Revali paced around agitatedly at the entrance to Rito Village, oblivious to the strange looks he was receiving from the Rito guard on watch. To the innocent bystander, one could assume that the Rito Champion was having a bad day or perhaps had even received a tip off about a possible attack. The guard followed Revali's gaze to the stable that stood situated just outside the first entrance into Rito Village. He stayed silent, noting nothing out of the ordinary before feeling Revali push off from the ground with his Gale and sped towards the stable. The guard could then see a small traveling party approaching the first entrance and smiled as he noticed that all of them were Zora. The village was safe from a monster attack after all, the Champion was merely impatient.

Revali glided over the updrafts that surrounded the bridges leading up to his home, landing as gracefully as he could at Rito Stable. The Zora Champion stood at the forefront of the group, her face brightening when she spotted Revali only a few feet away. She pushed down the urge to run to him but did quicken her pace, her little brother and guard following closely behind.

"Revali!"

Revali smiled at the call of his name, bowing slightly to her before straightening once again.

"Good afternoon, Princess. I trust your journey went well?" He asked, Mipha nodding as she glanced back towards the lone Zora guard.

"Seggin is quite the capable Zora, one of our best soldiers in the Zora. I do not require protection from any potential threats but we did have precious cargo with us." Mipha said with a smile, glancing down at the small Zora hiding behind her leg. She patted his head and moved to the side.

"Go on Sidon, say hello to Master Revali." She gently encouraged, Sidon hesitantly approaching Revali with his tiny hand outstretched to the Rito. Revali knelt down slightly to shake the small Zora's hand, a soft smile upon his face.

"Hello again, little prince. Have you been practicing your flying since I last saw you?" He asked, Sidon nodding eagerly.

"I've been practicing every day! Mipha has been begging Father for us to come visit you for some reason, but I want to fly more!"

Mipha froze as Revali laughed heartily, straightening up with a smirk directed towards her. She averted her eyes in embarrassment as a blush bloomed onto her face. Sidon laughed giddily and rushed past Mipha and Revali, the two of them chasing after him before he reached the bridges. Seggin chuckled and followed after them, his spear clinking against his back with every step.

Sidon ooooh'd and ahhh'd at every single bug, fish, and blade of grass on the way up to Rito Village. Mipha firmly gripped his hand to make sure he didn't try and jump off the bridge while chasing a butterfly. Revali walked silently beside her, having to catch himself before he could put a wing around her to guide her. Not because she needed the extra assistance, but because some internal instinct told him to do so.

"What is wrong with me? If I keep acting like this, Mipha will want to leave." He scolded himself. Ever since he had returned from Gerudo Desert after visiting Zora's Domain he had felt...awkward around Mipha. As if he had crossed a line with her. He wasn't even the one that had kissed her on the cheek, she had kissed him on the cheek. If anyone should feel awkward, it would surely be her, right? And yet, he couldn't help but feel as though he couldn't even talk to her, not that he had much to say. Not anything he could say out loud without sounding like an utter fool.

The guard from before smiled when he saw the group approaching the entrance, giving a wink to Revali who simply glared at him as they continued up the wooden stairs. Mipha's eyes lit up as they rounded the first bend and caught sight of the inn that first greeted travelers arriving at the village. She was really here at last, Revali's home. The thought made her elated as she carefully walked up the steps, scooping Sidon into her arms quickly before continuing. She had seen him faceplant on the stairs at Zora's Domain one too many times to let him roam free with a place with as many stairs as Rito Village.

"This is the inn, where you can rest during the night. It isn't a pool but I hope you'll be comfortable nonetheless." Revali said, gesturing to the inn where a lone Rito stood behind the counter at the far end. Mipha could sense her eagerness for new patrons from where she was standing and continued up the stairs. She glanced up to see a spiraling wooden walkway above her, no doubt leading to the rest of the village. Rito Village was almost entirely vertical, something Mipha was not used to having lived in Zora's Domain all her life. The large stone sculpture she called home was not huge, but it wasn't small by any means. The East Reservoir Lake could swallow up all of Rito Village on its own. It was a wonder Revali wasn't so overwhelmed by seeing the rest of Hyrule considering the sheer scale of it.

