#their fathers and the kingdom of hyrule at large in favor of staying in gerudo town

[tigergender]

I'm so peeved that literally every aspect of the Gerudo in BOTW/TOTK serves to make me mad bc I love the Gerudo desert and I think that some of the most interesting NPCs to speak to are Gerudo.........alas

[fatefulfaerie]

Pressure

A happy August birthday to @nayruprinze . I hope you like it!

“Drink.”

Urbosa’s voice was soft and commanding all at once, somehow both caring and cutthroat as she offered the glass of water to Zelda, cubes of ice clinking as she did.

“Ice is a hard commodity to come by around here,” Urbosa said, not relenting to Zelda’s obvious lack of attention. “It would be a shame to waste it.”

But Zelda continued to hug her knees on the bed she sat, her chin resting on her left knee and her gaze forward, dull, but forward.

Urbosa sighed as she placed the glass back down onto the small table next to the bed, almost exactly where the small ring of water had gathered previously. The drink was sweating like a Rito in Death Mountain, and Urbosa saw that Zelda was sweating as well, beads of sweat mussing her hair. 

Yet Urbosa wasn’t surprised.

The foolish girl had fled from the castle alone, had braved the desert without a thought for protection from the heat, protection form the Yiga. Urbosa would have erupted like a volcano telling her how stupid she was, how lucky she was to have not been attacked if not for the way Zelda sat now, almost mournful.

And dehydrated.

“Zelda, I…” Urbosa began. 

“I needed to get out of the castle,” Zelda said abruptly before Urbosa could finish her thought. “I needed get away from him.”

“From your father, or…from Link?”

Zelda didn’t answer at first, still staring ahead.

“Both,” Zelda finally said. “They can’t see me if I stay here. It’s against Gerudo law.”

Urbosa nodded in understanding.

“That is true,” she said. “They cannot see you if you stay in town. When either inevitably comes to find you, they will not be able to get through even the first archway, but…it is evident you still feel very seen by them. There is no place in Hyrule you can go where the pressure isn’t on you to succeed in unlocking your sealing power.”

Zelda knitted her brow. The truth was frustrating.

“Why can’t there be?” Zelda said, finally turning her head to Urbosa, the princess’ green eyes sharp and painful to Urbosa, like the bite of a snake.

Urbosa’s smile was apologetic and her green eyes in contrast were warm, like apple pie on a rainy day.

“You expected to come here for a break from the pressure of the castle,” Urbosa said. “But it feels exactly the same, doesn’t it?”

Zelda’s eyes stung as she nodded, but she refused to cry in front of a woman so fierce in battle, so strong and resolute, so impenetrable.

So she didn’t, and it took every ounce of her willpower.

“Who do you feel the most pressure from?” Urbosa asked Zelda.

Zelda thought for a second. No answer seemed absolutely correct, not her father, not the knight, not even the kingdom at large, but she went with her instincts nonetheless.

“The knight,” Zelda replied. “With the sword that seals the darkness.”

“The one that doesn’t talk?” Urbosa suggested. Zelda nodded, although she had no idea why Urbosa would need to clarify that. If there was another person who pulled the sword, Zelda wouldn’t have to deal with the stupid, short knight that follows her around like she needs protection, like she deserves protection.

“How does he pressure you?” Urbosa asked.

Zelda scoffed. Wasn’t it obvious?

“By existing!” Zelda exclaimed. “By parading that sword around!”

“Has he ever pressured you otherwise, verbally or physically?”

“He doesn’t need to,” Zelda said. “He knows exactly what he is doing.”

Urbosa nodded, standing up with the intention of leaving Zelda to herself for the night.

Yet first, the Gerudo chief tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind Zelda’s pointed ear.

“I’m going to leave you to your rest,” Urbosa said. “But I want you to do me a favor.”

Zelda looked up with big green eyes. It was hard for Urbosa to not remember Zelda as a baby, innocent green eyes pleading for guidance and for love.

“I want you to consider the possibility that the reason why the pressure doesn’t fade while you are away from the castle is because the person who pressures you the most is actually you.”

Zelda froze at Urbosa’s strong yet softly-spoken words, yet Urbosa kissed the forehead of the girl she saw as a daughter nonetheless. 

“Goodnight, little bird.”

[ravioxhilda]

Hello everyone! I have written a version of the Champions’ Ballad but with a Miphvali twist. I hope you enjoy this version of the Champions’ Ballad!

