A/N: Revised version uploaded on 2/27/2019

"I'll leave in the morning," Revali replied dismissively as he folded his wings.

"Okay! Just make sure –"

Link tuned out the rest of the conversation as he lost himself to his own thoughts. In the last few minutes, it had been decided that Revali would travel ahead to a nearby tower in order to acquire more of the map for them. While most of the group was okay with the idea, he wasn't happy. Having Revali traveling to the towers meant that the Sheikah Slate would be in the Rito Champion's care. It wasn't that Revali was incapable of taking care of the Slate, but rather, Link had witnessed a number of instances of his fellow Champions mistreating the device. He wasn't sure why it annoyed him as much as it did but seeing things like Revali dropping the Slate carelessly or Daruk nearly crushing it accidentally really got under his skin. He wasn't sure why, but the piece of technology had quickly become important to him. He couldn't quite put his finger on why, but the object called to him and he was determined to take care of it. Even so, he knew he would have to relinquish the device to the Rito Champion soon.

The Hylian Champion sighed as he took to his feet. There was no practical use in moping. His time would be better spent exploring the makeshift shelter they had found.

As he stepped across what remained of the lichen-covered cobblestone path, he noticed the scorch marks that were etched into the stone, both in the road and what remained of the outpost's wall. What wasn't burned was heavily eroded and served as the breeding grounds for a variety of vines and mosses. Unlike the Eastern Abbey, however, there were a few rooms that had managed to remain mostly intact. That wasn't to say that they weren't heavily damaged, but of course, there was little he could discern from the outside. He altered his course for the closest room, shards of broken and rusted metal crunching under his boots as he crossed what would have served as a courtyard before it had been overrun by the surrounding wildlife.

As Link pulled aside a natural screen of vines, he felt a cold tinge travel up his spine. Despite the knowledge that he was being watched, the Hylian Champion didn't feel as though he were in any danger. In fact, he had become rather accustomed to the feeling after a certain incident following their descent from the Plateau. While Revali and Daruk had been recovering from their race to the bottom, Link and Mipha had wandered off in the hopes to scavenge some supplies. They weren't necessarily in need at the moment, but the Hylian had reasoned that it would be better to stock up on supplies before they completely ran out.

While they were exploring their surroundings, they had happened across a she-wolf who, through some unknown means, had her foot crushed beneath a stone. Though he couldn't see any benefit to helping the poor beast, he decided that he would stop to help and, fortunately, Mipha didn't take much convincing. Unfortunately, convincing Mipha was the easiest part. As soon as he took hold of the she-wolf's leg, her jaws clamped down on his arm as she growled incessantly. Even so, Link only grunted as he maintained his grip, using his other hand to help Mipha lift the stone. As soon as the foot was freed, the Hylian Champion wrapped his free arm around the wolf's head, preventing her from breaking his arm as she tried to whip her head back and forth. Her growls became intermixed with whimpers as the Zora Champion knelt down and calmly tended to the crushed appendage. After a few minutes filled with growls, whimpers, grunts, and a soothing voice, the she-wolf's foot had been fixed, allowing Link to let go of her. No sooner had his dual grip on her loosened, she had released his arm and bolted as fast as her legs would take her.

Link had thought that would be the end of it; however, it seemed that the she-wolf wasn't quite done with them yet. Link had found her skulking around the edge of their camp that night. Of course, Mipha and Urbosa had been far too busy to take notice of it. Daruk had passed out after his fall from the top of the Plateau, which had taken up most of the Zora's attention. While she had acknowledged that there was little to nothing she could do for the Goron, that hadn't stopped her from cooking up a variety of elixirs to try on him. Of course, none of them had worked. Urbosa, on the other hand, had taken it upon herself to make sure that Revali stayed put and was getting rest, much to the Rito's chagrin. That left Link alone to ponder what exactly the wolf was doing.

After they had finished eating, he'd wandered to the outskirts of their camp, circling the perimeter slowly and methodically. As he had figured, the slow methodical search had been pointless as the she-wolf had confronted him as soon as he had drawn close to her hiding spot. She had glowered at him, hackles raised even as he pulled out a cut of raw meat he had saved and set it down. The Hylian Champion backed away calmly, giving the beast ample space to snatch the proffered food and retreat. Deciding that she wasn't a threat to himself or the other Champions, he left her alone. Link could only assume that she had been abandoned by her pack, and he couldn't imagine that the wilds were forgiving to a lone wolf. The beast had likely determined that following him and his group was her best odds when it came to surviving and, so long as she didn't cause any problems, he didn't take issue with it. She, like everyone else, was just trying to stay alive.

Since then, the wolf had been following the group, remaining at the outskirts of their camp. Though the wolf had to have known that they were aware of her, she chose to remain as hidden as she could, which wouldn't have been terribly difficult considering how much of the path had carved through lightly forested areas. It had likely been a simple matter to dart from tree to tree. She'd also taken to watching him closely from wherever she had chosen to hide that day. If he stopped and looked around carefully, the Hylian Champion could often find sharp, yellow eyes trained on him, and those were the same eyes that drilled into him now. What surprised him was that she brazenly sat next to a wagon as opposed to sitting behind it or laying beneath it. There was a pregnant pause as blue and yellow confronted each other.

