"Were you just strutting?" Urbosa asked, causing the Rito Champion to freeze in place.

"No!" he replied as he rounded on her, overcoming his paralysis.

Strutting was a particular form of walking that male Rito partook in. During the early years of a Rito's life, a boy would unknowingly slip into a swagger, much to the amusement of those around him. Though he refused to admit it to the Gerudo Champion, Revali had unwittingly slipped into the same pattern of behavior as his childhood. Something which was added to the already merciless teasing he had to endure.

As a result, he had done his best to quash the natural instinct, which had ironically only served to isolate him further.

During festivals or similar celebrations, men of the Rito tribe would have plentiful opportunities to attract women as they strutted through the Village. Revali, having been thoroughly humiliated in the past, decided against what he had deemed to be such an asinine display; however, he could never figure out why the females of the Tribe only expressed a limited interest in him as a mate. It wasn't until Kaneli had informed him years later that his refusal to take part in the festivities had led women to believe that he was disinterested in them.

Despite the isolation it brought him, Revali actively refrained from strutting at all. He believed that he had all but lost the inclination, but apparently, he had not.

He eyed Medli, who was currently sitting next to Link as the Hylian showed her how to cook a simple dish. A part of him was annoyed by the fact that she hadn't been paying him any mind, the other part was extraordinarily grateful that she had not witnessed it. While most boys practiced their technique in private, he had not devoted any time to it at all. He likely looked like he was just learning how to walk.

"Really?" Urbosa asked in a whisper as she appeared next to him, causing him to jump. Sometimes he forgot how quickly she could close distances. "Because that looked like an attempt at strutting."

"I don't strut!" he hissed back, hoping that Medli wouldn't hear.

"Clearly." He narrowed his eyes at the dryness of her tone. He didn't like what she was insinuating.

"Oh, no." Both Champions' attention was directed towards Medli as the Rito girl groaned and hung her head. Beside her, Link's movements had become frantic, likely trying to save whatever dish Medli had just ruined.

"Maybe you two should take a break," Urbosa suggested.

"Yes!" Link replied, clearly frazzled by the latest development in his beloved cooking pot.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, he'll survive dear. While you aren't busy there was something I was hoping to ask you about if you don't mind?"

Revali's eyes narrowed further as the Gerudo Champion sent him a playful smile. While he could tolerate her more than he used to, the insufferable woman still knew how to ruffle his feathers.

Both Medli and Urbosa walked a short distance away and had a hushed conversation, leaving a very paranoid Revali to sit restlessly while Link finished cleaning his instruments.

"You don't have to be so dramatic," he sniffed as he looked at the nearly traumatized Hylian.

"…"

"Seriously, is such a big deal that she made one tiny mistake?"

"Is it a big deal that you were strutting?"

The two glared at each other, a mutual understanding being passed between them.

"Grab your sword," Link muttered.

"Get your bow."

Once the duo had grabbed the equipment they needed, they left the camp behind and found a suitable spot to pick up their training.

The Rito Champion struggled with impatience when it came to Link's instruction. He supposed it wasn't really Link's fault, and he did understand where the Hylian was coming from. Proper technique took time and discipline to develop, something he had all too much experience with.

No, his frustration was due to the fact that he felt he was crawling along slowly while Link was making faster progress under his own tutelage. It was his own fault really. Link had honed his skills with the blade; however, he had not made his focus nearly so exclusive as Revali's. He had spent time with multiple weapon types, one being the bow. While the Hylian's archery skills required a lot of work, his previous experience meant that he didn't have to start at the bottom like Revali did. Not only that, but his adaptability allowed him to learn far more quickly than the Rito had anticipated.

All in all, he was frustrated at his lack of foresight, so he dealt with his frustration in one of the few ways he knew how. He threw himself into his new training regime.

Distantly, he was aware of the shocking increase of his own stamina. The first time he and Link had trained together, they had only been able to continue for a fraction of the time that they were going now. It did help to alleviate his frustrations as it was a form of progress, even if it wasn't what he had been hoping for.

Near the end of their impromptu sword training, Link finally walked him through a form he could practice. To call it simple was an understatement. It used only one of the basic blocks he had learned and one of the basic cuts; however, it was progress and it would give him the chance to prove himself.

