, it was weird that she asked him how long he could last without the Sheikah Slate before Wolfie snatched it from his grasp. “Honestly, I think she might’ve been trying to get me to do the opposite.”

That got Teba to hum in thought. Link had no idea what had given Teba this opinion over Fi, but that was something to ask her directly. He needed to call on her now.

Placing his hand on the hilt of the Sword, Link called, “Fi?” The hilt felt much colder to the touch than normal. Really, he shouldn’t have even been able to notice that. The steel was always cold.

The Master Sword lit up in a dim light that only signified Fi was paying attention. The same chime still rang out followed shortly by Fi’s voice. “You called, Link?” She did not appear.

Her voice came out quiet, and the fact that she didn’t take an opportunity to twirl out of the Sword in broad daylight worried Link. Usually, she’d try to scare the hell out of anyone in the general vicinity. Link cleared his throat and started, “I did call. I… you look different?” He didn’t know how to address the subject of the Sword’s current state at all and it came out as a frankly insulting question.

“Indeed. I apologize for appearing in this current state.” She fell to silence for a moment and the light faded away. Link thought something was wrong until a few seconds later the Sword lit back up. “Should you require me for combat, I am still capable. I will let you know if I find a way to remedy this situation.”

The problem was… Fi never really hesitated on providing an analysis unless something was wrong. What if Teba had a point? Was she not being straightforward with him right now? “Fi? What happened?” He questioned with an uncertain waver slipping into his voice. What had happened to her?

The Sword remained silent for a bit too long before her voice came back out again, saying, “I am currently attempting to understand that as well. When I have a comprehensive answer, I will let you know.”

He couldn’t tell if she was lying or not. Link stole a glance to Teba who kept his wings folded and his beak firmly shut. Well, that look always meant he disapproved of something. Link would never doubt Fi’s reasoning for hiding something, but she had to know why the Master Sword had suddenly changed. Surely, she had already figured out what happened.

Instead of pressing further, Link decided to put this one to the side for now. If Fi wasn’t ready, she wasn’t ready. Forcing her to say anything now would be cruel. She’d done nothing but help him, so who was he to make her talk when she didn’t want to? He slung the Master Sword’s sheath over his shoulder, wincing at the way it brushed over some of the burns riddling his body. He needed to take things much slower for a bit.

“See?” Teba gestured at the Sword. “Not very straightforward.”

They must have had a talk while Link was unconscious, or he had completely missed something between them. He waved his hand dismissively. “She’s fine. I’m not too straightforward either.”

Teba chuckled a bit and once again handed the bundle of clothes off to Link. Hopefully this time, Revali wouldn’t come back to send it flying. “Go get changed. I’m gonna go give the other bundle to the princess.”

Link grabbed the bundle and managed to get it a bit open to see the inside. It was a standard set of Hylian clothing, not all that different from the set that he had ruined when helping Revali. Where in the hell he found this on the way back was anyone’s guess, but there might’ve been people at nearby stables willing to part with some outfits. Regardless, he was way too grateful for Teba. 

Link put aside his worries for now despite the wounded Sword on his back and started the painful process of trying to walk to somewhere where he could change.

For someone who hadn’t had a proper night’s rest in a century, Zelda could not find a single ounce of sleep. Yes, Mipha had sent her away to actually rest, but doing so in a place like this was extremely difficult. Allowing herself to even shut her eyes and relax felt like everything would suddenly unravel. Many times in her fight against the Calamity, she’d wanted to rest, but she constantly had to fight off the urge to do so. Resting meant failure, and resting meant that everyone else would suffer for her not being strong enough to hold on just a little bit longer.

There was no more Calamity, but she found it difficult to sleep all the same. Every time she shut her eyes, the stench of malice invaded her senses. She kept jolting awake in a start, grasping out to her sealing power before realizing she was simply laying on a water bed in Zora’s Domain. The Calamity was gone now. She’d sealed it away for another ten-thousand years. Unfortunately, try as she might, she couldn’t stave off the memory of the Calamity waiting for her to give up and fall asleep. 

The sealing power still resided in her. Every now and then she called upon it just to see the mark of the triforce on her hand. The golden light waned now, but she didn’t want it to completely vanish. This… was what her destiny had always been working towards. If she lost it now, what would she be? Luckily, the power only seemed spent for the time being. She was simply tired, and she figured that proper rest would help. 

…It would help a lot if Zora’s Domain still had private rooms.

The Zora typically slept in communal pools at the bottom of the Domain. Of course, being Hylian, it was much healthier to be in an actual bed. Back when Zelda used to visit a century ago, there was a specific segment of the Domain set aside with accommodations for non Zora travelers and special guests. She had learned the hard way that said room no longer existed. It had been… unceremoniously deconstructed after Mipha’s death. The Zora no longer wanted visitors. They no longer wanted to accommodate anyone associated with the royal family. 

She understood, but it didn’t make sleeping in this inn any easier. Sidon profusely apologized over and over for the sleeping arrangements, but she honestly couldn’t care about the bed itself. Everything felt comfortable at this point. The reason she couldn’t properly rest was the open air room allowing voices to drift inside.

At first, she tried not to listen to the conversations that were undoubtedly about her. Eavesdropping would only add to the mounting stress that prevented her from sleeping. Unfortunately, the Zora outside insisted on gossiping as loudly as possible.

“Do you think now that the princess is back, that means she’ll be queen soon?”

That was a question Zelda had been dreading. No, she didn’t need to think about it right now. The world could wait a day for her to rest. She half-wished that she hadn’t needed to reveal herself so soon. Had Link not been in life threatening circumstances, she wouldn’t have revealed her victory to the world for quite some time. Now, she’d been thrown into the thick of yet another royal court and already made a fool of herself.

“Probably,” another voice said in a failed whisper, “I don’t see why she wouldn’t.”

Oh, there were so many reasons. The first and most urgent reasons were that she simply could not do anything right now until she had proper rest. Her mind was a whirlwind of competing thoughts, all about the future that she now had to grapple with. This was only making it worse.

“I wonder if it’ll be just like before.”

She couldn’t possibly parse what that meant in her sorry state. Luckily, the two Zora simply would not stop talking. 

“King Dorephan is definitely not going to let Princess Mipha out of his sight for a while. I bet Link would go back to hanging around Princess Zelda again though.”

Oh yes, everyone probably thought that. Even Link was probably ready to do that. She needed to have a very serious conversation with him as soon as possible. She hadn’t let anyone in on this, but Zelda had been able to catch glimpses of Link’s journey. Near the end, she had to focus all of her efforts on containing Ganon, but while Link got his bearings, she made sure his progress was coming along steadily.

His first few days in the wild were… stressful for her to say the least. However, something about him had completely changed. In all of her time traveling with him, Link hardly let his knightly act falter. There were glimpses of the boy under that mask, but he tried to never let the act slip. In only a few moments, Zelda saw the real Link peeking through. She thought he may act like that when he woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection as well. When she watched his journey, she couldn’t have been more wrong.

Link was happy. Link was actually showing his emotions willingly. Even more strangely, he talked with an ease that he never possessed before. After leaving the Great Plateau, he socialized with nearly every person he came across. Every traveler on the road had long conversations with him during his travels. Instead of being reserved, Link had a newfound curiosity. He asked about every little thing that he didn’t recognize. He particularly loved to share his cooking finds with others on the road and exchange recipes. 

His memories may have been gone, but Zelda couldn’t help but ask herself if this had been better for him than remembering his destiny as her knight.

Those brief glimpses were only the tip of the iceberg. Link had found many places across Hyrule where he had been genuinely happy. Being out in the wild and being free of his responsibilities had changed him for the better. Even she could see that from the very little she witnessed. Link wouldn’t have allowed himself to join a family of Rito in the past. While she hadn’t been able to see Link whenever that happened, Mipha and Teba’s talks gave away that he had been adopted in some way. It was mildly amusing to her, but it also meant she needed to talk to Teba soon.

She especially needed to talk to Link. Would he even want to continue being a knight? Would he even want to continue being around her after she’d forced him into undertaking a gargantuan task such as the Calamity?

Zelda gave in and realized she would not be resting. The Zora outside had moved onto other topics, but she found herself listening in anyway. They were far too close for her to do anything else. Instead, she decided to snatch up the destroyed Sheikah Slate that was on the table right next to her. It didn’t respond to her in the slightest, but it was still broken. Maybe when it was fixed, she could properly use it. 

Then again, even though she had used it in the past, the slate was always designed for Link. Taking it from him would be cruel, and it likely only responded to him. Maybe… if she could find a way to replicate it, then more people could make use of its capabilities. That would be an interesting project! 

She just… had to work towards reestablishing Hyrule first. What was it her father used to say? She needed to be dedicated to her people first and foremost. Her pet projects had to wait.

Her father…

Zelda still needed to work out the true nature of what happened to all of the Champions, but she doubted that her father would be among those brought back. She was uncertain of where he fell, but she knew that he must have fallen close to when the Calamity broke free. She would need to mourn him in time. Perhaps, he had still lingered like the other Champions. 

She needed to honor him by restoring the kingdom that he pushed her to protect, right? Of course, she could already start to see it as she placed the Sheikah Slate down onto the table again. Hyrule’s history needed to be preserved in some way. She could start there. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if she just… honored the traditions that had been destroyed in the Calamity? Would that make her father happy?

Would that make her happy?

Zelda was about to snap at the Zora outside. They were still talking and she very much needed to rest right now. She couldn’t blame them. She was absolutely sure that standing guard all day would be the most mind numbing task. If only they could stand guard just a little further away.

Fortunately, the problem handled itself when another Zora made herself known. Mipha’s voice cut through their conversation, “Hello there! I believe the Princess will be well guarded while I am here. Please keep talking but just stay out of earshot if you do.”

Ah. Mipha had seen what was happening. Zelda was sincerely thankful that someone as great as Mipha was still around. Seeing her appear when Link was in dire need was like a blessing from Hylia herself. Just as quickly as she wrest control over the situation with Link, Mipha had once again come to Zelda’s aid with the Zora outside. Shortly after, Zelda saw Mipha’s head peeking into the inn.

With a sigh at the sight of Zelda still awake, Mipha shook her head. “I am sorry for that, Zelda. I hope they are not what has been keeping you awake.”

“No, but they were half of it.” Zelda rubbed her eyes and sat up. Sleep was not coming anytime soon, and Mipha’s company was much more preferable than the nightmares undoubtedly waiting for her. Then again, Mipha probably had better things to be doing right now. It was weird how she came here instead of spending more valuable time with Link. “I do hope I’m not keeping you from anything right now.”

Mipha dismissively waved a hand and sat down on the end of the bed. “Nonsense, you could never.” A flash of mischief spread across her face. “Besides, Link is currently dealing with Teba right now, and that was long overdue.” There was a hint of glee in her voice that Zelda was slightly afraid of. However, her attention moved right back to Zelda. “Are you holding up fine? Is there anything I can do for you?”

No, she had a lot on her mind, but dumping all of that onto Mipha sounded so humiliating at the moment. She needed to remain strong and make sure that she did not become a burden right now. She may have just sealed the Calamity, but that was no excuse to falter now. She decided, “I’m fine. Thank you.”

Mipha’s smile slightly faded, and she scrunched her face. “Zelda, I know when people are lying to me about these types of things.” Zelda’s head shot up in disbelief, and Mipha couldn’t help but laugh. “You may be surprised, but both Link and Revali constantly tried to hide injuries from me. I have a knack for these sorts of things now.”

The implication that Zelda was injured made her feel a bit worse. This wasn’t an injury of any kind. No, she was just whining. Clearly, she just needed to take her responsibilities more seriously and stop playing scholar. She had the sealing power to prove her lineage as the next queen of Hyrule, so she should simply go ahead and dedicate herself to the task. She was fine.

Zelda found Mipha’s hand pressed against her knee in a gentle touch. When she jumped at the sudden touch, she was even more ashamed of herself. What kind of queen was she if she could not handle a conversation like this? 

Instead of casting judgement in any way, Mipha continued again, “Talk to me. Is there something on your mind?”

She shouldn’t. She couldn’t. If Zelda expressed any doubts about her destiny, then she would be unable to follow through with it. And yet, at the sight of Mipha’s patient gaze, it all suddenly came spilling out regardless. “I don’t know if I am capable of bringing this kingdom back to the way it was, Mipha,” she admitted, and she almost kept her voice from shaking. She lost it at the end, and she wanted to silently curse herself for it.

Mipha nodded, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she more firmly moved to sit down closer to Zelda. She intended to stay and listen, and Zelda saw this for what it was. She was silently saying that she had come here to listen.

Zelda’s hesitation began to bleed away. Mipha’s presence began to chip away at it slowly, and she found herself saying more, “If I let the history of this kingdom die now, then I will have failed everyone who laid their lives down for it. I would be disrespecting my people, my father, and all of you.”

This time, Mipha softly corrected, “You would not be disrespecting me, Zelda. Every single one of us would understand if you needed time.”

“But that’s just it!” Something frantic started to run rampant in her chest. “It wouldn’t be that I need time. If I refused to dedicate myself to the restoration of this kingdom, then my father would be right. I would play at being a scholar my entire life, and I would never be able to reform this kingdom. What would’ve been the point of all of this sacrifice if I didn’t even try?”

Once again, Mipha returned to patiently listening. This time, she gently extended a hand as an invitation. Zelda looked at it with wariness, but she could not deny that she needed this. 

Zelda took her hand and squeezed tighter than she meant to. If it caused Mipha any pain, she didn’t show it. The contact helped. It helped her to not feel the awful disconnect that kept happening when she found her mind wandering. Sometimes, she didn’t know if she was here or fighting the Calamity again. Having someone close by helped remind her where she truly was.

“I cannot do this, Mipha,” Zelda admitted, mainly to herself, “I do not know if I would even have Link to help me. I don’t know what he even remembers. I have wronged him by even asking him to come to my aid, and I cannot bear to ask him to be my knight again. He’s…” She cleared her throat and tried to loosen her death grip on Mipha’s hand. “He changed so much, and I cannot take that from him.”

There was nothing but silence and the sound of waterfalls in the distance for a few moments. Mipha waited patiently, listening for anything else that Zelda could possibly want to say. There was so much more. There was so much more, but she couldn’t do this to Mipha anymore. This wasn’t right. She needed to be stronger… needed to be the ruler that all of the civilizations across Hyrule would respect. That’s what her father was, right? A respectable man?

She didn’t know anymore. Out of all the things she refused to express, her bitterness towards him had become one of the most extreme. Would he have even been proud of her when she had let the kingdom fall after gaining her sealing power?

She’d never know.

In the corner of Zelda’s vision, Mipha shifted a bit to move closer. She softly asked, “What is it that you would do if you were not the heir to your throne?” 

It was a simple question with many answers. Oh, she would do so many things. When seeing Mipha’s patient gaze, she found herself actually beginning to list them. “I… I have always wanted to study Sheikah technology.” She didn’t know if she had said something wrong, and she looked to Mipha to see if that was unacceptable. Instead, she found Mipha patiently nodding alongside her. “Sheikah culture has always interested me, and father always forbade me from learning Sheikah arts. I… I think I may like to… to learn that in some way.”

Mipha squeezed her hand and smiled, asking, “What else?”

A strange feeling formed in Zelda’s chest, and she started thinking about all of the other things that interested her. “I loved documenting the land’s flora and fauna. I never got the chance, and I would have to repair the slate to do it, but it has always been something I have wanted to do for myself.” She thought of Urbosa and her own culture. Zelda had seen the way Urbosa fought, and something clicked again. “I want to learn how to fight as well. I was never allowed to learn for myself except for archery, and even then I’m hardly an expert…”

She thought that she’d start despising herself the moment she let all of these thoughts free, but she felt liberated instead. Yes, there were so many things she would rather do instead of being bound to this royal lineage. She was descended from a bloodline of those with the blood of the Goddess supposedly, and she had always been told that preserving the kingdom was her role. However, she never wanted that. She never wanted this destiny. All she wished to do was explore Sheikah ruins, to understand the Divine Beasts, and to simply learn.

Mipha shifted a bit and hummed thoughtfully. “You know,” she glanced across the waters of Zora’s Domain to the waterfall in view, smiling, “I told Link to deliver this message back when we believed I wouldn’t be able to pass it on myself… and I am very happy I get to say it in person now.”

Zelda rose her head to pay utmost attention. Anything Mipha said always carried a wisdom that she slightly envied at times. 

“He actually insisted that Hyrule needed to be rebuilt as well, if you would believe it,” Mipha said with a strange hint of curiosity in her voice. “He had not considered that he needed to be rebuilt before that could happen, and I told him to relay that to you as well.” She gently placed her other hand on top of Zelda’s. “You cannot be expected to rebuild a kingdom without taking time for yourself, Zelda.”

“But…” she weakly protested, “Would that not be selfish? I would still be destroying the sacrifices of everyone who fought for these lands.”

Mipha squeezed Zelda’s hand and their eyes met. “The lands are healing, Zelda. You ensured that they can keep doing that. But for now…” She begged, pleading, “Please be selfish. If you cannot do it for yourself, then do it for all of us. None of us would think any less of you, and I, for one, am more than proud of you for what you have already done.”

Words suddenly died in Zelda’s throat. She wanted to ask how she could possibly try to be selfish now. She wanted to question whether or not it would be morally justified to even consider such a thing. Instead of doing any of that, she found her eyes beginning to sting. She couldn’t keep it together. But, Mipha was safe. Mipha wouldn’t judge her.

She felt absolutely pathetic for the gross sob that came out of her mouth, but all shame instantly vanished when Mipha pulled her close. She found herself completely giving in, melting into the warm embrace. Without a second thought, she hugged Mipha back and held on tight. Maybe she did look pathetic right now, but Mipha would never try to hurt her. 

Zelda didn’t know when she stopped moving or when she completely gave in to sleep. Maybe it was when Mipha started gently running fingers through her hair. It certainly was after Teba came in with clothes and left as silently as possible. 

It didn’t matter to her. She was safe, and she was too tired to even protest about her current sleeping arrangement. If Mipha protested, Zelda never heard. She drifted off into sleep that certainly felt like recovering from a century long battle.

“You infernal dog! Leave me alone!” Revali shouted from across the tops of the cliffs, scowling as he whittled down a piece of wood. 

That annoying mutt had followed him up to the so-called business he needed to attend to, and it looked at him with a scowl that it did not have the words to convey the meaning behind. Revali glared daggers at the wolf, knowing very well there was a Hylian under all of that fur who loved tormenting him. Seriously, he had done what the wolf wanted. He had brought the Master Sword back to Link, and now he simply wanted some peace and quiet to make beads for his hair. Would it be so difficult to just be left alone?

The wolf huffed and began to move towards Revali. His crest flattened in aggression, and he shot to his feet again, continuing to carve the wood in his hands. “If you wouldn’t mind, I am attempting to look the least presentable right now, something you wouldn’t understand.”

All of his jabs failed when this damn dog couldn’t even respond. The wolf took to pawing impatiently at the ground and flicking its head back to the Domain. It clearly wanted Revali to go back, but he wasn’t going back there until he at least looked slightly put together. Unfortunately for him, this wolf was large. Just standing up, the infernal thing came up to his midsection. It was absurd and frankly unfair that this thing could be so imposing.

“I’ll go back to the Domain when I’m put together, so if you could stop pestering me and pick a different target, that would be fantastic!” Revali shrieked, finally completing carving one of the beads. He needed to make three more before he was satisfied, and this dull blade he’d procured from a Zora was hardly making it easy with his large hands.

The wolf had the audacity to bark, and Revali dropped the blade into the grass. Oh for the love of- WHAT DID IT WANT? Revali’s head snapped towards the offending mutt, and he saw it looking at him with a glare that made him groan. It couldn’t communicate conventionally, and this was getting annoying .

“You do know I cannot parse what you’re saying, right?” Revali questioned in an attempt to get the stupid thing to stop making so much noise. “Your attempts at getting my attention are infuriating at worst and ineffective at best!”

Rolling its eyes, the wolf started to encroach on Revali’s personal space. He tried to move back a bit, but it simply was too fast. It fully lunged, toppling him over into a heap on the ground. Revali started to instinctually scratch and peck with a furious squawk at the audacity of this mutt to even try to-

Instead of doing any damage to him, the wolf grabbed the hood fastened around his neck and snatched it off of him. Revali tried to grab it, but he didn’t need to. The wolf whipped the article of clothing through the air ridiculously fast and let go, sending it careening right into Revali’s face. 

POINT TAKEN.

This wolf had been scolding him about Link this entire time, and Revali already knew it. What was he supposed to do when he got down there? Was he supposed to be sappy when there was another Rito very clearly watching? Was he supposed to try to profusely apologize about a blade that was never his problem to begin with? Fi could explain just fine what had happened. It wasn’t his issue.

He slapped the hood against his knee to try to get the fur off of it. It hardly helped. With an “ergh”, he fastened it back around his neck. That was yet another moment where he had forgotten to give this damn hood back. Honestly, he needed to stop giving Link reasons to seek him out. 

Revali stood up, brushing the grass and dirt out of his feathers. He had to preen the ones that had been tousled and thrown into disarray by the most obnoxious wolf Hylia had ever released upon these lands. Honestly, at this point he wanted to side with Hylia, just because this wolf was so infuriating. “What did you want me to do?” He yelled furiously at the wolf, flapping his wings aggressively. “I returned that blade to him. I did what you wanted me to do. If you wanted me to be all sappy with him, then you shouldn’t blame me for not wanting to after he decided to go comatose on me!”

The wolf let out a loud huff and picked up the finished bead out of the grass. It handed it back to Revali, and the Rito let out another indistinct disgusted noise now that the bead was wet. This thing was tormenting him. 

“What will it take for you to leave?” Revali tried, hoping desperately he could get rid of this fickle parasite that could warp after him even if he escaped with his Gale.

With another one of those obnoxious smirks, the wolf flicked its head towards the Domain. He didn’t want to go down there again! Even being around Link made his skin crawl at this point. The sight of the paraglider being reduced to scrap on Link’s hip made him want to throw something. He’d toiled for ages over that thing, and the hero decided to hardly acknowledge it when Revali so graciously returned the Master Sword to him. Oh, so the blade was suddenly more important than a hand crafted gift? What a joke!

The Master Sword clearly had worth, but what was Link playing at? Was he really not going to acknowledge that the paraglider had crumbled to bits? Was he really just going to stand there and ignore Revali while there was clearly a piece of his hard work that had been obliterated? What was the reasoning for that?

The wolf poked back into Revali’s vision, graciously reminding him that yes, it had not given up yet.

He groaned and dragged a winged hand across his face. This thing clearly wasn’t listening. “When. I’m. Done!” He insisted, screaming into the open air. “I would be rude not to say goodbye to Mipha and Zelda, and I doubt Daruk and Urbosa would be happy with me if I left before they arrived. Just. Let me. Put myself together.” He had seen the other two Divine Beasts beginning to approach the Domain. Honestly, he didn’t think Daruk had it in him. That Goron hated water.

Finally resigning, the wolf found a spot in the grass and pawed at it. It parted the grass and walked in circles before finally laying down. It continued to watch Revali with a glare.

Revali went back to carving beads, finally being able to sit down next to the nice tree that he had found. He would’ve perched in it to escape the wolf, but it had already proven that it cared not for trees. It warped onto his branch just to break it the last time he tried that, and he did not fancy a repeat while higher up.

The branch did make good wood, though.

He watched Zora’s Domain with growing worry. He couldn’t put off facing Link forever. If the other Champions really were alive and beginning to make their way over here, then they would all be together again for the first time in ages.

He would never admit that he was scared.

Chapter Text

Maybe he appreciated the wolf’s incessant bullying more than he thought. Now that the mutt had fallen into companionable silence, Revali had been left with nothing but his own thoughts while he braided his own hair. He’d been at this for over an hour now, and the wolf had certainly complied with his wishes. All it did was watch his meticulous process of carving wooden beads before losing interest and watching Vah Rudania’s descent from Death Mountain. To Daruk’s credit, he was making a decent pace, and Revali took to watching the lizard’s route as well when he got bored. He couldn’t hide up here forever, but he would sure do it for as long as he could.

Really, what was he waiting on? He could simply ditch this wolf, and perhaps with a bit of skill, he could fly high enough into the clouds to shake this infernal thing. Instead, he stayed grounded here. He didn’t know whether or not he stayed for any particular reason. Perhaps, he just needed to return this blasted hood to Link. Maybe he wanted to see his fellow Champions again. Or, it could be that flying across Hyrule had been quite taxing. No, he was Champion Revali. A mere flight across Hyrule was nothing! He could push himself further. He needed to, or he would be at a severe disadvantage if he ever got taken by surprise again.

Yes, his flight across Hyrule may have winded him. That was a shortcoming he needed to rectify quickly. Going back to Rito Village now would be fantastic practice, but…

He blinked away the images of sparse ruins and empty landscapes that he had seen when he flew across Hyrule. No, the flight itself hadn’t been what truly winded him. Seeing everything else had done it. Going back out there and seeing everything again would be too soon. He needed… he needed to make sure now that those who had survived were still safe. Until Urbosa and Daruk arrived, he would not be satisfied with simply flying away.

These were words better saved for a diary, in his opinion. He pushed the thoughts away effortlessly, ignoring the way they throbbed in the back of his mind. 

With how long Revali had been sitting here and how fast Daruk was moving, he’d probably be here in around ten minutes. Medoh could make it in two. Honestly, with how many Divine Beasts were converting on Zora’s Domain, Medoh probably felt left out. How the other two Champions had managed to stomach getting back in their Divine Beasts so fast, he didn’t know. No matter. He had just wanted to feel the wind in his own wings instead of using any other form of transport. 

Maybe in a bit he would check in with Daruk first. What was it that the strange doppelganger of Link had said? Don’t burn any bridges? Well, he had already utterly failed with everyone still in Zora’s Domain, so touching base with Daruk first would maybe make this whole impromptu meeting much more manageable. Just doing a quick scan of Zora’s Domain, he would be the first to reach Daruk.

He lifted off into the air with his Gale, earning a dubious look from the wolf. With his superior vision thanks to the daylight, Revali could pick out a few notable people down below. Link had changed into a different set of clothes, but that messy mop of golden hair was definitely him. The perfect knight had decided to go into a guarded posture in front of what Revali assumed was the inn when he flew in. Seeing Link standing guard brought venom into Revali’s veins, but he decided to not swoop down and engage with that . If the perfect knight wanted to go back to guarding Zelda, then so be it.

The only other people who could interfere with him chatting with Daruk was the red Zora who was somehow the fully grown Prince Sidon. How that small Zora had turned into that was astonishing and a tad bit humiliating. He was making conversation with a Goron who Revali did not know the name of. They were likely awaiting Daruk’s arrival. Ah well, that would give him an undoubtedly short window to speak with Daruk, but anything was better than waiting up here any longer.

The wind currents changed at Revali’s call, and one powerful flap sent him soaring towards Vah Rudania. Unfortunately, despite how fast he was flying, he could see the wolf down below keeping pace with him. Sighing, he aimed downwards towards Rudania’s surface. Standing atop it was the massive form of Daruk with notable gray scars riddling his body. The Goron looked like he had seen better days, but a big grin set across his face as he stared across the horizon to Zora’s Domain. He’d be cresting over the hilltop soon.

With a powerful gust, Revali perched on the bulbous terminal of Rudania. Even being on another Divine Beast, being so close to a terminal like this sent shivers up his spine for a brief moment. He shook it off, managing to compose himself when Daruk finally saw who it was.

Impossibly, Daruk’s smile only grew. “Revali! Good to see ya!” He spread his arms wide as if Revali would willingly come down from his perch to accept a bone-crushing hug. Revali didn’t do hugs in the first place. That was wishful thinking on Daruk’s part.

Although, Revali did give him a nod. “I see you survived as well,” he idly commented, although those scars made it seem like something had attempted to butcher Daruk. He could feel the phantom pains left behind by his own scars and decided not to comment.

“As well as I could’a,” Daruk laughed, seemingly not even recognizing the battle scars as an issue. He scratched his beard instead. “You don’t look too bad yourself! Last I saw you were a lil banged up, but it’s good to know you’re all right!”

Well, it seemed Daruk wouldn’t give him the same courtesy of not mentioning his wounds. Then again, when had Daruk seen him? Revali faintly remembered Link activating Protection within that Silent Realm and… ah. Everyone but Mipha had likely seen that. His crest lowered on his head ever so slightly, and he folded his wings. Of course, everyone would see the exact moment when he had been coddled by the hero and dragged to safety. Oh yes, he couldn’t wait for that to be held over his head by even more people.

Revali recovered quickly and jostled his braids. “Naturally, no small injury could keep me down for long.” He still felt like he had been down for a bit too long.

Daruk echoed that, staring at the barren castle far across Hyrule Field, “Just wished I could’a helped the little guy more. It seemed like he had a plan though, so I’m not too upset. Ganon got what was coming to him by the looks of it.”

An optimistic outlook, that was. Revali sneered, “From what I heard, it was less of a plan and more of an impromptu rescue from other people.” He still could not fathom why Link decided to wait until the last possible moment, and only then decide to throw himself at a threat that he could not face alone. It was idiotic.

“Yeah, didn’t really seem like he was in on the whole thing,” Daruk mused and started to lumber towards the front of Rudania, “No use being upset about it though. As soon as I see my grandkid is all right, it’ll all be fine.” He seemed jolly enough. Then again, Daruk’s boundless positivity was unstoppable. “Say, did you just get here? I was wondering if you saw him anywhere.”

His grandkid? There was a Goron down there. However, Revali was a tad more interested in flaunting his speed in getting here. “No, I flew here as soon as I woke up. I’ve been dealing with a few things here, especially-” He was cut off by the sound of the wolf forming right behind him. With an annoyed and terribly furious sigh, he gestured at the mutt, “-That thing.” Daruk looked like his eyes were about to bulge out of his head when he was looking at the wolf, but Revali waved him off. “Pay it no mind. Regardless, I have seen a Goron on the other side of this cliff. I’d assume he’s waiting for you.”

The almost nervous chuckle that Daruk let out made both Revali and the wolf take a step back. Daruk’s loud laugh was going to alert the entire Domain if Rudania hadn’t done so already. “That means he pummeled the Calamity with the lil guy. I can’t wait to ask him how that went.” Daruk's eyes stayed fixated on the wolf that seemed to be keeping a very wide berth from him. Revali looked between the two of them and realized that… ah. Daruk wasn’t interested in dealing with this mutt. Instead, he was shivering and keeping his own distance. 

