It was a beautiful afternoon in the Lanayru region of Hyrule, with clear blue skies and the sun shining brightly on the multicolored mountains that surrounded the area.

Zora's Domain seemed to glow under the sunlight, the luminous stone that made up the entirety of the large stone sculpture somehow blending in with the scenery of the mountains but managing to look striking all the same.

A little ways from the Domain was the East Reservoir Lake, contained by a large dam also made from luminous stone, a marvel of Zora and Hylian architecture that had stood for millennia to keep the disastrous flooding at bay that had devastated Hyrule in ages past.

Contained within the large artificial lake was the Divine Beast Vah Ruta, one of the four massive Sheikah mechanical beasts that were meant for battling against Calamity Ganon.

Mipha, the Zora Champion who piloted Vah Ruta, swam lazily in the water beside her large mechanical companion, enjoying a rare day where no attacks had been mounted against her home.

Tensions had been running high in Hyrule ever since the return of Calamity Ganon had been prophesied by a fortune teller, and the increasing intensity and frequency of the monster attacks were nothing to scoff at.

Only a few weeks before had Zelda and the rest of the Champions visited Zora's Domain and strengthened the defenses in the area, but only so much could be done by defense alone.

As ordered by King Dorephan, the Zora were to begin more intensive training almost immediately after the decree, and those who were not involved in the war effort were to limit travel outside of Zora's Domain, as it was too dangerous.

While the limitations may have seemed harsh, everyone knew that it was necessary, even the small children who were usually quite rebellious remained within the confines of Zora's Domain.

The only Zora that were allowed to venture beyond the Domain were any Zora Soldiers ordered to do patrols around Lanayru, and Mipha.

While Mipha was secretly relieved to be able to leave home sometimes, she also felt guilty of how worried her father was whenever she left to go on missions, so she stayed at home whenever possible to ease her father's mind.

As she swam around Vah Ruta, she looked over to the stone platform that led to the pathway to return to Zora's Domain where two guards stood watch, though they were faced away from her to give her privacy.

While King Dorephan had said she could leave the Domain, he also had two guards assigned to her at all times to help keep her safe, though they were mainly for extra support in battle than for her primary protection.

That she could do on her own.

Other than the occasional clanking that came from the machinery within Ruta and the waves splashing in the lake, it was quiet.

The cool water felt refreshing as Mipha looked over at Ruta, the glowing blue in its body making her feel more peaceful.

Her mind then wandered over to another person on her mind, or another Rito, to be more specific.

Ever since Revali had left the Domain to return home to Rito Village, Mipha had hoped that he would take her offer on visiting Zora's Domain whenever he wanted as soon as possible, but a few weeks had passed and she had not heard a word from him.

She had been eager to see him again, but also felt slightly guilty about lying to him about her being the pianist he was hearing every night, though for what reason she did not know.

The look on his face when talking about the mysterious pianist, about her, was still quite clear in her mind, and it always served to make her heart skip a beat and her face start to heat up as she remembered it.

"Ruta, do you think I should have told Revali I was the pianist he had been hearing at night while staying here in Zora's Domain?" Mipha said aloud, though she knew Ruta couldn't verbally answer her.

However, she knew what Ruta was thinking, though whether or not it was because of her connection with the Divine Beast or some other mysterious phenomenon, she had no clue.

The Divine Beast's machinery clanked and hissed in a sort of response, which only made Mipha sigh as she slowly used her webbed arms and feet to swim through the water.

"Yes, I suppose it wasn't right to lie to him, but I didn't want to disappoint him by telling him the pianist was me. He quite clearly thinks highly of her despite never even speaking with her, I didn't want to let him down." Mipha said, with Revali appearing in her mind once again, smiling softly at her, though it did nothing to help her current thoughts.

Ruta's machinery hummed as it appeared to be in thought, before it spoke with Mipha again, who surprised her with its response.

"You think I'm trying to avoid rejection from him? That's ridiculous, what kind of rejection from him would possibly hurt me? We're only friends." She said, and even her own words sounded fake to her as they came out of her mouth, and Ruta seemed to pick up on it as it said something else.

"Perhaps you're right, maybe I am scared he'll reject me, so I pushed him away before he could get the chance, but we're in the middle of a war, Ruta! We have so much to do if we're going to survive this ordeal, and that means we can't get distracted, not even with things like that." Mipha said, and while she knew she was right, it was still a painful thought.

Link's indirect rejection had broken her heart already, now here she was breaking her own heart over a confusing relationship she had with her fellow Champion.

"I should head back to Zora's Domain before Father gets too worried. Good-bye, Ruta."

Mipha began swimming back to the platform where both her guards turned once they heard the splashing that marked her return, bowing once she left the water.

"Good afternoon, Lady Mipha. We are ready to escort you back to Zora's Domain once you are ready to depart." The guard to her left said, and she smiled sadly as she picked up her trident that had been leaning against a pillar.

She began walking to the staircase, the two Zora following behind her, and she looked back at Ruta one last time before the Divine Beast disappeared from her view as she descended the staircase back down to the grassy pathway that led to Zora's Domain.

Mipha walked ahead of her two guards, her trident in her hands, still in deep thought about what she was to do about Revali when another guard came running from the direction of Zora's Domain.

"Lady Mipha!"