"Link, is something wrong?" As soon as Mipha asked the question, the she-wolf moved out of his field of vision, leaving Link to stare at the empty spot she had just vacated.

"She's still following us," Link replied, still holding the vines that covered the entrance to one of the rooms aside.

"The wolf? I wonder why she would do that…"

"We should name her." It wasn't something that he had devoted any thought to, so Mipha was not the only one surprised when the non-sequitur fell out of his mouth. While it was a spontaneous decision, one that had been made just a few short seconds before, he found that he was quite taken with the idea.

"A name? …Perhaps Lulu," the Zora Champion suggested as she stepped around him, hunching down slightly as she stepped through the opening he had created.

Link frowned as he followed after her. He couldn't help but think that the Lulu, while a pretty name, didn't quite fit the wolf. "No." Was all he said before turning his attention to the room that he found himself in. Animals had clearly explored the little hideaway, leaving muddy footprints and the occasional droppings on the stone floor. The tables and chairs, while themselves in good condition, had various rusted weapons, pieces of armor, and decaying papers stacked haphazardly across their flat surfaces. In one corner, there was a bookshelf containing near rotting books that were neatly lined on its various shelves. Link absently flipped one open, only for it to nearly fall apart in his hands as his nose was assaulted by an unpleasant, musky odor. His face twisted slightly in disgust as he tried to read what was written, however, the words were far too faded for him to make out more than a few tidbits.

Sighing, he closed the book gingerly and placed it back on the shelf.

"Are you sure everything is all right?" Mipha asked as her finger trailed along one of the various sheets of parchment. "You have been out of sorts all day," she continued, as though knowing that he wasn't sure what she was referring to.

"I'm fine." He wasn't certain that the claim was true. While he had experienced a range of emotions since waking up, ranging from excitement to grief and regret. Even though he had learned to differentiate and identify his emotional range, at least the range he had experienced, he still didn't know what normal was. Very little he had felt thus far truly felt normal. In fact, just about everything he felt was alien to him. He was able to name it, but there was some disconnect, some irreconcilable difference that made it difficult for him to understand exactly why he felt the way he did. Of the many strange things he had undergone, none was more disconcerting than not knowing how to feel about the things he felt.

"You are a poor liar." He found that the Zora Champion was staring at him, soft amber eyes glowing with concern.

"… It's a lot to take in." The Hylian Champion wasn't sure how else to put it. He may as well have been born just a few, short days ago, yet the weight of both the world and the guilt of his own failures had been planted firmly on his shoulders. The group had been so busy traveling that he had managed to get by without thinking about any of it, yet now he was struggling to push it all aside. He had failed his king, his kingdom, his friends, his family, and himself. So far, he had been able to leave all of it in a walled off section of his mind, but now, with a few moments of rest, it was all starting to come back.

And he still couldn't remember more than a few, brief flashes.

"What about Laruto?"

His eyebrows pinched together as he tried to make sense of the strange question. What was a Laruto?

"Is that not a good name?"

Finally, it clicked. Laruto was another potential name for their four-legged stalker. He shook his head. Again, it was a nice name, but it didn't quite fit. "No."

"What are we discussing?" Urbosa asked as she pulled the vines aside and joined them.

"We are discussing names for the wolf," Mipha replied absently as she looked to the ceiling.

"Names, hmm?" Link was surprised to see that Urbosa and Mipha were now both at least a bit invested in naming the she-wolf. Thus far, they hadn't paid her much mind, yet now they were both actively helping to name her. Though their suggestions hadn't yielded anything yet, he couldn't help but be grateful that they were willing to try.

"What's going on?" Revali questioned as he flung the overgrowth aside, revealing Daruk just behind him.

"We're debating names for the wolf," Urbosa answered as she tapped her chin. "Aveil?"

"What're they up to?" Oddly enough, Link had to strain to hear what Daruk was asking Revali. Perhaps the Goron Champion was worried that he would be interrupting something.

"We're not naming the wolf," Revali replied flatly.

"Oh! We're naming the wolf?" Link felt a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He could imagine Daruk tugging at his beard the way he always did when he was lost in thought. He had also regained his normal volume.

"I said we're not naming it!"

"I think you're outvoted." The ground shook as Daruk plopped down so he could see past Revali. "What're you guys thinking?"

"Possibly Aveil."

"No."

"Not Aveil," Urbosa corrected.

"Why are we even discussing this?" Revali complained.

"Hmm… I got nothing," Daruk muttered apologetically.

Link almost felt bad for Revali. It had become a habit of the group to ignore the Rito's comments when they were needlessly contrarian. That didn't mean the other Champions refused to listen during planning, as Revali was often able to identify oversights in plans. He had also been the one to suggest flying ahead in order to acquire more of the map. "Just call it Wolf Link."

All of Link's sympathy was suddenly cut short.

"Revali… if you're gonna make a joke, at least make a good one."

"It wasn't a joke. It's clearly following him around," Revali explained as he gestured towards Link with a wing. "So, why shouldn't it be named after him?"

