A Lynel. Of all the things that could have stood between them and rescuing Revali, a Lynel just had to be the obstacle in their way.

Mipha steeled her grip on her trident, Link and Zelda beside her ready to fight their newest adversary.

Vah Medoh was flying quite low above them, the usual shade of blue that illuminated part of its stone body now a menacing red, a symbol of Calamity Ganon's Malice corrupting it.

"We must defeat this Lynel if we are to make it up to Vah Medoh, otherwise it will shoot us down if we attempt to take the updraft into the air," Zelda said, and Link grunted as he held up his sword, the blade flashing with each strike of lightning from above.

Mipha grimaced as she looked up at Medoh, the worry in her heart consuming her as she could only imagine what was happening on the Divine Beast, or even if Revali was still alive.

"No, don't think that right now, I mustn't jump to conclusions before I have even made it to him." Mipha thought as the three of them raced towards the Lynel, eager to defeat it as quickly as possible.

However, as to be expected with all Lynels, it was proving to be quite the difficulty defeating it, causing the sense of urgency in Mipha to rise even more to the point where she would ride up the updraft to Medoh and take her chances with the Lynel possibly shooting her down and killing her.

"We don't have the time for this, Revali needs us now!" Mipha shouted, her usual calm demeanor gone as she looked up desperately at Medoh.

Zelda thought for a moment as she looked through the Sheikah Slate hurriedly, her face lighting up once she reached what she was looking for.

"The Ancient Power Boost I have on the Sheikah Slate will activate to its full potential for a short time before it completely destroys itself. If I use Stasis at the Boost's full power, we can freeze the Lynel in place long enough to get in enough hits to hopefully kill it once it unfreezes."

Mipha and Link glanced at each other for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Whatever gets rid of this Lynel the quickest, we need to do it now," Mipha said as Zelda began to furiously tap away at the Sheikah Slate, the stone tablet beginning to glow with an almost blinding light.

"Get ready, and...now!"

The Lynel was suddenly suspended from where it was charging up an attack, a timer on the Sheikah Slate beginning its countdown as the Ancient Power Boost crumbled away, the Sheikah Slate looking almost barren without it.

Mipha, Link, and Zelda then charged forward and began attacking the Lynel in a frenzy, eager to finally be rid of it.

The last tick of the timer chimed and the Stasis released, as the Lynel let out a defeated howl and collapsed onto the ground as it dissolved into a pool of Malice.

"Excellent! Mipha, get up to Revali, quickly!" Zelda yelled as the ground began to rumble beneath them, monsters running towards them at full speed.

"Will you be alright? Monsters are coming in on all sides!" Mipha said, and Zelda nodded as she took ahold of the Sheikah Slate once again.

"We'll be fine! Go rescue Revali!" She said reassuringly, Mipha nodding as she ran towards the large updraft billowing heavy gusts of wind from the ground.

She opened her paraglider as soon as she reached the vent and was immediately lifted upward, holding on tightly to the wooden handles that connected to the cloth as she quickly ascended towards the corrupted Divine Beast.
~~~

The outcome of the battle was not looking all too well, which pained Revali to admit. He had always prided himself on being the past in aerial combat, but this...thing he was fighting was unlike anything he had ever fought before.

He wasn't entirely sure what the monster standing before him was, though there was no question it was absolutely hideous.

The Malice that made up its body was reminiscent of what the hundreds of thousands of monsters he and the others had slain to keep Calamity Ganon's forces at bay from destroying the whole kingdom were made of.

However, the Beast he was fighting seemed to be made more of corrupted Sheikah technology than pure Malice, and the thought made him shudder as he could feel Vah Medoh groaning in what Revali could only assume was pain.

He was hiding behind a pillar, waiting for his cue when he heard someone shout his name.

"All yours, Master Revali!"

Revali smirked as he launched himself up into the air, his bow in his hands aiming three bomb arrows at the monstrosity below both him and the other Rito that had appeared mysteriously.

It was almost a complete mystery as to who this Rito was or how he knew Revali's name, just that he appeared through a mysterious portal just in time before Revali would have been blown to bits by the monster's two cannons.

"Some payback is in order!" Revali snarled, letting loose the bomb arrows aimed directly at the beast's head.

However, the bomb arrows were blasted away by a gust of wind from the cannons, causing them to fly off and explode in the sky above Medoh.

The monster then turned to look at Revali, and he was certain that if it could make facial expressions, it would be grinning with triumph.

It raised its cannons at Revali, ready to shoot, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time, the other Rito too far away to get to him in time.

"No!"

Revali heard an almost familiar shout as something hurtled past him and landed straight in the beast's head.

The creature screeched in pain and flung the projectile that had been lodged into its head onto the stone top of Vah Medoh.

Revali looked at the object that had fallen from its head to see that it was the Lightscale Trident, a familiar Zora's signature weapon.

He then turned to see Mipha standing behind him, an angry but terrified look upon her face as she straightened from throwing her trident at the monster.

There was nothing that could describe the feeling of relief and joy that had erupted in his chest as he landed beside her, almost saying her name before he noticed she was back on the defensive, having picked up her trident once again.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to get here, but I will not let this monster hurt you." She said, and Revali nodded in agreement as he raised his bow once again.

"Shall we?" He said with a smile, Mipha nodding as they both raced towards the beast, determined to finish the fight once and for all.

