The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.

The Voice
32 - Well, Aren't You a Ball of Sunshine?

Link looked at his equipment, scattered all over the floor of the Flight Range's tower. He was kneeling in front of it, trying to figure out how much each item weighed, and whether or not he would truly need it. Apart from the absolutely necessities, such as the slate, the Master Sword, and the Great Eagle Bow and his quiver (which was filled with a variety of different arrows), he was finding it difficult to narrow down his selection.

Teba was sitting on the opposite of the small room, tending to his own equipment. He, too, carried a Great Eagle Bow along with a quiver full of arrows. More for backup in case Link lost his own, he claimed, since he wouldn't be able to actually use them once they got up there. Every now and then, the Rito looked up, studying the Hylian with a sharp gaze.

Their eyes met every now and then, and Link kept expecting the Rito to say something sharp or insulting. It wouldn't surprise, certainly, because Link knew he definitely wasn't what Teba would have expected from a Champion, much less one of the Champions. The only one who had survived the cataclysmic events that killed the rest and plunged Hyrule into catastrophe.

Teba, however, didn't utter a word, simply returning his gaze to his task, only to return to his staring a few minutes later. It was unnerving. He was being sized up, Link knew, but Teba's face (aside from the severe look the dark-coloured feathers above his eyes gave him) remained absolutely neutral, unflappable. It seemed very little could knock the Rito off his perch (eugh), and Link couldn't help but be a little fascinated by that, especially since he was Teba's polar opposite—just about everything had an immediate and (usually) devastating effect on him.

Just being able to take Sheik's existence and the usual barrage of verbal abuse in stride and actually speak normally (if somewhat curtly, though that just seemed to be Teba's way) to the Sheikah was an impressive display of stoicism Link could only hope to emulate one day. The only thing Teba seemed to have trouble with when it came to Sheik was...well, the nickname. And even then, it was more to do the with the validity of it rather than the name itself.

"It just doesn't make sense," Teba said. "I don't tweet. I may scream or screech, but tweeting just isn't part of my sound repertoire."

"Will you stop being so damn literal, Tweety?" Sheik groaned, emphasising the name. "You're a bird, so you're a tweety bastard. I could call you Screamy or Screechy, but they just don't have the same ring to them. So, you're Tweety, and that's that."

"And just calling me by my real name...?" Teba asked.

"An impossible task I simply cannot accomplish," Sheik said, and Link could hear the smugness. "Absolutely impossible."

"They have the same number of syllables," Teba pointed out, his face so lacking in expression Link wondered if the warrior was even capable of emoting. "It's hardly a challenge."

Sheik was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "You don't have a sense of humour, do you?"

"I do," Teba said. "When the jokes make sense."

"Din above, save me..."

Link had tuned them out after that, focusing on his task. The slate, the sword, the bow, the arrows. What else? A shield? Possibly, but it would have to be the light-weight, wooden Sheikah one rather than the steel one he'd managed to pilfer in an outpost ruin. It had been in surprisingly good condition for a hundred-year-old relic, and definitely something he looked forward to testing out...by surfing on it.

Weight was the most important thing to consider here. Teba was strong, but there were limits to how much he could carry on his back while still being able to remain airborne. He'd given Link a rough estimate, which Sheik had calculated to be the approximate weight of Link himself, along with his clothes and select few tools. The slate, the sword, the bow, and the arrows were no problem, but other than that...well, he had some choices to make.

Honestly, he wished he could bring along some sturdier armour. The Snowquill set was really more of a coat than armour, nothing like the reinforced leather of the Sheikah armour. However, the temperature up there would be even lower than down here (which was already pretty fucking freezing), so he had no choice if he wanted to actually make it through without losing any limbs to frostbite.

The paraglider, too, had to stay behind. It was far too bulky, and Link would never have the time to put it together in time in case he needed it.

"If you fall, I will try to catch you," Teba had promised. It had not had the calming effect on Link that he'd hoped. "And even if you did manage to put that thing together on the way down, the sudden deceleration would dislocate your shoulders, if not tear your arms off completely. Hylian anatomy is surprisingly fragile."

"Says the person with hollow bones," Sheik countered. "In a contest of bone strength, Link would beat you no problem."

