"Sometimes, I'm amazed that they've survived as long as they have." The Rito Champion rolled his eyes as Prince Sidon hefted both Link and Mipha off the ground in a bear hug. While he had started to think that Link was too stubborn to die, judging by how blue the Hylian Champion's face was, he had finally met his match.

"Sometimes, I'm amazed that they still put up with you."

"That's funny, I don't remember you being so mouthy."

"A lot's changed since you disappeared," Teba replied.

"… Sorry."

"What?"

Revali found he was unable to look his pupil in the eye. So, he folded his wings and looked away, glaring at the ground as he forced himself to speak. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone. I… I know how hard that can be."

He watched as the white Rito looked away, folding his own wings as he uttered a noise from somewhere deep in his throat. "… You didn't really leave me alone. Kaneli took me under his wing and even let me use the Flight Range after you were gone." Teba chuckled ruefully. "I guess the old bird has a habit of taking in outcasts, doesn't he?"

"Yes, I suppose he does."

The Rito Champion finally looked up to find Urbosa and Lady Riju speaking quietly. Though she hid it well, he could see the excitement in the girl's eyes as she spoke to her predecessor. He found himself chuckling as he watched the woman brush a strand of her still soaking hair out of her face. At first, when Link had suggested a bucket of water as their plan of attack, Revali had been disappointed. Now, he had to hand it to his fellow Champion. It was far funnier than he had imagined, especially as a group of Gerudo collected around her, some staring in awe while others looked horribly confused.

Not far away, Daruk was speaking with as much volume as ever, managing to distract everyone around him and Yunobo. His grandchild rubbed the side of his head sheepishly as the Goron Champion laughed before slapping him on the back, causing the younger Goron to jolt forward. Soon enough, Daruk was jovially greeting the other members of his race, slapping them on the back or outright hugging them. Their boisterous nature was a bit much in his opinion, but he supposed it wasn't that big a deal. There was a large battle looming over their heads, so any cause to celebrate was probably a good thing. He didn't understand it, but it seemed fitting for the tribe.

The Zora, for the most part, were a little more formal. Those who chose to greet Link and Mipha took turns, giving the Champions a handshake or a simple nod. One black-scaled Zora was bold enough to set a hand on Link's shoulder; however, with all the noise, Revali couldn't make out what was being said.

Oddly enough, the only one the Rito Champion couldn't find was Medli. He would have thought that he would see her standing in the middle of all the commotion, unsure of which way to turn. From what he had seen, she had a habit of becoming so excited by every little detail that she had a hard time deciding which particular person should be spoken to or which activity should be completed first. Now though, she was nowhere to be found. He couldn't help but wonder what would have drawn her attention so thoroughly as he continued looking for her.

The sound of Teba clearing his throat drew Revali's attention back to him. Motioning with his head, Teba gestured toward a group of Rito that had gathered behind them.

"You should probably know that they figured out who you are," his pupil muttered out of the corner of his beak.

"And how did that happen?" Even after regaining his memories of how he had dealt with crowds in the past, the Rito Champion still wasn't prepared to find himself the center of attention.

"Long story. I'll -"

"Excuse me," a brown-feathered archer said as he butted in. "I know it's been a while, but I was hoping -"

"Master Revali doesn't have time for questions right now," Teba interrupted. "Right now, he needs to join Impa and the other Champions to go over our strategy for the coming battle."

The Ritos looked among themselves, some seeming confused while others narrowed their eyes and grumbled amongst themselves.

"Follow me," Teba muttered, ushering the Rito Champion away from the unhappy crowd. "You're going to have to deal with them at some point, but I figured it might be better to give you some time to figure out how you want to handle them." The two Rito made their way through the camp, weaving through tents as the white-feathered archer led the way. After a minute, Revali caught sight of a tent that was far larger than any of the ones surrounding it. "Impa will probably bring the others here soon," Teba stated as he stopped just outside.

"Thanks."

"It's nothing. Before I go to… take care of things, is Medli doing okay?"