Today was a day of celebration, a day of hope for all of Hyrule as those who had been chosen to defend the kingdom against Calamity Ganon would be gathering to be honored by the King himself.

He had summoned the four Chosen Ones to officially appoint them not only as the Champions of Hyrule but also publicly recognize them as the pilots of the four Divine Beasts.

It was a show of triumph and that even against their greatest enemy, they would prevail and win the war.

At least, that’s what was written in the summons that the Royal Messengers had delivered to Revali, Mipha, Urbosa, and Daruk all across the land.

Mipha, Urbosa, and Daruk had accepted the summons graciously and immediately began making preparations to travel to Central Hyrule for the inauguration ceremony.

Revali, however, had rolled his eyes and dismissed the Messenger with a halfhearted promise he would attend.

Which was true, he would attend, though he wasn’t exactly thrilled to be presented and paraded like a trophy in front of so many, especially to a King who he barely felt loyalty to, and when he could be training instead.

Nevertheless, Revali had soon finished packing what sparse materials he would need for traveling to survive this short trip, triple-checked there were enough arrows in his quiver, and flew off from his peaceful home in the mountains towards Central Hyrule, with a small group of Rito Warriors in tow to represent the village alongside him.

It had taken only about half the day for Revali to reach Hyrule Castle with only a few breaks from flying to eat to regain energy while resting his wings.

The area around it was mainly flat open plains with some forests, as well as scattered Hylian settlements and stables.

However, the roads that snaked throughout the entirety of the region were packed with travelers, either on foot or by cart, though Revali felt he would be ill just by the sheer amount of people there were.

He could also see those from other races arriving as well as he approached Hyrule Castle.

Gorons were rolling in from the direction of Death Mountain and Eldin, with Daruk in the lead standing out with his rather large beard and boisterous laughter.

The Gerudo arrived on horseback from what Revali could assume was the direction of the desert, Urbosa riding in front, the spokes of her golden headdress sparkling in the sun, signifying her position as Chief of the Gerudo.

Finally, there were the Zora, arriving from the waters of the rivers surrounding Central Hyrule, and even though Revali had sharp eyesight, he could still barely make out Mipha standing tall, her elaborate jewelry shining in the sunlight as she led her people to Hyrule Castle.

It had seemed that the other three had been chosen and invited to the Castle as well, though it did not surprise Revali in the least. He had suspected for some time now that the King would do something to honor them as Pilots of the Divine Beasts, but this whole gathering was certainly over the top from what he could tell.

Mipha looked above from where she was walking to see Revali and a small group of Rito following behind them, though she could recognize him anywhere with his navy blue plumage. It stood out quite nicely from the more muted browns of his countrymen against the clear pale blue sky.

She thought back to her home, Zora’s Domain, where her father and younger brother had decided to stay behind to keep watch over the Domain, instead sending along a small entourage of Zora to accompany her to Hyrule Castle.

How she missed Sidon’s chubby red cheeks and the way he wandered about, his head-tail that was much too long for his small body trailing behind him.

She giggled at the thought of her little brother trying to figure out where she had gone, as she had come to find out that whenever she was away he ran around the Domain asking anyone who would listen where his big sister had gone.

Of course, any Zora would listen to their baby Prince, even if he hadn’t been royalty, and would stall him long enough so that a Guard could come to retrieve him and take him back to King Dorephan.

While it pained Mipha to be away from home for so long so often, it was necessary to ensure the safety of her people by working together with the Pilots to drive back Calamity Ganon’s forces, though her true duty had yet to be fulfilled.

“Good afternoon, Princess.”

Mipha looked up to see that Revali and the Rito accompanying him had landed next to the Zora marching in place and joined in with them.

Revali fell into step beside her, his armor reflecting the sunlight much like Mipha’s jewelry was, though her jewelry sent little beams of light across the grass.

“Oh, Revali, how lovely to see you again! I trust that your journey went well?” Mipha asked, and Revali shrugged nonchalantly as though journeying halfway across the kingdom was a breeze for him.

She supposed it most likely was a breeze for him, as he could fly through the sky instead of traveling by foot like the Gerudo or the Gorons had done.

“Oh, it was quite uneventful, nothing much occurred besides perhaps being shot at by a few Bokoblins, but nothing major.” He said airily, though the way his tone sounded so confident meant that Mipha couldn’t help but believe him.

“That is wonderful! We luckily did not have many problems either, though the amount of monsters we have had attack the Domain is becoming quite worrisome. I do hope my people will be alright whilst I’m here.”

