"What're you doing here?" another one of the contestants asked as Revali touched down. He didn't bother dignifying the idiotic question with a response. He was holding a bow and had gathered with every other Rito who sought to compete in the semi-centennial archery contest. It was among the most looked forward to events in the Rito's culture.

According to legend, the contest had begun as a way to honor a Rito archer who had fought against a Calamity alongside the Hero. If the legends were to be believed, the archer who had championed the Rito in ancient times was without equal, either before or since his time. Though none really believed such fables, the Rito still trained until they wore off the feathers from their hands and wings, determined to prove themselves.

The competition involved flying through a course that took competitors in a circle around the cavity that surrounded the Village. Along the course, the hopefuls would have to spot targets and put an arrow as close to the center as they could. The shots could be made either from land or air, depending on the current contestant's individual preference.

While the contest was similar to many other contests around Hyrule, it was considered to be the harshest. Not only was the accuracy of shots judged, but so were the contestants' speed, maneuverability, and the ease with which they found their marks. Past winners even considered how comfortable the competitors looked while wielding their bows.

When all was said and done, only a true pride of the Rito could hope to win. It was considered so integral to the culture that news of it often spread to other Villages scattered around Hyrule and beyond.

While Revali wanted to come top in every category, he knew all too well that it would take everything he had to win. He had made great improvements in his skills with a bow, but his opponents had the advantage of being trained by past winners; however, what he lacked in accuracy was made up with aerial maneuverability and his keen eyesight.

In order to further prepare himself for the impending contest, he had asked his guardian to hide various targets in his training area. Then, he flew above and did his best to spot as many as he could. When he could finally spot every target each time, he moved on to shooting from the air.

In the beginning, he had crashed repeatedly as he tried and failed miserably to draw and maintain balance while flying. It wasn't until he had watched his peers struggle in the same way that he began to understand his mistakes. In order to give himself time to draw and release at close range, he slowed down, just like they did. Without the momentum to keep them going, they would inevitably lose their balance and miss the shot, if they managed to get that far at all.

With the newfound knowledge, he changed his methods, sacrificing proximity for balance and, hopefully, increased accuracy. It took him hours upon hours of spotting and speeding up, letting his momentum carry him forward as he drew and released. Even after months of practicing for hours a day, he still had a lot of improvements to make. He would just have to hope that being able to hit close to the center as often as he hit a bull's eye would be enough.

He looked down at the bow Kaneli had gifted him with so long ago. He had several bows now, all more powerful than the one Kaneli had picked out for him, but he had chosen to bring that one. It wasn't sentimentality, he just understood it better than his others.

It was tortuous, waiting for his turn to demonstrate the fruits of his training. His nerves had started to poke their heads out as one of the judges explained the rules of the contest. They continued to crawl out of hiding as each contestant took their turn. By the time the second to last contender had gone, his own pulse was deafening. Part of it was his own doubts, the other was due to him being unable to watch the other competitor's runs.

His stomach dropped through the floor as he was called for his turn, but he still took to the skies without hesitation. He shook his head as he spotted the first target hanging off a tree. Revali tried to let his years of training kick in, but his doubts caused him to fumble while nocking his arrow. He cringed as it struck much farther from the center than normal. By his standards, it was a miss, but he had neither the arrows or the time for a second attempt.

He growled in irritation as he realized that his nerves were making an already difficult challenge nearly impossible. He hadn't spent years practicing day and night to put a proverbial arrow through his own knee.

As he spotted the second target, he forced himself to take a deep breath as he dove towards the target and let another arrow fly. This one struck closer to the center, but the Rito was still far from satisfied. He was determined to do much, much better.

Through trees, crevices, and even bits of the Hebra Mountains, Revali flew, letting loose his arrows as he continued to battle his anxiety. He had no idea how many targets there were, no idea where they were, and worst of all, he didn't have the beginnings of an idea as to how he was stacking up against the others.

