Breakfast started off a bit awkwardly. Urbosa and her father had never really been in the same room since the death of her mother. Impa was her best friend but she rarely came over, since her father didn't like her. Zelda sighed then tapped her glass to get everyone's attention.
"I'd like to propose a toast." Urbosa and Rhoam looked up from their food. Impa looked up from her slate, not particularly fond of either of the adults at the table for how they've treated her. "I want to give you all my thanks. I know a lot has changed recently, but I've never been happier to be here. Nobody at this table has really seen eye to eye, but you set aside for differences for me and I am eternally grateful. Its a weird group of people to be sure, but what matter is that you're all the most important people in my life. I don't know what I did to deserve such loving friends and family." She smiled cheerfully, hoping her message got through to them.
Impa side eyed Urbosa then Rhoam, rolling her eyes playfully. "That was pretty damn cheesy." Under the table, she grabbed Zelda's hand, squeezing it gently.
Rhoam and Ubrosa looked across the table from eachother before nodding their heads respectfully.
Her father spoke first. "I must say, that might be the first time I've ever agreed with Impa. It feels weird to admit." She looked at him nervously before seeing the teasing twinkle in his eye, returning his smile.
Urbosa cleared her throat and raised her glass of juice. "If I had wanted to start breakfast with a speech I would've stayed in Gerudo Town, however, I find no objections. I'm glad I could be apart of your family."
Zelda clasped her hands together and smiled. "Perfect! Now let's dig in before the food gets cold, we have a long day ahead of ourselves Urbosa. I made a promise to someone I intend to keep and I shall require your assistance."
Urbosa quirked an eyebrow but when she didn't receive any further explanation she dropped it. Breakfast went surprisingly smoothly after Zelda's speech. While Urbosa and Rhoam had never spoken much, they general stuck to trading embarrassing stories from Zelda's childhood, much to her dismay. While they both had mixed opinions on Impa it was clear she cared deeply about Zelda and wasn't afraid to call them out when they made mistakes, a fact they regrettably admired.
Once everyone had finished eating and the kitchen was cleaned, her father got a call from work, he almost declined it till Zelda told him that they would be leaving the house soon anyway. She gave him and hug, not missing the way he hugged her extra tight and told her to be careful before heading upstairs to take the call. Zelda pulled Impa to the side, silently whispering to her before she approached Urbosa. "Impa and I will be getting ready upstairs, once we are finished we'll come down and then we can head out. Please ask your friends if they can meet us at the cafe like last time, I'm sure their help will be necessary as well."
Before Urbosa could speak she turned away and headed upstairs with Impa. Urbosa sighed and looked around the room. "I know you're here."
He finally reappeared, regarding her defensively.
"Good. Had you not revealed yourself, I would've been inclined to believe you were spying on my little bird and her friend."
Normally a comment like that from Zelda or Impa would've made him react, but he showed no indication he even heard her. After a few moments he glanced at the clock on the wall before shooting her a look, expecting her to use this time in private to get some answers.
"Very well, since you don't appear to be the talkative type. I take it you're the person she made a promise to. If it requires my help, I wish to know what it is before I even agree. I'd do anything for Zelda, but you? You may have saved her life, but that doesn't mean you don't have ulterior motives."
He narrowed his eyes.
'I seem to have struck a nerve. Either he's irritated that I see right through him, or the implication that he'd harm Zelda. Interesting.' She hummed in thought. "Well? Out with it, before I refuse to help her and take my leave."
The room was growing colder with each passing moment. His calm blue eyes had quickly turned focused and sharp. She exhaled, her breath just barely visible but she looked at him with only mild curiosity.
"She promised to help me recover my lost memory." Each word was level and firm. He could hide his emotions vocally it seemed, but clearly his supernatural state was harder to control.
"Oh? And how would I or my students be of any use? I'm just a professor and they're students. You lived in that castle, did you not?" She questioned with a raise of her eyebrow.
He exhaled, the temperature of the room rising. "Things tend to blur after a couple hundred years of isolation. You're the ones with the equipment."
Urbosa stared him down, tilting her head. "Assuming you recall your memories. What then? Would she have fulfilled her usefulness and you'd leave her alone?"
"No. I have no plans to leave her side."
"Why not? You don't expect to haunt her the rest of her life, do you? That's no way for her to live her life. Are you going to scare off any would be suitors? She's a very gorgeous and bright woman. She will have suitors." She was starting to grow irritated. If he was trying to keep her to himself by force, she would immediately tell Zelda and even Rhoam.
She was surprised when instead of turning hostile or defensive, he smiled.