They took a short break before switching to bows.

As always, Revali started a lesson by making Link tighten his bow and count his arrows, to which the Hylian obliged. If he had any complaints about it, he kept them to himself to Revali's relief. Teba had spent a sizable amount of time complaining about the Rito Champion's teaching methods, making him dread the possibility that Link would follow suit.

After Link had completed the first task, he proceeded to fire arrows at selected targets as Revali critiqued his technique, occasionally stepping in to fix the Hylian's form.

"I suppose you're making acceptable progress," the Rito sniffed as he tilted his beak upwards, "you still have a ways to go, though."

He sighed as Link just shrugged.

With their training complete for the day, they cleaned up and made their way back to the camp. When they finally returned, Revali felt his stomach drop as he found Medli and Urbosa still conversing quietly.

"I'm sorry, Master Link!" she exclaimed, jumping up as she spotted them. "I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble!"

"Nothing that couldn't be fixed," the Hylian replied as he waved off her apology.

"I think she's ready to try again," Urbosa commented as she subtly placed herself next to Revali, "as for you, Master Feathers, I could use some help with a… project of mine."

"I think you are more than capable of handling it on your own –"

"Now, now, I understand that you are a Rito legend according to whoever wrote the –"

"What do you want?" he asked, cutting her off before she could say anything else.

"Like I said, I need help with a certain project."

"Fine," he growled as he motioned with his head, "let's get this over with."

"Are you and Medli finished already?" Mipha asked as Link settled next to her.

"Yep," he muttered as he pulled off his boots and set his feet in the pond in front of them.

"How did it go?" She giggled as Link shuddered. It must have gone horribly wrong if that was all he could manage. "Not well?"

"No."

"Is there something she is doing wrong?"

"She gets distracted too easily, and everything burns," he muttered.

"Ah." She did her best to take his concerns seriously, in spite of a desire to roll her eyes. She thought it was only right when he gave her that same consideration, especially when she thought back to some of the ridiculous things that had bothered her in their younger years.

Nothing more was said for a long time as they sat staring at the water below. After a while, she saw Link pull a small book out of his satchel and begin turning it over in his hands. The Zora Champion recognized the old leather cover from somewhere, but she was far too distracted by the deep rivers of thought she found herself wading through.

"So…" she looked at the Hylian as he began uncertainly. "Sidon gave this to me while we were in the Domain," he said as he handed her the book.

The Zora Princess took the book into her hands and looked at it with mild curiosity. Though it was untitled, she couldn't help but think that she had seen the leather-bound pages before. She opened to the first page and stared blankly at the page as the words she had used in her first diary entry danced in her vision.

"H-how much did you read?" she asked shakily as she closed the book and held it tightly.

"All of it," he replied quietly.

"…" She had considered giving it to him to read at some point in the future; however, even in those scenarios where she had given it to him on her own terms, she was horrendously embarrassed by the thought of him reading it. That being said, it was the only way she could ever think of to say all of the things she had always wanted to tell him.

Now, finding out that he had already read it without her knowing, she was nearly overcome with the desire to flee, only stopping when she could find a place that he would never find her.

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right," she replied mechanically. "I was thinking about letting you read it someday."

"I… I didn't realize how much I meant to you."

"… How could you?" she asked weakly. "We never sat down and talked about us. I had a lot of opportunities to tell you, but I never found the strength to say it."

"…"

"And then," she continued, finding that now that she was having a hard time stopping despite only just barely starting, "after you became a knight, you were so withdrawn that I began to wonder how much of you was truly left. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't reach you." As much as it shamed her, there had been a time when she dreaded his return to the Domain because it hurt to be so close and yet so far away.

"But then you were named Hylian Champion and Zelda's personal guard. At first, I was a little envious because that meant that she was able to spend more time with you than I, but then, you started coming back little by little. I was happy until I realized that you weren't coming back to me. You were coming back to her. I suppose after I saw that, I gave up hope that you would ever see me again," she finished with a small choke.

"…"

"I'm sorry. I should not be burdening you with –"

"I'm not in love with Zelda."

"… What?"

