She had watched the whole thing through a spyglass that her brother had gifted her with during a lull in his travels. A Rito she had never seen before had assaulted the Divine Beast by himself. At first, the battle had excited her as she watched shots and maneuvers that would have made Teba, the best archer she knew of, jealous.

While he had been doing brilliantly in the beginning, he had become overwhelmed by the Divine Beast and had been knocked out of the sky. Even as the archer was still falling, she had taken off, flapping furiously to catch up to him despite her comparatively poor mastery of flight.

It hadn't even occurred to her that she could have and should have found one of the village's stronger fliers. Teba, even though he was still recovering from his latest bout with Vah Medoh, likely could have carried the archer back by himself. She would be lucky if she could maintain flight long enough to find him.

After hours of searching, she finally spotted specks of blue and gold in a small clearing of a forest. The young woman could just make out the archer lying on the ground with an unfamiliar golden Rito standing just above him. She touched down, nearly tripping over her talons as she tried to find purchase on the snowy ground. The golden Rito didn't seem to notice her noisy and ungraceful landing.

"How is he?" she asked quickly as she ran over to them, trying to trip again.

"Hello, young lady," the golden Rito replied, turning to address her.

"How is he?" she repeated, panic beginning to creep through her. Even with the Rito woman standing between her and the archer, she could make out several severe gashes as well as a destroyed wing. She didn't have to have any knowledge of medicine to know that he'd be lucky to fly again, that was if he survived his injuries.

"He'll be fine," the woman replied. "Help is on the way."

"We should get him back to the Village –"

"And how do you plan to accomplish this?" the woman asked with a raised brow. "You struggled to make it here carrying yourself alone. Do you really think you can carry him and his equipment as well?"

"You could… help me," she suggested weakly.

"Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to, but as I said, help is on the way. When he gets here, then you may take him to the village."

"You can't just leave him here!" she spluttered.

"I am not just leaving him here. I am leaving him in your capable hands, yes? Besides, I would think I am one of the people he would rather not see."

"You know him?"

"Indeed."

"Who is he?"

"I will leave his introduction to him," the woman replied, mischief playing at the edges of her expression.

"But –"

"No buts," she said firmly, all traces of humor gone. "As I said, I have urgent matters to attend to. In the meantime, you will stay here with him until his friends arrive."

"O-okay."

"Good." The golden Rito walked to the edge of the clearing as she turned her eyes back to the unconscious archer at her feet. "Oh, and Medli?"

She turned as her name was called.

"Do be patient with him," the woman said as she gave her a pointed look. "He hasn't really been himself of late. He'll need encouragement when he awakens." Before Medli could ask how the woman knew her name, the golden Rito took off, disappearing seconds later.

Medli turned back to the archer at her feet, stopping when she saw bandages covering him from head to toe. She had been sure that they hadn't been there when she had first looked.

"Well, uh… I'm… Medli." She shifted uncomfortably and nearly smacked herself in the face. In the state he was in, trying to talk to him was as good as introducing herself to the trees. "Sorry, there are more important things to worry about." She sighed in defeat as she caught herself talking to no one again. While her brother and his wife accepted that bit of her, the rest of the Village teased her for the habit. That was just the ones that didn't think she was entirely deranged.

It was a habit she had tried to fix, but she found herself doing it again as she began clearing out the area and trying to find enough sticks to build a fire. Even with his feathers, the archer would need a source of warmth while they waited.

After she finally managed to get a weak flame started and had cleaned up her surroundings as much as she could, Medli sat down uneasily. She couldn't stop herself from fidgeting. She had no clue how long it would be before his friends would arrive. On top of that, she hadn't told anyone where she was going or for how long she would be gone. It was too late for that now.

Medli sighed discontentedly as she pulled out her harp and began to pluck at the strings reflexively. Her brother had made it for her when she had expressed an interest in music. Originally, she wanted to learn the accordion, just like her brother; however, the intricate instruments were outside their means, and her brother had neither the materials nor the knowledge to make one. Instead, his teacher had instructed him in the art of harp making. It had become a custom for him to make her a new harp every few years.

