Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Everyone who met the Hero could say that they remember it precisely. Revali was no different.

It was a few months after Princess Zelda had come to him, practically begging for his help. As she should, really, his skills were legendary, and quite necessary for defeating the Calamity. The Princess looked relieved when he agreed.

"You were the last person I had to visit," she admitted. They were sitting next to each other in the Flight Range, with Zelda closer to the fire.

"Saving best for last, hm?" His comment was cocky, he knew, but she merely laughed. Then she looked at the snow, smile faltering slightly as she wrung her hands.

"...There will be a ball," she informed him. Or warned, really, going by her tone. "It's to celebrate the unity between the nations of Hyrule. The Champions' attendance is... mandatory."

He knew that tone. Revali and the Princess had been friends since childhood, after all- he was the one who taught her how to use a bow when her own father forbid it. A pit sunk in his stomach.

"What would happen if I, say, refused to go?"

Zelda's expression turned dark. "I hope to not find out."

He clicked his beak. Stupid Hylians and their stuffy, formal gatherings. Whatever. Revali would go, eat some food, and leave as soon as possible.

Or, he thought, eyeing the Princess's miserable expression, maybe he'd stick with Zelda, if only to keep her father from quietly scolding her at the ball while no one was around.

"There's... one more thing," Zelda began, and if he thought she looked miserable before, she was in utter despair now. He raised an eyebrow when she didn't continue, instead gnawing on her lower lip and fidgeting with her hands.

She wasn't going to make him ask, was she? With a loud, dramatic sigh, he said, "What is it?"

Zelda hesitated. Something burned in her eyes. It looked rather close to bitterness. With her hands clenching into her trousers, she finally spat,

"He's going to be there."

Revali's blood went cold. "You don't mean-"

"Yes," she nodded. "Him."

—

Hylia's Chosen was rarely seen by anyone other than priests. According to rumors, he lived tucked away in the Temple of Time, guarded only by the Kingdom's best. Those who have been able to catch a glimpse of him say that he is robed in green, and that his face is always covered by a veil. No one really knows what he looks like.

The Hero is regarded as somewhat of a deity among many, especially Hylians. The legends surrounding him ran deep and far back. The few Hylian villages that Revali had been to had left out offerings in clay pots. For the Hero, they'd told him, a tradition that's said to aid Him in His quests, may Hylia watch over Him. 

If the rumors were to be believed, the Hero is reborn again and again whenever he was needed, with a piece of the Triforce tied to his soul. Supposedly, he was the only one with the power to defeat Calamity Ganon.

Revali thought it was a load of bullshit.

Ah yes, some random Hylian who nobody ever saw was supposedly chosen by the Goddess and the only person who could fight the Calamity? Makes perfect sense.

Personally, Revali wasn't the most religious man- the Rito were superstitious, but usually not much more- but the idea of relying on a singular person to stop the kingdom from being destroyed was just... asinine. 

Zelda would never say it out loud, but he knew that she shared the sentiment. It was unfair, really, how the Hero was worshipped for doing practically nothing except exist, while the Princess was scorned after all the effort she put into trying to unlock her powers.

Now, though, at least it seemed like the Hero was finally done hiding up on the Great Plateau. The ball would be the first time anyone sees him, besides his guards and priests. Hmph. You'd think some legendary hero wouldn't need so much protection. 

Well. At least Revali would get to see what he's all about.

—

Revali carefully drew a line under his eye. He didn't normally bother with this amount of makeup, but he was expected to look his best tonight.

He adjusted the beads on the ends of his braids slightly. Going to these events never got easier. The only consolation was that after tonight, he would be heading back home in the morning. Just one night.

Just this one night.

—

The ball itself was, as he expected, exceedingly stiff. Hylian nobility and other diplomats were scattered across the room, all whispering to each other in hushed voices. The room itself was tall, and it easily swallowed the sounds of the musicians playing in the corner. Even with them, it felt quiet. There was a palpable tension in the air. He could imagine why.

A quick glance around told him that most everyone was there, except for the Hero. Revali wondered if he'd even show his face at all. He'd never bothered to before, not while everyone else was running around like cuccos with their heads cut off trying to prepare for doomsday.

He spotted Zelda, who appeared to be exchanging pleasantries with that Zora princess. What was her name, Midna? Something like that. She'd been chosen to pilot the Zora's Divine Beast alongside him. Hmph. She didn't look like much of a warrior, but her healing abilities were legendary. They say that she could bring a soldier back from the brink of death. She'd be... useful, he decided. Not that he'd ever fall in battle, no, but it is a useful skill regardless.

The Zora's eyes locked with his as he strutted over. They were quietly observant, giving away nothing but absorbing all that she saw. She gave him a curtsy and a polite smile. He returned the gesture with a bow.

"You must be the great Revali," the Zora inclined her head. Her silver jewelry gently clinked with her movements. "I've heard much about you."

"Likewise. I assume you're the daughter of King Dorephean?"

"Oh! Where are my manners? You are correct, I am Princess Mipha," she looked mildly embarrassed, smile turning sheepish. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Of course it is, he bit back. He merely nodded, and then glanced back at Zelda. She'd been awfully quiet. Her hands were clasped together tightly.

"So. Any sign of the Hero?" Revali asked, attempting to sound casual and likely failing miserably.

Somehow, Zelda stiffened even more. She and Mipha shared a look. 

"That's... what we were just discussing," Zelda said slowly, "It does not appear so, but I believe that the Hero should be arriving soon. My father has a grand entrance prepared for him. Only fitting for Hylia's Chosen."

"Zelda," Princess Mipha said softly, reaching out before her eyes darted to Revali and she withdrew. The Zora Princess cleared her throat. "Your Highness. Please keep in mind what we talked of before." Zelda's eyes widened.

"M- Princess Mipha, I apologize- I-" Zelda was interrupted by a tiny Zora child nearly barreling into Mipha's side. He was practically the spitting image of the Zora Princess, only shorter and with a wider smile.

"Mipha! Mipha!" The boy tugged on her arm. "Father said to fetch you! Come on, come on!"

"Remember your manners, Sidon," Mipha scolded him, but it was disregarded by her giggling. She turned to him and Zelda, giving them a quick curtsy. "My deepest apologies, but I must go. It was lovely meeting you, Revali."

She hurried off as fast as politely possible, Sidon practically dragging her to the corner where the massive Zora King was sitting. That was... odd. He raised his eyebrows at Zelda, whose expression was unreadable.

"What was that about, Princess?" She didn't respond. "Zelda?"

"She- she said she knew him," Zelda said faintly. Revali's eyebrows pinched together. Knew him? Knew who? Surely, she couldn't mean-

"What are you-" he was cut off by the sound of loud trumpets playing. Everyone's heads turned to the massive doors, where the king himself stood.

A Hylian- one of those royal greeters who announced everyone's names as loudly as possible as they were walking in, which was extremely obnoxious- cleared his throat.

"Presenting the Goddess Hylia's Chosen, blessed by the Almighty, servant of the Benevolent Three. He who has walked through Time and Twilight, soared above the skies..."

Revali leaned slightly, muttering in Zelda's ear, "How many titles does one man have?"

Zelda's mouth twitched, slightly, but she gave no reaction otherwise.

"He who has defeated monsters great and small, from the mighty Lynel to the mere Moblin..."

Hylia above, how big was this man's ego? Revali found himself bristling slightly.

"The undefeated knight, He who wields the Triforce of Courage, the greatest warrior of our time, please bow in honoring reverence in the presence of the Hero." The hylian bowed and everyone in the room followed slowly. Revali waited as long as he could without it being rude to bow, grinding his beak. Who the fuck did this hero think he was? He hadn't even done anything yet!

The door slowly opened, the creak of it loud and echoing in the silent room. Revali's eyes darted up, straining to catch a glimpse of the man who'd demanded this much worship. And he spotted him.

The Hero was impossible to miss, despite his- shockingly short- stature. Perhaps he was compensating. Hylians do tend to be insecure about those kinds of things, after all.

His figure was draped in silky, forest green robes, cloaking him from head to toe. The fabric rippled as he walked like wind moving through leaves. A sword- the sword- was strapped to his back in an elaborate gold sheath. There was a thin veil covering his face. Revali couldn't make out any specific features. Of course the man would be so pompous to not even allow those he deems beneath him to look at his face. He held back a sneer.

Several guards surrounded the Hero, although judging by how their armor and weapons were basically glorified jewelry, they seemed to be more of a decoration to him than anything. Like carrying a cat in a bag. Good goddess, they really were like pets to the Hero, weren't they?

Revali felt a fresh wave of loathing washing over him.

—

The chatter eventually continued, albeit hushed. Everyone kept glancing at the Hero, sat in an extravagant chair that could almost be called a throne. Nobody approached him, only stared as though the man were a painting. Something to see, not touch. Above the rest of them. Revali scowled.

"Revali," Zelda murmured. He turned to her, smoothing his expression. Her head was tilted up, hands clasped in front of her, the definition of poise. People were staring at her, too, but with none of the same reverence they were showing the Hero. He could barely make out mocking whispers. Tch, gossip.

"How long, exactly, must I be here?" Revali gritted out, "This party is dreadful. Surely there must be better ways for these silly nobles to pass the time."

"I could cover for you," she offered. They'd both done it plenty of times before. This time, though, Revali shook his head.

"People are nasty enough to you as it is without him here. I'm not leaving you on your own," he shot a glare to the Hero, and then added as an afterthought, "Go ahead and feel free to thank me. I am the greatest ally you'll have, after all."