Revali introduced the party to the shopkeepers for the general store as well as the clothes shop. The clothes shopkeeper had suggested Mipha give their insulating clothes a try but Revali had firmly declined. Mipha wondered if she would be alright with the cooler temperatures of the night, or if Sidon would be for that matter. She would talk to Revali about it later but allowed him to continue guiding them up the stairs. They soon reached the elder of the village, and while he seemed kind he was also rather large and imposing. Mipha had introduced herself, Sidon, and Seggin to him and he had greeted them wholeheartedly, exclaiming how happy he was that Revali had finally brought his friends back home. After that comment Revali had hurriedly ushered them out the elder's roost and back down to the kitchen.

Sidon knelt down by the cooking pot while Mipha held onto his shoulder to keep him from touching the fire, Seggin standing by the entryway. Revali grabbed a few ingredients, one of which Mipha could see was a Bokoblin Horn. She was suddenly worried about what Revali was making as he let the pot stew for a moment. She then saw him cutting the wings off a warm darner and throwing it into the pot with the Bokoblin horns he had. The stew began to turn red and somehow felt even hotter than before.

"Mipha, can you hand me the ladle from over on the counter?" Revali asked, Mipha nodding as she grabbed the utensil and handed it to him. She watched him pull out three bottles and ladled the mixture into them, passing each bottle to each Zora.

"Revali, what...is this?" Mipha asked, Revali smiling as he ladled the rest of the concoction into a jar and placed it on a shelf.

"That is a Spicy Elixir, it will keep you warm as the temperature drops. I know it is chilly in Zora's Domain but the temperature can go below freezing, especially when you're at my home in Hebra. Drink up!" He urged, Mipha and Seggin hesitantly taking a sip while Sidon gulped his down eagerly. As soon as the first drop of the elixir hit her tongue, Mipha could feel warmth blooming throughout her body. The taste wasn't all too bad, it was more spicy than anything else.

"Thank you, I was worried that Sidon would freeze when the night came." Mipha said, patting her brother on the head as he set down his empty bottle of elixir. Revali chuckled as he grabbed a sack from behind the counter and shouldered it.

"Did you have such little faith in me, Princess? You are my guests, I want to make sure you are all safe while under my care." He said, motioning for them to follow him out of the kitchen and back up the stairs. Mipha picked up Sidon's empty elixir bottle as he hurriedly ran after Revali, his small hand wrapped around one of Revali's fingers. Mipha smiled at the sight, not even noticing that Seggin had fallen into step beside her before he spoke.

"It seems the prince has become quite attached to the Rito Champion." He remarked, Mipha jolting from her daydream as she nodded in agreement.

"Oh yes, Revali and him seem to have become fast friends! I'm so thrilled Sidon has found a friend outside the Domain." She smiled, her eyes drifting back to Revali and Sidon, the former teasingly lifting Sidon up from the ground little by little as they continued up the steps, the Zora laughing giddily.

"It would seem that you have become attached to the Rito Champion as well."

Mipha felt her face warm from the comment as she went silent, Seggin chuckling as Revali led them out onto a landing with the Rito crest painted upon the wood. Sidon came running back to Mipha and Revali followed close behind, reaching behind them to pull a Feathered Spear from behind the railing. Mipha gasped as Revali stood with the spear, smirking as he stepped back towards the other side of the landing.

"You promised a spear fighting lesson the last time I saw you. I've learned the basics and I want to see if I can duel you with just knowing them." He said, Mipha smiling in disbelief as she pulled out her trident. Seggin picked up the Prince and stood on the walkway beside the landing to watch as Mipha sank back into a fighting stance.

"Are you sure you will be able to fight like this? The spear is not an easy weapon to master." Mipha asked, Revali nodding as he carefully took the spear into both his hands.

"We are Champions, it is smart to be able to use multiple weapons. Perhaps I may learn something from this duel."

Mipha nodded, quickly scanning the landing for any openings to Revali. He was relaxed now, but she knew how quickly his defenses would rise when a battle began. Besides, her little brother and her martial teacher were watching her as well, she could not lose this fight.

Digging her feet into the ground, she used her spear to help push her off the wood and flip up towards Revali. He raised the spear to block her blow and knock her back, her feet skidding across the landing. She vaguely wondered if she could conjure water this high up but as she had sensed no humidity since climbing up, she thought not. The closest water was down in the lake below and it would take much too long for it to aid her in battle.  She would need to rely on her spear fighting skills alone to win.

