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Chapter Text

“Well, Misko certainly hid it well enough,” Zelda said as they cleared another large grouping of rocks. Revali made a discontented hum as he glared at the low cave ceilings, stepping back as Daruk heaved a boulder twice his size into the ravine below.

“Honestly, I hardly see how treasure hunting is the best use of our time and skills,” Revali said, knocking aside some rubble with his talon.

“Sometimes breaks are just as necessary as action,” Urbosa said. She had that look about her that reeked of maternal guidance. Revali rolled his eyes. “Plus, I’m very curious about some of the treasures the Great Thief hid away. The trophies our little knight has found so far are brimming with mystery,” she said.

At that, Revali glared at the aforementioned knight. It was his bright idea that had dragged them into this cave in the first place. Apparently, digging up ancient relics was one of the hobbies he had picked up while saving all of Hyrule. 

Anything to avoid actually fighting Ganon, Revali thought with a huff. In truth, the knight he’d known one hundred years ago didn’t even have hobbies. Revali had yet to decide if this made the new Link more or less annoying to deal with. 

“I’m just excited to be out exploring again,” Mipha said. Revali sighed—he couldn’t exactly argue with that. 

Ever since the defeat of Calamity Ganon and their unexpected revival, the former Champions of Hyrule had all been struggling to adjust. The world had changed a lot since their fight a century ago, and they’d found their positions as leaders and warriors replaced or gone entirely. Even Mipha’s return had brought its share of troubles over whether she or her brother would ascend the throne. After all, her “younger” sibling had now been alive longer than she had. 

Revali had found Rito Village to be a bittersweet home base. While the wood and rock was achingly familiar, none of the faces were. It had taken him longer than he’d like to admit to grow accustomed to the strangeness of it all. 

His first impulse was, like he did all those years ago, to separate from any unnecessary connections that could stunt his aspirations. He hadn’t needed friends then, so he certainly didn’t need them now. He could remain cordial with the village without ever pushing too far past it—he could remain Master Revali the Rito Legend, and not Revali the “Show Off” or Revali the “Overly Meticulous Planner” or Revali the “Picks All The Nuts Off His Nutcake Before Eating It.” 

Annoyingly, Teba and his family hadn’t been too keen on this idea. They’d first offered him the small hut next to their home, which he’d begrudgingly accepted since his former home had long since been repurposed. Then, they insisted he spend dinner with them nearly every night. Revali had chalked it up to blind admiration, whether that be from Teba or his young son. Perhaps both.

But after a while, Revali started to squirm at the sheer domesticity of it all. Teba and Saki were becoming far too…parental for his liking, so he’d decided to take a step away from Rito Village to re-establish his position as a worldly Champion, not some young fledgling to be babied. 

If he’d left a note so they wouldn’t worry and Tulin with some archery training notes, it was purely out of a warrior’s respect and nothing else.  

“Found it!” Daruk shouted, lifting a large, rusted chest out of its hiding place. “Let’s bring this bad boy up to the surface and check out our haul!” 

Revali sighed again, this time a bit louder to make sure his opinion was heard. Had he truly left his beloved home for this? He’d expected to be fighting Hinoxes or Lynels or maybe even dispatching the few Guardians that still terrorized the outskirts of Hyrule! Certainly not crowding tightly around a beaten-up old treasure chest while Link used the sword that seals the darkness to pry open the rusted lock. 

At least Zelda had the decency to look disturbed by Link’s blasphemous display before returning to her notes.

“According to Misko, these were snatched off a traveling salesman that had just returned from outside of Hyrule,” she said. “There’s not a lot about the salesman written here, but Misko seemed very worried about being caught with this treasure in particular—more so than normal. Whoever he stole this from must have been quite intimidating.” 

“Must be something good then. Otherwise, why steal it?” Daruk asked, scratching his chin. 

“It may be cursed,” Urbosa warned. “Stolen weaponry often despises its wielder.” 

“Not in my case,” Link muttered, popping the chest open. 

Revali still hadn’t grown used to Link speaking. He hadn’t known the knight even could until after he’d been resurrected. Evidently, Revali was the last to know, as Zelda, Mipha, and Daruk had all apparently seen him speak at least once before the Calamity and Urbosa seemed unperturbed by the development. 

“Are those…?” Mipha asked, leaning closer to the chest with wide eyes. Revali leaned forward, curiosity getting the better of him.

“Faces?!” Daruk shouted. 

“They’re masks, you dolt,” Revali said, heaving another dramatic sigh for good measure. “All this way for some costumes.” 

“How interesting!” Mipha said, passing them around as Zelda snapped pictures. “There’s one for each race in Hyrule.” Revali watched as mask after mask was pulled from the chest. They were a bit crude in their make, and obviously old—the Rito mask bordered on offensive, more resembling a Hylian with a beak than an actual Rito. 

“Clearly these are Hylian-made,” Revali hummed, twisting the Zora mask in his wing before lifting it humorlessly to his face. “How do you even wear these things? I know you lot don’t have beaks, but I still can’t imagine having your mouths covered would be comf—mMPH!!”

Whatever that thing was, Revali determined, it most certainly wasn’t a mask. 

A mask wouldn’t latch onto him like some parasite, sending him tumbling backward as he attempted to pry it off. He collided with a cool surface and heard the aborted shouts become muffled as a stinging pain started to spread from his head, down his neck, and into the tips of his wings where he clawed uselessly at the thing covering his face. 

He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, couldn’t feel past the awful grinding feeling that ripped through every inch of him like a toxin until everything felt foreign and numb. He blinked, reason rushing back to him as he realized the pain had left as quickly as it had arrived. 

Mipha had joined him…wherever he was. She must have gotten that thing off of him, he realized. That must be why she looked so shocked. That, or…

“How…bad is it?” Revali asked. He could only imagine how badly that leech must have mangled his face to have Mipha so out of sorts. Mipha let out a squeak before composing herself. 

“I’m…I don’t know if I can heal this, Revali.” 

Revali’s mind stuttered at that. Something even Mipha couldn’t heal? He’d watched her basically reattach Link’s arm after a particularly gruesome Lynel encounter! Surely it couldn’t have been that bad!

Revali went to lean up, before flailing and realizing he wasn’t lying down at all. Was he flying? It felt more like floating. He glanced down.

He was floating. So was Mipha, actually. He blinked. 

Water. They were underwater. That made sense. He blinked again. Did it?

Surely he’d been under here for at least a minute or two. Shouldn’t his lungs be screaming for air? Instead, he was talking with Mipha about—

Hold on a moment…Talking? 

All at once and with a visceral clarity, everything felt deeply wrong. 

He was suddenly aware of a chill that ran along skin normally covered with feathers. His wings weren’t wide enough, his talons felt like they were being bent in all the wrong directions, his whole mouth felt too shallow and as he opened it to say something, anything, his tongue collided hard with a row of little sharpened bones. 

Teeth, his brain sluggishly provided. He had teeth now. 

“Mipha,” Revali wheezed, his voice a high-pitched warble. He couldn’t bring himself to look away from her. If he didn’t look down, maybe it wasn’t real. “What’s…wrong with me?” 

“Nothing!” she said quickly. Too quickly. “Well, something is wrong. But I’m sure you’ll be okay, um, we should get you to shore, I think—” 

They were interrupted by a slew of bubbles. Suddenly, there was a third person with them—Link, dressed in his Zora armor, gawking at Revali. 

Something about seeing their ever-stoic knight looking at him like a three-eyed Hinox made Revali’s resolve crumble. He let out a panicked whimper—he would later deny ever doing so—as Mipha and Link grabbed his wings (?) and yanked him to the surface. 

Being on dry land didn’t help. Revali nearly tripped the moment he touched the ground, held up only by Mipha and Link on either side of him. He felt heavy and unbalanced, and the gasps and shouts from the other Champions were hardly making him feel any better. He wanted to hurl. 

He at least took some fleeting joy from watching Daruk drop the mask he was holding as if it had burned him. 

“Revali?!” Zelda cried incredulously, rushing to his side. “What happened?!”

“What does it look like?” he snapped back. 

“That mask, it must have—”

“Get it off,” Revali growled. 

Mipha set a hand on his cheek, and he flinched at the contact. “I can’t…I don’t even see a line where it’s connecting.”

“Well yeah,” Daruk said. “That damn thing’s covering all of him!”

“Not. Helping.” Revali hissed. He flinched again when a weight landed on his shoulders. He glanced up at Urbosa, who gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze as she wrapped a blanket from her traveling bag around him. Revali went to snark at her sentimentality, but it died in his throat. 

He settled on a quiet thank-you as he pulled the cover around him. It wasn’t his feathers, but it was an improvement. 

“So the masks turn you into whatever they depict,” Zelda said, furrowing her brows. “So maybe if we give you the Rito mask, you’ll turn back into a Rito?”

“That seems short-sighted,” Urbosa said. “We’d just be dealing with the same problem twice over—he’d still have two of those things stuck on him.”

“Give me the mask,” Revali said tersely. “I don’t care what we have to do later. Anything is better than this.” 

“Bein’ a Zora doesn’t seem that bad,” Daruk said, before fizzling under Revali’s scorching glare. 

“I’m featherless, flightless, and cold. I can’t shoot, I can’t fight, the ability I spent my life mastering is completely useless, and I have teeth, Daruk! Teeth!” 

“…Rito don’t have teeth?” Daruk asked.

“No! Obviously not!” Revali shouted, voice jumping an octave. “Just give me the mask, please.” 

“Revali,” Zelda started but was interrupted as Link pushed past her and shoved the mask toward him. Revali reached out to take it, trying his best not to focus on the shaky, navy-scaled hands that were apparently his now, and lifted it to his face. 

“…Revali,” Mipha said after a quiet moment. “It doesn’t seem to be—”

“Shut up,” he hissed, voice muffled by the mask. And that’s all it was, Revali realized with a sinking feeling. It wasn’t doing anything other than covering the look of disappointment surely dawning on his face.

“We need to explore other options,” Urbosa said, and Revali couldn’t summon the energy to resist as she pulled the mask away from him and tucked it under her arm. “I can’t say I’ve heard of anything like this happening in the desert. Little bird, did something like this come up in your research?”

“No, I’ve never heard of anything like this. I’m sorry,” Zelda said quietly. Even after all she’d done for Hyrule, she still looked whipped any time she couldn’t answer a question.