He had no doubts that he was scoring top marks for his speed and aerial mastery, but his marksmanship would be where his score suffered. Even with his precision while airborne, he had no doubts that there were others who could do the same.

He had to do better.

He no longer took the time to size up the targets. As soon as he caught sight, his bow was drawn, sending an arrow into it. If he couldn't win with accuracy, then he would pull ahead through speed and showmanship.

As the end drew near, his breathing became strained as he struggled to shoot his remaining arrows. His fingers stung, his wings and chest ached, but he continued to push on, doing his best to make each shot as consistent as the others.

He felt an impending sense of dread as the finish line came into view. He hadn't performed nearly as well as he had hoped to, but that was the least of his worries. During his attempts to discern just how many targets were scattered on the course, he had speculated that they had given each contestant just enough arrows to hit each target once. So far, he had used one arrow per target, but now, with the finish line in sight, he still had one arrow left.

His eyes scanned the final stretch, looking for any signs of a final target. His eyes flicked back and forth, spotting the edges of a target below an overhang.

He pulled back, stopping his forward movement before diving down. The overhang would make it the most difficult to hit.

Casting off his doubts as best he could, he spun so that he was belly up as he quickly drew and released. He didn't have time to watch as he flipped back around and began to ascend back to the finish line.

He landed, managing to hide his exhaustion behind his usual mask. He could just make out the quiet whisperings of the other contestants trying to figure out who the winner would be. As he continued looking around, he saw that there were only a few others who had used up all of their arrows. Of course, being unable to watch their own progress, he had no way of knowing if they had used one arrow per target or had used them to land a mark they had missed.

The young Rito felt a pang of loneliness as he watched all the other contestants cluster together, congratulating each other on their performances or debating who had done the best.

"I'm proud of you." Revali eyed Kaneli as his guardian set a wing on his shoulder.

"I could have done better," he growled, frustrated as he thought back to his earliest shots.

"Maybe, but did you do the best you could?"

"I just said- "

"I mean, at the moment, did you do the best that you possibly could?"

"I suppose…" While he was still displeased, he couldn't argue that he could have done better when all he could do was look back. He had taken each shot and had put all he could into the contest.

"Then don't be so hard on yourself."

"What do you know?" he snarked, hiding the fact that Kaneli's words had made him feel a bit better.

"Well, - "

"Hey, mister," a small voice said, prompting Revali to look down. At his feet was a child with white feathers and black highlights.

"What?" he asked curtly.

"Uh… I just wanted to say that you looked really cool," the boy replied nervously.

"I looked cool?"

"Yeah!" the child replied as he lost his nerves to the excitement. "Most of the others had to stop flying to shoot, but you kept going- " he said as he spread his wings out and hunched over, running in a small circle as he mimed Revali's shooting "- like you were unstoppable! It was awesome!"

"Thanks." He wasn't really sure how to respond, and so, the word left his beak awkwardly, as though it were the first time he had said it.

"What's your name?" Kaneli asked with a polite smile.

"I'm –"

"Teba!" a woman shouted, causing the boy to freeze up before turning around quickly.

"Sorry! I gotta go now!" he called over his shoulder as he ran off to find whoever had called him.

"Well, it looks like you have an admirer."

"He hasn't even seen anything yet."

His guardian was about to reply when the contestants were summoned forward. Revali joined the other contenders as the Rito that had gathered to watch grew silent, eager to see who had bested everyone else.

"Congratulations to all of our participants for their grand displays. I'm sure that the Rito Champion of old would be pleased to see that our tribe has not wasted the talents the Goddess bestowed on us," Revali rolled his eyes as the ceremony continued. It was ludicrous to claim that the Rito tribe wasn't squandering their talents.

"Third place goes to… Tyll!"

Revali snapped out of his musings as Tyll stepped forward. The brown feathered man threw up a single wing with a dopey grin on his face as the audience cheered.

The audience quieted down as Tyll rejoined the rest of the contestants.