"Who do you think I am?"

"I only ask because Kass is here," Teba hissed quietly. "I just need to know whether or not he's going to try and kill you."

"What is Kass doing here?" Revali immediately held up a wing, using the other to cover his face. They were about to engage in a battle to decide the fate of Hyrule. Of course any bard would want to witness it from as close as they possibly could. "Yes, Medli is fine. Though, she may have gotten to see more than Kass would have liked."

"Well, as long as she's still her old self, I don't think he'll be too upset." Teba shook his head before speaking again. "I'm going to go try and settle them down. You should wait inside until Impa is ready to go over our strategy with you."

"Right." The white-feathered Rito turned away, prompting Revali to ask for one last thing. "If you see Medli…"

"I'll let her know where you are." Teba turned away, holding up a wing as he left the Rito Champion behind.

Revali sighed once his pupil was out of sight. When he wasn't around Teba, he could almost forget that he had lost so much time. Now though, after having the opportunity to see his student once again, he was hit with the realization that he had been gone a long time. He would have thought that having some time to mull over the memories he had regained, he'd be in a better place to handle all of it.

Now, after having the chance to come to terms with his memories, he felt even less equipped to make sense of everything.

Trying to put off thinking about it any further, Revali pulled aside the tent flap and entered the Pavilion.

"I must admit I'm surprised to see you here first." Impa sat at the head of a large table, studying him intently. Draped over the table was a large map with various pieces settled atop it.

Revali took a spot opposite the Sheikah Elder, eyeing the map carefully as he got to work deciphering the layout below. Though the map was nowhere near as detailed as the Sheikah Slate's, it didn't take long for the Rito Champion to figure out what must have been the basic strategy. It seemed simple enough, though he certainly had some qualms that he expected to be addressed before he would give it his seal of approval.

He looked up momentarily, noticing that the elder was giving him a long, searching look. "Well, why don't you have a seat until your fellow Champions arrive?"


"It's so cute, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Kass agreed as he looked down at the small stuffed sand seal he held. "So, Master Revali won this for you?"

"He did," his younger sister replied with a shy smile.

Kass had to wonder about that particular response. While Medli was prone to bouts of shyness when around the inhabitants of Rito Village, Kass could not remember a time when she had been shy when it came to him. Even when it had come to her date with the Rito Champion, she had been quite open and excitable about the whole thing. Now, she clearly had more she could say on the matter but was not nearly as forthcoming as he would have expected. Normally, he wouldn't mind if his sister had a secret or two (he would have even encouraged it), but he wasn't sure how comfortable he was about her having secrets about Revali so early on. "So, how did he do it?"

"I… well, I'm not really sure. I had tried to win it but I wasn't any good at the game. A little later, Revali told us he had to go take care of something and left me with Link and Mipha and when he came back, he gave it to me."

"That was kind of him."

"Yes, it was!"

"And, aside from this, has he been treating you well?"

"He has," she confirmed. She fell silent as her normally enthusiastic and slightly air-headed demeanor shifted. Angling her head slightly, she stared at him with a pensive look in her eye. "I know you don't like the idea of him courting me but I think he truly does have a sweet side to him."

The Bard nearly chuckled as she nearly stumbled over the word "courting." It seemed that even in moments like this, it was difficult for her to remain entirely focused. "I believe you. I'm just concerned about -"

"I remember what you and Teba told me about what he was like when you were children but -"

"Medli." He had learned long ago that the best way to get her attention was to say her name with a gentle austerity. Both her name and the way in which it was said, would demand her focus long enough for him to speak his mind. "I know that he has likely been better to you than I give him credit for but the way he treats you isn't the only thing that concerns me." Kass frowned, thinking of how best to ease her into the reality of her situation. "You know what is taking place in a few hours, right?"

"They're going to go fight… Calamity Ganon." With every word, he could hear the reality sinking deeper and deeper.

