"What is that… thing?" Zelda asked as Ganon's malice finally withdrew. Whatever being Ganon had been hiding them from for a century had again come close to finding them, despite Zelda's lack of resistance.

"If I knew the answer to that, I would not have told you I don't know."

"Do you suppose it could be Hylia?" It had been a question that had been bothering her for some time. Clearly, whatever was trying to find them was not stupid. In fact, she thought Ganon was being overly optimistic in thinking that he was successfully hiding them.

"Don't be ridiculous." Ganon must have sensed her skepticism as he continued without any prompting from her. "Tell me: how did you feel when you compared yourself to it?"

"I felt like a child staring up at a stranger."

"I have either underestimated your power, or you are too confident," Ganon replied with a sigh. "Regardless, the fact that you felt a sense of self when compared to it should tell you that it cannot be Hylia."

"How so?"

"You feel as a helpless child compared to this thing. Compared to Hylia, you would not even consider yourself dust. That thing could crush us with little more effort than it takes to raise a finger. Hylia could annihilate the entirety of Hyrule and everything else with a mere thought."

"Everything else?"

"…"

"What?"

"Do you remember those stories that, what was his name?" Ganon asked, cutting himself off, "Kass? Do you remember Kass' stories?"

"Yes?"

"What if I were to tell you that there is a chance that those stories are more than just stories?"

"But…" She couldn't say the idea hadn't crossed her mind. Ever since she had borne witness to the library that Link and Mipha had discovered, she had been considering the possibility that there were other worlds besides the one that they inhabited. Even with all of the thought she had devoted to it, her natural inclination was to deny it.

"Don't ask questions as I do not have the answers. It was so long ago that even I barely remember."

"I see," Zelda replied, her mind running through every possible scenario. As much as she wanted to figure out who the mysterious entity was, there was little to nothing to go on. It would have to wait. "So, only one of the Divine Beasts remain."

"And?"

"Does it worry you that your plan is falling apart?"

"Is that what you believe? That my plan is falling apart?"

"You had control of all four of them, and the dragons, and now you're losing them one by one. Is that your plan?"

"You worked closely with the four pilots. How many of them could handle the strain of commanding two Divine Beasts?"

"Maybe one of them," she responded, an uneasy pit growing in her stomach. While Mipha had struck her as delicate, she had startling power when it came to commanding Ruta and holding her own on the battlefield. The Princess was certain that the Zora Champion was the only one of the four that could handle more than one at a time.

"Could he or she handle three? No? What about four? Do you see the problem?"

"You need your own Champions…" With his own Champions to pilot the Divine Beasts, Ganon would be able to maintain control of them while being unhindered by the strain of commanding them.

"And who better than those who spent years mastering them?"

"Then why have you been trying to kill them?"

"I'm not trying to kill them… yet. I want them to regain their full strength, then I will corrupt them and the Divine Beasts. Why do you think I've waited until now to attack the dragons?"

"And how did you know that the dragons could bestow them with power?"

"This would not be the first time they granted their power to someone who would be a hero."

"So, my friends will be generals for your new world order?" she asked, making no attempt to hide her disgust.

"No… I will have need of them for a bigger battle."

"What battle?" She knew what he was going to say next, but she asked anyway. She wanted to know that she wasn't the only one who was worried about the presence that had been spending more and more time trying to find them.

"You don't believe I can hide us from that thing forever, do you?"

"No."

"Correct. When I finally break free, our world will light up like a flame that it will be drawn to. Once that happens, it's a matter of time before it attacks. When I have killed you and your Knight, I will turn my gaze towards it."

"Do you really believe you will win?"

"I beat you once."

"We will not fail again," Zelda replied. For the sake of Hyrule and her friends, she refused to allow Ganon the opportunity to succeed again. She had been too weak-willed to fight before, but this time she would fulfill her role and seal the Calamity away again.

She frowned as a thought crossed her mind. What if she didn't have to seal him away, at least not entirely.

"Do you remember when I told you that you would know despair?"

"I remember."

"That time will come when you watch as your friends bend knee to me as your world burns. You may have earned my respect, but do not think for a moment that it will change anything."

"So, you must be Medli," Urbosa said as she approached the white-feathered girl that accompanied Kass.