The atmosphere suddenly felt quite gloomy, though Revali could understand her worry. He had believed Rito Village was under attack once again when they had first met, after all.

“Have some faith in your warriors, Princess. I am sure they will protect your home well. That is why they were chosen, correct?” He asked, and Mipha nodded, though it did little to ease her worry.

“I will try. I can only hope the Princess will allow us to return home for a few days before we are sent out on our next mission.” She said wistfully, and Revali could sense that she missed being home very much, which he could relate to. He was never home much to begin with, but leaving his Flight Range hurt every time he did so.

The two continued to walk in silence after that, the only sounds were the murmurs of conversation between the Zora and the Rito amongst themselves, and the march of their feet against the ground.

They soon arrived at the metal gates of Hyrule Castle, the sunlight reflecting off the glass and iron that made up the two large doors.

Two guards stood at attention, though by the looks of it they were low-ranking as they wore the standard Royal Knight armor.

Mipha couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. The armor was made from heavy yet defensive metals and the helmets they wore were much too large to the point where they could not see very well or move around as nimbly as they should have been able to.

Revali felt much the same way, though based on what the Princess had told them, these guards were meant more for charging through enemy ranks with brute force than actual strategic combat, so their armor was much appropriate than what the King’s Personal Guards wore.

“Halt! State your names and titles!” The taller of the two guards ordered, causing Mipha and Revali to glance at each other before Mipha politely cleared her throat.

“I am Lady Mipha of the Zora, a member of the Zora Royal Family and Pilot of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta.” She said confidently, giving Revali the feeling that she had gone through this process many times before, though he straightened his back and puffed out his chest proudly.

“I am Master Revali of the Rito, Chief Commander of the Rito Guard and Pilot of the Divine Beast Vah Medoh.” He declared, causing Mipha to giggle daintily as she pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle it, though the guards just seemed confused, but shrugged it off as they saluted to the both of them.

“Welcome to Hyrule Castle, Lady Mipha and Master Revali! Her Majesty is awaiting your arrival in the Sanctum! Open the gates!” The taller guard shouted, and the large metal doors began to slowly open in front of the two, revealing the long, winding stone path in front of them that led to the Castle.

Both the Zora and the Rito glanced at one another as Mipha and Revali began their trek up the stone pathway, and all of them were quite relieved that the large structure of Hyrule Castle blocked the majority of the sunlight that fell upon Central Hyrule.

After a long while, the group finally made out to the Sanctum, all tired out from the long walk, though Revali was also slightly irritated.

At the entrance, Zelda could be seen standing with Link, Urbosa, and Daruk, all having arrived sometime before, though Mipha and Revali noticed the different clothing on all of them.

They had, of course, seen Zelda in her Royal Gown before, as she wore it most days when in the castle. However, the other three had entirely different outfits.

In place of Urbosa’s traditional Chief skirt, she wore a blue skirt with the Vah Naboris emblem, with two decorated belts crossed over one another at the waist, the cloth fastened by a golden clasp with the Gerudo emblem. She had taken off her headdress as well.

One of Daruk’s chains that had crossed over his body was replaced with a blue scarf with Vah Rudania emblazoned on the cloth with white trim at the borders.

Link’s outfit had changed the most drastically, completely abandoning his Hylian Knight armor in favor of beige pants, brown boots, and a blue tunic that matched with Urbosa’s and Daruk’s scarves, and Zelda held two more blue pieces of cloth in her hands.

“Oh, Revali, Mipha, I am so glad you have made it! I apologize for the long walk up here, Urbosa and Daruk were complaining about the same thing when they arrived just a few minutes before. Will you be alright?” She asked, and though Revali wanted to snap at her, her concerned look and the shadows beneath her eyes calmed him down. It wasn’t her fault her home was so large.

“It was no fault of yours, Princess. I would have flown here but I do not trust your guards enough to not blow us out of the sky. Now, what is with all of this blue clothing?” He asked, Zelda breaking into a grim as she held out a scarf to both Mipha and Revali.

“I discovered in ancient texts about the Pilots of the Divine Beasts from 10,000 years that they wore something that signified their bond with their Divine Beast and with one another. As we all serve together for the good of our kingdom, I created these four scarves and Link’s tunic for you all to wear. Perhaps you can wear it for the ceremony?”

The two took their scarves, though Mipha smiled happily when she noticed the Vah Ruta emblem displayed on the cloth, the fabric feeling quite fine in her hands.