Mipha already looked up, a concerned look on her face, her two guards readying their spears in defense.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Mipha asked frantically, and the Zora Guard shook his head, breathing heavily from running from Zora's Domain.

"Nothing is amiss, My Lady. I was asked to come to you as quickly as possible to inform you that Master Revali has arrived at Zora's Domain."

Mipha felt as if the world around her had stopped, hearing those words she had been longing to hear, though she couldn't quite shake the feeling of dread that suddenly arose.

"Where is he now?" Mipha asked, and the Guard pointed towards the main square where the Zora most liked to gather, due to its large flat space.

"He's in the square, My Lady. He asked me personally to come to you as quickly as possible to let you know he was here."

Mipha had only listened to the first part of what the Guard had said before she rushed past him, sprinting away from her two Guards, her trident swinging dangerously in her hands as she hurried to the main part of Zora's Domain.

She ignored the calls of the Zora Guards she left behind as she passed under the archway that passed over the exit from the bridge to the main square, stopping dead in her tracks.

Standing in the middle of the square, standing out with his navy blue feathers and sharp beak, his bow strapped to his back, was Revali.

Mipha could only stare at him, trying to figure out if this was real or not, her trident hanging loosely in her hand.

Revali noticed her staring at him as he turned to walk towards her while trying to hide the very obvious smile on his face, deciding to go for a smirk instead.

"Hello, Princess. Forgive my sudden appearance, but I wasn't aware how to get into contact with you to let you know I was coming."

That, of course, was a lie. Revali had known exactly how to contact Mipha to let her know of his arrival, he had just wanted to surprise her with his sudden appearance, and judging by her expression, it had worked.

Mipha smiled warmly at Revali, feeling positively overjoyed at seeing her beloved friend once again.

"The circumstances of how you are here do not matter, I am just glad that you are well. May I ask what brings you here?" Mipha asked, and Revali shrugged, unsure of what to say as he had no actual reason to be there besides seeing Mipha, but he couldn't just say that.

"I decided I would act upon your offer and come to Zora's Domain to train, and also to start your archery lessons." He said finally, and Mipha smiled as she remembered that she was supposed to learn archery from Revali in exchange for allowing him to come here whenever he pleased.

Not that he needed any reason to come here, Mipha was always delighted to see him.

However, the older Zora were not quite so pleased to see outsiders within their Domain, especially ones that consorted with their princess, even if that outsider was a Champion.

Even Muzu, her teacher, despised all outsiders, Hylians usually, but if there was anything he hated more than Mipha spending time with a Hylian, then it was Mipha spending time with a Rito.

As long as Revali had a reason to be there, however, the other Zora had nothing to complain about.

Mipha nodded, placing her spear in its sheath on her back and she looked back at the statue where her father, King Dorephan, was sitting on his throne.

"We can start training once you introduce yourself to my father. Follow me." She said and began walking up the staircase that led to the throne room, though Revali could feel himself starting to panic at the thought of formally meeting Mipha's father.

"Are you sure that's necessary? He's met me before, has he not?" Revali said, and though while this was technically true, Mipha still shook her head.

"It is considered rude to not introduce yourself to the king once you arrive at Zora's Domain, and you were introduced by Zelda as a Champion. I want you to introduce yourself as a member of the Rito, and as my friend and archery teacher." She said, continuing the climb up the stairs, and Revali cursed to himself.

There was no getting out of this, and he did not want to make a bad first impression with King Dorephan, though why he was worried so much about what the Zora King thought of him, he did not know.

The two passed by the Goddess Statue that every major settlement seemed to have, though no one had prayed to Hylia for thousands of years.

No one, except for Zelda, of course.

It was almost pitiful, the way King Rhoam, Zelda's father and the King of Hyrule, forced her to train at the different Springs of the Goddess scattered across Hyrule, where she begged and pleaded for her sealing power to awake, only for no response from the seemingly cold smile of the Goddess statue.

Mipha and Revali both looked at it with unease before they walked up the final staircase that led to the Throne Room, a place where Revali had stood only a few weeks before.

King Dorephan, as large and as imposing as ever, sat in the pool of water that served as his throne, and Sidon appeared to be playing with a toy of some kind beside him.

"Mipha, you've returned from Vah Ruta. I see you have brought one of your Champions with you, when did he arrive?" Dorephan asked, his deep voice echoing around the chamber, but Mipha did not seem to be bothered by this.

"He has only just arrived, and I thought it would be quite rude if he didn't introduce himself to you."

Revali took that as his cue to speak, though Mipha's short introduction did nothing to calm his nerves.

He glanced over at her, and she smiled and nodded in encouragement, which did make him feel slightly better as he cleared his throat.

"Greetings, Your Majesty, I am Revali, Champion of the Rito as chosen by Princess Zelda herself. I apologize for arriving unannounced, but I have been quite busy making preparations at my village in the Tabantha region." He said, and Dorephan smiled, which made Revali feel slightly relieved.

"Ah, so you're the Revali my Mipha has spoken so highly of. She talks about how wonderful you are quite a lot, you know." He said, stunning both Mipha and Revali, though it appeared the king wasn't finished speaking, and his expression suddenly turned harsher.

"My dear daughter had also told me she had extended an invitation for you to visit Zora's Domain when you were last here with your fellow Champions, but we had not received word from you these past few weeks. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever show." He said sternly, causing Revali to feel slightly guilty, even though he had done nothing wrong. He had been busy at Rito Village, after all.