Right, Revali had almost forgotten Daruk’s strange aversion to dogs. Luckily, they both didn’t seem interested in each other. “Don’t worry yourself, it only seems to enjoy making my life miserable” Revali complained. “I have also heard that the fight you wish to know so much about went quite well without us.” The final words came loaded with venom.

Unfortunately, this was the one time Daruk caught on. He decided to temporarily ignore his fears of the wolf to join the ever-growing list of people trying to talk him down. “Aw c’mon, sure we mighta been out of it, but the lil guy was working really hard to free us.”

“So I’ve heard.” He didn’t want to talk about Link. “Excuse me for having some reservations about my life’s work being reduced to a power nap.”

Now, it was Daruk’s turn to cross his arms. His smile never vanished from his face. “Still have beef with him?”

Beef? BEEF? The Goron who only ate rocks was going to use the word “beef” to describe the multitude of issues he had with that annoying hero? Revali’s anger was only made worse by the wolf nearby having the gall to do one of those strange exhales that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. “It’s not beef.” The word was such an uncouth way of describing the situation. “I am rightfully concerned! The idiot was riddled with burns and scars after throwing himself at the Calamity alone. I seem to be the only one concerned about this!”

“Ooh, concerned huh?” Daruk’s tone took on something playful that made Revali’s feathers begin to stand on end. “Didn’t think ya had it in you! Look at you, growing up.”

“You know what I mean!” Why did everyone feel so insistent on teasing him the moment he expressed valid concern? 

Daruk hummed and continued scratching his chin. “Nah, I don’t think I do. If you’re so worried about the lil guy, just say so! I was too!” He said with such simplicity that it almost made Revali believe such a thing. This wasn’t the kind of worry that Daruk was inferring. 

Revali clicked his beak and looked anywhere but at Daruk. The wolf had abandoned him too, taking its position far across the back of Vah Rudania. Well, good. He didn’t want that thing further infuriating him right now even though it was already doing so by watching him like it was some kind of warden. Revali flew down from the main terminal, deciding that perching was a bit pointless now that the Rudania had leveled out. He stole one glance at Daruk again, and that signature grin had finally faded.

That only agitated Revali more. He tilted his head, asking a simple “What?”

“Dunno,” Daruk lied through his teeth. He very much did know what he was thinking. “...but I do think it’s a good thing, y’know? Usually when you complain about the lil guy, it’s a lot more kicking and screaming.”

Trying to parse what Daruk was getting at would give Revali yet another headache. He folded his wings. What kind of insinuation was that? “You simply missed the kicking and screaming,” he stated confidently, trying very hard to shake Daruk off.

“Usually you put on a lot more of a show about it though.” Daruk had started speculating, looking Revali up and down like he had seen the Rito anew. “Isn’t that Link’s hood, too?”

Ah, yes. Revali brought a hand up to the fabric and tugged it tighter around his neck. He thought about wrenching it off to avoid further questions, but he hated going out without some kind of scarf. Despite the insinuation that his tirades about Link were a show, Revali tried to take things in stride. “Typically, my issues with our beloved hero are about his own inadequacies. This time, he almost got himself killed.”

“So you are worried?”

“No!” Revali flapped his wings. “I’m not!” 

Daruk scratched the back of his head and gave Revali a sidelong glance. From far behind, he could hear the wolf doing another one of those breathy laughs. What did everyone find so funny? The Goron sighed, “Do ya think I’d judge you if you were worried?”

Of course he would. It seemed the moment that Revali expressed a modicum of concern, everyone looked at him like he had grown a second head. What had he done to earn such a reaction? Revali’s stare bored holes in Daruk’s head.

His silence spoke for him. Daruk made a loud wincing noise. “Yeah that one’s on me. My bad.” Revali finally dropped his gaze. Good, Daruk got the point, but he kept talking. “But uh, you do have a weird way of saying you’re worried by denying it over and over.” Daruk started to walk over, and before Revali could properly figure out what he was doing, he found himself grabbed in Daruk’s tight one-armed hug that totally didn’t double as a chokehold. He squawked and thrashed, but it was all futile. “Nothin to worry about now though! Ganon’s gone and dead!”

“Let go of me you-” Revali tried to use his own weight to slide out of the Goron’s grasp. Getting out was easier than he thought, because Daruk actually decided to let go. He dusted off his feathers, adjusting the makeshift scarf that had been tousled in the commotion. He lost a feather to that one. All the rest of his feathers had been thrown into disarray as well. Ergh. Worse, Daruk had a point. The Calamity was dead. Perhaps, all of his reservations about the whole thing were just asinine. “You said it yourself. It is pointless to worry now, isn’t it?” His brow furrowed. “After all, why not simply celebrate to a Calamity finally defeated? Who cares about any of the grimy details that came along with it”

“Well…” Oh come on? Could he just not win with Daruk? “When ya say it like that, I think you’re missing the point. I also think we’re talkin’ circles around each other.” Daruk sat down, and Rudania began to slow its pace. They were almost cresting over the other side of the cliff. Soon, Daruk would likely leave to go see his grandkid. Him slowing Rudania down made no sense. “What’re ya worried about then? Give it to me straight.”

Revali glared. This wasn’t quite the reunion he was envisioning with Daruk. “I don’t appreciate being interrogated as our first conversation being alive again.”

Somehow completely unfazed, the Goron kept going with his jolly grin coming back. “Course ya don’t. You’re on the rougher side of things, but you know what’s cool?” He cocked his head towards Revali in silent question. The Rito decided to remain silent. “I thought I was in for a big spiel about your fight with the Calamity when I mentioned the lil guy. You go on long winded tangents a lot. No offense.”

Offense taken, Daruk. Offense taken. Revali did not find it in him to be mad yet. After all, this seemed to be going somewhere. “And how do you intend for me to take that?” He questioned with one eyebrow raising.

“That’s the neat thing! I don’t usually see you worrying often.” It should’ve come off as an insult, but Daruk didn’t really go in with the direct insults often. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded painfully genuine. “It might not be your territory, but it’s a good thing. Keep doing that.”

What the hell? This strange pep talk sounded like a lot of assumptions to Revali. He opened his beak to protest, but what was he even supposed to say? Was he supposed to claim he wasn’t worried at all? No, that wasn’t true anymore. Every time he tried to mask his concern, the image of Link taking a guardian laser to the back burned through his memory. Throwing out another insult to Link might work just to throw Daruk off. After all, that stupid knight had been an absolute imbecile during their brief conversation. His heart wasn’t in it though, and going on a tirade about Link would destroy all of the good will he had left with Daruk.

Why was this so infuriating? What was he getting wrong? 

Maybe his approach had been wrong, but oh how he wanted to tear into Link for making him worry. He wanted to shake that hero and scream into his face how stupid it was to throw Hyrule’s last hope in front of a guardian beam. Every single worry Revali hurled at the hero seemed to slide right off like it meant nothing. 

Link had never taken any of his criticism with any tangible reaction. He never took the scathing attempts at Revali getting him to react. Why would it be any different now? Link would never listen to a word of his criticism. Getting worry across would be nigh impossible. He knew Link was capable of listening. If he wasn’t, then that hero would be unable to keep up with the near constant banter they had atop Vah Medoh. How would he get him to listen?

What did Daruk say he wanted? He wanted Revali to tell him exactly what his worries were without any sugar coating. Saying any of the thoughts in his head to Link without five layers of sarcasm and scathing words sounded like a terrible idea. It was made even worse by the fact that he was even considering it.

With a loud grunt, Daruk pushed himself back up to his feet. On cue, Rudania came to a stop just over the precipice of the cliff. They were here. Walking over to the edge of Vah Rudania revealed the Domain down below, as well as Prince Sidon and Daruk’s grandkid staring up at them. They’d been spotted. 

Daruk had no interest in staying hidden, and he pumped his arm into the air. The Goron below did the same, and his own face split into a grin very reminiscent of Daruk’s. “That’s my cue!” Daruk exclaimed, and he started leaning over the edge of Rudania. “You coming?”

Revali had stepped back from the edge the moment he had been spotted. Being dragged down there now sounded like a nightmare. It would be an easy way to ease back into the Domain, but further interrogation from Daruk would drive him insane. Instead of thinking of following, Revali took another few steps back. “I’ll pass.” He didn’t know where he was going to go or what he would do, but he needed to figure a few things out before he even tried to go back to Zora’s Domain.

He also ignored the way the wolf barked at his response. It was very clearly mad at him. This had the added side effect of making Daruk go bug-eyed. “Yep, I’ll leave ya with that thing. See ya later!”

With an impressive and quite honestly terrifying leap, Daruk plummeted from Vah Rudania with Protection activated. Revali heard the loud crash that Daruk made, and he stole a glance over the edge just to see the crater. Daruk was already on his feet, fistbumping Yunobo before locking him into a half-hug half-chokehold. 

Well, at least some people were getting along.

Revali stole another look at Zora’s Domain. Link still hadn’t moved from his spot guarding the princess. Even though he couldn’t make out his expression, Revali would bet rupees that Link’s face had returned to a dull stare. It made him scoff.

Despite the wolf staring at him incredulously, Revali took off in another Gale. He wanted to see how long it would take for Urbosa to get here, and maybe he would meet with the rest of the Champions when all of them had reunited. Then, the attention might finally be off of him.

Zelda waited with bated breath at the long bridge leading into Zora’s Domain. Rhythmic quakes shook the ground, and she knew exactly what was creating them. Just a few minutes ago, Mipha had rushed into the inn to wake her up when they all realized just how quickly Urbosa had gotten here. Vah Naboris had been trudging across the land all day, and Zelda would not miss Urbosa’s arrival. She’d gotten dressed in a new set of clothes that Teba had left her and bolted out of the inn. Link was waiting there, and she only gave that fact a moment’s notice before rushing off. He trudged behind, not quite keeping pace with her but silently following.

On the way, they met up with the source of Mipha’s information. Zelda had never met her before, but Chief Riju reminded her far too much of Urbosa. She was very young, but the mighty grin on her face when she recounted what she had been doing the past few hours made Zelda only think of the Champion. Allegedly, Riju had taken it upon herself to relieve the nearby Lizalfos of their electric arrows alongside Teba. While Zelda would absolutely love to know why Teba had been flying around for so long today, she did appreciate someone keeping an eye on the current chief of the Gerudo. If the Lizalfos had suffered because of that, who was Zelda to judge?

Of all the people she missed in her century-long confinement, she found herself missing Urbosa the most. No matter how many times Zelda failed, Urbosa always remained at her side. Even when her mother passed, Urbosa remained a constant shoulder to lean on. After so long, she hardly even considered being able to see her again. Now, in just a few short minutes, she would be here. Vah Naboris could easily scale hills with its legs being able to firmly plant into cliffsides from the sheer force of their drive. Already, Zelda could hear Vah Naboris’ cry. The other two nearby Divine Beasts responded in tune. Even without Medoh here, they were happy to be reunited.

Zelda could echo that sentiment. She practically bounced on her heels. Riju seemed just as fixated on the horizon, masking none of her giddiness. Additionally, on either side of Zelda stood Mipha and Link. She really needed to pay Link more mind, and it was wonderful that he was able to walk on his own again. She just… was a tad too overwhelmed about the fact that she would be seeing Urbosa so soon. 

The white streak of feathers that was undoubtedly Teba finally came back into view. He had set off to figure out how far Urbosa actually was, and he seemed quite out of breath when landing on the stonework. “She’s moving fast ,” he paused for a second to catch his breath, “Probably not even a minute before she gets here.”

Sure enough, the top of Vah Naboris’ head began to appear over the horizon. Many Zora stopped what they were doing to stare, and for good reason. Any Zora who had been alive a century ago would know that Vah Naboris was a Divine Beast never meant to be around Zora’s Domain. Its ability to channel lightning through its systems would be massively detrimental to the Zora. However, Urbosa seemed to not care about such things. Zelda would usually be worried, but she had personally seen to it that the Calamity was destroyed. It could no longer hurt them.

Zelda nodded to Teba with a short “Thank you” before fixing her gaze on the horizon again. Teba had been running around all day, and now that the sun was beginning to go down, he needed to stop flying around. She would say something, but she very much did not want to upset anything right now, especially when he had been so kind. Besides, he certainly didn’t look like he wanted to fly again at the moment. He took up a position a bit further on the bridge, and was trying very hard to catch his breath fully.

However, Zelda noticed something when she looked at Teba. There were two very distinguished Gorons walking alongside Prince Sidon, slowly approaching their motley group. If Daruk’s beard and laugh didn’t give him away, the way he eyed the water down below certainly would. Zelda waved, yelling happily, “Daruk?!”

The Goron stopped looking at the water and glanced at her. Immediately, Daruk’s face split into a wide grin. He looked worse for wear, but that hardly stopped his happiness. Mipha looked like she would blow up, but she made no move to step in between Zelda and Daruk to chide him. Daruk barreled towards the group, sweeping everyone except for Teba and Riju into a wide, all encompassing hug. “Sure is me, princess! The ol’ lizard and I made it just fine!”

After considerable gasping for air, he did let go. Zelda hardly minded one of those signature strangleholds. It felt exhilarating. “I didn’t think I would see you again, let alone here !” Zelda looked around at Zora’s Domain and back to Daruk, conveying the wordless thing they were all thinking about.

Daruk grimaced. “Not a big fan of the water, but hey! Had to make sure my favorite Hylians were all right. Been here for a bit longer, but I got so caught up talking with Yunobo that I didn’t realize Urbosa was almost here.” He slapped the Goron next to him on the back, and Yunobo hardly even flinched. It was… quite impressive. “And you, lil guy. Good to see ya!” He said to Link who returned with a silent nod.

He had returned back to a blank stare. It was barely more emotive than his face from a century ago, but Zelda found herself quite shocked when she turned to see that same face on him. It almost looked wrong now.

Sidon looked like he remembered something, because his face lit up and he pushed past the Gorons. “And when Urbosa arrives, my father would love to see all of you! He plans on commemorating all of us.”

Zelda glanced around, now realizing that all four of Link’s friends who he had brought into the fight were here. All of them were still alive and well. She could only smile, and she spoke up, “Really, I should be thanking all of you for coming to my aid when I needed you.”

A small smile curved at the corners of Link’s mouth. Everyone else simply took that with a nod, but Sidon took it much more in stride. “It was absolutely nothing! But please, let my father know that. I am convinced he is trying to keep me from leaving the Domain.”

“For good reason!” Mipha added.

“You’re grounded too, dear sister! We won’t be able to leave!”

The two continued their bickering, and Zelda found it in her to laugh. She could get used to this. Vah Naboris took its position in front of the entrance to Zora’s Domain which would surely block it if it lowered down. However, the Divine Beast’s head began to lower into a large bow. From atop the large head, Zelda could barely make out the figure of Urbosa. Vah Naboris lowered her close to the ground, and Urbosa very carefully slid off. There was a wince, but only a bit. Was she wounded?

Vah Naboris began to make its ascent to join Vah Ruta. Meanwhile, Urbosa began to trudge towards the group with a wide smile. She was using a large walking stick for support, and she was favoring one foot much more. Already, worry was beginning to spread across Mipha’s face. However, Urbosa shared none of that. The moment she got even close enough to say something, Zelda broke off from the group in a sprint.

She didn’t care about anything but making sure Urbosa was real. Zelda wrapped her arms around the second mother who had always been there for her. She thought it would all be a dream that she would wake up from, but Urbosa returned the embrace in turn. Tears already started to well up, but Urbosa filled the silence with her own voice. “Now now, little bird, you’ve done well.”

Zelda kept her eyes shut, but Urbosa’s embrace reminded her that she really was here. “I thought I- that I would never see you again.”

“And yet here we all are,” Urbosa laughed, managing to break Zelda’s iron grip. She looked down fondly at Zelda as she opened her eyes. Despite everything, they all stood together once again. “Well, almost all of us. But ah, it seems he’s finally decided to stop hiding.”

A gust of wind preceded Revali’s arrival. Well, NOW they were all here. Even if Zelda had been slightly furious at Revali, he had chosen a fantastic time to return. All of them were now finally together again. The Rito scoffed, “Of course, I wouldn’t let you celebrate without me, now would I?”

Mipha muttered under her breath, “I had my doubts.” Revali luckily either didn’t hear that or chose not to react to it. It wasn’t like she gave him a chance, because Mipha inched closer to Urbosa and Zelda. She was eyeing Urbosa’s worse leg suspiciously. “Did you break something, Urbosa?”

“A century ago, yes,” she responded, but pointedly did not allow Mipha to heal her. Urbosa held up her hand. “I am also certain that you’ve expended much of your energy already. You look exhausted.”

Looking a bit shocked, Mipha protested, “But-”

“A simple broken bone will hardly stop me for one night, Princess Mipha.” Urbosa tilted her head, and she must’ve been onto something. All of Mipha’s fins looked like they were sagging. She looked terribly exhausted. “Besides, I would like to spend the rest of my night with all of you instead of spending however long it takes to heal this.”

Mipha’s reservations turned into a smile. Urbosa was a master with her words, and quite convincing. Everyone else seemed to agree with her, and she appraised the group with a speculative eye. Written all over her face was nothing but an impressed smirk. When her eyes landed on Riju, the smirk turned into a happy grin. Riju smiled right back. “I wish you could have seen our fight against the Calamity. It would have made you proud.”

Urbosa let out a loud laugh. She glanced at everyone, nodding in approval. “Then it is safe to assume you all are the ones that sealed the wretched beast away?” Everyone except the Champions nodded. Revali glanced away with a ‘tch’ noise, and Teba caught his gaze. Urbosa hardly minded his theatrics. “I am proud of all of you, for deciding to step into a fight that you may not have originally been part of, but that you played a part in wonderfully.” Her gaze trailed down to Link and Zelda, and her eyes shimmered. “And I am proud of the two of you for so much more than I could express now.”

Zelda didn’t need her to express anything now, but she would love to hear it one day. Just hearing that Urbosa was proud made the tears only grow further. She’d managed to detach from Urbosa finally, but now she couldn’t hide her face anywhere. Now, the tears just flowed freely. “Th-thank you, Urbosa,” she barely managed to stammer.

“No, thank you.” She placed a hand on Zelda’s and glanced at the rest of the group. “Now, there are many of you I would love to speak to tonight if you would allow me. There is much I’d love to be filled in on.” Her gaze turned to Riju, and she couldn’t help but chuckle. “I may have to start with you, Chief Riju. You have sent Gerudo Town into quite the frenzy with your disappearance.”

Riju winced like she very much already knew that. Despite her nervous laugh, she tried to explain, “I would’ve sent word to them earlier, but my usual messenger has been missing all day.”

Zelda scrunched her nose and tried to figure out what messenger could possibly get across Hyrule that quickly. In some of the conversations she’d heard between Mipha and Sidon, there was apparently someone who warped everyone with the Sheikah Slate. Mid-fight, a wolf had taken it from Link. That seemed far too peculiar to make any sense. She would have to investigate that later. If she was paying more attention, she would’ve seen the culprit appearing next to Revali and noticed that was what he was squawking about, but she didn’t.

Instead, she found herself looking among her friends, seeing everyone together once again after everything. Sidon and Mipha had finally been reunited, the two of them still playfully arguing with one another. Urbosa had taken to leaning against the rail of the bridge to speak with Riju as she recounted the fight against the Calamity. Teba kept a small distance, stealing glances at everyone and beaming himself. Revali was having issues with something just out of her vision, but his furious squawks were loud enough to make her chuckle. Link had been caught by Daruk and Yunobo. Daruk had fallen into easy conversation with him, no doubt being used to his silence since before the Calamity. Yunobo looked a bit out of the conversation, but Daruk kept bringing him into whatever the one-sided conversation entailed. Link kept stealing glances at her, and she wondered why she had found him guarding her when she woke up.

Those were conversations for later. Her chest swelled with nothing but happiness, and she knew that somehow, everything had to be fine now.

Sidon raised a hand, and all heads snapped to him. Said hand moved into one of his signature flexes, and his grin shimmered in the twilight. “Everyone! My good friends! My father has summoned all of you for a celebration, for a Calamity defeated and for bringing my sister back to us.”

Zelda’s little bubble of happiness slightly popped when she realized that probably meant she would have to be presenting as royalty. That was fine, she could do that for a little longer. Summoning the regal attitude she used to have in the past, she clasped her hands together. “I would be honored to attend, Prince Sidon.”

Funnily enough, Daruk completely shattered all formality. “Do any of you serve some rock roasts? I’ve been starving.” 

“No!” Sidon exclaimed, but his enthusiasm could not be deterred, “But if Yunobo is to be believed, I am sure you would enjoy luminous stones!”

Zelda glanced at Yunobo for any form of confirmation that he had indeed eaten luminous stones. She found him scratching the back of his head with nervous laughter. Daruk was grinning, so that had to mean it might be good for them. Ah well, as long as it was enjoyable. She would never understand eating rocks. That was more Link’s thing.

Sidon waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to follow. “Onward my friends! It’ll be dark out soon, and we would love for you to see the Domain when it glows!” His enthusiasm was great, and it would be nice to see Zora’s Domain when she wasn’t in the process of worrying about Link’s safety. So much had changed, but this place had remained mostly the same. Even Sidon, so small before the Calamity, was still alive and well. She could hardly believe it.

The group began to move back across the bridge. Zelda waited for Urbosa to stand before beginning to join them. Despite having an injured ankle, she still moved fast enough to keep pace. However, Zelda found herself moving a bit slower and trying to stay near the back. If she could just keep everyone within her view, then surely they would never be able to disappear. She wanted to keep this moment forever. 

She noticed Link’s gaze on her for a brief second before she turned away. Even after a century, he took guarding her extremely seriously. Link shouldn’t be doing that right now, especially with his injured state. Hopefully, tonight she could pull him aside and talk with him about this whole knight thing. The talk with Mipha earlier in the day had been enlightening, and Zelda needed to figure out what she wanted to do. Was restoring Hyrule really the first step?

Maybe that was a talk to have with Urbosa. She would know what to say.

Instead of Urbosa being at her side, she found Teba walking uncomfortably close. He was worriedly glancing down at her, and something was definitely bothering him. Her thoughts were confirmed when he asked in a hushed whisper, “You got a second?”

Zelda intentionally slowed her pace with a short nod. Teba was trustworthy, but this did seem like a bit of a bad time to talk. She kept walking so as to not have Link think something was wrong, but she hovered further away from the group. “Yes?”

“He’s acting weird,” Teba stated in a hushed whisper, getting right to the point. “Link, I mean.”

Yes, his switch in behavior was a bit weird, but this seemed only natural when traveling with Link. He didn’t usually speak. However, his own travels without his memory proved that was wrong. It definitely didn’t help that Link had been talkative and argumentative with people in the early morning when he woke up. Hesitantly, she agreed, “I can see that, but I am unsure as to why you’d mention it.”

Teba straightened up a bit. He was tall, and Zelda would be quite intimidated if this wasn’t the same Rito who had taken one look at her and decided to skewer fish for her to eat. He wasn’t trying to be intimidating either. He was just nervous. “He was uh… your knight, right?”

Zelda nodded. “Very much so. This is quite normal for what he would have done in the past. Though… I am unsure as to why he went back now.” It occurred to Zelda that this Rito had mentioned Link’s memory loss before. He talked about the recovery process not quite going as planned. This small pocket of a conversation away from the group was actually a boon. With the renewed interest of a researcher, she questioned, “How much does he remember?”

“I wouldn’t know.” He shrugged. “Link doesn’t tell us these things unless he has to. I know that he’s- uh- been struggling to recover much of anything though. He didn’t even really seem to know who Champion Revali was when he entered our village.”

Was the memory loss that terrible? She knew the healing process would deprive him of his memories, but for him to forget everyone? 

Teba corrected himself a bit when he saw the stress beginning to take over, “He knows who you are now, though. That part he definitely figured out. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so damn persistent at running off to free everyone.”

Now that sounded like Link. Zelda’s stress began to fade more, and she smiled. “Then… I hope he’ll regain more when surrounded by everyone. At least, I hope he remains happier than he once was.”

Teba didn’t seem as thrilled about that information as she thought. His beak had snapped shut for a bit. He was internally debating something, and the conversation fell flat when they went into the Domain properly. Sidon’s voice carried loud enough to mask their conversation, and Zelda tried to give Teba time to think. Eventually, he whispered, “My wife, Saki, is going to be expecting to see him back at our roost alive and well. You wouldn’t mind if I stole him for a bit, would you?”

Zelda’s eyes narrowed as she stared straight ahead. Stole him? The language choice was intended to be playful, but a pit formed in Zelda’s stomach as she read far too into that. There was nothing to steal. Link was his own person, and he should have the right to not be bound to her side at every given opportunity. She’d always wanted him to make sure that he could go wherever he pleased in the past, but he never did. The expectations on his shoulders were too much.

Would he do the same now? She hoped he would. “Link will choose what he wants,” she decided, “I do not intend to force him into anything.”

She asked him once whether or not he would have chosen a different path than a knight. Hopefully now, she could ask him again.

The rigidness in Teba’s body finally went away. The ends of his beak curved into a smile. “Thank you, er… is it princess or queen now?”

Waving a hand, she confirmed again, “Just Zelda, please.” She really needed to get people to stop using her title, and she would repeat it as many times as necessary. At this point, she hoped someone would make a cheesy nickname for her and that it would stick enough for the title of “princess” to never come up again.

“Fiiine,” he conceded with a wink, “Thanks, ‘just Zelda’.”

Zelda’s eyes narrowed. He knew dad jokes. Hyrule was doomed.

Teba began to walk a little faster to rejoin the group, and she picked up the pace to rejoin as well. They were beginning to ascend to the next level of the Domain, and all of her thoughts were racing. Mipha’s talk the previous night had opened up a whole new world, and things may shake up even further if Link decided not to be her knight anymore. She would be happy with any decision he made, but she certainly needed to think these things through.

The first order of business was that she either needed some protection or someone to teach her any basic self defense. She absolutely could not stay in Zora’s Domain. If Impa was truly still alive, she needed to make her way to Kakariko as soon as possible. She wanted to speak with the Sheikah as soon as possible. Zelda could ask Urbosa for help, but what if she planned to return to Gerudo Town? There were so many things she needed to do, but she had no one to tell her exactly what she was supposed to do anymore. 

Her only other options that she knew personally were Mipha and Revali. Mipha would be wonderful for company, but she was apparently “grounded” like half of the people in this group. Getting past King Dorephan would be… difficult all things considered. Revali was a different beast, and he likely did not want to speak with her right now. Just glancing at him, he looked far too preoccupied with a… was that a wolf?

It wasn’t just any wolf, it was the wolf. She had seen it enter the chambers and join Link in the fight. It was almost a tad bit unnerving to see a beast that large simply walking next to Revali. For whatever reason, the Rito kept glancing down at it with the same nervousness Zelda was getting. Revali being nervous was a rarity.

She found herself so fixated on this animal. There was a draw to it, like she should know something. The sealing power within her seemed to glow a little bit brighter, but she could not understand why. One of the wolf’s blue eyes trailed to her, and she glanced away like she had just been pierced.

It was truly a beautiful creature, but that stare scared her.

They were nearing the throne room. Zelda began to move towards the front of the group to walk with Sidon. She represented the Champions, and thus she must act like her status. Just for tonight, she would slide back into the role of Princess Zelda. Tonight, she would meet King Dorephan who gave his daughter to fight the Calamity a century ago. She would apologize. She would try her best to amend the strained relationship between the Hylians and the Zora.

Maybe she had to do none of those things.

Until she knew that, she straightened her posture and clasped her hands. The traveler clothes she wore looked nothing like her usual regal blue, but she somehow felt more comfortable in them. She needed that now. She stole one last glance at Link and wondered if he felt the same things she was right now. Was the stress of this situation weighing on her nearly as much as it was with him? She didn’t know, but she wished she could ask.

Urbosa’s hand gently set on Zelda’s shoulder. She looked up to see Urbosa smiling and giving her one, reassuring nod. She could do this.

When all was said and done, Link was not paying attention. Everything about this meeting between royalty went right over his head. Luckily, the entire thing seemed to be more positive than his meeting with the Zora. When he arrived at the Domain, Muzu wanted to put his head on a pike. With Zelda in the room and a newly revived Mipha, everyone seemed in much better spirits. There was much ceremonial talk and social cues that he honestly did not care for. The him of the past may have known how to keep up with all of this, but his mind was wandering.

Falling back into the knight role felt like second nature. This was something he knew how to do, despite how agonizing it felt. Trailing behind Zelda and making sure that no harm befell her was simple. All he had to do was stand guard and keep an eye out for anything that would go wrong. He didn’t plan on doing this now, but he realized shortly after changing clothes that leaving Zelda alone when he was supposed to be her knight would reflect terribly on him. The other Zora knew his status. They knew what he was supposed to do. He couldn’t hide. So, he did the one thing he knew how, and he guarded her.

The silence had come naturally. He said a few words here and there, but why would he need to speak otherwise? Dutifully standing guard made sense as a knight. If he chatted too much with those around him, then the Zora who knew his status would think he was shirking responsibility. If he disrespected Zelda, he would be disrespecting his one role. He couldn’t let that happen.

This wasn’t working. This was painful. Defending the crown had been what he was designed for, and he found himself being unable to stomach even that. Just a few hours of doing his job, and he wanted to scream. He could’ve used that time to talk with Fi… but she had fallen into a painful silence that told him she didn’t want to talk. Also, he couldn’t just leave Zelda. She needed him, and she had done absolutely nothing to deserve him packing his bags and disappearing into the wild. She had done so much to ensure his victory, and Link knew no one else in the royal family had tried to give him that luxury. So no, he would not simply abandon Zelda. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

At least the Zora had fantastic food for this banquet.

It wasn’t like he could enjoy it. All conversations at the table began to turn to a low buzzing in his ears. How many customs had he forgotten? Was he supposed to be doing something with the way he ate? He thought he might, but he had no way of knowing. He knew customs of royalty were so stringent, but had no idea what they were. Even glancing around the table, he couldn’t tell if anyone was judging him for perceived screw-ups. Revali looked like he might be judging, but every time Link caught his gaze, the Rito looked away.

It was frustrating. He had finished the hardest battle of his life, and he was fighting one in his head that he had no chance of winning. Had he always been this concerned about custom? For once, he wished a memory would hit him. He thought to himself that he might give Hylia some forgiveness if she would simply bestow a memory of every single custom of royalty on him right now.