Normally Zelda would laugh at his exaggerated grandeur. She didn't, but offered a strained smile as she dug her hands into her gown. She let go as soon as she realized what she was doing, brushing out the wrinkles.

"Thank you," Zelda opened her mouth to say more, but was interrupted by the chiming of a loud bell.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention."

The crowd turned to face the King. He stood proud and tall, unflinching next to the man in green. His face was uncovered, but his expression was as unreadable as the Hero's.

"I have an announcement that I am eager to make. I ask my daughter, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, to join me."

Revali spotted a brief flash of confusion in her eyes. What was that old fart doing?

The princess took her place next to her father, not before giving Revali a worried look. She looked like she wanted to say something.

King Rhoam took one of his daughter's hands and lifted it slightly, so that it was at chest level.

"I am pleased to announce the engagement of my daughter to the Goddess's Chosen, Hylia's Hero."

What.

There was clapping and cheering as Zelda met his eyes. Her face had gone several shades paler.

She was right across a room full of excited people, standing next to her soon-to-be husband, but Revali felt the sinking feeling of grief as though he'd just lost his best friend.

—

The next morning, after he’d been politely requested to remain at Hyrule Castle for the next few days- politely requested meaning forced like a common criminal being asked to stay in a cell- Revali fumed, pacing in the royal garden beneath a canopy. "I can't believe him! Who does he think he is, springing that on you out of nowhere?" 

"The king," Zelda replied dryly. "He's hoping that spending more time with the Hero will somehow awaken my powers."

"He's getting desperate," Urbosa commented, leaning back on a rail like a relaxed panther. "The voe wasn't even alive when your mother learned to use her powers."

"Well, I'm not my mother, am I?" Zelda snapped. Urbosa gave her an apologetic look and pat her head.

"I'm sorry, little bird. I just meant that the Hero likely isn't going to be a catalyst for your powers."

Zelda groaned, holding her face in her hands. "It'd be nice if he was," she muttered.

"Have you talked to the little guy yet?" Daruk asked, curious. Revali held back a snort at the nickname. Gorons were less superstitious than Hylians and, evidently, less prone to hero worship. The princess huffed.

"I don't know if he can talk. We spent the entire night together and he didn't say one word." And then, under her breath, "Not that I'd want to talk to me either. He must despise me."

"Wait, you spent the night together?" Mipha sounded scandalized. Zelda immediately straightened, turning bright red.

"Oh- no, not like- not like that- we just-"

Laughter rang out among the group. Revali just rolled his eyes and went back to his room.

—

Revali hated this Goddess-damned castle.

It was bad enough that most of the servants and townspeople had never seen a Rito before. One of them asked if he was a talking bird. A bird! Honestly, that'd be like going around and commenting on how Hylians are just talking apes with pointy ears! It is rude and these people were shameless and all he wanted to do was return home and work on his Gale at the Flight Range. He's almost got it, he was so close to figure out how to stabilize the winds enough to ride them.

But here he was, wasting his time over some stupid hero. Because his majesty the king requested it.

Just... asinine.

And now he couldn't even sleep, because there was some weird rustling right outside his window.

It sounded like some kind of feral animal was wandering around outside. Whatever it was, it kept bumping into things. It had climbed down the wall- he knew because he heard it, thump thumping as it skittered down.

Revali groaned and turned over in his hammock, covering his ears. He just wanted to sleep. 

The noises continued, stumbling over themselves until he heard a faint screech. Huh. It must've gotten hurt, maybe tangled in the thorn bushes outside.

At least now it would be quiet and still. Or so he thought, but the animal just got louder. The branches rustled as it presumably tried to get free. Another thump, and the animal screeched again, except this time-

Revali's eyes snapped open. That wasn't an animal. That was a Hylian noise of pain. Was someone being attacked?

He scrambled out of bed, straining to find his bow in the dark. It was a good thing that he always kept it near, otherwise he wouldn't be able to see it in the shadows.

Tossing open his window, he glided down to the patch of bushes that the noises were coming from. Faintly, he could make out a small Hylian figure. Their clothes were all tangled up in the plants, and they appeared to be yanking on their foot.

He clicked his beak to alert the Hylian to his presence. They whipped around, face aglow in the moonlight, staring at him with what had to be the bluest eyes he'd ever seen.

Upon closer inspection, it wasn't the plants trapping them like he'd assumed. There was a tiny crevice in the rocky ground, and their ankle was trapped in it.

"Well, that's not good," Revali said. The Hylian raised their hands, motioning to him.

"Help," they signed, and then added, "Please."

"Hm. Please is a good start." He frowned.

He knew the basics of Hylian sign language, of course. All warriors had to learn it, in case they were ever in a battle and needed to communicate but couldn't speak. Most races spoke it as well. It came quite in handy once with a young, deaf Zora who'd gotten lost near Rito village without properly warm clothing.

Revali wondered if this Hylian was deaf. If they were, then they probably wouldn't be able to read his beak the way that Hylians read lips. It didn't help that it was the middle of the night, either.

"How did you get stuck?" Revali asked, making his motions big and slow. Well, it was more like how- you- stuck with a questioning tilt of his head, but close enough.

"I was climbing tree. Fell. Foot got caught." The Hylian pointed to the tree in question as he spoke.

Revali blinked. "Why climbing tree?"

"Apple." He followed their pointing finger and, sure enough, a big, red apple was hanging tantalizingly from a far-out branch. "Help me, please."

He huffed, shaking his head almost in amusement before narrowing his eyes. "How do I know you're not Yiga?"

The Hylian scratched the back of their head. "I don't like bananas?"

Well, that wasn't very trustworthy. On the other hand, though, if there were more of them then he would've been ambushed already, and he could take some puny Yiga. But if he just left them here and they turned out to be a random, innocent person, the guilt would eat him up. So, screw it, might as well help them.

He crouched down, examining the ankle. It was stuck at an angle where the Hylian could hardly move, and thus couldn't position their leg to remove the foot from the hole. Revali almost just grabbed the Hylian to yank them, but remembered how rudely the Hylians had treated him earlier. Hmph. He'd show them what real manners looked like.

"Going to touch you. Okay?" 

The Hylian chewed on their lower lip, face going surprisingly serious. "Okay," they agreed.

With their permission, he took them under the armpits and carefully began to lift them. He made sure that they wouldn't break their foot before he summoned a little of his power to propel them upwards, and then gently set the Hylian on the grassy ground a few feet away. The wind had knocked down the apple, right into his hand, and he held it out to them.

"Next time, try to think before you go climbing random trees in the dead of night," he scolded, forgetting about the maybe-deaf thing.

The Hylian's eyes were wide, and they stared at him with stars in them. Their hair was windswept and they looked completely, utterly stricken with awe. Their expression was more open than any he'd ever seen on a Hylian, as though they'd never had any practice hiding their emotions on their face. It left him... a little breathless.

They slowly took the apple, a smile spreading across their face. A moment passed between them. Revali found that he couldn't look away.

"Thank you," they finally signed. Revali let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I'll be more careful."

He tilted his head. "Can you-" He paused, and continued in sign, "Can you hear?"

They nodded with both their fist and their head. "Yes." 

That was a bit of a relief, but he didn't say so. He was admittedly a little rusty in sign, and he only knew the most basic words. He'd been doing a lot of guesswork during this conversation, actually. And pointing. Revali cleared his throat.

"Now then, you should be most grateful that I deigned to assist you after you woke me up with the racket you were making. What are you even awake for? And aren't there easier ways to get apples, anyways?"

Infuriatingly, the Hylian just shrugged. Revali sighed and pinched the base of his beak.

"Of course. In any case, unless you happen to belong to some kind of group of feral Hylians, which wouldn't surprise me, you must return to wherever it is you reside. It is not safe to just- roam around, looking for fruit, especially with the recent increase in monster attacks." He folded his wings, and then softened minutely. "You... do have somewhere to sleep, right?"

The Hylian nodded, giving him a look that seemed to imply don't worry. Revali exhaled.

"Well. Good. I'm going back to bed. Goodnight, and for Hylia's sake, stay out of trouble!"

"No promises," they winked. WINKED. He faltered for a few seconds before harrumphing and taking flight, returning to his room and leaving them even more wind-swept in his wake.

He could feel his feathers bristling slightly. Revali smoothed them down with his hand. His face was burning. Why was his face burning? Surely he didn't- he wasn't-

It was just some dumb Hylian. Some stupid, reckless Hylian (who winked at him-) and he didn't need to think about them anymore!

...He never got their name, he realized. Not that it mattered, because he didn't care about a random Hylian. They probably knew his name. Of course they knew his name, he was the Rito Champion and the greatest archer in Hyrule!

He practically threw himself on his hammock and covered his eyes with his wing. He was going to go to sleep now and stop thinking about them.

—

He didn't stop thinking about them.

The next day was boring and dull, meetings and formalities that he cared nothing for. The Hero was at one of them, a silent but weighty presence. It was like being in a room with an unlit bomb. It was easy to forget that it was there, but it was always sitting in the back of your mind, keeping you on your guard.

...Eerily enough, even though he had no way of telling, he felt as though the Hero was staring at him the entire time.

Still, his mind kept wandering to the Hylian he'd met the night before. Sapphire blue eyes, sharp and nearly glowing even in the dark of the night. A light dusting of freckles across their skin. Hair that was messy but looked soft enough to make into a pillow. And their cheeky smile, small but bright enough to light up their whole face. The steady, calloused hands that made fluid motions with ease. The surprising weight of them when he carried them up-

"-vali? Champion Revali?"

