ATE: I would like to apologize to everyone for making you wait almost a year for this chapter to come out. I had started this chapter a week after posting Chapter 8 of AFS, but when I started I started getting writer's block so I had been working on this chapter on and off. As I was trying to figure out things, I kept getting distracted by work, gaming, and packing up rooms, so in other words procrastination. It wasn't until this past Tuesday on the last flight to the place I was going for Thanksgiving week that I actually managed to finish this chapter in a notebook and have spent today typing everything and posting this.

I'd like to thank FanOfVariks, Liltorgy, CalliL13, Mekutakito, and Sp00kyT00ns for their reviews as well as the rest of the readers who have been following this story for this long. And I thank you all again for being so patient for waiting again.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, or any other references I make. I only own my OC.

~*~Chapter 8~*~

She didn't know how many days had passed since she was brought back to Rito Village, but she was beyond caring about anything seeing as she had stopped paying attention long ago. Laying on the wooden floor beside her hammock, she hadn't moved away from that spot since her return. Not even the dryness of her mouth or the pain of her growling stomach could motivate her to get up.

After having everything she knew and the life she once led taken away from her, Evangeline didn't care anymore.

She just didn't care anymore.

All she wanted was to be left alone, and maybe waste away quietly if possible.

Of course, that could never be the case, given that a certain someone chose to forgo his training just so he could be around. She ignored his presence, not bothering to pay any attention to his words if and whenever he spoke (which didn't happen often, surprisingly). He'd tried getting her to eat once, only to leave the plate on the floor within reach when he realized she wasn't going to move, but even then, the food he made would go untouched when he came to retrieve it. One time she thought she heard him humming a tune on a particularly rainy day, though she simply chalked it off as just being her imagination since she never heard it again; even then it had been a temporary comfort since it gave her something to focus on.

One day she heard Revali moving around the hut, only for the sound of more than one set of talons clicking against the wooden floor to reach her ears as they joined his before hearing him talk to someone. It wasn't until she listened in that she heard female voices talking to him and it took her a little longer than usual to realize that she recognized the voices. Her suspicions were confirmed when she felt a wing being gently placed on her shoulder, and seeing the green feathers confirmed that it belonged to Sarai.

That meant Onra and Kali were here as well.

She didn't want them here and she certainly didn't want their pity either.

Why couldn't anyone just leave her alone?

Was it just too much to ask?

There was nothing she could do about it, so she chose to close her eyes and rest. For that was all she could do at that point.

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Evangeline awoke with a start when something shook her shoulder, but before she could even respond something was pressed to her lips and her head was tilted backwards. The first drop that landed on her tongue served as a catalyst and she could no longer ignore her thirst as she desperately drank.

Wait…was she awake…?

…Or was she asleep?

No…she couldn't be awake.

She had to be experiencing a really vivid dream if she were this desperate for water. She had been refusing any food or water for so long that she was dreaming this whole thing up. Even so, she would enjoy this dream while she could until she woke up, all the while guzzling down water as if it were going out of style.

The water was suddenly taken away, causing her to let out a quiet sound of protest.

Why was it taken away?

Give it back!

She was so thirsty!

…

Slow down.

You're drinking too fast.

The water was brought back, this time she was only allowed a few small sips at a time, almost teasingly much to her growing frustration. But if it meant she'd be given water, then she would begrudgingly go along with it.

Blink.

Something was being wrapped around her neck, which she discovered to be some sort of thick cloth when the pads of her fingers grazed the material. She couldn't help but wonder what it was as she started tugging on it and she noticed that the cloth was thick but soft, almost as if it were made of wool or something similar to it.

Leave it on.

Her brows furrowed as the corners of her mouth turned downwards into a frown.

Why did she need to keep it on?

It's going to get cold.

Blink.

Her body shivered profusely as she felt the wind whip around her, all the while noticing that she had her arms wrapped around something warm. She tightened her hold, craving the warmth beneath her as she practically buried her face into the surface. This was one weird vivid dream she was having. She shouldn't be feeling temperature, but then again that hasn't stopped her dreams from being realistic.

…

Evangeline's eyes slowly fluttered open as her mind gradually became aware of her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was the sound of a crackling fire and the warmth it provided, followed by the quietly moaning wind as small hints of cold air drifting in, though the heavy blanket draped over her body shielded her from the brunt of it.

She shivered as she curled into a ball.

When did Rito Village become so cold?