“It is lovely, Princess. Thank you. I suppose it is a good thing I decided to wear my special occasion jewelry instead of my royal jewelry. It will go quite nicely with the blue.” She said, fingering the tassels hanging around her neck and sash around her body.

Revali turned the scarf over to see Vah Medoh pictured, a small smile on his face when seeing his trusted mechanical companion. It was as if he could hear its call from Tabantha.

“I agree. You clearly put much effort into this, and I shall wear it proudly. Thank you.”

Everyone looked at him with a surprised look, though he didn’t notice as he examined the scarf more closely.

“Princess, would it be possible for us to change somewhere? I would feel a bit uncomfortable taking off my jewelry and sash in front of all of you.” Mipha asked suddenly, though everyone had to resist the urge to tell her she was basically naked all of the time anyway, though to a Zora it was more practical to be adorned with jewelry than actual clothing.

“Oh, um, you can change behind the pillar over there. No one should be able to see you.” Zelda said as she gestured to the aforementioned pillar. Mipha nodded her thanks and darted behind the stone, careful that she was out of sight.

“Well, I never would have expected to see the both of you showing up together. Did something happen?”

Revali glanced over to see Urbosa smirking at him, her arms crossed under her chest as she looked at him knowingly, giving off an aura of...smugness? That was all he could tell.

“We happened to arrive at the same time to the path before the gate. How did you and Daruk get past us? You were both arriving at the same time we were.” He asked, and Urbosa shrugged.

“Guess you’ll never find out. However, I think you should put on your scarf before the rest of the kingdom arrives, don’t you think?”

Revali grumbled as he wrapped the scarf around his neck, though something he realized was that it was a bit shorter than his beige one, and the Medoh Emblem was positioned in such a way that a more intricate way of wearing the scarf was needed.

Tying a knot would not be difficult under normal circumstances, but as he was tying the knot with a cloth around his neck without a mirror, he couldn’t quite see what he was doing.

“Princess, could you explain why you decided not to give us these garments until we arrived?” He demanded, glaring pointedly at Zelda who could only smile sympathetically in response.

“I apologize, I did not realize that tying your scarf around your neck may have given you a bit of trouble. Perhaps you could allow someone to tie it for you, just this once?” She suggested, but before Revali could respond he heard the soft pad of someone’s feet behind him and turned to see Mipha walking out from behind the pillar she had changed behind.

Suddenly, it felt as if it had become quite difficult for Revali to breathe when he saw Mipha wearing her scarf for the first time.

Her blue scarf had been tied around the front of her torso, held up by a sapphire brooch, the other half of the blue fabric draping over her shoulder against her back. The silver collar around her neck had three small teardrop gems hanging from it, with a second longer one sitting below it, crossing just over her chest.

Her silver belt was still adorned with the same jewels, though her head jewelry had changed so the small gem that once lay on her forehead was gone.

Revali had learned from spending time around Zelda, Mipha, and Urbosa that women who were held in high esteem, such as royalty or as a chief chosen to use a headpiece with a gem inlaid where the wearer’s forehead would be, though why he did not know.

“Uh, Revali? You okay?”

He snapped back to reality to see everyone staring at him worriedly. Well, everyone except Urbosa, who just smiled at him with that oh so infuriating smug expression.

“I’m fine, stop staring at me.” He snapped, everyone turning away except for Mipha, as she reached out to gently take ahold of the scarf around his neck.

“Here, allow me.”

She then began to tie the scarf into a simple knot, though on the outside it looked quite intricate, simple but beautiful.

Her webbed fingers brushed against the metal of his breastplate as she worked, everyone staring at her in wonder while Revali was doing his best not to explode from the close contact. Close contact from her of all people.

“There, that should do it. What do you think?” Mipha asked, stepping back to admire her handiwork, taking all of Revali’s willpower to not pull her back towards him.

“What is wrong with me? I am having such strange thoughts about her, and for what?” He thought to himself, though realizing Mipha was still waiting for a response, he decided to place that train of thought on hold for now.

“It looks wonderful. Thank you, Princess.” He said with a small smile, causing Mipha to beam with pride, the most adorable thing Revali had ever seen.

“It was no problem, Revali. I am glad I was able to assist with your predicament.”

Mipha then went to speak with Zelda about something, presumably where to place her sash that she was holding in her hands to not distract from the ceremony.

“You okay, Revali?”

Revali felt a rather large hand land on his shoulder, as well the low, gravelly voice of its owner, meaning that it was Daruk.

Sure enough, when he turned around to see who it was, it was indeed his Goron teammate, a rather concerned look on his face as Revali grumbled.