"I meant no offense, Your Majesty, I-"

He looked up to see that Dorephan once again was smiling, as he let out a hearty laugh that boomed around the room, and Revali heard Mipha breathe a sigh of relief.

"I merely jest, Champion. Defeating Calamity Ganon will be no easy feat, and it is no business of mine what do you do in your free time. However, I do have a request." Dorephan said, and Sidon suddenly perked up and stared at Revali.

While Revali was used to stares, he didn't particularly like them, though the little Zora's big round eyes and chubby cheeks were certainly quite adorable.

"What kind of request?" Revali asked, and Dorephan seemed to sense the unease in his voice, as he merely waved his hand as if he was trying to ward off any cause for concern.

"Oh, it is nothing bad, my boy. You see, my dear son Sidon has been eager to meet you and has been wanting to ask if you would take him flying."

Sidon then stood up from where he was sitting and eagerly ran over to where Revali was standing, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Oh please, Master Revali, could you take me flying? I promise I'm really light, and I won't weigh you down! Pretty please?" Sidon asked, and Revali glanced over at Mipha, who was trying to hide her laugh behind her hand.

He then realized that Mipha knew all along about Dorephan's plan, and while he couldn't help but be a little upset she didn't give him a heads up, he still felt a warm feeling inside when remembering how she seemed to have talked about him for countless hours to her family.

"I would be honored to take the Prince flying. He will be as safe as he can possibly be in the air when with me, I promise." Revali said, and Dorephan smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Master Revali, I am truly grateful. You are welcome to come to Zora's Domain anytime, so I do hope you come to see us more often." Dorephan said, and Revali nodded, before he walked out of the Throne Room, Sidon hurriedly running after him, leaving Mipha and her father alone.

Mipha stared off after them smiling and turned to follow them before she heard her name.

"Mipha."

She turned to see Dorephan looking at her with an expression that was a cross between hesitation and concern.

"What is it, Father?" Mipha asked, and the Zora King only sighed in response.

"Are you planning on taking him to Vah Ruta?" He asked finally, and the question caught Mipha off guard.

She had been planning to take Revali to see Vah Ruta, but she had no idea her father suspected that as well.

"Yes, Ruta has been quite eager to meet him. Will that be an issue?" She asked, and Dorephan shook his head, his smile back on his face.

"It is not an issue, daughter. However, I have decided that whenever you are leaving the Domain with Master Revali, I won't have guards trailing you to protect you." He said, and Mipha's eyes lit up.

"Really? Do you mean it?" She asked, and Dorephan nodded.

"Of course. The might of two Champions should be enough to dispel any threat the two of you would face, but please still be careful." He said, and Mipha beamed.

"I will, and thank you, Father. I will bring Sidon back in a little while after he's given the chance to go flying."

Mipha then rushed out of the Throne Room down towards the main square, leaving her father alone once again as she headed towards where Sidon and Revali were standing.

Sidon was bouncing around excitedly, a big toothy grin upon his face, while Revali was trying and failing to get him to calm down enough.

He looked up to see Mipha rushing towards them and gave her a look that she could interpret as "Help me."

"Master Revali, can we go now? Please?" Sidon asked excitedly and turned to see Mipha standing behind him.

"Sister, can we go flying now?" He asked as Mipha knelt down facing him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You're not going anywhere until you calm down, and Master Revali will tell you how to hold on to him so you don't fall and injure yourself. Can you stay calm for him, we don't want to be rude, right?" Mipha asked, and Sidon shook his head, though Revali could tell Mipha's words had calmed him down as Sidon looked up at him, which Revali took as his cue to start.

"So what I need you to do is climb onto my back and grip onto the straps that hold up my armor tightly, and make sure that you don't let go. Can you do that, little prince?" Revali asked, and Sidon nodded excitedly.

Mipha then helped Sidon onto Revali and followed with what he had said, and once she was sure Sidon wasn't going to fall, she stepped away.

"You can go now. Be careful, you two!"

Revali glanced back at Mipha and smirked, which caused her heart to skip a beat that she barely noticed him take off and before she knew it, he and Sidon were both up in the sky.

Revali had only gone high enough to not hit any of the sculptures or pillars because he knew Mipha would most likely have a heart attack if he had gone any higher, and he didn't want to risk harming her or the little prince.

Sidon, for his part, was extremely calm, though Revali could still hear the audible gasps and laughter from the tiny Zora on his back at the thrill of flying through the air.

It reminded Revali of when he had first learned to fly, a memory he treasured fondly, as did any Rito.

Mipha stood anxiously on the ground watching Revali and Sidon fly over the Domain, though she could see Sidon was having an amazing time, and though she couldn't see his face clearly, she could sense Revali was smiling as well.

After a few minutes of the two of them soaring in the clear blue sky, Revali finally landed back in front of Mipha, a smug smile on his face as he allowed Sidon to climb off his back.

Sidon ran up to Mipha and ran into her arms for the hug she was offering, a big smile on his face.

"Sister, that was so fun! I got to see a bunch of fish and little tiny birds, and the clouds were even closer, it was so cool!" Sidon said happily, and Mipha laughed, patting her brother on the head as she looked up at Revali, who looked like he felt he was out of place.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, but don't forget to thank Master Revali for taking you flying." Mipha said warmly, and Sidon immediately spun around and hugged Revali as well, who was taken off guard.