Using her arms to push herself up from the floor, she let her eyes wonder around the room as she realized she didn't know where she was. Getting a better look around she saw that the layout of the room was the normal Rito style with hammocks hung high in the air. She noted how she'd been laying on a rug (along with a pillow her head had been resting on) close to the fire and cooking pot situated in the center, along with there being two exits: one on the opposite side of the room with two torches on either side of the threshold while she could see hints of a ladder leading down (from what she could tell); the other exit was to her right, leading outside to a platform of sorts. But the one thing she hadn't expected was the snow falling outside as the wind carried the flake through the air. Due to how the weather made everything look hazy outside she couldn't make out any specific details on the horizon aside from the mountains or cliffs (for a lack of a better term) seemed to surround the area, almost isolating the location from the rest of the world if not for the only opening that allowed a path leading away from the hut.

The smell of food cooking drifted through the air caused Evangeline's stomach to growl and churn painfully in hunger, reminding her of how she'd been starving herself for days. She knew the smell was coming from the cooking pot and had to force herself to keep her gaze away from it in fear of making things worse for herself and her stomach. She didn't enjoy hunger pain, but she didn't want to eat anything.

She shivered with chattering teeth as she wrapped the blanket around herself tightly. Why was she even here in this place instead of Rito Village?

She didn't want to be here!

Standing up, she suddenly felt light-headed as her vision seemed to swim. She placed a hand to her head in an attempt to ease the sensation, but it didn't seem to help much. Eventually the dizziness went away and she took a few calming breaths before opening her eyes.

That's what she got for going so long without eating anything…

Maybe she could leave on her own. But then again, even if she left where would she go in her weakened state? She didn't even know where she was and that didn't help her cause. Looking around the room she eventually found a chest of drawers that had been placed against the "wall" behind her and she didn't hesitate when it came to searching through each drawer, only for confusion to set in when she came across bottles filled with what appeared to be a softly glowing reddish-orange liquid.

Picking up one of the bottles she found that the glass was warm to the touch, as if the bottle and its contents had been heated up recently. All the bottles had labels tied around the neck, and lifting the one tied around the bottle she held she discovered Hylian words written; mentally translating the words in her head, she learned that it read 'Spicy Elixir'.

'Spicy Elixir?' She thought. 'Why would an elixir need to be spicy?'

If it were anything like the elixir Revali had her take, then there was a reason for all these to have been made. Maybe its purpose was to provide warmth to whoever decided to drink it (if the warmth it gave off was any indication). Usually she'd be all for doing whatever to keep herself warm, but recalling the incident that occurred from drinking the elixir that fixed her ankle she was very reluctant to try. Last time she'd been in a lot of pain due to it mending the damage done to her ankle, so if that had happed from that specific elixir, what effect would the one in her hands inflict on her? Would it cause her to have a fever if she drank it or worse? She had been informed that elixir didn't have such a strong effect on others, so what if-!

Her line of thought stopped abruptly as an idea came to her.

What if she were to drink only half of the elixir? If she did that it wouldn't harm her as much, right? The worse that could possibly happen would be her body getting too warm than what was intended.

'At this point, I don't really care what happens to me…' Was the dark thought that drifted through her mind.

After struggling a bit with uncorking the bottle Evangeline brought it to her lips to drink the elixir, only to pull it back when she tasted the concoction. Even with the noticeable spiciness to it (hence the name) it did little to mask the other aspect of the flavor that was gag inducing. She mentally counted, allowing herself some time to breath before she went back to drinking, this time trying her best to swallow down the substance. It wasn't long until she pulled the bottle away once she saw she got halfway through the elixir, and with the task done she closed the bottle up with the cork and placed the bottle on top surface of the drawers. She then allowed herself to sit back down on the floor as she anxiously prepared herself for the worse; while she'd been expecting something excruciating to occur, that wasn't the case as a warming sensation seemed to spread throughout her body at a steady pace until she found herself practically immune to the chilly weather.

Her idea had worked!

It had actually worked!

Now that she no longer needed it Evangeline shed the blanket she had wrapped herself in, and she was about to start folding it when she caught sight of the scarf that was wrapped around her neck. Her brows furrowed in confusion.

She didn't remember putting on a scarf.

There was no denying that beige colored scarf provided warmth, with the ends of the fringes having been tipped red. Letting her hands feel around the back, she noticed that the rest of the length fell down her back until the ends stopped somewhere above her knees. Curiosity got the best of her as she grabbed one of the ends so she could see what it looked like and found that the end was cut at an angle, the end colored with a red and yellow pattern while above that was what she assumed was half of a symbol (and the other half of it was likely on the other end of the scarf behind her back).

