This chapter got pretty long pretty easy. Tell me if it drags and I can cut some stuff out.

I also got sick in the middle of writing this, so it may not be that great.

The first thing Link knew that morning was the darkness of murky water. He choked as he clawed his way to the surface, panic gripping him. It wasn't long before someone grabbed his wrist yanked him unceremoniously out of the water with surprising strength. He looked up to find that it was none other than Ghirahim.

"You bastard," Link spat, mood already put off for the day. He rubbed his wrist, certain it had been dislocated.

"I warned you," Ghirahim replied with an infuriatingly calm voice.

Link looked up at the sky to find that the sun had barely risen; compared to the light of day, the sky was still dark.

"The only way I would be up this early is if I couldn't sleep," Link said, turning back to glare at him. Ghirahim returned it with a grin that showed that he absolutely did not care. "Asshole."

"It's my job. Now hurry up and grab your things. Dry off, too. I doubt your horse would love you while you're soaking wet." Ghirahim stood up and crossed his arms. "And be fast. My patience is thin. I'll be waiting outside the village."

"Where're you even taking me?"

"Rito Village."

Link opened his mouth to ask a question, but Ghirahim answered it before he could even speak.

"One of the Divine Beasts is there. Now hurry up, will you? I'll be waiting outside the village the way you came in."

Ghirahim vanished again. Link, already cranky from his rude and untimely awakening, was tempted to meet him just to chew him out. However, he figured that this man was trying to help him and refrained. The woman at the desk lent him a towel so he could dry off. He was still incredibly cold and damp, but he dried himself the best he could. With that done, he rushed to his room, snatching his sword and Sheikah Slate. With these things being his only belongings, he went back out to Impa's house. Two new guards waited by her door, these two being female. Both looked just as intimidating as the last. The girl that had gotten his horse the night before looked up and beamed at him. Link returned it, which earned a small squeak from the girl. She looked down at her lap, suddenly shy.

"Y-your horse is around the side. He's sweet"

"Thanks," Link said, frowning lightly as she nodded, avoiding his gaze. Why does she have to be so shy?

Just as the girl said, Chocolate waited for him around the side of the house, kept in a pen roomy for one horse. It could fit two, but most likely the two horses would quickly become cranky at being squeezed in such a tight space.

Link greeted him with an apple slice (Link kept part of it for himself) before leading Chocolate through the village. He bought carrots and cooked meat from one of the stores in the town before he went toward the outskirts of the village. True to his word, Ghirahim stood outside the gate, leaned against the side of the mountain, arms and legs crossed casually. He looked up even before Link came into view, his senses sharp despite his lack of a left ear.

"Nice horse," Ghirahim commented. "I hope it enjoys long trips."

Link didn't respond as he fixed Chocolate's saddle and bridle. The Sheikah had apparently packed something extra, for he now carried saddle bags. When he reached in one of them he pulled out an oddly-shaped shield with the Sheikah symbol.

"Ooh, nice. They gave you a present," Ghirahim said, moving that he was standing over Link, blocking out the hero's shadow. "Seems pretty lame to me. Looks like it's made of plastic. Typical Sheikah, I suppose."

Link clipped the shield on his back. Though he was silent, he still sent bitter looks at Ghirahim out of the corner of his eye. Ghirahim responded with an infuriating grin.

"Well, I suppose we should get going. Rito Village is practically across the planet. If we move quickly, I say we could get there in just under two weeks. Of course, that's assuming we don't run into any monsters or...travelers." Link was tempted to question the emphasis on travelers, but he kept his mouth shut.

Ghirahim started down the mountain, motioning for Link to follow.

Link climbed on Chocolate, nudging his sides to urge him into a walk. As he walked beside Ghirahim, he frowned.

"Don't you have a horse?"
"Typically don't need one. And animals don't like me anyway."

"But-"

"Damn, Link. There's nothing to worry about. Just worry about your own things."

Link fell silent, but only for a moment.

"Why Rito Village anyway? Is there not somewhere closer?"

"Because I say so." Ghirahim stopped and turned to face him, prompting Link to pull Chocolate to a stop. "Unless you want to seek these out yourself, which is perfectly fine with me, I'm going to be the one taking you to them."

"Why can't I at least decide which one to do first?"

"Because you don't know jack shit. Unless, of course, you remember everything. In which case you would be able to tell me my favorite insult."

"Dumbass?"
"Not even close. So come on."

Sighing in defeat, Link urged Chocolate into a walk again as Ghirahim continued on. Link noticed that he occasionally glanced back, as if expecting something.

