"You gotta be kidding me!"
Daruk rumbled through the back alleyways of Hyrule Castle Town, grunting and cursing in fear as the terrible creature pursued him with a vicious bloodlust he'd never before faced. He turned the corner, knocking over a small fruit stand and sending apples and bananas flying every which way. The toppled stand did little to slow the pursuing beast, which continued to dart after Daruk at incredible pace. Crowds of people scattered to get out of the way of this unstoppable, lumbering goron as he finally exploded out of the alleyways and back into the town square. He stumbled onto his stomach, shaking the earth as he hit the ground. He quickly spun around onto his back, holding his hands up in fear as the awful thing leaped through the air and straight towards his face-
SHOOM!
-But suddenly, an enormous red force-field erupted from Daruk's inner being, creating a multi-faced wall of protection around him. The diving creature instantly bounced off of the shield and rocketed across the town square, limbs flailing about like a tossed ragdoll. It soared through the air for several moments before finally landing smoothly in the center fountain with a tiny splash. After a few seconds, Daruk deactivated his shield, slowly climbed to his feet, and shook his head.
"Stupid dog…" he said. "Makin' me look bad…"
"Spike? Spike?" a young boy's voice cried from nearby. "That's weird… I coulda sworn I just heard him…" the boy caught sight of Daruk, then sprinted directly towards him. "Hey mister-" he arrived at Daruk's feet, staring up at him with a clueless expression. "Have you seen my puppy? I've been lookin' for him all day!"
"Oh uh…" Daruk coughed nervously. "I think I… just saw one in the fountain… over there…" he pointed out to the center of the square, and the boy's face lit up with joy.
"Thanks so much!" He cried. He turned to leave, then backpedaled to stare up at Daruk again. "Hey wait a minute, you're… the Goron Champion, aren't you?"
Daruk nodded.
" Wow! You're my favorite! You're so cool!"
Daruk scratched his head nervously. "Um, yeah. Thanks." He straightened up, placed his hands on his hips and puffed his large chest out. "Stay out of trouble, you hear? There's…uh, dangerous creatures around. And stuff." The boy giggled at him, then sprinted off to retrieve his dog. "Will do!" he shouted back.
Daruk sighed in relief as he glanced around the square in embarrassment. Fortunately, it seemed nobody had taken notice of the ludicrous scene. He continued to scan the town square in wonder, and after some time he finally realized why nobody was staring at him. It seemed they were all distracted by something… someone…
He froze. A massive crowd of people were gathering at the entrance of Castle Town. It was reminiscent of Link and Zelda's earlier arrival - only this time, it was mostly older Hylian men and a large number of Zora and Rito gathering there.
"That can only mean one thing…" Daruk said to himself. He immediately made his way towards the entrance of Castle Town, careful to look out for any unwanted canine guests lurking about.
"Oh... well, hello! It is a pleasure to meet you all!" Mipha smiled awkwardly at the large group gathering before her. In addition to the numerous Hylians and Rito present, there was quite a large number of Zora here that she didn't recognize, all hailing from various domains far away from her own.
"Lady Mipha! You've finally arrived! How was the journey?" someone shouted.
"Mipha! You're even more beautiful in-person!"
"We love you Mipha!"
Mipha blushed lightly. She did her best to shyly acknowledge everyone there to greet her, but she found herself trapped at the entrance, unsure of how to proceed - and struggling mightily to maintain her composure. If Muzu had been here, it would have been yet another rare time where his overbearing nature would have come in handy. But he and the other elders were busy attending the annual Zora Summit out at sea, so King Dorephan had granted Mipha the opportunity to travel to Hyrule Castle unaccompanied. She was starting to regret it.
Mipha scanned the people around her, glanced at her left, and did a double-take in surprise.
In the midst of the chaos, one handsome young man stood there to greet her. A great big smile was present across his face. He was blonde, blue-eyed, lightly tanned, and...
...not Link. Mipha laughed internally at her mistake, then she sighed as she looked over this familiar stranger. In his hands was a large collection of loose papers and tattered books, giving him a bit of a scattered appearance. She found that his otherwise calm demeanor and his looks seemed to draw her in with comfortable ease. For whatever reason.
He seems approachable, she thought. Perhaps I might gain some information from him.