“I’m fine. Honestly, why must you all assume I’m not alright for when I don’t speak for an extended moment?”

“Because you are always talking about something. When you’re silent, that’s usually a red flag.”

The two looked up to see that Urbosa had joined them, standing beside Daruk as she left Mipha, Link, and Zelda to speak to one another instead.

“Ugh, what do you want? And I don’t talk all the time.” He grumbled, Urbosa laughing heartily as she placed a hand on her hip, her expression turning serious.

“I’m here because it is quite obvious there is something going on between you and Mipha, and as I am trying to keep the peace of the group so we don’t stress out the princess, you’re going to need to tell me what exactly it is.” She said calmly, making Revali feel as if a parental figure was talking down to him, which he did not appreciate.

“You do not need to speak to me like I am a child, I am fine. Nothing is going on between Mipha and me, I barely know her!” Revali yelled, glaring at Urbosa, though she merely shrugged as she received a questioning look from Zelda, as well as a gesture towards the Sanctum.

“Perhaps we can continue this conversation at a later time. The ceremony is due to start soon, let us head into the Sanctum.”

Urbosa and Daruk walked to join the others, leaving Revali alone as he reluctantly followed them into the rather extravagant chamber.

The Sanctum of Hyrule Castle was where the King and Queen of Hyrule, or rather the King and Princess as the Queen had been gone for over a decade, would make their public appearances with the rest of the kingdom.

The room was circular, with two staircases alongside the back wall that to the King and Queen’s Thrones, where King Rhoam could be seen standing. Lush red carpeting lined the floor, and where there wasn’t carpet was carved stone that matched those that made up the walls, with banners hanging that displayed the Royal Family insignia, the Triforce.

Windows scattered around the chamber allowed in sunlight, though if there hadn’t been a few lanterns to illuminate the room, the Sanctum would have been much darker.

The Zora, Gerudo, Rito, Gorons, and Hylians that had all accompanied each Champion were gathered at the different angles of the room, each leader holding a banner displaying each of their respective emblems.

Revali took his place at the front of the Rito, glancing over to see Mipha hurriedly walking towards her fellow Zora, and he couldn’t help but think that the sunlight reflecting off her jewelry made her look extra beautiful.

“Get ahold of yourself, you’re not here to drool over a Zora whom you barely know.” He thought, though his attention snapped back to the front when King Rhoam cleared his throat, a bit too loud to be on accident. He began what sounded quite obviously to be a prepared speech, though Revali had come to expect that of Hylian royalty. Only Zelda seemed to put true heart into what she had to say.

“Welcome warriors! I’d like to thank you for joining me here today, and for your bravery in accepting this...fateful task. I officially appoint you Hyrule’s Champions, and bestow upon you this sacred garb. That blue is a symbol of the royal family, one that has been passed down for countless generations. Those garments you now wear were all crafted by my daughter, Zelda.”

King Rhoam paused for a moment, his once sweeping gaze landing squarely on his daughter standing in the middle of the Sanctum. Anyone who could see her could notice how nervous she was, the way her fists were slightly clenched as well her almost shaking form. However, she managed a nod in response, remembering the rule of any royal: Do not speak to the king during an address to the public.

“Zelda, I trust you with the task only a daughter of the Royal Family can fulfill. Lead our Champions, Princess. And together, protect our kingdom from the threat of Calamity Ganon!” The King proclaimed, spreading his arms wide as he finished his decree.

Almost everyone in the room cheered, Daruk included, while the rest of the Champions clapped politely and Zelda breathed a large sigh of relief.

She had done it. She had made it through the ceremony without a hitch, she could almost jump in excitement, though she knew a stern look would be directed at her if she had done so.

The Champions surrounded her as King Rhoam left the Sanctum, as well as all of the representatives for each Champion, until the only people who were left were the six of them.

“Well, I’d say that went well, don’t you think, Urbosa?” Daruk asked, and the Gerudo nodded as she patted Zelda on the back, a proud smile upon her face.

“Yes, you did splendid, Little Bird. I’m so proud of you.” Urbosa said to the Princess, and Zelda smiled, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at the five of them surrounding her.

“No, thank you! It is because of the five of you that Hyrule stands a chance against the greatest threat our kingdom has ever seen, I truly will never be able to thank you enough. Come, I have somewhere to show you.” She said, gesturing for everyone to follow, though Revali lingered for a moment.

