Chapter Text
“If you’re going too, then maybe…”
Revali grew more concerned as Link paled, his body holding a slight tremor. Something was off ; it was almost as if Link dreaded the castle in the same way Revali himself was apprehensive about Vah Medoh. Oh. “On second thought, you may as well stay here. It’s bound to be insufferably formal, and one of us should be allowed to avoid all that ceremony, at least.”
“But… You’ll go, right?” Link shook his head as if to clear it. “I mean, you’re sure you want to go?”
“As much as I appreciate being home, there are… Experiences… Only another Champion can understand, and it would do a great measure of good to get fresh wind beneath my wings, I think.”
Link took a few more steadying breaths. “I’d like to come with you, then, if you don’t mind the company. Maybe it won’t be so bad if we’re all together.”
“If you’re coming too, then we need to get going; it’s a long flight, and we’ll need to stop along the way.” They packed their things quickly and headed for a pillar facing southeast. “Are you familiar with how to ride on a Rito’s back?”
He smiled a little. “How do you think I got up to Vah Medoh in the first place?”
Revali clicked his beak, realization coming to him quickly. “...Oh. Since you already know, hurry up, I don’t particularly want to fly in the dark.”
Link hopped up, taking the same stance he’d used when Teba lifted him to the Divine Beast, and off they went.
For all his training, Revali still ended up needing to stop twice between Rito Village and the castle - once to camp at night, and once to rest the following afternoon, so he’d be presentable before arriving at the castle. Carrying Link had slowed him down a bit, but they’d still made good time regardless.
“Revali!” Zelda called, running out of the castle entryway. “I thought that was you - Link! ” she grinned as he floated to land with his paraglider, “Link! I’m so glad you came, the others are already here… We have plans to improve Hyrule, I can’t even tell you how excited I am!” She looped an arm around the crook of Link’s elbow and practically dragged him inside. “The walk through the halls will be quick; our only usable space is a balcony on the upper floor. I apologize.”
Once they got there, the air was warm but not unpleasant. Mipha greeted him with a brief hug, and Daruk slapped him on the back - nearly knocking him over. “It’s good to see everyone,” Link said, not quite meeting Urbosa’s eye.
Revali found that strange, but shook it off. The food laid out for them was simple, but had every race in mind - a nice gesture, comforting in how it brought extra camaraderie and familiarity to the event. He came out of his thoughts just enough to hear Daruk and Zelda bicker a little about the Gerudo wine. “That’ll wallop you if you’re not used to it.”
“I’m one hundred and eighteen years old,” her eyes narrowed at him. “It’s well past time I tried some,” and she took the smallest sip before subtly moving her drink toward Urbosa. “So, Mipha,” she took the Zora’s hand, “How is Sidon doing with piloting Vah Ruta?”
Revali squawked at the implications. “What?”
“Oh, he’s making wonderful progress! The bond takes time, of course, but I think you’ll be satisfied with what he can do the next time you visit the Domain, Princess.” Mipha smiled at Zelda and Revali felt a random heart-pang. What the heck was that about?
“You’re… Passing on your Divine Beasts?” Link asked, just as stunned as Revali. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
Daruk’s voice wavered slightly, but he held onto his bravado. “I’m gonna stick with the ol’ lizard a little longer, but Yunobo’s got some spunk to him. He’ll be strong as a boulder when the time comes.”
Urbosa smiled, swirling her wine. “Lady Riju is a formidable opponent in any battle. I’m more than confident that in a few years, she’ll be ready. She’s led Gerudo well, and she is a little child of lightning in every sense of the phrase. Link, may I talk to you privately for a few moments?”
He finished the last few bites of food and walked only a couple feet back into the castle. Revali was curious as to what they needed to discuss, but shook his head. Link would talk about it later if he wanted to. Zelda pulled out her Sheikah Slate, powering it on. She handed it to Mipha, and waved Revali over so they could all look at it together.
“Who took these pictures?” Mipha asked, giggling.