"Excuse me, sir…" she said. The young man's eyes perked up as she addressed him. "...Not that I'm...displeased by the warm greetings. But if I may ask, how… does everyone recognize me?"
The young man smiled back. "Well, you're the Zora Champion of course! How could we not? "
Mipha tilted her head curiously. "I mean… I have only ever visited here a single time as a Champion. And it was a rather short visit at that-"
"Ah!" The young man laughed, reaching into his cluster of papers and pulling out a large poster. "Seems you haven't seen the announcement!" He offered the poster to Mipha, who grabbed it and spun it around in her hands. As she examined it carefully, she found herself holding back a small giggle.
It was an advertisement for the upcoming Champion Celebration, which apparently sought the presence of all the citizens of Hyrule, far and wide. And below the announcement was an elaborate illustration of all of the Champions. It was quite well-done, she had to admit - aside from some rather glaring inaccuracies that stood out to her...
In the drawing, Urbosa appeared roughly eight feet tall. Revali was a bit too dashingly good-looking, and missing his ridiculous blush-like red feathers on his face. Link was… actually, handsome and chiseled as ever.
...That one's dead-on at least...
Daruk was nothing more than a blob of brown with a face drawn on it, which somehow didn't surprise her. And as for Mipha herself, well…
She couldn't help but roll her eyes. This doesn't resemble me in the slightest, she thought as she glanced over the image. I'm not nearly this tall…
...Or this bulgey! She nearly snorted out a laugh as she examined the exaggerated features - particularly those in the torso area - and she draped her arm across her chest absentmindedly. It seemed Link had been telling the truth before. Hylians did seem to put a premium on those who were more... 'well-endowed,' as he'd put it. Still, it seemed that her fans were not in the least bit bothered by her relatively mundane real-life features. Even if she didn't quite measure up to their expectations.
"Could you um… sign it for me? I'm a huge fan!" the blonde young man said, holding out a pre-filled quill pen.
"Oh, well, certainly!" She grabbed the pen and began to sign the poster, smiling politely as she did. "Although I must be honest. I feel that this is a rather... comically inaccurate representation of me to say the least..." She handed the pen and poster back, and the man instantly frowned at her words.
"I'm the one who drew it," he said.
Mipha's eye twitched slightly.
"All right all right, that's enough," a booming voice shouted. "Just roll on out of here, you lot!"
Furious stomps reverberated in the distance, and the crowd turned in time to see a huge, angry Daruk rumbling their way. They immediately scattered in fear as this intimidating goron finally came to the rescue. Mipha looked up at Daruk, smiling warmly.
Just in time, she thought. Thank Hylia...
"Boy, these creeps sure don't know how to leave a little lady alone," he said, as he scratched the back of his head. "You all right?"
Mipha giggled into the back of her wrist. "I'm doing just fine. And I certainly appreciate your help, Daruk."
"Don't mention it!" He replied. He looked around the square to make sure it was clear, then spun on his heels to lead Mipha back to Hyrule Castle. "We'd better head on up though, I'm sure the king will want to start the meeting as soon as possible, now that you've finally arrived…" Mipha ran up alongside him and nodded in agreement. She pulled a black hooded shawl from her bag and quickly donned it, in hopes of drawing less attention to herself. After a moment, Daruk glanced down at her. "So how was the trip?" he asked. "Are you tired? Get into any good fights?!"
Mipha perked up. "Ah, I feel just fine actually, thank you for asking. As for getting into fights, well…" she briefly looked back at the Lightscale Trident strapped to her back, which gleamed brightly in the afternoon sun. Then she looked back at Daruk. "Just a handful of monster encounters, now and then, here and there." She waved him off. "Nothing I couldn't handle…"
Daruk pumped his fist. "I'll bet!"
"And how are you faring yourself?" Mipha asked. "I noticed you were quite winded when you approached me earlier. You seemed a bit startled as well. Is everything alright…?"
"Let's not talk about that."
"Oh... okay."
"Anyway…" he said, quickly changing the subject, "everyone else has already arrived. But I guess Link and the others are too busy attending to their own matters right now-"
Link...!
"-Which means you'll just have to put up with me as your chaperone instead." Daruk grinned apologetically. "Sorry about that!"