"Oh, thank you Master Revali, thank you!" Sidon yelled, and Revali chuckled as he patted the little Zora on his head.

"You're welcome, Little Prince. You can fly with me any time you'd like." He said, and Sidon showed his pointy teeth at Revali in his big smile, which reminded Revali of Mipha.

Mipha picked up Sidon and began walking up the stairs back to the Throne Room, leaving Revali little choice but to follow.

"Where are we going now, Sister?" Sidon asked, and Mipha laughed once again, causing Revali to consider how lucky he was to be able to hear her laugh, as it was truly wonderful.

"You are going back to the Throne Room with Father, Master Revali and I have other matters to take care of. Will you behave while I'm gone?" Mipha asked, and Sidon nodded, though he looked a little sad.

"Yes, Sister."

The three of them soon reached the entrance to the Throne Room, and Mipha set down Sidon, who ran off back beside King Dorephan.

Mipha smiled and waved at her father before leaving, and Revali hurried after her, not wanting to be caught in the King's gaze once again, though he seemed to like him, as far as he could tell.

"So, where did you want to do our training?"

Revali looked up from the ground to see Mipha looking intently at him, her amber eyes seeming to stare directly into his soul.

"Training?" He asked, and Mipha nodded, as she pointed towards the outside of Zora's Domain, in the direction of what Revali could see as a large stone dam.

"Yes, our archery training. Outside the East Reservoir Lake would be best, unless you would like to go somewhere else?" She asked, and Revali shook his head.

"It looks like a good place to start with beginner's lessons. You mentioned before I left last time that your father was assigning guards to follow you anywhere you go, do we need to wait for them?"

Mipha shook her head and smiled as she continued onward towards the large stone dam, Revali walking beside her.

"Father has given me permission to not have my guards follow when you are here." She said simply, which caught Revali quite off guard.

"Did he say why?" He asked, and Mipha shrugged in response.

"I suppose he trusts that you will be able to help me fight off any threat that may come our way. That is why he had them around in the first place, not because I needed protection."

Revali smiled to himself, as he knew all too well that was true. He couldn't even remember all the times Mipha had come to save him during their many battles against Calamity Ganon's forces, and he did not doubt that there would be more to come.

His being able to save her from Lizalfos the last time he was here was only a little bit of debt from her saving his life so many times that he could repay.

The two of them passed by a lone guard patrolling on the bridge that led to the East Reservoir Lake.

Revali couldn't tell if they were a male or female Zora, but the guard didn't seem to care as they bowed their head in respect before walking away to the other side of the bridge closest to Zora's Domain.

While Revali could admit to himself that he and Mipha had grown closer as friends, he had to admit that even he was still quite blindsided by all Zora traditions and customs, or even who they were as people.

However, he decided those were questions for another time, as Mipha had stopped walking and was looking at him again, and while Revali was confused for a moment, he realized he was the teacher in this and that he would have to take the initiative.

"Do you have anything that could be used as practice targets? Normally a good archer would want to be able to hit a moving target, but as you're a beginner, I think we should start with the basics and work our way up."

Mipha thought for a moment before she held up a rather large leaf for him to see.

"I wasn't able to procure any actual targets, but maybe we can make use of the resources around us?" She said, and Revali sighed and nodded.

"It won't be ideal, but it'll do for now. It's my fault for being underprepared when I knew I was coming to give you lessons."

Mipha shrugged in response once again, and Revali got the feeling she didn't mind his forgetfulness, as she took out a small knife from what Revali could assume was a hidden sheath and pushed it slightly into the tree to keep the leaf in place.

"It is no problem, Revali, we have a perfectly good target right here. Now, may we start the lessons? I'm quite eager to learn from 'The Best Archer of all the Rito', after all."

Revali felt his cheeks warm from his title that he liked to mention every so often, whether if it was to show how he had superior skills to that insufferable knight Link, or if he was merely trying to give himself confidence when taking a difficult shot.

"Yes, we can begin. Do you have a bow of your own? Mine may be a little heavy for you." Revali said, and Mipha shook her head, though her gentle smile never left.

"I did not, but I'm stronger than you may think I am. May I use your bow? I can easily run back to the Domain if yours proves to be too much trouble, but I don't want to be too much of an inconvenience."

Revali could barely contain his smile at that, but he took his bow from his back and handed it to Mipha, who took it with surprising ease.

She then looked expectantly at Revali, who could only stare back in shock, though even through his disbelief Revali couldn't help but feel proud as he pulled out one arrow from a quiver slung to his back, though Mipha could not see it.

"Here, show me how you think the arrow should be strung through the bow, and I'll correct you if there is an error." Revali said, stepping away from Mipha slightly to give her some space.

The word choice of "if" gave Mipha the impression that Revali had more faith in her in picking up archery than she had in herself, as he had said many times that it took him years of training to get to the level he was at now with archery.

She felt a small swell of pride in her chest as she thought about it, and did as he instructed, though as soon as she made her stance, Mipha heard Revali walk closer towards her almost immediately, observing each move she had made.

"Well, you'll want to fix this, you'll want to move your hands, widen your stance, stare straight ahead at the target..."