Not ten minutes later the demon glanced back to find him slumped over, his head resting against Chocolate's neck, already falling asleep. Precisely what he expected Link to do.

Ghirahim clicked his tongue, but otherwise didn't bother with it. It was either that or only having him even more cranky later on.

With them only traveling by day, the trip took longer than either of them would have liked. It was over a week before Ghirahim pointed out the vague, birdlike shape flying somewhere that was nearby, yet distant.

Link noticed that they passed a road that appeared to considerably shortened their trip, but when he mentioned it to Ghirahim, he told him it was too dangerous to go .

A couple of hours passed before they noticed anything else of interest. In the distance, Link could see the shape of a horse rearing up—a statue. As they got closer, the odd sensation of deja vu washed over him. Far below them in the distance, the castle stood tall against the sunset. Around it, the fog collected and in the distance he could see storm clouds. Looking over what was left of Hyrule left him with the horrible feeling of deja vu. He could almost see the sunset he was trying to recall, with that same castle standing high, its tall spires reaching for the sky. The sinking sun peeked from behind it, its orange glow nearly blinding the two.

"Haven't I been here before?" Link asked, stifling a yawn. They still had to find shelter to rest, and as they got farther from Kakariko and closer to the snow-capped Hebra mountains, the monsters became more frequent. Oftentimes, the two would have to fight for somewhere to sleep.

"I don't know. I didn't watch you when you traveled. But you've probably been just about everywhere."

"Where are we?"

"Near Tabantha." Ghirahim looked out at the horse statue. It stood atop a ledge that looked out over central Hyrule. In the distance, a volcano stood out above the land. Occasionally, he could look over and see movement along the sides."I believe this is a park, but I don't think I ever learned the name. Anyway, this place seems deserted, even by monsters. I think this is a good place to stop, don't you?"

Ghirahim turned back to Link, who simply nodded in response. It hadn't taken long for the trip to make his companion moody and irritable, so he often just sat in silence unless addressed.

He dismounted Chocolate and tethered him to a nearby tree. After feeding him a few carrots, Link sat near the guardrails, looking out onto Hyrule Field. From where he sat, he could see a tall mountain in the distance, a frosty white fog surrounding the peak.

Yes, Link had been there before. With Zelda. If only he could remember her face; it seemed so far that he'd gone everywhere with her, so why did her face elude him?

Ghirahim watched out of the corner of his eye as he set up the fire, well aware of what Link was trying to do. It was a long time before either of them went to sleep.

The next day the two found themselves traveling along the side of a deep canyon. Link wanted to look and see if there was anything down below, but one glimpse at the hundred-foot drop drove him away. This drop only became higher and higher as they went along.

"We may be able to get there by tomorrow," Ghirahim said at one point. This raised Link's spirits considerably.

However, his words could only do so much as the temperature dropped and they got closer and closer to the snow-coated Hebra mountains, climbing higher and higher as they did so. Chocolate did not seem very much affected by the cold, but he wasn't pleased by it either. Link leaned closer to his horse, trying to get some relief from the cold's harsh bite. Even Ghirahim complained. However, this was only for a time, and eventually he became indifferent to it.

Link was the only one that didn't adjust. Instead with every second he became more and more sure he was going to get frostbite. He shivered and curled in on himself, trying to preserve body heat.

It wasn't long before Ghirahim noticed and glanced over. "What's your problem now?"

"I-it's fucking c-cold," Link said, hardly able to talk at all, much less without stuttering.

Tone colder than the mountains, Ghirahim said, "Deal with it."

It was clear before Link even spoke that his response touched a nerve. "I've b-been trying, dumbass!"

"What do you think I can do about it? My clothes are thinner than yours!"

Link fell silent, glaring at the hills ahead. Gradually, his hands and feet went numb. It was a long time before either of them made a sound; neither of them dared to speak over the whistling wind and the rhythmic sound of Chocolate's hooves crunching in the snow. It eventually reached a point where Link didn't even shiver anymore; he simply sat in silence, growing more and more tired by the minute.

Ghirahim broke the silence with a sigh and pulled off his cape, shoving it toward Link. "You look ready to die over there."

I probably am, Link thought. He remained silent as he took it and wrapped it around himself. He was too cold for it to help much, so he just pushed it off again. Ghirahim scowled at the action.

"What are you, an idiot? I lent you that for a reason."

Link shrugged it off, too tired to care. What time was it, anyway?

He was too tired to care about that either.