"And in second place, missing only one target… Khida!"

Again, the crowd went wild as the female Rito took her place at the center of attention. She winked to the crowd, eliciting even more hollering, much to Revali's annoyance.

As with the first time, the crowd again fell silent, but there was a nervous energy in the crowd now.

"And, in first place, the only contestant to not miss a single target…"

He dreaded the next words.

"And, with the mastery of the sky that we've all come to recognize…"

The momentary silence before the announcement was the loudest quiet he had ever heard.

"…Revali!"

There was a collective gasp as Revali stared up numbly. He blinked repeatedly, trying to determine whether or not he had heard correctly. It wasn't until he felt a light push on his back that he made his way up to the announcer.

He barely registered as the announcer grabbed his wing and held it up, showing him to the rest of the tribe. He looked blankly on as the crowd slowly started shouting his name louder and louder. He finally saw Kaneli, who was giving him a small smile.

It finally dawned on the young Rito what had just happened. He folded his wings and tilted his beak up as the cheering continued. If they were cheering now, he couldn't wait to see what they would do when he started the real showing.

Revali set down on the ground leading into the Flight Range. He had requested its construction as a reward for his victory in the archery contest and the Village had acquiesced, finally giving the space and materials he needed to further hone his craft.

The Rito, in a rare mood of thoughtfulness, looked back at what had transpired in the weeks following his victory. At first, he had thought he wouldn't get used to the attention and adulation of the very people who had written him off. It was an awkward and nerve-wracking adjustment to make; however, it hadn't taken him as long as he had thought.

When he did become accustomed to it, he had enjoyed it immeasurably. The adoring gazes, people singing his praises, young trainees seeking his expertise, he was even the hero in some of the children's games, much to his shock. It was as though every aspect of his childhood had been reversed.

Or at least, that was what he had believed in the beginning.

As time had gone on, he began to realize his newfound "friends" didn't actually care about him. They cared about his name, his skill, his reputation. As for him, they devoted no thoughts to him. He was kept around to bolster their own standing among the tribe, nothing more.

When he'd finally had enough of it all, he had packed his few belongings and moved himself to the one place he could usually find solitude: The Flight Range.

Occasionally, he would have visitors, most often being Kaneli. It had started with his friends paying him visits, begging him to come back with them; however, it only lasted a few weeks. Eventually, Kaneli was the only one left who came to visit him.

He still visited the Village from time to time, but only long enough to obtain specific items that he needed, then he would return back to what he called home now.

Sometimes, the loneliness of the Range was almost overwhelming, but then he remembered how he felt among the Villagers and suddenly it became much more bearable.

He grumbled as he set the rucksack he had been carrying down and picked up his falcon bow. It was the most recent addition to his collection of weapons. While his Swallow bow was a fine piece and was still in near perfect condition, it was no longer a challenge for him to draw, even with its being designed to draw at quick speeds. The Falcon bow was to be drawn as quick; however, it required much more power to do so.

He paused as he passed his hammock, stopping to look at the bow that hung just above it. He had hung Kaneli's gift up where he would see it every morning. It wasn't sentimentality, it was just a good reminder of where he had come and how far he still had to go.

He continued out onto the platform, freezing in place at what he saw. The Flight Range consisted of a deep, circular hole that led to a natural hot spring at the bottom. The heat from the water traveled to air above, which caused it to rise quickly, providing plenty of updrafts around the spire of rock that rose from the center of the hole. Hanging from various points along the cliff walls and spire were targets that Revali had hung himself.

On the platform, trying to hit the only target in front of him, was a small, white feathered boy.

"What're you doing here?" he asked sharply.

The boy nearly molted all of his feathers at once as he flinched violently, sending his arrow wide. "Uh… sorry- I wanted to- I thought maybe… uh," he stammered quickly as he turned to face Revali, hanging his head low.

Revali recognized him from the competition. "Teba, right?"

"You remembered?" the child gasped.