Mipha shook her head. "It's no problem," she said. "You will more than suffice, although I will say a chaperone seems hardly necessary-"
Daruk laughed. "I dunno, after seeing that scene with all your 'fans' earlier, I gotta disagree. Respectfully. "
"Point taken…"
"Plus, all that aside... I actually wanted to be the first one to greet you when you arrived! Glad it worked out that way."
Mipha smiled happily at Daruk's brotherly affection. She was really quite comfortable with his presence, and was simply more concerned with burdening him than anything else. But she certainly welcomed his insistent company, as she found him very easy to talk to. His kind nature, his selfless personality, and his honest desire to look after others had always endeared him to her - and those traits also reminded her of a certain Hylian boy to boot.
"Has the honor of your warm greeting been reserved for every champion in our order?" Mipha asked.
Daruk shrugged. "Well, only for the ones that I actually like!"
To this, Mipha found herself stifling a laugh. She knew precisely who Daruk was referring to, but-
"While there are surely some preferences that we may have developed for our fellow champions," Mipha said, "I do find it rather... counterproductive to be vocalizing our grievances out in the open..."
Daruk laughed off her concern. "Ha ha! Oh, don't mind me, I'm just joking around. Really! I like all of you guys just fine." His gigantic hand patted Mipha's covered head with a surprisingly gentle touch. "Some of you just… really grate my gravel, if you know what I mean…"
As they made their way through the square, Mipha noticed another crowd gathering in the distance. With Daruk fending off any of her would-be stalkers, the crowds flocked madly to the only remaining Champion who welcomed their attention:
Revali.
He'd been there all afternoon, relishing the attention and the opportunity to show off his abilities in the most flamboyant, confident manner possible. But now he was crouched on the ground, both wings spread on either side in the midst of a crowd of adoring fans. It appeared he was gathering his energy, waiting for the right moment...
Suddenly, an enormous, swirling pillar of air shot up into the sky around him. Revali leapt from his feet and spun up through the whirlwind at incredible speed. The crowd cheered in excitement at his special maneuver, and at the peak of his launch he spread his wings and flew into a series of aerial stunts and flips. After a moment of this, he finally ended his show and began to glide away in the direction of Hyrule Castle, leaving behind a group of longing fans.
Daruk rolled his eyes at the scene before him. "Speaking of grating… does that guy ever get tired of cheesing up the place every time he arrives?"
Mipha suppressed yet another laugh, but she remained silent.
Daruk glanced at Mipha then rubbed his nose. "That poor guy just doesn't get it. He's so jealous of Link that he doesn't know what to do with himself! Too bad my brother is at least ten times the hero Revali will ever be." He turned to face Mipha and grinned. "Wouldn't you agree, little lady?"
Mipha shrugged. "...As I implied before… I am loathe to openly criticize my fellow Champions…"
At this, Daruk suddenly exploded with raucous laughter.
"So it's a yes then!"
Back in Zelda's chambers, Urbosa sat on the bed with the princess's head resting lightly on her lap. The princess fought back her tears, as the Gerudo chief gave her best efforts to soothe her.
"Now, now little bird," Urbosa said, with a rare gentle tone, "you know the king means well. He just…"
"He just doesn't understand!" Zelda snapped. "You don't understand!" She sat straight up, brushed Urbosa's hand away. "And stop speaking to me like you're my mother! You're not!"
Urbosa had no reaction to Zelda's sudden outburst. She merely sat in silence and allowed the princess to cool off on her own for a moment. After a few seconds, the gravity of what Zelda had said finally pulled her right back to the earth. She looked in Urbosa's eyes, dangerously close to tears now, then stared at the ground.
"I'm… sorry Urbosa. You've been so supportive of me for all these years. Truly, as good to me as my own mother would be. I don't know what I was thinking, I didn't mean to-"
"I miss her too, princess," Urbosa interrupted, pulling Zelda into a loving embrace. "When the queen died, I lost a lot more than just a friend. I lost a sister." Zelda returned Urbosa's embrace and opened her mouth to respond. But she found no words.
"Your father…" Urbosa continued, "coped with her death in the best way he knew - by taking shelter in his responsibilities to the Kingdom of Hyrule." She ran her fingers across Zelda's head as she spoke. "And therein lies the problem. He needs to learn to be a father first... and a king second..." She shrugged. "Perhaps in time, he'll grow to realize that family is far, far more important than politics."