“Princess, I may have to return home soon, training and preparations must be done to ensure we will succeed in our battle against Ganon, as you have mentioned before. Perhaps I should go-“

“No, you are not going anywhere.”

Revali looked to see Urbosa glaring at him with a stern expression before it turned to a smile shortly after, though he could sense the malice behind her gaze.

“You wouldn’t want to disrespect our princess after she has graciously invited us here to honor us, would you? There could be dire consequences if you were to do so.” She said sweetly, her hand crackling with the slightest bit of lightning, a thinly veiled threat.

Revali gulped. He had been on the receiving end of Urbosa’s lightning once before, and the experience had been so painful that Mipha immediately had to heal him, her face contorted with worry as she desperately held him close to soothe the white-hot pain coursing through his veins, though he had appreciated being held by her, if even just for a moment.

He groaned before following to join the group, Urbosa giving him a satisfied smile before walking side by side with Zelda, leaving him alone in the back.

Mipha glanced back worriedly at him, trying her best to be discreet, though it didn’t take Revali long to see Mipha’s amber eyes gazing directly at his, causing him to be caught off guard, enough to almost jump.

Why was she staring at him like that? It was so intense, he wondered if she was truly worried about him. He felt slightly guilty for seemingly making her worry, though why she would even be worried in the first place was beyond him.

Mipha noticed him staring at her, causing her to squeak and quickly turn back around, her cheeks warming a little at being caught.

“Why am I so embarrassed? I was simply checking on him from afar, that’s not against the law, is it? Perhaps it’s rude to stare at someone from afar in Rito culture. So much I do not know about him, but how I desire to learn more.” She thought, clasping her hands together in an effort to calm down.

“Alright, here we are.”

The Champions had arrived a little ways from the Sanctum at a gazebo of some sort, just below the tower that housed Zelda’s study.

“Welcome to the Gazebo! I discovered this place not too long ago, the view of Hyrule and the Castle is simply beautiful, it will give you all a chance to rest for a moment before you depart.” She said, and Revali could have flown off if he didn’t know Urbosa would strike him out of the sky.

“Hellooooo, everyone! We’re here!”

Revali groaned. This day was just getting better and better.

Purah and Robbie had arrived from the Royal Ancient Tech Lab a little ways from Hyrule Castle across the Breach of Demise, a now usually monster-infested area, though it appeared the two scientists had made it through unscathed.

“Purah? Robbie? What are you two doing here for?” Zelda asked, and Purah waved her off just as quickly as she pointed towards the Sanctum.

“The King summoned us here to see our progress on the Guardians, though it seems he failed to tell us that the inauguration was today! I mean, that’s why you’re all dressed so nicely, right?” Purah asked, moving her hand around towards the five of them, each time landing on the respective blue garment they were wearing.

Revali had a slight hunch that the King didn’t tell them the inauguration ceremony was earlier that day on purpose. Robbie and Purah were Hyrule’s most respected scientists, that was certain, but their antics tended to get a bit out of hand at times.

However, he did not say anything. He quite liked Robbie and Purah, they didn’t constantly antagonize him as Urbosa did, and his feelings towards them weren’t as...complicated as they were towards Mipha.

Complicated? Was that he was referring to them as? Oh, how he desperately wished he could see inside her head, to see what she truly thought of him. Though, now that he thought about it, it most likely wasn’t any good. He had been quite rude to her friends, his allies, and for what? To impress her? To impress himself?

He could have snorted if he hadn’t noticed Mipha was staring at him once again, but not with worry. It almost seemed like...curiosity?

“Revali?” She asked, Revali not even noticing that Mipha had stepped closer towards him until she was directly in front of him, close enough to touch, but far enough away to not encroach on his space.

“Ah, Mipha. What brings you over here?” He asked, and Mipha giggled as she pointed at Zelda, who now held the Sheikah Slate conveniently received from Purah before she and Robbie rushed off to meet with the King.

“The Princess has the Sheikah Slate in her possession, I’ve noticed that you’ve seemed rather fascinated by it, so I thought you may want to take a closer look.” She said, taking ahold of his wing and gently pulling him after her.

If it had been anyone else, Revali would have batted them away and slunk off to a corner. If it had been anyone else, he would have screamed at them to let him go.

But it was Mipha, and while he did not particularly like being pulled closer to the others, the feeling of her small hand gripping onto his wing felt almost comforting, so he allowed it to slide, just this once.

Zelda was marveling at the Sheikah Slate in awe, though she looked up when she heard the click of talons and the soft pad of someone’s feet to see Mipha and Revali standing in front of her.