"Link is not a girl's name," Mipha replied.

"Link Junior then."

"You're missing the point," Urbosa sighed. "We'll table the discussion for now."

"For now? What do you mean 'for now?'"

Link moved past everyone, shaking his head lightly as Revali refused to let the debate die down. While he wanted to come up with a name for the beast, there were other, more important issues to attend to. Right at that moment, his biggest concern was the rumbling in his stomach. Once he had satisfied that need, then he could move on to finding an appropriate name. Maybe he would also be able to figure out why he had been so unsettled as well.

One arm was stretched behind him as he held the Princess' hand, pulling her along behind him as he fled towards the nearest structure that offered cover. The other held a limp, red and white form to his chest. Mipha had been close by when she had fallen, and he had not hesitated to scoop her up even before her body hit the ground. Men surrounded him as they ran through a destroyed field, doing their best to avoid the freshly created craters as beams of light rained down around them, exploding as they came into contact with the ground. Unfortunately, the constant bright flashes weren't the only things that made it difficult to see. Smoke rose from each of the holes created by the Guardians' blasts, covering his surroundings in a thick, black blanket that tried to strangle him and made it nearly impossible to see the soldiers immediately before him.

Even so, he managed to escort both the Princess of Hyrule and the Zora Champion to the Western Outpost successfully. Link stopped for a moment, taking what few seconds he could to check on Mipha. Though she had escaped the battle largely unscathed, her breathing was still shallow, and her face was still horribly flushed. He could also make out her eyes rolling ceaselessly beneath her eyelids. He had no idea what was ailing her, but whatever it was, he wanted to deal with it quickly.

Desperately aware of how much time he was wasting, Link dashed across the courtyard of the outpost and rushed through the door that one of the knights had flung open. The Hylian Champion sent a brief glance around the crowded room, taking in the knights that milled around. Papers were sent flying, spiraling through the air as knights scrambled around, reaching for whatever weapons they could get ahold of around the wide tables and scattered chairs. Despite the chaos, it was all rather organized as none of the soldiers tripped and managed to move in something akin to an orderly fashion. Spotting an unoccupied corner, the Hylian Champion gave the Princess' hand a brief squeeze before guiding her to over to it.

Before he got there, he was as someone called out to him. "Captain Link!" Link looked to his friend and second in command, Owen. "We managed to get the other Champions, but they're in bad shape. What do we do?"

"Take the men you need and get them to the Shrine of Resurrection," a familiar voice commanded. "Captain," Link straightened as he was called, "you will escort her Highness to Kakariko village." Link clenched his jaw so hard that a part of him worried that his teeth would snap under the pressure. General Viscen either didn't notice or didn't care as he continued issuing commands. "The rest of you, we are going to buy them as much time as we can. Ready yourselves."

Viscen motioned for Link to follow him as he moved through the bustling knights to the relatively isolated corner. He had yet to release his hold on Mipha and the Princess as he navigated through his men. Viscen showed a rare look of concern as Link caught up to him.

"I know you aren't happy about this," Viscen started, "but I need you to understand- "

"Orders are-"

"Quiet!" the man barked as he always did when someone questioned him at an inopportune time. He was renowned as one of the few generals that had somehow managed to balance being fair and being harsh. He would allow his men to speak their mind; however, they were expected to maintain respect while doing so. "There is something you need to hear and I don't have time to argue with you about it."

Link looked away for a second, but quickly looked back and nodded for his superior officer to continue.

"I'd like to think I know you boy, and if I do, then you're going to feel like a coward when I tell you to run. Am I wrong?"

Link didn't respond. He didn't trust himself to, not between his anger and anguish. It was taking everything he had to not lash out at his commanding officer.

"Every man here knows that he is marching to his death, and it takes a real man to acknowledge that and do it anyway." The man gave him a hard look as he continued, "but sometimes, it takes even more to live to fight another day. If ever there was a time to prove how courageous you are, it's now."

Again, Link didn't respond.

"I see," Viscen murmured. "You leave me no choice. This is my last order for you. Captain Link, you will see her Highness to Kakariko Village and you will survive. Do you understand?"

The pain in the Hylian Champion's jaw was nearly becoming unbearable, but he gave his commanding officer a nod.

"Good, and one last thing." His commanding officer paused for a moment, "It's been an honor serving with you." Viscen saluted the young man standing in front of him. Link couldn't do much more than straighten slightly, but he did his best to make it count. It tore him apart that he couldn't do any more for the man that had earned every ounce of respect from Link. Viscen relaxed and set a hand on the young man's shoulder, "you've done your father proud." His piece said the General turned away to begin his preparations for the fight ahead.

Link turned away and desperately tried to find Owen. He saw the man for a brief moment at the other end of the room. Link struggled through the crowd, the tables, and benches. Finally reaching the man he was looking for, he got Owen's attention.

"Captain," Owen greeted with a nod.

Link nodded to him and motioned to the figure he held as best he could.

Owen looked down to the Champion that Link held. "I'll see her to the shrine myself," he said as he took the Zora into his own arms. That was something that Link had always appreciated about his childhood friend. He always seemed to know just what Link was trying to say.