Each correction that he made came with a slight physical adjustment on Mipha's body, as she stood as still as she could while Revali gently fixed her form, and even for the brief moment he touched her, she could feel the warmth from his fingers, leaving a lingering tingle on her otherwise cool skin.

Revali was oblivious to the fact that he was touching Mipha quite a bit, as he was more focused on making sure she was in perfect shape to shoot a bow because even he had trouble shooting the Great Eagle Bow when it was first crafted, not that he would tell anyone except maybe Mipha that.

"There, your form is perfect, almost as perfect as mine. Remember what this feels like, and strive to achieve this same form each time you go to shoot an arrow. Having a perfect stance and handling of your bow is imperative if you want to have success, and if you don't want to harm yourself doing so." Revali said, stepping back once again, though Mipha wished that he hadn't.

"Hurt me? But the arrow won't be pointed at my body, right?" She asked, Revali smiling grimly as he pulled out an unlit bomb arrow from seemingly out of nowhere.

"A normal arrow will not hurt you if you shoot it incorrectly, but an elemental arrow, or even a bomb arrow, can have dire consequences if not shot correctly. I cannot tell you how many injuries I have sustained by incorrectly firing a Fire Arrow. My point is I want you to be safe while you're under my tutelage, and if you ever decide to use archery in combat, it is of the utmost importance you don't get hurt."

While his words could be said to anyone and the basic meaning would mean the same, Mipha could see the slight sadness in his eyes, as if he had known someone dear to him who had gotten severely hurt through this method.

She gave a smile to him that she hoped seemed encouraging as she turned to face back towards the target, her arrow pointed directly at the center of the leaf.

"Okay, now draw the string back, far enough that your hand will brush on your face, but not enough that you'll hurt yourself when you let go of the string. Concentrate on where you want the arrow to aim, and that's where it will go."

Mipha took a deep breath and drew the arrow back, feeling the sharp feathers at the end that were attached to the narrow wood, her hand at her cheek.

"Okay, now loose!"

The arrow flew from the bow, arcing straight through the air, landing on the edge of the leaf. Not a perfect bullseye, but it was on the target.

"I did it! I may not have managed to land it on the bullseye first try, but I hit the target!" Mipha said excitedly, bouncing up and down with excitement like a child, which Revali found quite endearing.

"That was quite impressive for your first try. Who knows, perhaps one day you'll be able to match my skill." He said, taking the arrow out of the target and the tree, the tip of the arrowhead having managed to pierce the bark just slightly.

Mipha beamed as Revali handed the arrow to her, the leaf target now having a giant hole at the bottom.

"Here, let's try again. I'm confident that you can hit the center of the target." Revali said, and Mipha nodded as she went to draw the arrow once again.

After countless times of Mipha aiming and shooting arrows at the target, she had finally made a bullseye, though the hole-riddled leaf showed how many attempts it took to her to get there.

Revali took the arrow that had made the bullseye from the target, placing it back into his quiver and glanced back over at Mipha.

She looked a little exhausted, though Revali could sense her happiness even from where he was standing, and the warmth of her smile made his cheeks warm up as he walked back towards her.

"I think that's enough training for today, but you did well for your first lesson, Princess. I'm quite impressed." He said, gently taking his bow from her hands and placing it on his back.

"This experience was truly enlightening, I hope you will continue to give me lessons, Revali." Mipha said, looking at the now pinkish-orange sky that marked that the sun was setting.

Revali followed her gaze, before looking back at the main part of Zora's Domain, the calming blue of the stone giving him a sense of peace and happiness, but also a little sorrow. It had been a wonderful day, but it had to come to an end sooner or later.

"We should start heading back to Zora's Domain before nightfall. Most of the monsters around here will be asleep, but the Stal monsters are a whole other problem."

He took a step back towards the bridge to Zora's Domain but saw Mipha shake her head and pointed towards the East Reservoir Lake in the opposite direction of the Domain.

"Actually, I have someone at the Reservoir who has been eager to meet you for some time now. Will you come with me and introduce yourself to them?" Mipha asked, silently pleading with Revali by staring into his eyes with her own, and he sighed as he felt his will start to crumble almost immediately from her soulful stare.

"Fine, I'll meet this mysterious figure at the East Reservoir Lake, if that is what you would like for me to do."

As soon as the words had left his mouth, he felt Mipha's hand wrap around his wing around where his palm would be as best she could, and began leading towards the staircase that led up to the East Reservoir Lake.

The both of them were shocked by how bold Mipha was being, as even just a few weeks before would she never have grabbed someone's hand and led them towards somewhere without their explicit permission.

However, even with the little time the two had ever spent together, Mipha had grown more comfortable around Revali than perhaps anyone else she knew, even Link.

She had noticed her change in feelings towards Revali, the way it was so easy to talk to him for hours, how she felt she could trust him with any secret or worry and he wouldn't tell a soul, it was a special sort of intimacy that she had never had with anyone else.

It was what Mipha would've wished to have with Link so long ago, but even then, she had always known in her heart that any relationship they would have in the future would never extend past anything platonic, not since he was assigned to be Princess Zelda's personal knight.

Mipha shook the thoughts from her mind as she and Revali walked together in silence, the waterfalls in the background and the quiet rustling of the trees in the breeze creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Revali was intrigued by their surroundings, twisting his head to look back towards the large waterfalls that surrounded Mipha's home, and he was curious to know if the rumors about them and the Zora were true.

