i think one of the relationships in botw with the most wasted potential is revali and link. There's so much animosity between them, but it's never fleshed out... obviously because link is "us", so... BUT STILL. The biggest thing I wished to see in botw was more of the champions interacting, so here you go. Angry birb and sword boi
Revali was furious. How could the plan be so stupid? Here he was, the most accomplished Rito in the land, and it turns out he's mere backup for a little Hylian swordsman. How could someone so skilled be pushed to the wayside like this? It was just asinine.
Of course, Revali knew who the chosen one was. Anyone who knew anything about Hyrule's warriors knew Link's name. The kid had been holding a sword since he learned to walk, and was said to be amazing at it. Revali didn't doubt that idea, but that was all the stupid boy could do. Revali was a master of the sky, so sharp with a bow he could hit twenty targets in as many seconds. He was charismatic, and charming, and his people looked up to him. Revali worked for his accomplishments, while that insufferable knight had everything handed to him. What did he do to earn his title? Bounce a stray laser off a pot lid? Wow, how impressive. Hyrule's royal guard must have been full of incompetent fools if that was all it took... And now, he was coming here. To Revali's own home turf. Such disrespect…
Revali huffed, kicking a stone off his perch above Rito Village. He should probably head back down soon; the princess and her shadow would arrive soon, and Revali didn't need them thinking he was sulking. Because he wasn't.
He just didn't get it. Why did everyone like Link so much? The boy wasn't so much a person as he was a walking stone. Every word Revali had said to him during their Champion inauguration seemingly fell on deaf ears. Not so much as a facial expression could clue Revali into what Link thought. It almost made him wonder if he was thinking anything at all… It would be fitting, for a person so gifted in swordplay to be dull of mind. Yet still, every other person the knight was introduced to immediately liked him.
"Master Revali! The princess has arrived!" Tari called from the village below.
Revali growled. Great. And now all his thinking had made him miss the princess' arrival. He jumped from his perch, coming to a graceful landing in front of Hyrule's heir.
"My apologies, your Highness. I hope you weren't waiting long." Revali hoped the bitterness in his chest hadn't made it to his voice. Luckily, based on the princess' reaction, it hadn't.
"Oh, no worries. It's nice to see you again, Revali." Zelda stuck out a hand, to which Revali shook briefly. He internally scoffed; he thought proper etiquette was for the princess to bow, not shake hands…
"I see the knight is here too… there's no escaping him, is there?" Revali prodded, having seen Zelda's feelings toward Link during his appointment ceremony. Maybe if he got her to say something, it would get a reaction out of the boy.
"No… my father refuses to let me travel alone, despite my pleas," Zelda replied, casting a sideways glance. But even with her words, the keeper of the legendary blade merely blinked.
Yes. Slow witted indeed.
No matter. Revali would deal with him later; the pair was supposed to be staying for several days, and Revali wanted to have at least some time to show his skills.
"If you wouldn't mind, Revali, I'd like to do a little exploring of your quaint town."
"Not a problem. We've added a new bow shop since you were here last. I think you'll like it." Revali turned his gaze to Link as the princess walked away, watching the boy's emotionless eyes follow her retreating form. Such an enigma. "You can go, too, you know. Check out the village for yourself." Link just shrugged, making Revali roll his eyes. "Whatever, do what you want. I'm going." With that, the Rito Champion stomped away.
The farther he got, however, the more he wanted to go back. He didn't want to just leave with that as his final words. It wasn't worthy of Master Revali. He wouldn't be upstaged by some unworthy knight's arrogant silence. No, he would make him talk.
The boy was standing on the village's largest landing platform, staring into space. Revali scowled; how could there be so little going on in that guy's head?
I should teach him a lesson, Revali thought, swooping below the cliffs. He landed under the platform Link was on, debating his next move. Performing Revali's Gale seemed like the obvious choice, but it was still new and Revali couldn't quite do it consistently yet. The odds were good, being about 8 out of 10, but there was that slight chance he could fail in front of Link. Still, the mere thought of that knight infuriated him so much, it had to be worth the risk…
Mind made up, Revali set his position for a Gale. With a thrust of his wings, he shot into the air, soaring high above Link before gently landing on the railing.