Her fingers continued pulling the strings in time to a melody she had learned long ago. Playing such tunes helped to calm her during particularly stressful times, giving her the opportunity to stop and think for a moment. She looked back at the archer as she continued playing, hoping that the golden Rito had made the right choice in leaving her there.

'I don't know this ceiling.' Mipha frowned at the ridiculousness of her primary waking thought. She was certain that there was something more pressing to worry about than the familiarity of her shelter, but for the life of her, she couldn't recall what it was.

The Zora Princess forced herself up, so she could lean against the wall of the room.

"Morning, dearie!" a plump woman greeted cheerily as she swept out a corner of the room. "How're you feeling?"

"I think I am alright… where are we?"

"Oh my, you really were out of it, weren't you?" the woman asked as she crossed the room and set a hand on her head. Seeming content with what she found, the woman retracted her hand. "We're in the Serenne Stable."

"Where's Link?"

"The boy who carried you in? I think he's right outside. Slept there all night if you can believe it."

"Could you bring him in, please?"

"You sure, dearie?" the woman asked skeptically. "He seems a bit obsessive. He started a fuss after Sprinn told him he needed to get his own room."

"I'm sure."

"If you say so."

Link entered as soon as the door was open. Though he tried to hide it, there was a slight limp in his stride.

"What happened?" she asked quickly as she motioned for him to sit beside her. The woman left the door open and stood with her arms crossed.

"Good to see you're back," Link replied as he removed his boot, showing her his purple, swollen ankle.

"What?" Mipha asked absently as she inspected the injury.

"You weren't really here yesterday."

Mipha neither knew nor cared what he meant by that. His ankle was a far more pressing concern to her right now. "I think you have a sprain," she said quietly. She set her hand on his ankle, intending to heal it; however, something felt off. As soon as her hand began glowing, the light began flickering in and out until it failed entirely.

Mipha shakily held up her palm, staring at it as her breathing became shallow.

"You okay?" Link asked quietly.

"I… I can't do it," she replied numbly.

Link frowned as he gazed at her, likely sensing her distress.

"I think you should stay here and wait for the others. I'll try to stop Revali from- "

"No," Mipha said quickly. "I'm not going to let you go on your own! What if something happens, and I'm not there? What if you get hurt and can't get help in time?" Her breathing was becoming more sporadic as her chest tightened, her heart pounding harder and harder all the while. "What if –"

"Okay," Link cut her off as he set a hand on her shoulder. "Just breathe."

"You're not leaving me here," she said as she struggled to slow her breathing and her heart rate.

"Right." She could tell that Link was bothered, but she didn't care. His lack of argument was soothing to her as she finally started breathing normally again.

"You're not leaving me here," she repeated, just to be sure he understood.

"I know," he sighed.

With the debate settled, both Champions stood up and left the room, but not before the maid growled at Link, telling him he had better be on his best behavior. The Hylian nodded nonchalantly as he stepped past the woman, leading Mipha to the entrance of the Stable.

"Here," Link murmured as he pulled a thick blanket out of his satchel and wrapped it around her.

"Why?"

"It's freezing out there," he replied as he pulled a cloak around his shoulders.

The two stepped outside, Mipha gasping slightly as the cold cut her to the bone despite her thick covering. Link exchanged a few words with the Stable head before a horse she vaguely recognized was led out to them.

"After a little scrounging, we managed to find a double saddle," Sprinn muttered as he handed the reins over to Link grudgingly.

"Thanks," Link muttered as he handed over a red rupee to the man. Before Sprinn could say anything else, Link helped her climb up onto the horse. Though she now had a saddle, her position on the horse was still insecure as it was not designed for side saddling. "Make sure you hold on," Link advised as he climbed up in front of her.

"Follow the path," Sprinn said as he pointed northward. "I know you're in a rush, but if you stray from the path, you'll wind up on the edges of a crevasse. Better to take the detour now than to risk it and have to turn around."

"Right."

"Once the path curves around the crevasse, you'll know you're close to the Snowfield Stable. Make sure you stop there for a few hours at least."