"Yes," the Bard answered, "and this is my wife, Amali," he finished as he gestured to towards the woman with green feathers.

"Urbosa," she replied as she nodded to both.

"Lady Urbosa… thank you," Amali stated as she gave the Gerudo Champion a bow. "You are a part of the reason that my husband has returned home."

"Oh yes. I assure you it was quite the chore. He just would not stop squawking, and there was some dragging –"

"Ah, I should introduce you to Lord Daruk!" Kass interrupted quickly as he started dragging his wife towards the Goron. Urbosa gave Amali a wink as she passed, grinning when it was returned.

"Your brother tells me that you play the harp." She wasn't any more interested in the harp than she was an accordion, but she was interested in learning more about the girl that had caught Revali's eye. To do that, she had to start a conversation, even if it was about something that she wasn't truly interested in.

"Oh yes! It started back when I was younger. I wanted to learn to play the accordion like Kass, but –" Urbosa was impressed at Medli's ability to not only answer a question but to keep said answer far from succinct. Eventually, she began passively listening, smiling and nodding occasionally. While she did want to learn as much as she could about Medli, she was far from interested in hearing every minute detail of the girl's life.

Every once in a while, she would listen more closely, trying to find a new topic to jump on as Medli continued chattering. "- I always did like the stories he told about the Champions, especially –"

"Revali," she finished for the Rito Girl. "So, how did you two meet?"

"Well, I watched him fight Medoh, and I flew over to help him when he crashed into the ground. It was weird though…"

"What was?" she asked before she took a swig of the drink in her hand.

"He introduced himself as Master Feathers… are you all right?"

Urbosa had spit out her drink and was reduced to a coughing fit. She had expected to hear at least one humorous story about Revali while in the Village, but she had not been expecting him to introduce himself by the pseudonym he hated.

Her only regret was it was difficult to laugh in the midst of coughing.

"I'm… fine," she wheezed as she finally got her breathing back under control. "He… called himself Feathers?"

"Yes. Actually, it was Link who told me that it was a nickname you gave him."

"I did, but feel free to call him that as much as you like."

"Oh no!" the Rito girl replied as she put held her wings up. "I think that's something that should stay between you two."

"Really?"

"That kind of thing is probably important to your guy's relationship. Kind of like how Kass makes harps for me."

She decided that she liked Medli. The Rito girl had respect for her and the other Champions and the bonds that they had with Revali. While that didn't mean that she was a good fit for Revali, it at least meant that she wouldn't try to isolate the Rito Champion or worse, turn him against them.

She wasn't entirely sure they would make a good pair. From what she had managed to gather while talking to Mipha, Medli was a bit of a disaster. A well-meaning disaster, but a disaster all the same. Revali, on the other hand, was highly organized and precise when he wasn't busy being a loose cannon. Perhaps they would be better suited after they both grew up.

That being said, from what little she could glean from Kass, Link, and Mipha, the Rito Champion had, and continued, to put his best foot forward when he was around her. She could only hope that he would continue to grow as time went on.

"If you don't mind, I was hoping I could ask you a question," Medli said.

"Yes?"

"Uhm… Sometimes I get the idea that Master Revali is… putting up a brave front. Is he -"

"Listen," she interrupted setting an arm on Medli's shoulder as she leaned in, "I could tell you some of what he's had to try and work through, but it's not my story to tell. When and if the time is right, he'll tell you himself, yes?"

"Right… I mean, even though he said he didn't write it himself, some of his words and actions match what was written in the diary."

"The what?" Urbosa asked, sending a silent prayer to Hylia that she hadn't just misheard or misunderstood the Rito girl.

"Oh, the Diary of Master Revali, the Rito Legend. It's an excellent read, even if Master Revali isn't the true author."

"Medli dear," Urbosa murmured, her face already starting to curl into a familiar smile, "would it bother you if I were to… borrow it for a while?"

"It wouldn't be a bother at all!" Medli replied excitedly.

Urbosa wondered briefly at the enthusiasm in Medli's response. Those she interacted with must not have expressed interest in the things she liked.

