ATE: Got a new chapter for everyone, and a bit of filler as well! Not going to lie, this one took some time to finish because I was either too busy with work of I got distracted with other things. There were also points where I hit road blocks in the writing process and some details I wrote were either written differently than what I planned or just ended up writing themselves in. I also apologize for some parts of the story feeling rushed as these were some of the parts where I was struggling or just wanted to get past them in order to get this chapter finished. Anyways, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Zelda related or any references I made in this chapter. I only own my OCs.

~*~Chapter 13~*~

When Evangeline woke up the next morning, she was presented with a new day. However, that didn't mean anything changed. In fact, Revali remained sound asleep in the blanket nest she created for him. Granted, they both retired the night before a little later than usual (at least what she'd gotten used to by that point), and after what happened yesterday it was no wonder he was tired enough to sleep in.

After all, he saved her life despite the condition he was in.

She felt horrible that he'd been forced to intervene on her behalf. What was the point in learning to use a bow when she couldn't even protect herself when it really mattered? Would he still be in the condition he was currently in if he hadn't been forced to take action when he did?

"…I know I taught you better than that!"

Recalling his words only served to make her feel worse about herself and the situation. He'd gone out of his way to teach her archery when he could've easily rejected her request, and this was how she repaid him? With inadequacy? One could argue that she was flung headfirst into a situation where she had no choice but to defend both herself and someone who wasn't in a position to do so. Another could argue that she didn't have enough experience when it came to fighting monsters since her training had focused primarily on shooting stationary targets. Both arguments were valid.

If Revali hadn't intervened, he probably would've survived on his own.

'No.' She told herself. 'He would've been next as soon as I was out of the way.'

Okay, that might've made her feel slightly better about the situation, but still.

It didn't stop her from feeling guilty, though.

'I need some fresh air.'

Realizing how suffocated she felt being left alone with her thoughts within the confines of the dark hut, Evangeline stood up from her spot on the carpeted floor and went over to Revali's desk to pull out a sheet of paper. She grabbed the nearby quill and inkwell and started writing down her intentions of taking a walk around the village; even though she knew he wanted her to practice her Hylian any chance she got, lately she found herself getting used to writing in the foreign language—it wasn't quite to the point of being considered a second language to her, however it was getting there. As soon as she was done writing her note, Evangeline glanced over to where Revali was resting and quietly made her way over to place the note in a spot he'd easily find it.

She went to stand up, but one last glance at the Rito caused her to pause for a moment. Now that she thought about it, the last time she saw him look so peaceful and relaxed was back on Vah Medoh. Even if he wasn't feeling well, it was…still strange to see him like this.

'Rest easy, Revali.' She thought softly as she stood up to leave.

Stepping outside the hut, Evangeline could already feel an improvement in her mood. She had no destination in mind as she walked around the village, but eventually her feet lead her to the commerce square. It didn't come as a surprise to see how busy everything was as Rito crowded around stalls to purchase goods and other necessities in preparation for the first snowfall—which seemed to be just around the corner if the snippets of conversations she managed to overhear from the villagers were anything to go by.

Suffice to say, when it came to the changing seasons in Tabantha the Rito were the experts.

Now that she thought about it, she could've sworn the temperature in Rito Village had been a bit warmer on the day she first met Link and Zelda. Then again, she had spent the last two weeks with Revali at the Flight Range, so she probably got somewhat used to being in the colder climate at the foot of the Hebra Mountains, and thus anywhere could be considered warmer by comparison.

So yeah, maybe she was just imagining things.

Evangeline tried her best to maneuver her way through the many Rito that were shopping in the hopes to just browse through the stalls. However, it wasn't long until she realized that the stalls themselves were too crowded for her to get a good look at the wares being sold; even a majority of the shops inside some of the huts had lines as well! She let out a sigh, knowing she'd had to wait for the crowd to die down before she could hope to get close enough to window shop (minus the 'window').

Thankfully, there were benches scattered around the area for weary shoppers to rest at, so she went over to one farthest away from the most crowded part of the square and sat down to wait for things to calm down. While sitting there, she watched the villagers go about their business and the liveliness of all of it served as a distraction from her current worries. Feeling the cool autumn breeze caused her to close her eyes as she tilted her head back; despite the ambient sounds coming from the Rito, she couldn't help but think there was something missing from it all.

