ATE: I apologize for taking two weeks to get this done, but you finally get a chapter to read! Big thanks go out to Nintendoborn, Guest, Caxsr, and Blue Fire Lily for their reviews from the last chapter, as well as everyone else reading this story. Now, to reply to guest reviews!

Guest: I'm not gonna lie, I found your review to be quite humbling. I'm surprised that my story is the only one you actually like. I could go on about your review, but I don't think I'd be able to properly convey my thoughts, and I think you'd rather read this new post instead.

Caxsr: I'm glad you do!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Legend of Zelda or Nintendo. I only own my OC.

~*~Chapter 4~*~

Evangeline liked to believe that it took a lot to faze her by this point.

She had woken up in the Gerudo Highlands and somehow miraculously survived trekking through the snow without getting frostbite and dying, all while freezing her ass off (pun not intended) in nothing but a paper-thin hospital gown.

She had managed to climb down a cliff and sprain her right ankle, only to limp as far as she could before hunger and exhaustion forced her to stop.

She had encountered Revali of the Rito, who she presumed was a race of humanoid bird people (only because he'd been the only person she'd encountered so far).

But in the end, it turned out she had been fooling herself.

Especially when she was faced with the reality of her surroundings, seeming to hit her like a ton of bricks.

Around her were wooden huts that resembled large bird cages (looking as if they were hanging from large sturdy chains), along with wooden walkways and stairs surrounding a large stone spire that reached for the heavens. It was as her hazel gaze wandered upwards that she spotted a mechanical bird—

WHAT?!

"JESUS TITTY FUCKING CHRIST!!!" She exclaimed, eyes wide in horror.

Flying around in the sky above was a giant mechanical bird, though its design was more crude than futuristic (but was still passable in this apparent medieval setting). The wings of the mechanical bird didn't flap or move and instead stayed stationary like an airplane.

"What the fu—"

Evangeline was cut off when a hand—correction, wing—clamped over her mouth, effectively silencing her. She tried to pry the wing off her mouth, but her attempts proved futile.

"I recall telling you to be mindful of your words." Revali's voice suddenly spoke into her ear, and she was suddenly aware of how close he was to her (the sound of his low voice didn't help things, either). "In case you haven't noticed, there are children around."

She froze when this was brought to her attention, and upon looking around she could see Rito of all shapes and sizes (children and adults alike) having stopped in place to stare. Her face heated up as embarrassment set in from the unwanted attention.

She unintentionally made a scene.

"Have you calm down?"

She was about to respond when she remembered her mouth was covered, so she settled with nodding her head.

"Good." She mentally groaned upon hearing the smirk in his voice. "Just follow my lead."

Wait, what?!

Evangeline was taken by surprise when Revali suddenly spun her around and before she knew it, she found herself wrapped up in a pair of wings. If she thought she was blushing before, her face would be beat red at this point.

…Was he hugging her?!

"W-what are you doing?" She hissed, though in reality it came out as a quiet squeak.

"Follow. My. Lead. You just woke up from a nightmare that left you shaken."

Uh, okay…?

Unsure of what to do, she hesitantly wrapped her arms around Revali's stomach in order to give off the impression that she was clinging to him for stability (whether or not this was actually the case was debatable). It was at that time that she became aware of the Rito's height; she knew he was tall, but it wasn't until she stood in front of him that she realized she was only a head shorter than him (from what she could tell).

Thankfully she didn't have to fake being shaken since her mind was having difficulty coming to terms with being in a different world.

Talk about culture shock, assuming it could apply to her situation.

"It's alright. It was just a dream. Dreams can't harm you." He suddenly said, his voice taking a surprisingly soothing tone.

Evangeline knew Revali was only telling her this to sell the image of him comforting her, but something about his words somehow made an impact on her and caused her throat to tighten slightly.

She wished this was all a dream, she really did!

But it wasn't, and every second that passed seemed to cement the fact that everything was too real for her mind to rationalize.

She was never going to see her home again, was she?

Did her family even know? Did her friends?

Was she considered missing by the police?

Did anyone care that she was missing?

Was she stuck in this world for the rest of her life?

She was confused when the Rito holding her became tense, and it wasn't until she noticed the dampness trailing down her cheeks that she realized why. She hadn't realized she was crying, and it was apparent he hadn't expected her to do so. Her arms tightened around him slightly and she found that she was no longer pretending.

"Master Revali, what's going on here?"

Evangeline turned her head towards the direction the voice came from and spotted an elderly looking Rito that resembled an owl (she wasn't good at recognizing species, but he resembled the kind of owl Hedwig was from Harry Potter), leaning on the wooden staff he carried for support.

"Elder Chie." Revali greeted. "She just woke up from a nightmare. I've taken care of it."

The Elder turned yellow eyes to her, and despite being old she found him somewhat intimidating due to his height, towering over the other Rito in the immediate area.

"So, this is the Human." The Elder said. "It's fascinating how much she resembles a Hylian, though her ears give her away."