"Pity he'd have no one to fly him up there, then," Teba said, nodding upwards. "And how would such a contest even go?"

"E-Enough," Link had said at that point, tired of Sheik trying to start a pissing match, Teba's calm, seemingly genuine responses (which only served to further annoy Sheik), and his own heart's attempt at jumping out of his chest at the thought of plunging through the air and splatting against the ground. It was bad enough that he had to leave most of his items behind in the first place. Not all the trinkets he carried were necessarily of any use, but it felt good to just have them.

"All right, let's talk business," Sheik then announced. "Based on the little information I've managed to dig up from the tower database, Vah Medoh's defences are two-fold: some sort of energy shield, and a series of automated cannons. Tweety, is that what you saw up there the first time?"

Teba frowned, the first sign of emotion Link had seen in a while. "Yes, that is exactly what I saw," he confirmed. "The cannons opened up on us the moment we were spotted, and the shield kept up us from getting close."

"All right," Sheik hummed. "Luckily, from what I can see, those cannons aren't the most accurate, which means that we have to present as small a target as possible, and they won't hit us."

"They could still get lucky," Teba said, his eyes straying to his hands, which were folded in his lap. "Four of our warriors were killed by a single shot. There was nothing left of them."

"All the more reason to not get hit," Sheik said calmly. "Which means we have to move fast."

Teba didn't respond, seemingly lost in thought. Probably reliving the failed attack that had ended in complete failure. Link wanted to offer his sympathies, but he had a feeling they wouldn't be welcome...or helpful in the least. He knew what it felt like to be responsible (or believe so, anyway) for such a disaster, and how little such sentiments truly helped.

"A-And the sh-shield?" he asked instead, focusing on the slate, which was propped up against the wall. The screen blinked.

"Well, as it turns out, a shield that size has some rather fatal weaknesses to its design," Sheik said. "For one thing, the generators produce a considerable amount of heat, which means the vents and heat sinks have to be placed outside the shield itself, or else the heat will get trapped inside, and the machinery will overheat and just shut down. Teba, did you happen to see anything like that?"

The Rito looked up at his proper name being used. Link almost wanted to praise Sheik for finally having some consideration for other people than Link and Sidon.

"Pardon?" Teba asked. "I'm sorry, I was...thinking." He listened carefully as Sheik repeated his question. "I...believe so?" he said. "There were some...large, disc-shaped objects that were not covered by the shield, but the cannons kept us at bay, preventing us from investigating further. There were four, distributed evenly around the Beast's body."

"Sounds about right," Sheik said. "Right, so those will be our targets up there. I'd suggest using bomb arrows. If you can land one of those inside the vents, it should take the whole thing apart in a single shot—they're surprisingly fragile. With any luck, the loss of a single heat sink will have catastrophic consequences for the shield."

"It will deactivate?" Teba asked.

"Hopefully," Sheik said. "If not...well, we'll have to figure out something else, but I sincerely believe that is our best bet."

"A-And the g-guns?" Link asked. "W-Will they d-deactivate t-too?"

"Er...probably not," Sheik said hesitantly, which was the opposite of what Link wanted to hear. "The plans I have aren't the most detailed, but from what I can tell they're powered directly by Medoh's internal reactors, and aren't connected to the shield's grid at all, meaning they won't be affected by whatever happens to it. On the other hand, they're absolutely huge, which means their effective range gets worse the closer you get. Get within arrow-range, and they probably won't be able to hit us at all."

"We weren't able to test that theory," Teba offered. "But perhaps we will this time."

"Well, aren't you a ball of sunshine?"

Teba didn't rise to the bait. "I have no reason to be. Are we done here?"

"Er...pretty much," Sheik said, clearly surprised (and possibly a little frustrated) by the Rito's lack of amusing reactions to his goading. "You get the plan, right? Fly fast, blow up the vents, then get close."

Teba nodded and stood up, checking his equipment one last time. "I need to warm up for the flight. I will be outside if you need me."

Link watched him go, waiting until the door closed behind him before looking at Sheik with a scowl. "W-Was that n-necessary?" he asked.