"Can you get this to Zora's Domain?" Link asked as he removed an ornate trident from his back. "Tell them I'm sorry…"

"I'll die trying if I have to."

Link nodded gratefully and turned away. While hyperbolic was an apt descriptor for his friend, Owen only made a vow on his life if he truly meant it. He could rest easy knowing that the Lightscale Trident, and his message, would arrive safely with the Zora. It was the only ray of hope he could find in the bleak situation. That and Princess Zelda was still alive.

"And Captain," Link turned back to his friend, "make sure you give that giant pig one from all of us."

Link didn't respond, but Owen's smile grew larger.

"Strong and silent, even when the world is ending. Now I see why you get all the ladies."

Link frowned. Though he had known Owen for years, he could never figure out why exactly his friend felt the need to joke during what should have been a serious time.

"Lighten up Captain." Owen's face grew serious. "Link… I'll keep her safe," he gave the Hylian Champion a comforting smile as he continued, "you just make sure that she has a world to wake up to."

"We don't have much time left!" rang Viscen's voice. "If you are retreating, then do so quickly. The rest of you, get ready to hold those accursed machines back!" The soldiers shouted in response and moved even more frenetically. Link felt the hand he was holding tighten its grip.

Zelda was looking at him. Unshed tears hung in her eyes as she opened her mouth.

"Link… I'm so- "

He cut her off with a shake of his head. She closed her mouth, but she looked even closer to losing what little bit of composure she had managed to keep ahold of.

He did the only thing he could think of, which was to give her hand a gentle squeeze before leading her to the door.

They stepped out into an unfamiliar world. Thick, black clouds still dominated the sky, and the only source of light seemed to be from the fires that were raging everywhere. He looked one last time at the castle, or what remained of it. He squeezed his charge's hand one last time and pulled out the sacred sword from his back. Then, they began to run. Link felt sick as he heard the explosions from guardians and the screams of dying men as he and Zelda ran for the cover provided by a nearby forest. He was determined to make every sacrifice count for something, and the first part of that was escaping the Guardians.

"I just don't understand what's wrong with the Little Guy."

It was a sentiment Urbosa agreed with. Ever since she had woken up that morning, Link had been going through his daily routines almost mechanically. While he wasn't talkative, he could at least hold a conversation when he was approached; however, he barely acknowledged any one of them that morning. In fact, even Mipha had only managed to draw out a detached "morning" from the Hylian Champion.

"I wish I knew," the Gerudo Champion replied as she stepped carefully along the muddy path they were following. While the start of their walk had been a bit miserable, as the cobblestone road had still been quite slick when they had set out, it had only gotten worse when the stonework ended. Now, there was very little for their footwear to hold onto. As annoying as it was, she could at least appreciate how much more colorful the land was. The day before, everything had been a drab grey, but now the greens, yellows, and reds appeared so much livelier. Complimenting the abundance of color were the water droplets that sparkled in the early morning light, casting dazzling lights in every direction. She might have had a greater appreciation for it all if there weren't more important things occupying her thoughts.

"You don't have any ideas either?" Daruk asked quietly as they continued to trail behind Link and Mipha.

"I have a few ideas, but I can't be sure." Link had been off since the previous day, but that had been remarkably different than what was happening now. Despite how subdued he'd been, at least Link had been responsive. The difference between night and day gave her a few ideas to mull over silently as they continued onwards. At first, she'd thought Daruk had a point when he suggested that maybe Rhoam's revelations had finally caught up with him. There were still many questions left unanswered, but that didn't mean that it hadn't taken time to digest what they have been told. Had it not been for his previous behavior, Urbosa might have thought that was the case. The issue was, Link had already been showing signs of discontent. She had overheard a conversation between him and Mipha in which he confided that he was struggling with what Rhoam had said. The Hylian Champion was already starting to process his previous failures, whether or not he wanted to.

Another possibility was a horrendously vivid nightmare; however, the Gerudo Champion eliminated that idea rather quickly. She had no other reason than that Link didn't strike her as someone to be overly shaken by a nightmare. Even if he had, she expected that he would have gotten over it rather quickly. So far, he'd displayed a large amount of resilience when it came to physical or emotional strain. She'd had one or two herself; however, she had forgotten them a few hours after waking, only being left with the knowledge that she'd had one. As such, she couldn't imagine that a nightmare was enough to unsettle Link.

No, the only answer that made sense to her was that he had recalled some event from the past. Judging by his inability to cope with it, it must have been something horrendous.

She turned her gaze to the castle as she entertained the thought. Considering that none of the others, herself included, had any sort of reaction, she could only assume that Link had been the only one to journey to the outpost, at least consciously. Considering how close the outpost was to the Great Plateau, she could imagine that all of the Champions had been brought there before being stowed in the Shrine of Resurrection. Taking into account how dire Link's countenance had been all day, perhaps it was reasonable to assume that he had managed to make it through the original battle and had retreated there as well. Rhoam had mentioned that only the pilots had fallen due to the strain of fighting on two fronts. That didn't mean that Link had fallen at the same time. It was entirely possible that he had fallen well after they had. Maybe he'd had extra time to see the immediate effects of their downfall but hadn't had an opportunity to deal with it. Of course, it was all mere conjecture, but it was something.