Ba-ba-booooom!

Evangeline's head shot in the direction of the loud sound, realizing it was coming in the direction of the exit that led to the platform outside. Curiosity got the best of her and soon enough she found herself wandering outside; the sight of the dispersing smoke coming off the rocky walls caught her attention, but she didn't see what could've caused the event to occur when she allowed her eyes to search the area.

The only place she hadn't searched was below.

Hesitantly, she approached the end of the platform and peered over the edge, only to stumble back in surprise by the powerful updraft that suddenly burst out of nowhere. Even with her hair whipping around and getting in her face, nothing could distract her from the form that shot up into the air. At first she couldn't make out who or what it was, but as soon as she saw wings spreading out she realized it could only be a certain Rito.

Evangeline watched in awe as he flew around, his movements swift yet graceful as he shot arrows from his bow—3 at a time—which exploded on impact with their target (or targets in this case). All of this seemed to take place within 30 seconds or less by the time he was finished, but that was likely an exaggeration on her part. One thing was clear, though, and it was that Revali hadn't joked about being the best archer; she couldn't imagine anyone being able to outdo the Rito after witnessing such an impressive display of skill.

'Robin Hood eat your heart out.' She couldn't help but think.

Maybe the same could be applied to Peter Jackson's OPed version of Legolas? Giving it some thought she decided to drop that topic knowing that she'd mentally argue with herself for hours if she allowed it to continue, so it was best to leave the conclusion undecided for now.

Her thoughts came to a sudden halt when she heard something land on the platform, and looking up she was surprised to find Revali standing before her. She expected him to scold her for coming outside without anything to keep her warm (though she didn't need it), maybe even yell at her or something, but to her surprise (and confusion) he kept silent as he regarded her. With every second that passed she found herself growing anxious and deciding whether to say something to break the silence.

But what could she even say in a situation like this given recent events?

'Hey, Revali! Sorry for being such an anti-social recluse for the last X amount of days. Turns out I can't return to Earth ever again!'

She mentally flinched at just how cringy that thought sounded. There was no way saying something like that would go over so well.

"Come."

Apparently, she didn't need to decide as the Rito moved past her, clearly wanting her to follow him back inside the hut. By the time she entered, Revali was setting his bow beside him after seating himself by the fire, and not knowing what else to do she decided to do the same, albeit with a good amount of distance between them. There was a certain tension in the air as neither one knew what to do or say, but eventually the Rito chose to get up and move around, though at this point Evangeline wasn't really paying attention.

Why did he bring her here?

Why was he still bothering to keep her around?

Her presence was hardly significant in his life, yet when she left he'd gone after her.

Why?!

Nothing made sense!

Her thoughts were interrupted by a bowl being shoved in front of her, thought she probably stared at it for too long if the sound of Revali clearing his throat was any indication; knowing what he wanted her to do she took the bowl from him. The bowl contained a simple broth soup, but the sight and smell of it was enough to make her feel sick to her stomach.

"You've gone days without food." Revali said, causing Evangeline to glance over at him. "Eat or I will resort to spoon-feeding you."

That was enough to get her to eat, though she took it slow as she carefully sipped at the warm liquid with her spoon. The flavor wasn't anything special but that was likely the point seeing as the broth wasn't upsetting her stomach. But why go through all the trouble to make this for her? She only managed to eat half of the broth before setting the bowl aside and with nothing else to do she turned her gaze to the fire in front of her. The sound of Revali getting up and moving around reached her ears but what she didn't expect was for something to be draped over her shoulders, which turned out to be the blanket she had been using earlier.

"I'm not cold." She said, shrugging off the blanket.

"We're located at the foot of the Hebra Mountains, which happens to have snow all year-round. There's also the fact that you are not dressed appropriately for this kind of weather. Excuse my skepticism, but I don't believe your claim of not being cold." Revali stated matter-of-factly.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not cold because I drank something."

"'Drank something'? What could you have possibly drank to prevent you from being…"

Revali suddenly trailed off and she looked up in time to see the Rito go over to the drawer where she found the Spicy Elixirs, and sure enough he picked up the half empty bottle sitting on top of said drawer. She couldn't help but find it strange how small the bottle looked as he held it in his large wing of a 'hand', but that line of thought was short-lived when he abruptly whipped around to face her, brows furrowed in anger as he stormed over to her.