Revali directed his withering glare to the ground, unable to bring himself to make the princess feel worse than she already did. 

“Zora’s Domain is nearby,” Mipha said. “I haven’t heard of this ailment myself, but perhaps our records have something?” 

“Sounds like a plan,” Daruk said. “Don’t worry, Revali, we’ll have you back to your feathery self in no time!” He then smacked Revali’s back with such force that Revali toppled forward, squawking as he smacked his head—beak? Nose? Weird fleshy Zora forehead protrusion? Revali stopped caring when he felt suddenly dizzy, black spots sprouting up in his vision. 

“Revali! Are you okay?” That was Mipha, though she sounded faint past the ringing in his ears.

“No,” he gasped. “What the hell is going on?”

“Zoras have lots of sensory nerves in their head,” Mipha said quietly, gently setting her hand to his temple. Nearly instantly, the sharp pain dulled. “We use a series of pores along the sides of our snouts that help us perceive depth water pressure, and we use electroreceptors to help us navigate underwater. They help us see and smell by picking up faint electrical fields. But they’re very sensitive.” 

“Is that why Zoras are so susceptible to shock attacks?” Zelda asked, face lighting up in curiosity. Revali did his best to not get annoyed by her levity.

“Yes,” Mipha said. “Electric shocks can cause serious damage to our nervous system and cause blindness even in mild cases.” 

Zelda hummed, taking out her notebook and scribbling something in it. 

“So you’re telling me that Zoras have a huge weak point directly in the middle of their forehead?” Revali said sardonically.

“If you smashed your beak into a stone wall, would it not daze you?” Mipha asked.

Revali grumbled at that. 

“Can you stand, Revali?” Urbosa asked. “If we want to make it to Zora’s Domain by nightfall, we should pack up and get a move on.”

“Of course, I can stand,” he hissed, pulling the blanket tighter around him as he pushed himself to his feet. He immediately swayed, holding his arms out to steady himself. 

“You people don’t have halluxes,” he muttered. “I have no idea how you function like this.”  

“I can get your things, Revali,” Mipha said. “My supplies are mostly packed up anyway.”

“I’m fine,” Revali said, doing his best to stand up straight. His ego was long past bruised, but he was damned if he wasn’t going to try and salvage what was left of his dignity. “What are you going to do about the rest of those?”

Everyone’s eyes settled on the masks, still lying abandoned on the ground. 

“I’ll carry them,” Link said. At the incredulous looks, he shrugged and knelt to toss the masks into his bag. “I have lots of dangerous things. And they could help fix Revali.” 

He held a hand out for Urbosa and she set the Rito mask in his palm with a sigh. “Just be careful, little voe.”

Link hummed in acknowledgment before tossing his bag over his shoulder. 

“Good to go?” Daruk asked. He nodded. “Alright! Let’s roll out, gang!” 

If Revali hung a little further back than he usually did, no one mentioned it. And if Mipha lagged just enough to offer a steadying hand when he stumbled, well, no one mentioned that either. 

~

They didn’t make it to Zora’s Domain by nightfall, and Revali took some pride in knowing that their lack of a skilled aerial scout was the reason.  

Of course, it was a bitter victory. In all honesty, he rather enjoyed their usual Lanayru ritual: he would fly ahead, sniping any Lizalfo archers before they could even think of knocking one of their pesky shock arrows. It was great for everyone—the rest of the group got a relaxing walk along the river, and Revali got target practice and a chance to bask in the abundant praise of thankful Zora citizens.

This time around, however, it had been a slog of carefully dealing with each camp in a way that guaranteed neither Mipha nor himself would be in range of any electrical attacks. At first, Urbosa had the gall to confiscate his bow to make sure he didn’t engage and get himself killed. 

It was only after Revali ripped a bow from Link’s back and placed an arrow cleanly in the eyeball of a swooping Keese that they returned his weaponry. 

But even Revali could admit that he was hardly unaffected. His beloved Great Eagle Bow felt foreign in his hands, built for someone with a wider wingspan and stronger arms. He’d reluctantly switched to a smaller Lizalfo bow he’d pulled from one of the passing camps, but quickly found that firing any more than one arrow at a time was out of the question. 

He couldn’t help but feel like a fledgling again, outclassed by his older peers due only to the awkwardness in his limbs. He thought of Teba or, goddess forbid, Tulin seeing him like this and shuddered. It was mortifying. 

When the sun set beneath the rocks, the group decided to turn in and re-lit the embers of a recently-emptied enemy encampment. 

“There’s still plenty of light, what are you all on about?” Revali said, looking around. 

“It’s already almost ten o’clock, Revali,” Urbosa said. “It doesn’t get much darker than this.”

“What on earth are you…” Revali stared before his mouth fell open. He spun to Mipha, looking scandalized. 

“This is what night vision looks like to you lot?!” Revali said, gesturing around. “Oh, you wouldn’t last five minutes as a Rito.” 

Revali went to cross his arms on instinct but recoiled when he made contact with cool scales instead of familiar feathers. Feeling the rush of ick again, Revali retreated to his small camp setup and retrieved the blanket Urbosa had given him earlier, throwing it over himself.

“You Zoras have horrendous body temperature regulation,” Revali muttered. “I’m freezing.” 

“Well, Zoras don’t usually sleep on land,” Mipha said, arranging her bedding near the campfire. “We sleep in communal pools with other Zoras. It helps regulate our temperature.” 

“You sleep in communal areas? What do you do in your houses then?” Daruk asked. 

“We don’t have houses,” Mipha said.

“No houses at all? How interesting.” Urbosa said. “I’m embarrassed to say that I’m not all that familiar with Zora culture.” 

“It’s not so strange,” Revali said, forsaking his pouting to scoot closer to the fire. “It’s not too different from Rito Village. We do have homes, but they’re always open to everyone. I never understood why other races were so keen to throw walls up everywhere. Honestly, I don’t understand a lot of the strange cultural decisions you all make.” 

Revali pulled the blanket a little closer, eyes training on the flickering campfire. “I am incredibly proud to be a Rito. I have spent my entire life doing everything I can to represent the very pinnacle of my people. And I succeeded, mind you. So to have all of that training, that time, that…struggle, be so useless in my current state, it’s—” 

“Revali,” Zelda said, setting a hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to get you back to normal.” 

Ugh, sentimentality. Revali needed a distraction, something to take the pitying stares away from him.

“And what do you think, Mr. Hero?” Revali asked, glaring at Link. “After all, I can’t help but notice you’ve said nothing even though this treasure-hunting business was all your brilliant idea.”

“Revali,” Urbosa said, voice low with warning. Revali lovingly disregarded it. 

“No, I’m curious,” Revali snapped. “What’s your opinion on all this, hm? Or we going to be met with your oh-so-classic silen—”

“I’m really sorry, Revali.” 

Revali’s mouth snapped shut, and despite himself,  he found himself missing the familiar clack of his beak closing that came with being utterly shocked into silence. 

“I didn’t know what would be in that cave,” Link continued. “I wouldn’t have brought you there if I did. You may not believe me but…I think I know what you’re going through.” 

“I hope you’re not comparing this to your amnesia,” Revali said, though it had less bite than he’d intended. 

“I’m not,” Link said. He then stood, pulling the Master Sword off his back, and turned away. “I’ll take the first watch. You should get some sleep.” He walked away without another word.  

Daruk cleared his throat. “You heard the little guy,” he said. “No point in dwelling on the past. Tomorrow, we crack this rock wide open!” 

“Sleep well, everyone,” Mipha said with a polite nod. 

Urbosa stood, walking over to Revali. “We’ll fix this, Revali. In the meantime, try to be kinder to our little knight. You may not believe me, but during your little incident, he looked more rattled than he did while fighting the Thunderblight.” 

“You’re wrong,” Revali said. “You must be.”

She cut her eyes over to where Link had disappeared behind the cliff face. “Maybe so. But that boy has faced many demons—more than you or I could know. I’ve learned to trust his instincts on these things. Maybe you could learn to as well.” 

Revali gave her a derisive snort as she walked to her tent, pulling the tarp closed with a quiet ‘sav’orr.’ He turned to Zelda, who was glaring at the ground. 

“Princess?” Revali said. Her head snapped up quickly, and she shrunk back.

“Revali,” she said, looking sadly toward the flame. “You will return to your former body, I promise, we’ll—”

“I have no doubt, Princess,” Revali said with a humorless huff. “But nothing can be done tonight, hm? Best flap off to bed.” 

Zelda looked at him for another moment, before giving him a weak smile and retreating to her tent. 

Revali sighed, settling deeper into the blanket. Normally, he liked flying into a tree to sleep. It gave him an aerial advantage over any intruders and provided a much-needed distance between him and his companions. 

Now, of course, that plan seemed incredibly stupid. He sank onto the cold ground, closing his eyes and trying to will himself into a slumber. All he succeeded in doing was becoming increasingly aware of every little inconsistency between his body and this new, uncomfortable placeholder. 

Revali groaned. This was going to be a long night. 

~

Revali guessed it was around two in the morning when Link returned, though admittedly, his sense of time was being thrown off dramatically by his new night vision.  

With one eye just barely cracked open, he watched the knight root around in his bag and slowly produce the cursed masks from earlier. Laying them out on the dirt, he frowned. Then, he withdrew one more—a purplish, spiked mask that reeked of evil. 

Link held the mask out, furrowing his brows as he glanced between it and the four on the ground. Then, he set it down and picked up the Rito mask, flipping it over and lifting it slowly towards—

“What are you doing?” Revali said, sitting up and taking some pleasure in watching Link fumble and drop the mask on the ground. Link looked around and, after confirming they hadn’t woken anyone, gathered all the masks and dropped them into his bag again.

“I thought you were asleep,” Link said. 

“Were you about to put that on?” Revali asked incredulously. “Are you truly that brain dead?” 

“I wasn’t going to—” Link cut himself off, before reconsidering his words. “I was testing something.”

“Testing what? Whether you’d turn into a Rito?” Revali scoffed. “What, was my tragedy not proof enough?” 

“No, that’s not—”

“And if it had worked, what then, hm? You grow the feathers and the beak, then what?” 

Link stayed quiet, and Revali sighed. 

“Wielding swords is difficult for Rito, you know. Not impossible, mind you, but difficult. Especially ones as heavy as that,” Revali said, gesturing to the Master Sword. “It would be quite selfish of you to deny Hyrule its best swordsman out of your own foolish curiosity.” 