He blinked. Shit.

Mentally hitting himself, he straightened and cleared his throat. Lady Impa was looking at him expectantly.

"Yes?"

Din's tits, this was embarrassing.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "So you're also in agreement? About training?"

"Of course," he replied smoothly. She nodded and continued on, talking about meeting times and places.

Fuck, that sounded important. What had she said? Something about group trainings? Great. Ugh, that sounded like such a bother. Normally he'd be swift to object to something like that. He was off his game today.

He really had to stop thinking about the Hylian.

—

Despite that awkward moment, he still continued to think about the Hylian.

It's because they were so suspicious, he told himself. Really, they could've been an assassin. Or a spy! He was right to be concerned. And that's why he was thinking about them, because he was concerned. That's all.

(...Hylia, that wasn't even a good lie. That was barely a believable lie! Note to self, get better at lying to himself.)

And since he was concerned, it was only natural that he was lying awake that night, unable to sleep. Like, what if the Hylian snuck into his room... to kill him! To kill him, obviously. And, er, that would be terrible! Terrible, yes, awful, despicable, abysmal...

(Fuck. He really, really needed to stop thinking about them.)

He hated this. He was getting feelings, like some kind of fledgling with a crush!

Oh.

Oh, no.

Oh, no no no!

His feathers raised against his will. No! He refused to believe that this was a crush! That was just- preposterous! He'd had a singular conversation with them! And it was hardly even that long! He didn't even know their name, for Dinraal's sake, there was no possible way for him to have a crush on them!

It was just curiosity. He was curious about the Hylian, was all. Who they were, why they couldn't talk, why they were trying to climb an apple tree in the middle of the night, what their name was, if their hair was as soft as it looked- no! Bad, brain, bad!

He lightly smacked himself in the head, as though to dislodge the stupid thoughts, and then sighed.

Revali was going to sleep. He was going to sleep and he was going to stop thinking about them. 

He shut his eyes forcefully. Sleeping now.

...

Thunk. 

...What was that?

Slowly, he sat up. It almost sounded like something was thrown at his window. Not a rock, too muted for that, but maybe an-

His breath caught in his throat hopefully. A squirming feeling started up in his chest. He shoved it down.

Revali made his way over to the window. The hinges squeaked when he opened it.

Bright blue eyes greeted him. 

Chapter Text

When Revali was younger, after he'd first met the princess, he'd started sneaking up to her room in the dead of night whenever he was in Central Hyrule. Not for anything lewd, goddess no.

Zelda had been spending all her time researching and praying. Mostly praying, actually, her father demanded it. And the researching was just her trying to discover some kind of secret thing that'll make her powers click. It was desperate and a little pathetic, but the young girl hadn't really been given much of a choice.

The king ordered her to be praying every second of every day. A bit much for a girl who was only twelve years old- that's young for a Hylian, right? Hylians and Rito age surprisingly similarly, so Revali was sure it was.

Anyways, he'd found out that the princess hadn't been allowed to partake in any sort of self defense training. At the time, Revali had still thought that the Calamity nonsense wasn't even real. A fairy tale from ten thousand years ago to spook people. But if it was, then that would mean that Zelda would be on the front lines with nothing but a kid bowed head and finicky powers.

And just to be clear, Revali wasn't much of a caring person. He knew that, everyone knew that. He was the best archer in the village, the youngest one too, and his only focus was becoming the greatest in history. So, really, he shouldn't have cared about some Hylian princess who was probably going to get herself killed.

...But she said something about being scared. That she was never going to be good enough for anybody. And that struck more of a nerve than Revali would like.

So, he started teaching her archery. Mostly the basics. He couldn't show her a lot of the Rito techniques, since they involved being in the air, but she picked it up shockingly quick. Zelda was an extremely determined person who, once she decided to do something, put all of her effort into it. He could respect that.

She still wasn't as good as him- of course she wasn't, no one was- but after a few months of him knocking on her window and the two of them sneaking out to the archery grounds, she'd gotten surprisingly decent. Much better than he expected her to be, to be honest.

Long story short, he'd spent a lot of time knocking on her window and sneaking her out when the guards weren't looking.

So it felt... strange to be on the other side of that.

Revali spent a few moments dumbfounded, blinking at the Hylian who had the bluest eyes, wondering if he'd somehow summoned them, before crossing his arms and hissing, "What are you doing here?!" 

To his increasing surprise, they grinned. "You remember me!"

"Wh- of course I remember you, how terrible do you think my memory is?!" As if he could forget them! Ha! He wished he would forget them!

The Hylian shrugged, winking. While Revali sputtered for a couple of seconds, they took the opportunity to reach into their bag and pull out a shiny fruit. They held it out to him eagerly.

He could feel his eyebrows furrowing as he looked from it to the Hylian's smile. "...What's this, then?"

He plucked it out of their hand, inspecting it. A golden apple. One of the rarer fruits, considered a delicacy up in Hebra, where the climate was too cold for them. Did they know that?

"It's a thank you for helping me yesterday," they signed.

"I don't- there's no thanks necessary, really," he tried to return it to the Hylian's hands, but they just pushed it back firmly.

"Take it. Please," they insisted. He remembered something that Zelda mentioned briefly, once, how it was considered polite among Hylians to give people a gratitude gift when they help them, typically food. It would probably be bad manners to refuse, huh?

Revali sighed. "Very well." He set the apple down on the nightstand. The Hylian looked pleased.

He felt awkward, suddenly. Now what? He'd spent the entire day wanting to see them again, but now that he had, he wasn't sure what to say.

"So..." Revali shifted uncomfortably, rustling his wings a little. The Hylian perked up, ears twitching. Huh. Cute. He force his expression to remain neutral. "Do you want to... come in? Or?"

They froze like a deer in torchlights."I," they hesitated, letting out a small, "Uh."

He raised an eyebrow. Why were they being weird now? They hadn't seemed shy bef- OH THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE HYLIAN THINGS.

"Or I could go out there!" He added hastily. They nodded, looking relieved. The Hylian hopped down from the windowsill to the grass. Revali took a second to compose himself, shaking out his feathers, before gliding down as well.

The Hylian sat- right beneath the apple tree, funnily enough. They smiled up at him and patted the ground beside them. He lowered himself onto the ground stiffly, chin jutted up. The Hylian didn't seem bothered. They were staring up at the moon with a strangely unreadable expression, as though the sight of it had somehow caused conflicting emotions. Which he didn't understand, since it was the moon. 

"There's a Rito tale, you know, of someone flying up there," he commented. The Hylian startled, turning to blink at him. He waved a hand up vaguely at the sky. "To the moon. According to the stories, it was a Rito bard. They say their lover turned into the moon, and they were trying to reach them." He paused. "Do Hylians have any stories like that?"

They grimaced. "Not really. Moon is bad."

"Bad? Bad how?"

"There's a story of the moon falling out of the sky." 

"Out of the sky?"

They nodded, smiling a little at his incredulity. "Threatening to destroy a world, far from here. They say that it was stopped by the Hero of Time."

"The Hero of Time?" Revali wrinkled his nose. "That's one of the Hero's supposed incarnations?"

Their face fell, slightly, hand reaching up to fidget with a necklace he hadn't noticed before. It was gold, with a small Triforce hung delicately on the chain. Hm, they must've been religious. Normally, one would take this as a hint to be more careful with their words. Revali didn't give a shit.

"You don't like heroes?" they signed, blank-faced.

Revali harrumphed. "Personally, I find that Hylian storytellers seem to exaggerate when it comes to their champions. Especially those stupid heroes. What, they can draw a silly sword and they're magically the greatest fighters that Hylia has to offer?"

The Hylian shrugged. "They are vessels for her power."

"And that's it? What, they're born with a sword in their hand and worshipped until the day they die?"

"Yes." 

He scoffed. "Asinine," he muttered, but seeing the look on the Hylian's face, he decided not to push it. Speaking of, actually...

They looked surprised when he suddenly leaned in, inspecting them. Their eyebrows scrunched slightly in a puzzled expression. Well, wasn't that adorable.

"By the way, I never got your name," he said casually. "Do you have one? I can't just keep calling you 'The Mysterious Hylian' in my head."

Their mouth twitched up, and then they frowned. They opened their mouth, and then closed it, raising their hands and lowering them. Revali waited patiently- far too patiently, in his opinion- watching them deliberate over... something.

After a few moments- in which he graciously refrained from snapping- they ended up shrugging again.

"Sorry, I'm trying to remember, but it's been a while." They signed.

What? Perhaps they misheard him.

"I asked for your name," he repeated, stressing the last word. They nodded, smiling apologetically. He stammered for a second, repeating once more, "Your name!" 

"Sorry." 

"You- is this some kind of Hylian thing? Not remembering your name? What do people call you?!"

"The Mysterious Hylian sounds cool," they smirked. He wanted to facepalm. Instead, he settled for shooting them a glare.

"You could've just said that you didn't want to tell me," he grumbled. Their smirk dropped. Eyes wide, they shook their head.

"No! No, it's not that! My name is..." they blew hair out of their face, frustrated. "I don't know. It's been too long, I don't know."

"You-"

"I don't know. I don't know!" Their movements were starting to grow frantic.

"Alright, calm down!" Revali hesitated, "I... I believe you. You don't know."

They settled, a little, still looking disturbed. "I should have a name, shouldn't I? It's not normal to not have one." 