He received nothing, and the entire night was lost on him until they were freed into the festivities of open air. The sun had finally gone down on a very long day, and Link decided that he would maybe just “guard” from afar. Really, he wanted to be as far away from all of this as possible, but he needed to continue keeping up appearances. He needed to get used to this again. This was his life now. This is what he did before, and it’s what he had to do now. 

Music filled the silence of the night as Zora danced in tune. It was fun to watch, but honestly he couldn’t be bothered to join. Hopefully, no one expected him to. It would hurt far too much to dance, and he was certain that was another custom that had been lost to his shoddy memory. In all of his travels, he had never re-learned how to dance. Suddenly, with the Calamity gone, he had been thrust back into the old world that he knew nothing about. It was exhausting.

He did find a bit of fun in watching the Zora musicians play. One of them had an instrument that really sparked his interest, and it momentarily took his mind off of his woes. The entire instrument looked to be made out of the skeleton of a large fish, but it somehow managed to let out a short strum with every motion the Zora made. He liked that instrument. Link thought to maybe join in with the Goddess Harp, but…

That was still in the Sheikah Slate, and the slate was no longer functional.

His spirits fell again. Kass would be disappointed, if they ever crossed paths again. He didn’t even know if he would be able to return to Rito Village anytime soon. That was a topic he would have to broach with Zelda, and he doubted that she would-

“Link?” 

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Zelda’s voice. His posture broke, and he tried to straighten himself back up to not look like he had stopped paying attention. If she had snuck up on him, then clearly he had been slacking too much. What would she say?

She looked more surprised if anything, but she quickly apologized, “I didn’t mean to startle you. My apologies.” Wringing her hands, she joined Link on his secluded spot further away from all of the madness. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she looked just as nervous as he felt. “Things have been moving so quickly, and… I simply wanted to make sure things were fine.”

Had he been so obvious? He nervously shifted ever so slightly away from her. Was he supposed to bow when he was being talked to? He didn’t think he was. He never did so in any of his memories, and he knew that he and Zelda had to have been friends by the end. Why was he worrying so much now? Without anything else to do, he gave a thumbs-up in an attempt to lie.

She didn’t look like she bought any of that, and she took a deep breath. “You know that you can speak freely around me, right?” She tried to give a reassuring smile. “Just because you’re no longer stuck in a healing pool doesn’t mean you have to be so formal.”

The levity in her tone managed to bring him back a little bit. He exhaled, trying to get his bearings. Zelda was his friend. She wasn’t trying to scrutinize him. In the past, they had moved far beyond that. “Sorry,” he tried, “Not really used to all of this.”

When he talked, Zelda’s smile brightened. “I don’t think these kinds of formal parties were ever really your thing. You usually stayed out of it!”

Ah, well at least his behavior was consistent. Still, he couldn’t pick out any of those memories. Foolishly, he said, “That’s a relief.” He wanted to curse himself, because Zelda’s smile flickered. His lack of memory had yet to be broached.

And now it would. “I have been… meaning to talk to you about something, actually,” she started with unease beginning to enter her voice. “How much… do you really remember?”

Link winced. “Not much,” he managed to admit. It hurt to see Zelda’s worried face grow crestfallen. “The slate helped, and I get a few things sometimes.”

“That’s… good.” She sounded vaguely disappointed, and Link wanted to curse himself again. “Do you really remember me?” Her voice sounded hopeful, despite the fact that she continued to look at him like he was about to shatter her world again.

Did he? He wasn’t sure. “I remember…” He paused, trying to find the right words that eluded him. Mipha had taught him a bit of sign, but he had only learned a few simple ones. He needed to convey something complex. “I remember you were mad at me, that we eventually became friends, and that you saved my life… but I don’t know anything in between.” He wanted to know more. He had heard so much from the Divine Beasts about what he used to be, but none of his memories had ever portrayed that. “I wish I remembered more.” He wished he remembered the things that didn’t torture him.

Zelda almost looked surprised. She put a hand on her chin and began to tap the side of her face. That response must’ve not been what she was expecting. A small smile graced her lips, but that didn’t quite put all of her worries at ease. She was trying to work out something, and Link had become a new puzzle she was desperate to solve. “I apologize that I only left you with the unflattering memories. I misunderstood you, back then.”

He figured that she no longer resented him, but the confirmation from her lifted a weight off of his shoulders. Sometimes, he couldn’t tell if someone was cool with him or still wanted to skewer him. He could thank Revali for that. “They weren’t all bad.” That was a bit of a lie. Most of them kinda sucked. There was one that he always could look back on fondly. “I remember the Champion Ceremony where Daruk ruined that photo.”

A choked noise forced its way out of Zelda’s mouth, and her shoulders shook with laughter. “I’m happy you remembered that, at least. Though… I don’t think I ever saved that to the limited space on the Sheikah Slate.”

“Kass helped.” Link scrunched his face when he realized Zelda wouldn’t know who Kass even was. At her confusion, he clarified, “He’s a Rito bard. Apparently there was a court musician that passed all these things down. He… also helped me do something with the Divine Beasts.”

Zelda nodded thoughtfully. “I will have to remember that name. I have many questions about just how you went about reviving our friends, but those need to wait.” She reached down to her waist, pulling a familiar Sheikah object off of the belt she wore. The Sheikah Slate still looked to be in disrepair. “I hope to seek out the Divine Beasts myself when I get the opportunity, but fixing the Sheikah Slate will be vital. I hope you don’t mind if I hold onto it for a bit?”

“It… shouldn’t matter too much?” He furrowed his brow, not really getting the question. “I’ll be close by anyway if I need it, right?” 

Her lips formed into a straight line. “Right, about that.” She started wringing her hands again after she clipped the slate back to her belt. The stress had come right back. “I know you do not remember, and it may be cruel of me to bring it up, but we had many talks about what you would do if you weren’t a knight. You never really gave it much thought back then.”

Link found himself sweating. The music in Zora’s Domain started to become drowned out by the blood pumping in his ears. He remained silent, and allowed Zelda to continue.

Zelda took a deep breath, and she shut her eyes. “I… I saw you on your journey, Link. You were happy, and I-I need to ask you whether or not you even wish to continue being a knight.”

The response came automatically, but he didn’t even believe what he was saying. This had to be a test, right? Besides, Zelda was his friend. He couldn’t just abandon her. “I’m fine doing it,” he lied. He was anything but fine. Trying to reason with the now shattered logic he had in his possession, he argued, “There’s monsters still out there. I pulled the Master Sword. It’s… not just something I can leave for you alone.”

“And why not?” Zelda put a hand on her hip. “You were never the only person who traveled beside me, Link. Sometimes, it was just Impa. Other times, I had other Champions keeping me safe.” She tried to take a step forward, closing a bit of the distance between them. “Don’t you see? I will not stop you if you truly wish to continue being a knight… but I cannot stand idly by and allow you to fall back into this position when I saw you smile on your journey.”

She had seen him goofing off. She had seen so much more than he ever knew. Just how long had she been spectating his journey? Link found himself a bit lightheaded, and he tried to argue again, “Really, it’s… fine. I have to help rebuild.” This was all he knew. This was all his life had been leading up to. This was why he had delayed for so long. 

“No, you do not!” Zelda protested. She threw her hands in the air, and started to embody the Zelda that he knew could go on large tangents. “I don't even know if I want to rebuild anything. I have spent my whole life dedicated to this kingdom, and yet I have never once had a chance to pursue what I have always wanted.” She stared Link down and pointed a finger at him. “And if I get to be selfish, then so do you!”

He thought she would do anything to reinstate Hyrule. He’d thought that she would assume the role of princess and queen soon after. His entire world was being upended, and the words began to leave him.

Zelda sighed, and she gave one final ultimatum: “I will not tell you to be my knight. It is your choice now. You are hereby no longer bound to me unless by choice. So tell me, do you really want this? Is rebuilding what you’ve wanted?”

The words had been taken from him. He found himself unable to speak again even though the answer had already been formed ages ago. Going against Hyrule would surely be some kind of criminal action. It had to be morally wrong. Yet, who would judge them? Who would judge either of them? He wanted to answer. He wanted to scream the answer. However, he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t articulate the word that may destroy the friendship he had with Zelda.

However, Mipha had taught him something. She taught him what she referred to as the most important word to know when his voice had left him. He shook his head, and used what Mipha had taught him. He tapped two fingers to his thumb, signing a resounding and final ‘No.’

There was silence, but it hardly lasted. Zelda was smiling, and she looked like a weight of her own had just been lifted. “Then there’s no need for any formality between us anymore, Link.” She caught his gaze, and she said in a hushed tone, “That being said, I would love to still be friends if that is all right with you.”

Friends? She wouldn’t hate him for abandoning her? Link thought that she would never want to see him again if he no longer remained at her side. Hastily, he nodded. He wanted nothing more than to be friends. “I’d love that,” he quickly answered.

“Then don’t go running off too soon when you get swept back to Rito Village,” Zelda chuckled, and Link immediately felt a chill go down his spine. Somehow, she knew about his entire arrangement. “I hear that Mipha has been conspiring against you.”

The stress just kept melting away even with that threat. His smile came easily. “You don’t say?”

Zelda fully laughed, leaning over the side of the railing to gaze off into the lake below. “Oh yes! That being said, Teba made a terrible joke earlier, and I would very much appreciate it if you could get him away from Daruk before he finds out how to make similar jokes.” It came off as more of a plea if anything, but Link had no idea what she could possibly be referring to. He’d take her desperation at face value.

“We’ll probably leave soon, so don’t worry,” he promised, “Just… bring back the slate if it does get fixed. There’s some important things in there.”

“Of course!” She nodded, and pushed off of the railing. “I do need to talk with Urbosa very soon, but please don’t be a stranger, Link. I am hoping that our paths will cross soon.”

He grimaced. “When I’m ungrounded.”

“When you’re ungrounded.” In the most mocking way possible, Zelda bowed to Link in a display that was definitely not part of any social customs that Link knew. “I hope to see the ever elusive Link again some day… and you’d better not leave without saying goodbye.”

“I won’t!” He tried to promise, but she looked at him incredulously. “Promise!”

That was enough for her. She smiled one last time, and gave a small wave. “Then I will see you again soon.”

“Soon.” He nodded back, and they parted ways. 

Link stared down at his own hand, seeing the faded symbol of the triforce on it anew. He stood there in complete shock for a bit, everything spinning around him. Slowly, the realization started to dawn on him. The chains that he believed to exist were never there after all. It had always been this simple, hadn’t it? Now, instead of being bound to a life he never wanted to be a part of, he had just been asked to be friends instead.

He didn’t know what to do except simply standing still. His entire life had just been upended again, and suddenly the world had just opened back up. He wasn’t stuck with anything. Why worry about social customs when they no longer really applied to him? He could be as free as he wanted! No one would stop him from jumping into the lake if he really wanted to. 

Instead, he found a nice, secluded piece of the Domain, so that he could sit down and just feel the night air. Nothing could bother him anymore. He just wanted to lay back in the water and laugh now. All of his worries had been for nothing. Guilt threatened to creep in from just how long he delayed when nothing was really an issue, but everything turned out fine in the end. Everyone was safe, and he was now free to be wherever he wanted. If he was being honest, a lot of that would likely be traveling with the Champions. He could just now do it without any expectations on his shoulders.

The Calamity was dead. The royal family was gone. The world could heal again.

He didn’t even feel the slightest bit intimidated when he heard the click of talons on the stonework. That could be one of two people, and he didn’t even need to see who it was. Link heard Revali mutter something to himself before suddenly fully scittering on the stone.

“You stupid mutt! I’m going!” Revali screeched, and that got Link’s attention.

 He tilted his head to look at the commotion, and saw a very disgruntled Revali getting shoved. The wolf had taken up position behind Revali and was headbutting him towards Link relentlessly. He wanted to laugh, but Revali would probably kill him right now. He couldn’t stop a snicker from escaping his mouth, and that caught the Rito’s attention.

His emerald eyes glowered in betrayal, and the wolf finally relented with smug satisfaction. Revali dusted himself off and straightened the scarf that was still definitely Link’s hood. Just like with all of Revali’s tirades, the Rito started to try to straighten up and preened his feathers. Ah, it would be one of these again. “Well, look at you, acting just as dignified as I’d expect you to be.” Of course, Revali would open with an insult. Honestly, he was just back for round three.

Link waved him off. No matter what Revali threw his way, he couldn’t be brought down now. “I don’t need to be ‘dignified’ anymore.” He leaned back against the stonework lazily. “Not a knight anymore.”

Revali’s eyes looked like they would bulge out of his head. He eyed Link incredulously for a few moments, but then he took a step back and laughed, “What? The princess finally decided to fire you?”

“No, we’re just friends now.” Link was done with letting Revali get away with the insults. He’d been going easy on the bird since Vah Medoh. Now, he wanted to fire back. “What? Are you going to miss the silent knight?” 

The Rito’s feathers began to rise, and he tried desperately to comb them down. “I’ll have you know I have quite a few problems with your silent schtick, but you appear to be even more insufferable when you open your mouth.” He placed a hand on his head like he was getting a headache. “Sometimes, I regret ever wondering what your thoughts wer- OW HEY!” The wolf had snagged one of Revali’s tail feathers, giving a mean tug that didn’t pull any out but certainly startled the Rito.

“I don’t think he likes you.”

“I’VE NOTICED!” Revali screeched, but the wolf didn’t let go. He tried to shake it off a few times, but he had no chances of escaping. Instead, he bargained for his tail feathers, “Fine, FINE, I’ll do what you ask, just let me go.” Finally, the wolf relented. Almost. Link loved this stupid thing, and its newfound intelligence was far too amusing. Revali’s feathers were messed up, and he didn’t even try to fix them before folding his wings. “Fine. Would you like to know why I have graced you with my presence, hero?” As soon as he got back on whatever script he was following, Revali’s voice sounded more even and as cocky as ever.

“To return my hood?” He guessed. 

He didn’t expect Revali to almost look offended. “Yes yes, I can give you back your stupid hood. At least let me finish.” It didn’t seem like Revali had attempted to say something meaningful in Link’s opinion. However, Revali started taking deep breaths. His crest was flattening, and he scrunched his face like he was fighting something. Then, he finally forced out, “This is a simple apology for being…” He trailed off too soon.

“Being?” Link sat up, putting his arms on his knees. Was Revali saying sorry? 

It looked like he was about to. Even the wolf started to look really interested that the Rito was about to explode. Revali was searching so desperately for some words, and his talon began to tap nervously. Link almost wanted to beg him to stop, but then Revali yelled out as quickly as possible, “I was worried, okay?!?” His chest started rising and falling quickly, and his wings unfolded into a frenzy of explaining with his hands. “Do not take this as anything more than it is, because it’s not , but I couldn’t help but be a tad bit concerned for your safety when I watched you get blown to smithereens right in front of me. There? Is everyone here now happy that I have spilled my guts on the floor to be openly mocked?”

Link… didn’t know what he was expecting. Revali had lost his temper a few times, but never like this. Maybe he had in the times Link couldn’t remember, but Revali looked like he was on the verge of full-blown hyperventilation. Worried? Revali was worried? Hesitantly, Link tapped the ground next to him to offer a place for Revali to sit.

Silently, the Rito accepted and slumped to the ground. A day’s worth of exhaustion finally caught up to him, and Link saw him fully crumple into an exhausted sitting position that looked like he would fall over at any given moment. Honestly, he must’ve just been tired. It wasn’t like Revali to do stuff like this. Link tried to position himself in front of Revali, waving a hand to get his attention. “You okay?”

“‘You okay’ he asks,” Revali parroted back, slapping away Link’s offending hand. “No! I watched you die, you idiot.” The large, feathered hand wrapped around Link’s wrist, and he realized just how tight that grasp actually was. “And it seems like I am the only one remotely upset at the fact that Hyrule’s last hope decided to murder himself! I should be concerned as to whether or not you are okay, but it seems like you wish to dodge the question despite the new scars all over your stupid body.”

Link searched Revali’s face for anything, but he only found raw and genuine panic. Something wasn’t right. “I’m fine, Revali,” he reiterated, earning a glare from the Rito. He tried again. “I’m alive now. You’re alive. We’re fine.”

“You’re not getting it.” He finally let go of Link’s wrist, and he leaned back onto the stone railing supporting his back. Strangely, Revali’s hand went for the hood around his own neck. “I had to fly across Hyrule after waking up from a nap without any knowledge about whether or not you were even alive. You threw yourself in front of a fatal blow despite any other option being valid!”

Link decided to lower himself down and sit across from Revali. “I didn’t know what else to do,” he tried explaining, “I thought that if I dropped you, I’d risk hurting you.”

Revali’s grip around the hood grew even tighter. “Hurting me? I was already dead! There was no reason to- to do anything like that! There’s no reason why you would want to do such a thing.” He glanced away, not making eye contact with Link anymore. He couldn’t.

And Link was only left with more confusion. “What do you mean I wouldn’t want to?” He tried to get Revali’s attention, moving to get in his vision. “I already told you. I care. Why are you so…” He pinched the bridge of his own nose. There was no polite way to word this. “Why are you so convinced that I have it out for you?”

Revali’s breathing started to slow, but Link stayed close. He wasn’t certain that Revali would stay put, and he didn’t want this Rito going anywhere now. This had to be some kind of delirious state, or something had finally broken. He didn’t know. The question continued to hang in the air, and Link found himself wondering just how Revali could continue to think that Link had it out for him personally. Did he really think that Link should’ve let him die?

Something came out of Revali’s beak. It was the smallest, most faint thing he had ever heard the Rito say. Link heard it perfectly. “I have been needlessly cruel. To you.”

The admission hung in the air, and all of Link’s assumptions about where this was going began to break apart.

Like glass shattering, this entire act that Link thought Revali was putting on fell apart. He immediately shut his mouth. He could make fun of Revali all he wanted for actually caring, but right now was not the time. A dawning realization began to come to Link, but he didn’t want to make assumptions. He decided to move and sit next to Revali instead. He needed to show he was listening, and this was the only way he knew how.

Revali shut his eyes, and he folded his wings in on himself. Yet, he spoke again, “You… you had no reason to do something like that.” It felt like every thought that Revali finally vocalized, he tried to recede into the scarf around his neck more and more. “You’re the hero of legend. You’re meant to take on the Calamity, and it’s doubtful that you need any of us to do so. There was no reason why you would… why you would decide to throw your life on the line… for me.” Every part of the sentence came out fragmented and after deep breaths. Whatever had inspired this, it had to have been enough for Revali to finally break.

Link was starting to think Revali had passed the breaking point before even arriving in Zora’s Domain. He knew what it felt like to hold all of his thoughts behind a perfect mask. His past self had done that purposefully, and he’d sunk back into it for a moment before fighting the Calamity. His mask was silence. However, it made him wonder whether or not Revali could’ve been doing the same this whole time. Now, the mask was gone, and it left nothing but a Rito fearing something. Whether that was some form of judgement for admitting this or something else, Link didn’t know.

He did know what Revali had gotten wrong, and when he saw an opening, he took it. Keeping his tone soft, he asked, “Do you think I hate you?”

Revali gave a pitiful laugh. “Why wouldn’t you? All of my attempts at mockery have apparently been proven null and void by you defeating the Calamity on your own.” He glanced away to try to hide himself from Link’s gaze. 

Link didn’t try to reposition again. Revali didn’t look like he would try to flee now. Instead, Link protested, “I don’t hate you, Revali.” He tapped his chin, trying so hard to be careful. Revali wasn’t made of glass, but right now he might as well be. One wrong move, and this whole thing could be irreparably broken.  “You’re a bit prickly sometimes, but I wouldn’t let you die because you were mean to me a few times.”

His beak clicked shut. With the way he stared at the stonework, Revali looked like he would bore holes through it. “But. You. Died.” His eyes narrowed at the ground, and his hand clutched the fabric tighter. “I watched you shatter into a million pieces.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Link responded quickly, and that earned a wince from Revali. “I was fine, anyway. I didn’t know if you would be fine. If I didn’t make sure and something happened to you, I wouldn’t have forgiven myself.”

That didn’t seem satisfying enough of an answer. Revali grinded his beak, and his talons scraped against the stonework. “But why?” He hissed, “It’d be a perfectly acceptable loss if I were to-”

“Stop it.” Link nudged the side of Revali’s wing, cutting him off. “I don’t know why you’d think you’re an ‘acceptable loss’.”

Revali didn’t respond to that. He put his wings on his knees and kept staring at the ground. He’d talked himself into a pit that he couldn’t claw his way out of, and now, for once, he had absolutely nothing to say. Link found himself sitting next to the most flamboyant Rito he’d ever met, and Revali was just sitting completely still with uneven breaths coming out of his beak.

Link needed to think. He’d shut down a few times. Even he could see that Revali was beginning to crumble. The person who had gotten him out of those slumps the most had consistently been Saki, and her tactic worked extremely well. He didn’t know how Revali would take it, but Link placed a hand on his own knee with his palm up. If Revali needed something to hold onto, the option was there. He wouldn’t push.

He wouldn’t let Revali think any of those things though. In all of Revali’s tirades about how stupid Link was, he hadn’t realized what all of that could be stemming from. Now, he knew exactly why Revali was calling him an idiot. “I checked in on you a lot, you know,” he admitted even though he initially thought that Revali would hate that. “You were hurt pretty… pretty bad when I got you out of the Silent Realm. I didn’t know if you’d make it.” While Teba was trying to save Revali’s life, all he could do was sit there. He had to wonder whether or not he’d been too late. No one could tell him for sure. 

“You didn’t need me anyway.” Revali clenched one of his wings into a very loose, shaky fist that remained on his own knee.

“I needed you all.” Link would never let them believe for a second that he didn’t need them. “I knew I needed you. But I- I waited too long, and I let the Calamity break free.”

Revali’s eyes flickered over to Link’s open hand, and he looked at it like it had personally offended him. “You clearly didn’t, you…” An insult on the tip of Revali’s tongue vanished. He tried again. “You defeated it, so you didn’t need us.”

Link leaned his head down a bit to try to get into the corner of Revali’s vision. The Rito’s eye immediately snapped up to him like he was startled at Link even trying. With his attention, Link nudged his wing again. “It probably doesn’t help, but I went into that fight thinking I’d have to rely on all of you to… finish the job.”

The reaction wasn’t as harsh as he was expecting, but Revali’s gaze did fall. He went back to staring at the ground. “Do you not see how frustrating this is?” Regardless, he kept trying. “Ah yes, the one person who I pegged as deadweight decided that he would try to get himself killed not once, but twice for our sake .”

 With how every word dragged on, Revali evidently wasn’t used to this at all. Link wasn’t either, and he knew how it felt for the words to utterly fail him when placed under scrutiny. Revali usually had too many things to say, and now he kept struggling to articulate the thoughts racing through his head. Maybe at another time, Link would only be able to be a supporting presence and wouldn’t possibly be able to argue with someone who was this upset. Maybe that’s how he would’ve felt as a knight. Now, he was just him, and he could make sure that this stupid Rito stopped thinking that Link hated him.

Link leaned back onto the railing they were sitting next to. “Is there a reason why all of that is frustrating to you?” He asked, and he genuinely wanted to know. Revali seemed constantly dead set in believing that Link had it out for him. “You know you don’t get on my nerves that much, right?”

“Then your memory must be worse than I thought,” Revali bitterly insisted.

“I mean yeah, definitely.” His memory hadn’t all returned, and from the little he’d seen of Revali, the Rito really didn’t like him. Link remembered coming out of the memory on Revali’s Landing with a healthy mixture of wonder and also wanting to punch someone in the jaw. “But, you’re not so bad to talk to.”

Finally, Revali made an involuntary noise. Whether it was a scoff or a laugh trying to break through, Link could not tell. Revali wasn’t interested in revealing anything either. “How flattering coming from you, someone who, until recently, felt like talking to a brick wall.”

He tilted his head with a smile. “Does that mean you're finally coming around?”

Revali glared, his head shooting up. “Don’t test your luck! You’re still quite infuriating to speak to, I assure you.” 

With a self assured smirk, Link matched his glare with one of his own. “I think that sounds like you’re coming around.”

“Egh, you’re impossible.” Despite his complaining, Revali started to slowly loosen his grasp on his own knee. Link was more happy than he thought he’d be to see cockiness beginning to bleed back into his voice. “If you consider completely normal things like ‘worrying about the safety of the idiot who nearly got himself killed’ as ‘coming around’, then sure. We can call it that.”

“It feels like an improvement.” Link laughed, finally withdrawing his hand. Revali didn’t need the Saki trick now, but he didn’t regret offering it. Right now, he was just happy that Revali was actually talking to him without trying to totally verbally berate him. A funny thought did come to mind though, and he smiled. “If it makes you feel any better, you can go complain to Mipha. She also has opinions considering she was the one healing me every time I got hit.”

Revali’s feathers began to flare out in shock. “You pulled that stunt more than once?”

When he refused to answer, Link watched the feathers start to rise even more one by one. When he was angry, Revali could be really animated. Every little feather kept going up and down over and over. Link stopped staring after a bit, but only because Revali would probably try to peck him if he kept doing it. Waving a hand, Link reminded him, “Remember, I’m still here. Nothing bad happened.”

Revali glared at Link, pointedly looking down at the ruined paraglider tied to his hip. “If you truly believe that nothing went wrong, you weren’t paying attention,” he grumbled, “But I suppose you don’t remember anything about your paraglider either.”

Right. The paraglider. Link never got a chance to tell him how much it had helped him. Now, it was only a bundle of useless wood tied to his belt. “Sorry,” he apologized, but he didn’t feel like it was nearly enough. Losing the Sheikah Slate had been terrible, but the paraglider being destroyed marked the moment when he thought all hope was lost for him. Revali eyed him with a curious expression, and he quickly clarified, “About the paraglider, I mean. I know you made it for me.”

After they had smoothed out just a bit, Revali’s feathers once again all rose up. He looked like a puffed up cloud, despite how desperately he was trying to straighten his back to look composed. He cleared his throat, coughing into his hand for good measure. “Well… obviously it was me. No other Rito could match my craftsmanship.” After so long of letting his feathers go into disarray, Revali finally began to preen again. 

Link thought about flicking one of them out of place, but he didn’t want to disturb the sudden ease between the two of them. Revali usually just tried to talk circles around him. Still, it would be fun to try to mess with whatever process Revali went through to get his feathers straight. Instead of tormenting him further, Link relented. He did miss that paraglider, though. He wished it could’ve made it out just fine. “I don’t…” He cleared his throat, trying to find the right words. “I don’t think I ever let it out of my sight, to be honest. It was nice being able to fly wherever I wanted.” He loved flying. It reminded him of a freedom that he never really had.

“Hrmph.” Revali grabbed at the small bundle the paraglider was kept in, and Link didn’t notice on time before it was already unhooked from his belt and in Revali’s hands. The Rito laid the wood and cloth out in front of him. His eyes quickly scanned over all of the damages, and he clicked his beak in disapproval. “Well, it certainly looks far too frayed for the cloth to be reusable, but the frame…”

What? Was he really considering-?

Revali immediately bundled the paraglider back up, and he pointedly did not give it back to Link. Instead, he lifted himself up onto his talons, and Link made a mad scramble to get up too. Link protested, “Hey! That’s mine!”

“A useless bundle of wood and cloth won’t help anything!” Revali held it away, keeping Link from advancing any further with his other wing. “Besides, I do not appreciate being one-upped by you, and I refuse to let the debt I owe you for saving my life go unpaid.” 

Link’s grabbing at the paraglider was futile. With how much his burns still ached, even resisting Revali’s outstretched wing was too much. He only gave up, because he figured out just what Revali meant by that. “You’d actually repair it?” He thought Revali would be the type of person to never make a new one out of sheer spite.

Maybe he was right, because the Rito didn’t give him a straight answer. That self-satisfied smirk came back as he started down at Link. “There’s no promises, but I am sure you will be dying to know.”

He wanted to fall backwards in complete defeat. “I take everything back.” Link glared half-heartedly, his smile betraying him. “You’re absolutely rude.”

Revali tilted his head, and the beads holding his braids clacked together as they swung. “Was there ever any doubt?”

A moment ago, he thought Revali wanted them to be mortal enemies. Now, they stood in companionable silence, and Link couldn’t help but be glad he finally had a conversation with Revali that hadn’t turned into slinging insults. He hoped that the next day Revali wouldn’t decide to hate him again, but this had to mean something. This had to be progress.

“Are we okay, now?” He asked, hating how hopeful his voice sounded. He wanted to be friends with all of his fellow Champions, even if one of them was determined to believe Link hated him.

Revali’s smile faded, and his eyes narrowed at Link. “We’re certainly not even, and I will not accept any attempts at claiming we are until after I have repaid you.” He brushed the hood around his neck. “Besides, I am a Rito with standards, and I will not have a Hylian claiming to the world that I do not repay debts-” His tirade was cut short by him tightening his grip on the makeshift scarf around his neck. He glanced between it and Link, and his shoulders sagged. “I suppose I should start by finally giving this back.”

With how often Revali had taken to clinging to the makeshift scarf, Link didn’t really want to take it back. Besides, he could buy another hood somewhere else. There was no need to take it from him. Even if Link wanted to take it, he had to admit that it looked very comfortable on him. “It suits you, keep it,” Link insisted, ignoring the way Revali tried to open his beak in protest, “I’ll go buy another one.”

Revali tilted his beak down, muttering, “You’re not making this whole debt thing very easy, you know.”

“And here I thought you liked a challenge.” He placed his hands on his hips, smirking all the while.

“Have it your way, Link,” Revali drawled, tossing the end of the makeshift scarf over his shoulder. “I promise you that this time I will not be outdone.”

With one raised eyebrow, Link smirked. “I guess I’ll just have to look forward to it.”

“Indeed you shall.” Revali held his hands behind his back, taking a step closer to Link and looking down on him. Really, Revali was probably just basking in the fact that he could look down on Link in the first place. “Now, I believe I have made enough of a fool of myself for one day, and I would very much LIKE TO SLEEP!” His voice grew loud at the last part, and his head swiveled to the canine who had been watching the whole damn interaction.

The wolf rolled its eyes. It had been laying there the entire time, and Link snickered at the fact that Revali had somehow created a rivalry with a dog. Still, the dog shook itself off, and it didn’t look like it would bite Revali’s tail feathers off this time.

Link tapped the Rito’s shoulder, and asked him the same question Zelda had asked him. “Are we friends?”