“You think I’m the best swordsman in Hyrule?” Link asked.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Revali said. “I could still easily dispense of your little sword tricks with my archery prowess, just so you know.”

Link smiled at him, scooting a little closer. Revali made a gagging sound at the gesture but didn’t move from his spot. 

“What did you mean earlier?” Revali asked. Link quirked a brow at him, and he huffed. “You said you knew what I was going through. If not your amnesia, then what were you talking about?”

Link sighed, running his hand down his face. “I have visions, sometimes,” he said. “Like memories, but not from before the Calamity. More like before…” He gestured to the air. “…All of this.”

Revali squinted at him. “You’re not making sense.”

“Past lives,” Link said. 

“Past lives?” Revali parroted. “Well, aren’t we awfully presumptuous?” 

“Zelda said they’re the lives of everyone who held the sword before me,” he said. “She has them, too, I guess.” 

Revali shot him a look, before sighing. “Let's say I believe you. So what, you were a Zora in a past life?”

“No,” Link said. He frowned again. “Well, maybe for a bit.” 

“A bit?”

“I didn’t remember any of it. Until I found this.” Link pulled out the spiked mask from earlier and carefully set it on the ground. The light from the dimming fire caught the edge of the painted eyes, casting a menacing shadow over the two of them. It sent a shiver down Revali’s spine. 

“I remember meeting someone wearing this. And I remember being scared. Really scared. Waking up feeling like I wasn’t me, like someone had sewn my mouth shut. Whatever I was, I don’t think I could talk.” Link put a hand to his lips, before shaking his head. “I asked Zelda. She said she didn’t remember anything like that. She was confident she’d never seen this mask before.” 

“Even if all this is true, that makes even less sense,” Revali muttered. “If you remember how terrible it was, why were you about to put the thing on earlier?” 

“I thought…” Link gritted his teeth. Revali had never heard him talk for this long. He passingly wondered if it was draining on him. “I thought if I put myself back in that situation, I would remember…how I fixed it, back then.” 

“How do you know that you fixed it?” Revali asked.

“I did. I know I did,” Link said, finally looking over at Revali. His eyes were sharp, like when he was in battle. “I’m going to figure it out, Revali. I’m going to help you.” 

Revali couldn’t do much but stare at Link for a moment. It was strange, seeing him so determined for Revali’s benefit. It almost reminded him of their brief exchange on Vah Medoh, right before he’d kindly let Link borrow his gale. 

“Well,” Revali said, clearing his throat and looking away. “Someone’s a chatterbox this evening, hm?” 

He glanced back over at Link, surprised to see him blushing at the accusation. “Does it bother you?” Link asked with a cough. “I thought you hated it when I was silent.”

“Now now, don’t go putting words in my beak,” Revali said haughtily. “For the record, I much prefer you talking. It makes me feel less like I’m hurling insults at a brick wall. Even if you’re still as dense as one at times.” 

Link laughed at that, and Revali smiled. The two sat in comfortable silence for a moment, before Link mumbled, “I think you should try and get some sleep.”

“I did. Try, that is,” Revali said. “Unfortunately, my brain doesn’t seem very keen on turning off at the moment. I think it’s still…adjusting.”

“Mm,” Link said eloquently. “Do you want to train then?”

“What?” 

“You seemed upset that you couldn’t help fight earlier,” Link said. “But you can still shoot, obviously. With some practice, you’d probably catch back up to where you were. I bet you could even get some airtime if you learned how to coast up the waterfalls and launch yourself. I could show you?” 

“Right now?” Revali asked. 

Link shrugged. “Seems like as good a time as any for a distraction.” 

Revali hummed. It would be nice to be able to hold his own again. Frankly, it was embarrassing that Link had even noticed his ineptitude. He’d need to remedy that quickly.

“Well, I’ve already mastered being a Rito,” Revali said, pushing himself to his feet. “I may as well excel at being a Zora too. It certainly can’t be that hard.” 

Link smiled, grabbing his bag and tilting his head like a Hylian retriever. Revali straightened up, hoping to muster at least half the refinement and dignity he’d held as his normal self, and the two made their way to the river. 

Chapter Text

When Mipha awoke, Link and Revali were gone. 

It wasn't unusual for Link to disappear now and then, especially after the fall of Calamity. He never wandered too far, often coming back with food or knick-knacks from passersby he decided to help. Mipha still worried, of course, but she knew deep down that Link could handle any struggle thrown his way.

Revali , however, was a different story. Mipha stood, looking around the camp for any sign of her friends. At least he had his weaponry, it seemed—his usual bow was still leaning on his belongings, but his quiver and the bow he’d pilfered yesterday were absent. 

Eventually, Mipha made her way to the river. Clutching her trident, she carefully navigated down the rocks and stopped suddenly, spotting movement. Taking in the sight, she relaxed.

Link sat by the river bank, his eyes closed and his hand still wrapped tightly around the hilt of his sword. As she approached, she heard faint snores coming from the knight. She glanced over his shoulder, and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

To anyone else, it may have looked as though a dead body was floating face-down in the shallows. But Mipha recognized the odd patterning on Revali’s fins and chuckled. She guessed that he had fallen asleep nearer to the shore, but drifted out a bit with the current. It was kind of endearing—she’d known many Zora children who did the same thing. 

“I’m glad I found you two,” she said, raising her voice a bit.

Before she even finished, both jolted awake. Link pulled his sword from the rocks and swung it to the side, slipping a leg under himself to launch forward. Revali, to his credit, had his bow drawn and aimed before he even finished exiting the water. 

Mipha held her hands up amicably, giggling a bit. “It’s early morning, I’m the first one awake,” she said with a small smile. “I wasn’t sure where you two had gone, so I went looking.” Link and Revali lowered their weapons, looking embarrassed. 

“We were just…” Revali cleared his throat. “We were taking a brief break from training and, erm. Lookout duties.”

“I have no doubt,” Mipha said. “Revali, I was actually going to ask you if you wanted to practice swimming.” 

“I know how to swim,” Revali said. “It’s not as if it’s difficult.” 

“You should race her, then,” Link said. Revali turned to him, looking a bit scandalized. Link shrugged, but the mischievous smile stayed on his face.

“I don’t think that’s fair to Revali, Link,” Mipha said quietly. “I’ve been swimming my whole life, and he’s—”

“Just because something comes naturally to you doesn’t mean you automatically excel at it,” Revali shot back. “Almost every Rito can fly, but most are mediocre at best. I would assume it’s the same for the Zora.” 

Mipha blinked. “I mean, there are certainly those who are more adept than others, yes.”

“See? I spent nearly all night training. I figured that if I must be stuck like this, I may as well excel at it. In that regard, I’m probably better off than half your Domain.”

“Revali, do you… want to race?” Mipha asked. Revali looked over, feigning nonchalance. “If you’re not too tired.”

“An absurd notion, Princess,” Revali said with a smirk. He gestured openly as he followed Mipha down to the river. “I once took down a Hinox having not slept for 72 hours.” 

“Impressive,” Mipha said. She waded into the river, glancing at Link. He had taken up a comfy spot on a nearby rock, watching the two with a knowing smile. “It’s best that we don’t stray too far from the camp, so we should keep the distance short.”

“That seems reasonable,” Revali nodded.

“So, how does the top of that waterfall sound?” Mipha said, pointing. It was maybe 200 yards away, slicing a thin line up Ruto Mountain. 

“Pardon, the top?” Revali squawked. “I can’t fly at the moment, in case you’ve forgotten.” 

“All the Zora in the Domain can ascend waterfalls with ease,” Mipha said. She smiled fondly. “I remember when my dear brother Sidon scaled the Veiled Falls on his own for the first time. He couldn’t speak well at the time, being so young, but he gave the biggest grin.” 

She turned back to Revali, who was staring at her with wide eyes. 

“Ready?” she asked.

“I…” He glanced between the waterfall and Mipha, before gritting his teeth a little. “Yes, of course,” He huffed, facing forward with a grim expression. 

Mipha frowned. Looking at Link, she saw him holding an inflated Octorok balloon in one hand, poised to pop it.

“Ready?” Link asked. 

“Ready,” Revali said as Mipha turned to him.

She sighed. “I’m ready.”

When the balloon burst, Mipha took off. She kept her eyes forward—she knew Revali hated losing, but she also knew that he’d never forgive her for going easy on him. 

And, in all candor, she was a bit more competitive than she liked to let on.

Before long, she made it to the falls and leaped into the stream, effortlessly ascending the side of the mountain. When she broke the top, bursting from the water and landing on the platform as she’d done hundreds of times before, she felt a twinge of guilt. 

She looked down, squinting at the water. She couldn’t see Revali anywhere. She bit her thumbnail, watching as Link ran over to the base with a huge grin. 

“Is he alright?” Mipha called.

Link just smiled, before pointing to the river. Looking over, Mipha gasped. 

A whirlpool had formed at the base of the waterfall. Mipha could see the powerful currents getting pulled deep down under the water. Even a Zora would struggle against waves like those. 

Just as she was about to jump in, the whirlpool snapped up like an elastic band, launching something—no, someone— out of the water and into the air.

…And right past the ledge she was on. 

Mipha watched as Revali’s curses were eaten by the wind as he sailed upwards, fins flapping uselessly in an attempt to control his flight path. She then watched as gravity pulled him unceremoniously back into the water with a loud splash.

Down below, Revali climbed out of the water with a sputter, shoving Link roughly out of the way when the knight gave him a cheeky thumbs up. Mipha leaped off the ledge, diving gracefully into the waves, before she made her way to the bank.

“Yes, yes, go ahead and laugh,” Revali hissed. “The technique still needs more work. Water behaves much differently from air currents, so—”

“Revali, that was amazing!” Mipha said, grabbing his hands in her own. Revali stared at her owlishly. 

“What?”

“What you did back there was incredible,” Mipha said. “Was that your Gale?”

“Not quite,” Revali said, slowly regaining his composure. “It’s similar in execution, I suppose, but it’ll need to be adjusted to accommodate a more controlled landing.” 

“Most Zora take years to learn that level of control over the water if they ever learn it at all,” Mipha said. “What you’ve done is impressive in its own right, even if it isn’t perfect yet.” 

Mipha patted Revali’s hands with a smile. “Now, all you need is to learn how to swim properly! Then I can declare you an honorary Zora!” she giggled. 