"Well, Teba, what exactly are you doing here?" He wasn't exactly in the mood to entertain any guests, especially children.

"Uh… I wanted to come here to practice because… I thought maybe it would make me cooler…" Teba visibly cringed as he sent a pitiful look up to Revali.

"You thought it would make you look cooler," he repeated with a shake of his head.

"Yeah. This is where you train after all. I thought maybe it could help me get better too."

"Is that so?"

Teba nodded quickly.

"Very well then. Show me."

"What?"

"Show me what you can do," Revali commanded, gesturing towards the tiny bow Teba was carrying.

"O-okay." The child nervously held up his bow and sloppily drew it. He released, head and shoulders slumping as his arrow didn't even come close to hitting the target.

Revali watched Teba for a moment before making his decision. He didn't much care for the villagers, or children for that matter; however, Teba did seem intent on impressing him. Maybe he could take the child under his wing… for now anyway. "How unfortunate," he sighed dramatically as he threw his wings out. "You seem to have learned from the brutes who call themselves Ritos. Am I wrong?"

"N-no," Teba replied, visibly confused by the older Rito's response.

"Unfortunate indeed. Tell me, are you a brute?" he asked as he bent down and angled his head so that he was looking at the child with one eye.

"N-no…"

"That wasn't convincing."

"N-no!"

"Then why do you shoot like one?" he asked as he straightened himself. "Can you fly?"

"Yes."

"Show me," he commanded.

Teba began flapping, causing him to rise unsteadily through the air. He hung there for a few seconds before he nearly collapsed back onto the ground.

"As I feared, you even fly like one of them."

"Oh… okay. Sorry for wasting your time." Teba began walking with his head hung low.

"Wait," Revali commanded, prompting the child to stop and look back at him. "It will be difficult, but I can still train you… unless of course, you'd rather live like a brute."

"No!" Teba nearly shouted as he shook his head violently.

"Then follow me." He led the child out of the Flight Range and into a clearing just outside. "While I find your determination admirable, it is ill-founded. If you wish to be a true Rito, then you must first learn to fly like one."

"Okay!" Teba replied excitedly.

"Now, spread your wings wide and do as I do!"

And so, Revali began training Teba, teaching him in the same way he had been taught, albeit with more words rather than having the child try to interpret cryptic looks. It took several weeks, but eventually, Teba had relearned how to fly. After a few more weeks the child was able to fly smoothly at lower altitudes for extended periods of time.

As the weeks bled into months, Revali noticed that Teba was spending more time with him. What had started as a one to two-hour session a day had become three to four and so on until most of the day was spent in each other's company, even after they had finished training for the day.

While he had developed a healthy distaste for many members of the tribe, he couldn't say the same for Teba. He admired the determination and patience he could see in the child's eyes. Not only that, but he was tenacious. When he got knocked around, he would get back up and try again. Revali had been forced to stop him from continuing on more than one occasion for fear that he would hurt himself.

A part of him often wondered if Kaneli had felt that as he watched Revali grow.

Despite the similarities that bound them together, there were also fundamental differences that set them apart. While Teba wasn't exactly popular among the current generation of children, he wasn't the primary focus of their scorn either. He also had friends as well.

Occasionally, they would come to watch the two practice, but as time went on, they too began to disappear until only one remained. Kass, the only one of Teba's friends who stayed by the child's side, did not seem to be bothered in the slightest as he watched the duo perform aerial feats that most couldn't even dream of accomplishing. Instead, he was consistently awed by the things he saw; however, even Kass stopped coming eventually. When Revali had asked after him, Teba had sullenly replied that his friend had gone to train as a bard.

As the months fed into years, the Rito, now considered a fully fledged young adult, found himself relying on Teba's company more and more. While he was still welcome in the Village, he no longer had any idea how to interact with the people there. Along with that, he had become a sort of local legend, making him someone that most found difficult to approach. He greeted the few that did dare approach him with the flamboyance he imagined would befit a legend.