At this she tentatively touched her ears in confusion. Was there something wrong with her ears? Were Hylian ears different or did they not have any?

Was she that much of an anomaly?

She might as well be considered an alien, given the circumstance.

These thoughts only further solidified the harsh truth and she found herself burying her face into Revali's chest, and she got a small bit of satisfaction when the Rito went still again. Though it was short-lived since he managed to compose himself enough to speak.

"P-perhaps she still needs a little more time to collect her thoughts." Did he just stutter? "I'll just take her back inside for now."

"That might be for the best." The Elder nodded. "Hopefully, she'll be well enough for a tour around the village after a moment or two."

"Rest assured, she will be fine!"

It was that moment that Revali started to awkwardly pat her shoulder. Evangeline was confused as to why he was doing that, especially when he started to do it more persistently.

"You can let go now." He suddenly said in a hushed tone (likely so that the others wouldn't hear).

Her faced heated up as she jerked away, though she couldn't get far due to the Rito's arms keeping her in place. A frown formed on his beak as he looked down at her, but it didn't last long when he suddenly shifted around, and before she knew it a wing was draped around her shoulders; soon enough he started to guide her back to his home (the wooden hut being like all the others she had seen so far).

"Come along, Erin."

Evangeline…

Her hands tightened into fists.

Why couldn't he get her name right?

Did he forget what it was, or was he deliberately not using it?

As soon as the curtain fell over the doorway Evangeline ducked out of the wing draped over her shoulders before moving away from Revali, the space between them gradually growing with every step she took.

"I must admit, I'm surprised by your performance." Revali commented. "I didn't think you'd be quite the actress, although I think you might've gone a little overboard with the tears."

Once again tears welled up in her eyes, and trying to hold them back she gripped her arms as a means to keep herself grounded. Did it help? Not really, but it was an attempt.

"…I wasn't acting." She told him.

He was silent as those words hung in the air, and she took this time to sit on the floor close to her hammock, legs drawn close to her chest and arms wrapped around them. She didn't care what he thought of her at that moment, but it really didn't matter to her by this point.

She was stuck in a world completely different from her own. The land was different, their alphabet was incomprehensible, and it was confirmed there were more races besides the Rito she found herself surrounded by.

But was she truly stuck here permanently?

This train of thought caught her attention.

True, she was stuck in this world, but that didn't mean there wasn't a way back home!

…Right?

Maybe there was a way to get back, but that raised another question as a result:

How was she supposed to get home?

Her brows furrowed at this.

If that mechanical bird flying above the village was anything to go by, maybe this world has some form of technology (even if it was advanced for such a medieval setting). Magic was also a high possibility if the fairy she'd seen earlier was common knowledge

'Okay, so that's two methods that can help me get home.' She thought. 'Now my only concern is figuring out how to follow any of those leads. Where do I even start—'

"Here."

Evangeline whipped her head around to find Revali towering over her from behind, a steaming mug being offered to her. She stared at the mug, confused as to why he even had it in the first place. Was it…meant for her?

Apparently, she had taken too long to respond since the Rito let out an irritated huff.

"Well? Are you going to take it or not?" He asked, referring to the mug he held.

Realizing her mistake, she scrambled to her feet before taking the mug from Revali, though she was quick to switch her grip to holding the handle as the palm of her hands felt the temperature of the cup.

"S-sorry." She muttered, feeling embarrassed.

She glanced down at the contents of the steaming mug, noting the pleasant aroma that wafted up to her nostrils. The hot liquid was clear, the tint being that of a reddish brown (though a little more red than brown); it had an herbal scent, yet it had a sweetness to it at the same time that somehow didn't conflict with each other. Taking a small sip, she found that it tasted how it smelled, and warmth seemed to spread throughout her body.

"Is this…tea?" She asked.

"No, it happens to be another elixir." Was his retort.

Whether it was his words or how he said them made little difference as she found herself giggling in response. Though it might not have been his intent, she started feeling a little better.

"Sarcasm noted." She couldn't stop the smile from forming on her face. "Thanks for the tea."

Evangeline's eyes widened as she witnessed something that left her at a loss for words: the feathers around Revali's neck seemed to puff up, and…was there a little more red on his face than usual?

"I-I didn't do it because of you! I only did it because I happened to make tea for myself! It would be considered rude if I didn't offer you anything to drink."

'Oh. My. God.'

Revali, the high and mighty Champion of the Rito, was actually stuttering! And not only that, she managed to literally ruffle his feathers!

So he wasn't as smooth as he made himself out to be.

"…Anyways, how's your ankle?"

She froze as his words registered in her mind, and it was that moment she realized she'd been walking around on her now healed ankle without being aware of it.

Holy shit!

Her ankle was fully healed!

Suddenly her thoughts came to a halt as she noticed something.

"What happened to the fairy?" She asked, her head turning left and right as she searched for the missing fairy.

"It left." Was the response she got. "Fairies tend to do that whenever they've served their purpose. Where it went is a mystery, though there are those that speculate that they return to the Great Fairy Fountain they were captured from."

This caught Evangeline's attention.