Revali scoffed. “I swim perfectly fine.”

“You swim with your arms,” Mipha said, pulling him back towards the water. “Zora swim with their entire body, leading with their head. Here, let me show you.”

Mipha stopped briefly halfway into the water, turning to Link. “You have your Zora armor with you, yes?”

Link nodded.

“Come join us, then. We can practice together,” Mipha said with a smile. “I’m so excited—I used to love teaching Sidon how to swim.” 

“I don’t need to be babied,” Revali grumbled. Mipha laughed. 

“Father used to reprimand me for how I taught him, you know,” She said with a knowing smile. 

“For being too lenient?” Revali guessed.

“No. For being too harsh, actually.” 

Revali stopped, eyes widening. He turned to Link, alarmed, who gave him a shrug and a smirk. Mipha giggled. 

This was going to be very fun, she thought.  

~

When the three returned to the camp, they were greeted by nothing but a note pinned to the dried remains of their fire pit. Apparently, the rest of their group had decided to move on to the Domain without them to begin their research.

Even Revali could admit that they may have lost track of time—the sun was higher in the sky than he would have liked. But he could excuse their tardiness, as he more acutely hated leaving without feeling as though he had accomplished what he had set out to do.  

All that to say by the time they were crossing the bridge to Zora’s Domain, Revali’s entire body ached. He could feel muscles he hadn’t even been aware he had sting with each passing step. 

He had to admit, he had been wrong about Mipha. Revali had had more lenient drill sergeants . Though it made sense, he thought, considering her father’s military history.

Perhaps he hadn’t given the Zora princess enough credit for living up to her family’s name. Most of the Rito he’d grown up with tended to use their family legacy as a crutch, not a role model. 

“Dear Sister! Link! You’ve returned!” 

Revali winced a little as he was ripped from his thoughts by the shout. He swore he felt the bridge shake as a blur of red came barreling after them. 

Mipha was swept up into a hug by her much larger little brother, who was wearing a dopey grin on his face as he set her down and went to vigorously shake Link’s hands. 

“Your friends Lady Urbosa, Lord Daruk, and the princess arrived not too long ago. I wish to hear all the details of your adventures! Did you succeed in finding the treasure?” 

“Well, I suppose we did. In a sense,” Mipha said slowly, shooting Link an expectant look. Link simply jerked a thumb at Revali, who straightened up instinctively. 

Revali, as a general rule, refused to look anxious at any given time. Despite this, he couldn’t help but look away as the large Zora walked over, taking him in with wide eyes. As Revali opened his mouth to say something, he was interrupted.

“I do not believe we’ve met! I am Prince Sidon of this Domain. You’ve already met my beloved older sister and my most esteemed friend.” Sidon grinned, tilting his head toward Mipha and Link, who were in various states of laughter. 

“I do hope you don’t think me rude,” he continued, “but your patterning is very interesting. And your armor. Are you from the Domain to the north of Hyrule? I happen to know the princess there quite well!” 

“Sidon,” Mipha said gently, tapping his arm. Sidon straightened up, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Ah, how boorish of me!” he said with a laugh. “I have yet to ask your name. I apologize.” 

“Sidon,” Mipha repeated, pulling his arm until he looked down at her. “That item we found was a cursed mask. This,” she gestured, “is Champion Revali.” 

“Charmed, I’m sure,” Revali drawled sarcastically. Sidon stared, mouth hung open in shock, and it took everything in Revali’s power not to squirm under the gaze. 

Suddenly, both Revali’s hands were clasped within Sidon’s. The Zora was wearing an absurdly determined look as he nodded toward Sidon. 

“Dear friend!” Sidon said firmly. “I understand you must be worried, but fret not! We will do whatever is in our power to help! And I hope you know that, despite the circumstances, you wear Zora scales quite swimmingly.” 

“We were hoping,” Mipha said before Revali could snap at Sidon’s chatter, “there may be some ancient text that could help us.”

“I understand. Jiahto would know more about that than me. Or perhaps even Muzu or Father,” Sidon scratched his chin. “I’ll ask around to see if anyone has heard of such an ailment.” 

“Thank you, Sidon,” Mipha said. 

Link looked around, furrowing his brows. “Where are the others?”

“Last I heard, they were with Dento in the—”

Sidon was cut off with a thunderous crackling that shattered through the air. Revali would recognize it anywhere—after all their travels together, he was well-acquainted with the sound of Urbosa’s Fury.

The four rushed to the blacksmith’s room, pushing aside the growing crowd. Urbosa stood with her back to the doorway, hand still crackling with energy. Zelda was standing in the back near a stack of stone slabs, covering her mouth in shock. Daruk was next to a Goron trader, Boulder Breaker drawn.

“Urbosa! What happened?” Mipha said. 

Urbosa turned, stepping aside. Piled on the floor were three Yiga clan members, still smoking. 

“Oh,” Revali hummed. “No harm done then.”

Link rushed over to Zelda, who quickly swatted away his fretting. 

“Urbosa, while I appreciate your vigilance, perhaps it’s best not to use your lightning while in the Domain,” Zelda said, eyeing the uneasy Zoras that were slowly filtering out of the doorway. 

“I apologize, little bird. And to you, Princess,” Urbosa said, turning to Mipha. “It won’t happen again. Will it?” She shot a cutting glare over to the Yiga clan members. They had scrambled to their feet, before quickly disappearing into their telltale puff of smoke. Urbosa sighed. “They’ve been getting more persistent lately.”

“Well let them come. It’s not as if they’re a real threat anyways.” Revali scoffed. “On a more important note, has any progress been made?” He flipped over one of the slabs and scanned it lazily. 

“Not yet, unfortunately,” Zelda said. “There’s more writing in the inn, though.” 

“And in the throne room,” Mipha added. “Perhaps we could split up?”

“Have fun ripping the little knight from his princess after that whole debacle,” Revali muttered, meeting Link’s glare in stride. He turned to Mipha. “The throne room, you said?” 

“Ah, yes,” she said, looking between Link and Zelda before sighing. “Zelda, if you and Link would like to start looking in the inn, I know Kodah and Kayden would be pleased to see you two. Urbosa, you and Daruk could finish up in here, and—”

“Mipha, Champion Revali, and I will start in the throne room!” Sidon said with his signature grin. Revali choked a little, turning to face him. 

“ You’re helping?” he asked.

“Of course!” Sidon beamed. “It’s urgent, is it not? The least I can do is offer my assistance, friend!” 

Revali tried not to roll his eyes too hard as they were nearly dragged into the throne room by the over-eager prince. 

~

Revali had found the ceilings of the Seabed Inn rather boring after hours of staring at them. He didn’t bother trying to figure out the time, other than it was far too late for him to still be awake. 

He was tired, even if his brain refused him sleep. Over the course of the day, the Champions had combed over nearly every piece of Zora literature in the domain. After that, they’d interviewed as many of the elders as would give them the time of day. Even now, Revali kept glancing over at the disheveled slabs laid out over the floor, foolishly hoping they’d missed something. 

He groaned as he sat up, muscles still crying out as he slouched forward. He briefly considered Mipha’s offer to spend the night in the communal pools rather than the inn’s squishy waterbeds but quickly dismissed it.

After all, this wasn’t his community. 

Exiting the inn, Revali walked to the edge of the platform and slouched onto the railing, staring out at the water. With the mountains encircling the Domain, he couldn’t hope to see much of Hyrule. If he could fly up to the top of that gaudy fish statue, maybe. Revali clamped down his teeth— ugh— with a muted clack. 

“Oh, you’re still awake.”

Revali jolted, spinning to see Link standing behind him. Revali turned forward again, humming joylessly. 

“Keep this up, and you’ll ruin your sleep schedule.” 

“Can’t get much worse than it is,” Link chuckled, leaning on the balcony next to Revali. “Sorry about today.” 

“Hm?” Revali glanced at him. “Why? What did you do?”

“We didn’t find anything to fix you.”

“Ah, yes.” Revali nodded. “Well, the Zoras are an isolated people. It would make sense their records only reflect their own problems.” 

“What do you want to do next?”  Link asked.

Revali frowned. “Well, Misko was a Hylian, yes? Perhaps the castle has something.” 

“Then we’ll go there next.” Link glanced over. “Though, I’m kind of surprised. I thought you would suggest Rito Village. Then say something about the Rito’s superiority.”

“In many things, yes,” Revali said, gesturing vaguely to the sky. “In record-keeping, less so. We tend to pass our history down in poetry and song. So while we are undoubtedly the peak example of vibrant culture, the accuracy of our history tends to fall in favor of embellishment.”

“That explains some things,” Link said. Revali narrowed his eyes.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked.

“Oh come on, Revali,” Link chuckled. “You don’t exactly undersell yourself.”

“Nor do I oversell myself!” Revali said. “I sell the perfectly accurate amount! It’s hardly my fault if my accomplishments are as grand and inspirational as folk songs.” 

Link laughed harder at that, ignoring Revali as he smacked his arm in retribution. 

“Hey, could you keep it down, brother? Some of us are tryin’ to sleep,'' a deep voice said, peeking out from inside. Revali thought it was Daruk at first, but recognized him belatedly as the traveling Goron from the general store.

“Sorry, Reagah,” Link whispered. “We’re heading in soon.” 

The Goron simply slumped against the wall, closing his eyes as if he intended to sleep right there on the floor. Revali cringed as the Goron began to hum some off-tune melody to himself. 

“Eck,” Revali tutted. “Well, I’m going to find somewhere else to suffer from my insomnia. You may join me if you so choose.” 

As Revali went to ascend the stairs, he cast a glance over his shoulder at Link, surprised to see he hadn’t moved from the banister. The knight was staring intensely at the Goron, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. 

“Link?”

Link snapped his attention back to Revali, looking distant. He then cast a glance toward the inn, lips pursed, before looking back at Revali. 

“I’m going to stay here,” he said. Revali squinted at him before the realization dawned. 

Right. Zelda was sleeping in there—a perfect target. 

Revali slumped dramatically, stomping back over to the now-surprised knight. “You owe me for this.”

“For…?”

“For continuing to grace you with my presence,” Revali said, crossing his arms. “Though I can assure you, the Yiga clan won’t sneak by you if we stood over there and out of earshot of that tone-deaf merchant.”

“He already stopped, you know,” Link said. Revali blinked, looking over. Sure enough, the Goron was out cold already. 