They seemed almost lost. They likely were, seeing as how they didn't even know their own name. Just who exactly were they? Some sick person with early onset dementia? A recovering amnesiac with head trauma? It would probably be best to handle this delicately, with a certain amount of gentleness.

"Not really, no."

They huffed.

"That's not helpful."

"Well, I don't see what the big deal is," he sniffed haughtily. "There's nothing stopping you from just coming up with a new name. Frankly, I'm surprised you haven't thought to already. Is your brain really so empty that you can't see such an obvious solution?"

They stared at him. They started fidgeting with their necklace again. "...Come up with a new name?" Revali rolled his eyes.

"That's what I said, yes. You sure you're not deaf?"

"It can be anything?"

"Obviously! You do know how names work, right? It can be whatever you want."

"Anything," their eyes were shiny, "A whole name. Anything I want."

He squinted at them. "You're making it weird. Are all Hylians this weird or is it just you?"

"I dunno. What should my name be?"  

"Don't ask me! All I know about Hylian names is that they're weird about gender!" He crossed his arms. "And they're very snippy if you get it wrong. Which, excuse me, it's not my fault that you lot all look the same to a Rito!"

"So you can't tell what gender I am?"

"Not even a little bit. Which, again, isn't my fault!" He added, under his breath, "Stupid Hylians and your stupid fixations on genitals. Freaks, really, all of you." Revali sighed, looking them up and down. "I suppose I should ask you whether you're a boy or a girl?"

The Hylian was staring at him, eyes narrowed in such a way that he couldn't tell whether it was contemplative or hostile.

"If you couldn't tell what gender I am, what have you been calling me in your head? He or she?"

"What?" He threw his hands up, "I don't know! They? And it's not like Hylian sign has gendered pronouns!"

"Hmm," they vocalized softly. It was so quiet, he strained to pick it up. It was... very nice. Raspy, clearly not often used, but nice.

They signed something else, and he realized that he missed it. He silently cursed at himself in his head. Distracted, again! He was never going to get anything done like this.

"Sorry, repeat that?"

"What should my name be?"

Unbelievable. Unbelievable! He nearly scoffed. The way they kept jumping around conversation topics was insane, and now they ask him that again?! Him, a stranger, who'd barely just met them and didn't know the first thing about them!

"Don't ask me, it's your name!" He growled. He was tempted to stand up, storm off, but something in their strange, moonlit expression kept him rooted to the ground. Revali wasn't sure he liked it.

They exhaled slowly and flopped onto their back. "Any name..." they signed, almost absently, staring at the stars. He watched as they fiddled with an earring.

Sighing, he laid down next to them, tracing constellations with his eyes. He knew a few of them, like the one with the bear and the one with the scorpion. His favorite was the archer, for obvious reasons.

It took all his strength not to jolt when a hand lightly tapped his shoulder. He turned his head to look at the Hylian, who was smiling at him.

"Have you ever heard about the Epona constellation?" They asked, finger-spelling E-P-O-N-A. "Her story is my favorite."

Oh. Oh, Goddess, damn them for being so pretty.

"I haven't," he replied slowly, signing, "Tell me about her?"

Their face lit up. Revali got the feeling that he'd be watching them talk until morning, but the prospect of lost sleep couldn't even bother him.

Fuck. He was going soft. For some random, probably amnesiac hooligan of all people. Fuck his life.

...He really hoped they came up with a name soon. It wouldn't do to just keep calling them The Hylian. Everyone deserved a name.

(...Watching their calloused hands move smoothly through the air, rambling on about horses, he thought that they deserved a nice one, especially.)

-

Revali stirred slowly, consciousness returning as sluggishly as syrup trickling from a bottle. It was light out, not that much sunlight got through his curtains. It must've been the chattering birds that woke him up. They were chirping away loudly right outside his window. Tch.

He turned in his hammock, blindly covering his ears and burrowing himself further in his pillow. There was still a pleasant sleepiness in his gut. He wasn't ready to wake up just yet. He wanted to keep dreaming of the stars, and sandy hair, and warm hands carrying him...

Revali shot up. He nearly lost his balance in his hammock with how fast he jolted. How did he get in bed? The last thing he remembered was watching the Hylian talk, and then... then being vaguely half-asleep as someone moved him.

He fell asleep. Hylia, that is humiliating. He hadn't fallen asleep in front of someone since he was a chick! And, what's worse, they carried him?! (They must've been really strong... they didn't seem to have struggled with it, despite having to climb up a building to reach the window... NO NO STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!) 

This was awful. A total embarrassment. He was lucky that it was just that weirdo, and that no one else had been around.

A loud knock at his door startled him out of his thoughts. Snap out of it, Revali! He cleared his throat.

"Yes? What is it?" He called.

"Come outside, lazybones!" Came Urbosa's voice, teasing, "We're going to be talking strategy in the pavilion!"

"Why not one of the, oh I don't know, strategy meeting rooms?" He asked suspiciously. Urbosa and Daruk had been conspiring to try to get the Champions to bond. Euck.

Sure enough, he could hear the mischief in the Gerudo's voice when she replied, "It's a beautiful day, little voe! We'll be waiting for you outside!"

And with that, she walked off with her heels clicking loudly on the palace floor.

Hmph. On one hand, that sounded like it would be very irritating. On the other, Chief Urbosa was one of the few people that he didn't want to cross. Maybe Zelda would be there, anyhow. He needed to vent to her about that weirdo. She'd probably find it amusing.

Reluctantly, he got out of bed and began getting reading for the day. Preening his feathers, doing his makeup, his regular routine.

He wondered if he'd see them again. The night had almost felt like some kind of dream.

A flash of gold caught his eye, and he glanced at the apple on his nightstand. Real, then. He wondered if they'd come back. After all, they'd already given him a gratitude gift. There was no reason for the Hylian to seek him out again.

The thought left him oddly dejected. He shook himself out of it.

When he reached the pavilion, after making sure that his feathers were smooth and there was no trace of stars in his eyes, the Champions plus Zelda were all sitting at a table covered in snacks and tea. There were two empty seats- one for him, he presumed, but he wasn't sure who the other one was for.

Zelda spotted him first. "Revali!" She grinned at him, waving him over. "Come sit! Daruk was just telling us about the fascinating catapults on Death Mountain."

"I'm not sure I'd call 'em fascinating," Daruk laughed. A bowl of reddish pebbles was in front of him and he was snacking on them, munching happily as though they were sunflower seeds. Maybe they were to Gorons?

Revali huffed, taking the open seat between the Hylian princess and Mipha. He shot a look to Urbosa, who looked entirely unbothered. She took a sip of tea.

"How, exactly, is this tea party a strategy meeting, oh great Gerudo Chief?" He sneered. Zelda swatted at his arm.

"Calm down, Vali," she pushed a plate towards him, "I got your favorite."

A moist nutcake sat innocently on the plate in front of him. Dammit. It was his favorite. He grumbled under his breath, but didn't complain further, instead picking up a fork and digging in.

"Huh, you're actually able to shut him up," Urbosa said with mock awe. Revali tried to give her a dirty look, but that's hard to do when you're eating a really good cake. He pointedly ignored Mipha's muffled giggles to his left.

The others continued prattling on about boring things such as catapults and the weather. Personally, Revali was really invested in this cake.

"We've been getting a lot of rainfall recently," Mipha mentioned.

"Oh yeah, there's been a lotta rockslides, too! Way more than usual, that's for sure," Daruk added.

"Hmm..." Zelda leaned forward slightly, stirring her tea with such concentration that it didn't look like she was focused on the tea at all. "It's odd- there have been reports of extreme weather all across Hyrule. Faron's getting more thunderstorms, Hebra's getting more blizzards, it really makes you wonder if it's some kind of an omen. Clearly something must be happening, but whether or not it's related to the Calamity is yet to be determined. It's just- I can't think of any other possible reason for this phenomena, it's unnatural. And the whole thing with the full moons on top of that..."

He paused. "Full moons?"

Zelda nodded, chewing on a pastry. "Yes, we've seen a strange influx in monsters on full moons. Some people have even reported the moon looking larger, or turning red on those occasions. Not many, though, we haven't yet ruled if it's just a rumor or not."

Moon is bad, the mysterious Hylian said. Maybe they'd known something.

"By the way," Urbosa interrupted, that mischievous twinkle back in her eye, "I invited someone else. Honestly, I hadn't fully expected him to show, but it appears he is making an entrance."

"What?" Zelda asked, "Who?"

Urbosa nodded slightly to the left, and they all turned to see-

No. No. Literally anyone else. Please. 

Walking down the path towards the pavilion, in all of his glory, was the Hero. Green robes trailed behind him elegantly, not a speck of dirt or grime, all features completely covered to the point where Revali couldn't tell if he even had a face.

His walking was smooth, purposeful. Not exactly confident, but not unconfident either. Feelingless. No hint of a personality beyond the Goddess's blade.

He hated him. How Revali fucking hated him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zelda stiffen. She set down the food she'd been eating. Great. She had finally relaxed after being stressed for so long, and now the Hero was making her uncomfortable again.

His guard, Lady Impa, was accompanying him, all serious and ridged. He could practically smell the righteousness off her. Ugh. He wasn't a huge fan of her, either. All "servant of the goddess" this and "doing the right thing" that. Obnoxious.

The Hero paused in front of the table, where everyone had fallen silent. The only open seat was between Mipha and Daruk, right across from Zelda. Lady Impa cleared her throat.

"Presenting the Goddess's Chosen-"

"Yes, yes, we all know who he is," Revali waved her off, narrowing his eyes at him. She sputtered a little, face turning pink.

