Chapter 1 - Mutual Breakdown
The Champions are camped for the night in the Akkala region, in the ancient ruins of Akkala Castle. The place had been broken and abandoned since before anyone in the group could remember and when Zelda discovered that the Spring of Power would require them to head through Akkala Castle, she had convinced the whole group to stop and allow her some brief respite to look at the ruins.
What they weren't expecting was a pair of savage Lynels to be resting within the ruins. The Champions had split up to take them on, Link, Zelda and Revali taking on one Lynel, Daruk, Urbosa and Mipha attempting to defeat the other. And this was how Revali ended up pinned down by a Lynel.
Revali had taken cover behind a pillar, noting the shock arrows that the Lynel they were fighting had equipped. He didn't particularly want to become a roasted Rito but their job was to protect the Princess on her journey to the Spring of Power, and he'd be damned if the Princess was killed under his watch. The land was consider them a laughing stock.
If only he could take to the air, he might have a shot at outmaneuvering the Lynel, but after considering his options and knowing that Link was already fighting and needed back-up, the Rito made his move.
"Alright you savage beast," He growled, readying his bow and leaping from behind the pillar he was on. The Lynel was ahead of him, briefly distracted by the blonde haired Link, who was up close and dodging the beast at close range. Revali let an arrow fly, trusting in his aim. He was the best archer of the Rito, after all, so he was in for a shock, both literally and metaphorically, when his shot missed just barely and the Lynel, slamming Link back, fired a shock arrow in his direction.
Slicing through his left wing, Revali let out a rather pained squawk as he slammed his back into the pillar behind him, blood splattering where he had been struck.
"Revali!?" Zelda had cried out, the Princess attempting to move towards him to stop the bleeding.
The Lynel was too quick, however, swatting at Link as the young Hylian boy realized that Zelda had left her cover. The shock arrow flew, slicing just past Zelda's face, much to both her shock and Link's horror.
In his distraction, the Lynel slammed it's axe into Link's side, slamming him back into the wall with a crunch. He made no sounds, no screams, just tried to push himself back up from the wall, although Link ultimately had to give up on that endeavor when his body gave out.
"Princess!" A rather loud voice called out a moment later, Daruk appearing from a side room, the other two Champions following suit.
With the combined efforts of the three Champions, they were able to slay the Lynel and clear the castle of any danger. Revali and Link were both injured in the attack, but Mipha had them both healed up for the most part.
"A good night's sleep and you should both be fine," Mipha tentatively stated, blushing as she removed her hands from Link's wounds.
"Goodness knows, we could all use a rest," Urbosa chanted, clearly wanting to relax after the surprise encounter.
The group set up camp in the castle, tents being put up in one of the closed rooms. One roaring fire and the group are acting like the Lynels never happened. Well, except for the Rito's who's wing was clipped in the fight.
Revali had seen fit to sit away from the fire that night, excusing himself from the room as he wanted some time to think. He didn't notice the curious gaze that an equally downcast Link gave him as he walked out of the room.
The Rito would not admit it, but he hadn't been on top form for a few weeks at least. Their last visit to the Spring of Courage had failed and deep inside he was slightly more terrified that Zelda's powers would not awaken before Ganon's revival. All of the Champions knew how important it was for her powers to be realized, otherwise all hope would be effectively lost.
And on top of that fear in his heart, he had been failing to make an impact in their battles less and less. Arrows missing, a faulty gale, not to mention Link being constantly better at him and not just Link this time, but everyone else having to save him from his own failures. Something about the battle they had just fought, it had stuck in Revali's head.
So there he sat on one of the battlements of the ruined castle, away from the rest of the group with one thought on his mind. Why wasn't he good enough?
He had trained since he was a child, mastered moves that the Rito had never seen before, been the first Champion to properly connect to their Divine Beast and had saved his fair share of people to boot. But that was nothing compared to everyone else's achievements, always better than his own. He had to work for his spot, damnit.
Damnit...
"Damnit," He croaks out, slamming one of his wings to the ground in frustration.
He couldn't even control the fact that tears were now starting to run down his feather face as all of his frustrations came to an emotional boil. He lets out a quiet choked sob, muttering to himself about why he isn't good enough. Back in the Rito Village, this had happened before, but he could always hide alone in his roost and close the blinds.