"I do love her, but she's like a sister to me," he muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I still don't really remember much of her, but I do know that I was never in love with her."

"… I see." She felt a little bit of hope rekindle in her as their conversation died. After Link had rejected her proposal, she had spent an ample amount of time trying to convince herself that she should be happy for Link and Zelda. She had been sure that Zelda would have been his first choice, but it seemed that was wrong in that regard. It meant that maybe there was still hope that he would change his mind.

Looking back, she was sure that turning her down had been a good decision. She could see now that she had been far from ready to handle the stresses that came with binding her life to someone else's. The Zora Princess had spent a considerable time imagining a perfect fairytale ending for herself, but it seemed that life wouldn't accommodate that. It had struck her hard at first, but she was slowly learning to accept that. It came with the realization that not having a fairy tale ending, but rather working for that happy ending, may make her life more meaningful and satisfying.

With nothing else to focus on, she returned her attention to the diary she held. For many years, she had used it to document the thoughts and feelings she could never express to anyone else. There had always been a certain solace in knowing that what she wrote would remain between it and her.

That small comfort was no longer there, as now Link had been let into that part of her that she had tried so desperately to hide. She had expected it to weigh her down, to make it difficult to be in his presence let alone look him in the eye. She felt none of those things as she finally made eye contact with him.

Instead, she felt as though a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. There was relief in knowing that maybe someone was closer to understanding who she truly was. She made a split-second decision before she could change her mind. "I want you to keep this," she murmured as she handed her diary back to him.

The Hylian Champion took it gingerly, his eyes widening in surprise before he placed it back in the pouch at his waist.

They sat for a while longer, neither having much of anything to say.

Eventually, Link stood back up, grabbing his boots as he turned away. "Mipha," he said, getting her attention, "you mean a lot to me too."

She smiled at him before standing up herself and following him back to the camp. Again, she was under the impression that he was trying to say something more, but right then, she was content to take his words at face value.

"Hand it over."

"That would be rather difficult," Urbosa replied as she smiled playfully at the agitated Rito before her.

Revali lunged forward, latching onto the object she held in her hands. She didn't fight to maintain her grip on the book as Revali tore it out of her hands. The Rito Champion retreated a few steps and flipped the pages open.

The Gerudo withheld a chuckle as Revali's slackened considerably as his eyes darted across the words. "This isn't it!" he snapped as he flung the book on the ground. "Where is it?!"

"It's back in the Rito Village," she replied calmly, trying to hide the spasms in her chest as the Rito Champion stared at her blankly.

"You're joking…"

"I never actually read it. I considered it, but I thought that perhaps I should respect your privacy… this time anyway." She did finally let loose a chuckle as Revali continued to stare at her uncomprehendingly. "I told you it would be rather difficult to return to you."

"Then why would you- what was the point of- just… why?"

"Why what, specifically?"

"Why lead me to believe you have it?"

"To see how you would respond."

"What does that have to do with- "

"Are you embarrassed by your past?"

"No! I just want it to…" He took a deep breath, collecting himself as he lowered his voice, almost growling at her, "I just want it to remain private. Is that too much to ask?"

"That depends on who's asking," she replied as she sat down, crossing her legs as she motioned for him to sit with her. She stared at him expectantly as he declined.

"Fine," he muttered as he sat down next to her, "I'll bite."

"Here's my concern; you can't seem to decide whether or not you want to pursue Medli or not –"

"And what –"

"You made it my concern when you supported her joining us. We all have a role to play, and mine happens to be looking after everyone's emotional well-being," she replied austerely. While Mipha was the most empathic by far, the Zora Princess was kind to a fault and not truly suited to the job. She hadn't yet obtained the wisdom and dispassion required to tend the wounds that others couldn't see.

"Will you just get to the point already."

"If you don't intend to court her, then don't lead her on."

"And if I do?" he asked quietly, not quite meeting her eyes.

"Then you're going to have to learn to be honest with her, and not just about this," she replied as she pulled a book out that she had hidden before the conversation had started. She threw her head back, roaring with laughter as Revali's eyes widened a split second before he ripped the book out of her hands and tossed it well out of arm's reach. "You make it too easy!"