"You can't just-"

"Are you going to sit down or not?" He directed sharply at the Hero. After a second, the Hero nodded, taking a seat in the empty chair. Impa clenched and unclenched her hands, sulking angrily.

They all sat in awkward silence. Everyone was staring at the Hero. Urbosa took a cringingly loud sip of tea.

"...So!" Zelda clapped her hands together, looking away from him. "We were just discussing the, er, weather as of late. Any... interesting weather on the Great Plateau recently?"

Oh, that was painful to listen to. Zelda was clearly trying very hard not to make it obvious that she hated him as much as Revali did. (She was failing.)

The Hero shook his head. His posture was unnaturally straight. Made sense, since no one at the table was relaxed. Minus maybe Urbosa, but that woman hardly seemed ruffled by anything.

After a few more awkward seconds, to Revali's surprise, the Hero raised his arms and signed, "Weather's the same."

Well, fry him in oil.

"Er," Zelda looked between the Hero and Lady Impa. Daruk looked just as puzzled.

"What was that, little guy?"

"That was Hylian sign," Impa explained, "The Hero, praise Hylia, has taken a vow of silence in his dedication to the Goddess. That is how he communicates."

"Oh," Zelda breathed, "That's what that was. I feel so stupid. My apologies, Hero."

The Hero said nothing further. Didn't even move an inch. Didn't give Zelda so much as a flick of the ear in acknowledgment- something he'd seen Hylians often do.

"So, uh, what'd he say?" Daruk asked Impa. She straightened, clearing her throat.

"The Hero has graced you with the knowledge that there has been no notable change in the weather on the Great Plateau as of late."

Revali couldn't help it. He snorted. He'll deny this later, of course, but he might have even giggled. Lady Impa furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"What's so funny?!"

"All he said was 'weather's the same,'" Revali stifled a full-blown laugh. Beside him, Mipha started giggling too. Zelda stared at him, mouth ajar.

"Since when do you know Hylian sign?!" She demanded.

"Since I was a fledgling! How do you not know it?" He retorted.

"I've- been busy!"

"Studying the weather?"

"I-" She started laughing, too. It unwound some of the tension in Revali's shoulders. His best friend hadn't been laughing much, as of late. It was a relief to hear.

Conversation came easier after that. They began talking about their homes and recent gossip and the like. Even Lady Impa loosened up enough to temporarily remove the stick up her ass. She had a sister, apparently, who was close friends with Zelda- something that even Zelda herself didn't know, since Purah and Impa were about as similar as night and day.

The sun rose high in the sky, and the Hero didn't say anything else. Again, though, just like at the other meeting, it was easy to forget that he was there. Too easy. Eerily easy. As though he'd had practice erasing his existence from the very fabric of the world. He was quiet, and still, and hardly took up any space at all.

Revali didn't like it. It was too contradictory to everything he knew about the so-called "Courageous Savior."

Maybe it was some Sheikah thing he learned from Impa. That had to be it. Revali didn't see the point of it, though.

He wondered if maybe the mysterious Hylian knew something. They'd seemed fairly well versed in Hylian mythos, based on their last conversation. He definitely wasn't looking for an excuse to talk to them again.

A nudge startled him out of his thoughts. Zelda was watching him, eyebrow raised.

"What are you thinking about, Vali?" She asked. His feathers raised slightly.

"Nothing. No one," he replied too quickly. He coughed. "Just, you know, the end of the world. As we all should be thinking about."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Are you... lying to me?" The question would be threatening if it weren't for Zelda's blatant delight. Revali refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Whatever do you mean, dear highness?"

"You are!" She gasped, grabbing his wing. "Spill! You've met someone, haven't you?!"

"I have not!" Revali squawked, yanking his wing out of her grasp.

"What's this? Our little archer has a crush?" Urbosa cooed. Revali bristled. The indignity- how dare she-

"Leave him alone, you two," bless Mipha's kind heart, "After all, he seems to be very sensitive about these things."

Sensitive? Sensitive?!

Revali stood, smoothing out his feathers and casting out a venomous look across the table. His eyes hung briefly on the Hero, and then skipped across him.

"I did not come here to be poked fun at," Revali seethed.

"Aw, come on little guy, they're just having fun!" Daruk tried to soothe. It has the opposite effect of infuriating him further.

"If that's your idea of fun, I'd rather spend my time elsewhere." Without listening to another word of their pleas or protests, he activated his gale and took off to the sky, ignoring the burning embarrassment in his gut.

Utterly idiotic. This is why I hate people. He'd had entirely too much teasing for a lifetime already back home, before they took him seriously. He'd finally earned the respect that a warrior deserved, and now he was being treated like- like-

Some child with a crush. 

Fuck them.

...Maybe Mipha had a point. Maybe he was sensitive.

Whatever. Who gave a shit. Tomorrow, he would be on his way back to the Flight Range, with no people or annoyances. Just him, his training, and the snow.

-

(If he had glanced back after he'd taken off, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. The other Champions wore faces displaying varying levels of guilt and exasperation, but that wasn't important.

The Hero had been sitting at the table. He... they? He? Hadn't taken his eyes off of Revali as the Rito took flight. There was a certain elegance to the movements, the same way that the Hero almost danced when he fought.

Could he call himself elegant? Was that allowed? Whatever.

Point is, if Revali had looked back, had seen him- well, it wouldn't have mattered. He was still wearing the veil over his face. But if he wasn't, and he did, then- oh, he didn't know. He wasn't sure what kind of expression he was making. But it was something stricken and a little breathless and very, very awed. If he wasn't already mute, he'd be speechless.

It was an incredible blessing to see Revali's Gale up close again.)

Chapter Text

Revali was a lot of things.

A proud warrior, a master flyer, the greatest archer that Hyrule had ever seen. And, despite what some of the elders at Rito Village thought, he was not a child. 

Hence why he was not sulking.

Warriors didn't sulk, and he was a warrior, and therefore, he didn't sulk. It made sense as long as he didn't think too much about it.

So, Revali was not sulking as he began packing away his things, shoving scrolls and scarves into his bags. Stupid Champions... stupid Hero... stupid Hylian... He grouched around his room.

A knock came at his door.

Ruffling his feathers, he stormed to the door and yanked it open. Predictably, there was Zelda, one hand on her hip and a semi-amused look on her face.

"What." Revali said.

"I wanted to apologize," Zelda began, despite looking utterly unapologetic, "I was being embarrassing, I know how you hate being put on the spot like that. My sincerest apologies."

"Yes, well," Revali huffed, crossing his arms, "I've had better apologies, but I suppose that will do."

Zelda grinned. She clapped her hands, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Wonderful! So you'll tell me about your crush now?"

He bristled. "It's not a crush!"

"So you admit there is someone?"

Revali paused. Fuck. She was too clever for her own good.

"You won't tell anyone," he said threateningly.

"Of course not!" She placed a hand on her chest in mock offense. "Who do you take me for?"

"I... don't know their name," he admitted slowly.

"Ooh, mysterious. Tell me more!"

"I think they have amnesia."

"Strange, but okay."

"I found them sneaking around in the middle of the night."

"That's... what?"

He shrugged helplessly. "It's stranger than it sounds, trust me."

"That is not reassuring."

"Good, wasn't supposed to be."

Zelda pursed her lips. "And you're sure they're not Yiga."

He hesitated. That pause told Zelda all she needed to fucking know, apparently. She grabbed his shoulders and forcibly sat him down, settling in across from him and propping her chin on her fist.

"Perhaps you should start from the beginning," she suggested.

-

Consciousness filtered in slowly, like beams of light in the early hours of the morning. Revali pried his eyes open a crack, and then slammed them shut with a groan. Funny, this was the second day in a row where he didn't remember going to bed. Did he even end up talking to the Hylian?

There was a slight twinge in his shoulder and he shifted, only to find that he couldn't move. Something cold and heavy was wrapped around his wings. The sensation only added to the discomfort of his headache.

Wait.

He wasn't in his hammock.

Revali's breathing went still as he assessed his situation. He was laying on a cold stone floor- not in the castle, definitely. His wings were restrained at his back by chains, same with his legs. They were of considerable weight. He was being crushed slightly under them. They were nearly enough to keep him pinned down- although, the fact that Rito were extremely light was likely contributing to that.

This was fine. He'd gotten himself out of worse situations, surely- like that one time when he faced five taloses head on, or when he'd bested two lynels at once without even a scratch.

You weren't tied up then, a voice in his head pointed out, and you had your bow. 

Shut up. Although, speaking of, where was his bow? Did his captors take it when they'd gotten the jump on him? Which he'd assumed is what happened, seeing as how there was no world where whoever this was defeated him in combat.

He prayed they didn't destroy it. The Great Eagle Bow was his masterpiece. If he ever had offspring, they'd be lucky to receive even a quarter of the attention and care he'd put into making it. Countless hours of research and carving and testing- oh, it'd be a nightmare to even just find more materials to remake it!

Focus, Revali. Worry about that later. He sighed, and with effort, forced his eyes open again. His head throbbed, but it wasn't as bad this time. Eyes darting around, he took in his surroundings.

Dark, damp cell. The walls were made entirely of rock- were they inside a cave? 

There were two other figures tied up, resembling more like shapeless blobs than people. Hylia, this lighting was terrible. He squinted, trying to get his eyes to focus enough in the dark to identify them. The one closer to him was vaguely familiar. They had long hair, Hylian ears, and- was that Zelda?

"Zel!" He hissed, glancing at the cell bars. No one was on the outside, as far as he could tell. "Zelda!"