~~~

"Is it gone?"

Revali, Mipha, and the mysterious Rito all looked around the top of Vah Medoh, the Shard of Calamity Ganon that had just been attacking them vanished.

"No, it just went somewhere else. We need to go chase it down before it can wreak havoc elsewhere." Revali said, placing his bow in its holster on his back as the Rito nodded thoughtfully.

"Hm, I suppose that would be the case. Regardless, it will no doubt be weakened from our battle against it, so it will be quite easy to defeat that thing." He said, and Revali grunted in response as Mipha looked between the two of you.

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you and how did you get here?" Mipha asked, her question directed at the mystery Rito.

The Rito glanced over to see Mipha staring right at him with a confused look, Revali mirroring her exact expression.

"Oh, me? I am Teba, a Rito Warrior. A weird portal appeared before me when I was training at the Flight Range, and through it, I saw Master Revali being attacked. I am assuming this is 100 years in the past from where I am from, though I am grateful to have been able to assist Master Revali in his fight against that creature inhabiting Vah Medoh."

Mipha could feel tears of joy welling up in her eyes as she suddenly hugged Teba, surprising all three of them.

"Thank you for keeping Revali safe. I don't know what I would have done if he had been...if he had been killed by that awful monster. We will both be forever in your debt." She sobbed, leaving Teba too shocked to do anything as Revali stood there slightly fuming.

He had almost been killed, and she was hugging the other Rito she had just met instead?

Teba patted Mipha awkwardly as he felt that Revali was staring daggers in his direction, knowing he had crossed some invisible line even though it wasn't him who had initiated the hug.

"Right, yes, well I should go survey the sky and see if there is anywhere the beast could have gone. I'll leave you two alone." He said, and Mipha immediately backed away from him, hiding her face in embarrassment.

"Oh goodness, I do not know what has come over me! Forgive me, you are a guest in our time and I have made you uncomfortable." Mipha mumbled, causing Teba to chuckle.

"It is fine. I will be back in a few minutes."

He ran off the top of Vah Medoh and flew away, leaving Mipha and Revali alone for a moment.

However, before Revali could even attempt to make an awkward attempt at a thank you, he felt Mipha slam into him, immediately wrapping her arms around his body tightly in an embrace.

"Mipha?" He said confused, feeling her body shaking against him as she sobbed against his chest.

"I'm so glad you're alive." She whispered, and Revali could feel tears starting to well up in his eyes as he wrapped his wings around her, dwarfing her small frame as he held her close to him.

"I'm alive because of you. Thank you, Mipha."

The two stayed silent for a moment, or as silent as one could be while crying, though neither were willing to let the other go.

"Master Revali!"

The both of them looked up to see that Teba had returned, looking slightly worried but otherwise the same as Mipha had seen him before. She wondered if he ever relaxed.

"What is it, Teba?" Revali asked, turning to face him while keeping a protective wing around Mipha, holding her close to him though she did not mind.