Strange…

Suddenly Evangeline felt something tapping her arm, and upon opening her eyes and looking down, she was met with an unexpected sight that confused her. Standing before her was a small group of Rito children—specifically the same children she'd played tag with at the Flight Range just a few days ago—all of them gazing back at her with curious expressions.

Okay, she'd admit that they were cute, especially when a few of them had their heads tilted to the side (which only added to the cuteness). And they looked as if they were waiting for her to do something.

But that didn't explain why they approached her.

"…Hey." She greeted reluctantly.

"Hi, Flying Lady!" Came the multiple responses from the children, and she was taken aback by the amount of joy they expressed.

She couldn't help but mentally facepalm. Apparently, she was considered 'the Flying Lady' by the Rito children. At least it was better than being viewed as 'the Human'.

"Where is Master Revali?" One of the children asked her.

Evangeline remembered of the Rito Champion's current state and the guilt she felt earlier returned, but she quickly reminded herself that she was in the presence of very impressionable children who were eagerly waiting for her answer. The last thing she needed to do was subject them to the reality of his situation and cause them to worry.

'So give them a reason not to worry.'

"Master Revali is resting at this time." She told the children, also making sure to use Revali's title since the Rito viewed him as a sort of paragon. "He's been so diligent in teaching me how to use a bow, as well as honing his own skills, over the past two weeks that it's left him very exhausted."

"Is he really that tired?"

"He is. But if it makes you feel better, I'll make sure to tell him that you asked about him."

The Rito children accepted this, though some of them looked a little disappointed upon learning that Revali wasn't available as they murmured to each other. She found she didn't like seeing their saddened expressions and caused her to sympathize with them.

"Do you know any stories, Flying Lady?"

Upon hearing those words the children suddenly all turned to her with expectant looks, and she was suddenly reminded that they gave her the same looks back at the Flight Range. And they were now hoping for a story.

Well, talk about being put on the spot.

"I…don't think…" She trailed off, realizing that she could tell them a story, though it wouldn't be one of her own experience or creation. Thinking over all the material she's read and watched over the years, she thought of one that she believed was almost fitting. "Actually, I think I might have a story for you."

"Really?" One of the children asked.

"What's it called?" Asked another.

She couldn't help but smile at their excitement.

"It's called The Legend of Ashitaka." She answered. She was more than aware that she changed the name of Princess Mononoke, but she felt the true meaning of the original title would've been lost on the children. "It is a tale about a young prince who searches to cure a curse inflicted on him."

At this the children's eyes widened in surprise, followed by their requests to know the full story. And so Evangeline recited the plot of Princess Mononoke, all the while either changing some minor parts (such as toning down the violence) and leaving out some details in order to keep it child-friendly. She told them of how Ashitaka defended his village from a demon; the children let out audible gasps when she revealed that the villagers discovered the demon had been a boar god corrupted by an iron ball embedded inside his body, and how the prince's right arm had been cursed by the corruption itself during the conflict. She told them about Ashitaka's exile from his village after being told by the Elder of a potential cure in the western lands, along with how he met Jigo who tells the prince that the Great Forest Spirit could possible help him. She knew the Rito children were truly invested as soon as she mentioned San and the wolf pack led by the wolf goddess Moro, along with the events that followed as the story unfolded.

She was so absorbed in entertaining the children that before she knew it Evangeline was wrapping up the story with Ashitaka's right arm being cleansed of its curse and the happy ending that followed with the promise of visiting San in the forest. The story was a hit with the Rito children as they requested more story, and as much as she wanted to share another story from Studio Ghibli, she saw that the crowd had thinned out a bit in the Commerce Square (at least to the point where she could browse some of the stalls now).

"I would love to tell you more stories, but I have things to take care of today." She told them as she stood up from the bench she was sitting on.

"Will you tell us more stories again?"

She couldn't help but smile at this.

"I guess I could, but it'll have to be another time."

Satisfied with that answer, the Rito children started going their separate ways, all the while saying goodbye to her in the process. Once they were gone Evangeline walk over to the Commerce Square with the intention of browsing the wares on display at her leisure. During all this she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, and turning to face it she found a Rito selling wares at his stand.

But her attention wasn't on the Rito.

Instead, it was on a specific item they were selling that left her almost shellshocked.

