Title: Twisting Fate
Fandom: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Zelda Game)
Characters: Link, Kaneli, Rivali, Zelda, Hylia, Urbosa, Sooga, Kohga

Chapter: 8
Word Count:1791

Warnings: cross dressing, Yiga being Yiga, Zelda being the knowledge whore that she is

Beta: shadowfaerie

AN: I hope that you had a good holiday. It was good for me (outside of landing with a damn cold so thus missing my posting date).

This year has been…something. Here's hoping that 2025 is less something. Love you all!

Enjoy!

Staring up at the large Rito that stood before them with his guard, Link blinked. He then buried his face back into the feather and fur lined coat that he was wearing, muttering to himself about being a Hylian popsicle. Zelda giggled into one hand as the Rito chuckled, patting his head with one wing.

"Yes, we know that it can be quite chilly so far up in the mountains," Kaneli chuckled, smoothing a hand over his braided beard feathers.

Rivali eyed the group that was standing before them, taking in a much changed Master Kohga who stood next to Zelda, Sooga standing on his other side. Both Yiga clan members didn't look to be affected by the cold.

"Thank you for being willing to hold this meeting outside of the village. I am sure that we are a touch on the worried side with what is going on outside of our borders."

"But of course, Master Kaneli," Zelda said, nodding her head. "We do understand why you are worried, but I'm still glad that we are in a place that can't be seen by others for this," she said.

Revali snorted, crossing his wings as he glared at Link, the Hylian warrior just blinking back at him. "I do not see why we must meet here at all," he drawled.

"Because, Child of the Sky, it is a blessed area, and controlled by ancient technology that my people made so that there would be no spies able to see nor hear," came Hylia's voice from the tablet that still hung on Zelda's waist. Pulling it from its hook, she checked to make sure the screen was unlocked before pointing it at the two Rito. "Astor has a bit of Demise that came from the future, and the knowledge through it to spy on whoever he wishes now that he has figured out just how to do so."

"Goddess Hylia," Revali breathed as they stared at the tablet.

"Heed my words, Child of the Sky, you are indeed very strong and powerful. But you are also Prideful. This cycle of rebirth and fighting is a special one. There will not just be one set of Champions to fight by the Chosen's side. But still, they must all trust in each other and fight together," Hylia stated. Her eyes stared at them with a mixture of sadness and pride, knowing just what they had gone through. "I need all of my Champions to be able to stand side by side and trust each other. Opinions based on first impressions are hardly ever true, so be sure to keep an open mind. We have already gathered two of the four Champions that we must have. You have your Warrior and you have your Princess. There still must be a balance within yourselves though."

Link shifted as he removed his hands from his pockets. 'We all need to be able to trust in one another. I don't know you as a warrior, just a fellow being on this world, but I do hope to get to know you in both positions. I do not like gossip, and I have not heard anything but gossip about you and your abilities. I have no doubt though that you are a strong warrior,'he said. 'In return, can you put aside your initial opinions, along with your pride like the rest of us have, and work with us to defeat Malice?'he asked.

Revali blew out a breath before he eyed the small Hylian that was standing next to Princess Zelda. While the clothes that he was wearing were obviously built for warmth, they were also built so that he could fight if he needed to. That had been proven by the attack of the Guardians and creatures that they had to work their way through to get to the meeting place. He moved with a certain grace, and his archery skills were well enough that Link could give him a run for his money.

The Rito huffed but nodded, Kaneli giving him a proud look. "Very well. I shall work on placing my pride and opinions to the side, getting to know you as who you truly are," he stated. Link smiled slightly at him before he buried his hands and nose into the coat once more. "What are we going to do now?" he asked.

"My Champions are to learn how to pilot the Divine Beasts. Revali, I wish for you to pilot the Divine Beast Vah Medoh. When the time comes, you and your Divine Beast shall fire upon Calamity Ganon and help to take him down. Link knows just what he must do to save Ganondorf from Malice, and will do his part during that fight," Hylia stated. "You will be a big part of this war. Without the Divine Beasts, there is every possibility that we will all fail and I will not have that come to be this time."