"What?" Sheik asked. "I was just kidding—"

"He's s-still reeling f-from the loss," Link said. "Wh-Why p-poke him?"

"Because I want to make sure he's not fucking suicidal," Sheik hissed. "If he wants to kill himself out of some misplaced sense of guilt over the failed attack, that's fine by me, but he'd better not drag us into it."

"I d-don't th-think he is," Link said weakly. Truthfully, he had no idea if Teba was suicidal or not. The way Saki had described it, he'd expected to find the warrior absolutely devastated, but the way he acted was...strange. Unless Teba really was just that introverted, preferring not to show how he was feeling about anything. But if he was suicidal and was just covering that up with a blank mask, then...well, Link wasn't sure what he'd do, but would definitely try to help him.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Sheik said with a sigh. "His vitals don't give away anything at all. Tweety is as cool as a cucumber, even when I needle him. It's really weird."

"M-Maybe he really is th-that calm?"

"No one is that calm," Sheik insisted. "If he didn't walk and talk, I'd think he was dead. Or maybe he's already decided that he will be, and therefore doesn't let anything affect him anymore. I'm just saying we should be wary, okay?"

"Wh-When am I n-not?" Link asked with a self-deprecating grin.

"I mean the healthy kind of wary," Sheik corrected. "Not the sort that has you psychologically torturing yourself over nothing."

Link wanted to protest, but he knew Sheik was right. He liked to think he was doing a little better with the continuous self-doubt and anxiety, but...

"You're doing well, Link," Sheik said, as if reading his mind. "You've come a long way already, and you'll only get better."

"Th-Thanks..."

He spent another fifteen minutes going through his equipment one last time, eventually deciding on bringing his other sword (the slender Sheikah blade), which he strapped horizontally to his lower back, hilt facing left in case he needed a blade in his other hand. He also brought a few bandages and a vial of a potion that would—supposedly—accelerate healing. Link had his doubts, but the travelling alchemist had been quite insistent about it...and had even given him the vial for free. A thorough analysis (supported by the alchemist himself drinking from it) of the vial had revealed no poisonous shenanigans going on, so at worst it was just red-coloured water that could possibly just result in a need to urinate.

"Just below the weight limit," Sheik said. "As good as it's going to get, I guess. You ready?"

"I n-never am," Link said. "B-But—"

"Let's do it anyway?"

"Exactly."

Link's life, up to this point, had been a series of events he never could have imagined in his wildest dreams. Well, perhaps he could have imagined them back when he was the proper Hero and not the pretender he was currently, but...well...

Either way, if someone (probably Sheik) had told him at the outset that he would, at some point, find himself clinging to a Rito's back as the avian warrior threw himself off a cliff at the Flight Range and let the updraft carry them rapidly upwards in order to face off against a giant, flying machine...well, he probably would have just gone back to sleep in the Shrine of Resurrection, laughing like a maniac.

But here he was; it was happening, and it was far too late to go back to sleep.

He still did the laugh, though.

"Are you all right back there?!" Teba called over the wind howling in their ears as they rose higher and higher, the Flight Range a mere speck on the ground below already.

"Y-Yeah!" Link called back, tightening his hold on Teba's tunic, just in case. Teba had promised he'd catch him (he mentally shut out the try part) if he fell, but he'd rather keep the time he spent falling to an absolute minimum. Non-existent, even, if possible.

"Me too!" Sheik's voice, slightly muffled by Link's coat, joined in. Given the sort of battle they were heading into, Link hadn't felt comfortable keeping the slate on his belt in case it slipped off. If Teba doubted his ability to catch Link if he fell, then what were his chances of catching Sheik, who was a much smaller target?

"Good, because things are about to get rough!" Teba said. "Hold on!"

He began to beat his wings, which were absolutely massive now that he'd stretched them out completely, feathers catching the air. Link felt his stomach plunging slightly with every beat as they continued to rise.

Link silently thanked Saki for her kindness back in the village. The temperature was almost unbearable already, and he was quite sure he'd be an icicle by now if she hadn't seen fit to equip him with the Snowquill outfit. He kind of wished it had come with a hat of some sort, however, as the headpiece was just decorative. His ears were already going numb.