It couldn't be…!

She had to be dreaming!

Either that or seeing things!

Without thinking Evangeline made a beeline for the stall itself to get a closer look at the item itself. It didn't take long for the Rito to notice her presence and turned his attention to her.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" He asked, clearly pleased at the thought of another customer.

"What is this?" She found herself asking, all the while pointing to the item her attention had been on since approaching the stall.

"It's bacon, cured and imported from farms located in Hateno Village and Central Hyrule."

Any other words he said after that were ignored as she stared at the thick slices of bacon on display. Even with the Rito's words of confirmation, she was still shocked by this discovery.

Bacon was a thing in Hyrule!

And it was right there in front of her!

"How much is a pound of bacon?" She suddenly asked.

The Rito stop mid-sentence to stare at her with a puzzled look, but answered her all the same.

"Normally, I tend to sell half a pound of bacon per customers. But seeing how interested you are in it, I'd be willing to sell you a pound for 50 rupees."

50 rupees!

Did that mean that half a pound of bacon costed 25 rupees?

Talk about a great deal!

Excited, Evangeline's hand went to her side in order to pull of her pouch of rupees—or wallet as Revali had informed her at one point—only for her happiness to be dashed away as cold realization struck her.

…She didn't bring her wallet with her.

As a result, it felt as if a part of her died as she mentally cried. She had been so used to not having any money during her time in Hyrule; now that she'd recently earned some rupees, she left her wallet back at Revali's play! And one of the things she missed greatly from her previous life was right there in front of her—so close and yet oh so far out of her reach!

Oh, how she cursed her hindsight!

Her disappointment must've been visible enough for the Rito to pick up on since he seemed taken aback by her sudden change in mood.

"Uh, miss…? Is everything alright?"

Thankfully she managed to compose herself enough to give the vendor a response.

"Yeah, yeah, things are fine! Just realized I left my wallet behind, that's all."

"Well, if that's the case, I could set aside the bacon for you in the meantime."

Oh, bless this Rito for being sympathetic enough to do this for her!

"Thank you so much. I promise I won't take—"

Oof!

Evangeline hadn't expected something to run into her, let alone any appendages wrapping around her legs. Hazel eyes shot down to the culprit, only to widened when she found familiar white feathers.

"Flying Lady!"

Sure enough, the culprit turned out to be Quill, whose yellow eyes shone with excitement upon seeing her. Though she couldn't understand why he'd be that excited to see her; suffice the say, she was a bit stunned by the fact of being hugged by the Rito child.

"Mama, look! It's the Flying Lady!" Quill announced as he looked over his shoulder.

Wait, what?

Glancing up from Quill, Evangeline spotted both parents approaching the stall she stood by, as well as the look of recognition that appeared on their faces when they saw her. Before she knew it the two were already in front of her.

"It's good to see you again, Evangeline." The mother greeted.

She couldn't help the confusion she felt as she wondered how Quill's mother knew her name, though it didn't last long since it was likely that Revali might've told her while she was preoccupied with entertaining the Rito children back at the Flight Range.

"Same to you too, uh…"

She just realized she didn't know her name. Talk about awkward.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I never did introduce myself when we first met. I'm Rua, and this is my husband Teyo."

Now that she got a good look at the two parents, she saw that Rua had beautiful white feathers and green eyes, while Teyo had raven-colored feathers and yellow eyes. She couldn't help but noticed the contrast between their appearances and it reminded her of the Paul McCartney song 'Ebony and Ivory'.

"Don't forget me, Mama!" The Rito child chimed in.

"Of course, you already know Quill." Rua added before turning her attention to her son. "While I'm on the topic, you know better than to go around hugging strangers."

"But Mama, the Flying Lady isn't a stranger! She played with me." Quill said, pulling his tiny wings away from around her legs as he turned to face his mother.

Evangeline didn't know whether to laugh or feel embarrassed at the Rito child's innocence. He was just too cute for his own good, and whether or not he knew it, he somehow managed to use it to his advantage. Rua must've been aware or this fact as well as she let out a sigh.

"That may be true, but you still need to ask permission. There are those who might not want a hug."

Quill's disappointment was visible as he hung his head, and she couldn't help but feel sympathetic. She didn't know why, but she didn't like seeing the kid like this and felt the need to cheer him up.