Just down the hall Link exploded out of the royal chambers, sprinting quietly down the corridor as fast as he could manage…
"...After all, there's no point in government," Urbosa said, "if you aren't surrounded by the people that you love, right?"
Link slid down the banister of the massive stairwell leading down past the dining hall. Mipha had surely arrived by now, likely being overwhelmed by unwanted attention due to those ridiculous posters advertising the Champion celebration.
That drawing didn't resemble her in the slightest… he thought. She's way prettier than that.
At any rate, he just hoped he could at least make it into the town square to greet her, before anyone did anything weird to her-
"Slow down!"
Link looked to his right and skidded to a halt. A tall, well-dressed Sheikah man was shouting at him. The court poet…? What's his deal?
"I don't care if you're the Hylian Champion, or even the king himself," the poet said. "We do have rules to abide by here in the castle…" He appeared to take great pleasure in lecturing him, but Link hardly noticed it; he just wanted to get a move on already. He nodded apologetically, saying nothing at first. Despite the severe irritation bubbling inside, Link knew he had to at least try to mind his manners. While this was only the court poet, the man did have some clout and authority within the Royal Court of nobles. The very last thing Link wanted was to get in trouble with them. Again.
"Understood," Link finally said, breaking the awkward silence. "May I go?"
The poet smiled. "Perhaps…" he pulled out his accordion. "But only after hearing my song. You will, won't you? After all… you did interrupt my performance with the princess earlier. It will take just a minute…"
You have got to be kidding me.
Link crossed his arms, staring blankly at the poet as he closed his eyes, cleared his throat slowly, and began to play…
"The princess, beautiful and fair,
Assigned a guard who does not care,
This appointed knight, so calm, so cold,
Could never match up with the hero of old.
Calamity threatens to rouse itself awake,
But is our chosen hero real, or is he a fake?
Four worthy Champions boldly guard his back,
To cover what our precious knight so lacks.
But fierce and deadly trials await,
And the boy might yet meet with a terrible fate..."
The poet stopped, laughed proudly to himself, then smiled. "A bit somber, to be sure. But I imagine that you-" He opened his eyes and frowned.
Nobody was there.
Link turned the corner quietly, saw that no one was watching, then sprinted down the corridor at mach speed. He slowed down enough to creep past the generals' chambers without a sound, and then ran through an open hallway towards a staircase which lead to the roads below.
At this rate, there probably won't be any time to see her before the meeting, he lamented. But he shook off his fears, glancing briefly at the sun outside. He still had an hour to go before the meeting started, so perhaps there was still a chance - if he took a few shortcuts. He turned his head back to the direction he was running-
BLAM!
-Just in time to collide forcefully with a random pedestrian heading the opposite direction, sending them both sprawling towards the ground in a heap. Link immediately sprung to his feet, looked down at the ground to apologize to-
Revali...?!
The Rito champion glared up at Link painfully, but quickly composed himself. "Well if it isn't Hyrule's favorite 'hero,'" he sneered at Link as he dusted himself off and climbed to his feet. "Unruly and uncouth as ever it seems..."
I don't have time for this.
Link made a move to the staircase entrance, but Revali stepped in front of him. "Looks like you're in a hurry." He said, as he crossed his wings and grinned. "Why don't you just simply… fly wherever you need to go? It's much faster after all... Oh, what's that? You can't. Right..."
Link stood in front of Revali, staring blankly and offering no response. Revali spread his wings out majestically and shook his head. "Isn't it ridiculous? Here I am, able to soar gracefully to wherever I am needed at a moment's notice, unmatched in mobility, speed and strength. My combat prowess is superb, I'm well-versed in all weapon disciplines and yet… they chose you, in all your inability, to be the one who saves our fair land." He turned away briefly, crossing his wings and scoffing as he did. "What a joke."
Link looked away himself, staring at the large window next to him as Revali continued his pointless monologue. The castle's main road was at least fifty feet below. A large tree swayed back and forth along the castle wall near him.
Link shrugged. Eh. Why not. He jumped out the open window.
"Your silence speaks volumes," Revali continued. "Just admit it, you don't deserve to be the chosen one..." He turned his head back to face-
No one.
Link flew threw the air just outside the window, diving steadily down towards the nearby tree. He'd done this hundreds of times before. He just needed to grab the nearest branch, swing around, and-
Oops. Missed it.