A deep booming sound reverberated in the air, and Link glanced up. Vah Medoh was quickly growing larger and larger as they rose. Its eye-like decorations were glowing with a reddish-purple light, a clear sign of Ganon's infection of the machine, and a slight shimmering in the air around the Beast itself was probably the shield powering up.

"W-We're getting c-close!" he shouted.

"Word of advice!" Teba replied. "Take deep, harsh breaths! The air up here is thinner than down on the ground, and you might pass out if you don't get enough!"

"G-Got it!"

"All right, it's showtime!"

Continuing to climb, Teba carried them forwards, trying to gain some horizontal distance away from Vah Medoh, whose entire body had lit up with the same light. The shield was materialising rapidly, an oval barrier coming to life around the Beast. True to what Teba had said, Link could see the four discs that housed the heat sinks and exhaust vents—the ones he would have to destroy. Dotting the sides of the Beast were several barrel-like protrusions that extended outside of the shield as well. The cannons. They were swivelling around. The Beast roared again.

Link related what he was seeing to Sheik.

"Complete coverage," Sheik said from within the inner pocket of his coat. "There's no right or wrong angle to approach it from! Just pick a target and go!"

"You hear th-that, T-Teba?!" Link called.

"Got it!" the Rito replied. "We'll go for the closest one! Hang on tight, the skies are about to get really busy!"

Teba wasn't kidding. The moment Medoh realised their hostile intent, the cannons opened fire. It was one thing that the air around them was suddenly filled with dozens of glowing, blue projectiles uncomfortably similar to those fired by the Guardians, but the fact that they exploded mid-air, causing shockwaves that made it almost impossible for Teba to keep himself steady, just made the whole ordeal an absolute nightmare.

Battered by turbulence and shockwaves, Link could do little but pray to Hylia that he'd survive this. He might also have been screaming bloody murder the entire time, but whatever sounds he made were swallowed up by the roar of the noises around them. He was pretty sure Sheik was screaming too—but at least the Sheikah was spared the visual carnage of it all.

Teba was quiet, his face filled with steely resolve as he dodged and weaved his way through the barrage, eyes firmly on their target. Medoh must have realised their intent, the guns' fire focused on keeping them away from the shield disc. Teba was too small a target, however, the projectiles either missing widely, or exploding just a little too far away to do any real damage other than buffet them a little with their shockwaves.

Then they suddenly dropped. Teba retracted his wings, removing all lift and support, and they fell so fast that Link was sure his stomach had been left behind up there. Then the wings were spread again, and Teba used the sudden speed gain to pull up, bringing them closer to the disc...while the guns were still swivelling to target them again.

"Get ready!" Teba shouted. "We'll be in range...now!"

Far from a practiced move, it still went quite smoothly. Link let go of Teba's tunic, straightening his back and wrapping his legs more firmly around the Rito's middle, unslinging his bow at the same time. One hand reached for a bomb arrow, nocking it. The guns were firing again, the air around them once more erupting into pure hell. Link's ears were ringing from the noise, but his eyes were focused on the exhaust vent right in front of them.

Sheik had been right—the design was truly flawed, the vent's openings more than big enough for an arrow to slip through. Hell, even Link could fit through those grates, if necessary. Not that he'd test that theory unless it was necessary.

Unfortunately, between the non-stationary target and his own non-stationary position, his aim was off. The bomb arrow struck one of the grate's bars and exploded. It made the disc rattle slightly, but wasn't enough to destroy it.

"Try again!" Teba shouted. "You've got time for one more!"

Link's gloved fingers felt clumsy as he reached for another bomb arrow, nearly dropping it—which could have ended in disaster for them—before being able to nock it.

"Now!" Teba called as they passed by the disc in a horizontal trajectory—the steadiest shot the Rito could get him.

This time, the arrow flew true, passing through the bars and into the dark internals of the machine. It exploded moments later, the metal of the disc bulging slightly before it was ripped apart, sending shrapnel everywhere. As if confused by the sudden revelation, some of the guns tried to fire at the shrapnel instead, giving them a slight reprieve as Teba ducked beneath Medoh, aiming for the vent opposite the one they'd just destroyed, skirting along the edge of the shield. Link heard the hum of the energy, felt the hair on his head standing up slightly from the static.