Revali almost groaned , his head leaning like he was disgusted at the mere thought of it. It would’ve almost been convincing if Link didn’t hear what he said, “You have a foolish choice in company, but I will not stop you.”

That was the stupid Rito’s way of saying yes. He could live with that nonresponse for now.

Link felt lighter as he walked back to the inn that night. His wounds felt less painful, and a burden had forever left him. The Master Sword still rested on his back, Fi sleeping with it. He hoped that she was just as happy as he was.

The moment Link’s head hit the pillow, he blanked out immediately with nothing but hopes for a new life.

Chapter Text

“You’re telling me that the key to reviving our friends was a harp that a Rito bard had in his possession?

The next day, Zelda could hardly mask her disbelief at Link’s long winded explanation about his recent adventures. She hadn’t laid eyes on the so-called Goddess Harp during Link’s journey, and hearing this now felt like some divine prank. It had taken them a good thirty minutes to even describe what Link had seen within the Divine Beasts, and then another fifteen for him to back up and explain how he’d obtained a harp that could activate Sheikah Technology.

Unfortunately for her, Link didn’t quite “get” Sheikah technology in the same way as she did. His understanding was what advantages the Sheikah Slate could give him, and that was it. There was the interesting development that he had apparently been able to tilt Vah Medoh without even using the Sheikah Slate which raised infinitely more questions. All of her scientific queries ended up falling short. He didn’t understand what was happening either.

Worse, he somehow attributed the Silent Realms themselves to Hylia.

Somehow EVEN WORSE, Link revealed so many things in one fell swoop, “Yeah, the harp opens the Silent Realm that was probably from Hylia. Robbie and Purah didn’t recognize it when they took a look at the Divine Beasts.”

He said all of that so nonchalantly that she wanted to tear her hair out.

Link had just blurted out, with no care in the world, that Purah and Robbie were somewhere out there, and said with near certainty that the Silent Realms were created by “probably Hylia”. All of this seemed like just another day to him despite that all of the other Champions around for this conversation had varying levels of concern on their face.

However, Zelda had a scientific mind. Her curiosity would not be sated until this made sense. “Back up once more, please.” She clutched her head like a headache was coming on. “Purah and Robbie are still alive?”

“Well, Purah looks like a kid, but yeah,” Link casually explained.

Now Zelda could actually feel the migraine coming through. She wanted to scream into her hands, because the simple question of “How did you revive our friends?” brought on so much more than she was prepared for. At this point, she definitely needed to get a new notebook to write things in. The amount of details Link had been spitballing at her made her brain want to burst at the seams.

Revali found it fantastic to cut in right about now. He had been trying to craft some arrows this entire conversation, but kept slipping up and hissing at himself under his breath. Usually, he didn’t lose focus like that, but this whole explanation Link had given must have irked him too. “This is completely normal, apparently, as your hero decided to show up to MY Divine Beast and impale it without much of an explanation.” He pointedly glared at Link who shrugged in response. “That, and it appears most of this… circumstance is just dumb luck.”

“Dumb luck isn’t satisfying!” Zelda took her hands off her face and propped herself up, leaning back in a sitting position. This was terrible. “There has to be some running connection with all of this. Those ‘Silent Realms’ as you called them wouldn’t simply exist without purpose!”

With a scoff and a wave of his wing, Revali went back to trying to make arrowheads. Link started to fiddle around with the Master Sword, and he kept saying an unfamiliar name to the Sword itself. When there appeared to be a light glow in the Master Sword, Zelda frowned. She was hearing a voice. The Master Sword had become an even bigger conundrum in all of this that she couldn’t solve. It had taken on a more sickly appearance as of late, and that was yet another thing she needed to get to.

A distinctly ethereal voice came from the weapon, one that Zelda knew very well. She heard it only a few times now, all of which were when Link was in critical condition. Now, Link was speaking to her like nothing was wrong. The name of the Master Sword, Zelda realized, was Fi.

This ‘Fi’ spoke, “If you would like my input, I only have recorded Silent Realms that Her Grace created. The details of these new Silent Realms appear to have discrepancies. The possibility of the Goddess Hylia creating these realms has lowered from 90% to 50% until further knowledge about their origin can be obtained.”

Zelda leaned in attentively and soaked up the analytical tone of her voice like a sponge. While she could not see the source of this voice, the fact that it came from a weapon was so interesting to her. She believed that the spirit of the Master Sword would be something bloodthirsty or something well versed in combat. The fact that it sounded so analytical made her so immensely curious. If Link would stay around for longer, she’d have to ask so many questions.

But, Link would not stay. Based on how Teba sounded this morning, he wanted to leave for Rito Village sooner than later. Zelda wouldn’t be following. She needed to make her way to Kakariko, and the Sheikah needed to know of her survival. Unfortunately, while all of the Champions had a moment to speak to each other, this entire conversation had kicked off and turned into absolute mayhem at the mention of Link’s antics over the past few days.

“Excuse me for the blasphemy,” Revali cut in again, earning everyone’s attention, “But what made you think the Goddess created these in the first place? She was quite silent in the days leading up to our plight.”

Zelda completely agreed. While her power had awakened in the end, she felt blood boiling in her veins at the mere notion that the Goddess decided to put all of them and Hyrule into turmoil just to revive the Champions into a world they didn’t know. Why do that when she could have just intervened from the start? 

Link grimaced, and Revali gave a slightly satisfied smirk despite never looking up from his arrows. After the Master Sword stopped glowing, Link explained, “Hylia spoke with me.” At Zelda’s incredulous glance, he immediately clarified, “ After I woke up. I never heard her speak before. She just did things like help me get stronger, and… it seemed like she was the obvious choice for who would’ve made these. At least… she made it sound that way.”

Now, Urbosa found herself entering the fray after watching this entire conversation spiral. She had been reading the entire conversation with the mind of a tactician, taking in every detail and trying to figure this whole thing out. She did not stand, because Mipha was in the middle of healing her broken ankle, but she called everyone’s attention with just her voice. “For someone who explained all of your recent adventures with the subtlety of a raging lynel, I am curious as to why you left out the part that you spoke to a Goddess, Link.”

Somehow, some way, he decided to shrug. “She talked to me before I got a memory back that showed me she never did talk to anyone. I guess it just seemed normal.”

Daruk scratched the top of his head. He looked at everyone in the group before deciding he wasn’t going to wait for any subtle approaches. “Well, don’t keep us in suspense. What’d she say?”

Leave it to Daruk to be the one to accidentally pry an answer out of Link. It almost looked like Link considered giving a reasonable answer, but he glanced back down to the Master Sword with his jaw firmly set: “She just gave me more power. Nothing else.”

By the way Mipha’s head jerked up to squint at him, Zelda could tell that he had to be lying. He didn’t look back up at her. Zelda was sure that Mipha would press, but she refocused on healing Urbosa. 

For a group of people who were supposed to be reunited, there seemed to be a lot of silent exchanges going around! This morning, Zelda had seen Link and Revali have a half-normal conversation that only devolved into insults on their third exchange. For Revali to not have a list of insults rolling off the tongue as soon as he saw Link, something must have happened! At least this meant that the two weren’t trying to kill each other anymore, but Zelda would never get how Link could go from being insulted about handling a Calamity to suddenly being perfectly fine with the person insulting him.

“Welp!” Daruk stretched out, his neck making a particularly loud popping noise that made Mipha jump. “Guess we’ll have to take it at that. Just a happy lil circumstance that helped us all out.”

Zelda frowned. She couldn’t possibly settle on it being just circumstance! She gazed up at the three marvels of machinery perched on the clifftops, and she could only imagine the secrets that they still held. Was she the only one who wanted to understand more about them? Was she the only one who wanted to preserve this knowledge for generations to come, and maybe to sate her own curiosity?

It began to dawn on her that she had time. Throughout her entire life, she prepared for the inevitable. One day, the Calamity would rise, and she would need to rise as well to defeat it. Now, with it gone, she no longer had any responsibilities. Sure, she likely needed to consider Hyrule’s best interests, but none of this needed to happen on an immediate schedule. It was daunting. In retrospect, it did make sense that her friends wanted to relax now. 

She’d love to relax, but now with the possibility of exploring Sheikah Tech right at her fingertips, she wanted to do it before some invisible threat took it away. One thing at a time. At least, she needed to go track down Purah and Robbie. They would know how to potentially fix the slate, and from there she could-

The sound of wings flapping nearby ended her train of thought. Teba was back, and that only meant one thing. The Champions had all met up in the morning for one final talk before everyone went their separate ways for at least a little bit. Earlier, Teba left to do a second sweep of the areas around the Divine Beasts, claiming that he would likely be leaving after that was done.

That meant Link would be leaving too. Despite his injuries, he had healed enough to where Mipha was sure he would be fine provided he did not push himself. In Zelda’s opinion, Link would not listen to that, but she could only hope that he would take it easy now that he was no longer her knight. Seeing as they were headed to Rito Village, Revali would be joining them. Oh, she was slightly grateful for not being a part of that trip.

Daruk did not want to stay around Zora’s Domain. The water quickly became problematic for his fears and for his healing. Mipha already got onto his case about his scars, and considering he hardly rested before hopping into Vah Rudania, he needed to return to people who could actually take care of him. Despite being able to work miracles, Mipha was spread thin. He also wanted to see how Goron City was faring and spend more time with his grandson, so it made sense that he wanted to return.

Mipha couldn’t leave Zora’s Domain at the moment. Based on all of the back-and-forths between Mipha and Sidon, Zelda figured out that her father forbade her from leaving the Domain. She remembered the night where King Dorephan made Mipha promise that she would come back safely. It made sense that he was concerned and wanting to keep his resurrected child around. However, Zelda couldn’t help but feel indignant on behalf of Mipha. She was a warrior in her own right, and Sidon had faced the Calamity alongside Link as well. They deserved to go where they pleased, and Zelda wished she could convey that in words to King Dorephan.

Despite how much Zelda wished Urbosa could join her for longer, she made it very clear that Chief Riju must be returned to Gerudo Town sooner rather than later. With her random disappearance, the Gerudo had flown into a frenzy. Urbosa said that she would not be surprised if the Yiga Hideout had been razed by the time they made their return. Luckily, Urbosa had agreed rather enthusiastically that Zelda should join them for the first leg of their journey. Taking Vah Naboris across the land would take a day at max speed, and they could bring her to Kakariko.

All of this meant that everyone would be apart once again. She wished that they could simply spend more time with one another, but Zelda had to understand that they had their own lives to go back to. She simply… hoped that this didn’t mean all of them would be saying goodbye for too long.

When Teba landed, he confirmed her fears. “It’s about time I started making headway towards Rito Village. Hope you all won’t mind if I get going now.” He pointedly looked at Link who reluctantly placed the Master Sword back in its sheath. 

Despite the shadow that this cast over Zelda’s face, Mipha seemed to not echo her thoughts. In fact, she was laughing at Link like some inside joke passed between them. “I do hope you enjoy your time being just as grounded as I am, Link.”

He waved a hand at her as if trying to swat her accusations away. This only earned him more stifled laughter that only Mipha and Link understood the reasoning for. Zelda had a hunch that this had something to do with Mipha telling all kinds of stories to Teba about Link’s recklessness. After all, she had figured out that Mipha was conspiring against Link. She found it in herself to smile a bit. Seeing everyone able to be less serious lifted the weight on her shoulders just a bit more.

Despite all of the questions bubbling in her brain, she had to let it go for now. Besides, she would be visiting Link anyway after the Sheikah Slate was hopefully repaired. They would not be apart for too long, right? 

She hoped none of them would be.

Urbosa managed to get to her feet as well. Zelda took a moment to realize that she was no longer favoring her ankle, and Mipha practically shone. Her hard work came to fruition, and Urbosa had been healed enough to walk again. With an approving smirk, Urbosa said, “I suppose we all should be returning to our homes. Even though I wish it could have been longer, I believe there will be time enough for us to meet up again soon.”

 Of course, Urbosa said what Zelda had been planning. That helped a bit, because with Urbosa demanding they all meet again, Revali couldn’t make an excuse. He’d face her wrath if he tried. Zelda cleared her throat and brought out the Sheikah Slate. “When I get the slate repaired… I would… very much like to see all of you again, if you would not mind.”

Daruk suddenly looked much more excited, and his grin grew wide. “Yeah! I think I saw the lil guy going places with that thing all the time. Could be nice to hit the road with all of you again.”

Something mischievous flashed on Mipha’s face, and she wondered out loud, “I suppose a warp would be the easiest way out of the Domain unseen, wouldn’t it?”

Zelda noted that down for later. She would absolutely be picking up Mipha. 

Teba and Link both exchanged a look that made Link shrink into himself a little bit. When Teba realized he’d caught Zelda’s glance out of the corner of his eye, he asked, “Are you gonna be more responsible with that thing than him?” He gestured a wing at Link who definitely had done something to warrant that level of scrutiny if he looked embarrassed.

Knowing she wasn’t parsing something, Zelda answered, “Perhaps? This will go back to Link as soon as possible, but I suppose I will… potentially be more responsible? I feel like I am missing something.”

Once again, Link waved her off. Honestly, at this point, she didn’t want to know how Link managed to obtain the ire of every single Rito. It had to be a hidden skill of his. 

However, Revali was the only person who hadn’t really expressed interest in Zelda’s invitation to meet up. Everyone’s eyes were now on him, and he didn’t seem to realize it until Link of all people nudged his wing. 

He jolted at the sudden touch before glancing around at everyone. Despite fumbling for a moment, he picked up his usual, haughty tone and answered, “Of course, I’ll be there. Don’t leave me behind when you pick up this imbecile.” He swatted Link back, annoyance curving across his beak.

Urbosa burst into laughter, but she never explained precisely what she found so funny. There were far too many inside jokes going on right now, and Zelda needed to figure out all of them. She had been fighting for a century, and her friends certainly had limited communication, but they somehow had inside jokes that she was not a part of. Honestly, how did this happen? What did she miss?

Despite how much he annoyed Revali, Link paid him no mind. Instead, he walked up to Zelda, and gave her a bow. She would have told him that he didn’t have to do so anymore, but she noticed the smirk on his face and how he was giving that same mocking bow that she had given him the night before. He was a menace! One day of freedom and his sense of humor had broken free! Link smiled, promising, “I’ll see you again, too.”

Right, he hadn’t really answered either. She’d just assumed. She needed to stop doing that. Seeing the way he smirked at her though, she couldn’t even trick herself into believing he had been offended by her assumptions in any way. Suddenly, Zelda felt a kinship with Revali. She, too, wanted to swat Link away for the mocking bow. Goddess, that looked absolutely ridiculous now. To think that he always bowed to her beforehand with a straightened face!

Zelda couldn’t disguise the exhale from her nose, and Link finally withdrew his bow. She tilted her head, smiling back. “Be safe, Link. And thank you.”

With a much more friendly and entirely sincere smile, Link waved her goodbye. Revali muttered something about wanting to make some distance in order to not splash everyone with his Gale. Two Rito and a Hylian began to make distance from the rest of the group, leaving the rest of them to watch a few of their friends leave.

It was sad, but they couldn’t all stay together forever. If she could, she would improve the Sheikah Tech so that they could. Yes, that could be yet another project. If the distance between all of them was no longer an issue, she would be infinitely less stressed about never hearing from any of them again.

She dreaded the possibility of being alone in Kakariko after Urbosa left her to her own devices.

Daruk went next. “I’ll go get Yunobo and then uh… try to find a way back to Rudania.” With the way the Divine Beast was perched, it would be a long walk up to Rudania. 

Mipha squinted. “Daruk, you are aware that you are close enough to Rudania to call it down on your own, right?” 

With the way Daruk reacted, he probably didn’t even know that was a possibility. He eyed the cliff Rudania was perched on. Rudania could certainly scale cliffaces more effectively than other Divine Beasts, but with the dam nearby, things would be a bit more worrisome. “Ya think that’ll be safe?”

“Of course.”

Daruk grinned, and Rudania immediately began to move. “Huh, guess that does work. Thanks Mipha! Gonna go get Yunobo now!” He patted her on the back much gentler than his usual slaps that he gave Link. Still, Mipha stumbled a bit, but she did not seem to mind. Her own smile did not falter. Daruk looked at everyone else, and with a big smile declared, “I better hear that you all have been having fun when ya next visit!”

Zelda would have to try hard to make that happen, but perhaps when she had more of a direction, she could have the fun that Daruk wanted from her. “I will, thank you Daruk,” she promised, even though she knew that she would be chasing Sheikah Technology as soon as possible. Her definition of fun was more work, but it was work she could choose to do.

When Daruk left, that left just Mipha and Urbosa with Zelda. 

Urbosa hummed, “Then I suppose it’s time we leave as well, little bird. You need to make your way to Kakariko soon, so I hear?”

“Yes, I do…” She would be stepping into the unknown once again. She would need to tell the Sheikah that she would not be taking up her position as Queen of Hyrule… at least not yet. By leaving the safety of the Domain, there was so much uncertainty… 

Mipha put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and her gaze met Zelda’s. “We will see each other again.” Something pleading flashed in her eyes as all of her fins drooped with exhaustion. “Just please warp me out of here when the Sheikah Slate is repaired. Sidon and I are becoming stir crazy already with all of the elder Zora looming over us.”

Zelda’s solemn attitude melted away to a giggle. “I will, Mipha, provided you’re all right joining me on a few of my own escapades. I may be a bit excited about exploring all of the Sheikah Tech that has been recently activated,” she rambled, and Mipha’s smile shrunk into an ‘o’ shape. “I simply have to get the slate repaired, and then I can start trying to piece all of this together.”

“I cannot say I ever really understood it other than my connection with Vah Ruta…” She put a hand on her chin, trying to think. “...but I would be happy to join you. Having an opportunity to travel with you again would be quite fun, don’t you think?”

 Zelda let out a sigh of relief. “I thought I was the only one who absolutely wanted that. I’ll be sure to warp here as soon as possible, all right?”

Clasping Zelda’s hands in her own, Mipha gave one last smile. “I look forward to it.”

Unlike the last time Link flew with Teba, there were no longer any updrafts. The Flight Range’s updrafts had been the only reason the two of them managed to get off of the ground. Now, in the middle of Zora’s Domain, this once again became an issue. The plan was to simply fly back to Rito Village, but the travel method had become precarious now that Link did not have a paraglider to catch him. 

All of the logistics about takeoff came to a head when Link innocently suggested to Revali, “Can’t you just use your Gale and… y’know…” He pointed at the sky with a twirl of his finger, trying to explain to Revali a skill that he had likely already refined.

At the mere prospect of using his Gale like that, some of Revali’s feathers started to spring up. Without a doubt, the wind was already messing with them. “I will have you know, the application of my Gale that you have seen is not standard. I typically have to remain in the eye of the Gale, and orbiting around someone would likely cause one of us to be jettisoned out.”

That sounded like an excuse to Link. He crossed his arms and quirked a brow at the sudden hesitation. “You made it look pretty effortless when doing it with me.”

Even though Revali made a great show of groaning at that, his feathers were poofing out again. Link’s statement got Teba’s attention though. Baffled, he asked, “You used Master Revali’s Gale?”

“I lent him my Gale!” Revali corrected, smoothing down his feathers, “And yes, it was much easier to lift something as heavy as you when I do not have a physical body.”

“Heavy?” Link vaguely recalled Tulin being much lighter than he expected when he picked him up. Maybe Rito were just lighter than Hylians? Discarding the personal slight with a shake of his head, Link realized that Revali was suddenly acting cagey about his Gale of all things. Didn’t he always want to show off his prowess in the sky, especially to another Rito? “Since when did you back down from a challenge?”

“I’m not-” His voice came out like a loud squawk, but Link had him beat. With a loud, drawn out sigh, Revali finally conceded, “Fine, but this is not a skill that Rito without substantial training can typically withstand. If either of you are thrown out of the Gale, I told you so.”

Eh, Teba could handle it. He'd been training to use Revali's Gale for ages. Withstanding those winds would be nothing for someone like him.

For someone who was supposed to be the "Master of the Skies", Revali really didn't want to show off for once in his life. That couldn't have been worse timing, because Link wanted to see Revali's Gale in action without insults preceding it. Also, Link knew that Teba wanted to see the full force of Gale.

It wasn't their fault that Revali got cagey the moment they decided Link would be better suited riding on a Rito who was slightly larger and could better support his weight. Honestly, there was absolutely no way that Revali's issue with this was that he couldn't carry Link. In fact, Revali would sooner drop him from the sky than carry him. To see him get this bent out of shape over something like this seemed odd, and Link couldn't even figure out why. It came with a silver lining though. Revali looked really funny with his feathers moving that much.

Revali dragged his hand over his face one more time just for show before focusing on his new target. "Teba, was it?"

Despite Teba being leagues taller than Revali, he shrank away from the sudden attention. "Uh, yeah, that's me." His words came out a little faster than usual. Honestly, this was an improvement. Ever since Revali nearly bowled Link over with his Gale, Teba seemed to not be on the verge of dying whenever Revali was around.

Flying into explanation, Revali instructed, "You, crouch down and spread out your wings. You will not be creating the Gale, but you will need to launch yourself into it with this heathen on your back." Another unjust glare came Link's way. Nature was cruel.

"Right, makes sense," Teba said, like he had never done these exact steps before. Suddenly, he looked far out of his depth despite the fact that Link KNEW he had studied Revali's Gale for way too long. He crouched down just as instructed, taking on a position that Link had seen him attempt before just a few times in the Flight Range.

"And you." Revali pointed at Link before gesturing to Teba. "Get on and keep your center of mass low. If you lean back then both of you will be sent careening onto hard stone." Distantly, Link recalled one of the memories that Kass had given him. It was Revali's song in particular that granted the memory of Revali... well... spinning out of control in his Gale and landing on solid rock. Noted. He would not lean back.

Link obeyed, taking his position on Teba's back. They hadn't flown like this since taking out Vah Medoh's shields, and it was a bit nerve wracking to not have the paraglider as insurance if he fell. Revali might've had a point. Careening down to solid stone would probably kill him. For once , he would listen to Revali.

As soon as he felt even slightly situated, Revali didn’t give anymore instructions. When Link looked at him quizzically, the Rito shook his head and immediately kept going. With emphasis, he said, “The key to not being flung out of my Gale is to stay within the center. If you stray in the slightest, it will throw you. This is why I will be keeping the column situated on the outside, since none of you could be bothered to just create an updraft with some fire.”

On behalf of Revali himself, Link was offended! “You’d never be caught using an updraft to take off!” He protested. 

“Of course I wouldn’t, but it would make this much easier for the two of you.” 

Teba clicked his beak, still stuck crouching with a Hylian on his back. “Fire wouldn’t create updrafts strong enough to make this work. Also if I hold this for much longer, I’m gonna get stuck here.”

Revali rolled his eyes before taking up position directly behind the both of them. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Honestly, was he nervous? Surely not. Link was sure that someone like Revali would constantly be pushing his Gale with how proud he was of it. 

Taking a deep breath, Revali sank into an almost meditative trance. Seeing it in a memory was one thing, but seeing it in person made some excitement bubble in Link’s chest. Revali kept his eyes shut only a few seconds more, and the winds responded to his call. A hurricane brewed under all three of them, waiting to be unleashed. 

With one, powerful flap, Revali soared high up into the sky. Before Link knew it, Teba followed suit. He leapt into the air with Link in tow, his own wings managing to gain immense height with the wind lifting him skyward. Remembering Revali’s advice, Link tried to lay flat against Teba. The winds whipped around Link’s hair relentlessly. At any given moment, he could fall out of the Gale entirely. Never before had he seen it manifest with this much ferocity.

In the center of it all, he and Teba soared skyward. Revali kept it all together, soaring in a large twirl around the two of them. He strained, and Link saw a few feathers tear away from Revali’s wing. He looked like he might fall, but with one twist that shifted his body weight, the Rito remained steady. Both Rito kept their beaks aimed skyward, aiming to pierce through the skies above.

Before Link knew it, the winds around all of them dissipated. At the apex of their climb, both Teba and Revali knew that the winds had finally stopped lifting them. They both shifted their body weight to drift into a glide, and Link finally could lift his head.

It took his eyes a bit to adjust. No longer did the shadows of the Domain protect his eyes from the morning sun. Instead, he stared in awe over the horizon. Waves of pink and red cascaded over the clouds above and below. The air was cold, but he’d never felt more alive. His heart was racing as the wind rippled through his hair and over his entire body. The sunlight danced on the feathers of his two companions, and Link found Revali glancing at him nervously.

Struggling to talk with the wind rushing all around him, Link yelled, “Is that what your Gale is usually like?!?” Had Revali been holding out on him?

Revali soared closer, his nervousness melting away into a confident smirk. “As if the mere fragment of my Gale that I lent you would be anything compared to the real deal.”

Link laughed. Of course, Revali would give him a budget version of his Gale. Whether by choice or unwillingly, Link didn’t care. He still found it very Revali-like. 

When Link repositioned himself and saw white feathers again, he noticed that Teba hadn’t said anything since witnessing Revali’s Gale. He leaned over to try to see Teba’s face, and instantly realized that he’d thrown off Teba’s balance. The Rito immediately careened to the side. Revali had to flap his wings to lift himself out of the way, squawking in surprise at the two of them. Luckily, Teba readjusted quickly with a few flaps of his wings. Right. Don’t do that.

Teba didn’t seem mad, and honestly that brought him more back to his senses. He shook his head. “Sorry, uh, trying to keep it together, but that was something else.” He craned his neck to find Revali mid flight, and Link saw the awe all over his face. “We didn’t get to know much about your Gale, but to see it in person and to be in it…” Words couldn’t describe what he felt, apparently. Teba was at a loss.

Despite the pride Revali undoubtedly felt, he decided instead to jab, “See, hero? This is the kind of reaction I was expecting, not a blank stare!”

He’d never let that go. Link shook his head in disbelief. “I said it was cool! It’s different when you’re actually in it!” 

Revali made a ‘tch’ noise, but he still remained in good spirits. He created a bit of distance between Link and Teba so that they wouldn’t collide. The journey continued in almost silence, and Link decided to just enjoy seeing the land below. He’d never been this high before. 

Well, he had been close once. The only time he soared higher and higher was when he chased after one of the ancient dragons. They ascended to the heavens, and Link saw them vanish into thin air while he followed them. They only did it when going high into the sky, and Link decided that he didn’t want to risk going through whatever vortex they seemed to disappear in. Then again, the “vortex” seemed more like a swirl of clouds.

Every now and then, Revali flew a bit closer to keep the winds at their backs. Link had never truly appreciated the prowess this damn bird had over the wind. Gale could be used in short bursts, but it looked like the wind responded to his will. He wondered what it would be like to control the winds and demand that they take you wherever you wish.

Although, with the way Revali controlled it, Link wondered if it was less of a demand and more guiding the winds. For whatever reason, Link compared it to conducting. The wind would move where it pleased, but with a conduit, AKA Revali, it could be harnessed and shifted in a new direction. He liked the idea of that, but he wanted to ask Revali what it was really like.

They were making good headway when the Master Sword began to shimmer. Link thought that if Fi leaped out of the blade, she would catapult backwards and be left behind. Instead, when she twirled out of her place, she began to soar right next to Link. This had been the first time she appeared from the Master Sword since the fight against Ganon, and… she seemed okay.

With how fast they were moving, Link couldn’t tell if she looked a bit more muted than normal. He decided not to dwell on it, and he was happy to see that she still looked like herself. The Master Sword’s current state still worried him, but he didn’t want to press her until she was ready. For now, he would enjoy the wind cascading over him. She could enjoy it too without his prodding. 

The next time Revali came around for another usage of his Gale, he and Fi exchanged some wordless glances. Revali’s prideful smirk completely vanished, and Fi’s expression still betrayed nothing. The fact that Revali didn’t devolve into insulting her was progress. Link thought there would be more bad blood between them considering how much Revali hated the idea of him entering the Silent Realm, and Fi had wholeheartedly supported it.

For now, they were all fine.

It was a wonder how being in the sky brought him so much joy. Not having to use a paraglider changed things entirely. He could spread his arms out if he wanted and feel the wind on his entire body with no fear of falling. His upper body strength no longer mattered, and with Revali’s help, he could stay up here forever. Something nostalgic began to burn in his chest, and he longed for it. He turned to look back at Revali, and the way his blue feathers reflected the sunlight in such a way that…

Blue… feathers…

Link felt something burning on his right hand. No, that couldn’t be right. Revali was the only Rito he knew with that shade of feathers. Why did something seem so significant to him? It was just Revali. Yet, the more he stared, the more something pulled at him. Something begged for him to pay attention.

It was happening again.

Link wrenched his gaze away from Revali, trying to focus back on the horizon. Yeah, he just needed to enjoy the view again. Maybe, he was just making things up. There was no significance to this at all. Nothing.

Teba said something that sounded garbled to Link. “Uh, Link. Your hand is-”

Instead of seeing Teba still being the one carrying him, Link saw crimson feathers. Against his will, against what he wanted, he remembered.

They were far above the clouds, far higher than he’d ever been. Two birds soared through the air… Link should’ve known what they were called, but he didn’t. Large birds carried him and someone else through the air. His was crimson, and he felt very fond of it. The other was blue, and it carried someone who he thought he should be fond of. His memory said that he should be fond of her. However, Link did not feel how his past self did. He couldn’t. He knew her true face.

Hylia or Zelda, it didn’t matter which it was anymore, said something to him. She wanted to build a kingdom on the surface below. They soared above the clouds together, and she longed to bring everyone down to the surface. They were lofty dreams of creating a land that Link knew as Hyrule. Was it what Hylia wanted, or Zelda?

He didn’t know. He didn’t know. He didn’t know!

Link started clutching at his right hand. He needed to cover the symbol of the triforce. He needed to get rid of it. If he could, then he could make it stop.

He shared her dreams. Why wouldn’t he? This was his Zelda. Despite everything that had happened, she was still his Zelda. Goddess or not, he would support her. Besides, Skyloft was only so large. Allowing everyone to venture back to the surface seemed like a great idea. He looked back up at her on her blue-feathered loftwing, and he nodded. When he saw her face, he felt a pit in his stomach. Was she Zelda or Hylia?

Why was he remembering this? What use did this have now? He was done! His journey had ended! Why had another memory come to curse him? Hadn’t he done enough? 

Link hardly realized that he’d taken his grip off of Teba’s shoulders. The wind began to take him and loosen what little grip he had left. There were shouts, but he couldn’t hear. He kept remembering.