He continued to plummet towards the ground at breakneck speed, bracing himself for the landing. But at the very last-second he reached out with his right arm, managing to grab one final branch. It bent downward, breaking his fall briefly, before abruptly snapping under the intense pressure. He was sent straight to the ground, landing painfully hard on the road below with a loud crack. Somewhat dazed, he looked down at his right ankle and groaned internally. It was twisted awkwardly, likely fractured.
Now what?
"It appears... that old habits simply never die…" A gentle, feminine voice sounded off from behind Link. His blood instantly froze. He slowly turned his head around, held back a wide grin.
A figure stood above him, accompanied by Daruk and cloaked in a black shawl. It was quite a good disguise, he had to admit. But there was no mistaking her voice, her height, her skin color… and her piercing yellow eyes that seemed to shimmer and shine through the darkness of her hooded face.
Mipha pulled back at the hood and smiled warmly. "Greetings, Master Link. It is good to see you. Might I offer up a healing hand?"
Link looked around, saw that Daruk was the only other person present, and smiled lightly. "Ah, ahem, hello Lady Mipha," he said, playing perfectly off of her formal demeanor. "That would be quite appreciated indeed."
Daruk silently stared down at the pair, and Mipha immediately crouched down in front of Link and began to heal him. It was an innocent gesture, entirely professional. To the untrained eye, there was nothing ulterior about it. Yet as he looked on, Daruk felt the entire atmosphere around him subtly change. It was imperceptible, barely noticeable. But he knew.
For just a split second, in that very moment, Link and Mipha were the only two people in the entire world.
"I'll catch up with you two at the Champion's meeting," Daruk said. "I... think I left my scarf back… um, somewhere." He wanted to offer a wink, thought better of it, and continued up the castle pathway on his own.
Mipha finished up her healing, took her hand away from Link's ankle. But she didn't move.
Link spared a glance both ways, saw that nobody was around. Grinning widely, he calmly reached over and placed his hand atop Mipha's head.
Now alone with the person most dear to her, Mipha could no longer contain her own incredible excitement either. She dove onto Link, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck in a warm and loving embrace.
The late afternoon quickly gave way to evening, and darkness settled in swiftly around Hyrule Castle. Lit torches bathed the halls and tunnels in their orange glow, lighting the way to the throne room of the castle - the location of the meeting of the Champions.
Link made his way to the throne room, leading several units of soldiers under his command. They were the first to arrive, quickly lining up around the outer perimeter of the huge room.
Mipha arrived next, offering a respectful nod to Link as she entered. Zelda and Urbosa followed shortly behind, and the three stood in the center of the room to mingle for a bit. Link saluted his soldiers, then headed over to join his fellow Champions. The designated meeting time came and went, and Daruk and Revali still had yet to arrive. Fortunately, the king himself also seemed to be running late.
Mipha and Link spared a quick glance at each other before turning away. They stood there calmly for some time, staring straight ahead at the empty throne above them. A brief lull settled into the room, and an awkward silence followed. The mood felt somber, almost eerie, as the glowing torches mounted on the walls caused countless amorphous shadows to bounce and sway across the dimly lit room. It was quite mesmerizing, though it did little to break the tension that was starting to grow throughout the assembly.
Sensing something was off, Urbosa finally spoke up. "Daruk, I can understand being late. That's typical. But Revali… hmmm…" she paused in thought for a second, then she smiled. "Ah! Knowing him, he's doing this on purpose... waiting for the right moment. Which means…" she turned her head to face the large windows high up towards the tall ceiling of the enormous throne room. "...He should be arriving right about…" she snapped her fingers. "...Now."
One of the windows suddenly burst open as Revali darted inside the throne room, flipping several times, before landing on his feet just in front of Mipha. He spread his wings dramatically, staring down at her with a cocky grin on his face. "Well hello there!" he said. "I… have arrived." He bowed his head in Mipha's direction. "And I must say, you look quite ravishing tonight!"
CRAAASH!
The main doors to the throne room were blown off their hinges as Daruk hastily rumbled his way inside. "Sorry I'm late guys," he said, panting. "I got lost." He bent over with his hands on his knees briefly as he caught his breath, then he made his way over to the rest of the Champions. He looked up, saw that the king himself was still absent. "Looks like I lucked out though," he said. "I think King Rhoam got lost too!"