"Impressive, I know. Very few can achieve a mastery of the sky, yet I have made an art of creating an updraft that allows me to soar." Revali glanced at the swordsman, hoping to see at least a bit of wonder in his expression. Yet still, his face was emotionless as ever; maybe he needed more. "It's considered to be quite the masterpiece of aerial techniques, even among the Rito." Nothing. Revali hopped from the railing, walking toward Link. How about getting right in his face? "Now then. My ability to explore the firmament is certainly of note, but let's not- pardon me for being so blunt- let's not forget that I am the most skilled archer of all the Rito. Yet despite these truths, it appears I've been tapped to merely assist you." Revali ran a feather along the strap holding the Master Sword around Link's shoulder. "All because you happen to have that little darkness sealing sword on your back. I mean, it's just… asinine." Revali looked back at the Hylian. And just as before, he saw no sign that a single word got through. Honestly, this boy couldn't be so humble that all Revali's provoking had no effect, right? He'd gone after the one thing Link seemed to care about: his duty. How could there be nothing? Perhaps if he invoked outright violence it would do something… "Unless… you think you can prove me wrong? Maybe we should just settle this one on one. But where? Oh, I know! How about up there?" Revali gestured to Vah Medoh, pleased to see Link's eyes follow his movement. So he was listening, at least. Maybe this was it; just a bit more prodding. "Oh, you must pardon me. I forgot you have no way of making up to that Divine Beast on your own." Revali spread his wings. But despite everything he'd said, Link simply refused to respond. Furious, Revali initiated another Gale, taking off toward Medoh. "Good luck sealing the darkness!" There. That was a good line.
But still, as he landed atop the Sheikah weapon, Revali couldn't help but feel it wasn't enough. Just what was it about this Hylian that made his blood boil so much? He had absolutely no personality whatsoever, so it couldn't be that which annoyed him. He wasn't mean or degrading… if anything, he was simply polite. He never showed signs of arrogance or pride in his skill set, but then again, he never showed anything. The only person who knew anything about Link was Link. Perhaps that was it.
This entire time, Revali had been trying to get something out of him. He just couldn't figure out why it was so important… Why did he care so much that this boy show some emotion? It really shouldn't have mattered.
Revali sighed, looking back at Rito Village. Deep down, he knew why. It was because he longed for what Link had. And in turn, he believed Hyrule's chosen hero should have been just like him. Confident, headstrong, proud... And meeting the actual person for himself ruined every fantasy.
Revali crossed his wings; he really needed to stop getting so upset by this. He was Revali, pride of the Rito. And yet, that little nagging piece of him persisted.
…
It was time for Zelda to inspect Medoh.
The day had turned to night, and the night to morning, and with the sun had come the reason for the princess' trip. She needed to see how Revali was faring with his Divine Beast, and as a bonus, she hoped to learn more about the technology. Revali could care less about her research, but he was excited to show her what he could do. So, he offered to carry her up to Vah Medoh, only for Link to step closer.
"I come as well."
A slowly burning anger bubbled up in Revali's chest. So now the little nuisance speaks… It was only the second major time Revali had even heard his voice. The first was during his knighting, where he had to repeat an oath to the king before receiving his title. And now, once again, he was talking just in regard to the princess. Was that all he cared about? His stupid assignment? Why wouldn't he just speak for himself? It was infuriating.
"I'm afraid I can only carry one passenger," Revali said, not even bothering to hide his tone. "Trust me, your services will not be necessary on Medoh. I can protect the princess if the need arises."
Link stared at Revali a moment longer, still not giving any clues as to his emotions, before nodding slightly and stepping back. Revali smirked, allowing Princess Zelda onto his back. And with a whoosh, they were gone.
…
Revali tapped a talon, looking at the angle of the sun in the sky with a sigh. It had been hours since he and Zelda entered Medoh, and the Hylian was showing no signs of boredom. And as much as Revali loved demonstrating his skills with the Divine Beast, he was getting restless. That princess could probably spend the entire day with her dumb research, but Revali had other things to do.