'There is a lot more to all of this, but I'd really rather not go into it,'Link said, wrinkling his nose as he shook his head. 'At least not right now. All of those creatures that we saw, it's almost like Calamity Ganon is really starting to gear up for a big attack.'

"You said that the plan is to save Ganondorf," Kaneli said, bending down slightly to stare at the tablet. "What is it that you mean by that? Surely there is no way to save him."

Hylia hummed as Zelda shifted. "There is supposedly a part of Calamity Ganon that is a part of his soul," Zelda finally said after looking to the two silent Yiga. "In his first life, when he had been desperate to save his people, he wasn't so desperate as to make a deal without a failsafe from what the Yiga clan has found in their records. He had his soul, well not so much copied as separated from what he had become. We are going to try to save that part and hopefully by doing so, destroy Demise. Seeing as Demise is attached mostly to the Triforce of Power."

"I see," Kaneli breathed. He stood straight as he stroked his feathered beard. "We have our own archive. It is old and hardly visited. I do believe that you would be most interested in the contents though," he stated. "I will send some of my personal archivists to go through the records and journals. I wish to see if they can find any records on a few things," he promised. Zelda smiled up at him and bowed slightly.

"Thank you, that would be a lot of help. Please, do not send it to the castle. At the moment, the castle is an attractive target so we are sending important files and documents to the Akkala Citadel. Not many know but there are several rooms that have been hidden underground that are protected and make a good place to hide our research there," Zelda stated. Revali shifted on his feet and looked to the sky.

"I will personally escort them with a few of our warriors. There should be no reason for the archivists and scholars to be in danger," he stated after a moment of thinking. "I will go gather some who would be best for the escort if you will," he said.

Kaneli nodded in approval. "Do so. Use the older archivists, though. Those who have been there before and know their way around. Stay safe during this. It is a much colder winter than normal currently and even though we are used to it, I do worry," he stated.

"Of course," Revali stated. He bowed to them before he left with a gust of wind, soaring back to the village. Link watched him as the Goddess chuckled softly.

"Yes, he makes for a wonderful Champion. You should be proud of your warrior. He is still young and learning, even to this day true, but he will one day be someone to look up to for all the young Rito's who wish to follow in his footsteps as a strong warrior," she said softly. "I will allow the young Princess to explain what is happening with my Chosen Warrior, and just why I am intervening at this time. And why the Yiga clan's involvement must stay hidden."

"Of course, Goddess Hylia," Kanelia replied. He bowed before the screen went black once more, leaving him to blow out a slow breath as he relaxed. "Tell me, Princess, about what is going on," he requested. Zelda smiled softly as they moved to a rather large fire that had been started, Kohga following her while Sooga and Link walked over to another, smaller fire that Urbosa had been standing at. She was still trying to stay warm and cursing the cold.

"You should have worn something warmer then," Sooga stated, shaking his head when she sent him a glare. The man wasn't the least bit moved by the look. He simply tilted his head to her and reached down to adjust Link's hood that had slid part way off of his head. Urbosa just shook her own head as she smiled softly at Link.

In the last two weeks since he, Zelda and Impa had stormed her palace to get at Kohga, she had found herself growing rather fond of the young man. True, he didn't speak in the traditional sense, Urbosa having learned that it had to do something with some childhood damage to his throat, but he still talked in other ways. It was the way his lips twitched when he was amused and trying to hide it. The way his ears wiggled or reddened depending on his emotion. The way his eyes sparkled when learning something new. The way that he moved.

He spoke in volumes, but she had learned to look for it. And at the moment, she could read that he was feeling very unsure about something. It was most likely something about the information that was being given to the Rito head that would definitely get back to Revali that he was feeling unsure about.

"Do not worry so much, little one. The giant bird that is our Third Champion will understand that we do not choose what we See and what we Don't. And that you did not have much choice in any of this," she said softly. Blue eyes gazed up at her before Link nodded with a small, almost hidden smile.

She hummed and added some more wood to the fire as Sooga went to gather more as Zelda, Kohga and Kenali talked at the other fire. Urbosa and Link sighed in pleasure at the wash of warmth.