A chorus of laughter sounded out from the soldiers standing around the room, but they quickly composed themselves. Meanwhile, a large frown had grown across Revali's face from the very moment Daruk had entered. He seemed quite angered by his entrance being spoiled by the unruly goron, and he crossed his wings and stared daggers at his fellow Champion.
"And so, the great oaf himself appears," he sneered. "As always, without even a fraction of my considerable elegance." He waved the tip of his wing in the air for emphasis. "I swear, you carry yourself with all the grace of a drunken cow."
"Ooooh…" The guards around them began to chatter among themselves. Link considered commanding his soldiers to be silent, but he found himself wanting to see just how this whole thing would play out.
Daruk shrugged. "Oh, save it for the comedy club, Revali. I've used toothpicks bigger than you."
"Ohhhh!" The guards began to break rank, holding each other back as they tried to contain their excitement.
"That's enough, boys," Urbosa suddenly said, crossing her arms and staring at Daruk and Revali. "We will be in the presence of the king soon, and we must show our respect." She shrugged. "You're a bit too old to be sizing each other up anyway." Disappointed, the soldiers began to straighten up and return to their positions. Urbosa turned away, closed one eye, and stared back at them with a smile. "Besides… I once defeated three voe tougher than both of you combined… with nothing but a writing quill."
"OOOOOOH!" The guards erupted in cheers and shouts, spilling over each other in mock fainting spells and raucous laughter at Urbosa's burn. Link didn't bother trying to reign them in, as he too was holding back his own laughter. Even Zelda herself was giggling quietly to the side, vainly trying to compose herself. Revali, Daruk, and Urbosa then turned to face the meek and quiet Mipha, awaiting her own response. But the Zora princess held up her hands in mock defeat - after all, she didn't have a single mean-spirited bone in her entire body.
But then she looked around carefully, noticed the expectant eyes of everyone around her...
"I… um, well…" she stood up straight, stuck her chin out.
"I… can swim much faster... than any of you!" She lightly punched the air in front of her.
"...Boom."
"SNRKPH!" Link snorted loudly, while the other champions stood in awkward silence for a brief second. Finally, all three began to laugh boisterously in unison, along with Zelda and the other guards. Their laughter continued for several moments, just as the king finally entered the throne room, accompanied by several of his generals.
"AHEM," Rhoam coughed loudly. The sound echoed throughout the large chamber. But other than Link, Zelda, and Mipha, the other Champions didn't hear him. It was only when the other three noticed that they were the last ones still standing that they finally realized their grave mistake. They quickly gathered themselves, snapped to attention, and took a knee in respect as the king began to address them.
"First, I would like to extend the warmest of greetings to our welcomed guests, the Champions of Hyrule!" He extended his arms as he spoke, and the Hylian soldiers present all began to clap politely in unison.
"I must also congratulate you for a job well done," he continued. "With the divine beasts in working order, we are now that much closer to being prepared for the return of Calamity Ganon. And all the more important, given the sudden resurgence of monster sightings around the land, which I believe portend his arrival…" he gestured in Zelda's direction. "Princess Zelda? If you would."
She stood up straight. "Yes, during my travels with the Hylian Champion, we encountered a variety of hostile creatures that have not been seen in several centuries. The Yiga Clan has also been sighted with greater frequency all over the land. I imagine our fellow Champions can corroborate this information…"
Daruk nodded. "It's true. Seen a bunch of nasty creatures all over Death Mountain recently. Same with the Yiga. And also, when Link and Zelda stopped by before, Death Mountain actually rumbled! Hasn't happened in a long time. I think that's a pretty clear sign too…"
"Thank you Daruk," Rhoam said. "It has become clear that our efforts to prepare must increase considerably. Our Sheikah advisors continue to uncover new technology every day, and I've requested that we ramp up such activities. As for our military..." he waved to his left, summoning one of his generals nearby. "...General Krant here has suggested we also bolster our defense force. According to reports, these monsters have been growing bolder with each passing day, and it's only a matter of time before they begin invading our cities as well…"
"Indeed," Krant said, now standing at attention next to Rhoam. "As such, and with approval from our king of course, we have made the decision to begin sending Hyrule's Champions out on patrol. We feel that it would be good for our people's morale to see their heroes in action up-close. We also feel it would benefit us if you built a bit of… team chemistry. So to speak."
