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Art by Ana Mendes on Artstation

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I stood next to Link and Teba on the landing outside. He eyed us curiously. Surely, I was a mess. I glanced at Link, searching for any sort of reaction. He said nothing, his eyes simply focused on the wooden floor beside him. I could tell he knew I was staring at him, as a crimson rush spread across his face, all the way to the tips of his ears.

Teba sighed and shook his head. "Look, I'm going to need some help to get you both up there. I know Harth may've 'given up'," he said with a tinge of venom, "but I know we can convince him. I trust you two can make it back to Rito Village on your own?" We nodded in unison. I wasn't sure how to feel about being alone together again. Just thinking about what had transpired was rather intimidating. Teba glanced at us both with dismay, as though wondering why he was stuck with us. "Alright then. I'll go ahead and speak to Harth. Meet me just outside his home." With that, he took off. I wondered for a moment where Harth's home may be, but Rito Village was so small that I doubted I'd miss it.

Link cleared his throat and grabbed his parasail from his back. "I guess we should get going." I blinked and reached for my glider silently. We took off in the direction of Rito Village, remaining awkwardly hushed throughout the journey. I let my mind wander as we drifted away from the training grounds, leaving behind memories of target practice and passion.

A part of me hoped that Link would speak up first. I wanted him to confront his feelings. To explain his actions... To offer me some sort of closure...

I couldn't help but feel dejected as we moved on wordlessly. I continued to ponder wordlessly as we touched down at the base of the Herba Mountains. 'Why would he have done that? Was I only here to comfort him until we rescued the Princess? Will I be left behind as soon as she's freed?' I shook the thought from my mind in frustration. 'I don't care. I can't be thinking about this right now. I'm here to keep him safe, that's all.' Link finally opened his mouth to speak and hesitated, unsure of how to begin. I cut him off and walked ahead. "Don't worry about it now. We have a job to do," I spoke quickly. I tugged my hood over my eyes, pretending to be blocking out the icy air. In truth, I wanted to hide my emotions. Letting him know how I was feeling would make all of this more complicated.

I felt a hand on my wrist and stopped, turning to meet his cerulean eyes. He seemed... hurt.

He bit his lip and wrapped both his hands around my one. "L-look. I'm sorry. I know that that wasn't the best time to have done that. I didn't mean to confuse you." He took a step forward, tapping his fingertips against the back of my hand nervously. "But when we're through here... maybe we can try again? I don't want you to just... take off when we're done." Link glanced away, seemingly searching his memories for the right words. "Perhaps we could spend some time together...?" he spoke, as though he'd heard that phrase before.

I searched his expression carefully. He seemed sincere enough, but I couldn't bring myself to respond as I would like to. I couldn't believe that I would be chosen in the place of the Princess. It was better to come to terms with that sooner than later. I pulled my hand from his and placed it on his cheek reassuringly. I could feel the heat of his face through my gloves as I comforted him. "It's my job to keep you safe. That job doesn't end when Calamity Ganon is defeated." I smiled gently. "I'll be around." I faced the mountains once more, mumbling to myself. "Will you?"

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The trip back to Rito Village was easy enough. Link remained quiet for the remainder of our trip. I sincerely hoped that he wouldn't keep this up all throughout the Divine Beast. This challenge could become lonely quickly, but I supposed we had bigger things to worry about.

We were walking at a brisk pace until we reached the bridge just outside of Rito Village. I tilted my head back to examine Vah Medoh. It was a rather intimidating machine... "Whatever's inside that thing was strong enough to kill Revali," Link spoke as though he'd read my mind. I nodded. "You'll be alright. I promise." He laughed and shook his head. "I'll be alright? What about you?" I pushed his shoulder with a scoff, relieved that we were communicating normally once more.

Link and I jogged into Rito Village and up the many staircases until we arrived at Harth's home. Teba was standing inside, his back turned to us. He was in the middle of arguing with Harth, the black-feathered Rito who'd once faced Vah Medoh at his side. "Look, Harth, you offered your help once and now we finally have a cha-" Teba stopped as the other Rito leaned out from behind him to glare at us. "What do you kids want?" I gulped as Teba cut in. "These are the two that are going to help us with Vah Medoh."

Harth examined the two of us. I'd never seen a bird's face look quite so disappointed. He sighed deeply and held his wing to his forehead as though nursing a headache. He and Teba were quite similar. I could see why they were friends.

"So you're telling me that if we fly these two up there, they'll be able to destroy Vah Medoh." Link and I exchanged a glance. "We'll be able to take control of Medoh again," Link said. Harth stared out his window in dismay. "That's ridiculous. You shouldn't have come, Teba. I can't risk my life again." I stepped forward for a moment. "T-the elder said that you had a daughter? A girl named Molli..." He shifted his gaze onto me critically. "Yes?"

"If you help us, we can protect her future... she can grow up normally and learn to fly, just like you did. If you stay here, she'll be denied that. Please, we just need you fly us up there. We can weaken Vah Medoh together, and then Link and I can handle the rest," I said, stepping back. Link laced his fingers with mine and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. Harth thought about it for a while. "You know, no one's guaranteeing your safety either. So why're you two here?"