To make matters worse, Kaneli was unable to visit as often as he once had. The leadership of the Village had begun to make changes as the Elder had fallen ill, forcing Kaneli to take on more responsibilities for the sake of the tribe.

It was an understandable decision (one he even approved of despite his wish that it had not happened). One of his greatest virtues was his ability to reason with others no matter how hotheaded or stubborn they were. He applied that same patience to ease the tribe into the next generation, at the expense of his time for Revali.

And so, Revali relied on Teba for the companionship.

His pupil began progressing so quickly that Revali had to step up his own training. At first, he had been a bit lost as to how he could improve, until he remembered the Rito's greatest weakness in terms of flight. They were forced to fight gravity with every flap as they tried to ascend. While it wasn't necessarily a problem now if it ever came to a fight he would be at a severe disadvantage if he wasn't already airborne. Thankfully, he'd already been in the midst of flight each time he had encountered a horde of monsters. An occurrence that was becoming more and more common as the days passed.

That wasn't the Rito's only concern though. He had noticed several contingents of Hylians gathering around the Village and the Hebra mountains to the North. When he had finally visited Kaneli to inquire about their presence, he had been informed that they were searching for something called a Divine Beast. Supposedly, the Hylian King was also looking for someone to pilot the Beast; however, Kaneli would say nothing more on the matter, but Revali couldn't help but think that Kaneli was worried for him.

As eager as Teba was to continue, Revali began sending him home earlier as the days continued on. He staved off the loneliness off by focusing on developing a technique to help him create an updraft, something that he hoped would overcome his greatest weakness. While he had a mastery of the air that not even Teba could hope to match, he was beginning to realize that he had only scratched the surface of his potential.

At first, he had thought it was impossible until he remembered that he didn't need to necessarily rely on just physical power to create an updraft, but there was a possibility of using magic. He lacked a true affinity for magic, only really being able to light bomb arrows without the need of an aid; however, the entirety of his life had been spent circumventing his own lack of strength.

His first attempts had been pitiful, but that was nothing new to the Rito. He persevered, eventually creating a weak wind tunnel that pushed him a few feet off the ground. While it was progress, it was not enough to satisfy him.

He kept striving, testing any and every method that could strengthen the weak funnel into a true updraft. It was a slow, painful process that didn't seem to be going anywhere for a long time until one day, in a fit of frustration, he flapped his wings as he released the magic. The wind moved by his wings added to the wind tunnel, causing it to grow in power as it swirled beneath him. He was flung into the air and tossed around like a child's doll before he was thrown out entirely. He crashed into the ground awkwardly as the updraft he had created continued on for a moment longer before dissipating entirely.

Revali hauled himself to his feet. Despite how much he had accomplished, how far he had come, it was not enough.

Revali stared down at the landing pad he had left the ignoble Hylian Champion. Apparently, not only had the boy thought it necessary to check in on him but had also shown a complete and utter disregard for the powerful updraft he had created. He had staged it all perfectly so that the Hylian could experience the full majesty of such a wind.

When he had finally made his appearance, he had found the same dopey, expressionless look on the Hylian's face.

He scoffed at the memory as he turned his back and delved deeper into the Divine Beast Vah Medoh. He had first met Link at the Champion's inauguration, and he had been less than impressed despite the Hylian Champion's reputation. The boy was almost as famous among his own people as Revali was amongst the Rito, yet he was rude and moronic. He couldn't even speak.

As such, he had expected to feel far superior to the boy, yet he didn't. He had soared to new heights that none had thought possible, had proven himself to be the unmatched master of a bow, and was on the verge of mastering his updraft, yet none of that mattered. He felt all of his accomplishments paling in comparison to the boy whose only noteworthy act was pulling a sword out of a pedestal.

None of what he had done so far was enough.