"I won't have to scare anyone off. Unless they threaten her, of course. I intend to court her."
Urbosa froze. "I beg your pardon?"
"I want to date Zelda. I'm not asking for your permission, just informing you. Whether she accepts or not is not your decision nor is it any of your business."
"You're dead. Why would she ever accept?" She practically sneered.
He crossed his arms. "She would if she reciprocated my feelings."
Urbosa opened her mouth to speak, but he finished from sight. She closed her mouth, internally debating if she should help him. He clearly had a thing for Zelda and she was going out of her way to help him, so much so she would ask her for help.
She frowned then texted her students, asking if they could meet her at the cafe when they met Zelda and to bring any photos or videos from the night at the castle. Daruk and Mipha immediately agreed, not having plans and needing an excuse to leave their dorms. Revali immediately asked why and for what he would be compensated with for his time. She rolled her eyes, knowing he would show up regardless but offered to buy them all lunch, they immediately gave her estimated arrival times before she set her slate down.
A couple minutes later Zelda and Impa came down the stairs in a fresh change of clothes and damp hair. Zelda bowed her head. "Sorry for the wait Urbosa, I trust your talk went well."
She should've known Zelda had planned for their discussion, probably when she had spoken to Impa in private before they went upstairs.
"It was enlightening." She said evenly. "Everyone will be at the cafe before us, so we best head out now."
Impa immediately raised her hand. "I call shotgun!"
"Bullshit! Its Urbosa's car, I get shotgun!" Zelda protested immediately.
What Urbosa hadn't expected while driving them was how fluid their interactions went. She knew Zelda and Impa were good friends, but he seemed to compliment them well. He didn't speak much, but when he did, he was surprisingly witty or insightful. Most of the time however, he didn't respond, merely grunting or giving simple gestures, but neither girl seemed discouraged by it.
When they were half way to their destination Urbosa took a glance in the rear view mirror. Impa had her seatbelt on but had her legs kicked up across the backseat, using his thigh as a foot rest. They were in the middle of an intense pool match on Impa's slate, a game she had no clue why Daruk and Revali loved so much. Impa scowling when she couldn't sink a ball then shoving the slate into his palms. A few moments later he handed it back, having sunk all his balls and the eight ball. Impa protested that he had used his ghost powers to cheat, causing Zelda in the seat next to her to giggle and look back, trying to tell her it was highly unlikely that was the case. Urbosa surprisingly found herself laughing along.
When they pulled up to the cafe they were surprised to find it fairly empty, considering it was the weekend. Sitting in the same area as last time were Revali and Daruk. Daruk waved Zelda over. "Hey! Its great to see you again!" Upon seeing Impa he nodded his head. "I'm Daruk, it's nice to meet you." Impa gave him a fist bump as she greeted hin which she immediately regretted, shaking her wrist after the impact.
Revali narrowed his eyes and scoffed. "Another random teenager? Where do you find these people, Urbosa?"
Impa raised an eyebrow, looking back at Urbosa as well. "What garbage fire did you pull this dude from?"
Revali sputtered in indignation before Impa turned away, as if instantly forgetting his existence. "Aww, where's Mipha? I miss that crazy chick."
The small Zora stepped out of the woman's restroom as if on cue, her face immediately turning red when she spotted them, remembering how much of a fool she made herself look like last they met. 'Oh Hylia, give me strength..'
"Hello, Impa, Zelda." She nodded her head, hoping they had bleached that night from their memories. "Glad to see you you're all doing well."
Urbosa gestured for everyone to sit, pulling up a seat before speaking hesitantly. "Remember that secret 'worst case scenario' I mentioned a bit ago?" She received uncertain nods from her students, their eyes glancing towards Zelda. "Well it happened, and it's a fuck ton more complicated than I had originally thought."
Concern etched across their faces, especially Mipha who grasped Zelda's hand, before they could start interrogating her, Urbosa snapped to get their attention. "I didn't ask you all to come here to help me get rid of him." Zelda perked up at her calling the ghost 'him' and not 'it' like last time.
It was Daruk's turn to be confused. "What? Then why ask us to bring all the photos and videos from that night. We have to help her."
Urbosa fidgeted in her seat with her student's eyes on her. "B-because" she started hesitantly. "we're going to help him." It sounded ludicrous, and she knew it. She nearly flinched at their dumbfounded expressions.
"I'm not helping a ghost possess Zelda. That's completely asinine." Revali sounded offended, Daruk and Mipha quickly agreeing with his sentiments.