"I can go get it now if you'd –"

"Oh, don't worry about that right now," the Gerudo interjected cheerily. With a slight nod of her head, she motioned towards Revali, who had been eyeing them both in between spats with Link. "Master Feathers has been eyeing you since you arrived. You should go say hi."

"I su –"

"But do me a favor dear, and don't mention our conversation to him, all right?"

Medli nodded uncertainly before she crossed to the other side of the room. Briefly, just before the Rito girl reached him, Revali met her gaze and narrowed his eyes as she winked at him. Then he noticed Medli, and all of a sudden, the Rito Champion became a ball of nerves. He hid it well, but she could see the anxiety that lay just below the surface.

She debated for a moment before finally deciding to leave him alone. He had enough emotional stress to deal with without embarrassing him in front of his crush.

"Lady Urbosa."

"Kass," she replied, returning the greeting as the Bard approached her with a skewer of fish.

"I am glad to see that you, Lord Daruk, and Midna made it here all in good health."

"Oh, you noticed her?" Urbosa asked curiously as she eyed the wolf who was eating a steak in the corner of the room.

"How could I not?"

"It's odd, but nearly everybody misses her. The first time that we took her in a Stable, Link had to bribe the Stablemaster to let her stay. Now, it's like only a few people notice her."

"Strange," Kass replied as he tilted his head. "She has been there the entire time… Maybe it is because she is aloof?"

"Maybe." It was an odd phenomenon that she had been unable to figure out. While the wolf had a habit of keeping to herself, unless Link was around, she was almost always within sight. Even so, people's eyes apparently just passed over as though she were non-existent. "Maybe people think she's a dog?"

The wolf looked at her, as though knowing that she was the topic of her discussion and wondering whether or not she should be insulted.

"I doubt it," Kass replied as he looked at the wolf, "she doesn't look domesticated."

"You're right."

"… I suppose that people are just not paying attention," Kass sighed, "I can sympathize with that."

"Is that a wolf?!"

Both Kass and Urbosa started laughing as Medli finally noticed Midna.

Revali picked through the wares in the shop, not really paying attention to what he was handling. While he knew that they needed to resupply, he couldn't help but think back to the conversation he and Kass had shared before retiring for the night.

The Bard had asked him directly what his intentions were in regard to Medli. Revali, choosing to forgo his typical barbed response, answered as honestly as he could. He had no idea what the future had in store for him and Medli. Between his responsibilities as a Champion, and coming to terms with his past, he hadn't devoted much thought to the future. As a result, he didn't know what he wanted out of life.

He enjoyed Medli's company and even thought there was potential for a deeper relationship, he couldn't be sure. As far as he could tell, there would definitely be some issues with compatibility. The constant mess that was her home had nearly driven him insane, they shared very few interests, and their personalities could not be more different.

Even subtracting Medli from the equation, the thought of settling down sounded nice, even if it was unobtainable. He had spent years avoiding contact with others as much as he could. He had learned to do everything on his own specifically so that he never had to rely on another. If he were ever truly to have a future with anyone, he would have to learn how to let people in.

The thought made his skin crawl. He huffed as he set a bundle of arrows down far harder than he meant to.

He wasn't sure when he had started devoting more time to thinking about these things, but he hated it.

"Revali, are you all right?" Mipha asked from behind him.

"Fine," he growled as he eyed a bundle of bomb arrows. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, a little voice reminded him that he had used the last of his bomb arrows during the fight with Windblight.

"Are you certain? You have been behaving –"

"I really don't want to talk about it, alright."

"Very well," the Zora Champion replied with a nod, "I am going to go find –"

"Wait," he sighed. The idea of talking about it with anyone made him squirm, but he also needed help. He could have asked Urbosa, but the woman had an annoying habit of teasing him about sensitive topics. "If you wanted to see whether or not you could… work as a team with someone else, what would you do?"

"What makes you think you would not make a good team?"

"We have a lot of… different interests…" there was more he could have said, but he wasn't keen on sharing more than the bare minimum. He didn't want to involve people in his personal affairs.

"Are you talking about Medli?"

"Never mind," he muttered as he turned away.

"May I ask how you know you two do not share common interests?"

"I said –"

"Have you considered giving things like history and culture studies a chance? Maybe music and storytelling?"