He had been worried when she started developing her attachment to all the Champions, not just Revali, that she hadn't considered what that meant. They had chosen to fight a battle they had almost died to once before. Depending on who one would ask (and he had asked many with more knowledge than he) some would even claim that they really had died the first time. He was certain that their knowledge, combined with the machinations of a few that had survived the Age of Burning Fields, had done much to change their odds. Even so, he was certain that even Prince Sidon would have to admit that not everyone would make it out alive. That risk had to be much higher for the Champions, who would be confronting the beast directly. "I don't mean to worry you but you need to understand the danger he's in and what that means for you."

"Um…" There was a slight crack in her voice as she started fidgeting. She was no longer able to look at him, choosing instead to look up at the roof of his tent. "I'm sure that… I'm sure… um."

He set a strong wing on her shoulder. "Master Revali is skilled, as are all the Champions but that doesn't change the danger they face. I just want you to be prepared."

"… Does knowing help?" She still refused to look at him.

Kass thought for a long moment, trying to think of the best way to summarize his thoughts. "In some ways. Knowing helped me to accept everything quicker and, sometimes, that helped make it easier for others." He pulled her into a hug. "Sometimes, the world we live in can be harsh and cruel. Sometimes, it forces us to say goodbye before we are ready."

Medli said nothing, something for which he could not blame her. While he liked to believe he had been ready to take on the world, he had been unprepared for the first loss he'd experienced. His mentor had gone off to battle with the rest of his people and, when the survivors had fled the battlefield and gathered in safety, his teacher had been nowhere to be found. The man he'd studied under and idolized for years was nowhere to be found. So far as he knew, a body had never even been discovered. In the span of a few hours, the course of his entire life shifted as an important friendship had been yanked away with little regard for what it would do to him.

He could only pray that she would be at least a bit more prepared than he.

"They say that meetings inevitably lead to partings." He looked down at his sister, tilting his head as she spoke into his chest. "But don't you say that partings can lead to reunions? And in the absence between parting and reuniting -"

"- the heart grows ever fonder," they finished in unison.

"Do you believe that?" she asked quietly as she pulled away, staring him head-on.

"I do."

"Then if I have to prepare for the worst, I'll prepare for a reunion." She still sounded broken, but he heard a tinge of resilience that he'd never heard before. Had she really grown so much in such a short time?

As he bade her goodnight, he couldn't help but think it was a shame that he hadn't been there to witness everything she had been through. Whatever it was, it must have been a story worth telling, and, to a bard, there were few things sweeter than that.


A small smile danced across Urbosa's face as the ground rumbled beneath her feet. "Can't sleep?"

"Course not!" She was surprised by how jovial the Goron Champion sounded, all things considered. He had been adamantly against separating the group in order to help lead the three-pronged attack. Yet, here he was, sounding like he wasn't about to take part in what was supposed to be a climactic battle. "I'm ready ta give that oversized pig a beat down ta remember!"

"Admirable, but you might consider being a bit quieter. Some people are trying to get some rest."

"Heh. Doubt anyone's gettin' much sleep," the Goron Champion chuckled as he plopped down next to her, nearly causing Urbosa to bounce into the air as the ground lurched below her. "What about ya? Ya havin' trouble gettin' rest?"

"I'm not interested in sleep right now." Years had been spent preparing to fend off the Calamity. Years had been spent recovering from its first attack. Years more had been spent preparing for the moment when they would finally be able to counterattack. Her little bird had been forced to quietly endure for all those years just to give them the chance to try once more. How anyone could have expected her to have any desire for rest, under those circumstances, was beyond her. "A hundred years in the making… and now, our moment has arrived."

"Yer right. We got a kingdom to protect and a little sister to save."

Unable to bring herself to lounge any more, the Gerudo Champion climbed to her feet. Standing with her arms crossed, she set her gaze solely on the castle that was so close. She wished that some unfortunate enemy would make itself known to her right then so that had somewhere to direct her restless energy.