"So, what do we do?"

"Why are you asking me?" Urbosa asked as she twirled a lock of her hair idly.

"You're better at handling this sort of thing."

"Wow… shoving your problems onto me. What a gentleman," Urbosa replied coyly before returning her attention to the Hylian Champion before her. "When we stop for a rest, you should send the two of them to gather supplies."

"He's barely said anything to her all day. Do you really think that'll work?"

"Of course." Mipha was the only one that Urbosa had faith in when it came to figuring out what was wrong with Link. Of everyone in their group, she had the most favor with him. That being said, she couldn't imagine her or Daruk being around would help. Instead, they would have to provide the opportunity for the two to talk without the fear of eavesdropping.

"If you say so." Daruk frowned as he stared at the two ahead of them. "Hey, you two!" They both stopped and looked back at him. "We're gonna take a break now. You mind going and finding something for everyone to eat?"

They nodded, exchanging a brief look before Mipha gestured in the direction she thought they should go. The only form of acknowledgment Link gave her was walking in the direction she had advised. Urbosa sighed as they disappeared from sight, leaving her alone with Daruk. Sometimes, her younger three companions could be quite the handful. They were each a bit of an emotional wreck in their own ways, and when one reached some sort of stability, then another started a meltdown of their own. She couldn't help but ironically consider asking them if they planned it like that, or it was just one big coincidence.

She was momentarily distracted from her thoughts as she heard the sound of rustling leaves. It took her only a few seconds to find a wolf with dark blue fur padding off in the direction that Link and Mipha had gone. She smiled ruefully as she hypothesized how long it would be before the beast became an official member of the group. She'd give it another two days at most.

"You okay?"

She turned back to find Daruk observing her with his deep blue eyes as he stroked his stony grey beard. "Hmm?"

"It seems like something is bothering you."

She was surprised by the moment of perceptiveness from the Goron Champion. He'd shown the ability to identify when something was wrong with a companion before; however, she had been of the mind that he usually only noticed the most extreme displays of emotion. Maybe she had been wrong about that. Maybe he did notice the subtler displays but didn't feel the need to acknowledge them unless they grew into a larger problem. "I've had a few things on my mind." Unfortunately, Link wasn't her only concern at the moment.

"Like what?" he asked as he sat down.

"We failed to stop Ganon the first time. What will make this time any different?" It was a question that had been weighing on her mind ever since Rhoam had disclosed the rough details of their past. Perhaps things would be different if they had years to remember and prep for the battle, but Zelda had implied that time was short. How were they supposed to win with little time and no knowledge of what they were up against?

"Well, maybe we'll remember what happened and learn from it. If not, then we can make it up as we go along."

"It's that simple to you?"

"Yep! Way I see it, what's the point in worrying about it? Thinking about all the ways we could fail is just gonna weigh us down and keep us from doing what we need to."

"… Sometimes, I wish I could put as little thought into things as you do."

"Why do I get the feeling that wasn't a compliment?"

Urbosa replied with a sly grin as she reflected on the Goron Champion's words. She didn't quite agree that it wasn't something they shouldn't be worried about, but she supposed she was likely overthinking things. Devoting too much time to thought on questions she didn't have the answers to would only distract her. What was important was that they still had time, and she would just have to make the most of it.

"I really hate it when you do that."

Urbosa only snickered harder.

Usually, Mipha found swimming to be quite a lovely experience. The feeling of the cooling liquid cutting through the grime that covered her helped to make the entire swim refreshing. Unfortunately, swimming through the river that she and Link had found was less than pleasant. There was quite a lot of mud, leaves, and sticks polluting the water. As a result, not only was the water murky brown, but it didn't help her feel cleansed in the slightest.

Regardless of that, she continued hunting her quarry. While she had yet to eat a meal of Link's that she didn't like, she still had a craving for fish ever since she had eaten Rhoam's cooking during Link and Revali's absence. He had made a delightful if spicy, seafood dish that she hoped the Hylian Champion would be able to recreate. Of course, that wasn't the only reason that she had decided to continue her self-appointed task.

She found that Link was particularly fond of food, whether it was preparing it or consuming it. Mipha had not yet been able to figure out what was on his mind, but she decided that wasn't too important. Trying too hard to pry would cause him to shut down even further. Instead, the Zora Champion would offer him whatever comfort she could in the form of offering him a new main ingredient to experiment with. If nothing else, she hoped that it would provide a suitable distraction as even if he knew the recipe in the past, he would likely have to rediscover it in the present. She wished there was more she could do, but that just wasn't an option at the moment.

Mipha was pulled out her musings as she detected movement around her. During her first swim after waking from the Shrine of Resurrection she had discovered that the could not only sense currents in the water she was swimming in, but she could also detect mini currents created by other creatures inhabiting the water as well. Now, that gift aided her as she darted down and snatched a rather large bass without the need to look where her hands were going. Feeling that she had finally caught enough, she returned to the shore, placing her catch with the small pile she had created earlier before tying the bundle together and returning to her friend.