"Princess?" The girl didn't look up from the Sheikah Slate. "Princess!" Zelda startled. "Would you be alright if I headed back to the village for a while? I'll come back around supper time to get you."
"Oh, of course, go ahead. Thank you for allowing me to stay, Revali."
Revali nodded, leaping from Medoh and soaring back toward town. He scanned the area, eyes coming to rest on the bright blue of Link's Champion's tunic. He narrowed his eyes, landing nearby and preparing to walk away, into the village. Before he could, though, he heard footsteps coming up behind him.
"Where is the princess?"
Revali scowled. "She's fine. She wanted to continue her research and said I could leave."
"She's not supposed to be alone."
"Only a Rito could make it up to Medoh. Besides, it's not like she's helpless… Not that you would know that; you seem to think she can't do anything without you."
"It's just my duty."
The annoyance in Revali's chest burned into anger, and before he could stop himself, he was speaking. "What would you know about duty? You've never had to work for anything a day in your life! You're a village boy, just as I am, and yet you got into Hyrule's academy with hardly a test! It all just came so naturally to you, I bet you didn't even realize some people have to work for their skills! People like me! I taught myself everything I know about archery, and everything I know about flight. I got myself to where I am!" Revali was right up in Link's face, but he couldn't force himself to step back. "If anyone should have that sword and all the glory and privilege that comes with it, it's me!"
Link stared back, and for the first time, Revali saw something stirring in his eyes. A moment later, he looked down. "I know."
That was not what Revali expected to hear. Frankly, he didn't even have a witty comeback for it. "You… what?"
"I know I don't deserve it. So all I can do is try my best to become someone worthy of all this. That's why my duty is so important."
There wasn't much emotion in Link's voice, despite the heaviness of his words. Revali just stared at him in the same blank way Link tended to look at others, completely dumbfounded. He'd never heard so much come out of Link's mouth before, not even to the king or the other Champions. And he didn't know why, but it just made him resent Link even more.
All this time, Revali thought the keeper of the sword was just an empty-headed human weapon. To learn he wasn't truly as calm and confident as he appeared infuriated the Rito. Why? Because false bravado was Revali's specialty, and he just couldn't admit that Link was better at it. Revali had moments where he slipped up, showcasing insecurities and worries to those who looked up to him. But never did he suspect that Link had feelings like those too, hidden behind a facade of stone. Revali had no idea what to do with that information. Under normal circumstances, he supposed it would serve as a bridge to finally becoming friends with the knight, learning he actually was a person. But to Revali, it felt like just another reason to resent the boy. He couldn't exactly explain why that was, but the feeling was unshakable, and it made it all the more frustrating.
Not knowing anything else to do, Revali huffed and walked away without another word to Link.
…
Suppertime had arrived. Revali flew back up to Vah Medoh, unsurprised to find Zelda still taking notes and pictures.
"Is it time already?" She asked upon noticing his presence. Revali nodded, causing a slight pout in the princess. She really did love her research, didn't she? It made him wonder… no, he couldn't dignify that thought with words; he didn't want Zelda knowing just how much Link was on his mind. But then again… she hated him too, right? Agh, he was too interested.
"May I ask a question?" Revali began.
"In regard to…?"
"Your appointed knight."
Zelda's expression soured. "I suppose."
"How do you put up with him every day?"
"I have no other choice. My father won't allow anything else, no matter how much I beg."
Revali sighed; that sounded about right. "It must be awful."
"The intent, yes. My father believes if the keeper of the Master Sword is beside me, it will force my power to appear. He doesn't understand that feeling his presence everywhere instead just infuriates me…"
"He said something to me, down there. That he knows he doesn't deserve all his privilege, so he sticks so hard to duty to become worthy."
"He said all of that?" Zelda scowled. "That's more than I've ever gotten. He only ever speaks to me when he's passing on reminders from my father." Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "He truly must despise me, just as I thought. All he cares about is his role, while I struggle to adhere to mine. And the worst part is, I don't even know if he realizes it."