“Hmph.”

“But we could still sit over there if you want.” 

“Hmph,” Revali repeated. Without another word, he made his way over to the unguarded edge of the platform. Link sat, swinging his legs over the side, and Revali followed suit. The two sat there for a while, chatting quietly between the droning frogs and gentle splashing of water.

It wasn’t until later, when Revali woke up to the sun accosting his vision and his arm numb from its pinned position against the railing, that he realized he’d even fallen asleep.

~ 

That horrible Goron tune refused to leave Revali’s head, and he had one person to blame for it. He shot another glare at Link, who had spent most of their walk back to the castle in a surprisingly musical mood. 

“Little guy, keep that humming up and I won’t make it the rest of the way,” Daruk said with a loud yawn. Link made an apologetic noise. 

“Didn’t think of you as the humming type, little knight,” Urbosa said. 

“Clearly you’ve never heard him cooking,” Zelda giggled. “He’s a surprisingly capable musician.”  

Revali opened his mouth to shoot an insult at the knight but found he couldn’t find his target. He turned, seeing Link walking a fair bit behind the rest group, hand curled over his mouth and eyebrows furrowed. 

Cursing his curiosity, Revali slowed until he was walking next to the knight. Even beneath his fist, Revali could still hear the muffled tune. 

“Goddess above, Link, it’s not even that catchy ,” Revali said dryly, cutting his glance to the side. “Can’t you think of anything else? I’d teach you some Rito tunes if it meant you abandoning that one.” 

Link frowned, stepping closer to Revali despite his noise of protest.

“It made me remember,” Link whispered. “I was a Goron. I played this song.” 

“Back to discussing your previous incarnation? Wonderful,” Revali said. “Really, Link, I fail to see why it’s so imperative you remember some droning Goron percussion piece.” 

“There was another song,” Link said. “That’s…That’s how I turned back. I heard it, and the mask fell off. I’m positive.”

Revali snapped to face him, eyes wide. “What? Why are you just saying this now?”

“Because I can’t remember how it goes,” Link groaned. “If I lose this tune, I may not get it back. And it’s the closest I’ve gotten to remembering anything important.” 

“Hm. That isn’t ideal,” Revali tutted. “Well, no one knows music like the Rito. Perhaps if we asked someone–”

Link cut him off with a shake of his head. “No, I don’t think they’d know it. I don’t think…Wherever I was, I don’t think there were any Rito.” 

“A place without Rito? Sounds abysmal.” Revali said. He eyed Link again. “You sure seem to know a lot about this past life for someone who can’t remember it.”

Link frowned. “I can recognize, but not recall. Does that make sense?”

“Unfortunately,” Revali sighed. “Alright, so we need to jog your memory. Wonderful. The problem is, I have no idea what could do the trick. How exactly do you plan to recreate being a Gor…on…” 

Slowly, the two turned to each other. Revali made a choked noise as Link cracked a near-deranged smile. 

“Link, no,” Revali hissed, batting Link’s hand away as he started to reach into his bag. “I assure you, it only serves to make the situation worse. I’m sure there are other ways—”

“But this is faster,” Link said. “If I can just remember a few notes—”

“No, you featherbrain , this should be a last resort! Not even that, we should have just tossed these things in a lake and been done with them! I am not having you don a cursed item just for some gamble—”

“Since when do you care? It’s not like you to stop me from embarrassing myself,” Link said. 

Revali stuttered for a second at that, before straightening up and huffing. 

“Believe me, nothing brings me more joy than watching you make a fool of yourself,” Revali said. “This, however, is doing nothing but putting our whole group at a disadvantage. Aside from myself, obviously, you’re— maybe , depending on who you ask—the strongest fighter here. Being down two of its most crucial components will throw the whole team composition to the wind. I mean, we don’t even know it’ll work!”

“You said it yourself back on Medoh,” Link said with a smirk. “I’m very lucky.” 

“And you used that luck to defeat Ganon. You’re long overdue for a bad turn,” Revali snapped back.

“What are you two doing back there?” Zelda called. The two looked up, embarrassed to see that they had fallen considerably behind the party. 

“Just critiquing his combat from earlier,” Revali called, before turning back to Link. “ Don’t put that thing on. We’ll talk about this when we get to the castle.” 

Link stuck his tongue out. Revali groaned, before slipping back into the group. 

~

They did not, in fact, talk about it when they got to the castle. It was late, and even the most social members of their party were eager to split off and sleep in their own room. 

Since the fall of Calamity, Zelda had opened the castle up to the resurrected Champions just in case they ever needed a second home. While they usually all kept to their respective regions, it was still nice to have a little piece of themselves here in the form of their personalized rooms. 

Revali clambered into his hammock with more difficulty than he would have liked to admit, but despite his fins, it was the best he’d slept since the whole ordeal started.

Or it was, at least until he was rudely awakened in the dead of night. 

“Mmmmhngh?” Revali said eloquently, squinting at the Hylian beside him.

“Revali? I apologize for waking you at this hour.” That was Zelda’s voice.

“Princess? What is it?” 

“I—We require your artistic knowledge. Do you know musical notation?” 

“You what?” Revali rubbed his eyes before hopping down from his hammock, nearly stumbling in the process. “I mean, of course, I do. I’m a Rito, after all. But what for?”

“Here, we’ll explain in the library,” she said, taking his hand and pulling him along.

“We?” Revali asked. He received no answer until they reached their destination, where Link was sitting at a desk. He immediately leaned to cover the object in front of him, but Revali caught a glimpse of the Goron mask before it was hidden by his arms.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Revali groaned. 

“I thought you would be getting someone else,” Link muttered toward Zelda. “Like a court poet or something.” 

“I figure Revali would ask fewer questions,” Zelda said, eyebrows furrowing as she glanced between the two. “Have you two…discussed this?”

“Revali is against it,” Link said, shrugging. 

“I am against it ,” Revali parroted.

“To be honest, I’m not incredibly fond of the idea myself,” Zelda said. 

Revali gestured to Zelda. “See?” 

“But,” she said, holding up a hand. “I also have great trust in Link. If he thinks this will work, then I have to believe in him.”

“No,” Revali said, “you most certainly do not need to believe in him. Not when he’s being utterly moronic!”  

“I’m not the one who put on the mask first,” Link said.

“I would never have put it on if I’d known —”

“Revali, why are you so against this?” Zelda asked. “I would have thought you would be jumping at any chance to get your body back.”

“Of course, I would. This just isn’t—It’s not—” Revali threw his arms up. “This is all so asinine. I shouldn’t have to explain why this is a bad plan!” 

“Revali…” Zelda said slowly. “Are you… worried for Li—” 

“No!” Revali said too quickly. “I most certainly—He’s not—This is all—” He turned to Link, who was looking at him with an unreadable expression. 

Revali wasn’t sure what the Zora equivalent of his feathers ruffling was, but he was confident it was happening now and he wasn’t the least bit happy about it. 

He crossed his arms and turned away, unable to look at the two of them. “Do what you want then,” he spat. “I couldn’t be bothered to care.”

“Revali,” Zelda said quietly, reaching out. He stepped away. 

“I assume you needed someone who knew musical notation to write down your little mystery tune,” Revali said, glancing over at Link. Link nodded. Revali sighed, perhaps a tad dramatically. “I suppose I can accommodate.” 

Revali sat down at the table, fidgeting with the pen in his too-small hands. Zelda took up the seat across from him as they both watched Link, standing at the head of the table, slowly lift the Goron mask to his face.

“Just one more thing—” Revali said suddenly, causing Link to jolt to a stop. “The transformation process is incredibly painful.” 

At the twin glares he received, Revali gasped in fake shock. “What? I figured he would want to know. I know I would certainly appreciate the warning. And if he wishes to change his mind about this whole idiotic plan, so be it. But fine, reprimand my earnest attempt to be courteous.” 

Link rolled his eyes, much to Revali’s chagrin, before lifting the mask to his face. Even having gone through the experience himself, Revali still wasn’t fully prepared for the sight of what happened next. 

Link made an aborted grunt as the mask attached to his face, grabbing the edge of the table for support. Revali felt his stomach turn as Link’s body warped in front of him, expanding outward at an alarming speed. He heard Zelda gasp as Link’s hand—much larger than it had been seconds before—splinted the thick wooden desk under his grip and the whole thing gave way. Link fell to the ground with a loud thud. 

By the time Revali and Zelda had leaped from their seats to swarm to Link’s side, the transformation was finished. Link had pushed himself into a kneeling position, breathing heavily, and Revali scrutinized his new form. 

Even kneeling, this new Goron Link was a few inches taller than Revali. Despite this, he wasn’t any bigger than the average Goron—certainly not bigger than Daruk. He’d kept his windswept bangs, though they had lightened to a pale blonde. 

Revali couldn’t help but also notice that Link’s clothes seemed to have magically warped to accommodate his shape, with the exception of his shirt, which appeared to have simply disappeared. He glanced down at his own clothing, suddenly doubting the miracle of his Rito garb conveniently fitting his new Zora form. 

“Revali!” Zelda hissed, snapping him from his thoughts. She gestured to Link urgently. 

Revali tilted his head in confusion, before the soft sounds from Link he’d previously tuned out registered. Link was humming.

Revali scrambled for the paper and ink, nearly spilling it in his haste, before transcribing what he could make out of the bleak melody. Around the time Link started to repeat himself, they were interrupted by the library door slamming open.

Urbosa stood in the doorway, armed with her sword despite still wearing her sleep clothes. 

“I heard a crash and Zelda wasn’t in her room,” Urbosa started, “so I came to check…” She trailed off, staring blankly at the now-Goron Link sitting at the end of the lopsided library table. He gave a sheepish wave. 

“We can explain,” Zelda started. 

Urbosa put up a hand to silence her. “In the morning,” she said in a low voice. She rubbed her temple, inhaled deeply, and reached for the door. “You all can explain in the morning.” 

With that, Urbosa closed the door. 

Chapter Text

When Revali awoke the next morning, he’d almost convinced himself that he’d dreamt the whole ordeal up. Alas, when he reluctantly traveled downstairs bundled up in blankets, he found a Goron standing in Link’s telltale spot behind Zelda. 

He let out a joyless hum at the sight, alerting the two to his presence.

“Revali! Good morning,” Zelda said, patting him politely on the shoulder. “I hope it wasn’t too cold for you last night. Fortunately, you won’t be needing all those blankets where we’re going.”