As she rejoined Link, she couldn't help but notice how the Hylian sat with arms wrapped his legs, his chin resting on his knees as he stared out over the river. She sat down silently, hands roaming over the bundle as she tried to find something to say. "Is everything all right?" She suppressed a sigh as she asked the least subtle question she could have possibly asked.

"… No."

Mipha nearly suffered whiplash as she tried to process the fact that she had received an answer that wasn't "I'm fine." To make matters even more confusing, his response was far colder than she had been anticipating.

"I'm sorry…"

"Not your fault," Link replied, his response being much less icy than the previous.

Despite the tone of his words, she was grateful that he was at least responsive now, as opposed to caught in his own little world. Unfortunately, it was a smaller step than she would have liked, but some improvement was better than none. Still, it didn't sit right with her to see him suffering silently as was his habit. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"…"

The Zora Champion had to exercise extreme self-control as Link remained silent. One of the few things she'd learned about Link was that he needed time when it came to discussing his thoughts or emotions. It was a difficult balancing act, trying to encourage him to speak without pressuring him while also letting him no he didn't have to talk without giving the impression that she wasn't sincere in her offer to listen. With this being the worst state she had ever seen him in, she was far more worried about saying the wrong thing than was normal for her.

"I left them all to die."

"What?" The context for the statement eluded her. Left who to die? When? What had led to whatever event he was referring to?

"When Ganon attacked, I was ordered to take Zelda and flee. I was a coward and left my fellow knights to die."

"But if you had stayed, both you and Zelda might have died. The only reason we are still alive is that you did what you had to in order to protect her."

"I know… I do. It just…"

"You still feel guilty," she finished for him. That was something she could relate to. She too struggled with the guilt of actions outside of her control. When Link had stayed up for the entirety of their first night, she had struggled with culpability despite not being the one that made the choice. Though it wasn't quite the same, she considered how she would have felt if she had made the choice responsible for Link taking her watch.

"Yeah."

"I still think you are being far too hard on yourself."

"…Maybe." After a few seconds, Link's arms fell away from his legs, allowing them to extend. Though there were still dark patches under his eyes, his face was a bit brighter and more relaxed than it had been all morning. "Thanks."

Mipha wasn't quite sure whether it was all an act or not. The Hylian Champion was quite good at controlling what did and did not show on his face. She would just have to believe that he was indeed feeling better if just a bit. "It is my pleasure." She let her response rest for a few seconds before she spoke again. "I have a question for you if you don't mind."

Link turned his eyes to her and nodded.

"While you and Revali were away, Rhoam made a seafood dish. I was wondering if you could recreate it."

"Was it the spicy one?"

"How did you know?"

"I read his journal."

She frowned disapprovingly at him. Though Rhoam had certainly had much to answer for, he at least deserved some form of privacy. Regardless, that was an issue that could be dealt with later. "Do you think you would be able to recreate it?"

Link stiffened before he could respond, sending a hard glance over his shoulder as he reached for his blade.

"What's wrong?"

The Hylian Champion sighed as his hand fell back to the ground. "I forgot about the wolf."

Mipha took a deep breath, allowing the tension to leave her body as she realized they weren't in any danger. She was about to ask her question again; however, she was quickly distracted as Link reached into the pouch at his waist. From it, he removed a clothbound parcel, which was revealed to contain a raw cut of meat. He set the raw food on the ground next to him before returning his attention to her. "I think so."

Mipha stared at him blankly until she remembered what they had been talking about moments prior. "Oh! Do you think you could make it less spicy?"

Link's eyebrows pinched together lightly as his eyes became unfocused. To her surprise, he began muttering to himself, talking about balancing spices. Despite her interest in this new behavior, her attention was drawn away as a blue form slinked towards them. Mipha expected the she-wolf to drag the steak back, but instead, she planted herself stiffly beside Link before she began to snap up the food. "I think I can do it."

Apparently, the Hylian Champion was well aware of their guest, as he raised a hand and moved it slowly towards the beast. The wolf froze, hackles raising as her lips slowly peeled back, baring her teeth and giving him a low growl, which intensified as his hand came closer to contacting her. Link stopped, pulling his hand back, which stopped the snarling. After a few seconds, the wolf went back to tearing at the food that the Hylian Champion had left out for her.

"I think she still needs time to warm up to us," Mipha murmured quietly.

"Yeah," Link agreed with a shrug as he turned back to the water. "We should head back."

"I'm sure that Daruk and Urbosa can wait a few more minutes." Despite her certainty that they weren't being watched, Mipha still looked over her shoulder. She wasn't sure she could handle another one of the Gerudo Champion's teasing sessions. Especially not when Link was present, after all, there was only so much mortification that one could endure.

"Your parents gave you such an apt name. You could very well rival the late Rito Champion himself."