"I am sorry, but we really cannot afford- "

"I know you're in a rush," Sprinn said, cutting Mipha off, "but it's for your own good, miss. It only gets colder from here. You spend too long out there, and you'll freeze to death."

"I see…"

"We'll be careful," Link assured. The two exchanged a nod before Link gave Epona a light tap with his heels. The horse lurched into motion, surprising Mipha and forcing her to tighten her grip on Link.

"So, I've been wondering," Mipha called as Link spurred Epona onwards, "where are the others?"

Link gave her an odd look over his shoulder. "We left Daruk, Urbosa, and Midna behind at the forest when Revali flew away."

"He did what?"

"How much do you remember?" he asked quietly.

"I remember going into the forest," Mipha murmured as she wracked her brain. Try as she might, she couldn't recall anything afterward except a few hazy images and impressions. "Not much else," she admitted sheepishly. She had no idea how she had lost an entire day.

"…"

She frowned as Link didn't respond for a long time.

"Revali said some terrible things after I pulled the sword, then he flew off. Kass carried you and me to the closest Stable, which is how we got separated from the others."

"What did he say?" Mipha asked quietly.

"It doesn't matter."

"Link, what did he say?"

"… He called you a consolation prize," Link sighed.

Mipha grimaced but quickly shook the comment off as her concern for Revali grew. It was an awful statement to make, and it did sting; however, she knew the Rito Champion, despite his attitude, was far from malicious. To say something of that caliber and then run away was indicative that something was horribly wrong. "Do you know where he went?"

"He said he was going to take Medoh on alone," Link muttered gravely.

"Medoh?!" Considering her experience with Ruta, and what little Daruk had told her about Rudania, she knew that to take on one of the Divine Beasts alone was verging on suicide.

The Zora Princess unwrapped one of her hands from Link's midsection and looked at the palm of her hand. Considering that she had failed to heal a sprain that morning, she wasn't sure she would be up to the task of mending Revali should he become injured. She sincerely hoped that the Rito Champion was as skilled as he proclaimed himself to be.

Kass scanned the land below him, keeping his eyes trained for even the faintest shade of blue or red. He had decided against waiting for the elder Champions and had decided to fly after Master Revali himself. The Bard had made a quick stop by the Flight Range, an archery range that the Rito Champion had frequented often to no one's surprise. Revali had been the one to request its construction as his reward for winning an archery contest long ago.

To Kass' dismay, not even Teba, Revali's own prodigy, had been there. He had been hesitant to return to the Village only to leave minutes later, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Luckily for him, he had chosen to fly through the night and had arrived at the flight range a significant amount of time before dawn. With any luck, his wife and children would still be asleep. It wasn't that he didn't want to see them, but rather, he hated the idea of exciting his family, only to disappoint them.

The Village had been built around a massive spire of rock that rose from the center of a lake. The constructs that made up the Village spiraled up around the spire, its foundations made from various outcroppings located on the stone, leaving only certain platforms and paths to hang suspended over open air. There were few walls, with most of the huts consisting of a floor, a roof, and a basic framework made of wooden poles. It was simple and far from elegant, but it was home.

He had landed silently on one of the platforms that extended from the Village. Such platforms had been created specifically for landing and taking off, as some of the less skilled fliers had inadvertently caused damage to homes during their attempts to land.

The Bard hadn't been paying attention when he landed, and as such, he had landed on the platform nearest to his home. He considered making a short flight to one of the lower levels; however, he wasn't willing to take the time.

He couldn't help but stop outside his home as he made his way to the Elder's quarters. It was difficult to see through the nets, hammocks, and shelves that hung from the poles of his family's home; however, he had done it so many times that he knew at just what angles to look to catch sight of each of his five daughters. Warmth surged through him as he beheld each of their faces. It was times like these that made his travels across Hyrule so difficult.

"Kass?" an achingly familiar voice asked from behind him.

"Amali," he greeted warmly as he turned and wrapped his wings around his wife.

"What are you doing here?" she had asked as she returned his embrace. There was no tartness in the question, only genuine curiosity. She had not been expecting him back for many more weeks at the earliest.