In order to make their assault more effective, the Hyrulean forces had used the cover of night to draw as close as they could to the remains of Castle Town. Now, the various groups were taking what few hours were left until dawn to rest up. Once the time came, Daruk, Urbosa, Yunobo, and Riju would lead the Gorons and Gerudo into battle. The inhabitants of Death Mountain would use their strength to bust through the most dangerous monsters and defenses while the Gerudo mopped up what was left in their wake.

The Zora, led by Link, Mipha, and Sidon, would be using waterfalls located behind the castle to open a second front from the rear. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to attack from all sides but Impa had hoped that the aquatic warriors would be able to cause enough confusion to prevent the monsters and Guardians from mustering up a proper defense. Considering how Urbosa had seen monsters react to just Daruk, she had no doubt that the wave of Gorons from the front as well as a well-coordinated attack by the Zora from the rear would cause most of their opposition to flee in terror.

Of course, that still left the Guardians, which neither knew nor cared about numbers or odds; however, Impa had a plan for that as well. The Rito faction, primarily made up of archers, had split in two to aid each of the groups. Those that weren't skilled with a bow would act as ferries for Sheikah warriors. Their objective was to target the spider-like machines with shock arrows. Revali and Teba, as well as a few other particularly skilled archers, would be trusted with a new weapon that Purah had developed with a fellow associate: ancient arrows. While the prototype projectiles had been introduced with a strange amount of unnecessary flair, Urbosa had been impressed by their effectiveness during the demonstration. The arrows produced a bright blue explosion that tore through the armor of a Guardian far more effectively than even a bomb arrow.

The plan had been laid before them, now all that remained was to put it into action.

"I don't know if I've ever seen ya rarin' fer a fight this much."

"Careful," she chided, "I may just take all of this energy out on you."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"You're right. I'd hate to offend Rudania."

"I think Naboris would be the one who's offended," Daruk replied with a frown. "Yer strong but I'm not sure ya can beat me."

"Shall we put that to the test? Not right now, of course," she explained as the Goron Champion opened his mouth to argue. "I mean after this is all over and we've had some time to recover."

"Yeah. I'd like that," he said with a grin.

"Of course, that means we'll both have to survive."

"Yer right." The Goron Champion climbed to his feet and joined her. "Don't go dyin' on me now."

"You're not allowed to die either."

"Agreed. We'll crush Ganon, then see who's really the strongest." Daruk held out his arm.

Urbosa grinned as she bumped her forearm against his. The challenge accepted, both warriors turned their gazes back toward the castle. Perhaps there were things that they could have spoken of to fill the silence but neither cared to fill it. Instead, they found solace in the calm, early morning air and good company. And so, the dawn found them standing side by side, two warriors prepared for what they hoped would be the last battle against the Calamity.

"It's time," The Gerudo Champion said as she saw their particular regiment forming up. In the front few lines, Gorons had lined up, almost none of whom were wielding weapons. From what she understood, they had decided that since their main goal was to smash through any gates or weak spots in the wall, they thought weapons would only get in the way. Instead, they would simply make weapons out of whatever they could find once they had breached the first line of defense. Behind them, Gerudo were forming up, their bright red hair in stark contrast to the greens, browns, and greys. The warriors from the desert would support the Gorons and help them to take ground once they had bypassed the outer defenses. From what she could see, all that was left was for their two commanders to join them. "Let's not keep them waiting."

Making their way down the hill they had taken their watch on, they crossed the gap separating them from the vanguard quickly.

"How soon will we be ready?" Urbosa asked as a captain came to greet them.

"We should be ready within the hour," the Gerudo replied as she saluted Urbosa. "We're waiting for the signal to begin our march."

"Ha! Just a little longer and we'll show everyone a fight ta remember!" All the Gorons around Daruk held their fists up, shouting their assent. Daruk alone could deafen anyone. All the Gorons together nearly shook the heavens.

The Gerudo, utterly confused, raised their scimitars and spears to follow suit, though their voices couldn't be heard above those of the mountain dwellers. Still, it was a heartening sign of unity within the two races that had so little to do with each other.