It was no use. She was out cold.

Fucking fabulous.

He hit his forehead against the ground lightly. Think back, what happened? The last thing he remembered, he was talking to Zelda... yes, they were in his room, he was telling her about the weird Hylian he'd met in the dead of night. And then... and then... fuck, what happened next?

Oh! That's right, she wanted to meet them. She'd been concerned and intrigued, and she wanted to see the Mysterious Hylian for herself. So they'd agreed to meet outside after nightfall, hoping to find the Hylian.

But then, ah, he... ran into Mipha? His head pounded. Yes, he'd run into the Zora princess around sundown. He was walking in the garden when he spotted her, looking upset. Something was bothering her, he'd noticed, she was fidgeting anxiously with her tail fin.

Revali was still salty about her comment at the tea party, but there was a great sadness in her eyes that made his anger sputter and dissipate as quickly as a flame doused with water. He glided over to her, ignoring her flinch when he landed beside her.

"Oh, hello Revali!" Her smile was kind, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I would like to apologize for my earlier behavior. It was quite rude, and it was never my intention to hurt-"

Revali scoffed, cutting her off. "Please, you believe you're capable of hurting my feelings? I'm not a fledgeling to be coddled, princess. Your silly words, offensive as they were, meant nothing to me."

He expected her to wilt, or maybe even bristle in anger- but instead, her smile just grew softer. She nodded, quietly gazing back at the flowers.

Looking at her, serene and still, he could see how she'd earned the title of Mipha the Graceful. It made him feel almost like a fledgeling next to her. But even still, there was a grief in her eyes that disturbed him. There hadn't even been a battle yet, so who had died?

"Is everything alright, Revali?" The Zora turned her gold eyes to him, brows pinched in concern.

"It was my intent to ask you that, actually," Revali admitted. "Are you... is something ailing you?"

She didn't answer right away. Mipha took her time to breathe slowly, face smooth and dejected. Her chin never lowered, shoulders never slumped, but there was despair in the way that she clenched her trembling hands where they sat on her lap.

"What has you believe that I am ailed?" She asked. He wasn't sure how to answer that. What was the gentlest way of saying, you look so pathetically sad that anyone with even a single half-functioning eye would be able to tell from a mile away?

"You just appear to be upset," he shrugged, trying to play off his concern as nonchalant. "But if you do not wish to speak about it..."

"It's..." She pressed her lips together. "It's complicated, I'm afraid. I do not know if I even can speak about it."

The way she phrased that seemed strange. Was there just too much sadness, or did she mean it literally? Something felt off.

"In what way?" He asked.

Her golden eyes were passing over the garden- scanning. She'd straightened minutely. Mipha was alert. Why was she alert? She was looking for- something. What could she possibly be looking for in a garden?

"I could be in quite a bit of trouble, if I speak of it," she told him under her breath. Revali had to lean in to hear her.

"I'll tell no one," he promised, "I don't bother with gossip, anyhow." She considered his words, and then gestured for him to lean in closer.

"I had a... friend, once, who I've not talked to in years. They were taken from their family long ago," she said, voice hushed. "You've met them personally."

Revali frowned at her, confused. Met them? The only new people he'd met recently that he could think of were the Mysterious Hylian and-

"She said she knew him."

Memories from that night at the ball came rushing back, leaving him scrambling. He'd completely forgotten about that brief snippet of conversation- his loathing of the Hero had distracted him, and then he'd met the Mysterious Hylian that same night and it was cast from his mind thoroughly.

"You don't- the Hero?" He said faintly. Why had everything been circling back to him lately? Mipha seemed almost amused by his reaction, and then saddened again.

"I know not if I can still call him a friend, after thirteen years of not even seeing him. He'd drawn the sacred blade at a very young age, and had to begin training right away." She shook her head. "I don't know if he even remembers me."

Revali's mind was racing. He hadn't known that the Hero had a family. Part of him always assumed that he'd just risen from the earth, or fallen from the sky.

Mipha stood abruptly, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Excuse me. I'm afraid I've told you too much." She fixed her gaze on him, startling in its intensity, and said forcefully, "Do not say a word of this conversation to anyone."

"Hold on now, Mipha-"

"I must depart. Thank you for lending an ear, Revali," she gave him a soft glance. "You're really very kind, you know."

Revali nearly snorted. "I can assure you, I'm not." He muttered. Kind? He had no need for such useless niceties. Kindness was either a tool for the cruel or a weakness for the fools- a lesson his mother oh-so kindly taught him. 

And then Mipha looked him in the eyes and said- huh. That's where his memory started getting hazy. She said something, he knows that for sure. Was that when he was kidnapped? No, no, he remembered walking to the apple tree where he'd met the Mysterious Hylian, and then he... hm.

Revali narrowed his eyes. He didn't like being in the dark, literally and figuratively. He had no clue where he was, how he got here, or even how he allowed himself to get kidnapped in the first place! That Hylian must be miserable if they couldn't even remember their goddess-damn name!

Wait. The Hylian. Surely they didn't capture them, did they? After all, he and the princess were going to meet with them. Maybe that was the chance they were waiting for to capture Hylian royalty.

Except- Revali tried to focus on the other tied-up figure in the cell again. It looked maybe like the Hylian. Kind of. Vaguely. Curse his Rito eyes. Why couldn't the Rito have night vision, like the Zora?! Better pray the Calamity wouldn't return in the dead of night.

Okay. This was fine. He just had to break out of his cell, find a weapon, fight his captors, and escort the princess and the (maybe) Mysterious Hylian(???) back to the castle. Child's play, really. At least, that's what he'll say when he succeeds.

He shifted again, trying to loosen the chains fastened tightly around him. All his efforts received was some clinks and clanks of the metal.

"Dammit," he hissed. Revali wiggled around, trying to peck at the chains with his beak. Like that would do anything. He swore again. "For Din's- Zelda! Wake up!"

A faint groan came from across the cell. "Wha- Vali? Wh... what's going on?"

"Finally! We're trapped in a cell and you've been lazily sleeping away! Now come on, we must find a way out. Are you able to get your bindings off?"

"Wait, we're what?!"

"Kidnapped, for fuck's sake! Do try to keep up, would you?"

"Right, right, um," Sounds of movement from where she was. "I'm afraid I'm quite stuck, Revali."

"Motherplucker- you wouldn't happen to remember who snatched us?"

"Erm... no."

Swearing became his new favorite hobby. "Useless!"

"Hey, I don't hear you being any help!" Zelda added, under her breath, "Feathery grump."

"I heard that!"

"Good!" She shot back.

"Why you-"

A hoarse groan interrupted their squabble. The other Hylian(?) must've been awoken by the arguing. He could vaguely see them moving around, no more than a lump of shadows in the darkness. He saw the outline of their head raise, ears flicking towards him and Zelda.

"Who's there?" She called out to them first, "Identity yourself!"

No response aside from more movement and the clanking of chains. Revali wondered...

"Is that you, Mysterious Hylian?" He ventured. Their raised head nodded vigorously. The Hylian squirmed, likely trying to free their hands to talk. Not that it'd do much good in this light, or lack thereof.

"Oh! We must've gotten kidnapped at the same time!" Zelda exclaimed. "But... respectfully, why would they take you?"

"Perhaps they saw us as we were meeting them and used the chance to ambush us, then took Mystery here to cover their tracks" Revali mused, "After all, it wouldn't do to leave a witness- even more so if our captors are who I suspect."

"Yiga?"

"Most definitely."

"Hylia help us."

"Still, I don't remember being kidnapped," he frowned, "They better not have given me a concussion. My head feels fine, only hurts a little, but there's always a chance. How do you fare, Zel?"

He could practically see her face scrunch in concentration. "I don't believe I've sustained any head trauma... I can faintly smell a trace of blue nightshade, which is often used in medicine to help people sleep. Hylians and Zora, mostly, as it's mostly found in Necluda and Lanayru. Interestingly, it was actually the Sheikah who first started studying the flower's properties and using them to-"

"Zelda, while I'm sure that's fascinating, don't you think we have more pressing matters at the moment?"

"Ah," she replied sheepishly, "Right. My apologies."

A pause.

"...Zelda?"

"Yes?"

"I have no clue how to get out."

"Me neither."

"We're fucked?"

"We're fucked."

He sighed. "Tell me about the damn flowers." Her excitement nearly lit up the room all on it's own, no divine powers needed.

"So, the Sheikah were the first the use the flowers to make many things, from dye to poison to tea. The magical properties..."

Hearing her ramble was slightly soothing, in a way. He knew that it was soothing for her as well. Revali let her voice wash over him as his mind drifted to various escape plans.

-

(The Hero didn't like this. Not one bit, thank you. He'd never thought of himself as claustrophobic, but being trapped like this made him reconsider.

He'd been foolish. Let his guard down. The monks warned him of this, and yet he didn't listen. He should never have left the protection of his room. Better yet, he should've just stayed in the Great Plateau, loneliness be damned.

Friendship is a plague to heroes, they said. It will strike you down when you least expect it. And here he was, kidnapped by the Yiga Clan. The last thing that he remembered, it was getting late, but instead of going to his room to sleep like he was supposed to, he'd once again snuck out through the window to see Revali. He still wasn't sure why he had such a fascination with the Rito man. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was the first person in a long time to treat him... normally. To talk to him like an actual normal person. He teased him. He vented to him. He asked him his name. 

When was the last time someone asked him that? He couldn't even remember. He used to have a name, but no one even bothered to use it anymore.