"To help," Link answered immediately. Harth brushed the feathers from his eyes and sent us an amused smile. "Knowing Teba, I doubt you guys will be giving up soon. Better not waste any more time." He rose up from his seat on the floor and walked to the doorway. "Just meet me at the landing. Be quick about it will you?" I grinned and looked over to Link. He was smiling excitedly. Teba left the room next. "You heard him." He stopped and turned around. "Oh, right. You're going to need these," he said, handing each of us ten bomb arrows. "Typical arrows are too weak to harm Vah Medoh. Don't get used to these handouts, bomb arrows are a commodity."

Link and I took them graciously and loaded our quivers. "Thank you." Teba waved away the thanks. "Whatever, kid. Let's get going." Link and I nodded and followed him outside. Harth had knelt down on the landing in front of a young Rito girl. He smiled warmly and gave her a hug before standing up to greet us. "My daughter, Molli," he said, holding her shoulder proudly. I waved shyly. I didn't remember ever being good with children. Molli waved with a bright smile and ran to the wooden railing, waiting for us to take off. Teba and Harth knelt down, allowing us to climb onto their backs. I clung to Harth a bit too tightly as the memories of Revali's flight taunted me. He scoffed and glanced back at me. "Relax. I'm not going to drop you." I took a deep breath as he pushed off from the landing and flew up towards Vah Medoh, Teba and Link following close behind.

I closed my eyes for a bit until Link called out to me. "You're gonna need to see for this next part!" He yelled through cupped hands. The wind distorted his message, but I understood it just fine. I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the sky below. Large, fluffy clouds floated just beyond my reach. Everything seemed so very small from this height. I sighed and tore my eyes from the ground, choosing to focus on the Divine Beast instead.

We drifted behind Vah Medoh for a bit before soaring up above its wingspan. Every inch of the Beast was laced with corrupted Sheikah technology. It gave an awful cry as we approached, shaking the very sky. I held on tightly and glanced at Link. He seemed just as upset as I was. Harth cleared his throat. "You mind? You're hurting my neck." I apologized quickly as we flew on. "Don't worry about it," he sighed. Teba called him over. He banked to the right and flew by his friend's side, ready to hear his tactics.

"It's showtime," he began. I nodded and took a glance at the daunting task ahead. Vah Medoh had a series of strong shields surrounding it. They pulsed with light as we came closer and closer to the machine. Teba tilted his head in the direction of the canons. "Medoh has cannons lining its barrier. Harth and I will move you two into position and then draw their fire. We can't have you get shot out of the air now can we?" Link gulped and shook his head. "Right. When we drop you off, light up those cannons with your bomb arrows," Harth said. "You've got your gliders right?" I nodded. "Good. You'll need to float in the updraft until we group up again."

"Just make sure you don't touch the barrier," Teba reminded us. "Are you ready?" I looked up at Link. He was flying just close enough to reach for my hand. I gave his a reassuring squeeze. "Best of luck." He smiled. "You too." Teba rolled his eyes with a groan. "I'll take that as a yes. Let's go, Harth!"

Teba and Harth flew forward as we jumped from their backs. Link and floated for a moment. I called out to him, fighting to make my voice heard over the roaring wind and spinning propellers. "Aim at the same cannon?!" Link cupped his hands and yelled back. "The one on your right!!" I lifted my glider and shot upwards before loading my bow and aiming for the cannon closest to me. Time seemed to slow down as Link and I readied our shots. I struggled to take a breath from the thinning air as I released my arrow. Each shot landed and the cannon exploded on impact. I laughed and posed triumphantly during my free fall. Link shook his head, a smile plastered on his face, as he took out his parasail and soared upwards. I followed suit and approached the next cannon.

Harth flew in next to me. "I suggest you two split up! If you can shoot two arrows while you fall, this whole thing will be over a lot sooner y'know!" He glanced away and banked left, narrowly avoiding cannon fire. "Good idea!!" I yelled. Harth picked me up once again and moved me to the other side, careful not to drop me just above the barrier. I thanked him and caught the updraft, aiming for the next cannon. I readied myself and shot another arrow. This one missed its mark and drifted back down to the ground. I could only wonder what would happen when it hit the ground.

I groaned and nocked another arrow, taking an extra second to shoot it. It met its mark and I took out my glider out once more. I was drifting far too low for my liking and needed to regain my positioning. I shot another arrow and smiled as it struck the cannon, destroying it in a burst of red flame. I looked around to see Link take down his cannon as well. 'He'll probably meet me at the last cannon,' I thought, drifting towards the remaining fire arm. I was half way there when I heard a cry. I gasped and turned. Teba had taken a hit from one of the cannons. Luckily, he was still able to fly, but his leg was red and burned. He slowed for a moment and cried out in pain. Harth hadn't yet noticed the hit. He was busy guiding Link to the final cannon. The corrupted weapon turned its sights onto Teba once more. He didn't seem to be moving fast enough to get out of the way. I had to act quickly.