"I've found the monster, but monsters are surrounding us on all sides. We are going to be dead if we don't do something." He reported, Revali nodding as he turned towards the main control unit of Medoh, the orange it had once been now back to its normal blue.

"Looks like Medoh and I will need to do crowd control. Teba, cover me in the sky, and any monsters that manage to get onto Medoh, I need you to fend off, Mipha." Revali ordered, both Mipha and Teba nodding in affirmation.

"Hey! Mipha, Revali!"

The click of heels and the sound of a woman's voice revealed that it was Urbosa, and indeed it was once the three of them turned to see her, Zelda, and Link as well as what seemed to be a younger Gerudo beside Urbosa.

Mipha sighed in relief as she rushed up to greet them, Revali reluctantly following behind her.

"You're all alright! Oh, I was so worried." Mipha said happily, and Urbosa smiled as she patted Zelda on the back.

"It was all thanks to the princess, her quick thinking allowed us to defeat enough monsters so we would be able to get up here to safety. I see you've picked up another person from the future, Revali." Urbosa remarked, though her good-natured smile revealed she was more teasing than anything.

Revali shrugged, looking out from Vah Medoh to see thousands upon thousands of monsters below, from the fiercest Lynel to the littlest Bokoblin, and they were all out for the Divine Beast flying above them.

"Change of plans. Teba, take Urbosa and her Gerudo friend back to Vah Naboris, the rest of you will stay on Medoh away from the monsters and cover me. Are there any objections?" Revali asked, and everyone shook their head.