"Mipha?"

As soon as she heard her name, Mipha turned to see Revali staring curiously at the waterfalls, as though he was trying to solve a puzzle and was hoping the answer would be within the falling water.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, and Revali could see the look of concern on her face, so he shook his head almost immediately.

"No, nothing is wrong, I was merely curious about something. Is it true that the Zora can swim up waterfalls? I've heard stories but I've never seen it for myself."

Mipha's expression then turned into more of a relaxed one as she laughed lightly, the sound making Revali feel warm all over, and he was convinced he could go his entire life hearing that laugh and never tire of it.

"Oh, is that it? Zora can indeed swim up waterfalls, and we begin training to do so from a very young age, with the years before then being used to build up the muscle to swim up waterfalls by swimming against strong currents. We must be strong but also fast, and learning to swim up a waterfall is a sort of rite of passage." She explained, and even in the fading sunlight, Revali could see the slight muscle build in Mipha's arms and legs, surprised he had never noticed it before.

"Has Sidon begun training to swim up waterfalls?" Revali asked, and Mipha smiled and nodded.

"He began his training when Zelda first came to Zora's Domain to ask me to pilot Ruta. He wasn't able to succeed that first day, but he's improved so much since then over these past few months."

Mipha had a look of pride on her face, and Revali could tell that she was immensely proud of her little brother and that she loved him dearly.

It was a feeling Revali had never gotten to experience, but he was glad Mipha and Sidon were able to have as close a relationship as they did.

"Oh, we're here."

The two had reached the wall of the dam, standing before a staircase that scaled the side of it and went far above their heads to the top of the dam.

"Are you sure you don't want me to just fly us up there? It'd be much quicker." Revali said, and Mipha shook her head.

"Perhaps another time, but it is customary for those entering the dam for the first time to go up these stairs to access it. The view that you will see will be spectacular, even from the ground." She said, beginning the trek up the staircase, Revali reluctantly following behind her.

They walked in silence, the only sound being the natural ambiance of the area as well as their feet hitting the stone steps as they climbed them.

Mipha stopped at the end of the staircase, turning to Revali to see his reaction as they both walked out onto the dock of the lake.

"Welcome to the East Reservoir Lake." Mipha said with a flourish of her hand, Revali only able to stare in awe at the magnificence of the reservoir.

The dock itself was made of the same luminous stone as the rest of the Zora's Domain, with it extending across the length of the northern part of the dam, and a small roofed area with a bed and an assortment of drinks lay on a bar.

A long thin part of the dock extended outwards into the water, but other than the other four docks similar to it, the mountainous areas around the reservoir appeared untouched, the shining blue stones reflecting the evening light.

"Mipha, it's beautiful. What is this place for?" Revali asked, walking over the side of the dock and touching the water with the tip of his finger.

"The dam that holds back the waters of this lake was constructed by the Zora and Hylians to keep back the waters that would flood Hyrule and bring endless destruction. It was and still is an architectural marvel of the entire kingdom, so many have come to see it. The water here isn't used unless you count it being used as a home for Vah Ruta."

Revali then noticed that in the middle of the large artificial lake sat Divine Beast Vah Ruta, halfway submerged in the waters of the lake, its gears on the side of its body constantly turning, the blue light emanating from it bringing a calming feeling to the area, despite its large size.

Revali decided that it made sense that Mipha's Divine Beast would be situated in a body of water as large as this, as it had to be situated somewhere, and it couldn't very well fly as Medoh could.

"Mipha, was Ruta the figure who wanted to meet me?" Revali asked, and Mipha smiled, nodding happily.

"Of course! It has been eager to meet you for some time now, and was quite upset with me when I didn't invite you here to the Lake to see it the last time you were here, so I said next time you were I'd bring you along to see it."

Revali stared off into the distance at the large Divine Beast before he realized there was no way of getting to Ruta besides the water and the sky. He straightened up, turning towards Mipha with a smirk on his face.

"Would you be up for an evening flight, Princess?" He asked, and Mipha's face lit up as she nodded eagerly, nearly slamming into Revali with how fast she ran the short space between them.

"Yes! I would love to fly with you!" Mipha yelled in excitement, her eyes practically sparkling with joy, causing Revali to widen his eyes in surprise, though his smirk had softened into more of a sincere smile as he knelt down beside Mipha.

"If that's the case, then climb on. I promise I won't take off before you're ready." He said softly, and Mipha climbed on hurriedly, eager to experience the joy of flying.

She wrapped her arms around his neck just above where his scarf was tied, the soft feathers feeling plush underneath her fingers, before she wrapped her legs around the lower half of his torso, clinging onto him for dear life.

"I'm ready."

Revali had hardly heard her, the exuberance of her movements gone as she had meekly spoken, though perhaps a whisper would have been more an accurate description.

He nodded in what he hoped was reassurance, pressing his wings firmly down onto the ground, his Gale activating as he felt the wind rippling around him and Mipha, with Mipha looking around in wonder, the wind feeling cool on her skin.

Revali then pushed off from the ground, the Gale rocketing them up into the air, and Mipha couldn't quite contain the scream that had managed to escape from her throat, and Revali looked back at her in surprise.

"Are you okay, Mipha?" He asked worriedly, and Mipha nodded, looking around them as Revali flapped his wings in place, the scenery around them even more beautiful than Mipha could have ever hoped for.