"Could you do us a favor and not alert the enemy before we begin our march?" Urbosa asked dryly after the ruckus had died down.

"Uh… sorry?"

"Don't get me wrong, we need your energy. Just… contain it for now."

"Right."

With a chuckle and shake of her head, the Gerudo Champion folded her arms and turned to the castle. Any moment now, the final charge that would decide the fate of Hyrule would begin.


"… Father told me that King Rhoam had these falls constructed so that our messengers and ambassadors had a direct route of contact. When my father saw that these falls led directly to the heart of the castle, he determined that King Rhoam was different than his predecessors."

Link looked up, analyzing the two waterfalls that separated him and the Zora from the battle ahead. To think that the falls had been constructed in order to help improve race relations and would now be used to help them take back the castle. What a strange twist of fate.

"Funny how a simple outstretched hand would help us in a way we could not have imagined," Sidon mused quietly. "Ah, forgive me. I don't mean to distract you."

"You're not a bother," Link replied as he looked down to his future brother-in-law. All the Zora lay in wait below the surface of the water, save Sidon, who was supporting Link and would ferry him to the falls once the signal was given. It was relieving to him to be conversing with only one person after hours of catching up with a large portion of the Zora knights, many of whom he hadn't met before that night. He was also grateful that the calmer, more practical side of the Prince's nature was in control right now. He normally enjoyed Sidon's enthusiasm but he wouldn't have appreciated it nearly as much right then.

"That is kind of you." The sound of flowing water surrounded them as they floated in the castle's shadow. It was almost peaceful, if not for Sidon's clear discomfort over something, which only served to make the Hylian Champion uncomfortable as well. "I know that this is not the most appropriate time, but may I ask what happened between you and my sister?"

"… I had time to think."

"Time to think?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm," Sidon hummed thoughtfully. "I cannot say I understand but I am happy for you both. Have you thought at all about the wedding?"

"A bit," Link admitted sheepishly. As far as he was concerned, he probably should have devoted more thought to the ceremony and how to help prepare for it; however, he had been a bit more concerned about everything else going on. It wasn't really a valid excuse in his opinion, as he hadn't devoted every waking moment to thinking about his duty to his kingdom.

"That sounds very much like you," the prince chuckled. "If I had to guess, I would bet that you're more concerned about actually having a wedding rather than making it the perfect ceremony."

That was an accurate assessment. From their conversation the other night, he knew that Mipha was quite concerned with how the ceremony would turn out along with the festivities that would follow. Link, on the other hand, hadn't given it much thought. All that had really mattered to him was that there would be a ceremony of some sort and that there would be food. He couldn't really imagine a celebration that didn't have a proper banquet.

Besides, he couldn't remember a single planned event that had gone off without a hitch or two. So, what did it really matter if it was perfect? Far better for it to happen at all.

"There are still a lot of preparations to see to but I hope you both will rest easy. Father has been looking forward to being able to put everything together ever since you left."

The news didn't surprise Link much. Ever since he'd read the letter Dorephan had left for him, he'd had a feeling that the Zora king had known how everything would turn out in the end, even if he didn't know exactly how the events would play out. That seemed to be the old king's nature.

"I know it is not my place to ask, but would you let my sister know that she should not worry? Father and I could tell her that everything will be taken care of until the rivers dry up, but I think it would mean more coming from you."

"I'll tell her."

"Thank you." Sidon looked over his shoulder, giving the Hylian a toothy grin. "I look forward to -"

The Prince stopped short on his own. He must have noticed Link's expression, as he turned back and gazed upward. Far above them, a flock of Rito had taken flight and was circling high above the castle.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Let's finish this!" The prince's exclamation was the only warning Link had before Sidon darted forward. The Zora prince was as fast in the water as Link remembered, gliding through it faster than he could run on land. Looking back, he was relieved to see a variety of colors rising up out of the moat behind them. The Zora knights took up their formation, a long column of two knights per row

"Link!" Somehow, Mipha had caught up to them without his knowing. Now, she swam beside them, as fast and graceful as her brother. "Be sure to hold on tight. Sidon can and will ascend the falls faster than you are used to!"