He had been the first pick to pilot Medoh (much to Kaneli's displeasure), which had been found not far from the Flight Range, which he had selected the spot for. Because of his victory in the archery contest years ago, his name and reputation had spread through Hyrule, and he had been greeted as a living legend within the confines of Castle Town. Soldiers and servants alike asked if his storied feats were true, asked for demonstrations, even asked if he would train them even a little.

And none of it was enough.

The boy hadn't even pulled the Sacred Sword from its sheath during the inauguration or any of the events that followed, and still, Revali could feel the power and skill the Hylian champion possessed. It hung over the Rito Champion like a storm cloud, making him feel tiny by comparison.

It didn't help that the other Champions also wielded great power and skill. He could see that even the Zora Champion, despite her timid, delicate appearance, could more than hold her own in a fight. She moved with a grace that only came from years of training as a warrior, even if she didn't look it.

The other two Champions were also fighters of the highest caliber. The Goron didn't even need to rely on skill as his nearly impenetrable skin and brute strength was enough to overcome any obstacle. The Gerudo Champion was known as a leader and a swordswoman. The stories of her prowess had escalated to the point where it was even said that lightning obeyed her command, or so he thought until he had witnessed it for himself.

They were all titans among the denizens of Hyrule, leaving him and the Hylian Princess far behind.

Zelda's name was the only one he had bothered learning, seeing as she was the only one who could possibly understand his position. He could see that same loneliness and desolation in her eyes that he felt. That question of whether or not they could even contribute in a group that seemed capable of moving mountains on their own.

Maybe that was why he had accepted Zelda's invitation to become a Champion, one an elite group that had come together to defend Hyrule from an ancient evil.

Despite his current lack of power, he was determined to climb to the top of his food chain. He continued to refine and strengthen his newly developed technique, which he had dubbed Revali's Gale until it was capable of ripping things off the ground and throwing them high into the air. It was what he had used to properly introduce himself to the Hylian Champion, who hadn't been the least bit fazed by what most would consider an impressive display.

It still wasn't enough.

He trained with his bow, drawing and releasing until his fingers bled, all the while commanding Medoh, steering the Divine Beast through the air.

It still wasn't enough.

He proved himself time and time again as one challenge after another was thrown his way.

It was never enough.

No matter how many times he surpassed his own limits, he felt like the others were leaving him behind. No matter how often he proved himself competent, his allies didn't need him. No matter how hard he tried, he never felt as though he drew closer.

And it terrified him because no matter what he did, it was never enough. It seemed with each step he took, the others, especially the boy, took three more, causing him to fall further and further behind.

His one consolation was Vah Medoh. No one else could command the Divine Beast, meaning that he was still needed even if he wasn't the strongest. Even then, the knowledge that he was the only one in Hyrule who could control Medoh wasn't much of a comfort. Even though legends and prophecies stipulated that all four of the Divine Beasts were necessary to defeat Calamity Ganon, he was sure that the other Champions would find a way to seal it away again without him.

He continued his training relentlessly, even pushing Teba away as he fought desperately to catch up to the others, and never once feeling that his efforts were enough.

A/N: I can't believe this story is a year old... oh boy...

So, I had a few people comment their concerns about Lipha (understandably) and I just want to reiterate that this story is not going to become Lipha centric. That's not to say they won't have their moments, but, as I said from the beginning, it won't be the centerpiece of the story.

Guest Reviews:

E.A.T: I refuse to use my best Starfox jokes at this point (though there will be one in the next chapter or two).

Guest (1 and 2): I'm glad you two enjoyed the Lipha. I depleted my romance reserves for that.

Guest (3): Yep, the chapter came out of nowhere. I snapped my fingers and it appeared.

Puma: Thank you, and I wish I could make it easier for you to read.

GSC1: No pressure, you know, with the whole only non-crossover thing... On the bright side, you haven't figured me out yet, which makes me hope that I still have a few surprises left up my sleeve. And who said the Champions weren't in Smash?

Angie: You know, I would like to know why people are so excited about Revali's memories. They're not really all that special.

Professor: Hope I didn't disappoint!