Revali frowned. It was always hard to empathize with the princess' lack of talent, though he knew it wasn't truly her fault. It was clear she was trying, if all the rumors of her daily prayer routines were to be believed. But her inability to hone any results was something Revali didn't understand, despite his attempts to. Still, he couldn't deny, even with all her shortcomings and unjustified hopefulness, he didn't like seeing her upset.
"Well, I must commend you," Revali said. "I know I wouldn't be doing as well as you with that situation. Frankly, I can hardly stand an hour with the boy…" He sighed. "Maybe you can help make it bearable for me and vice versa. Shall we head down for supper?"
"Of course."
…
Yesterday, everyone was tired and fended for themselves for the meal, but today, Chief Mavelli insisted the four of them have a formal supper in his hut. Little did he notice that all three guests seemed to be extremely uncomfortable with each other.
"So, Princess Zelda, how are you enjoying Rito Village?" The chief asked.
"Oh, it's one of my favorite villages in Hyrule! I mean, Zora's Domain is beautiful, but there's just something so homey about this town. Maybe it's the cold, but I always feel so welcome here."
"Well, I'm glad you feel at home. We Rito are a proud, independent people, but everyone seems to enjoy visits from Hyrulean royalty." He turned his attention to the other Hylian. "And, sorry, but you must remind me of your name, Hylian Champion."
"Link," he answered curtly.
"Ah, right. I heard about the knighting of a man named Link recently. I didn't expect him to be so young, though. You can't be much more than a teenager. How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Impressive. I've never met someone so accomplished at such an age. Well, apart from Revali, of course."
Revali smirked, glancing sideways at Link, but the boy was just staring at his bowl of fish stew. He averted his gaze, annoyed.
"Revali has always been something of a prodigy," Mavelli continued. "He started training with bows as a toddler, and by the time he was ten, everyone in the village knew about his skills. He even took it upon himself to become the bow master's apprentice, after he had sworn to never take on students. But Revali managed to get him to teach him all he knew, and soon enough, our Champion could best anyone he met in archery and flight alike." The Rito chief's eyes glimmered with pride as he spoke, so much so that everyone at the table couldn't help but be in a bit of awe of Revali's reputation. Even Link had looked up to eye the young Rito. And as for Revali himself, he, for once in his life, didn't seem to know what to say.
That didn't last long.
"I imagine it must have been similar for you, Link?" Mavelli asked.
The little movement Link was making froze. He glanced at the princess before looking the other way, causing Zelda to cross her arms in frustration, turning opposite as well. The Rito chief blinked in confusion at the two's odd behavior, only for Revali to scoff and chime in.
"He saved some researchers from a rogue Guardian experiment. Apparently that was enough for the king to think him fit for knighthood."
"Ah, a man of action, I see. But what about the sword?"
When Link didn't answer, Revali spoke again.
"Mere luck is my guess. I've heard all about his supposed skills with a blade, but personally I've never seen it."
"Because there's nothing to show." The Hylian knight muttered.
Revali stood angrily. "Oh, so you admit you're nothing but a skilless symbol, put on display so the naïve people of this land feel like there's still hope?"
"No."
"Then what are you? Why don't you just fight me right now!?"
"It's not who I am."
Mavelli backed away from the table, startled by the sudden rupture of tension. Revali wasn't exactly known for a cool temper, but he never thought the Rito would outright fight with another Champion. He glanced at the princess, who was watching the confrontation with stony eyes.
"Then who are you? No one knows! Not even the princess you're supposedly protecting!" Revali's gaze burned into Link's, yet the latter still hadn't moved from his seat at the table. He was infuriatingly calm, making Revali's blood boil even more. "Everyone in this kingdom seems to adore you, and they've never even seen what you can do! Unlike me, where I can actually show them proof I'm worthy of their love! Yet they just hold onto you and that worthless princess as beacons of hope, hope that has no real meaning because neither of you seem to be able to do your damned jobs!"
"That's enough!" Link brought a fist to the table. "Say what you want about me, but the princess is not to be insulted." The knight looked angry for the first time since Revali had met him; he blinked, unsure of how to react to an actual display of emotion like this. But as quickly as it had appeared, the fury dissipated from Link's eyes. He exhaled, and just like that, he was back to his stoic self.