He'd asked a monk about his name a while back. They'd just told him, "You're not in need of a name. Your role is the Goddess's servant, you need nothing besides that. You cannot afford any distractions. Stay true to your goal, and none will best you."

Talk about distractions. Revali was the biggest distraction. Loud, prideful, a little arrogant. The monks always told Link that arrogance was sinful. The Goddess's servant must stay humble. Selfless. That's the real reason why he didn't have a name. It was selfish, and he didn't deserve one. Who was he to have an identity outside of his purpose? He might as well be denying his destiny altogether.

And yet... yet.

He still wanted one.

That was dangerous. He'd learned to push down his wants a long time ago. Wanting was for normal people who didn't have destinies. For him to want, it was a weakness.

But when he looked at Revali, he couldn't help but think that's not fair. Revali was everything he couldn't be- selfish and proud- and yet he was still a hero. People praised him near and far, and he got the luxury of enjoying it. He was loud, and a little mean, and yet people still loved him all the same.

The Hero was... jealous.

That realization had startled him. He wasn't supposed to be jealous. He'd never been jealous before. It was weird. And bad. Because how could he be a selfless hero if he was going around being jealous of people, like a child? Envy was an evil feeling. The Demon King Demise was jealous of Goddess Hylia, which led him to corruption and a hunger for power. Jealousy corrupts, obviously, so was The Hero being corrupted?

But... part of him couldn't help but wonder...

If Revali could have a name and still be a hero- if all of them could- then why couldn't he?

That was a stupid question. He was the Goddess's Chosen, that's why. He'll never be anything else.

It was nice to dream, though. After Revali had fallen asleep that last night, watching him ramble about horses of all things, he'd watched the stars and thought of all the different names he could have. Beatle. Groose. Tingle. Hestu- well, that one was taken by a forest spirit. He liked those little guys. Or- actually, little guys plus Hestu. He was the only tall Korok he'd seen around the Great Plateau. He wondered if there were more.

It'd be nice to visit the Korok Forest. He hadn't been there since he'd first drawn the Master Sword. The forest was beautiful. He was in awe when he'd stumbled in there, tiny and alone, following the siren song of the sword's call. It was so green- his favorite color- with flowers blooming all around, and a great big tree that spoke to him kindly. Something about the place was familiar, deep down. It felt like home.

It was a shame, really. He'd probably never see it again.)

EHEHEHEHE take some Hero POV, as a treat :]

They’ve been captured by the Yiga Clan! Revali is not happy! Link is slightly brainwashed! IT’S ALL FINE, GUYS!!

ALSO!! I have another treat for you guys! Aren’t I nice? :]

If you click the link right HERE (or just go to my tumblr @riverthebooknerd and search #polls), you can vote on which fic I’ll work on next! This poll will NOT affect smeared with oil, I’ll still be working on this fic regardless! The poll closes in a week so GO GO GO!!!

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Thank you guys so much for reading!! HEART YOU ALL XOXOXO!!! 🫶🫶

Chapter Text

She'd almost started dozing off when the cell door slammed open.

Zelda jolted up, nearly forgetting about the chains wrapped around her limbs, squinting against the harshness of the sudden light. Several figures in red surrounded where she was tied in chains. Her eyes flicked to her right, where Revali was being hauled up by a Yiga Blademaster. One grabbed her by the arm and dragged her up as well, their hand in a bruising grip. That'll leave a mark, she thought, scowling.

"Get up!" A Yiga to her left snarled, but not at her. She realized with a startle that she'd completely forgotten about the other kidnapped Hylian. The, quote, "Mysterious Hylian," as it were. They made not a single noise as the Yiga brutes manhandled them. They hardly reacted when their blond hair was grabbed and yanked, but she found herself wincing sympathetically.

She stumbled on her feet when a force pushed behind her, forcing her to walk towards the door. Zelda cast a glare over her shoulder- not that she'd be able to tell if they reacted, with those masks. How'd they even see in those, anyways?

"Move! You're going to see the Master!" The Blademaster behind her hissed. They shoved her again, harsher, and she barely regained her balance this time.

Revali was swearing up a storm as they were led (cough cough, dragged) through the maze-like halls of the Yiga base. Even walking as fast as she could, her feet shuffled and kicked against the sandy rock ground in the Yiga's haste. Whenever she faltered in her steps, one would push her or hold a cool blade to her neck that urged her forward again.

As they rounded a corner, she thought she heard some kind of sound- like bells, maybe? And a child giggling, faint as it may be. Once, she thought she caught a glimpse of green leaves out of the corner of her eye, but it was gone as soon as she looked.

She hoped that these hallucinations, which must've been a result of the blue nightshade that the Yiga used to drug them, were merely temporary. A useless princess was bad enough, but a mad princess was even worse.

At least if I were mad, though, I'd be useful. Maybe even useful enough to do her job, the entire reason she was born, the reason she'd knelt until her knees bled and clasped her hands until they ached and begged and begged and begged and begged- 

"Ya-ha-ha!" A tinkling laugh came from behind her, faint and wispy as a dandelion. She whipped her head around, footsteps stumbling. There was nothing but a few leaves on the dusty ground.

A Yiga foot soldier shoved her again. Zelda continued forward, trying to shake herself out of it. What is wrong with you?

—

Revali wasn't sure what he was expecting when they told him that the Yiga Clan leader was arriving.

Some huge, intimidating, ruthless figure, to be sure. Someone who lived up to the terror of the Yiga Clan's name as ruthless devotees of the Calamity.

...Definitely not this guy.

"PRESENTING! THE ONE! THE ONLY! MAAASTER KOGHA!!"

Revali's eye twitched as confetti fluttered through the air and landed on his feathers. Some of the Yiga foot soldiers pulled out trumpets- where did those even come from?!?!- and played an almost silly-sounding fanfare.

And as for "Master Kohga" himself- while his subordinates cheered and praised him like he was the only child at the playground who could do a somersault, the Yiga leader was doing some sort of- of goofy dance! Bouncing from one foot to the other, giggling to himself.

Honestly, his kidnapping was getting more humiliating by the second. These guys were the ones who got the better of him? Really? 

Even so...

He narrowed his eyes. Something about this felt off. It was almost as though Revali was lacking some kind of context. A piece of a puzzle had fallen through the cracks of his incredibly strategic mind, and he didn't like that one but.

When the Yiga ceased their... dramatic entrance, Kogha whipped around, pointing straight at Zelda.

"YOU!"

"Er..." The princess glanced at Revali. He shrugged, trying to convey I have no clue what's going on with his eyes.

"You're going to give me the information I seek!" He paused to pose. "NOW, in the name of the Yiga Clan!"

Cheers and applause erupted from the foot soldiers. Really? That's all it takes to impress them?! He hardly said anything!

Zelda straightened, chin high in the air. He recognized her mannerisms from when she spoke to high nobles and members of the court. A spark of fear in her too-wide eyes always gave her away, though, it was really something she needed to work on.

"I would never betray my kingdom for you, Yiga scum," she sniffed haughtily, "And, besides, you haven't even told me what information you're seeking! How can I tell you anything when I don't know what you want to know?"

Kohga paused, staring at her. Revali got the sense that beneath the mask, he was blinking slowly.

"...Ah. Uh. That." He cleared his throat, regaining his composure. The man- the grown man, leader of the fearsome Yiga Clan- stomped his foot. "I was getting to that! Let me finish when I'm talking, would you?!"

"Yeah!" A foot soldier chimed in. "So rude!"

"Yeah!"

"Be polite to the Master!"

Revali rolled his eyes. Imbeciles. Absolute imbeciles. 

Imbeciles who had them tied up in ropes, unfortunately. What a mess.

"You will tell us the secret location of the Hero!" Kohga declared. Zelda's eyes darkened.

"Really?" She snapped. Revali nearly recoiled at her tone. Suddenly, she was much, much angrier than he'd ever seen her.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Let me get this straight," the girl glowered and, oh, she was pissed, "You kidnapped me, the Princess of Hyrule, Descendant of Hylia, from one of the most secure locations in the entire continent, just to ask about him?!"

"Well..." Kohga scratched the back of his head. "Not just for that. But, I mean, it's not really that big of a surprise, is it? I mean, he is pretty important."

"I'M IMPORTANT!" Her voice cracked. "I'M THE SOLE INHERITOR OF THE GODDESS'S POWER! I've worked tirelessly every single fucking day of my life, and yet everything always comes back to him! Nobody has a shred of faith in me, not even a sliver of what they have for him, and all he did was draw! A fucking! SWORD!"

She lunged forward, tugging against her restraints. The Yiga leader jumped back with a yelp. Revali could only watch in... horror? Awe?

A small noise came from the other side of him. Oh- he'd completely forgotten about the Mysterious Hylian, whose blue eyes were fixed on Zelda. His brows were pulled together, lips slightly parted.

"And another thing!" His attention was drawn back to his best friend. "I'm not stupid! I know what everyone thinks of me! I know that everyone thinks that I'm- I'm useless, and a failure of a princess, and that I'll just drag him down, but-"

She let out a single, frustrated sob. "I'm doing my best! And now even the Yiga don't spare me any attention except to get to the Hero through me, can you imagine what I'm going through right now?!"

A long silence. Emotions too complex to even begin to untangle swirled around in his gut. He'd known that Zelda had been reaching her breaking point, of course, but he hadn't expected her to boil over in a situation like this. At the Yiga Clan's hideout, of all places!