“And where are we going, exactly?” Revali said, shooting a glance at the packed bags piled up at the doorway. Zelda’s, Urbosa’s, and Link’s—so Mipha and Daruk weren’t awake yet, he noted.

“We spoke to Urbosa this morning about our plan. And your musical notes were wonderful! Incredibly helpful.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming,” Revali said.

“But,” Zelda sighed, “It occurred to us that if all it took was hearing the music, then Link’s humming should have lifted the curse on its own.” 

“Shocking revelation,” Revali said, not sounding the least bit shocked.

“So, we figured the piece must just be incomplete—”

“Or in the wrong key,” Revali interrupted. “Or the wrong tempo or time signature. Oh, or the wrong instrument altogether!” 

He shook his head. “My my, this throws a real Boko club into Link’s whole plan, doesn’t it? Perhaps that is why I—in case you forgot, dear Princess, in your infinite wisdom—why I so astutely stated that this whole plan was asinine! Moronic. Stupid, even.” 

“And while I don’t agree with your tone, Revali, I do agree with the sentiment.” 

Revali snapped to attention, whipping around as Urbosa entered the room with an intense expression.

“I do believe this course of action wasn’t your brightest, little bird,” Urbosa said gently, setting her hand on Zelda’s shoulder. “Perhaps your knight’s impulsivity has rubbed off on you more than you realize. Regardless, we must move forward with what we do have, which is information.” 

“You seem to have made a plan already,” Revali said.

“Indeed. Considering we’ve exhausted the Zora’s history books, and given the Goron’s aren’t exactly known for their record keeping, I suggested we move to Gerudo Town for answers. Ideally, your notation will give us an idea on where to start.”

“I’m guessing you still believe the Rito won’t know of this tune?” Revali asked, shifting his gaze to Link. Link shook his head. Revali sighed. 

“I suppose I may as well visit the desert once whilst I have no feathers to worry about,” Revali said. Before Revali could address the knowing concern that spread across Urbosa and Zelda’s faces, he was interrupted by a booming voice. 

“Good morning, everyone!” Daruk cried, laughing at nothing as he entered the room. When he saw Link, his eyes lit up. “Who’s this? I don’t think we’ve met, brother!” 

Daruk held out a massive hand. “The name’s Daruk! But you probably know that—I’m still getting around to meeting all the new Gorons since I got back from being under the rubble!” 

Link, evidently debating what the courteous thing to do was, opted to shake Daruk’s hand. Revali rolled his eyes. 

“So, what’s your name, brother?” Daruk asked.

“Ugh, use your eyes, you oversized boulder,” Revali groaned. “It’s obviously—”

“Link?” 

The group turned to find Mipha standing stock-still in the entryway. She was pale, staring at Link like he’d…well, like he’d turned into a Goron overnight. Link chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. 

Daruk blinked, before looking between Mipha and Link. His face split into a wide grin as he let out a booming laugh. 

“Little guy! Hahahah! You polish up nice, kiddo!” Daruk cried, grabbing Link in a headlock and giving him a noogie. “We’ve got so much to do now! I gotta teach you how to roll, how to punch—oh, you’ll have to try some rock roast!”

As Daruk prattled on, Revali slowly sauntered over to Mipha, who was still unmoving in the doorway. 

“Soooo,” Revali drawled, “is this enough to crush your little crush?” 

“Revali!” Mipha said, suddenly aware enough to look offended. 

“I’m just saying, if it were me—which it isn’t, believe me, I have zero interest in that little pest—but if it were me that was so infatuated, that—” Revali pointed at Link, who was currently taking some rocks from Daruk and excitedly shoveling them into his mouth. “—That would be enough to kill it.”

“Revali, my feelings for Link were expressed and rejected over one hundred years ago. I implore you and all the others to erase the incident from your minds,” Mipha said, barely above a whisper. “…But yes, this does put a damper on it.” 

Revali snorted at that, and the two descended into laughter. 

~

Revali was no longer laughing. 

As their party traveled further south, Revali quickly found the heat unbearable. Two cooling elixirs later, Revali still felt like he was being roasted on a spit. 

“Here,” Mipha said, passing a sapphire circlet over to him. “Crossing the desert is never pleasant, but it makes it slightly easier. At least there’s water when we get to Gerudo Town.”

“Perhaps when you get to Gerudo Town—some of us aren’t allowed past the front gate,” Revali muttered, placing the circlet on himself. He sighed as a wave of cool air washed over him.

“You need to stay hydrated as well,” Mipha said. “Zora really aren’t meant to be in the desert at all.”

“Mm, it seems I should have been a Goron then,” Revali said, glaring forward. At the front of their group, Daruk and Link were rolling across the desert. 

Link had taken to being a Goron quite well, even showing off some abilities that had surprised even Daruk. Right now, for instance, Link’s shell had grown an intimidating set of spikes as he spun along through the desert sands. The two were continuously hitting every dune they could, then stopping to raucously compare their airtime. 

“Never mind,” Revali muttered. “The heat-resistance is not worth my dignity.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Zelda said. She was walking with Urbosa, watching their antics with amusement. 

“It’s nice to see Link feel comfortable enough to enjoy himself.”

“He’s perhaps enjoying himself too much,” Revali said. “Because while he may be having the time of his life eating pebbles and rocketing around like a bowling ball, some people would like to get back to their original bodies. Urgently.”

When they arrived at the entrance to Gerudo Town, the group was regarded with a mix of curiosity and confusion.

“Lady Urbosa. Princess Zelda,” one of the guards said, bowing her head in respect while her eyes scanned the rest of the party.

“Dorrah,” Urbosa responded. “We’re here to visit the archives.”

“It’s odd to see you traveling without your knight, Princess,” Dorrah said.

“Well actually, that’s quite relevant to what we’re researching,” Zelda replied. “Link has turned himself into a Goron, and Champion Revali here has been turned into a Zora, and we were hoping to find a way to turn them back somewhere in your library.”

The two guards nearly dropped their weapons as they took in the two, mouths falling open in shock. 

“That’s…quite a problem,” one of them mumbled. They stepped aside as Urbosa led the group in, but drew their weapons as Link and Revali approached.

“Apologies, Champions, but even in your new forms, we know you’re voe,” Dorrah said. “And even in such circumstances, there are rules in Gerudo Town.”

“Urbosa? Some help?” Revali asked, gesturing at the guards.

“I am no longer the Chief of the Gerudo,” Urbosa said, a smirk dancing on her lips. “That title belongs to Lady Riju. I’m afraid I lack the power to change the rules for you, Revali.”

“Oh, that’s a load of—”

“Well hold on just a minute,” Daruk said, tilting his head in confusion. “I don’t see any reason I can come through and not the little guy, at least.”

At that, the two guards turned to Daruk, once again confused.

“So you are a voe?!?” Dorrah asked. She elbowed the guard beside her. “See, I told you Merina!”

“It’s hard to tell with Gorons!” Merina whispered back.

“Champion Daruk, we must ask you to step outside the town.”

Heaving a sigh, Daruk slumped as he rejoined Link and Revali along the outer wall. 

“Great going, moron,” Revali muttered. “You probably could have snuck us some hydromelo—holy Hylia is that Frita?”

 With a squawk, Revali dove behind Link.

“Hm? Who?” Daruk asked, glancing back into the entryway. 

“Frita!” Revali hissed, grabbing Daruk’s chain belt and attempting to pull him away from the door. “If she sees me here, like this, she’ll tell Harth! And if Harth knows, he’ll tell Teba!” Finding little success in moving Daruk—who had actually moved closer to the door and was now squinting in the female Rito’s direction—Revali let out a clipped groan before stomping back the way they came. 

“I’m going back to the Bazaar! At least there was water and shade there, and Guy can’t be bothered to go back to Rito Village and blab.”

Link looked between Revali and the town, watching as Zelda and the others disappeared into the central building. With a grim look, he set off after Revali.

“…I can see Lyndae and Strade in there,” Daruk grumbled, still squinting into the entryway. “Now how’s that fair? They’re just as much a voe as—huh?” Daruk turned, trailing off as he watched Link and Revali disappearing into the desert. 

“Slow your roll, you two!” Daruk shouted, chasing after them. 

~

Mipha found Gerudo Town, despite the heat, to be quite beautiful. She rarely got to visit 100 years ago, but it was just as vibrant as she remembered it being. 

As the three made their way into the throne room, she watched as the young chief of the Gerudo sat up as they entered. 

“What a surprise!” Riju said, standing to step down from her throne and greet her guests. “Lady Urbosa, it seems as though the Gerudo hardly see you anymore.” 

“I think the best way for the Gerudo to respect your leadership is for me to step away, little one,” Urbosa said with a smile. “I trust you’re very capable on your own.”

“Much thanks, Lady Urbosa. It’s an honor.” With that, Riju turned to Zelda. There was a conspiratorial look on her face as she leaned forward.

“Ah, I know you’re here for only a short time, but I was hoping to have a moment alone with you, Princess,” Riju said. “I had a question of a more…personal nature, about your dear knight.” Riju winked.

Zelda let out a nervous giggle. “I cannot promise I know the answers, but I will do my best.” Zelda turned to Mipha and Urbosa. “I’ll be down in a moment to help.”

“Of course, Princess,” Mipha said. She wondered what they were discussing about Link. She would swear up and down that she was over her feelings for him, but she was allowed to be curious. 

“Enjoy your chat, little bird,” Urbosa said with a shake of her head. “Mipha, the archive is this way.” 

“I’m right behind you,” Mipha said, and though she followed behind Urbosa, her eyes trailed after Riju and Zelda until they exited the room.

The archive proved to be much colder than the surface, Mipha noticed with some relief. She and Urbosa had split the small historical music collection into manageable sections, though she did find herself missing Revali’s musical know-how when she became lost in the more dense terminology. 

At one point, a Gerudo woman named Rotana had volunteered to help them. Initially, she provided dozens of additional manuscripts detailing ancient Gerudo legends. But before long, it became clear that she was far more interested in the eighth heroine and the history of power in the region. After a particularly long tangent about the last Gerudo King, Urbosa had politely dismissed her to avoid distraction.

So the two now sat in comfortable silence, flipping through manuscripts. Mipha ran her hand along a weathered page, taking in the loopy handwriting that was dated thousands of years ago. The journal was apparently authored by a Gerudo pirate who had traveled extensively both within and beyond Hyrule. While Mipha found the tales fascinating, she was starting to doubt their relevance. 