"What makes you think I haven't given them a chance?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes. Mipha was making a lot of dangerous assumptions about him. Then again, he supposed that was all she could do since they rarely spoke despite their close proximity.

"How much do you know about Link?" she asked suddenly.

"What does he have to do with this?"

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but it sometimes seems like you judge people and things on surface qualities."

"I do not!" he replied vehemently.

"Then why do you dislike Link?"

"Well, he… I mean… he's rude and… the whole thing with…" He finally huffed as looked away. The truth was, he wasn't really sure why he had disliked the Hylian Champion so much. At one time, he had thought he had known, but he forgot them. All he really knew was that he was supposed to dislike Link. "Fine. So, you're saying I should try giving her interests another chance?"

"It would be a good start," Mipha replied with a small nod.

"Right. Well… I need to restock my arrows, so…"

"I suppose I should go and… make sure that Link is not overdoing it again." Mipha turned away, giving him an odd glance before saying, "you know, you should talk to Urbosa."

"And why would I do –" he didn't have time to finish as Mipha was already leaving to go find Link. "Yeah, sure. Go talk to the miserable hag that'll –"

"There's the Revali I remember."

The Rito Champion spun around, coming face to face with Teba. "What are you doing here?"

"Saki, Tulin, and I have a family outing planned. I don't know when you and the others are planning on heading out, so I figured I'd give this to you now," he said as he handed Revali a bow. The Rito Champion held it up, relishing the feel of a Rito bow in his hands once again. While the other races produced decent bows, they could never measure up to a Rito's craftsmanship. "By the way, will you tell 'Impa' to stop asking for updates? When we're ready, she'll be the first to know."

"Thanks," Revali murmured, still admiring the bow. It wasn't until a few seconds later that Teba's words dawned on him. "Wait… how do you know Impa?" A part of him argued that he shouldn't be surprised that the leader of the Sheikah was known as far from Kakariko as they were. The other couldn't help but make him shudder. Even as far away as he was, he still couldn't escape her sight.

"She –"

"Teba! It's time to go!" Saki called.

"Right," Teba muttered. "Try not to die this time. See you soon." With that, his protégé was gone.

The Rito Champion took a deep breath before turning back to the task he had been trying to complete since he had walked into the building. He had just been trying to restock his arrows, not focus on problems he was not equipped to solve.

He shook his head and growled under his breath as he grabbed a load of bomb arrows and wandered over to store's other sections. If something as simple as buying arrows had taken him that long, he didn't want to think about how long it would take him to pick out the other item on his list.

Link watched, unseen as Revali practiced. He frowned as he eyed the blade that the Rito swung about, trying to decide whether it was the design of the blade or lack of technique that bothered him more. He understood that the Rito designed the Feathered edge to be lightweight so that it would not hinder their flying, but the blades looked utterly ridiculous. Then again, he supposed that the Zora designed equally ridiculous weapons.

After the Rito Champion had purchased his new weapon, he had done his best to sneak out of the Village unseen; however, Link had seen and followed. He didn't expect anything to come of it, but he was curious as to Revali's commitment to learning a new skill. Needless to say, it was going poorly.

Regardless, he couldn't really fault Revali's poor technique. From what he could see, the Rito Champion had next to no knowledge of how to properly wield the weapon he held.

The Hylian Champion watched on as Revali continued swinging. It wasn't flailing exactly, but it was far from graceful. Rather than putting effort into the quality of his attacks, he relied solely on speed and brute force. He found it ironic that the Champion who boasted the most skill was now relying solely on raw power.

The feathered hands were gripping the hilt with far too much force, and the constituent parts of his body weren't working in tandem. While the Rito had impeccable control of his upper body, the lower half looked to be unfamiliar with the movements he was trying to make. The Rito Champion lost his balance a few times between his sloppy swings and poor footwork.

Link was not at all surprised when the Rito exhausted himself less than an hour after he had started his practice.

Revali was visibly frustrated as he sheathed the sword with far more force than necessary. He growled something incomprehensible before turning on his heel, and finally noticing the Hylian that had been watching him.

"What – why – Did no one ever teach you that it's rude to spy?!" he spluttered quickly.