Zelda heaved large breaths, clearly trying to get her temper under control. Personally he thought it might do her some good to yell more. Admittedly, he probably would've snapped a long time ago in her shoes.

"Wow."

Oh, right. The Yiga Clan leader was still standing right across from them.

"You could really use some therapy." Kohga remarked sagely. Zelda let out a small scream through gritted teeth.

One of the foot soldiers tip toed up to Kohga comically and whisper-yelled in his ear. "Hey, boss... I think we should tell them."

Kohga shook his head vehemently. "No, no, we can't-!" He paused, considering... whatever he was considering. "Well. Maybe."

This was clearly a trap. Revali was not going to take the obvious bait. Even the most oblivious could see through it-

"Tell us what?" Zelda snapped. Revali groaned. Kohga ignored her, turning to the other.

"Where is that girl, anyway?! Did she run off again?" He stomped a foot. "I swear, and after everything we've done for her!"

"Right here, boss!"

—

The Hero watched as another Yiga walked into the cavern. This one was about the same height as him, with blond hair peeking out in a ponytail. A Hylian?

"Sorry I'm late, Master Kohga," the Yiga footsoldier waved a hand in greeting. She cocked her head at the Hero and the other two- both of whom were fuming. Her mask faced the Hero and he ducked, unused to the feeling of eyes on his face.

The newcomer jutted a thumb out at them, pointing to the group of prisoners.

"What's this all about? I thought we were just nabbin' the princess."

"These two were with her when she was out late at night, so we captured them as well to use as leverage," a blademaster with a deep voice piped up. The newcomer hummed.

"I feel kinda bad, though- hey!" She sputtered when Kohga whacked her in the head with a banana. He pointed it at her as she rubbed her head, grumbling.

"Stop feeling bad! No showing weakness to the hostages!!"

The Hero's ear twitched at the faint sound of giggles nearby. Nobody else seemed to notice it as Kohga scolded the newcomer. It couldn't be... could it?

He snapped back to attention at the prickling feeling of being stared at. He dared a quick glance up, where the new Yiga footsoldier was looking directly at him. Or- at least, he assumed so? It was hard to tell with the mask, really, but she was facing right at him. 

He swallowed as she started walking towards him. The Hero ducked his head again, suddenly very interested in the ground.

"Wait."

Where before her voice was lighthearted and uncaring, now it was soft. Stunned, almost. She stepped towards him as slowly as one would approach a wild animal.

He tried not to flinch as she got closer. Beside him, Revali shifted in his bindings so that his shoulder was touching his. The Rito barked something at the Yiga, but she didn't seem to even hear it.

He squeezed his eyes shut, shoulders hiking up and tensing. The sound of her peeling a glove off, and then a warm hand on his chin. The Yiga tilted his head up to face her.

Eyes blinking open, he watched as she moved his head side to side, getting a good look at him. His knees dug into the dusty ground.

After a moment, she reached up to untie her mask, undoing the straps with a single hand. The white painted mask clattered to the ground.

His own blue eyes stared back at him.

The Yiga tugged her hood off her head and her face was framed with golden blonde locks, the same color as his. A few freckles dotted her nose, where his was pale as porcelain, but they were the same shape.

There were crinkles at the corners of her eyes, and lines from her nose to the edges of her mouth that the monks would call "unsightly."

She looked... like him. She looked like how the Hero would look in another life, with another path carved in front of him.

It immediately set him on edge.

He narrowed his eyes, scanning her for traces of dark magic. The priests told him legends of a dark shadow impersonating the past heroes, testing their will and strength. Was this a test? Or was it something far more sinister, a machination born of the Calamity's evil?

The imposter must've seen the wariness on his face. Its expression fell, only to be replaced by something more determined. It let go of his chin, stepping back a few paces, and crossed its arms.

"I've been looking for you, Hero."

A small squawk and a ruffling of feathers reminded him that Revali was still there, beside him. The Hero internally let out a small sigh. There went his first friend. It was nice while it lasted, but he would've been found out sooner or later. Probably for the best, really.

Revali had cast conflict into his heart. At least the Hero wouldn't have to worry about that now.

Ignoring the Rito's sputtering and the distant sound of bells, he kept his gaze fixed on the imposter. It tugged its glove back on, flexing its fingers, not once breaking eye contact.

The air was heavy. It was charged with an energy that he didn't fully understand, but was suffocating. The atmosphere was tense.

"WAIT! That's the hero?! But he's so- so short!!"

Somehow, Kohga was the one to break it.

The imposter groaned, rolling its eyes. It heaved a big sigh- he'd never seen evil in such... weird forms before- and turned to Kohga. 

"Come on, Master, he's the same height as me! And, anyway, that's not important." It placed its hands on its hips. It grinned- wicked, evil, he must free himself- "I finally found you! Took long enough, lemme tell you, but-"

POOF! 

"Mister Hero!! We'll save you!"

—

Linkle's first memories were playing with her brother. They'd been inseparable, being twins and all. They fought and tousled over everything, but cried when the other was hurt. 

She still remembered the night when everything changed. They'd both gone to bed, as usual. Papa had tucked them in and kissed their foreheads. Her brother was always the first one to fall asleep, while Linkle usually stayed up late and quietly played with her toys. 

That night, all of a sudden, her brother shot awake. She'd tilted her head at him. Hey, wha's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?

He didn't respond. Didn't react at all. His eyes were wide and blank, unseeing. He got out of bed, stumbling over his blankets, and began to walk. 

Young Linkle couldn't stop him from walking down the stairs and out the front door. He wouldn't so much as pause, not even when she tugged at his arm and begged him to stop. 

She followed him as he walked until morning, and kept walking still. She kept following and following until they came upon a forest. When she tried to follow him in, holding his sleeve, the fog rolled in and he slipped through her fingers. 

Linkle found herself back at the forest's entrance. 

She tried to go in again and again, but it didn't want her to enter. Her greatest fear had come true- her brother had gone somewhere she couldn't follow.

Eventually, she sat at the entrance with her knees tucked up to her chest. When her brother finally emerged, he looked- drained, to say the least. 

Linkle jumped up to hug him, resolving to never, ever let him out of her sight again. He was trembling underneath her embrace, swaying back and forth like she was the only thing keeping him upright. 

Belatedly, she realized that he was holding a sword in his hand. It looked comically large compared to his tiny four-year-old self. 

Linkle grabbed his free hand and practically dragged him back home. He went without complaint. In fact, he didn't utter a single word the whole way. He let himself be pulled home. 

A few days after he found the sword, the Sheikah found him. Word must've gotten out about it. They showed up at their door and spoke to their dad in hushed tones. Whatever they said made Papa clench his fists in anger. Her brother huddled behind her, sword lying on his bed. 

The Sheikah took him away. She couldn't stop them, being so little. Her brother didn't cry, just watched her with wide eyes as the strangers carried him away from her. 

They left as swiftly as they arrived, and Papa broke down in tears. Linkle hugged him, feeling so very cold and alone without her twin brother. 

That was the day when their family was broken. She wasn't permitted to ever see her again, wasn't allowed to witness the great Hero. His name was erased, so she took it on as her own. 

Linkle refused to forget about her brother. The Great Plateau was impenetrable, but she knew that there would come a day where her brother would leave it, and that's when she'd take him back. She prepared her entire life for it. She trained and trained, so that she could fight those Sheikah who took her brother away. And the kingdom who demanded that a child had to bear the weight of an entire country. 

She hated them. She hated them all. No one could understand how much she hated them, not even her father. 

And then she met the Yiga. 

—

"Listen up, girlie, because this is some seriously classified info!" Kohga said grimly. "You wanna help your brother, yeah? Well, we wanna get revenge on Hyrule and those traitor Sheikah, so I'd say that our goals line up rather nicely."

She tilted her chin up. "Yeah? How's that?"

Kohga held a hand out and a footsoldier deposited a banana into it. He began to peel it. 

"Lemme tell you a secret, kid. Something not even the king knows. This secret was passed down to me by my great-great-great grandpa, a demon that lived during the Hero's first incarnation. You ready?"

"A demon? Those aren't real."

"Oh yeah?! Then what do you call Ganon, huh?!"

"...Ganon?"

He waved a hand. "The Calamity. Whatever! Do you wanna hear it or not?"

"Fine. Go on."

"Right! Ahem. The secret is..."

He beckoned for her to move closer. Hesitantly, she let him get close enough to whisper into her ear. 

Linkle's breath froze. She whipped around to stare at the man. 

"What?! You're sure?"

He nodded. "Oh! And also, the Sheikah have got some seriously messed up stuff going on to cover it up! Like, don't even get me started! So we're gonna totally stop the Hero from killing Ganondorf, and get our revenge while we're at it!"

"Wait wait wait, go back, what's killing Ganondork gotta do with it?"

"Oh! Another secret! Well, you see, a long time ago, the first Hero was fighting the Demon King Demise... pay attention now..."

—

"...And that's why our lord Ganondorf is evil now! Pretty messed up, huh?"

"...I think I'll need you to explain that again."

"UGH, fine, but pay attention this time!!"

—

"So... Ganondorf is a host for Demise's curse... and the Sheikah and the royal family are perpetuating the curse that's keeping my brother hostage as the Hero? But... why?"

Kohga harrumphed. "Think about it! There's only one way to stop the curse, isn't there? I know you don't have my infinite wisdom as the Master Kohga, but even your puny brain can figure it out!"

Her eye twitched. She took a long, calming breath and thought. 

The only way to stop the curse...

The blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... The two things necessary for the Demon King's hatred to manifest...

She gasped. "Holy shit!"