“Link,” Zelda smiled fondly. “I haven’t had the heart to delete them yet, although it’s nearly filled. He took so many pictures of horses, you have no idea…”
Apparently, it wasn’t just horses. Standing next to Mipha, he saw pictures of dogs, beasts, and landscapes that felt like he should know them - but why would he? Link posed a lot also, showing off various weapons and comedic shots with monsters in the background, causing them to groan and laugh quietly. Revali’s head started to hurt a little - it was almost like there was something… Wrong, or missing… From these pictures. The hurting turned to a low thrum of his pulse as picture after picture went by, then he froze , unable to take the Slate from Mipha’s hand.
What the hell?
The Hebra mountains were still and white as ever, reflecting Lake Totori in an idyllic scene. But it was a beaming Link, with Rito-styled braids, and in the left one… Revali glanced between his hands and the picture on the screen. He knew that feather; it matched his own navy, white-tipped ones. He was vaguely aware of the princesses trying to speak to him, of Zelda gingerly grabbing the slate from his sight and glancing at some space behind him, but only one thought seemed to hold:
Why hadn’t Link said anything?
There were quiet footsteps and some mutters before Mipha squeezed his shoulder hard enough to get his attention. “I’m sorry, Revali. After our last conversation, I thought you’d spoken to him - that you knew.”
“No,” he said, softer than any of the others had ever heard him, “I had no idea.”
Urbosa cleared her throat. “He’s gone to calm himself down a bit - between what I was discussing with him, and that, ” she nodded at the Slate, “He needs a few moments to collect himself.”
Mipha grabbed her trident and headed into the castle. “I’ll talk with him - please don’t leave,” she implored Revali. “Take this time to settle yourself also.”
The guards’ quarters were miraculously untouched by Ganon’s malice. Link sat against the back wall of the room, forehead resting against his knees, breathing heavily. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He hadn’t realized those pictures were still on the Slate, or that Revali would see them. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell Revali - he did, actually - but... He’d been hoping that the Rito would remember in his own time, since his own feelings hadn’t changed, but he hadn’t. Based on his frozen, wide-eyed stare at the Slate, he hadn’t remembered much at all.
A sob ripped its way out of Link’s throat. He should have followed his instinct to just stay home. He curled into himself, shaking, embarrassed and hurt and - frankly - scared. Eventually, there was an arm around his shoulders, and a touch of healing magic on his skin.
“I’m so sorry, Link. We would have never shown him the Slate had we realized he didn't know."
It took him a few moments to speak. “I know from experience that forcing, or asking a lot of questions about someone’s memories, doesn’t work. Remembering takes time, and going to the right places.” He managed a sad smile. “This is the third time.”
“Third time?”
“That I’ve fallen in love with him,” Link shifted, moving his hands to count on his fingers. “First time was a hundred years ago, though I forgot that for a while. Second time was when all of you were ghosts. And the third time was when all of you came back. But it scared me that time, because I knew nothing would be the same once we figured out that none of you remembered.”
Mipha hummed in thought, rubbing his arm. “May I tell you the first memory I recovered from Vah Ruta? It’s relevant to our discussion.”
He nodded, raising an eyebrow.
“You had gone to Vah Medoh’s feet after being seriously injured, and Revali was watching over you. The look on his face…” Mipha’s expression was wistful, “He was absolutely terrified - he hadn’t seen you so close to death before - but there was also a tenderness in it. And he said something that has stuck with me since I recovered that memory.”
“What?”
“As I healed you that time, he said, ‘All I can do is make him fly.’ I just thought that was so… Poetic. Powerful. And a bit tragic that he didn’t see the absolute joy that his Gale gave you. Honestly, I don’t know how he still hasn’t - the way you look at him, you’d think he’d notice something.”
Link shrugged. “Well, he knows something now, at any rate. I have to go talk to him,” he stretched his legs. “And probably go get my stuff out of his roost.”
Mipha squeaked. “You’ve been living in his roost? This entire time? And you didn’t tell him anything? ”
“No. I didn’t want to scare him off; I’m selfish and didn’t know if I could handle losing him again, but… Let’s head back.”