“Oh Revali, Mipha, is there something I can help you with?” Zelda asked, and Mipha pointed towards the stone tablet in the princess’s hands.

“Actually, we were wondering if we could examine the Sheikah Slate a little more closely. We don’t have much technology from the ancient civilization except for our Divine Beasts, after all.” Mipha asked, Zelda nodding as she handed the Sheikah Slate to Revali.

The relic was quite small in Revali’s hands, allowing him to hold it between two of his fingers as he examined it.

“Hmph. This is the Sheikah Slate, eh? Doesn’t seem to do much to me.” He remarked, and Zelda sighed.

“It is, though apparently there are more uses for it than we originally thought. Sadly, we’ve yet to decipher all of its secrets.” She said with what sounded like disappointment as Revali handed the Sheikah Slate to Mipha, her barely just catching the artifact in her own hands.

Urbosa leaned down towards Mipha, placing a hand on her hips as an idea popped into her head.

“The princess showed me something strange recently. Somehow it can create true to life images!” She said with a smile, causing Mipha to stare down in wonder at the stone tablet in her hands.

“Oh wow, I would love to see it.”

Mipha turned to see Link and Daruk chatting quite animatedly about something, or rather, Daruk talking about something while Link silently listens.

Mipha had always appreciated that about him, or at least that’s what she could appreciate about him now. When he was younger, he would always talk to her so eagerly about whatever was on his mind without a second thought, whether it be someone he had just bested in a duel or a fascinating bug he had found.

How she missed his childlike wonder, now replaced with a stoic demeanor and no want to draw attention to himself. It was saddening to see her dear friend be so burdened by whatever was on his mind.

That desperation to bring him back to her drove her to almost propose to him, even going so far as to create Zora Armor to seal the engagement, but something in her had told her not to.

That something, she soon later realized, was her curiosity about a specific Rito, namely Revali. He had managed to capture her attention more so than even Link could, though for what reason, she did not know.

Now, she wasn’t quite sure what to think, so the Zora Armor lay abandoned in her room, tucked out of sight until she could sort out things in her mind.

However, an idea popped into her mind, something she had been wanting to suggest that the Champions do for quite a long time, but did not from fear it would take up too much and resources. This was the perfect opportunity.

“Um, Princess, may I ask a special favor of you?” Mipha said, and Zelda looked at her with confusion.

“Of course, what is it?” She asked, and Mipha held out the Sheikah Slate towards Zelda.

“Could we...perhaps take a picture together with the Sheikah Slate? It would be a good way to commemorate us all becoming Champions!” She said, and Zelda took ahold of the Sheikah Slate once again, her mouth widening into a smile as she nodded in agreement, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“That is a wonderful idea, Mipha! Here, you should all gather by the water to take the photo, and I shall take the photo.” She said, feeling a hand clap on her shoulder to see Purah and Robbie returning from their rendezvous with King Rhoam.

“Nonsense, Princess! I can handle the picture taking, you’re a part of this team as well! Go have fun!”

Purah then pushed her towards the other Champions, or more specifically Link, who caught her with ease in his arms and helped her stand upright once again.

Purah then tapped at the Sheikah Slate until the Camera Rune activated, Robbie standing behind her to make sure she activated it correctly.

“Uh, I think you were supposed to do this...”

“Shush, I know what I’m doing. Ah, there we go!”

Instead of the Sheikah symbol glowing on the screen, it was the five Champions and Zelda instead. Purah smiled in satisfaction as she moved back just a bit to get the framing better, bumping into Robbie in the process.

“Oops, you okay?” She asked, looking at him with the slightest bit of concern, and Robbie was glad that his oversized goggles covered most of the blush that crept onto his face as he nodded hurriedly.

“Yeah, just take the picture.” He mumbled, though Purah only shrugged as she turned back around towards them.

“Alright, this spot should work nicely. Keep your eyes on the Sheikah Slate, everyone!” She called out, as everyone settled into a sort of pose.

Daruk towered over the rest of the group, enough to where Purah couldn’t get him into the frame even if she leaned back far enough, almost falling directly into Robbie once again.

“Um, Daruk, could you crouch down a bit? You’re as big as Death Mountain!” Purah asked, causing Daruk to look around in confusion before realizing how much he towered over the others, so he crouched down just a bit to fit into the frame.

“What’s with the glum face, Princess, gimme a big smile!”

Zelda felt a hand on her shoulder to see Urbosa smiling down at her with such affection. She sighed with sadness, how she missed seeing that expression from her father, or even her mother for that matter.