Revali's face twisted in annoyance at Rosso's words. Though the man's words were likely meant to be flattering, the "late Rito Champion," couldn't help but be put off by his words. Adding to it was the problem that he didn't know what exactly it was that bothered him. He had felt his ire rising before Rosso had referenced him as dead. Unfortunately, the burning he felt inside wasn't just anger, but he had no time to devote to thinking about it, as Rosso's wife, Irene, piped up, "don't pay him any mind. He spends far too much time with his head in the past."

"Aren't there more important things to worry about?" Revali asked haughtily as he questioned why exactly he had stopped to help them in the first place. It was supposed to be a simple task: fly ahead, acquire a few bits of the map, fly back. In the span of a day, he'd managed to fly far enough ahead to retrieve three pieces of the map; however, he had been pushing himself hard to see what he was truly capable of. On his way back to the other Champions, he had flown over a couple that was being assaulted by a small group of Bokoblins. Naturally, being the hero he was, Revali had swooped out of the sky and put arrows through all of them before they could do any more harm. While the praise and gratitude of the couple had been welcome, every attempt at conversation after grated on his nerves. He would have left them far behind if it wasn't for the fact that he wasn't certain they weren't in any danger.

"That's what I keep telling him, but he never listens."

"The past has quite a few valuable lessons to teach us," Rosso explained patiently, as they continued on behind Revali, who found himself guiding the couple in the direction he imagined his companions to be.

"Maybe I could believe it if you didn't spend so much time researching pointless legends."

"Ancient heroes aren't pointless legends!"

"You mean to tell me you actually believe there was a boy who traveled through time to battle a warlock?"

"It could be apocryphal," Rosso answered defensively.

"For the love of Hylia, I speak Hyrulean, not whatever that was."

"We've been married for ten years! Of course, I know what language you use! I can even name the dialect!"

For the first time in memory, Revali wished he could exchange two people for Link and Urbosa. Despite the insufferable teasing and constant judgment that accompanied his fellow Champions, they at least had their uses. While it may have felt like he was babysitting from time to time, he wasn't actually entirely responsible for their safety. They were competent enough to handle themselves in a fight. Instead, he was stuck with two Hylians that couldn't keep their mouths closed for than two seconds at a time. Nearly all the goodwill his solo foray had accrued was wiped away as the two behind him continued their bickering.

Suddenly, as though some deity from above heard his frustrations, he caught sight of his fellow Champions walking toward them. They were still a way off, but he was already formulating a plan to separate himself from the ongoing bickering. "I can see my… friends! It looks like they need help!" The Rito Champion tried not to cringe as he heard the lack of sincere worry in his voice.

"Oh no! You should get going! We'll catch up as soon as we can!"

Revali rolled his eyes, and not just because there was next to nothing they would have been able to do had the other Champions been in actual danger. If they hadn't heard the lie in his exclamation, then they were either more idiotic than he thought or lacked any sense of awareness. Either way, he was surprised they had made it as far as they did.

He launched himself into the sky, leaving the duo behind as he flew to his companions. He looked back, groaning as he realized that they were determined to follow him. It looks like getting rid of them wasn't going to be so simple after all.

"Oi! Revali!"

The Rito Champion sighed as Daruk continued his greeting, massive arms waving over his head jovially. It was looking more and more like his day was going to be filled with more annoyances than usual. Some days, he genuinely had to ask himself why it was that he continued to stick around. If it weren't for the fact that Rhoam had implied that there wasn't hope for any one of them to succeed on their own, he likely would have left them far behind after they left the Great Plateau.

"What?" he asked as his feet touched down.

"We weren't expecting you to be back so soon," Daruk explained. "We thought it would take you at least a couple more days."

"We can't all be as slow as you," Revali grumbled, trying to hide how pleased he was at being acknowledged. Such moments were few and far between, but that didn't mean he was willing to let the other Champions know that he enjoyed their attention, at least when it was based in their approval.

"So, were you successful?" Urbosa asked.

"See for yourself." The Rito Champion unceremoniously removed the Slate from his belt and dropped it into Link's hands. Mipha and Urbosa surrounded the Hylian Champion, eager to see what the road ahead looked like.

Revali, despite his earlier irritation, was feeling quite pleased with the current situation. He had returned from a successful outing, his allies were beginning to realize his capabilities, and he had managed to escape Irene and Rosso for a small time. There were certainly aspects of the situation could be improved, but he found he didn't quite care.

At least, he didn't care until he spotted a mangy wolf sitting next to Link.

"What is that thing doing here?!"

"Now, now, Feathers, that's no way to talk to the newest member of our family."

"We're not a family, and that thing needs to leave!"

To make matters even worse, the wolf glowered at him as though knowing exactly what he was saying. He already had enough people judging him as it was. Lumping a wolf in with rest was just insulting.

"Master… Revali… we're… we're here to help…"

"Fantastic," the Rito Champion growled. "Well, it turns out that everyone is –"

"Irene! Look at her! Doesn't she look just like the statue back in the Domain?!" Revali found himself biting back a report as he watched Rosso gesture to Mipha excitedly. He had been the one to save them, and he was the only reason they were speaking to Mipha in the first place, yet they had forgotten about him so easily. Even though he had met them little more than an hour ago, the fact they no longer even cared stung more than he cared to admit.

"You mean the one of Lady Mipha? … I don't see it."