"Yep," he responded indifferently. He had caught Revali spying on him before, so he wasn't too concerned with the Rito's opinion.

"And you do it anyway?"

"Pretty much."

"So… how do I improve?" he asked as he folded his wings and looked away.

"Hmm?"

"What I mean," Revali growled as his normally irritable reaction resurfaced, "is how do I get from what I was doing to what you do?"

"Draw your weapon," Link replied.

"What?"

"Draw."

"I asked for a few pointers not –"

"Will a few pointers help me improve with a bow?"

"Of course not!" Revali answered emphatically. "It took me months just to learn how to draw properly. There's no…"

Link could see the gears turning in the Rito's head as he finally grasped what Link was getting at. With some training, Link was a passable shot, but it would take him months, maybe even years more before he was considered exceptional. And even then, it would still require even further training before he could even hope to match Teba or Revali.

The same was true for a blade. Anybody could pick up a sword and start flailing about, but it took years of intensive training before the flailing became strikes. After the time spent learning how to properly handle the tool and move their body to compensate, then it became a matter of applying those attacks in combat. Nothing about the art of "just swinging a sword" was simple.

"So draw?" the Rito sighed.

Link nodded.

Despite his lack of enthusiasm, the Rito drew his blade, not succeeding in extracting it smoothly.

Link told him to sheath his weapon before setting himself in front of the Rito. He slowly drew his blade, showing the Rito Champion how to properly remove the blade. They resheathed their blades and, after a few minor adjustments, drew them again.

Again and again, the Hylian and Rito performed the simple act of drawing their weapons. Soon enough, Revali was drawing his weapon smoothly enough that Link wasn't worried that he would accidentally remove his head from his body; however, they didn't stop there. Once Revali was capable of removing the blade, they moved on to drawing the weapon while setting themselves into a specific stance.

To Link's surprise, Revali took his criticisms well. There were a few comments, but overall, the Rito listened carefully and worked at implementing the required changes. He had thought that his fellow Champion would fight him tooth and nail, but instead, he made a remarkably good student and a fast learner. The Hylian was impressed, both with his companion's progress and his attitude.

When they finished for the night, they walked back towards the Village, silently. There were things to say, but Link wasn't really sure how to say them.

"… I never thought that using a sword could be that complicated," Revali stated as the Village came back into view. "… Thanks."

Link nodded, deciding against opening his mouth. He and Revali had been on better terms lately and he was far from eager to screw it up.

"By the way, your skill with a bow is appalling," Revali continued as he set his shoulders back and his voice returned to his usual confidence. "It really is quite embarrassing to travel with someone who looks like it's their first ti –"

"Are you offering to teach me?"

"Stop interrupting! Were you born in a barn?"

"Yep."

"Wait… did you actually grow up in a barn?" Revali asked skeptically as he shot Link a glance.

"Ordon was a farming community before it was razed." Link, for his part, was surprised at Revali's interest in his past, even if it was something as simple as where he was born.

"So where did you and your family move?" It came out in a disinterested fashion, but Link knew better. He wouldn't have asked unless he was genuinely curious.

"I made it to Zora's Domain. My mother… didn't make it."

"… Sorry to hear that."

"…"

"I suppose that led to you and Mipha becoming friends."

"Yeah. Well, that and-" he cut himself off before he mentioned the letter. He felt it was something that should remain between the two of them. That was, when he was finally ready to talk to her about it.

"And what?"

"It's nothing."

"Whatever. It's not like I care or anything," the Rito replied indifferently.

"How are things with Medli?"

"Would you mind your own business?"

Link raised a brow as Revali shot him a glare.

"Things are fine, not that it's any of your business."

"Have you offered her archery lessons yet?" he asked, fighting off a grin as Revali stiffened up.

"Look here," he spat as he fired up in an instant. Link continued trying to hide his grin as the Rito Champion began a long rant that had nothing to do with anything. While he tried to refrain from teasing others, sometimes, he just couldn't help himself.

"So, how do you and Master Link know each other?" Medli asked as she and Mipha set the table.

"We met when he was a child. For personal reasons, he was forced to live in the Domain for a few years."

"I see. Is he always so… cold?"