"I don't have time to explain," he replied sadly. "Have you seen – "

"No, she disappeared again," Amali had replied, a faint note of worry evident in her words. "This isn't unusual for her, but after what happened with Medoh yesterday, I can't help but worry."

He hadn't been asking after his sister, though he had intended to find her at some point, now he felt his own anxieties beginning to spike. "What happened with Medoh?"

"It came way too close to the Village, acting like it was going to attack. Teba and Harth managed to drive it away, but Harth was injured in the process," she had finished around what he assumed was a lump in her throat.

"What does that have to do with Medli?" Kass had asked, his concern growing by the minute.

"Well, a few hours later, Medoh apparently attacked someone else, and I haven't been able to find Medli since," Amali had finished, her words coming out as more of a squawk.

"And you don't know where she went?" he had asked, trying to refrain from succumbing to panic.

"No!"

"All right. Stay here. I'll go look for her."

"Please be careful."

"Always," Kass had murmured. After promising his wife once more that he would be safe, he rushed to the nearest platform and took to the air as fast as he could.

Kass' tired eyes continued their search for his sister. Knowing her as he did, she had been watching the fight between Medoh and who he assumed to be Master Revali through the spyglass he had given her. He could only assume that something had happened to the Rito Champion and Medli had rushed to him, ever eager to help.

He was proud that he had such a compassionate sister, he just wished that she would take more time to stop and think rationally. Often, she would venture forth before she had actually stopped to think about what she needed to do in order to help. Lady Mipha reminded him of Medli; however, the Zora Princess was able to maintain a calm demeanor whereas his sister would become increasingly frazzled.

His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the light of a small fire in a clearing below. He dove down, wishing all the while that his sister's nearly pure white coat was any other color. He wasn't sure why his sister had to be one of the two most abnormally colored Ritos in the entire village. Only she and Teba were white, whereas everyone else in the village had shades that would stand out brilliantly against the snow. Ever one to find the silver linings, he was grateful that his sister's highlights were red instead of black like Teba's.

As he drew closer, he saw a mound of deep blue.

"Master Revali!" he tried calling. Like Teba and his sister, the Rito Champion had a unique coat; however, his would stand out against the snow. The blue mound didn't move, but he did catch the shifting of a faint red as someone else looked up at him. He recognized the markings as he finally landed.

"Kass!" Medli greeted as she ran up to him and threw her wings around him. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you and… Genli…" Kass replied, trying his best to refrain from using the Rito Champion's real name. As thrilled as he was to show Revali their shared home, he wasn't sure the Champion would appreciate his name being thrown around before he had the chance to introduce himself. There was just one problem with the name he had chosen.

"What would Genli be doing way out here? Shouldn't she be with her mother and sisters."

"That's… also Genli…" Kass finished lamely as he gestured to figure he had identified as Revali.

"…Um… brother, I don't mean to be rude, but you still aren't a very good liar," Medli murmured as she looked down at her talons, drawing them through the snow in no discernable pattern. "I mean, that's one of my niece's names, you know?"

Kass sighed as he shook his head. He just did not seem to have been built for the art of deceiving. "He is feeling self-conscious right now. I think he should introduce himself when he is ready."

"Weird. That's what she said."

"Who?"

"Oh, right! There was some odd lady with golden feathers who showed up and said that I needed to wait here with him until his friends arrived."

Kass frowned. He had an idea of who it could be, but he had never thought that she would appear as a Rito. Regardless, he wanted to get Master Revali back to the village as soon as possible.

The Bard turned back to the collapsed Rito Champion and finally noticed his surroundings. Medli had cleared away large sections of the snow-covered ground, at least managed to bandage Master Revali, and had started a fire. He hadn't expected her to get much farther than arriving and making some poor attempts to make the situation better. "You did all of this?"

"Yep!" Medli replied. "After you left last time, Amali had me start helping with your daughters. It taught me a lot of things, like to always make sure I have spare bandages and elixirs," she finished proudly as she held up a rather large satchel for him to see.