"She looks nearly identical!" the man exclaimed as he rushed toward Mipha, causing the Zora Champion to step back as Link stepped between her and Rosso. Link tensed up, placing a hand on Mipha's midriff as he put his other hand up, stopping the man in his tracks. "Tell me, are you by chance related to the Zora Royal family?!"

"That's enough!" Irene snapped as she crossed the distance, and grabbed her husbands pointed ear, pinching it viciously between her finger and thumb before dragging him away. "Don't mind him," she explained over his pained groans, "he's harmless, really. He just forgets about personal space when he gets excited."

"Where exactly did you find these two," Urbosa asked as she sidled up to Revali.

"They were being attacked not far up the road."

"Hmm…" the woman mused as she tapped a finger to her chin, sizing up the two Hylians as a small smile toyed with the edges of her mouth. "They're fun."

"Whatever," Revali snorted as he turned away. He was already tired of the two travelers and wanted nothing more than for them to move on. They were just a distraction, and there were far more important things to concern himself with than two asinine fools.

"Is that a wolf?" Revali rolled his eyes as he heard the latest of Rosso's unending list of questions.

"Y-yes," Mipha stuttered, clearly still flustered from the man's unwelcome invasion of her personal space.

"Fascinating. You know, there is a most interesting tale concerning one of the ancient heroes of Hyrule."

"Here we go," Irene sighed. "Give them the quick version."

"Long ago, during the age of Twilight, a Princess from another realm, by the name of Midna, came to –"

"Midna?" Link interrupted.

"Oh? Have you heard of her?"

"No… I like the name." Without explaining what exactly he meant, the Hylian Champion crouched down in front of the she-wolf and repeated the name quietly.

"I like it as well," Mipha agreed.

"It does suit her rather well, doesn't it?" Revali shook his head as Urbosa agreed with the younger two. Considering how Daruk liked to run things, the wolf was not only staying but was now being named after some mythical figure. His day just kept getting better and better.

"Midna it is!"

The Rito Champion grimaced as Daruk made his announcement. As if any of them really needed it right then and there. "Great," he muttered as he folded his wings. "Anyone have a toad they would like to name? A cricket? Any blades of grass?"

"Uh… what's wrong Midna?"

Revali turned his attention back to the wolf. Midna was stepping towards him menacingly, her hackles raised with her teeth bared.

"Revali," Urbosa muttered as the she-wolf took another step.

"I'll take care of it," the Rito Champion muttered as he drew his bow and took aim.

"Behind you!" she shouted as he heard her blade scrape against its scabbard.

Before Revali could process what the Gerudo Champion meant, the wolf sprang toward him. He followed Midna's path, watching her sail past him in slow motion as she crashed into a Bokoblin that had snuck up behind. She tackled it to the ground, jaws clamping on its throat before whipping her head violently. After a few, long seconds, there was a sickeningly sharp snap, followed by the creature going limp. She maintained her grip, only letting go once the twitching had stopped entirely. With the monster dead, she returned to where she had been sitting a minute prior, glowering at Revali as she passed him.

The Rito Champion exchanged a glance with his companions, seeing the same shock and awe that he felt reflected in their gazes. He looked back the wolf as she began cleaning her chops. Maybe she wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Oh No! Get that bloody thing out of here!" Ordinarily, Tasseren didn't like being the one to cause a scene in his stable. He wasn't overly fond of the way that everyone in the inn-like interior would stop and stare as they were doing right now. That being said, after everything he had been forced to endure over the last few days, there was no way he was allowing a wolf into his establishment. The eclectic group of travelers before him could have been royalty, great leaders, or legendary heroes, but none of the things would have convinced him to change his mind. "I've already had somebody try to register a bear with us! If you think for a moment that –"

Tasseren was swiftly cut off as the Rito in the group stepped towards him, lowering his head so that his razor-sharp emerald eyes were level with his own. "She stays with us," he said slowly, putting a harsh emphasis on each word.

The Stable keeper sent an indignant glance at the man's companions. Unfortunately, he didn't get much in return. The Gerudo watched the Rito with interest, and two of the Hylians looked like they would rather be anywhere else while the third watched impassively. The best he got was a conflicted visage from the Zora and an apologetic shrug from the Goron. "I told you to get her –"

"For the trouble," the youngest Hylian, a blonde-haired youth with blue eyes whispered as he reached out and took Tasseren's hand. The Stable keeper felt the familiar edges of a rupee be slipped into his hand. He took a brief look as unobtrusively as he could, nearly gaping as he saw a flash of purple glittering in his hand.

Tasseren fancied himself a man of principle. As such, he shot the boy a disapproving glare as he slipped the rupee into his tunic before eyeing the duo in front of him. "You're certain she can control herself?" he asked loudly.

"You won't even know she's here," the Gerudo replied with just as much volume.

"See that I don't. Welcome to the Dueling Peaks Stable," he grumbled before marching off, making it a point to not even look at the wolf. He had enough to deal with as it was.

A/N: You know, even the second time around, this one was miserable to write. I think this chapter will forever be the bane of my existence, no matter how much I improve.