"I hate you!" he seethed after she informed him that the pages were blank.

"Someday, you need to learn to be honest with her."

"I have been honest with her," he protested.

"Once? Twice?" She sighed as he began fidgeting uncomfortably. "You'll have to be honest with her all the time. Not just when you feel like it."

"Why do you care so much?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"You want the real answer?"

"No, I want the answer you're about to pull out of thin air," Revali replied sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm trying to live the love life I could never live through you and Medli."

"Did you get out of your system?"

"At heart, I'm just a hopeless romantic," she mumbled, feigning hopelessness as she threw her hands up.

"Here we go…"

"I don't see your best self when you're around her, but I see what it might look like. I would hate for you to lose that."

"… My best self?"

"Believe it or not, I have expectations for what kind of Rito you will be," she replied. The Gerudo Champion believed that he was capable of far more good than she had seen from him thus far and she also believed that Medli could help bring that to the forefront; however, she couldn't make the choice for him. All she could do was try and guide him as best she could.

"Oh, you have expectations of me? Who would have guessed?"

"I know. Having expectations of your traveling companions is such a novel concept. Daruk is still trying to figure his way out of it."

They sat in silence for a long time before Revali finally spoke again. "I know you're just trying to help, but can you please just leave this to me?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

The Rito Champion stood back up and left her sitting there, pondering their exchange long after he was gone. His honesty, while still lacking in straightforwardness, still surprised her. There was a time not so long ago when he would have adamantly denied having any sort of interest in anyone, let alone dance around the topic of growing close to anyone.

She leaned her head back and sighed as her thoughts drifted to the road ahead. One last Beast lay between the Champions and Ganon. One last Beast before she could free her little bird.

Much of the relationship between Zelda and herself was still a mystery to her, but she knew enough. Watching the young girl shoulder the weight of Hyrule had put a thorn in her side that she was eager to remove.

The Princess of Hyrule still had a long road ahead of her, one wrought with the pains of rebuilding a broken land. Years would have to be spent reconstructing towns, roads, bridges, reforming political ties, and restoring faith in the throne. It would take years, likely more than one lifetime, to make Hyrule great once more.

Her thoughts drifted to what would happen when it was all over. According to Medli, she had been the Chieftain before the Calamity, and a beloved one at that. Much like Daruk though, she had no intention of trying to retake the title. To do so would throw the entirety of Gerudo society into upheaval, no matter how much she had been loved and that would be one more thing that Zelda would not need to deal with. She supposed she could be an emissary, or perhaps a member of their guard. She could retire as well, though the idea was less than appealing. She just couldn't imagine herself lazing the rest of her days away quite yet.

In reality, it didn't quite matter yet. There was still plenty of time to decide on her course of action once all was said and done. She just didn't want to waste time trying to decide after Ganon was sealed away once again. That was when the real work would begin, after all.

She sighed as she stood back up. As far as they had come, there was still so much to be done.

"Dice these," Link said as he handed Medli a bowl of mushrooms.

She took them with a large amount of apprehension as the Hylian turned back to his pot. So far, her forays into the culinary arts had gone poorly, and each time she messed up, it put a clear strain on her teacher. She worried that if she made any more mistakes, he would snap and refuse to teach her anymore.

She took one of the mushrooms out of the bowl, and placed it delicately on a rock, worried that any wrong motion would destroy it beyond usability.

She gripped the knife in her hand, wishing that it felt more comfortable in her hand. As she began the task, her utensil slipped around, nearly cutting herself. She fumbled for a few more seconds before she noticed Link standing above her. She felt herself reflexively withdrawing under the Hylian imperceptible gaze.

"I see the problem." Saying nothing more, he took the knife from her and began looking around the camp, leaving her sitting, feeling as though she had done something terribly wrong. She sat there, her face falling further and further until Link stepped back in front of her. He held the knife in his hands, but something about it was off.

It wasn't until she took the object back into her hands that she realized how it had changed. The Hylian Champion had gathered twigs that were lying around the camp and had bound them around the handle, increasing its girth. It wasn't perfect, or what she imagined perfect like, but it was much more comfortable than it had been.