"Huh?" The question surprised her. She was so used to being around the normally quiet Hylian that it had never occurred to her that he came off as cold.

"Well, when I do talk to him, he barely speaks. He usually resorts to nods or shakes of his head. It seems like maybe he doesn't like me," she finished uncomfortably.

"He doesn't dislike you," Mipha clarified as they continued setting their utensils down. "If he did, he would avoid you as much as possible."

"I see…"

"When he was a child, he was excitable and loud, but after his training with the knights began, he started shutting down. There was a time when he barely spoke to me at all."

"Oh… I guess I thought he was looking down on me."

"Not at all," Mipha replied comfortingly. "Just give him time to warm up to you." The more she thought about it, the more she thought she understood where the Rito girl was coming from. Back when Link and Owen would visit the Domain together, there was a part of her that hoped that Owen liked her. Maybe it was because then he wouldn't try to drive a wedge between her and Link or maybe it was just another way to earn the Hylian Champion's approval. Whatever it was, she had felt very much the same as Medli at one point.

"How did you and Master Revali meet?"

"I do not know." The few memories she had that had occurred outside the Domain were hazy at best. She had no idea how she had met any of the other Champions aside from Link. "My memories still have some gaps."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I have a question for you, if I may."

"Oh, yes!"

"What was Kass like as a child?" It was a question that had been on her mind for a few days. While she had seen massive changes in herself and Link over the years, she couldn't quite imagine Kass being young and crazy like they had been.

"He was a good brother," Medli responded sadly, her feathers drooping for a moment. "I don't remember much before our parents died, but he dropped everything to come back and take care of me."

It didn't surprise her that Kass would do something like that, even in his younger years. He was loyal and devoted to his friends and family.

"Sometimes, I feel like I've held him back all these years. Even though he became a bard just like he wanted, I still can't help but wonder what would have happened if I hadn't been here."

"It is not your fault," Mipha said, stopping in her tracks to look at the Rito. "Kass did what he believed was right."

"But –"

"He did what he did because he loves you and you should not blame yourself for that."

"She's right," Urbosa called as she and Daruk entered, carrying several platters of food. "You can't hold yourself accountable for the choices of others."

"I know but –"

"No buts," the Gerudo interrupted firmly. "Let me ask you this: do you think Kass would have been happy if he hadn't come back? Would you two be as close as you are now?"

"No…"

"Then stop blaming yourself," Urbosa replied as she set the platters down. "Now then, Link wants to know what you would like to eat."

"Oh, I am fine with anything really," Medli answered.

"Just come up with something," Mipha whispered as she leaned in. "Food is important to him."

"Oh!" The Rito girl's face screwed up in concentration for a moment. "I did like those rice balls he made the other day."

Mipha exchanged a knowing glance with Urbosa, whose face was already starting to curl into an all too familiar smile. The Zora Champion wasn't sure how the Gerudo planned to exploit such a meaningless similarity between Revali and Medli and she didn't care to know either.

"Mipha, would you be a dear and go inform Link?"

The Zora Champion nodded, giving the older woman one last pleading glance before leaving. She enjoyed the chance to exchange thoughts and ideas on history and culture and she was not thrilled by the possibility of losing that.

Mipha found Revali, who was trying to pretend that he wasn't watching Link as the Hylian bent over his beloved cooking pot.

"Just so you know," she murmured as she approached the Rito, "I think Urbosa is about to –"

"You left Medli alone with Urbosa?!" Revali asked, horrified by the thought.

"Daruk is with them –"

"You left her alone with Urbosa!?" The Rito Champion rushed out, leaving both Mipha and Link to stare after him, puzzled by his reaction.

"What happened?" Link asked as he looked back to his pot of rice.

"Medli asked for rice balls, and Urbosa smiled the way she does when… well, you know how she gets."

Link nodded.

"I thought he might benefit from a warning that Urbosa was going to get under her feathers a little. I didn't mean for him to go barge in though."

Link closed his eyes, thinking for a moment as he continued stirring. "I think Revali was her intended target."

"What?"

"Why else would she have sent you back here?"

"Oh no," she sighed as she realized the Hylian may have had a point. The Gerudo Champion had deliberately smiled so that Mipha would see it and then given the Zora a prime opportunity to warn Revali, which would cause him to barge into the fray. Rather than helping the Rito Champion, she had led him right into Urbosa's trap.

