There's an old saying; "If you're having fun then time will surely pass faster." For both Revali and Link, this was most certainly true. Shortly after the two of them had confronted their feelings and had made their relationship official time seemed to pass at a lightning fast speed.

Long, tiring days came and went. Days spent in the severe heat of the Gerudo desert with their respective Divine Beasts, training so all their fighting styles could eventually be completely in sync. Other times there were days where they had to spend hours upon hours fighting against the Royal Guard to sharpen their ground attacks. At the end of those days the four champion's muscles ached and they usually had to be helped into the castle to rest. There were days where they hardly moved a muscle but ended up just as tired. They trained their minds to be in tune with their respective Divine Beast, bonding with their mechanical animals so there would be no misunderstanding in the future fight against evil.

As the days, months, passed Link was worked harder and harder as well. He was thrown into old arenas with hordes of monsters in them, the Champions, Zelda, and the King sat safely in the seats above. They all watched Link as he fought for his life against Bokoblins, Moblins, Hinoxes, and Lynels. He had nothing on his person except the sword of evil's bane. At the end of each fight he would come out half dead; bloody, exhausted, weak, but victorious nonetheless. As he won more and more battles he was put into more and more dangerous ones. Against two, no three!, lynels. Against electric wizzrobes and stalinoxes. Against bokoblins on horses shooting arrows at him while a horde of flaming keese chased him and a lynel roared in his direction.

These battles were sickening, they made Revali feel disgusted every time he was practically forced to watch Link prove himself time and time again that he was Hyrule's hero. Luckily the Rito champion wasn't alone in feeling this, more than once Urbosa gave the king a piece of her mind and more than once did Impa step in when Link was about ready to collapse as he was fighting the last of the electric keese. None of the scoldings changed the King's mind, however, because each time Link won a battle the Master Sword began glowing an even brighter blue and Link looked even more divine than ever.

There was a positive side to all of this. As Link was worked to the bone, as was Zelda. Now this wasn't the upside, the upside was that with the constant orders from the King to keep training, the two hylians grew closer. Zelda began opening up about her fears of the future, her fears about her place in this battle. Link eventually felt comfortable enough to speak with her, then the rest of the champions. This helped the team's, as well as Link and Revali's relationship, bond grow stronger.

"I see the King is allowing you two a moment's rest." Revali said one semi-quiet evening. Him and the champions had just finished an entire day of meditating and connecting their minds with their respective Beast. To relax he had decided to talk a nice stroll through the castle's garden. "That's quite a surprise."

"Yes well Impa had to intervene." Zelda gave her rito friend a tired smile. "Link and I were about to faint." Link nodded and rubbed the back of his head with his left hand, the hylian almost seemed like he was hiding the other. "I've been exhausting my mind all day attempting to reach out to the Goddess Hylia and her power as well as the ones who had this power before me. And Link... Link has been training...as usual." The two looked slightly uncomfortable. Revali cocked his head.

"I'll just tell you now that I'm fine." Link mumbled as he looked up at Revali's piercing green eyes. "It was my mistake anyways, I shoulda known better what with being the knight and all ya know?" 

"I hope you realize that stalling will only make me even more upset." Revali stated flatly as he stepped closer to Link and looked at the arm he was hiding. Sure enough Link was injured, his right arm was in a sling and wrapped up in a somewhat bloody bandage. Link laughed nervously and held it out for him to see better.

"It isn't so bad!" Zelda said when her knight tapped her foot with his. "Really, it isn't."

"Alright, I believe that isn't so bad." He didn't. "But why does he have it covered up like that? Why didn't they give him some healing potion?"

"Funny thing about that is...I've been taking too much. The royal physician says that if I keep taking so much my internal organs can suffer some sort of...what was it? Illness?" Link shrugged. "So instead I'm slathering it on once every hour. It works slower but it won't hurt my organs." 

Revali glared at Link, his wings crossed across his chest. Link stared back silently. 

"Well," Zelda stood up quickly, she didn't need any special powers to know when it was time to leave Link to  be scolded by his rito boyfriend, "I'd say the hour is  nearly up. I'll run inside the castle and get your potion Link." The princess scurried inside.

"I suppose you already know what I'm going to say." Revali said as he plopped down besides Link. The sky was turning a nice shade of pink, a nice cool breeze ruffled his feathers. This was starting to make him awfully homesick.

"Yes." Link said flatly. The rito raised an eyebrow. 