He sat beside her, watching as she sliced through the fungus. "Watch your thumb," he cautioned quietly as she worked her way down the stem. She tucked the loose appendage under her hand as he had taught her.

She continued slicing, even after he had left her side to tend to the pot. She watched him out of the corner of her eye but quickly stopped as she nearly cut her herself again. In the past few attempts, he had her trying to keep control of the entire dish, but now it was like she was only responsible for one element. She couldn't help but think she had done something wrong.

When she finished, she brought them to Link, fidgeting nervously as he inspected her work. "Good job," he said simply as he handed her a few greens. "How do you cut those?" he asked as he dumped the mushrooms into the pot with the rice that was already simmering.

"At an angle," she answered quickly. While having a teacher wasn't necessarily a new experience, having one that was attentive to her was. It occurred to her that attentive may not have been the best descriptor; however, he did pay attention when she asked for help and would periodically stop what he was doing to check on her. It was certainly far more stressful than she had imagined it would be. Even so, she couldn't help feeling a swell of pride as the Hylian nodded in approval. She left him by the pot to go complete her second task.

She handed him the bowl and sat across from him when she finished. "Master Link… did I do something wrong?"

"No," he replied as he took the greens and dumped them in. "You were getting overwhelmed earlier, so I thought I would give you one thing to focus on this time."

"So next time…"

"You'll cut again, and we'll add something more." Link continued stirring, only stopping to take a spoon and test the rice. He frowned and quickly added some salt. "Why do you want to learn how to cook now?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you want to learn right now? Why not back in the Village?" he clarified.

"Oh… um… let me see…" She hummed and hawed for some time before deciding how to put it. "You know how Hylian artisans spend their lives trying to develop one skill?"

He nodded in response

"Well, we Rito also believe in developing talents, but not just one. Because of our comparatively long lives, we try to develop as many talents as we can. For instance, not only is my brother a master bard but did you know that he is also skilled in blacksmithing and woodworking?"

Link tilted his head in interest. "Is that why Revali is learning to use a sword."

"Probably," she agreed. While the Rito Champion had a mastery of the bow that was unmatched as far as she knew, that would only get him so far. It was socially expected that he would not only maintain that formidable skill but develop as many others as he could.

"So, why now?"

"Ah… yes," she mumbled abashedly, wishing that he hadn't asked. She imagined that he had already guessed the answer, but it was nice to believe that he was in the dark. "I… struggle when it comes to learning things that aren't in books. I've tried to learn different things, but my teachers always send me away because I am 'unteachable'. Sometimes I think the only things I'll ever be good at is playing the harp and memorizing words on a page," she finished, unable to hide how disheartened she felt.

There was another reason she wanted to learn how to cook, but it was much more personal. She had always hoped to raise a little one or two of her own. Certainly not five like Kass, but one or two sounded nice. Unfortunately, her own inability to properly take care of herself was problematic, especially since it hindered her ability to find a mate.

Since her date with Master Revali, she had become more concerned with learning how to keep up a home at the bare minimum. While she wasn't holding out hope that the Rito Champion would actually court her, she figured it couldn't hurt her any to learn, and it may even increase her chances of winning him over.

To her surprise, Link handed her the ladle.

"What?" she asked as she took it from him.

"You won't learn if you don't practice," he replied simply.

She beamed as she stuck the ladle in and began stirring in earnest, which quickly turned to panic as the Hylian Champion began to lose his composure. Apparently, she still had a long way to go.

"Ya okay?" Daruk asked as Urbosa slipped quietly back into the camp.

"I am," she replied as she sat next to him. She glanced over at Link and Medli, chuckling as she watched Link slowly losing his sanity. "Has that been going on a while?"

"Yep." He found it just as humorous to watch as the Gerudo Champion did. It wasn't often that they got to see the Little Guy get that worked up. "So, how was your conversation with Revali?" he asked as Medli nearly upended the pot entirely.

"Better than I thought," she chortled as Link dashed forward and grabbed both sides of the pot to keep it from overturning.

He had likely burned his hands in the process, but that was the strength of his devotion to food.

"Good." It was nice to not have to worry about keeping the peace between the two of them.

"And, how are you?" Urbosa asked.

"Fine. Just been thinkin.'"