He gave her a firm nod before leaning down and clinging to the Prince as they raced toward the first of the falls.

"Get ready!" Sidon called.

Link put his head down along the prince's back just before their momentum shifted vertically. The Hylian Champion was grateful that he had been warned about the ascension beforehand, as he most certainly would have fallen off the moment it began. And that was to say nothing of the danger such a change in momentum would have presented to his neck. Despite the way the falls crashed against his face, the Hylian Champion resisted the urge to adjust his positioning as he was quickly becoming convinced that any minor movement could mean he would be swimming up by himself.

Link wrapped his arms around the prince even tighter, locking his arms together as he felt himself start to slip. He hadn't come this far to be taken out by a simple fall.

After a few seconds, he felt Sidon quit swimming as their speed slowed. Even so, he refused to raise his head as he knew what was to come next. There would be a small pond that led to the next waterfall, which in turn would lead them to the landing where they would open their front. So, rather than risking his hold to see what he already knew was waiting, he took a deep breath and prepared himself for the inevitable embrace of water.

Despite knowing that it was coming, he still wasn't prepared as he and the Zora prince broke through the surface of the pond. Thankfully, the water was not as cold as he had been expecting; however, he didn't have the opportunity to fully appreciate the fact as he and Sidon surfaced in a mere moment. Link once again braced himself as Sidon raced forward toward the next fall.

His stomach lurched as he and the Zora prince shot upwards and soon enough, Link could feel gravity taking back over. The prince dove down, sending them both below the surface of the pond at the top of the falls. Wasting no time, the prince darted upward, leaping out of the pond and finally landing on dry land.

The Hylian Champion immediately let go, drawing his weapon before he even touched the ground. Adrenaline spiked through him, throwing every one of his senses into overdrive as he dashed around Sidon. He saw a wide range of bright colors blurring together, heard surprised grunts and snarls and the whirring of Guardians, felt water splashing against him as the Zora knights joined them on the landing, and could smell the burning of fires.

Link braced himself for the first wave of monsters, most of which had forgotten to grab their armaments as they charged toward the invading Zora. Unlike trained soldiers, they were perfectly content to barrel toward the opposing force with no sort of order, nearly stampeding each other as they rushed to attack Link and his comrades. He even witnessed a Moblin knocking a few of its smaller ilk out of the way as it ran toward them brandishing a large branch.

Arrows of all types rained down from overhead before the monsters could close the gap, burning, freezing, and electrocuting many of them. The barrage was quite small, but the shock of it as well as the collapse of a number of their brethren served to increase the chaos and panic in their ranks. The Bokoblins, Lizalfos, and Moblins who survived the surprise attack shrieked, batting wildly at the air as they were peppered by arrows and tripped over the fallen members of their horde.

He looked up, seeing Teba flashing him a quick grin as he drew what looked to be a rusted arrow with a bright blue tip. He watched as the Rito warrior loosed the arrow, following it with his gaze as it crashed into a stationary Guardian. A bright blue flash erupted from the arrow and knocked the mechanical creature off-balance, causing it's head to spin wildly as a gaping hole appeared in its chassis.

Tearing his eyes away, the Hylian Champion charged forward, determined to do his part to help their force take the landing.

Raising the Master Sword, Link charged forward with every intent to take the castle back.


All things considered, the battle had started far better than had been expected. The Guardians had noticed the encroaching Hyrulean forces and had moved to engage them. Taking advantage of their unnoticed presence, Revali had led his aerie down, commanding those without Purah's secret weapons to use shock arrows. Most of the spider-like machines were stunned before they could even fire off a shot. Those who had been entrusted with ancient arrows, a new kind of projectile developed by Purah and her… friend, used them to great effect, blasting through the Guardians' formidable armor with little effort.