“While traveling in the bays of Termina, our crew attempted to rob a shady merchant,” Mipha read quietly. Urbosa glanced up from her reading. “He insisted he had nothing that would be of any value to us, and instead offered to heal one of our sick crew mates. How he knew that Captain Aveil had been deathly ill since that brat unleashed those horrible bees, I don’t know. What fools we were! That song he taught us was clearly a curse! We watched our dear captain fade away, leaving only a mask in her wake. We would have had the merchant’s head for his actions, but he had somehow disappeared when our backs were turned. We’ve written that haunting song down here, as to make sure it is never repeated aloud.”

Mipha looked up, eyes wide. “Urbosa, this song—!”

“It could be the song we need,” Urbosa said, nodding. “This merchant matches the one Misko described in his writing. We’ll show it to Revali and see if it’s a match.” 

“Oh, that’s wonderful news,” Mipha sighed, smiling. “Even the hope that this may help Link and Revali calms me.”

“Lady Urbosa, what a pleasant surprise!”

Urbosa and Mipha both looked up as the small chief of the Gerudo made her way into the room. Riju smiled. “And Champion Mipha, too. I’m flattered that you saw Gerudo Town as worth the hassle to travel to.” 

“Riju,” Urbosa said slowly, expression hardening. Mipha felt a sense of dread stir in her stomach.

Riju continued, “Patricia and I had just returned from sand-surfing when Dorrah mentioned your arrival. I was told Princess Zelda was with you as well?” She looked around, raising an eyebrow.

“You say you’ve…just now returned?” Mipha asked quietly. Riju nodded slowly, sensing the tension in the room. 

“I’m a damn fool,” Urbosa near-growled, drawing her weapon and racing out of the room. Riju stood baffled as Mipha scrambled to her feet.

“We were greeted by you in the throne room over two hours ago,” Mipha explained shakily. “You said you needed to speak with the princess, and so she left with—”

“The Yiga Clan,” Riju gritted out. “To think they made it all the way to the throne room without being detected…” She clenched her fists as Mipha stuffed the private journal into her bag.

“You’ve dealt with them recently. Where would they have gone?” Mipha asked. 

“Their old hideout is still quite active. It seems their leader managed to crawl back out of the hole Link knocked him into.” Riju followed behind as Mipha sped up the stairs. “Where is Link? He snuck in once, I’m sure he could do it again.”

“I’m sure he could normally, but in his current state…” Mipha bit her thumbnail. “What a horrendous time for this…”

By the time they had arrived in the throne room, Urbosa had already gathered nearly the entire Gerudo military. Despite Urbosa’s requests, she still unquestionably held authority among the Gerudo. They took her orders in stride, splitting off to search the town and while more capable soldiers prepared to travel to the outskirts of the desert. 

“We must tell the others,” Mipha said as she and Riju approached. Urbosa’s eyes crackled with barely-contained fury. Whether it was at the Yiga Clan, the incompetent guards, herself, or a mix of all three, Mipha couldn’t tell. 

“They’re probably at the Bazaar,” Urbosa muttered. “Link will undoubtedly attempt to storm the hideout. But in his current state, I fear even he may struggle against their numbers.”

“I’m sure the Princess can hold her own while we come up with a plan,” Mipha said, trying to keep her voice from trembling. “She is very strong—you know that better than most.”

Urbosa forced a deep breath, before turning to Mipha. “You are right, Princess. Impulsivity will cost lives. Let’s go get the others and regroup from there.”

“Gerudo Town will be on high alert for Yiga Clan activity,” Riju said. “Lady Urbosa, I’m embarrassed to have let such a thing happen at all, let alone in your presence.”

“No, little one, this was my error,” Urbosa said. “I am ashamed to admit I’m out of practice in spotting Yiga spies.”

“They’ve gotten much more skilled in their ways in the past one hundred years, Lady Urbosa,” Riju said. “You musn’t blame yourself.”

“Then neither should you,” Urbosa said. “We will recover the Princess, I promise.”

“Let’s hurry, Urbosa,” Mipha said. “We should try to get to the Bazaar before nightfall.” 

With a hurried farewell, the two Champions rushed from the throne room.

~

“You know, I’m startin’ to feel left out,” Daruk said, watching as Revali sank further into the water. “What’s it like, being in a body that ain’t yours?” 

“Miserable,” Revali said, voice muffled from underneath the water. “This is demeaning.”

Link, who was currently swinging a Cobble Crusher as if it were a broadsword, simply shrugged. 

“Hm, I wonder what I’d be if I wasn’t a Goron…” Daruk said, leaning back. He scratched his beard, clearly thinking hard about the question. 

“I can’t imagine it,” Revali said. “No, truly, I fear no other species could match your stup—” Revali paused,  noting the glare from Link, “unique personality,” he finished, rolling his eyes. 

“I guess you’re right. I wouldn’t be anything other than a Goron! And I’m better for it! All you guys are so small!” Daruk let out a belly laugh, leaning back. 

“Smaller targets, perhaps. Faster. More cultured. More intelligent,” Revali grumbled to himself as he swam in circles, quietly pretending he was in the air instead of the stifling little pond. 

“Zelda is gone,” Link said suddenly, voice dangerously low. Revali and Daruk sat up quickly, turning to the knight. Link’s gaze was fixed in the distance, where a terrified Mipha was clinging to Urbosa as the two coasted toward them on a rented Sand Seal.  

Zelda was not with them.

“She may be back in the library still? Maybe they found something out and wanted to come get us,” Daruk said, but his voice carried little conviction.

“No reason to send Mipha when Urbosa could’ve fetched us alone,” Revali said, clambering out of the water. “Or, better yet, send a Gerudo guard to deliver the message. No, this means trouble.”

When Urbosa and Mipha skidded to a stop at the Bazaar entrance, Link was already at their side. 

“Where is she?”

“The Yiga Clan impersonated Riju and lured her off,” Mipha said, wobbling as she dismounted the shield. “We assume she’s in their hideout.”

Urbosa set a hand on Link’s shoulder before he could make a break for the desert. “Hold on, little voe. Haste will only worsen the situation.” 

“I can take them,” Link said.

“Not all at once. Not how you are now.”

“But if we all work together, we can put those Yiga punks in their place!” Daruk said, pounding his fist.

“Work together? How do you propose we do that, hm?” Revali snapped. “Mipha and I would either cook or freeze before we even reached the place. You and Link are going to get swarmed in there and you’re both too slow to land a hit on the damn freaks. Urbosa’s the only one here in her element and even she couldn’t take out that base in her prime one hundred years ago!”  

“We could cave the place in?” Daruk suggested.

“Not with Zelda inside,” Link said quickly. “We need to sneak her out.”

“As I’ve mentioned, none of us can do that right now,” Revali shot back.  

“We may not need to sneak her out,” Mipha said quietly. Everyone turned to the Zora princess, who in turn was staring at Link’s things laid neat against a nearby palm tree.

“What exactly,” Urbosa asked, narrowing her eyes, “did you have in mind?”

~

The more Zelda observed the Yiga clan, the more embarrassed she was to have ever been fooled by them. Nearly a full day of suffering had been more than enough to humble her. 

The whole organization was held together with twine, cardboard and a half-baked dream concocted by a leader who hardly did anything other than complain and eat bananas all day. Half of the guards assigned to her had no qualms about letting plans or rumors slip around her holding cell, and some even passed her food or goodies out of boredom or stupidity. Several had asked her what her name was. One had called her Link.

Currently, Zelda was watching one guard tear into another—she never learned their names, as she had a difficult time telling them all apart. He was shouting something about how he should’ve had his lunch break an hour ago, despite Zelda being quite sure it wasn’t even noon. The new guard, hunched a little in embarrassment, sheepishly took the departing guard’s place. 

“You know,” Zelda said, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “He showed up at least twenty minutes late to his shift.” 

The guard turned to her and let out a dramatic gasp. “No!” they said, looking frantically between Zelda and the door. “But then he—But he just—!”

“Got off his shift half an hour early? It’s true,” Zelda said. She found it difficult to have sympathy for the Yiga clan, but she couldn’t deny that she loved stirring drama. 

“Why that little—” They were cut off as the door swung open. Swarmed by lackeys, Kohga waddled in, looking thoroughly bored. 

“Hello, Princess,” Kohga said, curling the pleasantry in his mouth like it offended him. “How are you doing?”

“You don’t ca—”

“Actually, I don’t care! Ha!” Kohga laughed raucously as Zelda rolled her eyes. 

“What exactly is your plan for me?” Zelda asked. 

“Ah, plan plan plan.” Kohga said, tapping his mask. “Right, yeah, a plan. We’ve got one.” 

“Mmhmm,” Zelda hummed.

“We do! Obviously we’re waitin’ for the Dark Lord Ganon to return. And then we’ll just…” Kohga gestured vaguely, “Hand you over to ‘em!”

“To what end, exactly?” Zelda said.

“To what—That’s none of your business!” Kohga said. “Geez, kids these days, so nosey!” 

Kohga sighed dramatically, flopping back onto a nearby chair. “So,” he said, beginning to peel a banana he’d procured from who knows where, “What’s the latest, grunt?” 

There was silence as all turned to the guard at Zelda’s left. They seemed distracted, tapping their spear mindlessly.

Kohga cleared his throat. A nearby Yiga soldier coughed. Zelda scooted forward, tapping their shoulder through the bars. 

“He means you, I believe,” she said gently.

“M-Me?” they said. Zelda swore their ponytail shot up like an exclamation point as they frantically glanced between the people in the room. “Oh, uh, nothing of note, Master Kohga, sir!”

“Mmmm, you’re new. Are they new?” Kohga turned to the soldier to his right, who shrugged in response. “Eh, whatever. Nothing at all?” 

“N-No, Master Kohga, sir. Not s-since the weird Gerudo man this morning, sir.”

Kohga choked on his bite of banana—when had he taken his mask off for a bite, Zelda wondered—before snapping up to look at the guard. “The what?!”

“Th-There was a Gerudo man outside asking for Zelda,” the guard said, seemingly regretting each word as it left their mouth. “Big, burly guy. Topless. Kinda, uh, scary?  But he didn’t have a Yiga uniform, so I told him to get lost.”