She had thought she had known all of the beauty that was in her home, but she had been wrong, as Revali began flying towards Vah Ruta.

It was surprisingly quiet except for the wind rushing past them and the occasional flap of Revali's wings, and Mipha felt even more at ease, perhaps not as much as she would've been swimming in the water, but flying was a close second.

However, she had a sneaking suspicion that if she had flown with any other Rito, she'd be a little more concerned, but she could trust Revali with her life.

The two were fast approaching Ruta, and Revali decided to land on top of what he could only assume was the Divine Beast's head, kneeling down once again to allow his passenger to climb off his back.

Mipha landed softly on the smooth stone, immediately feeling more peaceful in presence of two of her dearest friends, though Ruta's thoughts were going insane, spiraling uncontrollably through Mipha's head as it asked a multitude of questions.

"Ruta, calm down, we have a guest with us." Mipha said with a laugh, kneeling to pat the stone head of the beast, leaving Revali slightly bewildered.

"You talk to your Divine Beast?" He asked, and Mipha glanced back at him before nodding.

"Of course, each of our Divine Beasts has some sort of sentience, and Ruta and I have the most wonderful conversations together. Do you not speak with Medoh?"

Revali wasn't entirely sure on what to say, as he had many conversations with Medoh, and they had become close friends over time, with the Beast revealing it had quite the sarcastic streak, much like its pilot.

However, most of the conversations they had recently was about figuring out ways for Revali to win over Mipha's affections, but he couldn't just say that.

"Yes, I have the occasional conversation with Medoh, but nothing too serious." He said, and he felt a sudden jolt in his stomach as a voice spoke in his head.

"Liar."

The voice sounded similar to Medoh's, deep, gravelly, ancient, but he was too far away from Medoh to hear its thoughts, so Revali realized that it was Ruta who was speaking to him.

He glanced over at Mipha, who appeared to be none the wiser to what her Divine Beast had said, but the look of shock on Revali's face worried her, as he saw a look of concern creep into her eyes.

"Is everything okay, Revali? You seem troubled." She asked, placing a hand on his wing in an attempt to comfort him, and for whatever reason, he didn't shrug it away.

"It's nothing, but I think your Divine Beast has just spoken to me. Has it ever done that with anyone else?"

Mipha could hear what sounded like laughter in her mind, and immediately knew it was from Ruta, and she smiled in reassurance as looked down at the Divine Beast.

"No, it has never done that before. Perhaps it deemed you special enough to hear its thoughts. I hear it is quite the honor to understand the true words of a Divine Beast. You need not worry."

She pulled away from Revali and walked to the edge of Ruta's head, where its trunk was sitting at almost the same level as the rest of its body.

Mipha climbed on, looking back at Revali as she held out her hand to him.

"Would you like to see something? Come up here with me, I promise Ruta won't hurt you." She said, aiming for reassurance, though Revali seemed a little wearier, but he took her hand with his wing and stepped onto the trunk next to Mipha.

Mipha sat down on the slightly raised middle of the trunk, where a grate was covering the inner workings of the trunk, and Revali could only assume that was where Ruta's supposed endless supply of water came from.

He sat down next to her on the outer stone part surrounding the grate, and the trunk began to slowly ascend, not enough to make them jolt around, but enough to where it was noticeable.

After a few moments, the trunk stopped moving, leaving Mipha and Revali sitting high above the rippling water of the Reservoir, the sun dipping below the horizon and the sky beginning to darken to a dark blue.

"Look at how the setting sun hits the luminous stone in the mountains, and how it reflects off of the water here in the lake, and the way it shines with Mount Lanayru. It's mesmerizing, isn't it?" Mipha said, her hand sweeping over all of the locations she had just listed as if she was trying to reach out and touch them.

Revali had followed her gaze, but his eyes fell back upon her, and the way the mountainous scenery of her home and the setting sun made her look, he had no doubt in his mind she was the most beautiful being out of everything and everyone.

"Then why haven't you told her?"

There was that voice again, and no doubt it was Ruta, though why it was so eager for him to make a fool of himself was beyond him.

"You have no faith in yourself that she'll accept you. Trust that she won't make a fool out of you, trust that she'll be there for you. She's been there for you all this time, why would she stop now?"

Even though all his thoughts told him that this Divine Beast was wrong, that one day, Mipha would realize who he really was, and that he wasn't worth her time, he still couldn't help but believe it.

Mipha had been the only one to try and reach out to him, to try and get past all of the walls he built around himself to avoid being hurt, and here he was, pushing her away.

He decided that would change. He was worthy of having someone care about him, maybe even love him.

"Mipha, I don't believe I've ever thanked you." Revali said finally, and Mipha glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Thank me? For what, I have not done anything." She said, and Revali shook his head, slightly terrified about what he was about to say.

"No, you've done so much for me, for your people, for our kingdom. Before we became Champions, I was alone, determined to make my place in this world, but no one to talk to or fall back on, until you."

Mipha could feel her face warm up, certain that in no time her face would be as red as her scales on the rest of her body, though she could see the slight prickling of Revali's feathers around his cheeks, especially on the little red cheek marks he had.

"Me?" She asked, and Revali nodded, reaching his wing up to smooth down the feathers on his face.