The Gorons then swarmed the mechanized warriors toppling those that still stood and beating them down with their large fists. A few familiar cracks accompanied by bright flashes had alerted him to the use of Urbosa's lightning. Thankfully, the woman had used enough sense to make sure that she kept it far away from the Rito archers.

After the Guardians had been disposed of, the Gorons, led by a very loud Daruk, had moved onto the castle. The brief bout with the Guardians had given the monsters inhabiting the gates enough warning to drop them preemptively. Another problem was that a number of opposing archers atop the wall had spotted Revali and his aerie and turned their bows on them, forcing the Rito Champion to lead his forces up and out of range.

Much to his chagrin, the idiotic monsters had managed to keep him and his warriors at bay until Daruk, followed by a number of his brothers, had curled up and slammed their entire bodies into the gates. That had been enough to throw the monsters off balance and into chaos. Revali, knowing that they would only have a few seconds at most to take care of the archers, had dived down. Focusing his team and ordering the use of bomb and fire arrows, they had lit up the battlements and cleared the opposing archers. Those that hadn't died ran for cover as the Gorons finished busting through the gates.

Now, he watched as the Gerudo poured in after the Gorons, taking care of the smaller enemies while the Gorons smashed through the larger, more dangerous monsters.

The Rito Champion glided in a tight circle, keeping a sharp eye on the progression of the battle. As eager as he was to lead his group in for another pass, he knew it was more important to stick to the plan. The Gerudo would hold the gates and as much of the surrounding area as they could, while Daruk and Urbosa would forge a path through the castle with his and the Gorons' assistance. While he would be able to handle two passes that would likely be in quick succession, he couldn't be certain his warriors were capable of the same. Some were already looking rather haggard and would likely need to retreat soon enough.

Luckily, even if they did need to retreat, the Sheikah would be able to mitigate their loss somewhat. Impa's warriors had used their training in the art of stealth to steal into the castle at night and had lay in wait. He wasn't quite sure what the crafty race was up to and, assuming they performed competently, he wouldn't know until the battle was long finished.

He caught the bright blue of the Champions' attire as Daruk and Urbosa broke away from the combat with a few of the Gorons and charged up the winding path that would lead to the Sanctum. Oddly enough, Riju and her attendant were with the small group. He hadn't been aware that the girl had even been given a task to complete in the battle. Or, she had simply taken a leaf out of Urbosa's book and decided that she would act as she saw fit.

Whatever the case, they'd all have to work that much harder to see her safely through, if that was even possible.

He could see a few monsters as well as a rogue Guardian just ahead of his friends.

"Those of you who can continue, follow me! Those who can't, retreat!" Though he wanted to show up with the full power at his aerie's disposal, he wasn't about to throw his people's lives away needlessly.

Not a single archer turned back.

Revali raced downward, passing directly over his advancing comrades. Drawing another ancient arrow, he loosed it; however, he didn't bother to make sure that it landed. Instead, he nocked a bomb arrow and released it directly into a group of bokoblins. Rather than loosing yet another arrow, he checked his work, making sure that the Guardian had been rendered useless. Thankfully, one of his archers who'd also been entrusted with ancient arrows had landed another hit. The combined might of two of the arrows had been too much for the machine and had toppled it.

Despite the success of their attack, it proved to be too much for many of his archers. After loosing one final shot, many had fallen to the road and struggled to simply get to their feet.

"Land and cover them!" Revali shouted as he pulled upward, soaring in a large loop. As he dove back down, he saw many of the fallen archers being helped by their fellow Rito as well as a few Sheikah who had appeared from nowhere.

Good. Now he could go all-out without worrying about whether or not his peers would be taken care of.

Drawing multiple bomb arrows, Revali released as many of the explosive arrows as he could on as many of the remaining monsters as physically possible for himself.

Explosions flowered across the pathway, clearing a path for his friends.

Soaring skyward once again, he cast a critical eye over the battlefield. From what he could see, both fronts had quite a fight on their hands but they were holding their own suitably.

"Master!"

The Rito Champion whipped around as Teba flew up to him.