"Don't get comfortable!" Teba warned. "Next target's coming up!"

Link had already drawn another arrow, realising where Teba had been heading. "G-Go up!" he ordered.

"Got it!"

The sudden climb made Link's ears pop, but he felt surprisingly steady as he twisted his torso and loosed the arrow as they passed by the vent, mere feet away, feeling a little thrill when the it struck true, and the air around them was soon filled with shrapnel again, which Teba easily dodged.

"Good shot!" Teba yelled, giving a loud trill that Sheik definitely would have used as an argument for his nickname.

"Th-Thanks!"

They seemed to have found a...well, a sort of rhythm to this. Whenever the guns seemed to acquire a better shot, Teba made a sudden move that threw their aim off, making sure he was always just a little ahead of their movements. The third disc was reduced to scraps soon enough, and by then Link was actually feeling a little excited. It reminded him of the battle against Vah Ruta, when he'd ridden on Sidon's back. Not quite the same, of course, but the thrill of it was very similar.

Of course, he should've known better than to get comfortable, as it were.

"Last one!" Teba said, sounding more animated than ever. "Ready?!"

"L-Let's go!" Link said.

Apparently, Medoh had the ability to learn. It must have, because not only did the guns fall suspiciously silent as Teba dropped down...they followed their movements perfectly. Link had his arrow out and was just nocking it when the guns opened fire again...and the air directly next to them exploded. One moment, Link was preparing to destroy the last vent, the next he was flying through the air, and Teba was nowhere in sight. His head was pounding, ears ringing from the explosion.

Oh no, this is the opposite of what I wanted, Link thought, feeling surprisingly calm about the whole thing, even when he was afforded a prime view of the ground far below them, the snowy peaks looking deceptively soft. Adrenaline had a hell of an effect, apparently, if he wasn't panicking during all this.

He sailed past the vent, and for some reason his arms went through the motions. The arrow didn't even hit the disc, exploding against the shield several feet below, causing just the smallest of ripples across the surface.

He didn't have much time to reflect on the failure, however, as something collided into his gut, knocking the air out of his lungs and nearly causing him to lose his grip on his bow. Something wrapped around both his arms and held them in a vice-like grip, and Link realised he was suddenly rising through the air again. He looked up, and was greeted by the sight of Teba's spread wings, the feathers looking a bit singed, the Rito's face looking down at him with wide eyes. His toes were firmly wrapped around Link's arms, locking him in place.

"You okay?!" Teba asked shouted, his voice barely audible through the repeated booms around them and the ringing in Link's ears.

"I think so!" a voice that sounded like Link's said, but it didn't feel...real.

"All right!"

Teba banked hard to the right, and Link could have sworn he heard his own voice scream loudly. His shoulders were aching from the awkward position, and he was pretty sure something was close to snapping by the time the banking ended, and Link realised they were suddenly floating high above Vah Medoh. He saw the gun barrels swivelling to target them.

"Remember what I said about throwing you around?!" Teba suddenly asked.

"No?!" Link replied.

"Well...might want to get another arrow ready!"

What else could Link do other than obey, his stomach sinking for an entirely different reason this time. He couldn't really mean...?

"Not sure how many times I can do this, so make it count!" Teba said as he dove down vertically, the wind shrieking as it rushed past, the guns opening up with volley after volley. Link kept an iron grip on his bow and arrow, eyes stinging.

"Do what?!" Link managed to ask before he felt Teba's toes letting go, and then he was free-falling. Above, Teba pulled away, drawing a great deal of the fire away from Link, presenting a far bigger on account of his wingspan.

Oh, that's what he meant, Link's mind went in a very intelligent manner as he rushed towards the vent, too fast for the guns to keep up with him. Nocking his arrow, aware that he only had one more left after this, he knew he definitely had to make this one count. He wasn't sure if his nerves could take another drop like this. Doing his best to ignore the ground below, he watched the approaching vent with narrowed eyes, doing his best to calculate the shot. His current angle made the shot impossible, meaning he had to wait for agonising seconds, each of which seemed to stretch on for an eternity.