Zelda held up her hand. "We're not helping him in that way! Please everyone, relax." It atleast got their attention, but they looked at her skeptically. "The other day he saved my life from a group of Yiga. Had he not interfered I would've been murdered. Urbosa, Mipha, and Impa can attest to that. When I spoke with him he revealed that he doesn't remember anything from before that night in the castle. So I wish to help him recover his memories." She folded her hands on the table, watching their reactions.
Confusion and uncertainty were among their expressions, it was Daruk who spoke first.
"You guys really trust him?" He asked, scratching his beard in thought.
Zelda nodded immediately. "With my life."
Impa grinned and shot a thumbs up. "He's got my seal of approval."
The rest of their eyes fell on Urbosa. She thought back to her earlier conversation with him. He wasn't evil as far as she could tell, cared about Zelda's safety and happiness, and had feelings for her. She was till conflicted about that last part, but reluctantly nodded her head, easing Daruk's and Mipha's fears. Daruk slammed his fist on the table. "Alright then! Count me in!" Mipha nodded her head resolutely. "And me as well."
Everyone turned to Revali who had yet to speak up. His wings were crossed and he scoffed. "As if I would ever help some spirit. He shouldn't even be around, let along trying to get us to solve his problems. Let him rot, I say." A sugar packet bounced off the back of his head. He whirled around, not seeing anyone behind him, but Zelda's and Impa's snickering quickly revealed who the culprit was. "He's here. Isn't he?"
Impa grinned, nodding her head, pointing a thumb at Zelda. "He follows this chick like a lost puppy."
With no cafe workers in sight he manifested behind Zelda. Mipha jumped at his sudden appearance and Revali looked unnerved. Daruk appraised him before smiling. "I'm Daruk! Nice to meet ya, little guy."
He smiled at Daruk, nodding his head in greeting. His eyes moved to Mipha who blushed in embarrassement, refusing to look him in the eye because she might've called him a prostitute in her drunken condition the other night. Not that she'd ever admit it out loud. He smiled at her regardless. Revali and him locked eyes, he thought about doing a hundred different ways to be rude but decided to take the high road, nodding at him. Revali scoffed and looked away.
After the tense introductions, they began trying to help him figure out what he could remember, which wasn't much. Daruk passed out pictures from the castle that they took, most of them of decaying rooms. The only useful information that Daruk could offer was that the stonework in the castle was ancient, like nothing he's ever seen before. He estimated it was well over eight hundred years old, a massive range for a ghost that died when he was seventeen.
Mipha showed them the voice recordings from that night, but they were nearly useless since they were hunting a ghost that rarely spoke, either dead silence or their own voices. She apologized meekly but Zelda thanked her regardless.
Lastly was Revali, he pulled his pride and joy from his bag, an expensive camera that he loved to use. The first couple videos were just of the interior of the castle. One of the videos was when he was talking with Urbosa, he mentioned a pretty Rito he saw on campus, quickly reaching across the table he fast forwarded, clearing his throat into his wing. The next video was in the collapsed chamber, the large static obscuring most of the screen till Impa gasped, grabbing the camera despite Revali's objections. She scrutinized the fuzzy image, rewinding and fast forwarding several times before she paused it, a static filled view of the master sword.
"I've seen this before, back in Kakariko. In one of the elder's rooms. I broke in to steal my slate back and I found an open false passage, there was a lot of old documents and some kinda decayed banner in a picture frame. But I think this was on the banner!"
Zelda gasped, standing up and grasping Impa's hand. "Let's go then!" She grabbed his hand as well, quickly pulling him away from scrutinizing the sword and practically dragging both of them toward the door before remembering their ride was still sitting at the table. "You guys coming or what!?"
Revali scowled and turned his head. "This is above my pay grade."
Mipha declined in a much more polite minor. "Sorry, this seems like a personal matter, it wouldn't be right for us to intrude."
Daruk nodded his head in agreement. "Count us in on the next adventure! The dorms get pretty boring!"
Zelda quickly thanked them for their time and work before dragging her willing hostages out the door, calling for Urbosa to hurry up. Daruk looked at her.
"Think those three are going to be alright? They're a weird bunch."
Urbosa sighed and looked out the window, seeing Zelda bouncing excited by her car, waiting for her to come out. She could see her mouth speaking a mile a minute as the other two nodded their heads as they listened to her theories about the Sheikah banner.
"I'd say the absolute weirdest part out of all of this is how easily they seem to fit and work together. Zelda and Impa became best friends almost immediately and have stuck by eachother no matter what. Then this mystery guy comes along, and you'd think they all knew eachother from the start." She added quietly. "Its like they've done this a thousand times."