"I am glad that you are becoming more responsible," Kass replied kindly as he set a hand on her shoulder. "Now, I think we should take him to the village."

"Oh! Oh! Here take this," she said quickly as she dug through her satchel, causing Kass to wince as he heard bottles crashing dangerously into one another. After a few more minutes, and far too many collisions, Medli pulled out a bottle filled to the brim with a bright green fluid. "Take it," she murmured warningly as he grimaced.

His face twisted even further as he drained the stamina elixir. It tasted as foul as he remembered, though he did appreciate the boost it gave him.

"Oh good," Medli breathed as he finished.

"Hmm?"

"Your feathers were drooping just like Kotts' do when she's tired, but you look better now."

"Thank you." With Medli's concerns waylaid, for the time being, the two quickly placed the injured Revali on Kass' back and secured him. He was amazed at how conscientious Medli had become in their time apart; from the care she took when moving Master Revali to how she insisted on double checking not only his bandages but also the straps that secured him to Kass' back as well. "Now, let's get him to th –"

"I'll… I'll show them all…" Revali groaned as he began moving around, hindered both by his injuries and his harnesses. Both Kass and Medli froze, neither sure how they should respond to the Rito Champions unexpected words. Master Revali said no more, but neither Kass nor his sister moved for a minute. When they were finally certain that he was finished with his squirming both took off, angling towards the Village as they cleared the trees around them.

Though the Rito Champion was significantly heavier than Kass had expected, the weight didn't truly bother him. He had spent so long flying with his beloved accordion, an instrument that was by no means light, as well as other necessary supplies that he could handle the Champion's weight, at least to the Village.

"Are you okay?" Medli called as she wobbled next to him in the air.

"I'm okay," he replied, finding it humorous that she was carrying no extra weight, yet she appeared to be struggling more than he.

The rest of their journey was spent in silence, which was only broken by Kass asking once if Medli needed to take a break. Otherwise, both were too focused on their destination to worry about exchanging pleasantries.

Kass nearly collapsed when he finally landed. As strong as he was, his exhaustion was quickly overcoming him; however, Amali was there in seconds to help him and Medli unstrap the Rito Champion.

"Mommy!" several little voices called over each other, causing him, Amali, and Medli to exchange a panicked glance. Master Revali, even with all of his bandages, was not in a state he was comfortable with his children seeing. He knew that he couldn't protect his daughters forever, but that didn't mean he wanted them exposed to such injuries that moment.

Thinking quickly as he heard their little feet cascading towards him, he turned and spread his wings wide while bending down. He then swooped down and swept all five of his daughters up, spinning so that they were angled away from Master Revali. "Hello, little ones!"

"Daddy!" they all giggled as each nestled further into his chest. He had learned long ago to appreciate coincidences, one of them being that he was barrel-chested, which was quite common among Hylian men, but not so much among the Rito. They were blessed with leaner bodies to make them more aerodynamic, whereas he was blessed with a torso wide enough to hold each of his children.

"I'm so happy to see all of you," he said as he began walking back the way they had come. "Have you all been good for your mother?"

"Mommy got scared because Kheel disappeared!"

"Hey!" Kheel pouted. "I was tired of waiting for Genli to get ready!"

"You could've at least helped us make the Salmon Meu- meu- " Kotts' face screwed up in frustration as she tried to pronounce the second half of the dish's name. "Muneire," she finished.

"It's meuniere," Genli corrected.

Kotts stuck her tongue out at her green feathered sister.

"Hey, at least it tasted good," Notts interrupted.

"Why are we still talking about this?" Cree whined. "Daddy finally came back."

"Now, now," Kass murmured as he took them into their home. "No more fighting. I've been up for over a full day, so I need some rest. Why don't you all go practice your singing and I will join you when I'm ready."

"Okay!"

"… But I don't wanna practice," Genli pouted.

"Genli, you have such a beautiful voice. It would be a shame to let it go to waste."

"…Okay…"

Kass looked on fondly as his little girls disappeared, heading off to the highest section of the Village. It was their favorite place to practice, especially when he returned home.