When they returned, Revali was in a much better mood - more relaxed and jovial than he had been on seeing that picture. His eyes widened a bit on seeing Link, though he tried to hide it. “Are you ready? We have a long flight ahead of us, and I’d like to make it to the village before nightfall.”
Link blinked, surprised. “Sure, let’s - “
“Wait!” Zelda pulled out a second Sheikah Slate, putting it in his hands. “This is a replica of mine - Purah’s a genius for figuring it out, but there’s one thing missing,” her fingers tapped the screen rapidly.
“The map,” Link whispered, awestruck. “Of course. I’ll… I’ll take it.”
“I thought you might,” Zelda smiled as he put it away, “and good luck,” she whispered.
“Thanks,” he replied in the same volume with a cheeky smirk. Revali couldn’t help but note that they looked like siblings, muttering conspiratorially amongst themselves like that.
Link gave Mipha and Daruk proper hugs, and said something to Urbosa in Gerudo before grabbing his things. His nervousness came back as they walked through the halls and toward the main entry, blue eyes making note of the malice he’d missed. Once they were a fair bit away from the castle, they took off, Link’s weight steady and warm on Revali’s back.
They didn’t speak again until they were in Revali’s roost, and even then, it took some time for the Rito to find his voice. “Were you really planning on not saying anything about my feather?”
Link swallowed hard. “Like I said at the beginning, when you first woke up - asking about what you don’t remember, or telling you things… It doesn’t help, and I hate it when people do it to me. So I wouldn’t - I didn’t - do it to you.”
“Do you even understand the significance of being given a feather?” He asked. Maybe this entire thing was a misunderstanding - a massive one, perhaps, but -
“Teba told me what the feather means.” And just like the first time Link had spoken those words, Revali tensed, eyes searching his face. It made Link’s heart ache. “He wanted to know whose feather it was. I’m not sure he believed me at first, but now he does.”
Revali blinked. Once. Twice. Then he squawked; every mention of his feather color had been the village’s way of trying to get him to get a move on and talk to Link . The image of Link walking through the village - through anywhere - with a feather in his hair left him flustered.
Link sighed, running a hand through his hair before meeting Revali’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I thought that you’d eventually remember at your own pace, and we’d talk about it then. I never intended for you to find out about the feather in such a public way. I wanted to let you decide your relationship with me for yourself. I still do.”
“But you tell me what you would have said if I told you right when you first woke up that we became friends after you died? If I didn't let you decide it for yourself then I was worried you would never give me the chance to convince you otherwise.”
“Yeah. Yeah, we were friends.” Somehow, he didn’t seem happy about it.
“I promised to avenge you with it when I fought Calamity Ganon. Now it turns out there was nothing to avenge. I'm sorry.”
“It’s in your hands now,” Link said softly. “I’ll accept whatever decision you make.”
He would, too; one thing that hadn’t changed in the last century was Link’s ability to keep a promise. Revali knew that if he said the words, Link would leave and never return - and gods, the thought of that actually hurt. That was definitely not the option he wanted to take. But… To go from what they had now - because they did have something between them, Revali would be a fool to deny it - to a feather? He wasn’t ready for that. Perhaps he could be in time, but would it be fair to keep Link holding on, hoping for something that may not happen? Revali looked at the Slate, at the empty map on its screen, and he saw the wanderlust in Link’s eyes. He saw something else there, too, that seemed to burn him to an unknown end.
“I understand you not saying anything about the feather,” Revali chose his words carefully. “As you know, a feather is a gift of commitment. While I am not opposed to the possibility of such commitment in the future, I feel very unprepared for that right now. I’m not entirely sure it would be fair to you for us to continue down this path when I’m not sure if I’ll ever remember it all.”
Link’s smile seemed to shine. “That’s alright. I don’t want you to feel obligated or force your feelings. I think we could help each other connect the dots, fill the gaps in our memories while traveling together. Is that agreeable?”
Revali’s pulse quickened, and he grinned in spite of himself, tucking a stray piece of hair behind Link’s ear. “Not just agreeable - I think I'd really like that."