Birds of a Feather

Chapter 8: Getting Situated

(I'm gonna kinda be straying from the original BOTW plot from here on out, so some things will be different. Enjoy!)

It took the group a couple hours into the night to get back to Hyrule castle. They were all exhausted from traveling, and the few Hylians who spotted them seemed to respect that and lay off the questions and excitement for the evening. The whole group looked weary, but it was Link who was noticeably more tired than usual. That sword thing really did take a toll on the knight. It made Revali wonder if it would be the same way when Zelda unlocked her powers. As the group arrived, Zelda led them to a large room- which Revali could only assume as a council room- where three people were waiting. King Rhoam stood there, looking tall and well, kingly, as well as a knight a little girl. She had blue eyes, and long hair with a color that resembled Links... and now that Revali thought about it, she looked quite similar to them...

"Link!" She said, smiling and running towards them. She jumped into his arms and he caught her, swinging her in a circle. She looked at the Champions in awe. "You're the Champions? You look so strong and cool!"

"You better believe it!" Daruk said proudly. He looked a little confused. "But if you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

The girl smiled. "My name is Aryll, I'm Link's sister! Nice to meet you!"

Zelda looked towards King Rhoam and the knight. The king approached her, and the knight followed close behind. Zelda and Link walked up to them, heads down. It made Revali wonder who these people were to them. He assumed he'd find out soon.

"Good work, Zelda." The King said, the look in his eyes softening. 

Her eyes lit up with the praise, but she kept calm. There was no mistaking her excitement at being praised. Link looked up at the knight, who just gave them a slight nod. It seemed to disappoint the young Hylian. Aryll glanced away, seeming uncomfortable. King Rhoam looked to the Champions.

"It is an honor to meet the Champions of the Divine Beasts." He said. "As you know, I am King Rhoam, and I have called upon you all to help us prepare for the fight with Ganon."

Urbosa nodded. "We will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of Hylians, Rito, Goron, Gerudo, and Zora alike."

"Did you plan a whole speech?" Revali mumbled. The Gerudo Champion shot him a look.

King Rhoam looked to the knight at his side. "Oh! My apologize, Banzetta." He turned back towards the Champions. "This is one of the Generals, Banzetta. I have tasked him to oversee the training of the knights who will be assisting in the fight when Gannon arrives. I have no doubt that he will bring plenty of monsters with him, and we'll need Hylians and Guardians to ensure our victory."

"Dad is super strong, he's one of the best knight's I've seen!" Aryll says, looking at the Champions.

So that Hylian is Link's father... Revali thought to himself. He seems to not have a good relationship with Link. Who knew the darkness sealing knight would have daddy issues? It's quite amusing, really.

"If I may ask, what are these Guardians you speak of?" Mipha asked, looking curious. Zelda looked excited.

"That I can explain! We've been using Sheikah technology to design machines to protect us during Gannon's battle!" Zelda explained. "They're still a work in progress, but they've been showing great signs of-"

"No need to overwhelm them with this much information so quickly, daughter." King Rhoam said with a slight chuckle. "I'll have Purah explain everything to them tomorrow." He looked at the Champions. "So, we'll discuss more in the morning, and I'll have someone lead you to your rooms. You'll be sharing, and spending a lot of time together training to you can better bond with each other. You'll find a schedule on your beds, as well as when your break days will be."

He waved over a young servant girl, and with that, the Champions were led to their rooms. Well, all but Link and Zelda. When Revali arrived in his room, he noticed that a hammock had been set up for him to sleep in, like the one's in his village. On the hammock was a sheet of paper with writing on it. It seemed to mostly consist of strategy meetings, group training, and little break increments. He looked over at the schedule on the bed across from his hammock. He made a little "tch" sound as he read the name on the sheet of paper. I'm rooming with Link, dammit. Even noisy Daruk would be a better roommate than that living rock. Revali sighed and climbed into the hammock, looking out the window. The large village outside was warm and inviting, with houses lit with oil candles. He noticed two figures walking away from the castle, but in the dim light he could make out that it was Aryll and Link's father. He appreciated how the area seemed well lit, which made it much easier for him to see with his poor night vision. He looked up as the door opened, and Link walked in while looking at their feet without saying a word. Did they even notice Revali there? The Rito cleared his throat.

"What do you look so gloomy for?" He said, catching the knights attention. "Sick of me already?"

Link gave him a look that said, yeah, kinda, but it was more because of the constant jabs they were getting from the Rito. Link went into the bathroom, changed into sleeping clothes, and walked back into the room to discover that the lights were out and the Rito was already fast asleep. Link sighed and collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. They clenched and unclenched their fists, trying to relax so the could sleep.

It didn't work. But they weren't surprised, because it never did.