Revali took a swing at Mipha, allowing her the chance to nimbly dodge the attack. Revali was by no means a beginner, but she had been training with Seggin for years in the art of spear fighting. She thrust her trident forward, the middle spike barely missing Revali's stomach as she spun around to attack again, landing a blow against his side. Revali grunted from the sudden hit, mimicking Mipha's previous attack as he thrust his own spear forward. Mipha dug the butt of her trident into the ground slightly to spin around and dodge the blow, pulling her weapon out and landing a kick into Revali's chest.

Mipha huffed as she landed on the ground, her feet aching from the sudden landing. She heard a swing from behind her and just barely dived away, feeling the spear graze her leg. She winced as she slammed back down into the wood, glancing up to see Revali gazing at her worriedly as she stood. She lunged again, blades connecting as she and Revali circled around one another, taking small jabs and swings but nothing major, not yet. This felt more like a dance than a fight, something that Mipha couldn't help but feel was slightly scandalous. She swept her leg low to knock Revali off his feet, him falling backwards onto the ground. Mipha pointed her trident at his chest, a triumphant expression upon her face.

"Do you yield?"

Revali nodded, breathing a sigh of relief when Mipha pulled her trident away from him. He could only hope she couldn't see the prickling of his feathers. He had expected he'd be bested when fighting toe to toe with the best spearman in all of Hyrule, but being defeated this quickly was almost embarrassing. The way he had been so confident he'd last longer as well made him feel even worse. Mipha reached a hand out to him, pulling him off of the ground and returning his spear to him.

"We may be able to get a bit of a start on spear lessons, and you have myself and Seggin to assist. In fact, Seggin is the one who taught me how to fight with a spear." Mipha said proudly, Revali glancing over to see the Zora chuckling as he set Sidon back down onto the ground. The prince ran eagerly to Mipha as Seggin pulled out his own spear, carefully gripping the weapon.

"The first step in learning how to fight with any weapon is that you are holding it correctly. A spear may seem of less consequence to injure you than a bow, but make no mistake that any weapon handled incorrectly can harm or kill you." Seggin said, holding his spear upright for Revali to see his hand positioning.

"To have a firm grasp on your weapon, you must place them on these two handholds. This will keep the spear from flying out of your hands and potentially hurting yourself or someone else." He continued, Revali readjusting his grip while Mipha knelt down beside him. Sidon clung to her arm while she reached out to his leg.

"Do I have your permission to fix your stance?" She asked, Revali glancing down to see Mipha's outstretched hand hovering beside his leg. He nodded hesitantly, ignoring the fluttering of his heart while she shifted his legs to a wider position. She stood, her trident in her hands once again.

"Your form is a lot cleaner, now thrust your spear forward. Be mindful of your surroundings and that your spear is angled correctly." Mipha cautioned, backing away from Revali as he inhaled. He steeled himself before thrusting the spear forward a few times, making sure to keep the angle away from Mipha or Seggin. He glanced at Mipha, her pleased smile a relief to him as he lowered the spear.

"That was wonderful! Now, shall we try one more time?" Mipha asked, Revali nodding. He waited as the Zora took her place beside him, her trident raised alongside his spear. The differences between the make of the weapons was quite obvious now when side by side. The Feathered Spear was not of shoddy craftsmanship by any means, but compared to the elegance of the Lightscale Trident it almost seemed rudimentary.

With the guidance of Mipha and Seggin, the spear lessons went without a hitch. Sidon was sat off to the side with a watchful Rito keeping an eye on him and her own child. Revali felt a lightness in his heart that Mipha's own kin was able to get along so well with his people. It gave him hope that his people had accepted Mipha as well, something he had been secretly dreading ever since returning from his visit from her. These past few weeks had certainly felt strange to him, he had been eager, almost impatient to see Mipha again. Waiting everyday for a letter from her announcing her promised visit to Rito Village had been agony. He had not noticed how lonely he had felt until Princess Zelda had assigned them to stay guard at their own homes, not allowing him to see anyone else. It was almost as if he had returned to his old way of living, which saddened him greatly. What effect was Mipha having on him?