When Link finally stirred, he found that he was enshrouded by the light and warmth of a fire. He wasn't close enough to be comfortably warm, but he was close enough to keep the cold from biting him. He lay wrapped up in a cloth, curled up so that almost everything was covered up. Glancing down, he found that it was the cape Ghirahim had lent him earlier and he rejected.

Ghirahim himself sat a foot or so away, closer to the fire. When Link moved to get closer himself, he turned his head to look at him.

"Finally...I thought you would never wake up."

Ghirahim winced at his own sentence. Link noticed but doubted he wanted to talk about it.

"Where are we?" Link asked.

"Not far from where you fell asleep. Or went unconscious. Whichever one you think it was."

"How long was I out?"

"Two hours, maybe three. Either way we're not going again until tomorrow, so you may as well go back to sleep. I'm pretty sure you nearly died on me."

Link frowned. He moved closer to the fire, next to Ghirahim, then laid his head down. Within moments, he was asleep once more.

It felt as if only moments had passed before Ghirahim roused him again. Link was slow to wake up and get his things together. He moved as slowly as possible, not eager to leave the warmth of the fire. Only when Ghirahim looked ready to slap him did he move quickly.

Once they were on the move again, for the first hour Link felt like he was being tortured. Until he somewhat adjusted to the cold he scowled at the road ahead of them as if he resented the world.

However, just as Link began to adjust to the cold, the found themselves heading down the side of the mountain into a warmer area. They were still pretty high up; to their left, a steep cliff dropped off into a lake. At the center of this lake stood a strange rock. And hovering above it was the strange, bird-like creature that Link quickly learned wasn't alive, but was a robot that resembled a large bird. It wasn't unlike the one Link had seen in the temple.

Eventually, they came across a building not unlike the one Link saw near the twin peaks. It was here that Ghirahim told him to leave his horse, for he wouldn't be needing him. He would probably get spooked by the height anyway. Link hesitated, but allowed the stable hands to take Chocolate.

With that, they walked the final stretch—the bridge across the lake, toward the rock. Both of them were silent as they walked.

Rito Village resembled a giant bird's nest. Each house was built around the rock and offered little protection from the elements, as it was missing walls and windows. A walkway wound around around the rock, allowing any traveler access to nearly everything.

The first Rito Link saw was a grumpy guard just outside the village. He regarded Link's curious gaze with cold, narrowed eyes and motioned for the two to pass.

"Just be mindful of Vah Medoh," he said. "Damned thing nearly killed our best."

As they entered the village, Link noticed the guard staring at Ghirahim. However, he didn't think it was worth mentioning.

It was Ghirahim who broke the silence. "I'd probably talk to the elder about Medoh. I'm gonna see if they have a fucking jacket or something for you."

Ghirahim vanished, leaving Link on his own again.

With a sigh, Link continued up the walkway until he encountered a Rito standing outside one of the "houses". He looked down at the shorter Hylian, smiling lightly. "What do you need?"

"Can I ask about that thing up there?" Link asked.

"Divine Beast Vah Medoh?" the Rito said, smile vanishing. "Don't mind it. So far, it's only attacked anything if it flies too close. It's a bit problematic for us Rito, but for a Hylian like you it should be fine."

Oh, so that's the Divine Beast.

"Okay, another thing. Do you know where the elder is? Or...you know...the person over this place?" Link backed up so that he didn't have to crane his neck to look the Rito in the eye. I didn't know bird people were so tall.

"Oh, he's at the top of here. He doesn't like to be bothered unless it's something important, though."

"That's fine," Link said, heading off before the Rito could question why he even asked.

Indeed, inside the uppermost house of the village an owl-like Rito sat, long brows creased in concern as he listened to the words of what appeared to be a Rito warrior; in the warrior's hands was a large bow whose edges most resembled wings. He also wore armor, although it wasn't that much. Probably because he still had to fly.

Before Link could enter, two guards stopped him. It was similar to Kakariko village.

"State your business," one said, giving Link a death glare.

"I want to help with Vah Medoh."

The guard relaxed, but only slightly. "A Hylian like you? Our best warriors can barely handle it, kid."

Link averted his eyes, but did not walk away. He needed to take back that Divine Beast. "If I can get inside it, I think I can make it stop."

Still, the guard did not step down. "Our elder doesn't need foolishness and jokes right now."

"I'm being serious. I want to help."

"But you can't even-"

"Easy, Kryah," the elder called out behind them. "If he seriously wants to help, who are we to deny him?"

The guard named Kryah lowered his spear and looked over his shoulder at the elder, as if doubting his word. However, he lowered his spear. "Very well. But if the elder commands it, we won't hesitate to throw you out."