"Hey Quill." Upon hearing her voice, the Rito child turn around to face her. His yellow eyes watched her as she knelt down to be leveled with him. "Can I have a hug?"

Her request seemed to have the desired effect as Quill's face brighten up, and she barely had time to open her arms before his little wings were wrapping around her neck. Operation Cheer Up Quill was a success!

"Up! Up!" Quill said.

Evangeline's eyes widened in surprise by this, and she could hear his parents let out gasps.

"Oh my…! I'm so sorry!" Was Rua's response as she stepped forward with her wings held out. "I don't know what's gotten into Quill."

She realized that Rua thought she'd take offense to Quill's behavior (which was understandable from a parent's point of view), but that was the last thing she felt. In response Evangeline stood up, taking the Rito child with her as he squealed in delight; truth be told, she felt some level of joy from making him happy.

"I don't have a problem with it." She admitted, hoping to ease any worries the mother had.

Rua was quiet at first, but eventually let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. I was worried that you would've been uncomfortable with it." Rua smiled. "Would you like to have tea with me?"

"Tea?"

"Yes. I happen to run a tea shop."

Evangeline hadn't expected this, but the idea of tea sounded good. Though that probably meant she wouldn't be getting any bacon today.

"Sure." She answered. She then turned to the vendor. "It seems like I won't be able purchase any bacon today. Will you be here tomorrow?"

"I will." The vendor nodded.

"Thank you."

Carrying Quill, Evangeline went over to Rua with the intent of following her, but then a look of realization appeared on her face.

"I just remembered!" Rua then turned to her husband. "Teyo, could you finish the last errand we had to take care of?"

"Leave it to me." He replied before walking away.

Rua started walking off as soon as Teyo left, and Evangeline was forced to rush after the female Rito so that she didn't fall behind. As they walked, she opened her mouth to voice the thought she had since they left the Commerce Square.

"Your husband is very quiet." She noted.

At this Rua glanced over her shoulder at the Human.

"He's always been like that, but he has his moments where he'll say more than a few words." The female Rito told her. "Even when we were children, he was shy and hardly interacted with anyone, yet I managed to get him to come out of his shell and make him feel included."

It didn't take long for the three to arrive at their destination, which hadn't been that far from the Commerce Square. Upon entering the hut, Evangeline saw that the place resembled some sort of tea house (or hut in this case) that got a steady rate of customers coming in to relax with a cup of the hot beverage. While she continued following after Rua, she expected for them to have a seat at one of the many tables within the establishment, but what she didn't expect was for the female Rito to head in the direction of what likely led to a back room covered—the doorway covered with a curtain for privacy, it would seem.

Did it lead to what was considered a private room for special occasions?

It wasn't long before Evangeline found the answer to her questions since that turned out to be the case. It was a simple room that was decorated in such a way as to give the room itself a warm homey feel, and her nose caught the hint of a light floral scent (along with something that smelled similar to lavender) which permeated the room and served to put her at ease.

"Have a seat while I prepare some tea for us." Rua told her.

She did as she was told, placing Quill on the floor before lowering herself into a seat at the table. The Rito child didn't hesitate to sit beside her as his mother left the room for a brief moment before returning with a teapot filled with what she presumed was hot water. Placing the pot on a small round wooden platform, Rua went over to a cabinet to search for whatever blend of tea leaves she had in mind before returning to the table; lifting the lid of the teapot, she dropped the tea leaves inside before replacing the lid to let it steep.

"You're probably wondering why I chose this room." The female Rito started.

"The thought crossed my mind." Evangeline admitted. And she had a feeling she knew the answer. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you're the owner of this establishment."

At this Rua smiled.

"And you'd be correct. I inherited the business from my grandmother a few years ago, but even as a child I always loved helping her out in the shop. She even taught me everything she knew when it came to making different blends, and as a result I've even managed to come up with my own to sell to customers."

"I'm guessing that those blends are pretty popular."

"They are! In fact, the blend I'm brewing now is a new blend I created, and I thought I'd let you be the first to try it."

Soon enough Rua deemed the tea ready and set down three cups and a bowl of what looked like some round golden yellow hard candy. The tea was soon served and the female Rito dropped one of the hard candies into the first cup before passing it over to Evangeline, who thanked her as she gingerly took the offered hot beverage. A sweet scent met her nostrils as steam rose from the dark red liquid and she allowed herself time to take it in before she brought the cup to her lips and carefully took a sip.