"Is something wrong? Usually when I begin to scold you on your recklessness when fighting you wave it away and tell me I'm worrying too much." Link sighed deeply and looked at the sky.

"I suppose I'm feeling...kind of, what's the word? Upset?, after today." Link shrugged nonchalantly. "Like I said, I shoulda known better since I am the knight. I can't be making mistakes like this, I'm a weapon created specifically for fighting and if I can't even do that right then..." Link dropped his head and stared at his lap. "The, what kind of hero am I? What kind of weapon am I?"

"You aren't a weapon." Revali stated, turning his body so he could look at Link better. "You're a farm boy who had a destiny and immense responsibility shoved onto him before he was a gleam in his father's eye. You're a knight, yes, a champion as well, but not a weapon." Link slowly looked up. Revali hadn't noticed how tired he looked, bags underneath his eyes told Revali that Link hadn't slept properly in a long time and the constant training wasn't exactly helping his energy. "Link, the Divine Beasts are weapons. That sword on your back is a weapon. The bow Zelda wields is one too. But you aren't."

"But the Goddesses-"

"The Goddesses can kiss my feathery ass!" Revali yelled, standing up quickly as he did. "You need to understand that you aren't a weapon! You never were one! You are a person and as a person you make mistakes and you have slip ups. You aren't built for fighting and for fighting only. You aren't the sword." There were tears welling up in Link's eyes now. He wanted to look away but Revali lifted his chin up with his wing. "You are a person who was forced to carry a gigantic burden on his shoulders. You're and amazing fighter and while your fighting is not always going to be perfect you need to know you're still the best damn fighter in all of hyrule and nothing will ever change that. The sooner you accept this the sooner you'll be happy with yourself."

Tears now fully streaming down his cheeks, Link jumped up and attacked Revali with a hug. They stumbled backwards a bit, the sudden embrace caught Revali off guard. He slowly wrapped his wings around Link, his beak resting on Link's head.

A cool breeze ruffled his feathers again and Revali looked up. The sky was now bit more purple now and the moon was visible. The rito smiled as he nuzzled into the hylian's hair, feeling significantly less homesick than before.

"If I'm the best fighter in Hyrule," Link began as he looked up at Revali, "does that mean I'm technically a better archer than you?" The hylian grinned widely as his boyfriend rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You'll be the best archer in Hyrule when I'm dead."

-

Even more months passed. The King was growing more and more restless. The ever present threat of a great evil began taking its toll on his mental health. Zelda's inability to unlock her holy powers only worried him more. Deep down he knew there was only limited things he could do, he could only pray that his daughter unlock her powers before anything happened. He could only be there and support her. Deep down he knew he was powerless in this situation but this didn't stop him from continuing to overwork the poor princess. She stayed hours in freezing cold waters of the Goddess' Springs in the dangerous parts of Hyrule. She would stay locked in her study and pray there. She would pray and pray hoping her powers would come soon. The King knew what he was doing was horrible, he needed to let her rest, but the fear and stress of the situation lead him to command his daughter to spend her upcoming birthday in the Spring of Wisdom.

The rules for this particular spring say that only those aged 17 and above are permitted, for only the wise are allowed. The King had hoped her birthday would be spent doing something more to her liking but desperate times call for desperate measures. And at this point, it has been two years since they have begun preparing for the upcoming war, they had to be ready.

-

"You two," Urbosa offered a hand to the princess as she was stepping out of the royal carriage, "check the skies and make sure there is a clear path for the princess to take up the mountain." Link and Revali nodding simultaneously. Link was handed an elixir to ward off the cold and the two of them began walking towards Mount Lanaryu. Once at the start of the path, Link chugged the elixir and hopped onto the rito champion's back. Together the two of them took off into the skies.

"So," Revali spoke loudly but even then Link could barely hear him, "Instead of all of us getting a nice day off because it's the princess' birthday, we get to stand around at Mount Lanaryu all day." Link sighed and nodded. "Amazing."

"There." Link pointed down at the snowy trail where a small group of Bokoblins were huddled around a fire. Revali nodded and began flying towards the group. "You can drop me here," Link began as he carefully unsheathed the Master Sword and held onto Revali with his other hand, "You go to the top and make your way down. I'll meet you at the middle." Revali nodded in agreement. Link paused for a moment and kissed Revali's feathery cheek before hopping off his back and instantly impaling a bokoblin down below. The Rito nearly dropped from the sky, his heart skipped a beat and his feathers fluffed up just sliiightly. He still wasn't used to expressing physical affection, especially not how a Hylian does, but the small kiss made him feel like he was on top of the world.