There was a tornado, or a whirlwind, he didn’t know. All he knew was that it took Zelda. All he knew was that he had to save her. And yet, despite his best efforts, it tossed him away effortlessly. He was falling. His crimson bird chased after him. It wanted to save him, but he was blacking out already. In his mind, one mission came to mind. He had to save her. He had to save her no matter the cost. He had to. He’d do anything. He wanted to stop remembering. He wanted to go back. He didn’t want to see this facsimile of Zelda. He wanted to be back with Teba! He wanted to be back with Revali! No more!

Wind rushed around him. He was still falling, but that red bird no longer chased him. In its place, Revali cut through the sky like an arrow. Link barely found the wherewithal to stay. His hand continued being buffeted by the wind as he watched the symbol of the triforce on his hand vanish. The memories slipped away, and he could not have been more grateful. Everything felt weak. Everything felt wrong.

Revali cared not for any of that. The ground was approaching quickly, and Link felt the winds of Revali’s Gale rushing over him with every flap of the Rito’s wings. Concentration set on Revali’s face. His pupils shrunk to focus on Link, and he tucked in his wings to become even more aerodynamic. 

He started gaining on Link. Before going into a full dive, he yelled, “Grab on!”

Link had a brief second to react before Revali flapped his wings, giving him the final push to fall right next to him. Wait, he wanted him to grab on? Didn’t he say- oh to hell with it. Pushing all of his thoughts to the side, Link wrapped his arms over Revali’s shoulders. The hood still being there kept him from outright strangling Revali with what happened next.

As soon as Link was secure, Revali twisted his body to try to correct into a glide. The ground rushed towards them both. However, Revali would not be beaten. With a strained yell, he called upon a hurricane. The wind stirred before unleashing in a thunderous roar in Link’s ears. Their descent suddenly began to slow, and Revali spread his wings wide to catch the bulk of the wind. Suddenly, they were being wrenched away from the ground, soaring higher and higher again.

Revali wheezed under the exertion that had been forged out of a combination of excessive magic usage, strained flight, and catching Link all at once. Link wanted to sympathize, but Revali craned his neck to look at him out of the corner of his eye.

It all came out in a shriek: “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

Defeated, Link slumped over and tried to hide his head in his arms that were still firmly wrapped around Revali’s neck. No, he wasn’t quite here right now. He felt like he’d been split in two separate ways from breaking out of a memory, and he might soil Revali’s feathers if he tried to say anything. Last time this had happened, the Temple of Time got desecrated with the contents of Link’s dinner. He didn’t want to find out what would happen if he desecrated Revali’s feathers.

Revali grinded his beak before yelling even more, “Ah yes, please, go silent once more after you FELL OUT OF THE SKY YOU LUNATIC!” Mixes of squawks and genuine shrieking filled the air. “What were you THINKING?!? Do you find it funny to scare everyone who comes into contact with you?!?”

Link held up a finger in front of Revali’s gaze to try to tell him he needed a moment. The Rito looked like he would explode at any given moment, but he managed to keep his mouth shut for a little bit longer. Weakly, Link tried to sign, ‘Memory’. 

Revali looked at his hand in utter bafflement before his ire redirected at the weak Hylian on his back. “Ah yes, thank you for the vague explanation as always!”

Out of strength and feeling like the world was turning sideways, Link gave up and let his arm fall limp. He’d explain when he didn’t feel like everything would break into pieces the moment he looked anywhere. He thought all of the cryptic memories would be over. If Hylia was giving them to him, wouldn’t they be over now that he was done? Or worse, were they just something he was now permanently remembering regardless of her influence?

He remembered the face of that “Zelda”. That wasn’t Zelda anymore. That was Hylia. Maybe back then, she could have been Zelda. She certainly wasn’t his Zelda like that memory wished to force upon him. No, his Zelda had far more tact than that Goddess ever would.

A white splotch of feathers peeked into the corner of Link’s vision. Link kept his eyes relatively shielded. The sky suddenly didn’t feel so safe. Hopefully, Fi had made it back into the Sword when he fell.

Teba’s voice cut through the wind. “You two okay?”

“I cannot speak for this imbecile, but yes, never better,” Revali snipped with fury frothing from his beak. 

“Link?” He kept hiding his face. If he looked at Teba, then some other memory of a white bird would be forced on him at this rate. Shockingly, Teba asked, “Did you remember something again?”

How had he come to that conclusion so fast? Yeah, Link might’ve had memory problems around Teba before, but he didn’t recall ever having one of these around… him…

He absolutely had one of these memories in Rito Village, didn’t he? Yes, he did. Suddenly, Teba’s reaction made much more sense. He couldn’t hide these types of memories forever, especially not if Teba had somehow already drawn conclusions. Hesitantly, Link gave a thumbs up in an attempt to confirm his suspicions.

Instead of pressing, Teba asked, “Are you still good to fly?”

“He’s ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Revali didn’t even give him a chance to answer, but Link still gave another thumbs up.

He could keep going. They’d been flying for at least a couple of hours now and made it fairly far in the meantime. There… might be a stable close by. They were north of Central Hyrule, so there would be one close. He just didn’t want to be the reason they wasted daylight. It was only midday, and forcing these two to walk with him sounded like torture for them. A memory shouldn’t do that. Ugh, he couldn’t believe this had happened again.

Teba didn’t believe him. “I’m gonna agree with Master Revali. We’ll have to launch off again, but you almost just dropped out of the sky.”

He was outnumbered by the only people who could currently fly. Fine, but he wasn’t moving from this spot anytime soon. If Revali jostled him anymore, he felt like he would die. His balance felt much more precarious since Revali was only slightly taller than him, but he didn’t feel like he’d fall. He just needed to keep clinging on. Besides, if Revali had an issue with his arms wrapped around his own hood, then Link would just have to remind him who gave it to him.

Revali craned his neck to glance at Link’s sorry state. He lingered for a bit before scoffing and beginning his glide towards the ground. Honestly, as the trio approached Woodland Stable, he expected Revali to throw him. The Rito looked livid enough to do it. Instead, the landing was almost entirely gentle. With a flap of his wings to slow his descent, Revali almost made it to the ground with no error. What actually happened was Revali stumbled a bit from Link’s added weight still clinging to him.

Being on solid ground, Link knew he should be able to let go. Instead, everything still felt like he would fall over the moment he did. He kept his arms fastened to Revali, even though the Rito noticed and started trying to shake him off.

“We’ve landed. You can let go now.” He worked on prying Link’s arms off of him, and he was unfortunately successful. Link nearly toppled over in a heap, barely managing to catch himself before going fully face first into the dirt. Revali snickered, “I don’t believe I’ve seen you this uncoordinated. One day not being the princess’ knight and you’re already losing your mind.”

Link could only half-heartedly glare. He needed to sit down. Sure, there were tables at the Woodland Stable, but he much preferred not having to talk to anyone. Besides, they had landed close enough to the river where he liked it here better. He slumped to the ground instantly. At the very least, he managed to force out a small “thanks”.

With the way Revali’s feathers twitched again, Link felt like his thanks was well received. Revali coughed into his hand. “You’re an idiot, but of course. Couldn’t have you be a stain on the ground and on my reputation, now could I?”

“Such an ass,” Link whispered in disbelief, but he was smiling. How Revali could say so many outlandish and creative insults was beyond him. Revali had the right to insult him right now. He’d just saved his life. “Does that make us even, now?”

Revali glared. Honestly, Link thought that would finally get him to loosen up a bit, but suddenly the crest feathers on his head flattened. “If you think a simple catch amounts to taking a hit for another person, you’re delusional.”

Not even. Got it. His loss.

Teba landed just a moment later. His landing came far more gracefully, but he also had not been lugging a Hylian on his shoulders during the landing itself. Unfortunately, this also meant that Link was not spared even for a single moment. Teba marched over to his slumped over position and folded his wings. He did a quick glance over Link for any injuries, and when he found none, he clicked his beak. “Okay, you’re explaining the whole memory thing. Now.”

No. He really didn’t want to do that. His voice started to leave him. These weren’t even his memories, right? They were someone else’s, and he’d just been projected into the scene. Yeah, it had to be like the ones Kass gave him. Surely, he wasn’t actually there, right?

He couldn't even make that lie sound remotely convincing. Hylia showed him what they really were. He knew deep down what they really were. All he knew was that he wasn't them.

“Memory thing?” Revali questioned, “Is he finally remembering more?”

“Apparently.” Teba didn’t seem all too happy about that, and he started eyeing the Master Sword again. He finally decided to vocalize those thoughts. “It’s not that sword doing this, is it?”

Link shook his head. No, Fi certainly tried to prevent these memories from occurring. The moment she made a mistake in the Temple of Time, she tried to call him by his real name instead of a title as to not bring on more. She absolutely would not do this to him. 

Revali gestured up at the sky uselessly. “Is this a normal occurrence? Do you just become completely paralyzed whenever one of these ‘memories’ happens? Seriously?” It should’ve sounded like an insult, but Link only heard worry.

Wishful thinking, probably. Link nodded. ‘I go somewhere else,’ he tried to sign, only earning a confused blink between Revali and Teba. Neither of them understood what he was trying to convey.

The Master Sword on his back sprung to life at that thought. It shimmered slightly, Fi’s voice breaking out in his stead. She explained for him, “What Link is trying to convey is that the memories appear to make him unaware of what is going on around him. Is this correct, Link?”

He nodded, extremely thankful for her being able to put it into better words than he could manage right now.

Revali dragged a hand over his face with an exhausted groan. “I’d prefer not to have to catch you again if a similar thing occurs. I’d love to have words with the Sheikah who thought it would be a fantastic idea to not preserve someone’s memories.”

Link wanted to have a word with them too, but these memories probably weren’t from the Sheikah. Hopefully, they would just vanish when he got further and further away from his destined fight with the Calamity. Maybe it was just leftovers. If these got any worse, he would start having issues. Falling out of the sky definitely wasn’t on the list of things he wanted to do right about now.

Unconvinced by all of this, Teba looked between the two of them with mixed concern. “Well, then we’re definitely not flying for a bit. Link, don’t you own a horse?”

He did have a horse stabled here. She was a feisty one, but she was the absolute best when it came to taking care of him. On multiple occasions, he’d fallen asleep on the road, and she’d carried him to relative safety. Honestly, it would be good to let her run a bit. With how often he’d been using the slate, he didn’t ever give his horses the attention they needed. He felt bad especially for Epona, so he absolutely needed to get her out of the stables now.

Link got up with a bit of effort. Teba had to hold him steady, and wow this felt embarrassing. Granted, his injuries made all of this worse, and Mipha told him not to push things, but he felt a tad ridiculous that he needed someone to help him stand. Nevertheless, Teba did help until he could get his footing. He waved Teba off after a bit and started walking. Luckily, he could manage that.

He gestured towards the stable to show his intent to get a horse. Revali rolled his eyes. “Oh Goddesses above, you’re going to eat dirt if you walk around like that. While that would be amusing, I’d prefer it if you didn’t lose your teeth.” Link furrowed his brow. Why would Revali care about that? He didn’t really get a chance to figure that out, because the Rito started bumping him with his wing. “I’ll get you your blasted horse and make sure you don’t make a fool of yourself in the meantime.”

He could appreciate that, but this felt like an assassination attempt somehow. Revali was being uncharacteristically helpful. While he wouldn’t complain, he was not used to this at all. 

Link looked to Teba for help, but his own dad waved him off. Teba titled his head at the water. “Gonna catch fish in the meantime. Don’t be too long.” Absolute betrayal. Worse, Teba was squinting at the two of them suspiciously. 

His head was way too fuzzy to see why Teba would miss an opportunity to hang out with his idol. Must be nerves. That left Link being dragged along by a very annoyed Revali.

While Revali had been more merciful than Link anticipated, he definitely continued to fume as they walked. The whole dive had taken much out of him, and tending to Link likely seemed humiliating. Oh well, it wasn’t like anyone would recognize Revali around here. Still, that would not stop Revali from taking this as a personal slight. Buuut… he’d volunteered to do this. What was this bird’s game?

Link didn’t even have time to get to the front desk of Woodland Stable before Revali started his entire spiel. He gestured a winged hand at Link with far too much flair. “I believe this one has a horse at your stable. The imbecile cannot be trusted to fly, so he needs it right about now.”

The stablehand squinted in the sunlight to look at the two of them. If Link remembered correctly, this had to be Kish. He looked between the two of them, and quirked a brow at Revali in particular. “You want Epona out?” All of Revali’s feathers rose in silent mortification. “All right. She’s been menacing us a bit… but uh…” Kish’s gaze trailed between the two of them, and he fiddled with one of the gloves on his hand. He seemed to be really interested in Revali’s scarf.

“I’m sorry, did you say Epona?” Revali questioned with an utterly baffled tone. 

“Yep, her name’s Epona. Hardy horse, that one.” Kish whistled for another stablehand, and Link could already hear Epona making a ruckus. 

Revali started to inch away from the stablehand. He leaned down, whispering in Link’s ear. “This isn’t the same horse you had a century ago, right? No, that would be impossible.”

He wouldn’t know, but judging by Revali’s reaction, he was almost excited at the prospect of it. Sure enough, a large, brown horse with a beautiful white mane strutted around the corner of the stable. The other stablehand must’ve lost her reins. Revali let out a mortified yelp, and took a few tentative steps back. Link glanced at him curiously.

“HOW!?” The Rito yelled into the sky and at the horse and at anyone who would listen. “This blasted horse is still ALIVE?!? I escape one infernal beast only to be plagued by ANOTHER!”

Well, Link had gotten this horse from the Horse God, Malanya. Maybe she was special after all. He snickered at Revali and made his way to take the reins. Revali continued to squawk and kept a firm distance away from her. Oh, these two had history. He’d have to ask.

Link guided Epona away from the stable, and before he knew it they were almost back out of earshot with a grumbling Revali trailing behind. Epona was a very pretty horse, all things considered. There was always something special about her compared to all of the others, but he could never quite put his finger on it. No, he was certain he’d seen the horse before. Well, if she’d been by his side in the past, that made perfect sense-

How many times had she been by his side?

Link reeled. Why was that even a question in his mind? Why did he even think that? Why’d he-

His hand burned again. He tried to plug the hole that the memories threatened to burst through and clamp it down again. He could feel his memories being pulled every which way. There were more than one, and they all begged for his attention in equal measure. They all yearned to be heard, and he couldn’t listen to them all. Why? He’d never had them happen with Epona before! Why now?

He started to remember-

“Hey!” Revali batted the side of Link’s face with a wing, and the thoughts suddenly became scattered to the wind. Epona’s ears flattened at the sudden hostility, and Revali’s crest flattened in turn. “If you zone out on me again, I swear to Farore that I will throw you into the river to wake you up.”

He hadn’t even been thrust into a memory, and Revali had thankfully interrupted it. Thank the Goddesses. Or not. He didn’t really know what they had to do with all of this yet. Maybe nothing. He didn’t know. Instead, he held tightly onto Epona’s reins. Revali was right, he needed to stay here and not slip into another memory.

Shit, this was supposed to be over.

“Honestly, you rush head first into fighting a Calamity, and now all of the sudden you’re paralyzed while trying to get a horse. It’s a wonder that it didn’t happen during your fight.” Revali clicked his beak, preening the feathers on the back of his hand and pointedly watching for any movements from Epona.

Link tried to guide Epona back to Teba. They needed to just keep moving. Maybe after another night of rest, all of these would be gone. Besides, looking at Epona now didn’t seem to spark the same tug to his memories. It still worried him that they could be fragmented enough to cause a horse to trigger them.

Unfortunately for him, Revali blocked his path by standing in his way. “Once again, you appear to not be understanding what I am attempting to convey to you.”

Link rolled his eyes and tried to push past again. Despite the large horse at his side, Revali stepped right back in front of the two of them. For his own safety, Link stopped.

The Rito smirked at this victory and kept going. “Is it that other Rito that’s causing you to be silent? I can keep a secret you know, considering you’ve kept mine so far.” 

The theatrics were cute, but Revali’s secrets were more insecure instead of horrors beyond Link’s comprehension. These were two completely different things, and the fake memories would probably pass as time went on. Although… “other Rito” sounded a little too brash. Link gestured with a quizzical look towards where Teba was aiming a bow at the river. He was just doing dad things. What about it?

“Yes, that Rito, stupid.” Revali folded his wings. “He’s been on your case this entire time. Now I know I am on your case, but that’s because I know you’re a hopeless buffoon.” Thanks Revali. With how he said “hopeless buffoon” like a title worthy of respect, Link couldn’t help but exhale sharply from his nose. “He acts strange…”

The Master Sword flared to life on Link’s back without a single ounce of prompting. Fi, in a quieter tone than normal, corrected whatever Revali was thinking in one fell swoop that shattered Link’s mind, “There is a 90% chance that you were not told that Teba is Link’s adoptive father.”

Revali’s beak snapped shut.

“That-” Revali shut his beak again. He wanted to retort, but suddenly he looked like he was deep in thought. His eyes focused on the ground as if studying every blade of grass. All of his feathers started to fly into disarray. “No, but-” Once again, he folded his wings again and grumbled. Link wanted to laugh so badly. The weight in his throat started to go away at the sight of this fumbling bird. “Fine, that would make much more sense as to why you’re joining us in Rito Village. I thought you had somehow enraged one of its denizens. It makes more sense that she is your… er… mother?”

Saki. 

He had enraged Saki, to be specific.

Link managed a low mumble: “You’re not just an ass. You’re a dumbass.”

“So I’m told.” The Rito rubbed his eyes with his hand with defeat lacing his voice. Revali admitting to being called a dumbass? The world was about to end!

“You’re right, though, I’m not being too honest” Link found himself saying. Impossibly, he was actually saying this. The thing about his memories was that he couldn’t tell whether or not they were real. Someone else would ask him more questions and overwhelm him. Fi might tell him these memories genuinely happened. Zelda might try to take them as some kind of puzzle to be solved. Hell, even Mipha might express concern, and that would be terrible.

Revali would tell him exactly what he needed to know. 

Here went nothing. Link sighed, “You’d tell me if I’m stupid, right?” 

“Naturally.” Revali smirked. He reveled in the chance to call Link stupid after their last exchange. Perfect. If Link could rely on anyone for consistency in that, it was Revali.

“Okay, so- I think I’ve been remembering things.” Obviously. Both Revali and Teba knew his memory had gone haywire recently. That wasn’t the issue. He tried again. If he didn’t attack the root of the issue, he’d never get this out. “But… they’re definitely not mine. Not really. It’s like… I know these are things I didn’t do a century ago.”

No “you’re stupid” came from Revali yet. The Rito remained in contemplative silence.

Link kept going. “I lied earlier about Hylia. She gave me some memories, or showed me some things. I don’t know what they are. It’s-” Oh Goddess, this was too difficult to express. Maybe he’d just leave out the part where she showed him his own death. Revali may not take that well. “It’s things I’ve never done, but they felt real. It felt like I had done them. It feels exactly like remembering things I did a century ago, but it’s not a century ago. It’s whenever they are.” He couldn’t do this. He was explaining this like a lunatic.

Still. Nothing. Link kept looking at Epona as to not even try to see the undoubtedly annoyed expression that would be on Revali’s face.

“It’s like I’m myself, but I’m not me.” He hated this. He couldn’t possibly explain something like this to someone like Revali of all people. He just needed to be told he was stupid and move on. “I think I even remember fighting Ganon, but not this Ganon, if that makes sense, but I also wasn’t this me.” It didn’t feel right. None of it felt right. He felt like every word that came out of his mouth shouldn’t have even been there in the first place.

It sounded like explaining a dream to someone, and it was probably entirely nonsensical.

Strangely, when Revali still hadn’t said anything, Link decided to glance at him to see if he was laughing yet. Surely, if the Rito hadn’t said anything, it was because he stifled his own laughter.

Only… when he turned to look at Revali, he saw none of that. He only saw a petrified look that Revali immediately tried to hide.

“Of course! That’s entirely ludicrous,” Revali eventually exclaimed, and the look was gone immediately. 

“Right…” Link wanted to believe him. The haughty and confident Revali came back, but Link couldn’t shake the look in his eyes that he’d only caught a glimpse of. Staring at the back of Revali’s head, Link started to guide Epona forward. “Ludicrous.”

Hopefully, Revali was right. He had to be right.

Chapter Text

They didn’t get far. 

Sure, they managed to use their time as effectively as possible, but this was already significantly hampered by the road past Woodland Stable deciding to wind back down towards Central Hyrule. If the king were still alive, Revali would’ve personally throttled him. Why did Hylians hate having efficient methods of doing anything?!? A road north of Hyrule Castle would make perfect sense, and yet there still was none! Good job, oh dutiful king of Hyrule for NOT FUNDING ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE! The Gorons were right there. It wouldn’t be that hard to get them to make a road on the northern end of Hyrule, would it?

Besides, Revali wanted to strangle Link too. The so-called hero refused to guide his horse off the road. She could handle a bit of off-roading! Link had shown that feat off a few times in the past. But nooooo! Link had to throw away a perfectly fine idea to reach the next stable by sundown all because he didn’t want to rough his horse up a little. Revali decided to get offended so much about this fact that he ignored Link telling him that they would run into a lynel if they went up north.

Almost. He ALMOST ignored it. Instead, the next half-hour of travel devolved into Revali arguing that he could indeed take on a lynel flawlessly. This argument went about as well as expected with one of them on horseback and the other trying to fly close enough to get a single word in. 

“You mean to tell me that you think I couldn’t take on a lynel?” Revali shouted over the winds rushing around him. “Are you forgetting who I am?”

Link stopped watching where he was going, but Epona remained on the path. Unfortunately, this made him only look more smug in his conclusion. “Maybe I have again. You’ll have to remind me.” He had the gall to laugh when Revali looked offended, “They have bows too, y’know. I’m not unsticking you from the ground because you forgot you didn’t have armor too.”

“Armor? Hah!” He exaggerated his laugh just so that Link would hear exactly how frivolous that was. Armor? He didn’t need armor. “Implying that I need armor is idiotic! With my expert flying prowess, a lynel would never lay a hand on me!”

Unfortunately, his logical reasoning fell on deaf ears. Link rolled his eyes, pointing at a coliseum far on the horizon. “The one in there shot me WHILE on top of the coliseum.”

“Because you’re terrible at avoiding obvious attacks! We’ve established this!” Revali would not have his abilities downplayed by the Hylian who intentionally took a direct hit to a guardian laser. He would hold this over Link’s head for AGES.

Link shook his head in disbelief. However, his grin didn’t vanish. Instead, the most insulting string of words came out of his mouth. “Hey dumbass!” He yelled over the rushing wind, pointing directly in front of Revali. “House!”

Revali took the cue and just barely managed to swerve out of the way of someone’s ruined home. Going wide, he executed a perfect spin to shift his weight in the wind. He absolutely did not let out a squawk, and no one would ever bring this up again. He DID manage to stay flying, despite needing to call on a strong burst of his Gale to lift him away from the ground.

As he came back with his beak firmly shut, Link was already laughing at him. The smug Hylian tilted his head. “What would you do without me?”

“Many things. I assure you.” Revali wanted to pick up that idiot by the shoulders and drop him into the nearest river. He also inexplicably wasn’t all that angry.

After their little exchange, Epona became the next thorn in Revali’s side.

While that blasted horse could keep a good pace, both Revali and Teba had neglected Mipha’s advice. Link should not be pushing himself. Now, Revali didn’t need to do barbaric things like riding on a steed. After all, flying was much more practical, and limiting himself to the ground would be unbecoming of a Rito such as himself. With all of that in mind, it still seemed a little strange that riding a horse at those speeds could actually be taxing. It sounded like an excuse to stop moving if anything.

Well, that’s what Revali would’ve said if it was Link actually doing the complaining. 

No, apparently Epona’s attitude stood the test of time. An entire century later and this stupid horse wouldn’t obey the commands of anyone with a sense of urgency. Just when they had almost gotten most of the way through Central Hyrule, Epona decided to become irritable. Maybe it was the nearby destroyed guardians, or maybe she just had grown too tired. Neither of the explanations made Revali happy.

She started to slow down immensely when reaching Carok Bridge. Of course, Revali didn’t realize this until much later.

He’d already taken it upon himself to scout up ahead, and he waited for ages for Link and Teba to pick up the pace. Just ahead was a monster camp that needed taking care of if they were to continue, and Revali wanted to show off his flying prowess just a bit. Link wouldn’t even be able to land a single strike on all of these bokoblins with him around. It would simply be revenge for their lynel talk earlier and for ever assuming that Revali would get hit by someone else’s pathetic arrows. 

On his perch above the camp, he began to grow more and more tired of waiting. He could take out these monsters easily, but he wanted it to be witnessed. Sure, it might be lost on someone as dense as Link, but he needed to keep up his appearance with that other Rito who was apparently Link’s… adoptive father. Even now, he could see Teba far off in the skies circling where Link was probably wasting his time. Their entire dynamic had flown under Revali’s notice for an embarrassing amount of time.

It also now immediately made sense why Link joined them on their trip back to Rito Village. Revali thought it might’ve just been to check in with one of the local residents, but that local resident ended up being his very angered mother. If Link was truly coming to Rito Village and had been adopted, would that mean he would be staying?

A strange feeling hit him in the chest, but he decided to be pragmatic about this. No, Link clearly loved wasting time in the wild. He would absolutely not be staying at Rito Village, especially since he was the only one amongst their group who knew this changed land the best. Yes, Revali would return to peace and quiet soon enough! He had no reason to fret!

The feeling in his chest soured, and he inexplicably frowned.

What in the name of Farore was making those two take so long? 

As much as he wanted to go back and give the two of them an earful for wasting daylight, he began scouting ahead for another reason. Ever since leaving the stable, Revali’s mind started racing. 

Figuring out what was going on in Link’s head had been a lifelong goal. Now that he’d actually told Revali what insane thoughts went on in there, it had grown even more maddening. He talked about memories that weren’t his. If Revali had nothing to base this off of, he would’ve called Link an idiot as well as insinuated that he must’ve gotten a concussion when Revali caught him. However, Revali had met someone saying something eerily relevant to this situation.

That wolf, or that Hylian in disguise, had vanished since leaving Zora’s Domain. Revali hoped that he could keep an eye out for it. Maybe, if he stopped moving for a bit, the wolf would come to him. He needed answers. That fake looking Link stated very clearly that he was one of the heroes of legend. Revali still had his qualms with believing that, but there was no debating the similarities in appearance. He looked identical in many ways to the Link that Revali knew. 

So, there were more heroes. If he assumed all of the legends passed down over a millenia were true, then that meant all of these other ones were real. Did they all share an uncanny similarity? If the fake version of Link was to be believed, then there was another hero that came even before him. None of these even covered the whispers of a hero that had been passed down through the generations of Rito. Then again, that was merely a fairytale. The last time he’d heard about that hero was when he was a fledgling. 

None of this fully explained what was happening to Link. Revali had an outlandish hunch, but he would never voice it. The way he spoke about him not quite being himself, alongside the way those heroes looked so similar…

No. That couldn’t be.

Regardless, why worry? Provided Link didn’t fall out of the sky again anytime soon, this would pass soon enough. Revali just needed to get this out of his head, and everything would be fine. Besides, he’d been here for a good half-hour with no progress from Link and Teba. Worse, the wolf hadn’t even decided to make an appearance. It looked like it disappeared after all.

With even less answers than he came here with, Revali decided to take out his anger on the bokoblin camp below. No one would see it, but the sun was already starting to go down. He’d prefer to not make a fool of himself when night fell, and they could use the base as easy shelter for the night. Had Link not dawdled, they might’ve made it to a stable Revali passed on the way to Zora’s Domain. Instead, they would have to make the most of this.

He cast all of his thoughts aside to focus on the enemy patrolling below. Eight bokoblins, some blue and some black. He caught a hint of silver in one of their skull-shaped bases. That one would be more difficult to handle. The two on the watchtower appeared to be weaker than the rest, so maybe he could dispatch them before they blew their horns… 

This would be child’s play.

He drew his bow alongside two arrows from his quiver. They were custom-made, so he knew exactly how well they would perform. Simply buying arrows with shoddy craftsmanship would be unbecoming of him. With a practiced motion, Revali drew back his bowstring with both arrows nocked. 

He almost drew his bow back successfully. Instead, he found his muscles aching! Just trying to draw the bowstring strained his body. A century of time resting or not, he wouldn’t allow himself to get humiliated by his own bow! 

He tried again, this time with a little less complacency. Sure enough, even though the muscles in his wing ached, he drew the bow back just fine. Yes, it must’ve just been a fluke. He hadn’t drawn his bow in a hundred years. Getting it right on the second try was… acceptable. 

The rest of the fight happened in a blur. He tried to focus on his form while breaking the century long rest his muscles had taken. They’d definitely degraded, and at multiple points it felt like he pulled something. He didn’t have time to focus on that, though. If he fell to mere bokoblins, he would never hear the end of it.

He had the advantage of flight, and the bokoblins were hardly capable of hitting him with their cobbled together bows and pitiful rock throwing. His arrows weren’t hitting exactly where he wanted them to, and he had to waste extra arrows from his quiver to take out some of his foes. The fight also lasted far longer than his usual pace.

That was unacceptable.

The last bokoblin fell to a third arrow which finally hit its mark. The other two arrows lodged in its head weren’t quite enough, and it took a third to finally bring the beast down. The silver bokoblin let out a screech before vanishing into a puff of purple smoke. 

He didn’t feel any better.

Instead, the pain in his muscles decided to make itself known immediately. With the adrenaline wearing off, all of the strain he placed on himself finally settled in. It felt similar to the day he first began to train with his Gale in mind. It was insulting. Really now? A mere squabble with a few bokoblins, and suddenly his body acted like it had just gone through a day of rigorous training? Unacceptable. He would need to rectify this immediately. Already, he had been a liability at best when in that Silent Realm. That could not happen again.

Everyone else might grow complacent in this so-called time of peace, but he would not. He would continue training as always to even greater heights. Yes, that was what he would do on his return to Rito Village.

He would just go back to life as usual, he supposed. He wasn’t sure why his first instinct was to loath the thought.

At LAST, Revali could hear the sound of Epona’s hooves on the stone pathway. Link and Teba must’ve FINALLY stopped wasting everyone’s time with whatever distracted them. Except, when he turned around, he realized they weren’t making any effort to hustle. In fact, Teba had landed at some point, and Link refused to make Epona go any faster than a snail’s crawl.

Teba eyed the surrounding destruction of the monster camp with an eyebrow raised. “I see we missed the fun?”