"Why did you do it? Why did you drink one of the elixirs when you know that it could backfire on you?" Evangeline was taken by surprise when Revali suddenly grabbed her arms and pulled her to her feet, keeping her in place if she tried to escape (though it was likely that he did so after having learned what happened last time). "Are you even aware of the risks you were taking? You could've given yourself a fever if things turned out badly, or worse you could've—!" He clicked his beak in a clear sign of irritation. "Why are Humans—why are YOU so reckless?!"

She had never seen Revali so angry before and as much as she hated to admit it, she was a little scared. However, that fear didn't paralyze her for long as she frowned.

"Why should I care what happens to me? What would I be risking if I have nothing to lose?" She suddenly asked. "In this world I'm nobody. All I have is my name and the clothes on my back, and even then, those very clothes were never originally mine! If something were to happen to me, I would not be missed. Maybe a couple people might be sad, but eventually they'd move on and forget about me."

It was apparent that Revali hadn't expected her to refute him if his surprised expression wasn't any indication. He seemed to struggle for finding the right words to say, but right when she was about to open her mouth to continue, he somehow managed to compose himself and beat her to it.

"Do you truly value your life so little? Do your circumstances affect you so much that you would willingly throw caution to the wind?" The Rito asked, his voice calm as he spoke. "So what if you're stuck in another world? Not many people are given the chance of having a clean slate in life. You can be anyone in this world, but you must be the one to take the first step."

Evangeline averted her gaze as she suddenly found the floor more interesting. She knew Revali had a point, but it didn't make things any easier for her. How was she supposed to start a new life in this world if she didn't know what to do? This world…it was too foreign for her to grasp. There were too many things she was unfamiliar with, along with too many unknown dangers that seemed to be implied by the few people she'd encountered.

So this was what it was like to fear the unknown.

Not having anything familiar to fall back on was terrifying.

"I'm scared." She admitted weakly. "I don't know what'll happen or what I should do."

"Then don't think of the fear. Instead, think of all the possibilities being presented to you.

"But if I'm staying in Hyrule wouldn't I be considered an illegal alien? Don't I need to apply for citizenship or a green card with the powers that be?" It was then she realized what she said and her eyes widened. "Wait…I wouldn't be able to apply for those if I don't even have my birth certificate of social security number?" She then groaned, bowing her head at the idea of her situation "Oh…shit! I'm so screwed…"

Evangeline expected Revali to say something to this, but strangely enough he was silent. When she lifted her head to look at him, she saw that he had a blank look on his face.

What was with that-?

"Are you finished?" He suddenly asked.

She blinked, too confused to know how to respond to such a question. How could he be so nonchalant when she was clearly worrying about something as serious as citizenship? Didn't he realize that she could be in serious trouble if she were caught?

"W-what do you mean by that? Don't I need to apply for citizenship to live in Hyrule?"

"'Applying for citizenship'?" The Rito tilted his head to the side. "What nonsense are you going on about?"

Evangeline sighed, knowing she would have to explain things.

"Where I'm from—in my world—the laws of the country I lived in state people from other countries that want to come in and reside there permanently are required to fill out forms or tests in order to register for citizenship. After some time, the person will get something called a green card, but even then, that person is considered a non-citizen and must live in the country for a least five year before they can officially become a permanent resident of said country. At least that's to my understanding. I could be wrong so don't quote me on it."

Revali just stared at her, seeming to register everything she told him before he spoke.

"So let me get this straight: you're telling me that you have to register for citizenship with the powers that be…as if you were signing up for some competition?" Revali asked.

"Eh…not exactly, but I guess that could be a more simplistic way of considering it." She answered, albeit unsure about her words.

"Either way, the idea sounds tedious and time-consuming! Has it always been that way where you're from?"

"Not always. I don't know the exact date, but if I remember my history correctly, those kinds of laws were passed about 200 or so years ago, give or take. I guess the process itself is somewhat recent invention of the government. From what little I've seen of Hyrule, this world seems to be similar to the medieval period of Earth's history, though with very noticeable differences; even so, Earth never had such a process during that time period."

"Well, I assure you, that Hyrule doesn't have such a process, so you don't have to worry about 'registering for citizenship'."

It was at that time that Evangeline noticed Revali still had a hold of her arms, and that awareness brought a sense of awkwardness to the situation.

"Erm…Revali? Could you…?"

At this she nodded to one of the Rito's arms. Revali seemed confused at first, but once he realized what she was getting at, he was quick to loosen his grip and step away from her. The awkwardness still lingered between the two as they both tried to figure out what to do next.

"So…" The Rito started in an attempt to change the subject. "The 'medieval' period… How long ago was that in 'Earth's' history?"