Magic!

She finally had a lead that she could follow!

"You mean there are different kinds of fairies? Are Great Fairies stronger than normal fairies or something?"

"You wouldn't be wrong about Great Fairies." Revali's eyes narrowed at her, all while crossing his wings in front of his chest. "Why the sudden interest?"

'Uh oh…'

Was her interest in Great Fairies that suspicious? Sure, she wanted to see a Great Fairy (if only to follow the magic lead that could get her home) but the only way to do so was if the Rito didn't know her intentions.

'Quick! Play at being embarrassed!'

"W-well, I…" She averted her gaze, and it wasn't hard to fake a blush. "…This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I've always been fascinated with fairies since I was little. So, yeah…"

She could feel his gaze on her, and she nervously took a few sips of her tea. It took all her willpower not to fidget in place.

'Please buy my excuse!' She thought. 'I don't know how long I can take his gaze.'

"…You're weird." Revali soon said.

Her head snapped in his direction.

"Weird!" She exclaimed. "I'm not weird!"

"Compared to everyone else, you are."

Her mouth opened to respond, only to close it when she realized he had a point.

"Well, when you put it like that…" She trailed off. A few seconds later she perked up. "Anyways, can we go outside? I want to see the village!"

"Sure, but you should finish getting dressed first."

This left her confused.

"I thought I was dressed."

"To some degree you are. However, your attire is lacking."

Evangeline watched Revali's green gaze fall on something on the rug, and following his gaze she spotted the bundle of clothing that sat folded up on the floor. Walking over to it, she gathered the bundle in her arms before turning to face him.

"You mean this?" She asked, holding up the bundle.

"Of course." He answered.

Kneeling down, she started unfolding the bundle until she found a large green scarf thing, a pair of leather shoes, and a strange looking blue rope belt with circular gold objects threaded through it (she assumed it was a belt since it looked like the size could be adjusted by pulling on both ends of the rope). These things had been wrapped inside a turquoise sleeveless dress (which had been the bundle itself), having yellow embroidery at the hem of the skirt.

"What is all this?"

"An outer dress to wear over the one you have one, a pair of shoes, a sash, and belt."

Okay, so she was supposed to put all this on. The outer dress and shoes were easy to put on, but she was at a loss when it came to the sash and belt, specifically how the sash was supposed to be worn.

"Uh, Revali?" She called, catching the Rito's attention. "I have no clue as to how the sash is supposed to be done. Help?"

Revali huffed at this before approaching her and soon enough he was snatching the sash out of her hands.

"Raise your arms." He told her.

She quickly raised her arms just as Revali went about wrapping the sash around her mid section (somewhat tightly). During this time, she felt a sense of awkwardness, especially when he had to reach around her for the end of the sash. Then her face turned red when he had to tuck the rest of the sash into the wrapped portion, tugging down on it until the long end was left hanging down in front of her in a way that reminded her of an apron. Thankfully, the Rito stepped away from her to observe his handiwork, and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"There! I hope you were paying attention, because I won't be doing this again."

"…Yeah, I was paying attention!"

'How could I not?' She thought sarcastically.

Picking up the blue rope belt, Evangeline looped it over her head, leveling it around her waist before tightening it so that it rested over the middle of the sash. She looked down at the outfit she now wore, finding the style foreign, but it was nice and simple.

"How do I look?" She asked.

She glanced at Revali, who was quiet as he looked her over. The seconds seemed to tick by slower than usual and she found her hands interesting as she started fiddling with her fingers.

"You look…" She lifted her gaze upon hearing the Rito's voice. "…like a Hylian."

That was good, right? That means she wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb unless someone decided they wanted to get a good look at hear ears. At least that's what she presumed.

"Okay, I'm dressed!" She clapped her hands. "Can we go now?"

"Yes, we can go." Revali sighed before walking passed her towards the door. "I swear, you act like a fledgling."

"Hey! I'm not a child!"

The Rito merely chuckled as she chased after him. After all, she had a village to explore.

ATE: Explanation time!

(1) Elder Chie: I figured that the elder for Rito Village would be different than the one we saw in game, and for some reason I imagined him being a snowy owl. Also couldn't help with choosing the name 'Chie', seeing as it means 'wisdom' in Japanese.

(2) Tea: I imagine this is made from Hyrule herbs and wildberries.

(3) Evangeline's Dress: Like I stated at the end of Chapter 2 of this story (about the white dress) the overall outfit Evangeline puts on in this chapter is one of the styles that some of the female NPCs wear in the game. The coloration for her dress is that the sash is green while the outer dress (I don't know if this is the actual term for it, but whatever) is turquoise. At first I was unsure what colors to make the outfit (I kept thinking of green at the time), but then a friend of mine suggested that I use turquoise, and having done a quick sketch of the outfit and coloring it with the coloration, I have to admit that it actually looks nice.

Please be sure to leave a review! ;D

UPDATE: I had to go back and fix Evangeline's height in comparison to Revali. I saw an image comparing Link's height with Revali and Teba.