Revali straightened himself up and glared. “Yes, because both of you decided you would rather waste daylight than keep up a reasonable pace.” He took a second to try to spot any injuries on the two of them. If they were ambushed, that would make more sense as to why they took so long. As expected, both of them seemed perfectly fine. “Honestly, what could’ve been so important that kept you two behind?”

Immediately, Teba flicked his head towards Link to redirect the blame at him. The Hylian in question sheepishly sunk into himself. Epona’s head could not shield him from Revali’s death-stare. Link caved. “Epona won’t listen.”

What? His horse wouldn’t obey him? Link always had a firm grasp on Epona in the past, but Revali always knew her for the adhesive she should be. That horse could be spiteful. “Your horse…” Revali slowly emphasized, “The horse that you specifically said is a good horse… will not serve its basic function and carry you at a NORMAL PACE?”

Link put his hands up like he had just been accused of a heinous crime. “Listen! She only does this when I’ve probably been riding longer than I should. She’s still walking she’s just doing it slower.”

Revali pinched his beak with his wing. He could not believe this. “You’re telling me that you’re being coddled by your horse?”

“She’s the best horse,” Link argued with a stroke of Epona’s mane. The blasted horse actually snorted like it was agreeing with him. Really? The most prestigious knight in all of Hyrule had been coddled by his horse this whole time? “And give her a break. She ran across half of Hyrule.”

“And I flew across the entirety of Hyrule,” Revali reminded him just so that he would not forget that. “Regardless of your irresponsible excuses for wasting our time, we will not make it to the stable by nightfall. As you can see…” He brandished his wing out, showing off the destruction he caused with his arrows. “I have taken it upon myself to find a suitable location to rest for the night.”

There was much less resounding praise than Revali had been expecting. Instead, Teba started eyeing the place curiously before glancing at the sky. “Is there a blood moon tonight?”

Ah. Right. The blood moons. Revali had seen many of them since being freed from the Windblight the first time. But… he’d just wiped out this monster camp for the express purpose of camping in it. “Surely, those wouldn’t be an issue now, right?” He asked with a tad more edge to his voice than normal.

“I mean, the Calamity’s gone,” Link actually agreed, “I guess there wouldn’t really be any reason a blood moon would happen.

Teba really didn’t like that. Revali had a self satisfied smirk on his face now. Link agreeing with him was a rare circumstance, and he would take that victory. “See? Nothing to worry about. Besides, we could handle it if there was a blood moon. Two of the best fighters in Hyrule…” He sized Teba up. The Rito had apparently joined Link in the fight against the Calamity. Maybe he could spare Teba’s feelings just this once, especially because he looked like he genuinely might be shattered if Revali didn’t mention him. “...and someone who I am told is a serviceable fighter for his people, we shouldn’t have any issues.” The shattered expression on Teba’s face disappeared immediately. Easy.

There were almost no further protests. Almost. Of course, fate couldn’t let Revali have a single victory. 

The Master Sword decided to shimmer, indicating the telltale sign of Fi wanting to say something. She hardly even waited for a prompt from her so-called master to speak, “While the event of a blood moon is unlikely, in the odds that you are taken by surprise by reforming bokoblins, your chances of survival would drop significantly.” Fi sounded like she was doubting their capabilities. She decided to confirm that, “Additionally, both Champion Revali and Link appear to not be at peak performance. It would be wise to set up camp further ahead to minimize chances of failure should a blood moon arise.”

Revali glared at the sword. He hoped that she could see how angry he was. Insinuating that he wasn’t at peak performance? Insinuating Link wasn’t at peak performance? Preposterous! Revali yelled, “Is your only purpose to contradict me?”

“Only in the event that you are incorrect.”

That couldn’t possibly be true, because she was always contradicting him.

Link joined in on this betrayal by mentioning, “There is a shrine up ahead. We could use that.”

Fantastic. Everyone was now discounting his hard work based on the groundless assumption that a blood moon could take place with the Calamity gone. Any pride he previously had fizzled out instantly. He hadn’t even gotten something as simple as a thank you. Oh, thank you Revali for singlehandedly clearing the way, since we were wasting so much TIME!

Link started hopping off Epona to seal the deal. They’d all be walking the rest of the way now. Already, Revali could see the blue lights of the shrine in the distance. He doubted that thing would even be half as good as the camp he just cleared out, but oh well. He couldn’t fix the extreme paranoia of a sword who wanted to contradict him at every single turn.

Revali’s thoughts grinded to a halt at the sound of many bones popping. That ungodly noise came from Link, and pained hissing joined the cacophony of joints popping. Link’s face scrunched up, and he held onto Epona’s reins tightly for support. He wheezed, “I’m fine.”

Maybe Link wasn’t at peak performance.

Revali didn’t know what was worse. The fact that Fi had probably been correct, or the more debatable fact that Epona actually realized Link completely stiffened up from riding all day. He wouldn’t give either of these thoughts any attention. Instead, Revali rolled his eyes. “I hope you don’t plan on keeling over. You still have to lead the way!”

He couldn’t hear the curses Link muttered under his breath, but he did take personal satisfaction in the small reactions he could get out of Link now. The hero certainly seemed a tad more incompetent than before without his mask, but Revali dared to say he liked this better. 

He was so focused on smirking that he didn’t see Epona’s tail heading right for him. The horse made sure to thwack him with her tail, breaking his moment. She jostled his braids up over the back of his head, and one of them got itself lodged in his crest feathers. Before anyone could see, he scrambled to fix it while swatting at the damned horse. 

His misfortune always had a witness. 

Link started snickering, even though he tried to hide the fact that he DID see Revali get battered by a horse. Revali straightened out his feathers and prepared a flurry of insults to try to get that hero back under control.

Inexplicably, he didn’t.

Maybe he was tired. Perhaps the day of travel made him grow soft. Or, maybe he just wanted to spare Link just this once out of sheer pity. Whatever the reason, no insults escaped his beak. Instead, he just listened. 

Hearing anything out of Link in the past was a rarity. Revali believed that either he was mute or considered his thoughts too sacred to be bestowed on those around him. Now, he was as open as ever. It was strange to be sure… but he really COULD admit that he preferred this new Link that actually spoke his mind.

…Even if Link laughed at him. 

Revali didn’t know he was staring until Link glanced back at him again. The two immediately broke eye contact, and all of Revali’s feathers rose in absolute mortification. Nope, absolutely not. He shook himself out of his stupor and picked up the pace. He was not staring! Not at all! He just appreciated having attention! Yes! That was what it was! Who cared if the attention was laughter?

Well, he should care! Mockery always made him yell out insults until the person wanted to curl up into a ball. This time, that wasn’t what he felt at all. Why was he making an exception? Yes, it was just a mercy. Link had saved his life after all. A few laughs here and there wouldn’t hurt Revali in the slightest! Yes, that sounded right.

OH LOOK THERE’S THE SHRINE! NO TIME TO THINK ABOUT THIS NOW!

Right, yes. The shrine had a stone outcropping just above to protect them from the worst of the elements. It wouldn’t do much if rain and winds factored in, but it was serviceable. A few trees sat nearby, but Revali would not be perching on one of those brittle things. Quite honestly, this entire place looked like its growth had been stunted. He didn’t really like it here that much.

Teba already took to scouting around the place, and he must’ve reached the same conclusion Revali did. “Doesn’t really seem to be much protection out here, to be honest.”

Link let go of the reins and made a beeline for the shrine itself. “There’s room in here.” He gestured at the VERY small alcove made in the shrine itself. 

Revali thought Link was an idiot for even suggesting it. The miniscule amount of room would hardly be enough to house all three of them comfortably. Plus… “I am not squeezing in there with the likes of you.”

“Darn,” Link said while he continued to walk into the small alcove. Revali did not register what Link had said until it was already too late. The Hylian ran his mouth too quickly. “But we should be able to go in. You all might have to squeeze in.” He gestured down at the circular design just on the floor like that was supposed to mean something.

But… go in? Did that imply that these shrines had more than just the alcove? Well, the Sheikah always stated that the shrines housed trials for the hero. This little alcove didn’t seem like much of a trial. 

Teba didn’t hesitate to squeeze in. He had to fold his wings in to just barely make enough room for Revali. Oh, he hated this. They both looked at him expectantly. This would not be dignified at all. 

Revali took great care to fold his wings as best he could before stepping onto the circle. He teetered on the edge, but surely that would be enough. He did not want to sully his feathers by making contact with Link. 

“You’re not even in the circle all the way,” Teba idly commented with a strange curve at the corners of his beak.

Fine. He’d scoot closer. Carefully, he shimmied as close as he possibly could without touching anyone. He especially tried to look anywhere that wasn’t Link or Teba. This got harder in the confined space, and he was beginning to hate this even more. He barely caught Link’s gaze for a second, and the ends of his ears looked reddened. He must’ve been just as agitated about this situation as Revali.

Finally, Link deemed Revali close enough. He tapped the tip of his boot on the circle below, and the floor lurched. Revali stumbled slightly forward, jerking directly into Link and Teba. His fellow Rito even tried to catch him, but he immediately righted himself and stood still, mortified. All of his feathers stood on end. Worse, the tips of his feathers kept brushing against the Hylian next to him.

This sucked this sucked this sucked.

This mechanism could not go any slower. They were descending, and Revali could see through thin blue bars of energy that they were entering a much larger room. Despite the stench of burial spices, he would MUCH RATHER BE OUT THERE. 

Link kept his head lowered, no doubt to spare Revali. Unfortunately, that was NOT ENOUGH. He wanted out of this stuffy mechanism that came from the bowels of Ganon himself! Going one at a time would have been more merciful! He would’ve slept in the tree if he knew this would happen! Woe was him, being destroyed by virtue of this stupid Hylian in his proximity.

The cogs in his brain started to spin up. He processed what he was thinking and immediately shoved it back down. No, he was being absolutely ridiculous! Being in close proximity to this idiot was nothing new. He just… didn’t want his feathers sullied. Yes, that made more sense. He just needed to keep his cool, and then he could LEAVE.

He tried holding his breath. Maybe, if he didn’t inhale oxygen, he wouldn’t brush up against Link again. Yes, that was a very reasonable choice to make-

FINALLY the floor stopped moving. Teba took his sweet time finally moving out of the damn mechanism containing everyone, and it almost felt like his sluggish pace had intent behind it. As soon as the Rito got out of the way, Revali darted for the exit and practically threw himself out. He gasped for air, and realized that the air in here was stale.

Oh by the golden goddesses, he was doomed.

Teba strangely didn’t even make a comment. Instead, he took to surveying the room and all of the strange mechanisms in here. Maybe Zelda would have a blast with this. For Revali, he wanted to go to sleep, so he could get back to Rito Village faster. If he spent any more time away from his training, he would let himself get agitated by such small things like being in proximity of his previous mortal enemy.

It was fine. Revali saw a fantastic perch in the corner of the room where he could sleep for the night. He could stand. It would be absolutely fine. Then, when he finally delivered this nuisance to Saki’s doorstep, he could go to his Flight Range and never have to think about this again. All would be well and return to normal.

Link had the tact not to comment on Revali’s stuffiness. In fact, he didn’t really say much of anything and took a position closer to the elevator. Annoyingly, he took Revali’s side of the room instead of positioning himself on the other side of the elevator. Fine. That was fine. He was already beginning to remove the Sword from his back, and he might not be much for conversation…

…but Revali wanted some control back over this situation.

“Don’t you think your horse will be in danger if a blood moon does strike?” He broke the silence of the shrine with a judgemental drawl. Link managed to fumble the Master Sword out of his hands, the sheath falling into his lap. That only encouraged Revali.  “I mean, we went through all of this effort to get down here. It would be quite the oversight to leave her in danger.”

Link cocked an eyebrow at Revali, and the corner of his mouth curved into a smirk. “I know you’re rooting for her death, but she’ll be fine. She has a kill count.”

His beak instantly clicked shut. Right. A kill count. He wouldn’t even question that nor try to get on her bad side again. Maybe the tail thwack was a mercy. Testing her again sounded like a death wish. “I will… keep that in mind.”

“Did you two not get along?”

“Not at all!” Revali scoffed, “She had a particular fascination with my feathers. Zelda claimed something absurd like ‘Revali, it’s because you’re moving around too much’. Of course I’m moving around, princess! I’m trying to make a point.” He ignored the way he flapped his wings around to exasperate the point he was currently making. 

Link found nothing but amusement in all of this. He watched the entire display with a hand on his face to hide his smirk. “You do like to move around a lot when talking.”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?” He snapped his head back to Link, braids clacking together. “It’s all part of the display.”

“Display?” 

With the way he said that, Revali wanted to correct himself so badly. The smug look on Link’s face made things worse. That had to be mocking. Or, Revali had to be hearing things. Yes, that had to be a genuine question. 

“Yeah that’s a display alright,” Teba cut in between the two of them, seemingly done with his little escapade. For once, Revali wanted to thank that man for interrupting them. “Anyway, this place is pretty damn bright, so I’m gonna go try and loot your horse to see if you have anything to shield us from the light with.” Revali glared. He would not be cozying up to anyone. Teba flinched this time, but that strange self-satisfied smile on his face didn’t falter. “Or just me. You two have fun.”

Maybe the Rito interrupting wasn’t a blessing. He ascended in the elevator soon after, leaving just him and Link in complete and awkward silence. They were in a deadlock. Revali would not be going to sleep first, especially with Link watching him from over there. The stupid idiot didn’t seem likely to sleep himself. They had reached an impasse.

“So what are your plans after you get back?” Revali’s beak moved before he had a chance to really process what he said. As a matter of fact, he really shouldn’t care what Link did with his time now that he had been freed from knighthood.

Link looked a bit perplexed by the question, but he answered in stride, “Dunno. Never really thought that far, to be honest.” He decided to look down at the Master Sword instead. Hm.

“Really? The Hero of Hyrule with all of his accomplishments, and you never even had a plan for when our fight was over?” Personally, Revali didn’t believe it.

“I thought I’d just keep being a knight.”

“And now that you’re not?” Revali pressed, “You surely thought of something on the ride here. You were so lost in thought that you toppled out of the sky.”

With the way Link stopped and actually had to think about this question, Revali wondered if he ever thought ahead at all. Seriously? Even he’d thought about what he would be doing when he got back to Rito Village. Did Link seriously just abandon the princess with no plan in mind? “I might just take it easy for a bit.”

That. Was an unsatisfying answer. Taking it easy sounded so general that it might as well have been a new year’s resolution. Revali flapped over to the elevator, closing the distance between him and Link. The hero was clearly being defensive, and Revali would wrench this answer out of him if needed. “Yes! Fantastic! Expand on that, or you will look extremely idiotic!”

Link blew a loose piece of hair that Revali’s wing had knocked in front of his face. “I always look idiotic to you.”

“Now’s your chance to not do that!” Please. He was trying.

Finally, FINALLY, Link gave him something he could work with. “Tulin’s my little brother now. I might try to give him more attention, but you also might steal him since he likes archery so much.” An aspiring archer? Revali actually took interest in that. “I definitely need to hang around and make sure Saki doesn’t kill me. I like Rito Village, but…”

He wasn’t saying something. In fact, if Revali didn’t know any better, it looked like that Hylian was trying to hide something and actually failing. For once, that mask wasn’t working. Amazing! Thrilling! “But?” He inquired further. These conversations were far more intriguing than he thought they’d be. He wanted to dig further and figure out what made Link tick.

“I’ve gotta figure out what happened to the Master Sword. Lots of talks need to happen with Fi, and I’m not looking forward to that.” He glanced down at the Sword with a muttered, “Sorry Fi.” But, he had even more to say. “I also can’t just stop doing everything. It’ll be easier when I have the slate, but there’s still monsters out there. Strong ones. I don’t want anyone getting hurt by those. It’ll have to be me who handles them.”

Personally, Revali felt a bit indignant on behalf of all of his friends. “You do realize that we are all extremely competent Champions who could very well handle our own territory? Or have you gone one day without commands and forgotten that you are not a knight anymore?” He had a strange impulse to flick Link on the head, but did not follow through. “Besides, Mipha said that you have to recover. I would personally kill you if you died without recovering. She would kill you again.”

The glum look on Link’s face all but vanished. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Revali.”

Pride welled up in his chest. He cocked his head, his beads clacking once more. “Of course. What would you do without me?”

“Die normally, probably.”

“We’ve established that you’re incapable of staying dead, apparently.”

Revali didn’t know when he’d sat down on Link’s side of their little gap. The banter must’ve just guided him in that direction. Sitting down also felt quite nice after his squabble with the bokoblins, and he could deal with leaning against a wall for one night. How Link hadn’t become the hero of back pain baffled Revali to no end, but he wouldn’t question the goddesses for sparing his spine with the way he was going to try to sleep.

Link could relax despite everything. Even better, he eventually threw the ball back into Revali’s court. “What about you? What plans does Master Revali have?”

“Soar to even greater heights, of course,” Revali promised, mostly to himself. He needed to see this through. When Link reacted with a facial expression that said ‘of course’, Revali needed to defend himself. “Just because the Calamity has ended does not mean I will grow complacent. After all, you still think I cannot handle a mere lynel.”

“A silver lynel,” Link emphasized, “Silver. Those things are beasts.”

Pah! He could handle that in a heartbeat. Revali waved his wing dismissively. “See? You still doubt my capabilities. You must believe I’ve gone soft, since you haven’t seen me in action in a century and all.”

Link leaned on his elbow, now worsening his position on the floor by laying on his damned side. “Sure. Gotta put on a… what did you say… display?”

His poor wording came back to bite him. He decided to completely ignore that comment. Hopefully, Link would be too dense to remember it in the morning. “OTHER than that, I must push myself to greater heights. My Gale can only be improved upon, and there’s also the matter of your paraglider…”

“So back to the routine?” Link sounded almost disappointed.

Revali didn’t know why that disappointment almost carried over to him. “Perhaps.”

The sound of the elevator cut their conversation short. Teba descended into the shrine with absolutely soaked feathers. Revali would’ve commented on it, but Teba lifted a hand to stop him. “Thunderstorm. Didn’t see that coming when we were flying. Must’ve moved in fast.”

Ah. That explained it. Revali wanted to get a jab in, but Link was too fast. “Is Epona okay?”

“She’s fine. She actually tried to block me from getting in the shrine alcove, because she was so adamant about not going out in the rain.” Teba took a few steps away from everyone else before trying to shake the water out of his plumage. With how soaked he’d become, Revali wondered just how long it took him to get past Epona. 

Link took the answer for what it was and went right back to laying like a normal person. Revali thought he should go back to his perch, but getting up now would be especially awkward. Even though Teba was fixing his feathers, he kept shooting weird looks in Revali’s direction. Getting up would just mean getting more side-eyes from that damn Rito.

Hmph. Well, he didn’t need any of this tonight. He would sleep right here, regardless of whatever strange looks kept coming his way. The poor Rito was probably awestruck at seeing his hero still. Seeing Revali sitting down probably looked undignified. Well, this was the reality check for Teba. Finding undignified places to sleep meant sacrificing a bit of personal appearance for basic needs.

None of these excuses were satisfying Revali.

He glanced at Link who-- wasn’t he just awake?? Link had somehow fallen asleep. Already. On the cold stone floor. 

He would never understand that Hylian. Despite that, he felt a tad more lonely knowing his only real company was now asleep. At least Teba stopped looking Revali’s way in favor of setting up a blanket to shade him from the light. It was the worst shade Revali had ever laid eyes on, but he supposed this shrine left things to be desired.

Well, this all seemed mundane now. He decided to retire for the night as well. At least, he tried. For whatever reason, the Master Sword gave off a telltale glow that meant Fi was around in some capacity. He listened in case she wanted to say anything, but she did not.

She just shimmered into the night.

That shouldn’t have made him feel uneasy, but it made him unable to sleep. A feeling started to arise. He couldn’t place how he recognized it. Maybe there was a blood moon tonight. Maybe that’s why he ran a wing over the place where he knew he’d been wounded by Windblight. Maybe that’s why he could feel a phantom sensation there.

He glanced at Link. A symbol manifested on the back of his hand. It seared into his skin, shining brighter and more organically than any of the Sheikah tech around them. It… looked mesmerizing. He didn’t know if he should try to wake Link up. 

Yet, he saw Link’s face twitching. What was he seeing?

These thoughts were far too intrusive for Revali. He turned away from the spectacle. It was rude to stare at someone asleep, and he could just ask about the symbol more in the morning. 

He didn’t sleep. He waited. For Link’s sake or for his, Revali didn’t know.

The malice that scarred the land guided him. 

With the fall of one of his incarnations, his malice began to recede into the earth that it once tainted. However, it left scars. The land could never fully regain its previous splendor. It would heal, yes, but he would ensure that the healing would never be permanent. Time after time again, an incarnation of his hatred appeared. This kingdom would never evolve. It would never have the opportunity to change. 

Hylia must have thought herself so clever. She found a means to trap his hatred into a cycle that lasted over 10,000 years. Once, she had even enlisted her own servants to seal him away without considerable damage being done… or so she thought. Demise relished in the details he gleaned from every one of his incarnations. 

It all started with the threads of time joining into one. Demise’s incarnations had been defeated in all three, but they would always rise again. Simply destroying the bearer of his curse would never be enough. Time and time again, a new bearer would rise again. Those with the spirit of the hero and the blood of the goddess would rise as well. They would stay in this twisted fate for all of eternity.

One cycle brought separate time periods into one, single time. It was cataclysmic. It had everything Demise could ever hope for. Three separate cycles where his will crushed these lands was more than he could have ever hoped for, and the same hero who felled him the first time caused the split. Even the hero was fallible. 

They converged. Whether Hylia allowed this to happen or not, Demise’s hatred took a new form. All of the malice and spite from timelines of pain and suffering coalesced into one beast. The Calamity was the manifestation of every incarnation’s pain and suffering lashing out at the world in its purest form. However… Hylia responded in kind. She utilized her servants, the Sheikah, to turn the damage that the Calamity could have done into a mere night of battle.

His hatred grew smarter. It hijacked Hylia’s servants from the inside, turning their technology into its own. Even with the lands utterly devastated, the victory did not last. The hero and the princess survived for a century to cut his victory short.

Except… they could not have their victory. The Master Sword failed in its task. Now, he wandered the world with the freedom to seek out the source of the Calamity. However, he lacked form. He needed to regain strength. Last time, absorbing Hylia’s power did the trick easily. Hylia no longer existed as a mortal, but her descendent did. Simply absorbing the sealing power from Hylia’s descendent would not be easy with no competent servants left alive. No, he would need to be creative. Or… he could have a more active influence on his incarnations. He just needed to find it.

All of the pain and malice in these lands pointed back to Hyrule Castle. Hylia may have vanquished the Calamity early 10,000 years ago, but the hatred of man still persisted. Even without Demise’s influence, the kings of Hyrule decided to destroy Sheikah technology and hide it from all records. Their hatred of each other paved the way for the Calamity to break free once again with more strength than ever before. 

The lands echoed the anguish of those who fell to the rulers of Hyrule. The land resented the Royal Family. Even without Demise, these lands would never know peace. He would simply… accelerate the process. He no longer needed a cycle to enact his will. Now, should he regain strength, he could return to the original plan of having these lands fall to his visions.

At the center of the hatred for Hyrule lay his most promising incarnation.

A battle frozen in time stood just under Hyrule Castle. Demise recognized the Gerudo man. The Calamity originated from here. The anger of one man across multiple time periods forged into one being. His pain was palpable. He would make an excellent vessel when the time came.

His opposition intrigued Demise. Then, he could only laugh. His cackle, though disembodied, echoed throughout the caverns. Curious. He knew these creatures. To see them after all of this time was impressive. They stood the test of time as a paragon of the species that Hylia abandoned on the surface.

In the war Demise waged to take possession of the holy power granted by the Golden Goddesses, Hylia gathered the remaining humans in the land and sent them skyward. She wished to protect the humans alongside the only power they had to potentially stop him. She… only saved the humans. The rest of the creatures on the surface had to fight in Hylia’s stead to seal Demise away.

They were successful… but only just.

Demise could feel the malice of those who were left behind. Even though they fought him, he heard their cries for mercy from their goddess. Why hadn’t she chosen them to escape this torment? Why weren’t they chosen? Were they not good enough for Her Grace? Many races still fought in Hylia’s stead, hoping that she would be merciful with the battle won.

Some were smarter. Demise’s cackling only grew louder. The race before him must have found ways beneath the land, surviving like rats in the depths below. They rejected the goddess… and yet…

One locked his incarnation into a battle with no end. Yet, Demise could sense the spirit of the hero even within this creature. It was faint, hardly perceptible, and would be gone soon. The creature’s hand was the only part of its body still whole. The rest of it decayed into a mess of teal light spiraling into the air. Somehow, this fool managed to replicate a form of sealing power. The stone embedded into its hand was a mockery of the goddess’ power. Anyone who witnessed it would know it to be blasphemy.

Demise almost respected this incarnation of the hero. They clearly did not obey the goddess’ orders in any conceivable way. Why they had even come down here to take care of the true source of the Calamity, Demise did not know. It intrigued him. It was a mystery that he could not decipher now. Still, he could see that this hero’s will would be running out soon. This sealing power could not hold his hatred back forever.

Even eons into the future, Demise knew that the bearer of the spirit of the hero had become stronger than any of their kind. He could not discount the threat that the hero posed to him. In fact, he refused to think of his vanquisher as anything but an equal foe. Personally, he couldn’t wait to face the hero in battle once more.

There would be an order of business. No doubt, his own weapon would rise with him soon enough. Until then, he would take this incarnation of hatred as his own. This Ganondorf would be a perfect vessel until he possessed the power to make himself whole again. It would take time. He would need to wait. However, he had waited eons. 

A few more years would be a speck in the grand scheme of his plans. 

His hatred surged inside of his vessel. Demise and Ganondorf became one in the same. One’s hatred fueled the other. Countless lives of a people lost to the desert winds caused the Gerudo anguish, and the demon decided to goad him on. He should be allowed to take revenge for his people. It would be just. Hyrule had taken everything from him. This creature kept him trapped in the depths below. Shouldn’t he be allowed to take what was his? Raw anger of a Calamity simply wasn’t enough anymore. He needed to rise and take what he rightfully deserved.

The hero’s spirit began to waver even more. Their sealing power strained, and the stone on their hand began to shine brighter. It paled in comparison to the sealing power of the Triforce. It would be nothing compared to Demise.

All he needed to do now was wait.

Link grasped around desperately for anything to hold onto. His hand hit the Master Sword, sending it flying across the shrine floor. The sound of metal clattering was jarring enough to almost snap him out of it. Immediately, he tried to shoot up to his feet. He needed to go outside. He needed to check for a blood moon. Something had gone wrong. Something had gone very wrong and he needed to act now. Someone was calling him-

His knees gave out. Balance became a foregone conclusion as he slumped towards the nearby wall. He managed to stay upright, but only just. He needed to move. The Master Sword hadn’t gone far. It had just fallen off the edge of their raised platform. If he could just get his legs working!

He lunged forward to try to get some momentum, and immediately crashed into blue feathers. It would’ve been jarring, but he appreciated the cushion. At least, he could still be conscious enough to appreciate he’d been caught. Still, he needed to get the Sword. He needed to get outside. He was needed again.

“Link for the love of-” Revali tightened his grip, and Link found himself struggling against the Rito’s wings. He thought he’d be able to break out easily, but waking up and immediately stumbling around made this very hard. “Could you please stop moving? Hey- if you’re remembering things again I swear-”

Link needed to get his point across that he needed the Master Sword. He tried to twist himself out of Revali’s grasp, only to be met with a beak very close to his face and a Revali scrambling to lean his head away. Dammit Revali, couldn’t he see that Link needed to get to the Sword now?

Revali rolled his eyes at Link’s attempts to escape. “I cannot believe you sometimes- hey-” He tightened his grasp even further around Link while craning his head to the side uncomfortably. Why he was doing that, Link really didn’t know. He just needed to go to the surface. “Link, sit down will you? You’re going to fall off yet another thing, and I would prefer not to treat your concussion!”

One foot balanced precariously on the edge of the raised platform. However, he didn’t have much of a choice in Revali’s suggestion. The Rito decided to simply bring Link down with him. Revali knelt down to the floor, dragging Link to the floor in what he could only interpret as a stranglehold… or a weighted blanket, but probably a stranglehold. He didn’t want to hurt Revali to get to the Master Sword, but he needed it right now. He tried to spin in Revali’s grasp again to get away from that bird’s beak. He needed to break free.

“If you could cease for just a moment,” Revali complained, but a hint of worry started to appear in his voice. He did not let go, and Link noted that all of his feathers were rising again. It… distracted him for a moment. It was always funny how they kept doing that. For a brief second, he took his eyes off of the Master Sword. “I know you’re dense, but not this dense! Settle down!” The insulting was also pretty funny. He briefly got distracted again. The humming of Sheikah tech started to overpower the ringing in his ears. 

The haze around him started to clear. He stopped focusing on the Sword. The world felt like it was spinning, and he wanted to hurl. If he wasn’t currently trapped by Revali, he might’ve. Instead, he forced it down as best he could. He absolutely could not do that to Revali’s feathers. Even if he tried to move, Revali’s wings were firmly draped over his body. He couldn’t move even if he wanted to. Granted, he could force his way out, but he wasn’t particularly in a rush to do so.

Nothing was happening outside. He didn’t need to move. Everything was fine.

A beak appeared in the corner of his vision. “Are you sane now?”

Link nodded. He didn’t move to prove the point that he was actually fine. If Revali would just let him go, he could go back to sleep and maybe not see what he had just seen.

“Egh.” Revali lifted his wings off of Link, and suddenly he felt much colder. Oh well, that was nice while it lasted. For whatever reason, that definitely disappointed him. Link rolled onto his stomach to get away from the Rito. It was unfair how that prickly bird was actually comforting. Revali seemed to not even recognize this fact. “I’m beginning to think you’re having these episodes to scare me half to death.”

Link really wanted to give him a rude gesture. He thought about it at least twice before deciding not to. Instead, he glanced around warily for Teba. He was nowhere to be seen, and Link gestured over to his side of the shrine and tilted his head in silent question to Revali.

Instead of giving him a normal answer like he’d hoped, Revali scoffed, “Apparently, everyone is paranoid tonight. He’s just checking if there’s a blood moon. Be happy he didn’t witness that display .”