Revali willed the winds to work for him and give him a nice boost upward, he was at the very top of the mount in no time. With his specially made bow in his talons and bomb arrows on his back, Revali got to work. He flew down the path in a long, slow circle. The monsters down below threw their weapons up at him but Revali merely dodged the attacks and blew them up. He knew that these creatures weren't the sharpest beings out there but to throw their one defense at their enemy? This was almost too easy.

But something felt off.

Revali didn't know what but these monsters didn't feel, didn't look right. Their eyes seemed different. Almost an odd shade of purpleish-pink. They seemed more careless than ever but more hostile. Revali tried to ignore it, chalked up their abnormalities to how close these foul creatures were to the holy spring.

When all was done Revali landed gracefully at the very middle of the path. Link arrived a few minutes afterward, climbing up the side of the mountain instead of walking up the path like any normal person. When they were reunited Link hopped onto Revali's back and the two flew up into the air and back to the others

Link stayed silent the whole flight down. Something wasn't sitting right with him, something about those monsters was off. For some reason they seemed just a bit stronger than before. They seemed more reckless and more violent. The fights were the same, easy as pie with a darkness sealing sword in his hand, but the way they so willingly ran to battle one after the other even when they witnessed their fellow monsters being slain in front of them, it wasn't right.

"You're right." It was the softest voice but Link heard it over the howling wind. His eyes snapped open and his guard was up. He looked around but no one was there, he was in mid-air of course. "Something with them was off and it is because he's here, Master." Link looked around again, still finding no one.

"Everything all right back there?" Revali yelled over the wind. Link relaxed and wrapped his arms tighter around the Rito, nodding. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. He kept telling himself the voice he heard was simply paranoia, he's overthinking the whole situation which is only making him hear things. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen.

-

Link was a beast, a Divine Beast to say in the least. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he swung the sword of legend and cut through whatever enemy stood in his path. The four Champions stood around the Princess, ushering her through the trail of monster corpses. The rain had begun pelting down and earlier's sunny day had turned cloudy. All around there were echoes of frightful roars, screams, and destruction. Far ahead of them the sky glowed a vibrant, unsettling pink. That's where Ganon was, that's where he had managed to resurrect himself and catch the kingdom off guard.

"Please, Princess," Mipha placed her hand on the small of Zelda's back and pushed her along, "We need to hurry, we need to get to Impa." The Princess continued dragging her feet as Urbosa and Daruk pulled her along. Earlier she experienced her own rush of adrenaline, she was ready for combat. She was prepared to fight Ganon, even if she hadn't managed to unlock her sacred magic in the Spring of Wisdom. She still had the Bow of Light, she could help, she could anything, she could-

"I can't." The Champion's stopped. "I can't...help you all." She looked past them and at the trees, she didn't want to meet any of their eyes. "Let's face it, my earlier outburst was simply due to my inability to sit around and let this happen. But what choice do I have? The Bow of Light won't work against Ganon because I don't have my powers. Without my powers...I'm useless." She clenched her fist and closed her eyes as she fought back tears.

"My dear little bird..." Urbosa let go of Zelda's wrist, instead moving her hands to the princess' shoulders, turning to look at her. "I understand. You're feeling all kinds of emotions right now, but we need to think clearly. You're not useless, you never were. And while you may not have your powers now they may unlock now that they have an actual purpose." The gerudo champion hugged Zelda tightly before continuing. "You may feel small and helpless right now, but understand that you will never be." Zelda allowed her tears to fall down her cheeks as she hugged Urbosa tightly. A sudden guilt seemed to have been gently carried off her shoulders, a weight she didn't know she'd been carrying for the past few years.

The small relief was short lived, however.

The princess replayed that scene in her mind over and over again as Link dragged her roughly through Hyrule. The champions had to leave, they had to help their people, they had to leave and do what they've been preparing for and Zelda is hearing the screeches from the Divine Beasts from miles away. She knows Link can hear them too. He can hear Medoh.