Immediately, she was surprised by the taste!

It was sweet, yet it wasn't overwhelmingly so as there was a hint of tartness that balanced out said sweetness.

"This is good!" Evangeline exclaimed. "What ingredients did you use?"

"I can't tell you all the ingredients, but I used dried apples and wildberries as the main focus. There's also the piece of honey candy I used to sweeten the tea instead of sugar since it melts easily while the tea is hot. It's also a good way to serve tea to children."

As if to emphasis this claim, one of Quill's tiny wings reached for the bowl of honey candies before taking one and snacking on it, all the while letting out a sound of satisfaction. Evangeline couldn't help but smile at the cute sight and the look on Rua's face seemed to agree with it as well.

"Mama, I like Flying Lady." Quill said after awhile, after finishing his candy. "Can we adopt her?"

Evangeline suddenly spat out the tea she'd been sipping on in response to Quill's question, coughing slightly on the remaining liquid she accidently choked on. Aside from her coughing, both mother and child were quiet, though the former showed great concern while the later stared in confusion. Eventually her coughing fit came to an end as she managed to recover, and she stared at the Rito child with wide hazel eyes.

"Are you alright?" Rua asked.

"I-I'm fine…!" Evangeline managed to say before turning to Quill. "As flattered as I am that you want your mom to adopt me, but I'm well beyond the age for that."

"You are?" He asked.

"Yep. Also, you don't have to keep calling me Flying Lady. My name is Evangeline."

"…Evangely?"

She couldn't help but laugh at this, finding Quill having trouble pronouncing her name to be cute. But she decided that giving him her nickname would help with this problem.

"Maybe it's easier for you to call me Eva instead."

Evangeline enjoyed her time having tea with Rua and Quill, all the while just talking about nothing in particular; at one point Teyo showed up to join them and every now and then he'd comment on whatever they were discussing at the time. Eventually, it came time for her to leave, thinking she'd spend enough time away from Revali. At first Quill was disappointed that she had to leave, but she promised the Rito child that she'd see him again soon which worked to cheer him up.

"Before you leave, I have something for you!" Rua announced. She was curious as to what the female Rito meant, but before she knew it Evangeline found herself holding a pouch and a tightly wrapped package that had a fair amount of weight. Rua must've noticed her confusions since she spoke. "The pouch is filled with the blend of tea we had, and the package is something from the Commerce Square."

Hazel eyes widened upon hearing the last bit, and she suddenly thought back to when Rua asked Teyo to finish the last errand they had while they went off to have tea.

"Wait, is this-?"

The look on Rua's face said it all.

"Don't think I didn't notice you standing by the meat vendor earlier." She started opening her mouth to respond, but the female Rito stopped her by holding up a wing. "Consider it a gift, as thanks for your help the other day."

Evangeline closed her mouth at this, finding herself speechless by Rua's kindness. Not only did she make another friend, but she'd been given tea leaves and a bacon. She could've cried right then and there, but she refused to let herself do that.

Even if it was over her favorite comfort food.

"Thank you." She decided to say. "I'll be sure to visit again."

With that Evangeline left, her spirits raised from her time outside. As she made her way back to Revali's home she noticed how the air was slightly chillier than it was earlier, but she didn't pay it much mind. Before she knew it, she found herself arriving back at the hut, and shifting the pouch of tea leaves and package of bacon over to one arm she used her newly free arm to push past the curtain covered doorway as she entered.

"I'm back—!"

Evangeline's words were cut short and hazel eyes widened in shock at the sight before her. She didn't know how long she stood there staring but her arms were suddenly empty as the objects she'd been carrying had slipped from them at some point.

The floor was littered with an alarming number of feathers.

ATE: Explanation:

1) I'm aware that the movie is actually called Princess Mononoke (or Mononoke-hime), but it made more sense for Evangeline to call it The Legend of Ashitaka. This is also a nod to the name of the song from the movie's soundtrack as well.

2) I realized that I hadn't given names to Quill's parents in the previous chapter and came up with Rua and Teyo. I also never described what the three looked like until now. I also based a bit of Quill's personality off of my nephew as well.

Thanks for reading and please leave a review!