A blood moon? The itch to have the Master Sword at his side only grew again. He’d need to retrieve it soon, but he felt absolutely sick to his stomach. That nightmare had been… something far too real for him to want to process. Instead, he anxiously waited for Teba to come down on the elevator.

When he finally arrived, Revali wasted no time. In fact, he jumped on the subject readily for someone vehemently denying a blood moon could happen. “Well? Did you see one?”

Teba folded his wings and glanced between Link and Revali. He let out a loud sigh.

“Yeah.”

Chapter Text

Zelda spent most of the way to Kakariko on the underside of Vah Naboris. How could she not? She’d finally been given an opportunity to study the Divine Beasts after so long, and she only had a limited time to do it before they reached Kakariko. The moment she got on the Divine Beast, it was just a matter of running to the lowest level and trying to figure out what exactly changed next to the warp gate. After seeing it when rising up onto the Vah Naboris, she was already doomed to researching it. The warp gate absolutely had some strange lighting around it, and she NEEDED to see what was going on.

By the time she got down there, she felt electric. Every part of her body almost shook in sheer excitement. Now with a closer look at the warp gate, she could see just what Link changed about this gate. None of it made any sense, and that only drew her in more.

The warp gate made up the center point of a large flower-like design. More curiously, the petals of said flower were made up of Sheikah light. However, this light had no source in the stone of Vah Naboris. Instead, the light hovered in the air with no tangible source. While she could easily identify the design as Sheikah in origin, the actual petals looked like nothing she’d ever seen. No design she’d ever seen used this same pattern.

Vah Naboris trudged on, and Zelda realized she’d immediately hit a brick wall. 

Without the Slate, being able to decipher things about the Divine Beast would be nigh impossible. It didn’t stop her from wanting to try, but she could hardly figure out much about this by just looking at it. Quite honestly, she thought she would see something familiar about this design. Instead, all she got from looking at it was a muted sense of discovery. If she wanted to figure out more, the first stop after Kakariko would be wherever Purah and Robbie had gone off to.

“Did you discover anything yet?” The unmistakable voice of Riju came from behind her. Ah, Zelda hadn’t gotten the chance to speak with Riju nearly as much as she wanted. Her company down here was more than welcome.

Zelda sighed, “Sadly, no. There doesn’t seem like much I can do without the Slate.” Still, she tried walking over the lights that made up the petals. The boot of her clothing covered it as it would a normal light. Well, whatever this was wasn’t completely ethereal. Hm.

Riju watched the whole thing with a similar curiosity, but she looked on more as a spectator rather than someone who understood the method to Zelda’s madness. When Zelda started trying to wave a hand over the light, Riju finally chimed back in, “I didn’t really understand it much either. Link… did in fact stab the center with his sword.”

Ah! So then the part about Link impaling Divine Beasts actually had some truth to it! The warp gate had to be the actual entry point, similar to how it was an entry point for outside the Divine Beast. Still, having that locked behind the Master Sword meant that she probably could not see what happened after the Sword was inserted. Hm… so many things to think about. The idle talk was helping though, and she didn’t want to waste this time with Riju either. Zelda could multitask! There were just so many things to do and so little time! The moment she got to Kakariko, she would be among the Sheikah for quite a bit…

Shaking her head, Zelda wrenched her attention away from the Sheikah tech. “Chief Riju,” she started, immediately getting waved off by Riju. None of the royalty in Hyrule actually wanted to be referred to by title it seemed. “You said you saw Link actually enter… this?”

Riju nodded. “To be honest, it was hectic to say the least.” She marched over to the edge of the warp gate, gesturing down at the Sheikah eye that rested in the center. “It wasn’t blue after Link played the instrument to open this. It had the Calamity’s stench written all over it.”

Hm. That was something she hadn’t been considering. Calamity Ganon had an undoubtable influence over Sheikah technology. Zelda couldn’t rule out the possibility that Calamity Ganon created these things, but Ganon only ever possessed Sheikah equipment. The only modifications he’d ever made to Sheikah tech were his blights, and even then those lacked the elegance that the flower design had. “Did anything else of note happen?” She hated asking this much of Riju, especially when they had not gotten much of a chance to talk yet, but it was so hard to deviate now!

“Oh, MUCH more happened.” Riju crossed her arms just thinking about it. “Though, I’m afraid that most of it had to do with Yiga attacking us, and not quite with what you’re looking for. Maybe Buliara spotted more?” She added, hoping to salvage some of the situation.

Ah, the Yiga were still around then. Zelda saw one of them try to attack Link in his earliest days of travel. Their presence in Hyrule was duly noted. That meant traveling the world on her own would still be rather dangerous. She’d only ever been allowed to travel with someone guarding her back in her days of royalty. Without someone like Link watching her every step, and with the Champions busy in their own regions, she would absolutely need to figure something out.

The eye of the Sheikah stared back at her as she thought. Zelda WOULD figure this mystery out. It couldn’t just be luck. She just wanted to know what that eye was hiding.

These answers wouldn’t come as easily as she’d hoped. 

She took a deep breath and swept some of her hair out of her face. She had to stay slightly dignified. The Chief of the Gerudo stood in front of her, and here she was pouring over Sheikah Tech that she could not understand. Even if she hardly wanted to be royalty anymore, it wouldn’t kill her to be a little attentive.

Zelda ripped her attention away again to properly speak with Riju. “If you don’t mind me asking,” she started, “How have the Gerudo fared since I’ve been gone?”

Riju lit up immediately. She took to looking at the land far below them while she spoke. “Well, ever since I took the title of Chief, there have been many issues within the desert. Of course, I always had Buliara to help me.” She talked fondly about this ‘Buliara’. Zelda would have to meet her at some point. “Other than the occasional molduga leaving its territory, and the Yiga being a general nuisance, we have fared well. Gerudo Town still stands.”

With the Yiga being so close, Zelda feared that Gerudo Town would have been destroyed or overtaken. After Link arrived, she could see that it still stood. The Gerudo still going that strong was impressive more than anything. They stood the test of time, and were far more fortunate than other areas in Hyrule considering their position.

“It is strange, though,” Riju idly commented. When Zelda looked for clarification, she gestured around the stonework of Vah Naboris. “Actually riding on the Divine Beast that threatened your people is a strange feeling for me. Vah Naboris is beautiful, but I never thought I would be on it myself.”

It was Zelda’s turn to get excited. “Vah Naboris has always been my personal favorite, actually!” Riju stole a quizzical look at her, but she was going to keep going whether or not Riju asked. “Just think about it! The other Divine Beasts all have their own preferred methods of traversal. Medoh flies, Ruta uses water channels for a majority of its mobility, and Rudania keeps its center of mass low to the ground for climbing purposes.” Zelda pointed at the massive legs of Vah Naboris in sheer excitement. “Meanwhile, Naboris was built primarily to walk along the desert sands above the sandstorms it creates. You would think this would make the Divine Beast hard to balance on uneven terrain, but Naboris leverages its long legs to balance itself!” The leg Zelda gestured to slightly collapsed its height to remain even with the rest of the Divine Beast’s walking motion. It was a marvel of engineering. The Sheikah who designed Vah Naboris thought of everything!

Riju was smiling, but when Zelda turned back, she also looked deep in thought. Before she could ask what was on Riju’s mind, she got an answer. “Personally, I would’ve gone for a sand seal design.”

Oh, it was a debate she was looking for. 

Before Zelda could retort, Riju kept going. “Just think about it. The sand seal is a staple of our region, and they’re absolutely fun to ride on. This?” One of the feet of Vah Naboris slammed down. With the silence, Zelda did notice that every time it stepped, a jolt went through her body. “Not so comfortable.”

“W-well comfort isn’t the point!” Seriously, a sand seal? Really? Zelda scoffed lightheartedly, “Imagine trying to navigate on hard terrain without legs. How would you even propose propelling a Divine Beast that is shaped like a sand seal?”

Riju shrugged. “Burrowing? Like sand seals always do? Just burrow up the mountain. It’s simple. That’d cause a sandstorm, I think.”

Zelda was being baited. She knew it. She just couldn’t let this one slide. No way would she allow Riju to be this misinformed. “That would cause an ecological disaster, Riju. The tremors that would cause would be terrible!”

“Patricia will be so offended,” Riju sighed, “She deserves a Divine Beast made in her image. Surely, you see my vision, Zelda.”

She did not share Riju’s vision. Vah Naboris was majestic just the way she was. 

Luckily, this debate didn’t need to continue. Just behind the two of them, Zelda could hear none other than Urbosa chuckling, “I am afraid your debate with Chief Riju will have to wait. We’re almost to Kakariko.”

That fast?!? Zelda’s mouth hung open for a second, but when she looked back over the side of  Vah Naboris, she could see the valley Kakariko occupied. “The time must’ve gotten away from me,” she whispered. All of this was happening so fast, and she hardly had time to speak to anyone!

“Not to worry.” Urbosa noticed her becoming more downtrodden by the second. “I am sure that we will not be apart for long, little bird.” 

Zelda wasn’t so sure. What if the Sheikah Slate couldn’t be repaired? What if she never left Kakariko in the first place due to the dangers plaguing the roads? With everyone so busy, would they even be able to find time to check on her? She couldn’t just stow away onto Vah Naboris forever, could she? No, Vah Naboris was beginning to lower itself down to the ground. She needed to set herself on the path of getting the Sheikah Slate fixed. It would be the fastest way to see everyone else.

Saying goodbye to Urbosa so soon just hurt.

Zelda steeled herself, straightening up and trying to carry herself with more dignity. She could do this. With a heavy sigh, she gave in. “All right, Urbosa. I only wish I could have talked with you longer.”

Urbosa shook her head in disbelief. “You say that like I’m leaving forever.” Vah Naboris leveled itself with the ground, offering means to climb off safely. They’d reached their destination. “Besides, I intend to see you off safely.” Without another word, Urbosa leapt off of the small drop to the ground. 

Before Riju followed suit, she smirked at Zelda. “See? Wouldn’t have to jump off if the Divine Beast was burrowed into the ground.” It really wasn’t that large of a fall! Before Zelda could retort, Riju made the jump as well. She was so smug. Zelda thought it was fun, but she WOULD prove her point one day!

“I believe you are forgetting that Vah Naboris can burrow into sand when it kneels down!” Zelda yelled back before leaping off herself. Her landing was much less dignified than the other two, and she had to be stabilized by Urbosa to not wipe out in the grass. She straightened up immediately, brushing herself off as Urbosa chuckled at her.

Now, she could properly overlook Kakariko Village. Many Sheikah had already left their homes to stare up at the gargantuan Divine Beast above them. If only they all knew what’d transpired in the past few days. Scratch that, they probably knew the Calamity had fallen. 

Zelda took a deep breath and began to walk down the path into the village. “No use in delaying,” she told herself. All she needed to do was keep up appearances for a bit longer. That talk with King Dorephan had already been terrible for her. More royal court shenanigans only made her want to dive into the small pond in the center of the village. 

Many eyes were on the three of them as they walked through the village. Really, it only made sense. If anyone didn’t recognize Zelda or Urbosa, they would surely recognize Chief Riju. She hadn’t even left her crown behind at Gerudo Town. 

They passed by what looked to be a nicely growing field of pumpkins and a shop. More and more people came out of their houses to look at the commotion. Zelda hardly looked the part of royalty next to Urbosa and Riju in her traveler’s clothing, but it had to do for now. Her dress obviously did not survive the Calamity, and wearing a dress at this very moment would probably make her explode on the spot.

A Sheikah painter nearby almost dropped his pen at the sight of the three of them. Hushed murmurs danced from Sheikah to Sheikah. They sounded excited, but none of them dared to say a word.

The two Sheikah guarding the largest building in the village stopped to stare as well. The one on Zelda’s left instinctively put a hand on his blade. He squinted, trying to take in what he was seeing. 

Zelda cleared her throat. “I-I’m sorry for all of the excitement. Is… is Impa here?”

The Sheikah man eyed the three of them with heavy suspicion. He did not answer until the other guard stepped in. “Cado, they’re not Yiga. Go tell Impa.”

Ah, right. Three people disguised as important figures, one of which should be dead, would likely raise alarm bells. Zelda exhaled in sheer relief. Had an unfortunate fight broken out, Urbosa probably would’ve won. 

As soon as Cado began to run up the stairs, the other Sheikah bowed. “My apologies for the issues. I am Dorian. It is a pleasure to meet all of you.”

The formality already made Zelda want to run back up to Vah Naboris. Urbosa cut in to do the dirty work for her, and because Urbosa cared not for any formalities. “It’s quite all right. We’ve run into many worse issues in the past few days, but I simply wanted to see Zelda off before I returned to Gerudo Town.”

“Aw c’mon Urbosa,” a high-pitched, almost childlike voice rang out from the top of the steps. Zelda saw… a Sheikah child that oddly looked like- “Trying to slip away before I get to pick your brain a little?” That attitude reminded Zelda of someone, but surely this couldn’t be-

Urbosa’s smile finally started to give way to the slightest hint of confusion. Even she could not get the absurdity of this situation out of her mind. “Purah? Oh by the golden goddesses, Link wasn’t lying.” She shook her head in disbelief. 

Purah really did turn herself into a small kid. She bounded down the stairs, and suddenly the energetic Sheikah that Zelda remembered now only came up to her waist. “Yup! That’s me! Check it!”

That was definitely Purah.

Her attention wasn’t sated in the slightest. Purah immediately marched up to Urbosa. “But hey! Don’t act so surprised to see me like this. I’m not the only one up to some hijinks if you’re still kicking.”

As much as Zelda wanted to jump for joy about Purah truly being here and still alive, this was utterly bizarre. She had trouble piecing together what in Hyrule she was looking at, and all of her feelings of glee were turned into sheer confusion and concern. One of her best lab friends had reverted into a child. Zelda scrunched her face at the entire scene. “Purah? How did this… happen?”

“My runes worked too well!”

That explained nothing.

Still, that didn’t change that Purah was yet another remnant of her past that survived the test of time. Zelda couldn’t help but find a slight bit of amusement from the… how could she put this politely… the clusterfuck that was Purah. “I am relieved to see you so lively after all of this time!” Zelda couldn’t help but giggle at the antics. Really, this was just what Purah would do. Purah would find a way to turn herself into a kid.

“Yeah yeah I’m fantastic.” Purah whirled around back to Urbosa. “But hey! No slipping away! I got SO many questions and Linky answered none of them!”

Urbosa sighed, “As much as I would love to explain the circumstances that led to me being here, I have kept Chief Riju away from Gerudo Town long enough.

Dragging her hands down her face, Purah groaned, “Come on! What’s with all of you Champions running all over the place? First it’s Linky deciding to zip every which way and never letting me get my hands on that Sheikah Slate, and now I can’t even get a good chat with one of my old colleagues!”

“Actually, Purah…” Zelda unbuckled the damaged Sheikah Slate from her belt. At the sight of it, Purah went bug-eyed. “I actually might need to talk with you about a few things related to the Slate… after I speak with Impa.”

Purah regarded the Sheikah Slate like a dying animal, picking it up and cradling it in her arms. “Princess, I think you’re gonna have to stop me from throwing a bomb rune at Linky when this is done.”

Zelda squinted. “Duly. Noted.”

As if sent by the goddesses to relieve them from this strange conversation, the door to Impa’s house flung open again. From the top of the staircase, Cado called out, “Lady Impa is ready for you.”

Zelda almost started up the staircase immediately. The thought of being able to see Impa after all of this time only renewed that spark in her that seeing Purah started. However, she felt a hand on the back of her shoulder stop her just short of the staircase.

When she turned around, Urbosa had been the one to stop her. “As much as I would love to sit in on your reunion with Impa, I am afraid that I cannot stay for more pleasantries. It is time for Chief Riju and I to make our way home.”

Oh, she needed to leave so soon… Right, she came down here to see Zelda off. Inevitably, Urbosa had to leave. It’s just now… now it felt like the moment Urbosa was truly out of her sight, she would be gone forever. 

Zelda straightened herself up, trying to keep on a brave face. “Then… I appreciate you taking me all this way, Urbosa. I really do. I…” The formality made it worse. Even when she looked back at Urbosa, her expression hadn’t shifted. Zelda couldn’t do this. Despite all of the onlookers, she flung herself at Urbosa, hugging her with all she had. 

Just the same as every time she needed comfort in the past, and just the same as a century ago, Urbosa returned the embrace. Every time she needed help in the past, Urbosa would always be there. Even when her own father wasn’t listening, Urbosa always listened patiently. Despite her failures, and despite her faults, Urbosa came to find her after the Calamity fell. 

“Zelda…” Urbosa softly drew her out of her thoughts, sweeping Zelda’s hair out of her face. “If that Sheikah Slate doesn’t work out, you send word to me.” A smile flashed on her face. “Vah Naboris will need to stretch every now and then, and I am sure the Sheikah will not mind a surprise visit from us both.”

Oh, Urbosa absolutely would do that. Zelda took the threat at face value and couldn’t help but let a laugh slip out of her mouth. She glanced up at the towering Divine Beast looming over the village. “I suppose it would be quite the scare. All the more motivation to get that Sheikah Slate fixed on time.”

“There’s the Zelda I know.” Urbosa grinned before turning around towards the pathway up the mountain. “Until next time, little bird.” As she passed Riju, the chief followed suit. It was still awful to see them go, but Zelda knew that they would be together again soon. She just had to focus on her growing to-do list, but at least most of this would be fun.

Now, alone in Kakariko with just Purah by her side, Zelda needed to do the worst part first. As much as she’d love to see Vah Naboris off, Cado had been awkwardly standing on the stairs waiting for her to move at all. 

As Zelda started trudging up the stairs, Purah followed. “You’re not gonna bounce on me the moment you get this thing repaired, riiiight?” She swerved into Zelda’s field of view, which was surprising considering they were on a staircase.

Zelda had thought things over quite a bit. While the Slate would probably be going back to Link in the near future, she absolutely could benefit from it as well. Many of the Champions could make good use of it. She toyed with the idea of replicating it earlier, but she hardly even knew if that was possible. “Actually, there were quite a few things I wanted to talk to you about with the Sheikah Slate… after we determine if we can repair it.”

“You’re speaking my language!” Purah relented, already beginning to do a once-over of the Slate itself. “This thing got pretty banged up! It’ll take me a sec to figure out if I can salvage it, but-” Purah cut herself off when she saw Zelda moving away, muttering, “Oh right, yeah, forgot you were doing that.”

Zelda steeled herself at the front door. With one more deep breath, she finally opened it. 

She’d followed Link’s journey when she could, but she could never watch for too long. Despite the fact that she knew Impa was alive, Zelda never got the chance to see Impa. Link hardly went to Kakariko after the earliest days of travel. 

All of her friends came back looking the same as the day she lost them all. When she opened the door, she froze in her tracks. Impa stood a little off to the side, unchanged from the day that Zelda last saw her. It was almost too good to be true. After taking one, tentative step, Zelda’s voice trembled. “Impa?”

The Sheikah’s eyes widened. She looked almost terrified at being addressed as such. Zelda thought something was deathly wrong, and then she heard an older voice laugh from the far end of the room. When Zelda turned, she saw a much frailer Sheikah sitting on a pillow with mirth dancing in her eyes. “Time has not been that kind to me, princess.” 

Oh. She stole a glance at the person she confused for Impa, and mouthed a silent apology. Of course, Impa’s circumstances did not match the rest of her friends. It was foolish to think so, but it changed nothing. Impa was still here!

Without a second thought, Zelda rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her old friend. She wouldn’t cry, and she absolutely did not hit her head on Impa’s oversized hat! She must’ve looked like a fool to everyone else in the room, but that didn’t matter. Impa was alive and well. It didn’t matter if a century had passed between them seeing each other again. She was here.

Zelda felt Impa lightly patting her back. “I knew you would be back.” Impa chuckled to herself. “It is good to see you here after so much time.”

Finally, Zelda mustered up the strength to pull herself away. “It is wonderful to see you too, Impa.” Her eyes darted around the room. Impa had obviously become the elder of the Sheikah in her absence, and the timid person she’d confused for Impa raised even more questions. “Although, I do think I have a few questions of my own.”

Impa nodded before turning to the girl in the corner of the room. “Paya, if you would, could you fetch a place to sit and some tea for our guest?” Impa turned her head to Zelda, a knowing smile on her face. “I believe we have much to talk about.”

Impa took things quite well considering the entire situation Zelda found herself in when Link defeated the Calamity. Zelda found out very quickly during their little talk that Purah spilled the beans early. The Divine Beasts all mobilizing and Vah Naboris marching to Kakariko village only confirmed all of Purah’s information. 

It made explaining the Champions’ resurrection much more straightforward. She didn’t have all the answers, and she hardly knew what Link actually experienced within the Divine Beasts themselves. It was all so unclear.

The moment Zelda brought up Link, Impa looked around the room, searching for something. “Link, you say? I cannot say I have heard from him in quite some time. In fact, I am surprised he did not join you here, princess.”

Ah, that confirmed Zelda’s theory that Link stopped visiting Kakariko Village. Really, she understood. After that last memory Link obtained, who would want to end up near Kakariko again? “Is it all that strange that he’s not here?” Zelda asked, tilting her head.

Impa didn’t quite know what to say. She stayed silent for a moment, actually taking time to think on the question. “I suppose not.” Her answer sounded like she came to a late revelation. “I hoped that his memory had been restored to him. I tried to guide him on the path to receiving his memories once more, but it seems I did not do enough.”

Zelda shook her head at the misconception. “Oh no, he’s definitely receiving memories as far as I’ve heard. It’s just…” She recalled the one talk she had with Teba about Link’s memories. Under her breath, she cursed at herself for thinking that reliving one’s own death would be a pleasant experience. “He doesn’t want to return to how things were, Impa. I decided it was best for both of us to respect that.”

The air needed to be cleared about Link, but more importantly she needed to talk about what she wanted. Link wasn’t the only one who was trying to grasp for any control in his life. Zelda still hadn’t gotten around to telling Impa about her true goals, and she was terrified of doing so. 

Worse, Impa thought for a moment before continuing, “I should have expected this. Ever since he woke up, he has seemed more and more reluctant to listen to me. Of course, the Sheikah are always ready to aid you with the kingdom’s restoration.”

“He’s changed for the better,” Zelda interrupted. Impa immediately stopped her train of thought. “For the first time, he has found a place in Hyrule that isn’t walking around in my shadow. It is better this way… and…” 

She didn’t know if she could do this. Impa looked at her expectantly, and Zelda hardly knew whether or not Impa would judge her for never wanting to take up the throne. Hyrule needed a leader. It needed her, and here she was trying to be a scholar.  

But, she could never go back. Zelda could never go back to the way things were. 

Maybe her father would’ve thought Hyrule needed her. However, she didn’t even know if that was true. All she’d done so far was panic over a dying friend in Zora’s Domain and get treated to a ceremony. She didn’t know what state Hyrule was in yet. Did people just expect her to proclaim herself the ruler of a land that probably did not even remember her? 

Zelda started to grow indignant. Her heart began beating faster. Hyrule may not even need a queen. What would she achieve sitting in a castle all day? What would this kingdom achieve by going back to how things were? She certainly wasn’t content just sitting around and finding out. No, for once in her life she needed to act before things went wrong. Zelda followed what other people wanted her to do for so long, and it ended with all of her friends perishing.

For the first time in ages, Zelda spoke like she had authority over her own life. “I’ve also realized that taking up the throne after all of this time is not what I want, and I don't even think it’s what people need!” Impa’s eyes widened, but Zelda was far from done. “I’ve had more than enough time to think, Impa. I know so little about how the world has changed. I don’t know these lands or these people, and they do not know me.” She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. “I do not think Hyrule needs a Queen Zelda. This place will rebuild with or without me, and I want to be more of a help than sitting aside in a throne room!”

Zelda only got deafening silence. At least, uproarious outrage would have been more instant and what she was used to. Instead, Impa just sat there with wide eyes and a hand on her chin, like she was trying to see through Zelda. She hated this! She just wanted to do the things she loved. How was that so difficult?

“I see.” Impa finally said something to break the silence. It didn’t make Zelda feel any better. “Truthfully, Zelda, I do not think any of us expected this. You must forgive me for needing a bit to think about this.”

The heated adrenaline started to leave Zelda’s body. Waves of stress started to break off of her, leaving fatigue in its wake. She looked down at the floor. “I do not blame you at all.” She couldn’t blame Impa. How long had Impa waited for Zelda’s return? What did Impa have to give up to ensure that the Sheikah would survive long enough to help her? Zelda’s head shot up. An idea came to her. “As a matter of fact, I do need your help, Impa.”

“Oh?” Curiosity piqued, Impa leaned forward. “And what would that be?”

This was Impa. Surely Zelda could explain this to her, and not be ridiculed for even daring to think these thoughts. Well, there was only one thing to do: try. “Since I will no longer have an escort, and these lands may still be dangerous, I was thinking of alternatives.”

Impa fell deep into thought again. “That is an issue if you plan on venturing out on your own. I could always send one of our guards as an escort for you.”

Zelda expected that, but she would not be deterred. Sarcastically, she said, “As thrilling as having someone shadowing me always was, I would like freedom of my own. I’ve always been interested in the Sheikah Arts. I think…” She almost lost resolve when Impa’s eyes started widening more and more. “I think I would like to learn from all of you. I would like to be able to hold my own, and at the very least not be completely helpless.”

The divine power granted to her could only do so much. Even now, she felt like using it would take far too much out of her. Sealing the Calamity away did a number on her, whether she liked it or not. She wanted to travel without needing to work with someone else’s schedule. Traveling alone would be a new change of pace, but it wouldn’t even need to be for long. Provided she could get the Sheikah Slate repaired quickly, Mipha would be joining her as soon as possible.

Once again, Impa looked floored. But, she nodded her head. “You did always have an interest in our ways, and…” Uncharacteristically, she trailed off. Impa’s gaze trailed towards Paya, who had been silent during this entire exchange. “...It has been quite some time in our history since a ruler wished to learn our ways.”

Zelda knew the stories all too well. Ever since the war 10,000 years ago, the Kingdom of Hyrule saw the Sheikah as a threat. Their technological advances far exceeded the crown. The Kingdom of Hyrule scattered the Sheikah across the land. It was the sole reason the Yiga even existed. The Sheikah had become nothing more than servants to the royal family. Historically, they were said to be servants of the goddesses. In Zelda’s modest opinion, that didn’t mean the wondrous things the Sheikah did should be obfuscated in history books. She wanted to learn.

Impa finally looked up from under her hat. A meek smile made its way across her face. “We would be honored to teach you our ways, Zelda.”

Her heart skipped a beat. She had to be imagining things. “You- you will?” If she didn’t get confirmation, Zelda would think she misheard it forever.

Laughing, Impa leaned back again on her pillow stack. “Not me, I’m afraid. My days of fighting for fun are long over. However…” Impa side-eyed Paya, who turned a few shades paler. “I do believe my granddaughter could help you learn.”

The granddaughter in question went bug-eyed. Paya immediately burst into a flurry of stammering, “Grandmother, I-I have hardly mastered my own skill set. I don’t think I am the best person to-”

“She’s being humble!” Impa interrupted with full confidence. Paya could only cover her face in agony. “However, I do suggest that you not start just yet. I think that my sister is getting a bit impatient with you.”

Sure enough, when Zelda turned around, Purah was impatiently tapping her foot at a million miles-per-hour. “Yes! Hello! Finally someone recognizes that we have cooler things to do than sit around and talk all day!” 

Zelda’s shoulders sagged. “Impa, you’d really throw me to the hounds like that?”

Impa tilted her head, the decorative jewelry on her hat swaying with her. “You wanted to learn more about the Sheikah. The best person to talk to about our technology is those hounds, Zelda.”

Working with Purah sounded like it could be either the most exciting thing ever, or a disaster waiting to happen. Zelda ran a hand over her face, and turned to meet her demise at the hand of an impatient, hyperactive scientist.

As funny as arguing with Revali could get, Link really wished he would just cut it out sometimes. It was fun bantering back and forth, but watching him rend into people who didn’t deserve it was brutal. It’d be one thing if this argument had been spurred on by something random, but Revali specifically came to Link’s defense when he wasn’t asked to. The threat of a blood moon the previous night sent Link on edge, and Revali decided to throw a fit about that for some reason.

If Revali went after him and teased him a bit, that’d be normal and par for the course. In fact, despite the outburst last night, Link thought he could take it right now. There were so many things that Link could bring up to shut that bird up, like the fact that he willingly gave Link a hug, but NOPE, Revali didn’t target Link today.

No, Revali decided to make Teba the target of his wrath. It was about possibly the dumbest thing to split hairs about, and it didn’t matter anyway. When their whole group left the shrine this morning, they expected to have to fight the monster camp again. After all, blood moons brought the monsters back to life through Ganon’s malice. However, when they came out of the shrine, there were no monsters to be found. Their weapons still lay on the ground with weather damage all over them.

Blood moons always brought monsters with them. There really hadn’t been a blood moon. Teba must’ve been misinformed, which Link really didn’t care about. If it was just a false alarm, it really didn’t matter. Sure, the scare sucked, but he was already acting like an idiot before Teba showed up to break the news about the blood moon. Right now, goddesses be damned, he didn’t want to think about the memories constantly flashing in front of his face. He wanted to see his family and get to Rito Village and have a nice dinner and not have to worry about ANY of this.

Unfortunately, Revali decided to be Revali today.

Revali and Teba were circling overhead now, and that dumbass’s beak was still moving. He’d been ranting at Teba about the blood moon mishap all morning. Quite honestly, Link was happy they were up there and he was down here. Riding on Epona kept him separated from that mess. Still, Revali was really overdoing it. 

Instead of interpreting the mishap as a simple mistake, Revali decided to give Teba the exact reasons why this mistake was “idiotic” and “a waste of time”. Link’s name came up once or twice in the argument. For whatever reason, Revali convinced himself that Teba made Link panic more with the news of a blood moon. Of course, Revali had the whole thing twisted. Link started panicking well before the blood moon. Teba had nothing to do with it, but Revali must’ve just wanted a punching bag.

Link didn’t know why Revali was so obsessed with defending him. He’d never done that before, and if he wanted to start now, he could stop spewing insults at his adoptive father.

It didn’t matter though.Link kept riding across the bridge into the Tabantha region without a care in the world. Revali would cool off eventually, and he would have to cool off. They were moving towards the lion’s den, and Saki wouldn’t be taking Revali’s sass anytime soon. Yes, Link would probably get an earful too, but the mental image of Revali getting introduced to humility VASTLY outweighed Link’s worries about Saki.