Seeing what he was trying to do, she was more than willing to answer.

"The medieval period, which was also called the Middle Ages, lasted from the 5th to the 15th century in Earth's history, so about 10 centuries long. Back on Earth, at least when I left, we were in the 21st century."

"Is that common knowledge in your world?"

"Kinda? I guess it depends on the curriculum at certain schools. I was going to a university before coming here, so I ended up learning that as part of my education."

"University?!" Revali exclaimed in surprise. "You were receiving a higher education?"

Oh, that's right.

Education was something only the rich could afford during the middle ages, and with higher education being a step up from that, it was understandable that Revali would react the way he did. Explaining this was going to be tricky.

"I'm not rich or anything if that's what you're thinking. The 21st century is a lot different from the Middle Ages, with education being affordable to most people while a higher education cost a lot more." She explained. "Sometimes students in college or university will get jobs to help pay their tuition, and there are other options that help reduce to costs for the student, but some options like student loans require that the money be paid back later down the line."

"That would explain a number of things. You certainly don't act like a woman of nobility."

Evangeline couldn't help but burst out laughing at the Rito's words! She didn't know why she found it so hilarious, but the act itself helped to improve her mood.

"You have no idea how much I needed that. Especially with how stressful things have been lately." She admitted once she managed to calm down. "I…want to apologize for my behavior. I'm not proud of it, and my circumstances are no excuse to act that way."

Revali was silent as he regarded her, likely thinking of a response to her words. She waited patient, and sure enough he finally spoke.

"I accept your apology, Evangeline."

This took her by surprise. Not because he apologized, but because she hadn't expected the Rito to use her actual name when he'd been referring to her as 'Erin' for so long. She was tempted to bring it up but decided against it when he averted his gaze and stared off into the distance.

"In hindsight I'm aware that your actions weren't without reason. I admit I was skeptical of your otherworldly claims, but after everything that's transpired up until now, I'm inclined to believe your story. Even if the place you're from has an absurd way of managing things." Revali chuckled at his last statement, and she couldn't help but agree with him. He then brought his gaze back to her before continuing. "I may not entirely understand things from your perspective, and I may not be capable of returning you home, but what I can do is make your stay in this world a little more bearable."

Evangeline didn't know how it happened, but like a ton of bricks falling on her she became cold as all warmth in her body suddenly vanished, leaving her with chattering teeth and frozen limbs. Before she could manage to utter a word, she found herself bundled up in the same blanket from earlier and placed in front of the fire.

"…H-how d-did y-you k-know?" She asked, still shivering.

"That elixir was only meant to last about an hour, and even then, it's simple to tell when the effects are wearing off on a Hylian. Apparently, Humans are no different. It's also not the most pleasant thing to experience firsthand." He added the last statement as if it were an afterthought.

"C-can't I just…d-drink the other half of the Spicy Elixir?"

"I rather not take the chance. You already took a big risk in drinking half of it, and though nothing severe happened, I don't thing it's wise to consume the rest of it so soon. At least we know to give you half an elixir if something happens."

Perhaps Revali had a point, and as much as she didn't like it, she had to agree. Still didn't change the fact that it was freaking cold!

"W-why does it have to be so cold?" She asked rhetorically.

"If you think this is cold, wait until you've experienced the winter season in the Tabantha region!" He stated.

This certainly caught her attention.

"Y-you mean it gets colder than this back in Rito Village during the winter? Don't you guys need to fly south during that time of year? Aren't you even cold right now?"

At this the Rito barked out a laugh as if he'd just been told the funniest joke in the world, and to her ears it was one of the most interesting sounds she had ever heard. In a strange way, it reminded her of a specific scene from a specific Final Fantasy game, albeit lacking the awkwardness from said scene. Despite this, there was something about Revali's laugh that had a certain…charm to it, for lack of better words. Eventually he managed to calm down before he responded.

"The Rito aren't burdened with the limitations of the average avian. Unlike birds, we are capable of withstanding the harsh temperatures of winter."

"And what season are we currently in?"

"We are just now entering the autumn season."

…

…Well, shit.

ATE: I'm sorry for things being rushed at the end. Hopefully this chapter has been to everyone's liking.

(1) The Scarf: The scarf Evangeline is wearing is the same one that Revali wore in The Champions' Ballad (the memory).

(2) Citizenship: I had to look up details on this and what I wrote was what I understand of the process. So if any specific details are missing, that's why.

(3) Education: Like with the previous point, I had to look up details on education during the medieval period.

That's all for now. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! ;D