The sun was setting over Rito Village as Mipha felt a chill seep into her skin. The Spicy Elixir must have been wearing off, and if the dropping temperature was already having this effect on her, she worried how Sidon was taking it. Revali had disappeared back down to the kitchen to grab the jar of elixir, leaving Mipha, Sidon, and Seggin at the landing where they had spent the majority of the day. Sidon was dozing off in her arms, Mipha rubbing his head as she heard Revali's telltale clicking of his talons get closer. He had filled up the bottles of elixir and handed them to Seggin and Mipha. Mipha gently shook Sidon awake and uncorked the bottle, allowing the Zora to slowly drink the concoction before he fell asleep. Mipha and Seggin then drank theirs, the chill warded off once again.

"Princess."

Mipha glanced at Seggin, his arms slightly raised towards her as he gestured to the sleeping Zora in Mipha's arms.

"I can take the prince to the inn to rest while you have some time alone with Master Revali. Please come back safe, or the king will have my head." He teased, Mipha smiling as she gently passed Sidon to Seggin.

"Will you be alright on your own? How quickly do you need me to return?" She asked, the older Zora shrugging as he gently rocked Sidon.

"You can stay out all night if you need to, my lady. The village is safe and I will be going to sleep soon myself. I have faith that you two will be careful. Good night princess."

Seggin began walking away, leaving Mipha alone with Revali who had been standing awkwardly to the side. The sun had dipped below the horizon not too long ago, with the moon beginning to rise in its place. He turned towards her as she approached, his arms folded over one another.

"Are you free to leave the village? There's somewhere I'd like to show you." He whispered, Mipha nodding. Revali knelt down and allowed her to climb onto his back and wrap her arms around his back to stay on.

"Hold on tight."

Mipha shut her eyes and gripped onto Revali tightly as she felt the familiar rush of his Gale come to life around them. He pushed off the ground and began flying to who knows where, Mipha could not tell. She felt the temperature suddenly drop and clung on tightly to Revali, trying to take what little warmth she could find. She felt him angle downwards and knew he was beginning his descent as she slowly opened her eyes. All she could see was rock and snow around them, though in the distance she could see an almost familiar structure, though was distracted by the sound of billowing winds.

Revali landed beside a ladder that led up to what appeared to be a roost from Rito Village, but why was it all the way out here? Mipha wondered if this was Revali's home that he had mentioned earlier. She carefully climbed up the ladder into the roost, taking a quick scan of the place. It was small but cozy, with a few blankets and pillows laying around, a bow propped against a dresser, and a hammock strung up above them. A blazing fire crackled underneath a cooking pot, Mipha welcoming the warm feeling as she heard Revali climb into the roost after her.

"Revali, what is this place?" She asked, Revali smiling as he sat down by the fire, Mipha sitting beside him.

"This is the Flight Range. I had requested for it to be built a few years ago, and this is where I spend my time more often than not. The winds in the canyon allow me to practice archery while suspended in midair. I even developed my Gale here with the help of the winds." He said as he poked the twigs sitting in the fire with a tong, the firelight crackling within his eyes. Mipha felt comfortable sitting here with Revali, a gentle snow storm blowing outside while the fire kept them both warm, basking in each other's company. It was rare to have a quiet moment these days, with the war and her duties as princess of the Zora. It was...nice, to slow down once in a while.

"I believe it is wonderful, but do you not become lonely? The village is so lively." She asked, Revali sighing as he placed the tong down on the ground.

"I've never really noticed how lonely it is until...I met you." He mumbled, Mipha freezing as she attempted to process his words. Did he mean that she made him want to be around other people? That he wasn't forcing himself to be around her for her benefit or because he felt sorry for her? It was almost too good to be true.

"I've made you lonely?" She asked, Revali shaking his head quickly as he looked towards her.

"No, not when you're here. You make me feel...wanted, and I have to admit I've become accustomed to the feeling. It is...painful, to see you go or to leave you. I feel as if I finally have a true friend for the first time in my life."

Mipha hesitated for a moment, though her instincts led her to place her hand upon his wing. Revali jolted from the sudden touch, his heart racing as he searched for something, anything to keep him from sounding like a fool. He then noticed a familiar blue glow up in the night sky, even through the heavy snow. He was reminded of his promise to Mipha to what seemed like an eternity ago as he stood, Mipha rising with him. He gestured to the sky, Mipha following his gaze.