"About what?"

"The future," he replied simply. While it was technically true, the answer was a bit more open-ended than he meant it to be. There was one particular aspect of the future he was mulling over.

"Who are you, and what did you do with my big, loveable Goron?"

He cracked a grin as he watched Link finally regain control.

"I suppose it's only natural," she continued, "we are coming to the end of the road after all."

"Yeah," he agreed as he continued watching Link. Sometimes, he was amazed when he considered that the young Hylian before him had once been a child no taller than his knee.

Seeing at least some of the growth that Link had undergone was almost cathartic in a way. He couldn't remember watching his own son grow, and he would never be able to witness the kind of Goron he had become, but he could watch Link grow up. In that way, he was not only honoring his friend but watching a kid of his own grow into a strong brother.

"So, what exactly are you thinking about?"

"I made a promise to an old friend."

"Do you have the past and future confused?"

Daruk rolled his eyes as she grinned at him. "I made a promise to Link's father. I told him I'd look after the Little Guy. Here we are, comin' to the end of the road, and I can't help but think I haven't done a good job of that."

"You've done as good as anyone can be expected to do," Urbosa replied thoughtfully. "No matter how hard we try, there are just some things we can't protect them from."

"I know," he sighed, "but I still feel guilty."

"I understand." He looked at the woman sitting next to him, seeing for once the burdens that she often kept hidden from him. As much as he wished it wasn't true, sometimes it was nice to be reminded that she had concerns just like the rest of them.

"I guess, if it comes to it, I'll do whatever it takes," he stated firmly as he made a fist and pounded it on his chest.

"… You know," Urbosa started, her usually carefree tone resurfacing, "I was reading a story the other day, and one of the characters said that exact thing."

"Did he?" Daruk asked absently. Sometimes, stories were nice things, but he was a little too engrossed in his thoughts to pay them any mind right now.

"She," Urbosa corrected, "and yes she did. Can you guess what happened a few chapters later?"

"What?"

"She died."

"Oh…" That was certainly enough to bring him crashing back down to earth. While he had known that death was a possibility, something about hearing it out loud made all the more real. Even so, it didn't change what he had to do. He would do his best to protect Link, even if it meant that he had to die.

"Just promise me you won't follow suit," Urbosa finished with a pointed look.

"Ha! It's gonna take more than some pig monster to take me down!" he shouted, causing everyone in the camp, including the animals, to freeze and turn towards him. He felt slightly embarrassed as Urbosa broke out in a fit of laughter, slapping his shoulder before doubling over. He frowned at her as he considered giving her a pat on the back. At some point, she would have to learn that some things just weren't that funny.

"I think it's ready," Link said quietly after everyone recovered from Daruk's sudden outburst.

"Oh dear…" Medli sighed with a pained grimace on her face.

Daruk could understand the sentiment. Even from where he was sitting, Daruk could smell that something was not quite right about the dish that Link was currently serving. He wasn't well versed in such matters, but he knew what Link's food was supposed to smell like.

He watched, cringing with the Hylian Champion and the others as they each took a bite. He had to admit that Urbosa had a point.

No matter how hard he tried, there were simply some things he wouldn't be able to protect the Little Guy from.

A/N: How I managed to finish this and a one shot in the same day is a mystery to me. By the way, why is it that the only person who caught the reference to the original LoZ in the last chapter was on Wattpad. For shame!

Guest Reviews:

Nightbreed1: That may not have been the Lipha moment you wanted, but it was the one you needed (Apparently, I need severe mental help. I am now making references in author's notes). To answer your questions, 1: yes, but better than Subspace. 2: Who? 3: How dare you ask me that (real talk, just wait until the LoZ reference I have planned in my FE fic. It may be enough to get me killed)?

Darth Vader: Hey dad.

A Sand Seal: First off, how dare you come at me with puns my dear seal. They are my greatest weakness. On a more serious note, ZeLink is one of my least favorite pairings in the LoZ universe, so in short, the only thing that could be considered ZeLink is Zelda reflecting on the feelings she had for Link, but she won't do anything about them. So that's a no.

Guest: How could you forget about the best horse? Also, did Urbosa actually read Revali's diary?