I inhaled as deeply as I could and nocked two arrows at once, aiming them up at the remaining piece of artillery. I released my bow string with a twang as I exhaled. Only a single arrow hit, leaving me shocked and panicked. In a flash of feathers, Link and Harth were at my side. Link shot a final arrow into the machine, causing the barrier to shatter instantly. Vah Medoh cried out as its shields failed, allowing us to close in on the beast. Teba flew by us as we gliding down onto the Divine Beast.

"Well done guys," he sighed in relief. Teba hissed in pain, but recovered quickly. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to head back... if I can make it there." Harth drifted beside us. "You'll be fine. I'll get you back." Harth shifted his gaze to the two of us. "Good luck, you two." Teba nodded and gave us a 'thumbs-up' as they turned back to Rito Village.

Link and I closed in on the machine and tucked away our parasails, landing somewhat gracefully on Medoh's tail feathers. A Sheikah Terminal was nearby. Link pressed his Sheikah Slate to it and opened up the corresponding travel gate, much like he had done with the shrines and towers before this. As soon as he'd done so, a voice echoed from the Divine Beast. I recognized the condescending tone immediately. "Well, well, well... I do believe I've seen you two before," it spoke. I stepped forward and glanced around for the source. "Revali?" My query was met with a low chuckle. "I'm afraid so. I've been awaiting your return for quite some time now, (y/n)..." Despite his typical disdainful tone, I couldn't help but hear the hurt in his voice as he mentioned my name. I heard him sigh and continue.

"So you've come to take control of Vah Medoh, correct?" I nodded and rested my hand across the Sheikah Technology, wishing that he would show himself. "Ah, as I suspected. In that case, you'll first need a map. There should be a terminal up ahead that holds such information." He laughed humorlessly. "I suggest you hurry up. You've already kept me waiting for a century." I sighed and lowered my gaze, examining the terminal on the other end of the Divine Beast. "Oh, and (y/n)?" I tilted my head. "Don't fret. Surely you've missed me for all these years, but alas, if this all goes to plan, then you and I shall meet once more. We can only hope that the 'Hero' doesn't screw things up."

Link glared at the machinery in distaste, unsure of what he should be snarling at. I grabbed his hand with a laugh as we began decoding the Divine Beast.

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In a couple of minutes, we'd reached the opposite end of the Divine Beast. A series of puzzles had been set up within, each leading to a separate terminal. Most of which had to be solved using Link's Sheikah Slate. I made myself useful by fighting all enemies along the way. We encountered various hellish creations of Ganon, as well as some miniature Guardians. I struck each down as we traveled on.

One of such enemies stood just in front of the map terminal. I stabbed my spear through the machine, causing it to malfunction and disappear in a puff of purplish smoke. I reached down to retrieve the weapon it had dropped. It was a curious spear, crafted with ancient Sheikah technology. I grinned and tucked it away as Link tapped his slate to the terminal. The mapping of Vah Medoh transferred quickly. I leaned over his shoulder. A few orange dots were placed around the map. "Those must be the terminals," Link concluded. A sarcastic voice confirmed his suspicion.

"Ah, well done you regular detective," Revali spoke coldly. "You'll need to activate each and every one of these points to regain control over Medoh. Think you're up to such a task?" I took the Sheikah Slate from Link's hands. Now that we had the map and basic controls, we could tilt Medoh in any direction necessary. "I think we'll be fine, Revali." He laughed. "I know you will be. You were hired as his babysitter after all!" I scoffed and turned on my heel, scouting out the next control point. "Best of luck, (y/n)."

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It'd taken quite a while, but we'd finally reached each terminal. I sighed in relief. The sarcastic comments from the Rito Champion hadn't made this challenge any easier. Now all we needed was to return to the main control point atop the wings of Vah Medoh. We drifted upwards and approached the terminal. It was alight with Ganon's corrupt flame. Link stepped forward hesitantly and pressed his Sheikah Slate to the center point. The Divine Beast shook as an entity took shape before us. The deformed minion of Ganon that had killed the Rito Champion so many years ago had returned to defend its dominion over Vah Medoh.

The horrific creature shrieked and swung its weapon, simply to display its power. "Good luck! I'm afraid that agent of Ganon fights dirty. It managed to defeat me all those years ago. Only because I was winging it, of course." I rolled my eyes and took a few steps back, hoping to create as much distance as possible between me and the beast. If I hoped to defeat it, I had to learn its moves first.

"I can't believe I'm having to ask this of you... Avenge me, (y/n)!" Link scoffed as he was left out yet again. His attitude soon changed as the beast fired at him in quick succession. He yelped and hid behind the terminal, allowing me to send a few arrows flying at the creature. Each of them hit, giving us a chance to regroup as Windblight Ganon stopped to recover. Link leaned out from behind the terminal and shot another arrow. It landed in what I assumed was the creature's eye. I took this opportunity to strike it with my spear. The creature cried out and sent a tornado spiraling towards me. I rolled to the side, directly atop a vent. I glanced down and got an idea. "Link! Use the vents! He can't aim as well while we're in the air!" Link nodded and ran onto a nearby vent, using the draft to carry him up. He shot a few arrows on his way down, each one stunning the monster with amazing precision.