He laid down and closed his eyes, yet sleep eluded him. This wasn't the first time that he had stumbled upon one of the greatest ironies of life: that it was possible to be so exhausted that one couldn't sleep. Even so, he stayed where he was, tossing and turning, trying and failing to find any rest. Eventually, quiet footsteps entered and the hammock he lay in shifted as someone sat on the edge of it.

"It looks like he'll live, but I don't know…"

"He will be fine," Kass replied quietly as he opened his eyes, smiling calmingly at Amali.

"Kass, I don't think he'll be able to draw that bow of his again, let alone fly."

"He has a friend who has powerful healing abilities. I have no doubt that she will be able to repair the damage… and hopefully knock some sense into him," Kass replied.

He lay there, refraining from saying anything as an awkward silence settled over them. He was about to say something when Amali finally spoke.

"… I assume you'll be leaving again soon." He winced at the faint note of hurt and bitterness he heard in her voice. He was far luckier than most, with a wife as patient as she; however, he knew that she was quickly reaching her limit. It showed in the way she grew just a bit more distant each time he returned. She needed him just as much as their children did.

At that moment, he felt horribly selfish.

"No," he replied quietly, "I think I'll be staying this time."

He smiled as Amali's eyes widened. He had always loved it when he could surprise her like that. He had seen many fantastic sights in Hyrule, but none were quite as spectacular as the look his wife was giving him at that moment.

Link grimaced, rubbing the back of his head as he paced back and forth across his room in the Snowfield Stable. He had no idea why he was so worked up. Normally, it was a simple matter for him to remain calm, even under the direst of circumstances. Right now, though, he couldn't fight the restlessness that rushed him relentlessly.

They were making as good a time as they could, they had plenty of supplies, including money, and they had a haven from the bitter cold. He even had a horse, which was something he had been meaning to look into for a while. Despite all of it, he couldn't seem to relax in the slightest.

He wanted to believe that Revali was the only one who was occupied his thoughts. The Rito had stormed off, obviously not in the right state of mind. If he wasn't already dead or seriously injured, he would be soon. No matter how fast he and Mipha traveled, they would never be able to catch up to him in time unless, by some miracle, he came back to his senses. The likelihood of that was small, and that was based solely on his travel speed alone; However, Revali was only getting a small amount of his headspace. The rest was taken up by a Zora Princess who was staying in the room next to him.

He wasn't sure why she occupied his mind so. He could only chalk it up to the fact that she was nearby while Revali was far away. Maybe that, or the fact that he could help Revali, but Mipha's troubles were something he couldn't help with. At her worst, the only thing he could do was shake her occasionally, and even that hadn't done much of anything. Then there was her near panic attack earlier that day. He had thought it was a side-effect of whatever had been ailing her yesterday; however, she had made him promise multiple times that he wouldn't leave in the middle of the night. It had been such a problem that he had almost suggested they share a room just to give her some peace of mind.

To make matters even more needlessly complicated, he wasn't even really sure why her problems were stressing him out as they did. For as long as he could remember, he had always done his best to provide when others were in need, regardless of how well he knew them. He believed that it was his obligation to do what he could for others. When there was nothing he could do, he took solace in doing what he could and then letting go. For some reason that was far beyond him, he couldn't let go this time.

The fact that something was clearly wrong with her bothered him. The fact that there was nothing he could do made it even worse rather than providing any relief. It was like he was being called to action, except that the action didn't exist, so he was forced to continue on endlessly until some form of action could be taken. Unfortunately, all he could do was pace back and forth waiting for an unknown opportunity to present itself.

Luckily for him, Mipha had given him a healing elixir earlier that day, which had taken care of most of the worst of his sprain. Even so, she would likely be upset with him if she found him pacing, and so, he flopped on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as his foot bounced ceaselessly.

Determined to find some answer, even a vague one, the Hylian began replaying the events of the past few days over in his mind. The morning that they entered the forest, Mipha had been fine, even a little excitable. He imagined that the excitement had morphed into awe at the sight of the Master Sword and the Deku tree; however, he thought it may have been short-lived. Though he hadn't been able to see himself when drawing the Sacred Blade, he wasn't delusional enough to think he had looked very heroic or strong. He probably looked about how he had felt: on the verge of death.