Link nodded, certain he wouldn't anger the owl-looking Rito that much. The soldier stepped to the side as Link walked in, gazing at him with a watchful eye.

The elder greeted him with a smile. "Welcome. I'm Kaneli. And you?"

"Link."

The elder frowned, repeating the name under his breath. Then his eyes caught sight of the Sheikah Slate.

"Oh, you're the descendant of a Champion. I figured just as much, considering your shirt."

Link almost corrected him and told him that he was a Champion, but he wondered if the elder would believe him. Because of this, he remained silent.

"I think you know by now that Medoh has been attacking things that fly too close. So far, that's been it. But Jaysi over here thinks that eventually it might start attacking the village itself, and it might even fly to other areas and destroy anything that may be there. But I think that little thing on your hip might be exactly what we need to calm down Vah Medoh. The Champion Revali had one himself. The problem is is getting you up there..."

It was then that the soldier, Jaysi, spoke up.

"When we tried to tame Medoh yesterday, I know Marth got injured, but Teba was fine. He's probably at the flight range, planning his own attack—we know how he is. If he goes alone, I'm certain he would fail, even if his skill is at about the same level as Revali's. But if Link here can find a way to help him, the two of them may have a chance."

The elder nodded. "That's true, but if Teba wants to do it alone, then he might not let Link help him."

"I'm sure if Link proves his worth," Jaysi said, "which I doubt would be difficult, considering he is probably a descendant of the Champion Link, then he would probably be more than willing."

The elder fell silent for a few moments, frowning in thought. "But if Link meets him by foot, it'll take at least a day to get there."

"I can take him. It'll only take a minute or so by flight." Jaysi turned to Link. "But wearing what he is now, he might get frostbite before he can be of any help to Teba. It's a wonder how he got here without proper clothing, with the warmer route being cut off by guardians."

Link shuffled his feet shyly, avoiding the soldier's gaze. Both Rito watched him, both in thought.

"I would think we can lend him something," the elder finally said. "Don't we have any Hylian clothes?"

"Not anything like armor, though."

"Then give it to him. He's helping us, after all."

Jaysi rushed out of the hut. In less than a minute, he returned carrying a shirt and pair of pants.

"Sorry we couldn't get anything better," the soldier said as he handed the clothes to Link. "But either way if you were cold on the way here, it shouldn't be as bad on the way back."

Link nodded as he took them. "Thanks. Can you, uh...turn your head for a few seconds?"

For a few moments, the Rito seemed confused. However, upon realizing why, they looked away, allowing Link to change clothes as quickly as possible. Link sat his Champion's shirt and pants down near the elder.

"Okay, you all set?" Jaysi asked. Link hesitated, well aware that Ghirahim was going to come back at some point. However, after figuring he could guess where he went, Link nodded. "Alright, then let's go."

Jaysi led him to a ledge that he called Revali's Landing. For a moment, Link couldn't help but pause, for it most certainly struck him as familiar.

All at once, he could remember the Rito Champion, Revali. He could remember how the Rito Champion's movements had been almost graceful. His face held a certain sharpness that marked him as someone not to be messed with. He was intelligent, probably more so than Link, and had learned to control Medoh almost as if it were second nature. But he was jealous, only because Link had held the Master Sword and because of that he hadn't been the center of attention.

"You okay over there, Link?"

He shook his head at the unpleasant memories. "I'm fine. We should go."

To get to the flight range as quickly as possible, Link had to hold on to Jaysi like he was riding piggyback, except if he let go he would fall to his death. He could tell it was difficult for the soldier to fly with Link on his back, however, and he landed almost as soon as he reached the mountain on which the flight range sat. Link hopped off, apologizing for having him do that.

"No, it's fine," Jaysi said, out of breath. "I'm just glad you're helping us. Follow the trail up there and you should get to the flight range. I'll wait here for a bit in case Teba's not there."

"Thanks," Link said, before he turned and began toward the flight range. To make the trail, snow had been pushed aside to reveal the soggy black earth beneath. Link only followed this trail for a few minutes before he saw a platform overlooking a small lake. Sitting on the end of this platform was a tall, burly Rito with long, white feathers. As Link approached, he turned to reveal dark green eyes surrounded by black; it looked almost like eyeliner..

"What do you want?" the Rito asked.

I love Medoh, so Link gets to do it first. I'm gonna try to give the Rito and such more characterization since they didn't get nearly enough in the game. (which sucks because Teba is my fave ,,)