"Good. Now let's crush these monsters. No doubt the rest of Hyrule will need our help."

~~~

It was a quiet night, or as quiet a night could get when the world was ending, with monster attacks happening almost constantly, but for now, it was peaceful.

The Champions were staying in Kakariko Village, Impa's hometown and one of the few places that weren't affected by the Calamity, though guards were patrolling all night every night now, making everyone uneasy.

Zelda had turned in early that night, not able to stand seeing Hyrule Castle in the state it was, Link having gone with her to rest.

Impa had made Daruk a simple rock bed to sleep on outside underneath a wooden covering next to a fire, which he was very appreciative of before passing out.

Urbosa had also disappeared to who knows where presumably to sleep, and the four who had come from the future were also scattered across the village asleep.

That left only Mipha and Revali awake in their separate rooms in the main house of Kakariko Village where Impa lived, neither of them able to sleep after what had just happened that day.

The images of the Ganon Blights were still fresh in their minds, and each time they closed their eyes they could see the monsters bearing down on them, weapons raised.

Mipha instead sat underneath the window in her room, the moonlight falling slightly on the top of her head as she tried her best not to break down.

Sidon was asleep outside in the pond that surrounded the Goddess Statue, the only place big enough for him to rest, leaving Mipha alone inside.

Her mind drifted to Revali, the way he had looked almost...relieved when he saw her atop Vah Medoh, as if he was almost expecting to die on his Divine Beast.

"What if we were supposed to die?" Mipha asked herself, the moment the words left her mouth made her realize that it was the truth.

When she had asked Sidon why he had arrived to assist her at Vah Ruta, he had looked away as if it was something difficult to think about, merely saying that he had seen Mipha under attack and that he would do anything to rescue her.

But why would the portal that Sidon and presumably the other three had jumped through appeared in the first place?

The little Guardian that always followed Zelda or Link around that had somehow escaped Calamity Ganon's corruption was the one who had created the portals, but if the Champions were going to be fine, then why would they have needed assistance?

The answer was crystal clear: They weren't supposed to have survived. The Ganon Blights would have succeeded if it wasn't for those in the future coming to help them.

That thought on its own was enough to make Mipha finally crumble as she began to cry, the tears running down her face splashing onto the wooden floor, the harsh sound of her sobs echoing across the room as it felt as if all her emotions were finally spilling out.

Revali was in his room across the hall, trying to sleep with little success when he heard what sounded like crying from across the hall.

Normally, if he had heard someone else crying in another room, he would leave them alone and let them have their moment of weakness in peace.

However, he remembered that Mipha was staying in the room across the hall from her and that those sobs he was hearing were coming from her.

He couldn't leave her alone in a time like this when she was hurting from who knows what, and it wasn't like he was going to fall asleep anytime soon.

Revali stood up from the bed he had been laying on, the bandages wrapped around his torso after being hit with the Ganon Blight's cannons covering whatever Mipha couldn't heal.

He quietly opened the door to the room and knocked on the door quietly, the sobs he had been hearing before suddenly stopping.

"Mipha? Are you in there?" Revali whispered, hearing the quiet padding of Mipha's feet across the wooden floor and the door opening, revealing the Zora herself.

"Revali? What are you doing here?" She asked, wiping away the tears on her face so it wouldn't seem as if she was just crying.

Revali simply smiled sadly as he cupped her palm with his hand, his thumb wiping away the tears on her face as he held in any impulse to hold her close to him and never let her go again.

"I heard you crying from my room. I was worried about you." He said softly, causing Mipha to freeze for a moment before holding her hand against the back of Revali's wing, the warmth of it comforting.

"I am fine but if you would like to come in, I won't stop you."

She stepped away from Revali to allow him into the room, and he followed after her after closing the door as she sat down on the bed at the far side of the room, staring out the window once again.

Revali sat down beside her, the two sitting in silence for a moment before Mipha spoke.

"Have you thought about why we received help from those in the future, like how Sidon had come to save me, or how that Rito Teba had come to save you?" She asked, and Revali thought for a moment.

"I have not. We have been quite busy since then. Is that what has been troubling you, your brother and others from the future being dragged into a war from the past?"

Mipha shook her head as she looked out the window at the peaceful night of Kakariko Village, where no one was outside except for a few stray Cuccos and Daruk and Yunobo sleeping on the other side of the village.

"No, it's why they were sent here. If we were going to prevail in our fight against those...beasts in our Divine Beasts, then why would the little Guardian have brought those from the future to help us? We weren't supposed to survive that battle. We were supposed to die at the hands of Calamity Ganon because that is what happened in the war from where those in the future came from."

She began to cry once again, though this time she felt Revali wrap his wing around her and hold her close to his side as best he could as she sobbed into his chest.

Revali had suspected that was why those from the future had come to their aid, Teba wouldn't tell him exactly why he had jumped through a portal to save him, though now it made sense.

If Teba hadn't shot the Ganon Blight in the head when he did, Revali would most certainly have been blown to bits.

He shuddered to think about what would have happened to Mipha if an adult Sidon hadn't come from the future and rescued her in time, a horrible monster standing over her battered body as she took her last breaths was all that came to mind as he thought more on it.

He couldn't stand the thought of her like that, dead and alone in her Divine Beast with the only company being that monster, though he supposed that's why Mipha was so grateful to Teba for rescuing him.

Later, he would have to thank Sidon for saving her but for now, he needed to make sure he was there for Mipha.

"That may be true, but we're still here, and we're still alive because those from the future came to help us. We must defeat Calamity Ganon and keep them safe so they have a future to return to." He said comfortingly, feeling Mipha nod against his chest as she pulled herself closer towards him.

"I know. It is our duty as Champions and Pilots of the Divine Beasts to save our kingdom and to save its future." She whispered, and Revali nodded in agreement.

"I will make sure that you get home safe to your brother and father. They need you by their side."

He hesitated for a moment as tears began to splash onto Mipha's head, and she realized Revali was crying now as he continued.

"I need you. I need you alive and well and happy, and if I have to kill Calamity Ganon by myself with my bow as my only weapon, then I will do it." He whispered, leaning his chin against her head and holding her closer to him in an attempt to protect her from the outside world, if only for that moment.

Mipha sniffed as she smiled sadly, reaching up to touch his cheek with her hand, the feathers damp underneath her palm as she attempted to comfort him.

"You won't need to fight him alone, because I will be there by your side. I never want to leave you again, and if I can help it, I will always be there for you. I promise." She said, and Revali attempted a weak laugh as if he had just heard a funny joke.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Princess." He teased, and Mipha laughed.

"This is a promise I intend to keep. You will go home to your people and your village. I will make sure of it." She whispered, and Revali smiled as he leaned into the palm of her hand.

He had never felt the need to be close with anyone before, but this, this was something he could get used to.