"I see your group are as exhausted as mine." Despite the situation, the Rito warrior smirked. "I guess that leaves just the two of us then."

"As if there was any other outcome," Revali sighed. "Shall we?"

Teba nodded before diving. Revali followed after, deciding to let his former student take the lead. After all, how else was he going to be sure that Teba hadn't been neglecting his training?

As expected, Teba performed admirably as the two Rito kept pace with the two land-bound Champions. Few monsters were able to make it past their arrows. The few that did had to contend with Goron fists or Gerudo blades.

Even though the Rito were, for the most part, grounded, the battle looked to be going on without much of a hitch so far. Granted, the only real goal, for the time being, was to secure a route for the five Champions to reach the Sanctum in good enough shape to continue with their fight.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder what was going to go wrong.

He and Teba caught sight of the remaining two Champions in the middle of the Zora brigade.

"This way!" he called, guiding his allies toward their last two comrades.

Sidon saw them first and pointed them out to Link and Mipha. Both of them broke away, sprinting toward the road. The Zora and Hylian Champion slowed down, waiting for their friends to catch up before resuming their dash.

Together, all Champions charged along the winding path, cutting through whatever monsters made it through Revali and Teba's attacks.

The group, who had long since left their Goron escort behind, ran into a gatehouse. As they crossed the circular structure, the gate opposite them slid down, cutting off their access. Revali and Teba pulled up, both launching bomb arrows at the final obstacle, damaging it but not near enough to destroy it.

Before they could loose another flurry of arrows, a roar rivaling Daruk's shook the air.

"Is that -"

Both Rito were forced to dodge as several shock arrows raced toward them.

"- a Lynel," Revali finished with a hiss. "We don't have time for this!"

Below them, Link, Mipha, Urbosa, and Daruk had all changed course to engage the creature.

"Take care of the gate."

"What?"

"Take care of the gate!" Teba repeated. "I'll distract it."

"I'm not -"

"Go!" Teba snapped. "I know I can't take that thing out by myself but I can buy you some time!"

Below them, Link had thrown himself in the way of a blow, knocking both him and Mipha back. Then, the enormous, golden-maned monster turned its eyes to Daruk.

"Fine! Just make sure you come back in one -"

"Gramps!" Yunobo burst into the gatehouse, crossing the makeshift battlefield and slamming into the Lynel. The beast screamed in rage as it was knocked off balance. Behind the Goron, Sidon, and Buliara, who carried Riju on her back, sprinted into the arena with weapons drawn. "Go on, Gramps! We'll handle this thing!"

"Together, we will be unstoppable!" Sidon cried as he raised his weapon high, immediately drawing the beast's attention to him. "Go, save everyone!"

Revali hung suspended, stunned by the events playing out below him. They all must have had so much faith in all of them to be willing to risk a fight with such a dangerous monster just to buy them time.

"Go now!" Riju shouted as the four Champions on land also stood by, unsure of what to do.

The girl's voice was enough to snap them out of their stupor.

"Smash through the gate, Gramps!" Yunobo had grabbed onto the Lynel, struggling to hold it back.

The Goron Champion roared as he turned away from the monster and rushed the gate. Upon reaching it, Daruk threw everything he had into a single swing from his Boulder Breaker, shattering the gate. "C'mon!"

The Rito Champion had never seen such a thunderous look on Daruk's face and sent a silent prayer to Hylia that he never would again.

Revali watched as Link, Mipha, and Urbosa ran after the Goron Champion, passing through the gate he had so readily destroyed. Sending one last glance back, he watched as Prince Sidon, Yunobo, Teba, Buliara, and Riju struggled to hamper the Lynel.

Gritting his beak, he turned away and flapped hard, catching up to his friends as they sprinted up the stairs leading directly into the Sanctum.


A/N: Forgot to mention this last time I think. I have a poll on my profile so you y'all can vote on what fic you'd like me to work on while I finish planning Star Fox. I'm sure I'll get hundreds.