"Would you still like to meet Medoh?" Revali asked, Mipha nodding as she followed him outside to a long platform that jutted out into the canyon. The winds were louder here, though neither of them needed words as Mipha climbed onto Revali's back once more. He waited patiently for her to get situated before launching himself into the air. He prayed she was holding on tightly as he angled steeply to reach Medoh high up in the night sky, the wind seeming to bite into his skin.

The wind against his back was warded off by Mipha clinging to him, but he worried that she'd be too cold all the way up here. It was a good thing the moon was shining so brightly that night or he would've needed some navigational assistance. He leveled out his body back to flat, careful to not jostle his passenger as he sped towards Medoh. The Divine Beast seemed to slow slightly after sending Revali's presence, allowing him to catch up and land on the tail end.

"We're here." He said, Mipha looking up from his back before slowly sliding off. The wind was harsh and cold, she felt as if she could feel her scales freezing on her body. She shivered, Revali glancing over at her and sighing. He had a hunch this may happen, but not so quickly upon arriving at Medoh. He moved his wing away from his side as a sort of offer to Mipha, which she immediately took as she clung to his side for warmth. His wing enveloped her small frame as he held her close, not moving nor speaking till he felt her stop shaking.

"Are you alright? I was not entirely sure how the temperature up here would affect you, but I did not expect the temperature to drop this low this quickly. We can return to the Flight Range if it's too much for you?" Revali asked, Mipha shaking her head as she pulled her head away from his side.

"I want to see all of Medoh, not just the tail end. Will you show me?" She pleaded, Revali groaning before nodding reluctantly.

"Okay fine, but the moment I see you shivering again we are leaving, okay?"

"Of course, Revali."

Revali groaned at the feeling of his face warning as he came to realize that Mipha was going to be clinging onto him this entire expedition. With the way his heart was pounding now, he wasn't entirely sure if he could take much more excitement. He led Mipha in through the entryway into the interior of the Divine Beast, the fans within bringing an extra chill to the air. The two walked down the ramp that led to the very bottom of the Divine Beast. There were thin windows inlaid into the floor for what Mipha assumed were to signify ribs, but the glass didn't feel like any ordinary window. She peeked through to see the snowy mountains of Hebra, the moon giving it a faint blue glow.

"This is beautiful, Revali. The ability to observe all that is below through the Divine Beast, it is incredible." Mipha remarked, Revali chuckling as he helped her back up from the floor.

"You haven't seen anything yet. Climb onto my back, I'll take you to the top." He said, Mipha climbing on with no trouble at all. She had gotten quite used to this by now, watching Revali run back towards the entryway and onto one of the fans. It felt almost like his Gale but less forceful as it carried the both of them upwards, Revali landing on the platform at the very top. Mipha gasped as she looked around the top of the Divine Beast. The area was almost flat, a few more fans inlaid within the ground as well as the familiar bud looking control unit at the center. It matched the one within Ruta, pulsing with a blue glow that illuminated the surrounding area. There were even hints of moss speckled against the otherwise barren rock, causing Mipha to wonder if the moss was grown by Medoh itself.

"It's so flat up here, I never would've imagined that our Divine Beasts would be so different." Mipha said, kneeling down to examine the moss.

"We are not as different as you may think. The Zora and the Rito are connected to one another, do you not recall?"

Mipha jerked away from the ground back into Revali's arms, searching around for the source of the voice as Revali chuckled.

"Medoh, don't tease her like that. She's never heard another Divine Beast speak before."

"There isn't a way to exactly announce my presence without alerting all of Hyrule that you are up here."

Revali sighed, leading Mipha to the control unit at the center, pressing her hand against the Sheikah eye with his own. Mipha had never noticed how large Revali's hands were compared to her own, but now that she could feel his wing envelope her entire arm it was hard not to now. The stone felt cold against her palm as she felt something seep from the eye. Blue light began to crawl up her arm, causing both her and Revali to jump at the sight. It was almost mesmerizing, but both of them wondered what it meant.

"There, now you both can hear me at the same time so I won't scare your Zora anymore."

Revali rolled his eyes as he pulled Mipha away from the unit, glancing around the vast expanse of his Divine Beast. He had never noticed how large it was until seeing it with Mipha, wondering how large Ruta was on the inside. He then heard faint music in his mind, an orchestral crescendo he hadn't heard outside of Hyrule Castle. Mipha looked around as well, meeting Revali's eyes as he gazed at her with confusion.