"He'll survive."

"You know how she is."

"He's… resourceful."

"I suppose." She sat across from him, watching as he tended another part of the meal he was making. While she thought he was going overboard, she also had to acknowledge that cooking was his method of relaxing. Suddenly, a question that had been on her mind for a few days rose to the surface. "Have you thought any more about what you plan to do when this is all over?"

"Yep," he answered as he sieved the rice. He said nothing more as he began forming the rice into balls as Mipha debated whether or not she should inquire further.

"May I ask what you are planning?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On what you plan to do after this is done."

"What I plan on doing?"

"I promised you we would spend some time together," Link answered as he picked up the plate of rice balls and motioned for her to follow him.

"You don't have to –"

"Yes, I do."

She planned to continue protesting, but Link gave her an expression that dissuaded her. It was the same look he would give her when he was determined to do something no matter how much grief she gave him for it.

They said nothing more as they returned to the others, finding two very embarrassed Ritos, a mildly annoyed Daruk, and a triumphant Urbosa.

The Zora Champion sent Revali an apologetic look as she sat down next to Link and Medli, who sat across from Revali. The two kept shooting each other uncomfortable glances, which caused Urbosa to snicker every time.

The dinner was more uncomfortable than the council meetings she had been forced to attend years prior. At least the elders and ambassadors had pretended they wanted to be there. Revali and Medli looked like they would rather be anywhere else.

"My, you two remind me of Mipha," the Gerudo Champion chuckled as the two Rito exchanged another glance.

Mipha felt her face growing hot as everyone looked at her, except Link, who was busy grabbing a little of everything except the rock roasts. She avoided looking at anyone as she did her best to cool her nerves. Eventually, her wandering eyes met Urbosa's, and she was suddenly annoyed by the Gerudo Champion's sly smile.

Finally, Mipha had enough of Urbosa's toying. She had made both Revali and Medli uncomfortable with her teasing and now neither would even touch the food that Link had made specifically for them, and she didn't want to see her friend's work wasted.

She reached over and grabbed a rice ball and delicately took a bite. She refrained from grimacing as the salted rice touched her tongue. She was not a fan, but she took another bite, staring at Urbosa defiantly as she did so. To her ire, Urbosa's smile only widened.

She was so enthralled in their contest wills that she didn't notice as Revali and Medli started sneaking the food they had been refusing to eat. When she did notice, she exchanged one last look to Urbosa who gave her a wink and subtly raised her drink.

Mipha sat in her seat, unsure what to think of what had just happened. She didn't know if she had won, or been an accomplice to a larger plan that she could not see.

"What was all of that about?" Mipha asked Link uncertainly as a conversation was somehow started.

"I have no idea."

"Was that really the best way to welcome Medli to the group?" Daruk asked as he scratched at his beard. "You nearly scared her off. And she and Revali were really hitting it off."

"Absolutely," Urbosa replied as she motioned to the four figures gathered around a small pile of tiles.

"Link I swear to all that is holy -"

"Draw four."

" - I hate you," Revali finished as he started drawing his tiles.

"She'll fit in nicely," Urbosa chuckled as the game started picking up in intensity.

A/N: I made it back, just in time for classes to start.

Guest Reviews:

Guest (1): There are too many ships in this fic.

Guest (2): Revali will always steal the win, even if he doesn't

Guest (3): In terms of timelines, either the child timeline or a reconvergence.

MismatchMoogle: Midna has actually been mentioned at least once in every applicable chapter, but most people actually miss her. On a more important note, I am glad that you don't regret reading this.

Guest (4): I don't plan to have Mipha interact with perverts ever. It's just not an idea I am fond of, especially because some of my audience is extremely young for that.

Nightbreed1: Why would Revali name his child after someone he'll hate after meeting.

Shadow88: I won't reference Ghirahim here, but maybe in a future fic.

Shipper: How dare you sir... also this is a fanfiction that only partially incorporates the DLC.

Salty reviewer: Is that what passes for salty these days. No wonder my friends call me the Salt Lord. Also, I suppose last minute hail marys work.