So I don't forget again

Entry 167: Rito Village

Though Amali and Saki were apprehensive about it they allowed me to move around. I didn't move around too much for their sakes though. I probably would be worried too and I don't want to worry them... well too much at least, Amali and Saki had apparently been watching Vah Medoh since yesterday morning wondering if they could catch glimpses of our battle. They already had medical supplies on hand and beds ready for us. I've worried them enough already.

I spent a part of the day writing letters to most my friends, like Sidon, Leather Smith, Riju and such, I have no idea where Calisa is though so I'll just have to hope we bump into one another again soon. I tryed to fill them in on some of my adventures but being rather vague admitting that I much rather tell them in person. I more so wrote these to show them I was alright and might be visiting again... soonish, I still have business here after all. Though most of the world has been destroyed the mail service managed to survive, it is important now more than ever given towns were now so few and far between making keeping contact and trade routs working all the harder. Most of the mail carriers are Rito since they can by far travel the furthest and fastest of all people, they can skip all the terrain and just go straight there so I hired a few, one for each letter.

I asked Kass where he had seen the fire being. Tanagar Canyon. I'll probably have to camp out there for a while, I just hope it returns there.

I'm glad Teba and Kass finally get a break, they've both been fighting for so long to protect their families. It's also rather sweet seeing them with Amali, Saki and their children. Kass is very affectionate, always giving Amali hugs, nuzzles and kisses. He's always more than happy to play with his daughters letting himself get dragged into whatever mischief they're cooking up, even if it's a prank on someone else. Teba though not as affectionate I can still feel his love and care. He teaches them both fighting techniques for self-protection should there be an emergency and he wasn't around. He helps Saki in lots of little ways, like placing items on a lower shelf that he knows she's going to need later, or just finishing up a chore Saki started so she could have a short break, things like that. It's just so sweet, I don't know. I guess I don't get to see domestic stuff like this too often, even back in Hateno, I was living in my own place away from everyone else, while here, Kass, Teba and their families are allowing me to stay with them, so I get to see their family life. I just... really like this, even if I'm just a helping hand, or... family friend? I don't know.

Teba showed me Revali's diary. He had found it years ago. In our conversation yesterday I had mentioned that unlike the other champions there doesn't seem to be much left of Revali and I wanted to know more about him, it took most of the day but he refound the one thing that could probably show me more of him. The title is 'The diary of Revali, the Rito Legend'. From the start he was skilled winning competition after competition but that was thanks to his endless, dedicated practice. It seems with everyone always praising him his ego was stroked quite a bit, but I think it was well deserved. His prize for winning so much was a wish, and he wanted the training ground to be built. He took detailed notes of his training, even included illustrations. He soon allowed everyone, even the children to use it so they could get stronger too and stay safe. He wrote of rumors about the Calamity returning, about how the Royal Family was searching for someone to pilot it and how such a person would need immense skill, apparently there was also a rumor that the person's soul must have great sacred power to pilot the things. I guess this is why the elder and Teba thought only a descendant of the Champions could step foot on Medoh. He said they should just ask him by name. He said piloting the beast and defeating the Calamity was the only way he could prove himself to the world. He was finally asked to pilot but when he wasn't please with the plan. The Divine Beasts were to serve as back up for me. He only agreed because only he could pilot the beast and Hyrule needed him. He also agreed because of how earnest Zelda was in wanting to protect everyone in Hyrule. Still he was training, now to best me and be the one to defeat the Calamity. He also went on rather self-indulgent tangents about us begging him to fight the calamity directly... several times... it... was just so embarrassing to read I had to step away a few times. He didn't care about the ceremony, saying it was all pomp, true strength is what is important not some uniform and a title, anyone could wear those.

He wrote about me. How silent and emotionless I was. He'd call me Zelda's shadow with how I always followed her around. Even when he tried to make conversation I never spoke. I never reacted to anything. Just some emotionless husk that only moved to follow and protect the princess or when given an order.

Nothing else

He tried everything even provoking me into a fight, likely my memory of him, but nothing.

If I can even still be considered the same person from back then... I wish Revali could have met this me. One who actually let himself be a person and not merely a tool. Even if I was a person back then, I certainly showed it to few. With how competitive he was, I think he'd make for a good training partner. Maybe we'd have a kind of rivalry like relationship, something like the dynamic between Kass and Teba maybe.

Why is he dead? He was supposed to be skilled so why? Is he not well known because he wasn't notably skilled? Then why have him pilot a beast? This isn't making any sense. Why is he only known through his title and physical structures and not his skill, why just the pomp? Even though the Gerudo and Gorons don't live as long as Zoras and can't remember they still have legends and such, but not Revali.

Are they all dead because I failed to kill the Calamity? If he was there, someone so dedicated to self-improvement and true strength instead of me who happened to have some sword, would we have won? Would everyone have not died? It was just a theory before, but... it... feels more true now.

Teba asked if I was alright, I was looking rather pale and said maybe I should still be resting. We helped Saki make dinner, Amali joined too. We ended up having dinner with Harth's family too. It was nice hearing everyone talk of older days of training and horsing around. I ended up talking about some of my adventures, felling the other beasts with Sidon, Yunobo, and Riju, all that I had learned from them and some battles I had along side Bossa Nova when traveling. At one point Saki said my ancestors must be proud with how strong I've become. I don't know about that. I wasn't strong enough when I needed to be, to save them, all I'm doing now is desperately trying to salvage what's left. I don't think any of them could be proud of that. I hope they're proud of Sidon, Yunobo, Riju, Teba and Kass though. Without any of them, I never would even have been able to get aboard the beasts in the first place. Even now like back then I'm just relying on others. How can I keep doing this? I need to get stronger, not rely on them. I have to protect them. Their families. So they can come home and be in a safe world. I can't let anyone else die for my sake.

I'm going to protect them all no matter the cost.