“I-I apologize. I was not aware I was pulling such a sour expression.” She mumbled, and Urbosa laughed in response.

“It is quite alright, Little Bird. I would be surprised if you weren’t at least a little tired from today’s excitement. I promise that you will be able to rest after we are done, and I will personally speak to the King if he is against it.” She said, and Zelda nodded, a soft smile now upon her face as she turned back towards the viewfinder of the Sheikah Slate.

Revali sighed. Surely it didn’t usually take this long to take one simple picture, did it? He had seen Zelda use the Camera feature a few times before, and it had only taken a few seconds. This was ridiculous.

“Revali, move your tail closer to the group!” Purah yelled, and while Revali was tempted to just ignore her, he didn’t want to look bad in front of Mipha, or worse, be shocked by Urbosa.

“Ugh, fine.” He groaned, ignoring the smug look on Daruk’s face as he shifted closer slightly to Urbosa, wishing he had to move closer to anyone besides her. Being within arm’s reach was never a good thing for her.

“Mipha, you look so tense! Deep breaths, okay?”

“R-right!”

Was something the matter with Mipha? Revali peered around everyone to see her taking in a few deep breaths at Purah’s suggestion, and Revali couldn’t help what happened next.

He smiled. Not a smirk, not a smug look, but a soft smile, a sincere one.

It had been quite a while since he had smiled sincerely about anything, but how could he not? Mipha was positively adorable, her little antics and mannerisms made her look nothing but charming in Revali’s eyes. He felt nothing could ruin it for him until he heard a voice.

“Stay just like that!”

He snapped his head back towards Purah and Robbie, immediately reverting to a frown, hiding any evidence of a smile at all, though the two scientists smirked at one another knowingly.

“Here we go! Smile! Click snap!”

As Purah’s signature phrase left her mouth, Revali felt a rough large hand push him closer towards the others, much too close, and way too forceful.

So forceful that he fell backward onto the ground with everyone else stumbling as he felt someone land on him.

The person who had landed was small, that was for sure, and Revali instinctively felt for who it was, feeling not hair like almost everyone else had but smooth...scales.

“Oh, goddess above!” He thought as he looked to see red, but not like blood. No, it was a head fin, and it shifted upwards until Mipha was staring straight into Revali’s eyes.

Her hands gripped onto his arms in an attempt to steady herself, though she looked just as shocked as he was as she quickly scrambled off of him, her face beginning to turn red.

“Oh my goodness, Revali, I’m so sorry! Are you hurt?” Mipha asked in a panic, hurriedly searching for any signs of a scrape or cut on his body, before she felt two hands grip her shoulders, Revali staring at her with a smirk.

“I’m fine, Princess. You needn’t worry so much, being pushed to the ground is the least of my worries, though I would like to know why someone thought it was a good idea.” He said pointedly as he glared directly at Daruk, who was helping Urbosa to her feet.

“Oh come on, you all looked so tense! I was trying to lighten the mood a little bit, this is a celebration, after all! Besides, how angry can you really get, I was doing you a favor!”

Revali could have exploded with fury at that moment if it was physically possible, and if it wasn’t for the fact he was holding Mipha in his arms, he would have attempted to punch Daruk.

“Don’t ever do that again, I don’t need your help, especially when it involved possibly injuring someone! Mipha could have been hurt if she hadn’t fallen on me!” He yelled, and Urbosa laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulder in an attempt to make it look presentable once again.

“Oh please, you would have caught Mipha even if it meant breaking your arm, she would’ve been fine. Now, why don’t you go get up before Purah and Robbie have any more material to use as blackmail?”

Revali looked over to see Purah happily snapping away, Robbie and her snickering as several clicks were heard in the sudden silence.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Delete those pictures!” Revali yelled, getting up from where he kneeling to chase after Robbie and Purah who had begun running in circles around the Gazebo.

“Not a chance, bird boy! I’ve been dying for something like this to happen!” She said excitedly, laughing as Revali tried and failed to catch her.

Mipha watched them in wonder, the feeling of Revali holding her in his arms still imprinted on her skin as Zelda knelt next to her.

“Mipha, are you alright? You haven’t said a word this entire time!” She asked, and Mipha began to laugh, a genuine laugh to the point where she forgot to hide her teeth, the serrated edges in full view.

Everyone was quite bewildered as Mipha stood, wiping a tear from her eye as she watched Revali continue to chase Purah around the gazebo.

“I am just wonderful, Princess.”