"Yes, you. You were the one who tried so hard to become closer to me as a friend. You listened to me, you helped me, you even invited me here to your home to spend time with you. I guess what I wanted to say was thank you, for being my friend, and I swear I will try my hardest to be a good friend to you." He said proudly, feeling as if a weight had just been lifted from his shoulders.

Mipha smiled at her dear friend's enthusiasm, happy that he had been able to open up to her, at least a little.

"Thank you, Revali. You are one of my dearest friends in this whole world, and I hope that you will continue to be my friend for a long time."

Before Revali could respond, Ruta's trunk suddenly jerked upward, causing the two of them to jump, and Mipha directed a glare towards Ruta.

"Ruta! Behave yourself, we have a guest!"

Just as she said that, water suddenly sprayed up from the Divine Beast's trunk, effectively soaking Revali in water.

Mipha stared in horror at the now dripping Revali, expecting him to throw a fit, but to her surprise, he began to laugh, gently shaking his wings to dislodge the water droplets that had collected on his feathers.

Hearing his laugh was infectious, as she began to laugh along with him, feeling truly joyful for the first time in quite a while.

Revali stopped when he heard the most beautiful sound, and looked to see Mipha laughing quite openly, her sharp teeth exposed and her face even more flushed as she continued.

It seemed as if her happiness had formed a sort of soft aura around her, making Revali's heart beat slightly faster as he could feel his face warm up once again, not able to focus on anything else.

Ruta sensed his distracted thoughts, and begin to slightly tilt its trunk downwards.

Revali hadn't noticed the movement until he saw Mipha begin to slide towards him, looking a little panicked as she slid over the smooth stone, not able to find purchase to stop.

Out of instinct, he moved his wings away from his body to catch her as she slammed into his torso.

Mipha, being slightly disoriented, didn't realize where she was at first until she looked to see her webbed fingers splayed out on a metal breastplate, and looked up to see Revali staring at her with surprise, his wings encapsulated around her, holding her close to him to stop her from falling off the trunk.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! This is the first time Ruta has acted like this, forgive me." Mipha said, apologizing profusely, while Revali shook himself out of his thoughts.

"It's okay, Mipha, no harm done. We are both still standing here, right?" He asked, though he was overly aware of the answer, considering how close she was to him.

Mipha was having quite the internal struggle, as she tried to ignore the urge to wrap her arms around Revali in an embrace and bury her face in his chest.

She turned away from him to try and calm down from being so close to him, as Ruta slowly began to level its trunk again.

Mipha looked around as best she could, the sky had darkened completely, with small white dots scattered across the sky representing the stars, the moon just starting to rise.

The air was more chilly than usual, and Mipha was grateful for Revali's large wings surrounding her, keeping her warm as they lightly rested on her hips and back.

"Maybe we should be getting back. I promised Urbosa I would visit her at Gerudo Town after I came to see you. She wants to discuss defense strategies for Gerudo Desert, but I told her I wanted to come to see you first." Revali said finally, and Mipha sighed and nodded.

They were both busy fighting in a war, there wasn't much they could do. Maybe after the war was won, something more could happen between them, but not now.

"Here, I'll give you a ride back to the Domain. Climb on."

Mipha stepped away from Revali to allow him to kneel on the stone, and she clambered up and held on tightly, a sense of sadness as she felt Revali take off, flying back towards the Domain.

Mipha didn't want Revali to leave, and Revali didn't want to leave Mipha, but they both knew their time together had to end at some point.

A small splash under Revali's feet alerted Mipha that they had landed in the main square of Zora's Domain, the area now empty, the soft light provided by the luminous stone giving a peaceful atmosphere.

She slid off his back and he straightened up once again, neither of them quite able to mask the sad look on their face.

"Please come visit me again soon, okay?" Mipha whispered, and Revali smiled sadly.

"I'll try, but just know, you're always welcome to come to visit Rito Village any time you like, just let me know and I'll escort you there." He said, and Mipha quietly laughed, careful not to wake any sleeping Zora.

"I will, maybe we can start on your spear training when everything is sorted out here, but maybe the Princess will assign us together on another mission, and I'll see you sooner."

Revali laughed as well, though his smile soon left as he knew the both of them were stalling.

"Mipha, thank you for inviting me here and introducing me to Ruta. You'll meet Medoh soon, I promise." He said, and Mipha grinned.

"I look forward to it, but before you go, I have one last thing I want to do. Could you lean down closer towards me?"

Revali looked at her with confusion but did as she asked, waiting for her to move.

Mipha hesitated, before standing on the tips of her toes, cupping the left side of his face and running her thumb over the cheek mark, as she softly pressed her lips against the other mark.

Revali froze, unsure of what he was expecting, but never in his wildest dreams could he have expected Mipha to do that.

She pulled away from him, a soft smile on her face, though her hand never left his cheek, and he didn't have the desire to push it away.

"Have a safe trip, and get to a stable so you can rest before your journey into the desert. Please be careful."

Normally, Revali would have some sort of cocky reassurance that he would be fine, but the earnest tone in her voice and the intimacy they now both shared made him keep his beak shut.

"I will." He said quietly, his voice almost cracking with how low he spoke, and Mipha giggled, stepping away from him.

"Goodbye, Princess."

With those last parting words, Revali pushed off into the sky and flew off into the night, leaving Mipha alone in Zora's Domain.

Though, she didn't feel quite so alone. Not anymore.