As Link began guiding Epona through destroyed guardians and rock spires, Revali decided to make his presence known again. Well, there went that peace and quiet. Despite Revali’s general prickliness this morning, Link still smirked when he came down from the sky.

Revali shifted the winds around him to soar at Epona’s speed, though he notably kept a wing’s distance away from her. Of course, Revali kicked things off with a drawn out sigh. “It’s a wonder how that Rito even remains in flight, considering how many rocks he has for brains.”

Link swerved to the left of a rock spire while Revali soared to the right. They met back on the other side, and Link gave him a mean stink-eye. “You really don’t have to be so hard on him. He was doing his best.”

“Of course, you’d take his side. Valoo forbid I’m right for once.” Revali kept his gaze trained ahead, but Link could see his beak curving into an unamused frown. “Besides, he’s still convinced he saw one, even though I have very clearly explained how there could not possibly have been one.”

Personally, Link hoped Teba mistook something for a blood moon. Getting rid of monsters with blood moons still around would be a pain. The implications of blood moons still existing made him white-knuckle Epona’s reins. He chose not to think about it. There was a blue-feathered distraction flying just a few feet away from him, anyway. “You know, you have bigger problems than yelling at Teba.”

“Oh? And that would be?” Revali stole a glance at Link for a second before saying, “Look where you’re going.”

Link didn’t bat an eye. Revali was obviously pointing out the small, rickety bridges that connected some areas of the Tabantha region. Of course, Link didn’t need to guide Epona. She had this easily. To prove it, Link kept staring at Revali while Epona effortlessly crossed the thin bridge. Revali’s squawk was well worth it.

Laughing, Link finally started watching the trail a little more. “You’re gonna have to make a first impression with everyone, dumbass.” Surely Revali thought ahead and realized they were headed into Rito Village soon, the place that knew him as Master Revali.

“I already made a fine demonstration!” Revali, just to show off, propelled himself forward with his Gale and looped back around to meet Link without breaking a sweat. “I am sure the innkeeper did not mind me scattering their belongings. Any person with half a brain would beg to see my Gale.”

He’s never gonna let that go, huh?

Link rolled his eyes. “Darn. Guess I only have a quarter of a brain. Sorry, Revali.”

“You’re not sorry, and you absolutely do not even qualify for having an eighth of a brain, you imbecile.” Revali tacked on a little extra flair at the end just to get the point across. Thanks Revali. You’re a real vote of confidence.

Shaking his head a bit just to make sure he was hearing correctly, Link asked, “Wait, hold on, you launched Cecili’s stuff?”

“Of course! I was on a strict schedule to make sure YOU were still kicking!” Revali dared to swerve closer to bat Link on the face with his wing. Epona didn’t like that, and the moment Revali swatted Link he backed off to get out of range. “Besides, that Saki you keep talking about was trying to keep me contained like it was a jail cell.”

Link’s jaw dropped. “You launched Cecili’s stuff AND ran from Saki?!?”

Revali furrowed his brow. “What? Am I supposed to see a problem with that?”

Maybe Hylia did offer a few good blessings. Link personally wanted to thank every single cosmic force that made this a reality. After all of his pain and suffering, he would get to see Revali get humbled by Saki. It was too good to be true. Fate really was on his side now. Link started full on cackling.

Revali’s eyes widened more and more. “Link, why are you laughing?” He got no answer. Link started coughing from the exertion of laughing while on Epona. “Link?!? You hardly ever laugh!”

Finally, Link managed to steady his breathing just enough to comb the loose hair out of his face. Leaning a little bit on Epona to get closer to Revali, he yelled, “You’re fucked!”

“What does that even MEAN?” Revali shouted back, his feathers fluffing out so much that he lost two of them in the wind. “Why did you say it like that?!? You’re vulgar AND you’re vague!” 

“You’ll find out!” Ominously, Link refused to comment further. “Besides! We can see Medoh from here. We’re close!”

Revali still bristled at every word Link said. It was hilarious, but the mention of Medoh fully brought his attention away from Link’s vague threats. Good. He wanted this to be as much of a surprise as possible. 

The two of them sped around the final corner to Rito Village. In view was the stable just outside town, and the massive spire still inspired awe from all the way down here. Since he had the Sheikah Slate, Link hardly traveled down this path. Really, it made Rito Village and Vah Medoh look way too majestic. Epona went into a full gallop to reach the stable, no doubt ready to be pampered for a job well done. It was good to be back.

As soon as Link reached the stable, he practically launched himself off of Epona. His boots hit solid ground at the same time Revali landed. “Don’t wanna speed into the village for a cool entrance?” Link questioned, already making his way to Galli to figure out the stable arrangements.

Revali didn’t answer for a few seconds. When Link finally turned around to see if Revali heard him, the Rito was picking at his own feathers again. Ugh. “I refuse to speed into the village with a grand entrance only to have it interrupted by you arriving three minutes late to the party.” Revali’s way of finding small things to pick on Link about were getting more and more creative. Still, that one took a bit. Usually he was faster than that.

Oh well. If Revali wanted to be weird about how he introduced himself to everyone, that was his problem. Link made his way over to Galli, the Hylian running the table, and waved. 

“Epona again?” Galli quirked a brow. “Haven’t had her here in awhile.”

Link grinned. “Well, she did a good job today, so I’ll pay for some premium treat… ment…” He reached to his hip to grasp the Sheikah Slate. Of course, when his hand met air, he was painfully reminded of the fact that he didn’t have any money on him. It was all in the slate. He was broke.

He thought to look to see if Teba could spare a few rupees, but Teba had just landed a few feet away. Before Link had a chance to shout to him for backup, a vibrant, blue wing stopped him. “Allow me, Link.”

When Link looked up, he found Kass smiling at him like he found Link somewhere he shouldn’t be. Their cover had been blown, but Link’s smile only grew wider. “Kass!”

Kass handed over a red rupee for Epona while returning the smile tenfold. “I came down to the stable today to keep an eye out, and suddenly saw you three speeding down the road. What a welcome surprise, considering how we left off a few days ago, Link.”

Mmm. Link wasn’t doing so well that day. He lowered his head a bit. Keeping an eye out? “People are still looking for me, aren’t they?” He asked, damn well knowing the answer. At Kass’ shaky nod, Link sighed, “My fault. At least Teba found me when he did.”

Revali scoffed at that comment, not finding any humor in it considering he knew how Link went into the fight.

However, the moment Link turned back to the village, he saw something moving towards him. He caught the pink hue of Saki’s feathers in the distance, and his blood ran cold. Ah, she was here. It took no time at all for Saki to glide from Revali’s Landing to the stable, and that was quite honestly terrifying. The winds themselves, despite Saki not having control over them, perfectly propelled her forward to close the distance with ease. Maybe fate wasn’t on Link’s side.

Instinctively, Link hid behind Kass. Revali had the gall to laugh at him, and Kass betrayed him by stepping slightly to the left. Well, this had to happen at some point. The moment Saki landed, Link stepped forward. She kept her gaze low for one, terrifying moment before looking up at him. 

Oh goddesses help him. 

Link opened his mouth to say something, but it was already too late. Saki closed the distance, and put both of her hands on either side of Link’s face. Tears pricking at her eyes, her voice trembled. “Young man, do you have any idea how worried we were?!?” She started gently tilting Link’s head, squinting her eyes and scanning him for injuries. Link couldn’t do anything but let it happen. “You better not be hurt, Link. You better not be.” Her wings felt like pillows, despite the circumstances. At least, she was not physically angry in any way. 

Galli had the foresight to step away from his post at the stable. Kass gave the two of them a large radius. Revali started doubling over with laughter now. Link shot a glare his way, but instantly had his attention refocused on Saki manhandling his arm. Desperately, Link tried to convince her. “I’m fine. Just a little bit of a burn-”

Link winced. The arm with very clear burns now rested in her wing. Saki looked at the injury and then went back to him. “Link, this is not… a little burn…” Her eyes trailed to his other arm, and then to the Master Sword on his back. 

“It’s fine now.” He tried again to convince her that it really wasn’t so bad anymore. Really! All the anger he thought he’d get was just turning into Saki hounding him, and he didn’t know what was worse. Was this what “Saki will kick your ass” looked like? Link gestured at the burn, like there was something obvious Saki wasn’t seeing. “See? One of my friends healed it. It’s not that bad!”

Saki let his arm go and pinched her beak. She crossed her wings, and now Link started to sweat. “Link, do you remember what I told you? About staying safe?”

“You… told me a lot of things?” He wasn’t winning this one. He wasn’t.

Squinting, Saki elaborated in the kindest, yet most scathing voice Link had ever heard. “I told you that you were pushing yourself far too much, that you need to stay safe, and that you do not have to deal with your problems alone.”

Link clamped his mouth shut. He absolutely failed in all three of those. The first one was still a little debatable. He needed to push himself that hard, so really it was for the greater good. And maybe safety could’ve been bypassed too for a bit considering the Calamity was breaking free. Not talking to them before leaving was still something Link regretted, and he really wished he didn’t just leave them with absolutely nothing. He just left them to pick up the pieces. If he’d really died out there, Teba, Saki, and Tulin would’ve all just had to deal with him vanishing. That would’ve been it.

Revali, in his infinite wisdom, tried to get an extra snipe in at Link. He snickered, “Well, don’t worry. Your ‘hero’ over there is fantastic at getting himself into life threatening situations.”

The moment Revali opened his mouth, Saki’s attention completely detached from Link and spun onto him. “Don’t you think that I’ve forgotten about you, Master Revali!” Revali’s bravado shattered in an instant. Saki took a quick glance at his chest to see if he still had a wound before continuing her assault. “Not only did you fly off injured, but we were fishing Cecili’s things out of Lake Totori for hours! You do not fly with an injured wing! You could’ve made it much worse!”

“Tch.” Revali tried to build up his confidence again to snap back. “A meager scratch is not enough to make me flightless-”

“You still had stitches in your chest.” Saki immediately cut him off, making Revali freeze during one of his broad wing gestures. “You boys are both in serious trouble.”

Link and Revali glanced at each other. Previously rivals, they were now unlikely friends in the fight for survival against Saki’s wrath. Still, Link absolutely found it a little funny how easily she could parry Revali’s words. 

Sheepishly, Link offered, “I could… cook tonight if that would make things better?” Funnily enough, Revali VISIBLY perked up when he heard that.

His hopes were dashed by Saki. “Absolutely not! You are going to sit, recover, and have a nice meal. I will accept no ifs, ands, or buts about this.” She put her wings on her hips. “You also need to talk with your little brother.”

Link nodded. Absolutely. Tulin deserved the world, and Link would be more than happy to make up for how much stress he put that kid under. Link missed him so much, and he honestly appreciated Saki’s terms and conditions. Being told to take it easy was not what he was expecting the end result of this to be. Granted, everyone had been yelling at him to do that from the start. Maybe, this is why Mipha was so excited for Saki to finally ground him. The punishment for someone like Link was making him sit still.

And yet, even though Link thought Saki was mad at him, it didn’t take long for her to wrap her wings around him. Quite frankly, she was strangling him with the hug, but he didn’t dare move. “I’m just happy that you came back safe… but please… never do that again.”

Link silently nodded. He wouldn’t have to do that again. He wouldn’t. It was over. The Calamity was sealed away, and he’d been freed from his role as Zelda’s knight. It was over.

The moment was ruined by Revali making an “ergh” sound. “Well Link, one moment you’re killing the Calamity, and the next you’re being coddled with dinner and hugs.”

Saki immediately let go of Link and spun on Revali. In the most sincere, yet dangerous voice ever, she said-- no-- demanded, “Master Revali, it would be my honor if you would join us tonight, then. After all, I am sure you too need to rest after your long flight.” Her beak curved into a nice, motherly smile. She’d won already. “It’d be rude of me to not think of you as well.”

Revali didn’t even take the flattery at face value. Even he wasn’t that stupid. This wasn’t a request. This was a not-so-subtle demand. “I-I suppose I will attend, then.”

Link got his chance to laugh at Revali’s plight. So-called “Master Revali’s” feathers fluffed up the moment he caught Link giggling, but neither of them could draw attention to each other. They were firmly stuck in this together. Link found that fact slightly hysterical.

Smiling warmly, Saki clasped her wings together. “Then I will see you in a few hours, right?” It didn’t help Revali in the slightest that Saki was taller than him. She was intimidating the Master Revali into eating a family dinner.

Revali took a step back and coughed to the side. “Yes ma’am.”

“That’s good!” Saki finally wrenched her attention away from Revali and made her way over to Teba.

Link followed shortly behind her. He didn’t even dare to leave. It wasn’t like he wanted to, anyway. As he walked by Revali, Link nudged his wing with a smile saying I told you so. Revali’s feathers ruffled immediately, and for some unknown reason, he loosely trailed behind Link as well even though he could fly away at any time.

Saki and Teba were having a quiet conversation off to the side. The two of them obviously had a lot to talk about considering Teba had been missing in action for a few days. Link knew the feeling somewhat. Saki had to wait for days not knowing whether or not her husband was alive or dead. By the way they nestled their foreheads together, he knew that those few days had to be excruciating.

No one had to feel that anymore. The Calamity had been slain. Link even had the friends who he thought were gone by his side. He stole a glance at Revali, who looked like a fish out of water now. That stupid bird really knew how to talk himself into hilarious situations. Rito Village would be much more fun with him around.

Saki and Teba began to walk towards Rito Village. When Link started after them, Revali didn’t follow for a brief second. His eyes were transfixed on Rito Village, like the mere sight of it made him freeze in his tracks. Link wasn’t gonna let that slide. The moment he saw Revali lost in thought, he shouted, “You coming?”

Revali snapped out of whatever stupor he was in and started moving to catch up with Link as fast as possible. “Of-of course.” Revali opened his mouth to say something else, likely an insult, but dropped it. He kept looking up at the spire in the center of the village as they walked along the boardwalks.

Link breathed in the cold, Tabantha air. It was so nice to not be in the humidity of Zora’s Domain for a bit. He’d really missed this. Saki and Teba each interlocked a wing with each other. Link glanced at Revali, and saw that he was staring at the two of them. Revali chose a great time to accidentally look down at Link. 

The moment they looked at each other, Revali nearly jumped out of his skin. “Why do you find the need to stare at people like that?!?” He loudly complained with his voice rising to higher and higher pitches from the squawk bleeding into his speech. “Why do you do that all the time?!?”

Link shook his head in disbelief at this stupid Rito. Revali only glared back.

Yeah, Link was gonna make this bird’s life hell.

Chapter Text

Zelda’s plans for today had gone sideways rather quickly. 

Hylia forbid she got a single ounce of proper sleep at a normal time! Her day was supposed to start normal. Paya would begin showing her some of the most basic of Sheikah Arts first thing in the morning, which Zelda was more than grateful for. Beyond that, Impa suggested that Zelda return to Hateno to tidy up matters with Purah before continuing her training. More delays, but she absolutely wanted the Sheikah Slate fixed. The sooner it was fixed, the sooner she could start another one of her more advanced projects she wanted to work on.

However, around midnight, she inexplicably woke up.

It wasn’t like her sleep the past couple of nights had been peaceful. The moment she shut her eyes, she kept jolting awake with a start, thinking she would be back at that castle in a struggle against the Calamity. Really, Mipha being around was the only time she got to properly rest. Regardless, around midnight, she woke from one of these very nightmares. When she found herself in the same inn she’d fallen asleep in, Zelda thought these anxieties would subside as they usually did.

Instead, she still smelled malice in the air.

Maybe… maybe she was just panicking! Surely, she must’ve just been smelling malice thanks to spending a century practically in fisticuffs with the Calamity. Anyone would’ve gone nose-blind at that point and only been able to smell one thing. Yet, as she waited, she saw a single, magenta particle flicker in the air.

Something was very wrong.

Without a second thought, Zelda stumbled to the window of her room. A magenta shroud covered Kakariko Village alongside small pieces of malice flaking into the sky. 

No… no! The Calamity’s power choked the air around her even still. Had she somehow failed in sealing it? But… she’d spent all of the power she possibly could to finally seal the Calamity away! She saw Link drive his blade through its entire frontside! Why then, when she looked up at the sky, could she see a blood moon?

Every part of her body screamed at her to do something. It screamed at her to regain control over the Calamity, or it would escape from the castle. But, there was no castle. She wasn’t in the endless fight, yet the moon was still stained red.

She did not go back to sleep last night. Even after the blood moon began to wane, her instincts refused to let her relax. Impa already dispatched Sheikah to try to find out just what was going on, but Zelda had her own theories, many of them having to do with her own failure.

The only reason she hadn’t gone ballistic in the morning was that Impa told her something that threw the whole blood moon thing up in the air. Slain monsters near Kakariko did not return. If they had, there would’ve been much more of an issue. When the Calamity broke free, it might as well have caused a blood moon, since monsters swarmed nearby villages in service to the Calamity. Zelda didn’t want to think about what would have happened if those fallen monsters came back all at once.

It left her panicking with nowhere to direct that energy. Her entire body felt like static up to her fingertips, and Impa must’ve noticed. Reassurances were one thing, but it seemed like even after all this time, Impa knew how to take her mind off of her worries.

…by distracting her with literally anything to do with the Sheikah.

That’s how Zelda found herself standing across from Paya in deep concentration. Impa and Purah sat off to the side, watching the two with varied levels of interest. In fact, despite Zelda’s eyes being fully focused on watching Paya, she could hear Purah tinkering with the Sheikah Slate. Even with all of these distractions, the blood moon still lingered in the back of her mind.

But… she came here to learn, didn’t she?

No. Zelda came here to get the Sheikah’s help to rebuild Hyrule… to defend against the next time the Calamity broke free. Instead, she continued to play scholar.

Impa broke through her thoughts, shaking her head. “If you scrunch your face up any further, Zelda, I worry that it might get stuck.”

She wasn’t scrunching her face! In fact, Zelda immediately un-scrunched her face just to make sure that she wasn’t! “I’m not doing anything abnormal. I’m just trying to focus!” She insisted, trying to right herself again and focus on what Paya was saying. 

Off to the side, Purah swore to herself when her screwdriver touched something that caused sparks. A few apples sprung out of the Sheikah Slate before she could get it back under control. Purah was not conducive to a good learning environment, because Zelda immediately broke her focus again to see whatever the scientist had done. Of course, Purah just laughed, “Whoopsie, hope Link wasn’t saving those for something big!”

He wasn’t. Zelda personally saw Link gather at least two-hundred apples, and that was only when she had the chance to watch his journey. However, this was the third time sparks flew from the slate today, and now items were being ejected. It was fine. She just needed to focus.

Then an actual guardian core spit out of the slate. It rolled into the grass, and Purah chuckled again. “Thaaat looks like something Linky would’ve been trying to save.”

Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose, any semblance of paying attention gone. “Purah, as fascinating as this is, it might be a better idea to do this at your lab with… better equipment.” If Zelda had to return the Sheikah Slate to Link with no items left in it, she would shrivel up and die from embarrassment. He’d already made mention of a sacred instrument stuck in the slate. “I feel like it would be a useful thing to have with… whatever happened last night.”

Purah crossed her arms in a huff. “Well yeah, duh, but we can’t head over there right now, because Impa is a worry-wart.”

With a drawn out sigh, Impa clarified, “If it were up to me, you would not be leaving Kakariko until this blood moon business was done.” Zelda thought to protest about her capabilities, but Impa raised a hand. “However, that is now your decision to make, but I refuse to let you leave without some means of defense if it comes to it.”

“See?” Purah nudged her sister’s elbow. “Worry-wart.”

Fine. That made sense. Even though Zelda could simply allow her sealing power to do the dirty work, she knew her reservoir of magic was running low. Using something as taxing as that to handle a bokoblin would be foolish. Besides, she wanted to learn the Sheikah Arts. Why else would she have asked? It was just that the slate may be incredibly useful to have around if the Calamity was still somehow out there.

Zelda rubbed her eyes. The lack of sleep was making this even more impossible. “What exactly is it that I am supposed to be focusing on?” She directed the question at anyone, really. Paya had done her best to walk Zelda through the motions of this nebulous idea of focus, but posture could only do so much. Paya herself sat in a concentration of her own, Sheikah symbols fluttering around her. Right. That was what Zelda was supposed to be focusing on, but she couldn’t feel anything from them. “I haven’t been able to glean anything from those symbols,” she admitted with a tired sigh.

Instead of answering, Impa turned her gaze to Paya. Paya’s focus broke slightly, but she launched into an explanation, “Th-they’re meant to… to be hard to detect! We rely on stealth, meaning that… that our arts are harder to sense!”

Smiling proudly, Impa turned back to Zelda. “As I’m sure you know, we Sheikah tend to work in the dark. Before we turned to technology, we were the guards in the shadows for the royal family. The royal family, on the other hand, fostered a power boiling with light: your sealing power.”

Zelda hummed. Yes, she understood what function the Sheikah served, but their involvement in the royal family had supposedly grown less and less until they were needed to fight the Calamity. Even then, she still had questions. “I’m sorry. I may need more help on what that means, Impa.” She may love studying the Sheikah, but by the golden goddesses she was on four hours of sleep and stopped fighting the Calamity only a few days ago.

Chuckling, Impa took the comment in stride. “The Sheikah Arts are not like the magic you’re used to wielding, Zelda. Tell me, what did you feel when using your sacred power?”

Hm. For one, she felt absolute panic. The two times she’d used her sealing power to its fullest extent, her best friend was dying. Though, Impa probably wasn’t looking for that. So, Zelda thought about what it felt like to try to restrain Ganon. “It felt like…” She tried to think, pushing back the smell of malice. “I could feel it surging outward. It was violent… like a searing heat that went in every direction.” 

Impa smiled and nodded. “That is your relationship with your magic. Yours is obvious and all-encompassing. That is what you have grown accustomed to feeling. You have to put that aside if you wish to learn the Sheikah Arts. Our arts are not the same, and you may find it more difficult to learn with the light magic you wield.”

Ah. Zelda withered slightly at that. Of course, this would be harder for her by virtue of having the blood of the goddess. She wouldn’t back down, however. So, she asked the same question Impa asked of her: “If that’s the case, then what do you feel when using Sheikah Arts?”

Once more, Impa turned to Paya. Interestingly, Paya suddenly burst into explanation without a single stutter. “It’s like a shroud! Or, well, think of it like a blanket that wraps around you entirely.” She paused, some of her initial enthusiasm bleeding away while she tried to specify. “D-don’t be fooled though! While it blankets you and disguises your intention, that shroud is always pushing inward. It takes discipline and a commanding presence to keep the shroud from… well… becoming something darker.”

Zelda thought she was following. Although, they talked about Sheikah magic like something sinister slept within it. She nodded, trying to soak in all of that information like a sponge and make heads or tails of it.

Impa offered further clarification to help, “Our magic is steeped in shadow. You have to let the shadows close enough to call upon them, but only just.” A forlorn expression crossed Impa’s face. “Our magic allows secrecy and safety, but it can just as easily slip into subterfuge. Some even believe it could corrupt if used to its fullest extent. Sheikah must practice restraint.”

Suddenly, Purah thought it best to provide her two rupees about this whole ordeal. “The Yiga aren’t corrupted, Impa. The subterfuge part is a definite yes with how they use Sheikah Arts, but that’s just how they use it. Nothing more.” Purah seemingly caught onto Impa’s hidden meaning in all of that cryptic language and wanted to shut it down immediately.

And yet, that gave Zelda pause. Inexplicably, she thought she recognized what Impa was talking about. She’d seen what Impa was talking about once before. When they all walked together at Zora’s Domain, she briefly made eye-contact with someone in the group. Her magic reached out to them. But…

No. It was foolish to think a wolf would have access to magic like that.

“Anyway, they’re being cryptic!” Purah interrupted, “Sheikah used to be Sages of Shadow if the legends we have left mean anything.” Zelda noticed the bite in her tone. The royal family had buried much of what they had left. “Your magic might as well be the polar opposite of ours. So yeah, it’s gonna be tough to figure out, and people might give you the stink eye if they see it. A lot, and I mean a LOT of hooligans love to dress as common travelers to assassinate people like Link.” Purah stopped. “Not that I think you would try to stab Link for funsies.”

No, she’d leave that to Revali. At the very least, Purah explained things in very simple terms. Still, she realized just how important it was to learn the Sheikah Arts. For too long, the Sheikah had to hide their accomplishments in fear of the royal family. That kind of hubris is what made them have to unbury the Divine Beasts in the first place. She would not make the same mistake, queen or not.

She always did find the legends of the Sheikah quite interesting. When in history did they pivot from being sages to creating technology for the war against Calamity? It had to happen 10,000 years ago at the very least, but Zelda wondered why they would do such a thing. What did the Sheikah Arts have to do with the Divine Beasts and Sheikah technology? Zelda couldn’t wait to find these answers, and she needed to if the blood moons still remained.

Armed with this new information, Zelda questioned, “What exactly must I learn before we can set off, then?” Honestly, she just wanted to know what her goal was. If she had something in sight, she might be able to better get a grasp of it.

Paya answered yet again, earning another one of those proud smiles from Impa. Her confidence grew. “It’s a… a simple but very effective move. It allows you to return to a place of safety that you designate. If anything goes wrong or you need to make a quick escape, it could save your life.”

She had asked for a means of self defense. Being able to escape on a whim would be extremely useful. It would also work even if she didn’t have the Sheikah Slate. She could think of at least one application of this already, but vanishing out of Zora’s Domain with Mipha might make them think the Yiga have taken her.

Now, Mipha could solo all of the Yiga, but the Zora just got her back after a century. Zelda would… maybe have to at least leave a message.

Impa smiled patiently. “Now Zelda, watch Paya closely and try to understand what is necessary in order to perform Sheikah Arts.”

Zelda did her best to focus again. Yet, while she expected to see the same symbols that Paya conjured earlier, she saw absolutely nothing. It took one single hand motion, and when Paya’s palms met, she vanished. A faint Sheikah emblem appeared in a flash. Zelda had to blink a few times just to make sure she saw it correctly. Other than a miniscule amount of smoke in the air, there was no trace of Paya. 

Oh, this would be difficult.

They had to try this more times than Zelda wanted to admit. The first two times, Paya had to do a walk of shame back to the hill where they were practicing. Apparently, she would reappear somewhere in Kakariko Village. After a few times of Zelda having to sheepishly watch Paya make the ascent, Impa politely suggested that Paya just teleport back.

Which… of course Sheikah could do that. Zelda saw Yiga do that to attack Link out of the blue.

Worse, this impromptu teaching session started to stagnate. Zelda tried to take note of what exactly she had to do to perform this move. Yet, every time she tried to mimic it, she couldn’t feel the shroud that Impa, Paya, and Purah all kept describing. It’s like the shadows the Sheikah blended into fled from her the moment she tried to reach out for them.

At some point, she’d tried over forty times before she started getting frustrated. The sun had reached a high point in the sky, and they’d had to move into some shade. Zelda thought, Hey, maybe the shade will help me call upon the ever elusive shadows. Of course, it didn’t work like that. She reached the same amount of agonizing failure as before.

Even now, she couldn’t learn one damned thing on her own.

Purah stayed mercifully quiet for most of her attempts, but now she finally decided to step back in. “Y’know, there’s not really a rush to get back to my lab. You don’t have to get this down today. Besides, I think I’m starting to get the hang of some of these more sensitive components to get the thing to work without the screen.” To emphasize, Purah shoved a small tool into the back of the Sheikah Slate. It sparked dangerously, and ejected fire-chu jelly onto the ground. “Just can’t really control what it does.”

The fire-chu jelly began to burn the grass before Paya hastily stamped it out. Zelda gave a long and drawn out sigh, “I have to at least get the simplest basics down. And again, Purah, there are very valuable objects in there.”

“Chalking youuuu down as another worry-wart.” 

Impa seemed to echo Purah’s initial sentiment, just in a much gentler way. “Zelda, it is not necessary to learn this quickly. You’re attempting to learn arts that are typically taught to us from our youth.” 

Well, Zelda didn’t think that was a gentle way of putting it. In fact, she could feel the spite boiling in her veins. She wanted to do one thing that wasn’t her birthright, and her actual birthright made that even more difficult to do! Why was it so difficult to just be anything more than the child with the blood of the goddess? She sat down, frustrated and trying to get a grip.

“I know that look, Zelda.” Impa frowned. “You best not be thinking what is written all over your face.”

“And what if I am?” She clenched her hand in a fist. There had to be something obvious she was missing. If not, then her pursuits of Sheikah Arts could just wither away at the starting line. “I unlock one power only to be unable to learn the one I’ve wanted to learn all this ti-” Zelda’s sentence was cut short when a baked apple bonked the top of her head.

Purah, the obvious sender of the apple that definitely just came out of the slate, waggled her finger. “Nuh uh. Stop thinking you can’t learn it just because you weren’t born with it.” She got up from her spot in the grass and entered Zelda’s personal bubble. “The whole shadow mumbo-jumbo is true and all, but I think you’re forgetting that we built tech usable by anyone. You think this bundle of gears is just technology?” She gestured at the Sheikah Slate, which deposited yet another baked apple. 

Zelda’s eyes went wide. Really, she did think it had to be mostly technology. Usually, these things could be explained by science, right? That’s what the Sheikah Tech was meant to be. 

However, Purah shook her head. “No! No matter how hard you try, you cannot fit the amount of ancient arrows I know Linky has into this tiny box. It uses magic too, and you used to use it just fine. Hell, look at the Divine Beasts? Sooo many people can make use Sheikah Arts in different ways.” Purah stomped her foot, pointing at Zelda. “So you’re gonna do it too! Like I know you can! And then we’re gonna be friends at my lab and fix this damned slate!”

“B-but I have no idea how to-” Zelda stammered, trying to grapple with all of the words of encouragement loaded on her. “I don’t know how to even begin! I’m trying, but I just can’t figure any of this out.”

Not discouraged at all, Purah crossed her arms. “What do you usually do when learning about Sheikah culture? What did you do to figure out the Sheikah Slate?”

“I…” Most of the slate’s function was in plain text. However, when she, Purah, and Robbie tried figuring out the slate’s uses, they had to dig into the ancient Sheikah language buried within. “I read the text buried in the slate.”

Purah seemed satisfied by that answer, now whirling on Paya. “Hey Paya! Do that thing again with the symbols!”

Completely taken aback, Paya stammered herself and floundered for a moment trying to get back into her focus with this chaos child yelling at her. “O-Okay! I can t-try!”