“Did he tell you his name?” Kohga asked frantically, clambering to his feet.

“It was something…Dorf? Andorf? Gandalf? Um—”

“Ganondorf?!” Kohga screeched. 

The Yiga member clapped their hands together, excited. “Yes! Yes, that was it.”

 “Augh! Yiga clan, to attention! It’s happening!” Kohga floundered around the room, shouting into door frames and banging on pots. He whipped around, pointing an accusatory figure toward the frightened Yiga guard.

“You!” he bellowed.

“Eep!”

“Grab the royal twerp and take her outside to give to Ganon!” Kohga said, chucking the keys at the guard with enough force to take their eye out. “And if our Lord wants blood for bein’ forced to wait, it’s your head on the chopping block, newbie! 

With a saddened slump, the guard unlocked the door, grabbing Zelda’s arms and hoisting her to her feet. The guard was surprisingly gentle with her, though it may have been the scolding that had whipped them into complacency.

Zelda hadn’t quite processed what was happening. Ganon was back? Or, rather, Ganon-dorf? The name sent shivers down her spine as flashes of a tall Gerudo man with burning, angry eyes splashed her vision. The form he took varied slightly over the eons, but one thing was consistent—Zelda could never recall a male Gerudo in history that didn’t reek of Ganon’s influence. 

And now there was one outside the door, claiming that name as his own. She shuddered. Could he really be back? So soon after Link’s victory? They’d hardly had time to celebrate—they’d barely created a new routine. She’d fought him for over one hundred years. Was she really doomed to face him again after so little rest? 

She squinted as she was pulled into the daylight. As her eyes adjusted, she heard the whispers of the Yiga Clan at her sides. Her guard was silent as she was dragged forward to the front of the crowd. When she looked up, she felt her heart stop. 

The figure, silhouetted by the sun behind him, was a behemoth of a man. He was broad and intimidating, face drawn into a bitter mask. He had the tell-tale shock of orange-red hair that cast little doubt the man was a full-blooded Gerudo. And he was glaring right at her.

Zelda couldn’t breathe. She’d seen this man, in part or in whole, in all his many iterations. She’d seen flashes of him in her one hundred year slumber as she battled with that beast, as parts of their past lives spilled over into the present. Every nerve in her body told her to run, run far away where he couldn’t destroy everything she cared about. 

In one frantic movement, she elbowed the Yiga guard leading her toward the Gerudo. When the man reached toward her, Zelda leapt back on instinct, tumbling onto the ground. There, helpless and surrounded, she felt the surge of energy burning in her palms. 

She remembered him, yes, but it made her remember something else. She lifted her palm, seeing the bright triangle burn on the back of her hand, and aimed it toward the villain.

In the brief moment before the energy snapped, Zelda saw something odd on the man’s face. It was as if everything had softened, and suddenly the man was genuinely, unabashedly shocked. The expression did not belong to that face, she belatedly realized, as the energy from her palm burst forward toward the man. 

There was a blinding flash and a horrible clang, as if someone had brought a Lynel’s claymore down against a metal shield. Sand kicked up around them, sending several Yiga Clan members into coughing fits. The recoil from the blast dampened any hopes of Zelda standing from her prone position. 

When the sand and smoke cleared, Zelda’s heart dropped for a moment.

The man was unmoved. Her power had failed her.

Around her, the Yiga Clan hollered and cheered. Some were simply in awe. Kohga was high-fiving some members. 

“You’ll have to try harder than that, little princess,” the Gerudo man chided, though there was little malice in his voice. Zelda blinked. 

The man who had haunted her all those years had amber eyes, she was certain of it. They were nearly orange, always burning with ambition or malice. This man’s eyes held none of that. There was humor in those eyes, with a dash of concern. And, more than that, they were blue. Not bright, like Link’s, but a darker, sapphire color like—like…

…Oh.

Zelda felt herself go entirely slack as all the fear seeped from her body. The man in front of her seemed to detect this, as his grin widened and he let out a low chuckle. 

“Alright, alright, show’s over. Hand over the princess,” he said. 

“Of course! Right away, Lord Ganon!” Kohga said, snapping and gesturing toward him. The guard at Zelda’s side pulled her up, and she didn’t bother resisting. As the Yiga member held her hands back, they leaned close to her ear. 

“Were you hurt?” they barely whispered, and Zelda was taken aback by the question. Why did they care? It didn't even sound like the guard’s voice. 

When the two had closed the distance to the Gerudo man, he placed a hand on Zelda’s shoulder and guided her so he was between her and the Yiga Clan. For the brief second his back was to the Yiga Clan, he shot her a wink.  She had to fight to keep a smile from her face. 

“Any other requests of us, Lord Ganon?” another Yiga shouted. 

“Oh, uh…” The Gerudo scratched his beard. “Take some time off. You all’ve earned it. I’m back now, so you can stop hunting the little g—uh, that Link guy, ‘cause I obviously want to be the one to get ‘em myself. So hands off, ya hear?”

“Of course, Lord Ganon! We’ll let you take care of the little twerp, then!” Kohga said with a nod. “Wish I had the satisfaction of taking him down myself, but—”

“You talkin’ back to me?”

“N-No sir!” Kohga cried, waving his hands up in surrender. “Of course not, Lord Ganon! Wouldn’t dream of it!” 

“That’s what I thought. Ya know, just for that,” he bellowed, pointing to the Yiga guard by Zelda’s side. “I’m taking this one with me too! As tribute for the, uh…the commute! It was a long walk up here, ya know.”

Zelda gawked at him, baffled by the request.  

“They’re all yours, my Lord!” Kohga said frantically. 

“Don’t know why you’d want that one,” one mumbled, before getting jammed in the ribs by one of Kohga’s muscle men. 

 “Alright, c’mon you two,” The Gerudo said with a grin. “See ya around, uh, my minions!”

Met with more cheers from the Yiga Clan, Zelda followed the Gerudo man and the Yiga guard down the mountainside. When they were far enough away, the man practically deflated.

“Geez, princess, you scared me back there!” He let out a booming laugh. “I’m good, but even I wasn’t sure I’d be able to deflect that blast o’ yours!” 

“Were you injured, Daruk?” The Yiga guard asked, voice suddenly softer and kinder than before. “I’m not sure if I can do much right now, but—”

“Not a scratch!” He laughed again. “Don’t you worry, Princess. Even like this, Daruk’s Protection is as strong as ever!” 

“Princess?” Zelda parroted, dropping her gaze to the guard. Her eyes widened suddenly. “Mipha?”

“I hope I wasn’t too rough with you back there,” Mipha said, clasping her hands in front of her.

“But…But how did you…That suit, it’s—”

“I was hardly any help in the heat, I’m afraid. And no one could fit into the suit as they were, so…” Mipha sheepishly pulled the Yiga mask off, sending a head of bright red hair tumbling down her back. 

Zelda stared owlishly at the Hylian in front of her. 

“How do I look?” Mipha asked. “Not too strange, I hope.”

“N-No! You look lovely!” Zelda said. She glanced between Mipha and Daruk, suddenly looking wounded. “But both of you did this to yourselves…Just to save me?”

“You are incredibly dear to us, Zelda,” Mipha said with a smile, taking Zelda’s hands in her own.

“Anything for you, little princess! Plus, if we hadn’t, the little guy would’ve tried to bring the whole hideout down himself!”

“And,” Mipha added, “Urbosa and I found a very promising lead in the Gerudo archives. If Revali confirms it, we may be well on our way to restoring our bodies to normal!”

Zelda smiled wide before throwing her arms around both of them. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m so grateful for you. All of you. I hope you know that.”

“We do,” Daruk said fondly, patting her back.

“You would do the same for us,” Mipha said. 

By the time they arrived back at the Kara Kara Bazaar, the sun was setting. The others rushed to meet them as the approached. 

“Goddess above, that plan actually worked?” Revali murmured in amazement. 

“Were you hurt?” Urbosa was instantly at Zelda’s side, along with Link, where they were both fretting over the Hylian princess.

“I am fine, I promise,” Zelda said. “They’re far from capable when it comes to any follow-up—I’m not sure they even knew what to do with me.” She sighed. “I still can’t believe I fell for such an obvious trick.” 

“We all did, little bird. I’m just glad you’re safe.” Urbosa ran a hand gently over Zelda’s hair. Zelda smiled at her. 

“Ah, well, some more good news—” Revali chirped, leaning in. He lifted the journal that Mipha had given him earlier. “It’s a match. Assuming what Link says is true and we won’t all be turned into masks, this should turn us back.” 

There was brief cheering, before Revali held up a hand. “Small caveat,” he said. “It needs to be played on an instrument. Doesn’t seem to matter which, but singing won’t cut it.”

 “Kass would do it.” Link said.

“Yes, sure, but Kass is currently in Rito Village with his daughters,” Revali said.

“…Okay?” Daruk said, confused. “That sounds perfect—we know where to find him.” 

“No no, you don’t get it. I can’t be seen like this.” 

“…Like what?”

“Like a Zora, you dolt!” he squawked. “It’s barely been a week, have you already forgotten what I looked like?!

“Revali, I doubt they’d care,” Zelda said, setting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Of course they’ll care! It’s all they’ll talk about for months!” He groaned, pacing. “It was bad enough they found that book they insist is my diary and just show it! To everyone! Like a tourist attraction!”

“Think of it like this, feathers,” Urbosa said, crossing her arms. “Either you go to Rito Village, like this, and get the whole thing fixed yourself. Or, you get spotted on the road while we’re trying to hunt down a random traveling musician and some gossipy Rito tells everyone in the village some story you can’t control long before you even make it back.” 

Revali fidgeted, clearly not favoring either option, before letting out a long, dramatic, “Ffffine! But I’m only going as far as the stable. One of you can go in and fetch him.”

“Great! We set out at dawn!” Daruk cheered, pulling the group into a hug. “And Urbosa! You need to show me how to do that zappy thing you do!” 

“Urbosa’s Fury isn’t going to be learned overnight,” Urbosa said with a chuckle.

“Aww, at least let me try!” Daruk nudged. “C’mon! I’m only a Gerudo for one more day!”

“It would certainly be fun to watch,” Mipha giggled from behind her hand. Urbosa rolled her eyes, but smiled despite it.

“Fine. But don’t blame me if you get burned.” 

Daruk whooped as the others laughed, a sense of relief finally washing over the group for the first time in days.