"Do you hear that too?" He asked, Mipha nodding. The music seemed to be getting louder, surrounding them and closing them in. The wind seemed to die down and the sky glowed slightly brighter around them.

"Go on, ask her to dance." Medoh urged, Revali gulping as he realized the source of the music was Medoh. He wondered how it was even possible but dancing did not seem to be a bad idea, at least at the moment. He shifted his body to stand in front of Mipha instead of beside her, his hand reaching out to her as his other rested on her hip.

"I know this may seem a strange request, but would you like to dance with me?" Revali asked, Mipha smiling and nodding as she rested her hand within his. The feathers that covered his body felt soft against her skin as he held her close, swaying to the music as they danced and stepped almost in sync with one another. It felt almost romantic in a way, though for the first time neither seemed to be nervous about it. Mipha rested her head against Revali's chest, the metal plating almost soothing against her burning face. Revali held tightly onto her waist, his whole hand covering her back as he led them along. Something deep within him told him to never let go of her, to keep her close, to protect her, to love her? Love was a strange thing to him, and he never could have imagined that he could ever love another person. He could begrudgingly admit he cared about the other Champions to some degree, loved his home and his people, but the feelings he held towards Mipha felt different.

She made him feel safe but also scared, she made him happy when she was near and sad when she was far. He had grown lax in his training the past few months, training seemed to have little meaning when he was alone. For goodness sake they were in the middle of a war, he couldn't be slacking on anything concerned with fighting. He should be training right now, not dancing the night away with this Zora who had somehow managed to worm her way into his heart. The way she smiled at him made it feel like he could fight Ganon and win all on his own. He wanted to protect her, to fight by her side. Did he love her? Was he in love with her?

The revelation caused Revali to cease dancing, stopping in his tracks as Mipha stopped with him. He glanced down at her, nervous as she gazed up towards him with concern.

"Revali, are you alright?" She asked, reaching a hand up to cup his cheek. What she didn't expect was for him to lean into her palm, pressing his hand against her own. His eyes softened at her worried expression, touched at the express of concern.

"I have never been better, Princess. Because of you, I feel...I feel warm." He mumbled, Mipha smiling as she rubbed her thumb over his feathers. She could feel his cheeks warm and giggled, watching as his feathers fluffed up at the sound.

"You make me feel warm too. I would never want anyone else to, not after having met you." She whispered, Revali leaning down to her and pressing his forehead against hers. She had seen some couples back at Rito Village do this while Revali was showing her around, so she wondered if it was the equivalent of a kiss. She smiled, pressing her lips against the front of his beak. She pulled away, giggling at the red smudge of red lipstick she had left behind. Revali was too shocked to say anything as she wiped it away, allowing himself to be pulled into a tight embrace. Mipha buried her face within his neck as he held her tightly to him. The phantom music had ceased, leaving nothing but the sound of the roaring wind around them. Revali pulled away reluctantly, glancing up at the sky. The moon had begun to set, if they waited any longer then he wouldn't be able to see anything at all.

"I am afraid we have to return to the Flight Range, Princess. Climb on and hold on tight." Revali said, Mipha nodding as she clambered on, holding tightly around his neck as she felt him race off the Divine Beast. His descent was more angled, circling downwards to avoid Mipha falling off. She felt him flatten out and kneel down, allowing her to open her eyes to see they had arrived back at the Flight Range. She slid off his back, the warmth of the fire engulfing her once more as she felt exhaustion start to seep in. Revali came in after her and gestured to the hammock that was strung high above their head, far too high above Mipha's head.

She was about to wonder if she had to climb up before feeling herself being swept off her feet and deposited into the surprisingly cushioned hammock. She felt Revali slide in after her, not leaving much space for the both of them to lay next to each other side by side. She curled against his side, nuzzling into the soft feathers of his neck and falling asleep as she felt his wing curl around her. Revali hurriedly took off his chest plate in an effort to not disturb her, using his Gale to gently drop it onto the ground as he shifted to hold her close. He had never shared a hammock with anyone before, but now that he had experienced it he wasn't entirely sure he could ever sleep alone again.

"Good night, Revali." He heard a sleepy voice mumble, him smiling as he rested his beak against the top of her head.

"Good night, Mipha."