And then it was there—he couldn't imagine a better arc. He pulled back on the bow string, shoulder twinging painfully both from the previous shots as well as Teba's handling, and let go. It sailed through the air...directly through the grate. He released the breath he hadn't realised he was holding, feeling light-headed as the vent flew past, exploding above him. It took him a good three seconds before he realised he was still falling, and was about to start screaming when he hit something soft.

"Agh!" Teba grunted. "Got you!"

His free hand finding the collar of Teba's tunic again, Link held on for dear life as the Rito pulled up once more, burning shrapnel raining down around them.

"That was a hell of a shot!" Teba said excitedly. "Look, the shield's failing!"

The purple light of the shield was rippling wildly as whatever machinery was powering them struggled with the rising temperatures. Slowly, it began to flicker, the light weakening in radiance until holes seemed to appear and disappear. There was a high-pitched whine, and then the shield disappeared entirely, flames shooting out of the remains of the vents.

Link couldn't help but let out a triumphant whoop at the sight, still riding high on adrenaline.

"Hold on, we're not out of it this yet!" Teba said. "We've still got to land!"

As he spoke, Teba pulled around and up, gaining some height over Vah Medoh, giving them a good view of the Beast's back, which seemed to be completely flat. A deck, almost.

"As good a place as any, wouldn't you say?!" Teba asked, to which Link agreed.

"G-Go for it!"

"Hold on!"

Slinging his bow on his shoulder, Link held on to Teba with both hands, letting the sheer thrill of what they were doing fill him. It was strange and exhilarating, burying the fear and anxiety under the excitement of the sheer speed they were achieving like this, much like when he was surfing on his shield down a steep hill.

Medoh's guns tried to blow them out of the sky, but Teba's dive had them moving too fast, even with their sudden tracking ability, and the projectiles zoomed past, the air boiling hot where the energy passed through.

Medoh's upper deck was approaching fast, the elaborate carvings in the rock-like material it was built with now visible. Teba's wings were being angled parallel to the deck itself, slowing them down so they didn't just go splat against the deck.

It was too early.

Once more the air exploded right next to them, close enough to blow them sideways. Link felt his left arm burning slightly, barely spying in the corner of his vision that the sleeve of his coat had caught fire.

Miraculously, he still managed to hold on to Teba—he had no choice, really. They were too close to Vah Medoh for another mid-air rescue like before—Link would be broken against the deck before Teba had a chance to realise what had happened.

"Teba!"

"I know!"

Teba barely managed to pull them out of the wild spin, angling his wings until they slowed down considerably, the deck now dangerously close.

It wasn't enough.

"Bail out!"

Link let go immediately, gasping as the air was knocked out of him a second later, the stone-hard surface of Medoh's deck offering no mercy as he rolled along it, the world a tumbling mess. He could only hope Teba had managed to land them somewhere near the middle, so he wouldn't go careening over the side.

He slowly came to a stop, his cheek burning from rubbing against the deck surface, and for a moment he simply took the opportunity to relish in the fact that he was still alive, staring up at the perfectly blue skies above him, the sight marred slightly by the dark smoke rising from the burning vents.

Then he began to laugh. He couldn't stop himself, his lungs expelling the air as soon as he drew it in, a staccato rhythm of hoarse wheezing.

"...k! Link! Link, are you okay?!"

He groaned as he sat up, only now remembering that his sleeve had been on fire the last time he'd checked. Luckily, the tumbling had put out the flames, a few scorch marks left behind.

"Link! Answer me!"

"I'm g-good," Link said, reaching into his inner pocket to pull out the slate. "Y-You?"

"Relieved to know you're okay," Sheik said. "Teba?"

Oh shit! For a moment all thought of the Rito had gone right out of his head. Link turned his head, worry gnawing at his chest until he spotted a familiar-looking pile of feathers. Teba was moving, slowly coming to stand...and collapsing.

"T-Teba!" Link shouted, relieved to find that no part of him was injured other than his cheek, which was burning from being scrubbed against the deck.

He came to kneel beside the Rito, reaching out to touch the other's shoulder.

"I'm fine!" Teba announced, pulling his shoulder away from Link's reach. "Just...my leg..."