And then, amidst the heated silence, the harsh scraping of chair legs on wood broke the quiet. The three men turned to see Princess Zelda, wearing a cold, conflicted expression, turn away and walk out of the hut.
Link looked down, settling back in his seat. Great; now the princess was hurt. Maybe Revali was right; Link sure seemed to be doing a bad job of fulfilling his duty to her...
No. He hadn't failed yet. And he wasn't going to let this arrogant bird stop him from continuing to do his best. With that in mind, Link stood as well, offering a word of thanks to Mavelli for the meal, and headed in the same direction as Zelda.
That just left the two Rito. Revali crossed his wings, annoyed he had allowed his emotions to take over like that. Chief Mavelli sighed. "You know, your fellow Champion is right, Revali," he said. "I understand your desire to do things the Rito way, but if we truly want to save our land from Ganon's threat, we all need to work together. That includes showing a little civility to the other people we're relying on."
Revali huffed, leaving Mavelli's hut. Chewed out by his chief… How humiliating. He had to admit, the comment about the princess was a bit too much, as even though she was rather useless, it wasn't exactly her fault. Besides, he already decided he didn't like seeing her upset, and if he could minimize his influence in that, it was for the best. But Link… why did he have to be civil to that nuisance? Why couldn't he just detest the knight in peace? Sure, he could accept that he had to work with him, but he didn't have to enjoy it.
It was all so unfair. That was the one thing Revali had learned from this visit. And he simply couldn't wait for it to end.
…
Revali's wish was coming true; Link and Zelda were departing.
It was early in the morning on the next day. No one had seen the knight nor princess since their disastrous meal the evening before, and frankly, Revali was fine with that. They were leaving a little earlier than he expected, but once again, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
If only Revali could bring himself to see them off.
The Rito Champion was perched above the entrance to town, tucked away enough he knew he couldn't be seen. He could hardly see anyone himself, but he could certainly hear them.
"Thank you again for your hospitality," Zelda's voice said. Revali wasn't positive, but it sounded a lot less enthusiastic than when she'd arrived. And it was probably his fault, if he was being honest… "I'll likely be back after assessing the rest of the Champions' progress."
"We'll be glad to have you. Hopefully things will be a little… better next time," Mavelli's voice replied.
Revali heard no answer from the princess.
"And you, sir, it was a pleasure to finally meet you," Mavelli continued. Based on the lack of a reply, Revali guessed he was speaking to Link. The boy probably shook hands or something in return; typical. But to Revali's utter shock, he heard the Hylian Champion's voice a moment later.
"Apologies for earlier."
"No need to apologize, my boy. It was nothing you did. I can be a bit unobservant, I'm afraid…"
Zelda's voice cut in. "Well, we best be going. I hope to make it to Tabantha Stable by afternoon."
"Of course. I had hoped Revali would see you off, but he must not be up yet. Ah well… you'll be seeing each other soon enough. The life of Champions, right?"
"Yes. Farwell."
With that, Revali heard the rhythmic gait of two pairs of boots on wood, and the ever present, ever infuriating tap, tap, tap of the Sword that Seals the Darkness against its owner's shoulder.
Revali listened to the sound as long as he could, wondering, as he always did, how it would sound on his own back. He still didn't understand Link, and probably never would. He hadn't seen a lick of skill from the boy, and yet, he somehow knew that the Hylian was everything people claimed him to be. He closed his eyes, imagining the weight of the weapon, the feel of it shifting against his shoulder, longing to find out once and for all why he wasn't worthy enough to wield it and that boy was. And despite the white hot envy that still burned in his chest, a solemn thought occupied his mind.
He really never would find out.
Gotta give angry birb a tinge of sympathy... I don't really like him, but he's definitely an interesting character...
it's actually really funny bc my mom hates revali's guts, so when I read this story to her (bc I'm weird like that and she likes hearing them lmao) she was literally losing her mind. I even did his voice to make it extra torturous XD
See you next story!