The Champions all looked at each other, smiling awkwardly. Link remained stoic, fighting back the urge to roll his eyes. This was a blatant show of propaganda, through and through, and the king wasn't even trying to hide this fact. Still, Link supposed that if they were at least doing something productive, it wouldn't be all that bad.
Meanwhile, Mipha processed the news and found herself fighting back a small smile. After all, if the Champions were to begin traveling together on missions, then this could mean that she would finally get an opportunity to spend a bit more time with Link!
"However-" Rhoam said, interrupting Mipha's thoughts, "I must make the announcement now... that Captain Link and Princess Zelda will not be accompanying you."
Mipha's joy shattered instantly.
"Zelda's training must continue, as we have yet to unlock her sealing power. She and her appointed knight must visit the Spring of Power in Akkala as soon as possible. It is our hope and prayer that she will finally provide us with the missing piece we need to feel confident about our preparation. They will set out shortly after the Champion's Celebration tomorrow." He cleared his throat. "Speaking of which-"
Zelda blushed in anger. She couldn't believe her father was putting her on the spot like this, and she felt incredibly ashamed at her failure once more. Urbosa began to reach over to comfort her, but resisted. She didn't want to embarrass Zelda any further in front of the king...
"-about the Celebration." Rhoam crossed his arms and stared out at the Champions. "Eight o'clock in the morning, sharp. The Imperial training grounds are being prepared as we speak, and we anticipate quite a large audience from all over the land. There will be a parade, some weapons demonstrations, a bit of sparring... and a nice little surprise at the end, of course." He grinned. "What better way to instill hope in the people of Hyrule, than to show them the sheer strength of our military... and of course, our mighty Champions?"
General Krant appeared to be beaming at the King's statements. It occurred to Link that the whole thing was probably his idea in the first place. Krant was a rather proud soldier, and he would relish any opportunity to show off Hyrule's military might to the general public.
"You will each be receiving an itinerary of the morning's events, though you will not be required to study. Advisors will be on-hand to guide you through the proceedings. All we ask from you, is that you don't somehow shed all of your considerable talent overnight!" This mild joke produced laughter from the room, but the king raised a hand to silence them.
"And I believe that's all we had. You will be briefed on your first assignments after the event tomorrow. Any questions?"
Yes, Link thought, scowling slightly. Why are we wasting so much time with this? A quick glance over at Mipha's expression proved that they were thinking precisely the same thing.
"Very well then." Rhoam said. "I expect to see you all there early tomorrow." He turned to leave, but looked back as he departed, his voice echoing through the enormous throne room. "Oh, and do try to lay off the silly teasing, if you would. You are a team after all!"
Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa stared at each other and sneered.
The attendees were all quickly dismissed from the meeting, dispersing back to their respective chambers for the night. Accompanied by Zelda, the Champions soon found themselves back in the common room of the royal suites they were staying in. As usual Link and Mipha stood quietly on opposite ends of the room, hesitant to interact with so many others around. Also as usual, Daruk and Revali began to exchange hostile pleasantries with one another.
"I don't get you at all, Revali," Daruk said. "I think it's a great idea!"
Revali rolled his eyes. "I suppose someone so easily amused by the simplest things would certainly think that way," he said.
"You callin' me stupid?" Daruk asked.
Revali stepped back, placed his hand across his chest. "Why Daruk, I wouldn't dare make light of someone's cognitive limitations. And certainly not yours, specifically."
"So it's a yes then," Daruk said, pounding his fist into his palm and grinning menacingly.
"Now now boys, you heard the king," Urbosa said, wrapping her arms around both of their necks. "We need to play nice with each other for the time being." She looked to either side at both of them, then shrugged. "Besides, we have an entirely different matter to settle anyway…"
"And what's that?" Daruk asked.
She crossed her arms, grinning deviously. "What's our plan for tonight? A night on the town? Yeah? Sounds good to me!"
Daruk laughed. "I dunno, after Revali's near-death experience the last time we went out, I'm not sure he can handle it!"
But Revali didn't take the bait. In fact, he actually grinned back. "I think that is a splendid idea!" He turned towards Link, who stood awkwardly off to the side wearing his trademark stoic expression. "And perhaps our Hylian hero over here would like to join us this time. After all, it was his seventeenth birthday a few weeks back!"