"L-Let me s-see," Link said, wincing when he saw a pretty bad burn covering the rough, scale-like skin of Teba's foot. The explosion must have struck very near it. The skin was already weeping, blisters forming. The foot itself seemed to be held at a strange angle, too, though not so acute that it seemed broken. He'd probably sprained it on impact.

"Twisted it when I hit the deck," Teba said, clearly seeing where Link's mind was going. "Burn's worse."

"I've g-got you c-covered," Link said, reaching into his coat and pulling out the bandages. He should have brought the burn salve, he knew, but the jar had been too awkwardly shaped to fit into any of his pockets. After a moment of thought, he pulled out the vial of potion and gave it to Teba. "D-Drink this—it'll s-speed up th-the healing."

"I can do it," Teba said, hesitating as he took the proffered vial. "Give me the bandages—"

"L-Let me d-do th-this," Link said firmly. "You k-keep an eye out f-for th-the enemy."

So far, none of Ganon's minions or malice had descended upon them, and Link took that as a sign that the proper resistance would be encountered on the inside of the Beast. For now, they'd earned a short break, and he intended to use it to make sure Teba would be okay. He'd need a proper healer, later, but for the moment he could at least do what he could to prevent infection.

Teba made to protest, but Sheik's shrill voice cut him off.

"Just sit down, Tweety! You saved our lives up there, so just...just let us take care of this!"

Teba sighed. "Fine," he said, looking around instead. "Looks clear, up here."

"The enemy will be waiting inside, I bet," Sheik said. "Along with more skull-shooting eyes and other horrible things."

"Ah..."

Link carefully wrapped Teba's foot with the bandages, wishing he had something to clean the wound with first. It'd have to wait for later, he decided. "H-how's that?" he asked when he'd finished. "T-Too t-tight?"

"It's fine, thank you," Teba said, having drunk about half the vial before corking it and handing it back. "You might need this later."

Link wanted to argue, but he'd learned by now that Teba was just as stubborn as Sheik could be, so he simply took the vial and put it back in his pocket.

"So," Teba said, "what now? We go inside?"

"We will go inside," Sheik said. "You'll stay out here."

"Excuse me?" the Rito asked. "You can't possibly think that I'll just sit out here and wait while you risk your lives—"

"Tweety, you're injured, and I highly doubt you're even able to walk right now," Sheik said firmly.

"Watch me," Teba said with a huff, standing up, firmly ignoring Link's offered hand. He managed to get up on his own, but he was clearly favouring his left leg, his right foot barely touching the ground.

Sheik sighed. "All right, take a step, why don't you?"

Teba hesitated, and Link felt both sympathy and annoyance for the warrior. Upon seeing it in Link's face, however, Teba scowled and did just that, his right leg all but crumpling under his weight. Link barely managed to catch him in time and was almost pulled down with him.

"All right, all right," Teba said, panting from the pain. "I get it."

"What is it with warriors and their refusal to see reason?" Sheik asked no one in particular.

"You t-tell m-me, Sh-Sheikah," Link said, none-too-subtly pointing out Sheik's hypocrisy.

"Point taken," Sheik replied. "Anyway, Tweety, we'll need you to keep an eye out for us, anyway. Who knows what sort of traps will activate once we venture inside? Could be some devilry is released up here, too, and we'll need you to take it out. Link, maybe we should leave him with a few Ancients...?"

Link definitely agreed with that, reaching for his quiver.

"Frankly, you should think about heading back and see someone about that foot," Sheik said as Link fiddled with his supply of Ancient arrows.

"Absolutely not," Teba said firmly. "What if you need to leave in a hurry and I'm not here to fly you? Link left his paraglider at the Range, remember?"

"We have a different way of travelling now that we've actually made landfall," Sheik said. "...though I'm not entirely sure if we're within range, now that I think about it..."

Suddenly, everything went silent. The ringing in his ears, the howling of the wind, the argument between Sheik and Teba, all fading away. Of course, it was about time, wasn't it?

Well now, I've seen that face before.

Revali's all-too-familiar voice spoke in his head, sounding amused.

I had a feeling you would show up eventually, but making me wait a hundred years is a bit...indulgent, don't you think?