He frowned as he became distracted by a stray thought. On a whim, he called to mind the images that had helped him remain steadfast while drawing the Blade. He started with Revali, then moved to Urbosa, Daruk, Zelda, then finally, Mipha. His frown deepened as he noticed a consistent pattern among the images. Each lacked a certain depth, a certain dimension that made them come alive. They were frozen in the manner in which he had called them to mind. Even when he made them move, it was stiff and lacked any spark whatsoever.

The one exception to the pattern was Mipha. Her eyes had the same glow that they did in reality. In a stark contrast, her image appeared to have developed a life of its own as it moved fluidly, sometimes smiling at him, sometimes frowning, expressing concern, or reaching out to him. The reds and whites of her scales shone more brilliantly than the colors of Revali's feathers or Urbosa's hair. He shook his head dispelling the images. He had hoped that it would provide more answers for him, but it only left him more confused than it had before.

The Hylian Champion stood up, and promptly left his room, picking up the Master Sword as he did so. He walked out into the cold, clearing a space and lighting a small fire. He then drew the Blade of Evil's bane and held it in front of him. Due to the events of the last couple of days, he hadn't yet taken the time to grow familiar with the Blade again, and, as an aspiring master of swordplay, he knew better than to rush into battle with a weapon that he wasn't accustomed to.

He continued holding the Sword with closed eyes, silently remarking on the impeccable balance it possessed. Many swordsmiths, even after a lifetime of honing their craft, couldn't obtain the same balance the Master Sword had been blessed with.

The hilt also pointed to the skill of the crafter. Many who didn't know what they were doing tried to decorate the hilt of a sword with fine metals or beautiful gems, or they tried to make the cross guard too large, or some other mistake that would inevitably throw off the balance of a weapon. The Master Sword had no such flaws. There were no extra adornments, the cross guard had not been enlarged in some vain attempt to make the wielder more intimidating. Even the length allowed for a two-handed or one-handed grasp depending on his preference.

When he finally had finished admiring the care that had gone into crafting the weapon, he stepped forward and swung the weapon in a simple slashing motion, rotating his pelvis and feet during the swing. It was a basic move, but it accomplished what he needed it to. The Master Sword was almost singing as it cut through the air, coming alive in its own way.

He returned to his resting position before swinging again, then again, and then again. With each swing, he came to understand the weapon a little more. He continued, swinging time and time again, his muscles taking over to carry him through forms and attacks that he couldn't remember learning.

Over and over he went, his worries lost in the endless repetition of swing, falling back to defend, and swinging again. Despite the cold, he began sweating as he exerted himself, pushing his strength and stamina to the limit while still controlling each attack as though there was an unseen enemy in front of him.

He finally returned to a resting stance as he finished his training. He frowned down at the blade he held before him. During the session, he could feel the Blade calling to him, trying to draw closer to him, while at the same time, it was holding him at a distance like it didn't really want him to come any nearer. At first, he couldn't quite cope with the idea that the Blade would have a will of its own, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it began to make. In their own ways, Ruta and Rudania had shown that they possessed something akin to intelligence and willpower. It wasn't much of a stretch to think that a sacred weapon that was said to have been forged by the Goddess herself was all that different.

He shrugged off his doubts as he sheathed the Blade on his back and made his way back into the Stable. Even though his worries had returned, they didn't stress him out as they had before. There was still little he could do for Revali, for Mipha, and his doubts about the Sword on his back persisted. Even so, he would do what he could do for now and hope that the rest would work itself out.

A/N: WHY IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY IS RIDLEY IN SMASh?! I could think of other (Daruk) better (Urbosa) options (Revali) to be in Smash (Mipha)!

... Did anyone catch the Evangelion reference? By the way, I wrote a one-shot that's connected to this story, if anyone's interested. So I guess read and review (that feels so odd to say).

Guest Reviews:

Guest: Revali's got a very... odd way of looking at the world. As it is, he's been putting off with dealing with some things for a long time.