Every single time the damn bird screamed, Link would wince and tears would threaten to spill out of the corners of his eyes. He wants to run to Revali and help, he wants to run to the castle and just defeat the darkness so that this will all be over soon. But he can't. He has a responsibility, he has to follow the plan set by fate. So he keeps running. He keeps running and fighting and trying not to cry as he hears Medoh scream in pain in the far distance. He tries not let himself be distracted by the cries from the other Divine Beasts, from his friends. Instead he allows the burning courage take over his body and guide his sword to the enemies that dared set foot in his path. But every time he raised the Master Sword and used up his holy courage he felt himself weaken. He knew he couldn't continue like this, eventually he would burn himself out, but he didn't stop. Not when he faced a lynel, not when he faced a Guardian gone evil, not when he faced a hinox.

Eventually, the very thought the two hylians dreaded came to be.

They didn't exactly understand how they were able to know this, perhaps it had something to do with their divine connection to the goddesses and in turn the Divine Beasts?, but the question didn't matter. At that very moment both Zelda and Link felt a pain in their heart as they simultaneously heard ear-splitting screeches come from the four corners of Hyrule. Link stopped dead in his tracks as the mental image of the four champions fell to the ground and a pink ooze slowly seeped over their bodies and turned into four terrifying monsters. When the mental image cut off the two looked at the sky and saw pink radiating from the four corners.

Tears started streaming down Link's cheeks, Revali falling out of the sky and crashing on the ground replayed in his mind as he gripped the princess' wrist tightly and continued pulling her through the forest.

-

Running was all they could do now. They had no idea what to do next. Zelda couldn't think of anything and Link was too overcome by emotion to even listen if she did. He was angry, devasted, and scared all at once. The goddess-gifted power ate up those emotions and turned him into a burning machine for fighting. The sword in his hand flowed and cut cleanly through every enemy. He kept running. He stopped crying long ago, he didn't need the princess, anyone to see. This was his burden, this was his responsibility. Keep the princess safe, defeat Ganon.

He kept running.

A roar echoed through Hyrule. In Link's mind it sounded like a taunt, a jab at him. It was Ganon saying 'I've killed the one you loved, the one who made you a person again. And even if you come and defeat me you will never get him or your friends back.' He gripped his sword tighter and ran faster. Zelda was trying to talk to him but he couldn't hear her over the sound of the rain and his heart beat thumping in his ears.

He kept running.

Keep the princess safe. Defeat Ganon. That was his plan. They were nearly to Hateno Forest, Kakariko Village wasn't far from there. Impa would keep Zelda safe while Link did what he was built for. The Divine Beasts all screeched again and Link shut his eyes tightly, forcing himself not to think about the one he lost. Zelda screamed and Link opened them again.

Guardians. Fire. Buildings in ruins. It spread across the field behind the old Dueling Peaks stable. Zelda pulled Link's hand, attempting to force him in another direction but he didn't go. A guardian saw them, then another, then a few more. He let go of the princess and ran towards them. There was fire in his veins and a pain in his heart.

Keep the princess safe. Defeat Ganon.

Keep the princess safe. Defeat Ganon.

Keep the princess safe.

Defeat Ganon.

"Link, please, stop!" Zelda was crying and pulling Link gently. He was crouched on the ground, panting heavily. "You can't keep doing this!" Doing what? He was doing what he was meant to do. Keeping the princess safe.

His body felt like it was on fire. Warm blood stained his dirty blue tunic and made it stick uncomfortably to Link's body. His clothes were ripped up, his hair was out of its pony tail (he was sure some of it actually got burned off), his legs felt like jelly and breathing was a struggle. His eyes threatened to close but Link forced them open. He didn't dare look down at his body again, he had been hurt in every way yet he didn't feel anything. All he could feel was the power burning through him, chanting his responsibility over and over in his mind. The sword was tired, he could feel it. The blade was badly damaged and the glow was gone.

"We have to go Link, we have to go somewhere safe." Zelda continued her pleading but Link stood up on shaky legs, grabbed her hand, and kept running. Another guardian saw them, Link stumbled to a stop, gripping his sword weakly. Zelda was behind him again, begging him to leave her behind and save himself. The Champion's legs buckled as he raised his sword, vision already blurring. The Guardian in front of him perched itself on its dead comrades and got ready to shoot its deadly light.

It never did come.

Something else happened instead. He was shoved aside and a light so bright erupted in front of him. The guardian was down in a second along with many others. The last thing Link saw before he collapsed and fell unconscious was Zelda turning around in front of him, tears in her eyes and looking overjoyed at the use of her holy power.