Then nobody would know, nobody would care. He was Revali, the Champion of the Rito, he shouldn't be crying.
And that's when he hears a loose rock fall. Through his tear-stained gaze, he looks to his left and instantly wishes the ground would swallow him up.
Out of everyone that could have overheard, out of everyone that could have seen him at his absolute worst, it had to be Link. Said Hylian was approaching tentatively, slowly, as if unsure on what to do.
He felt something to sit down on his left and knew that Link was now sitting next to him. He must look an absolute mess with the way he's wiping the tears from his eyes.
"What do you want?" He asks bitterly, not bothering to use his grandeur or his words. He doesn't care at this point.
He's lucky that the Champions all had to learn how to speak in sign otherwise this would be a very one sided conversation.
Glancing up, Link replies in sign with, "I was worried."
Revali scoffs at that, a bitter choked laugh forcing itself out of his throat. Link, worried about him? Now that was a joke. "You think I want your sympathy," He spits out, keeping the blonde in the corner of his eye.
"Revali, I just want to help." Link's looking at him with those deep blue eyes, a concerned expression etched onto his features. Revali holds himself together.
"I don't want your help," He finally says, calming himself down as much as possible. He curls his wings around his front to wrap himself in his feathers, similar to how a Hylian would hug their knees.
After that, there's a silence. It lasts for a few minutes, when something unexpected breaks the silence and shocks Revali to the core.
"I hate this," A foreign voice whispers, raspy from disuse but Revali's eyes widen as he realizes...
"Link?"
The Hylian nods silently, "Yeah, I can talk. I just choose not to. It's easier that way."
Revali doesn't speak for a moment, stunned into silence at the Hero's words. Link takes it as a reason to continue talking.
"If I speak, it can reflect on Zelda. Everything I do reflects back onto her..." He pauses, his voice shaking as he tries to find the right words. "The King already compares us and anything I could say wouldn't do her any good, so I stay silent."
This new side of Link is so different from what Revali had imagined. This was what had been going through the Hylian's head? Not cocky confident thoughts, nothing of the sort? He was just as insecure as himself.
"Because then I don't have to worry about the pressure..." Link's voice cracks.
That's when the usually silent Knight's eyes begin to glisten and tears begin to fall. Link clutches at his shirt with his fists, knuckles going white as they shake from emotion. Revali can feel a few tears blooming in his eyes again, he brushes them away.
"When Ganon comes, I have to face him. I've been told that it was my duty since I was a child," He croaks, hugging his knees as he stares blankly at the stones beneath him. "If I fail... We all die."
Revali's blood runs cold at that statement. He can relate. Both of them have a role to play and failure means death, not just for them, but for everyone. That sort of pressure can eat away at the mind and if their tears are anything to go by, the pressure had a three course meal and then some.
Link turned to Revali, expression distraught. "You told me that the master sword should have chosen someone else when we first met," Link whispered. "I'd give anything to be free of this burden, but I can't... I would not wish this hell on anybody else." Link is shaking violently at this point and Revali, who's mind is now foggy with lament, does the unthinkable.
He turns to Link, looks him straight in the eyes and without any of his Great Revali nonsense, he begins to vent.
"I only told you what I did because I've never been good enough on my own merit. I'm not good enough, today I couldn't even stop a single Lynel. I couldn't do a thing. Had that been Ganon..." Revali can't help but close his eyes and scrunch them from the stress.
"I'm not good enough..." He chokes out. "I never have been, I never will be, I'm nothing Link, I'm absolutely nothing!" The force in his final words betrays the sobs that begin to echo from his throat.
"I'm so afraid..." Revali finally chokes out.
"So am I..." Link replies desperately.
"Please don't leave," Revali states, moving to grab Link's hand desperately. For once, he doesn't care, he just needs someone to stay with him for the moment. He can't face this alone.
"I won't," Link replies quietly, burying his head into the Rito's feathery wings.
The other Champions don't comment on the pair's puffed up eyes when they return to the camp, nor does Urbosa comment on the strange sobbing she heard from her spot near the entrance of their camp, nor does anybody question anything when Link decides to sleep in Revali's tent that night.
For just one night, they wanted to forget.