Urbosa smiled widely. "Really? I had no idea!" She bowed her head respectfully. "Then I offer you a belated birthday greeting, Master Link. And with that, it seems we definitely have cause to celebrate tonight! All the more reason to join us, hmm?"
"Absolutely!" Revali said. He said this as if he had something incredibly sour in his mouth. "You deserve a nice night to... let loose and relax, don't you think?"
Link just shrugged and stared blankly at Revali. The wily Rito really wasn't half as clever as he thought he was. This uncharacteristic kindness was just as phony as his typically excessive bravado, and it was clear to Link that he probably had something sinister in mind for the night - some underlying motive for dragging him out of the castle under the guise of celebration.
But it hardly mattered. He had no intention of joining them anyway. Though he was now legally considered an adult, he was still a few years under the legal drinking age. There was also the issue of his military curfew, which still applied to him when he was present at Hyrule Castle.
And besides all that, he thought, I've got some other plans in mind for tonight... His eyes shifted to Mipha, who briefly met his gaze before they both turned away. Yet again, it seemed they were both thinking the same thing at the same time.
"There is of course, the problem of Link's age," Revali said. "He's still too young to drink after all. Perhaps a fake identification would-"
"Actually, I can help with that!" Zelda interjected. "Give me a bit of time, and I can pen a formal letter granting him official leave. And I can promise you that any decent bar in town would be loathe to deny an official pardon from the royal family…"
"It's settled then!" Revali cried, spreading his wings dramatically. "Link shall be accompanying us tonight!" If Revali had nostrils, Link figured they'd be flaring in devious excitement by now.
"Yes!" Daruk said. "This is gonna be a real blast!"
"Indeed!" Zelda said, smiling. "I just wish that I could join you..." She turned to face Link. "But it will be good for you to spend time with your fellow Champions, I believe. Especially since…" her smile faded slightly, "...since this will be the last time we will be seeing them for awhile. So!" She brightened up again. "Please go out… and have some fun in my stead!"
Link shook his head. But Zelda was having absolutely none of it.
"No, no, no, you're not getting out of this one. In the entire time I've known you, I have yet to see you enjoy yourself in any way." She looked away briefly. "Well, other than when you're eating I suppose…" she mumbled. "Regardless! I will not allow you to decline."
Link shook his head again. An angry scowl appeared on Zelda's face. She placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out.
"Ahem! Fine then. As my appointed knight I hereby command you to go out there and have yourself a good time!"
Link frowned slightly. This was dirty, pulling the royalty card on him like that. Seemed he had no choice now. He cringed internally at the thought of spending the entire night wasting time doing something so incredibly juvenile, but he supposed that at the very least, he could avoid drinking altogether and simply act as a de facto chaperone for his fellow Champions.
They're probably going to need one anyway...
He looked up, saw that Zelda was still waiting for his response. And he finally nodded, much to her delight. "Excellent. Now it's truly settled," she said.
"And how about you, Mipha?" Revali said. The Zora princess snapped back to attention, having been deep in thought as she considered Link's plight. Her eyes narrowed when she realized it was Revali who was questioning her.
"Lady Mipha," she corrected.
"Ah yes, my apologies. Lady Mipha, will you be joining us tonight-"
"Yes!" she cried out, causing Revali to recoil slightly with joy and surprise. Mipha's eyes snapped back to Link for a split second, then back to Revali. "Er, I mean, certainly. It would be my pleasure to accompany you all. Let us take good care of each other, okay?"
"All right!" Daruk shouted. "Link and Mipha?! And here I was thinking I was gonna get stuck with these two again," he said, pointing back at Revali and Urbosa with his thumb. Urbosa playfully wrinkled her nose back, while Revali simply ignored him.
"It should be quite a fun night indeed," Zelda said, as she made her way to the main door of the guest suites. "I'll have Link's pardon letter prepared and sent to your chambers within the hour." She stood in the doorway, looking back at them all. Quite like her father, Zelda's voice echoed back through the chambers as she took her leave. "But I must warn you. Do try to stay out of trouble, if you can help it. After all… you'll want to keep your reputations as Champions well-intact, right?"
Urbosa spared a glance at Daruk, then she shrugged lightly.
"Well... that sure sounded like some obvious foreshadowing, wouldn't you say?"
Next is Memories of Mipha Part 9: Hylian Miscreant.
