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"Are you okay?"

The sudden voice made him jump. Turning his head, he saw brown feathers and a bright orange scarf. His green eyes met blue ones that were full of concern. He didn't reply, he just turned back to the stars. Snow crunched behind him as she stepped closer before stopping at his side.

For a moment, he wondered how she found him out here. He hadn't seen her at all since he came home, even amongst the crowd of Rito welcoming him back. He never told anoyone, not even his mother, about where he was going tonight or what time he'd return. He was certain that everyone would just assume he flew back to the Flight Range to train. That place was practically his second home, after all.

Then again... she knew him. Meaning she knew that he'd never answer her question if she asked in public.

"You were pretty quiet today. Looked a little... shaken up, I guess."

It also meant she knew why he wouldn't answer. Him, the Rito Champion, scared? Impossible. Illogical. Everyone knew that. No one dared to question otherwise. He feared absolutely nothing. Which meant that absolutely nothing would leave him 'shaken up.'

...Now if only his body would believe that as much as his mind would. Stop shaking, you idiot.

"I'm... fine." He told her, and instantly regretted it. There's no way she bought that. His hesitation gave it all away.

"No you're not. You never fly off like this unless something's bothering you." She paused before continuing, "I... I heard that you went up to Medoh. This is the first time, right? Did something happen?"

He wanted to hate her for knowing that. But in truth, he couldn't. Word would have gotten to her eventually, and even if it hadn't, he told her everything before. From the moment Medoh's Mark appeared on his back, he confided in her. The voice calling out to him in a language he both could and couldn't understand, the urge to fly higher than he ever dared, and the odd sensation in the back of his mind that felt... incomplete. Like a puzzle missing the last piece.

She knew it all, because he told her. Therefore, he couldn't hate her. He could only hate himself for making her worry, making her fly out into the middle of the cold, snowy nowhere to find him.

A warm wing touched his arm. It took everything in him not to jump again.

"Revali... It's okay. You can tell me." He wanted to. He really, really did.

He wanted to tell her how terrified he was, taking control of Medoh when he did. How he could see through the giant bird's eyes, see all the chaos and destruction. How when the Divine Beast was hit from an attack, he also felt it in the form of sharp stings or dull throbs. How the voice in his head tried to sound calm and sagely as it told him that he was doing fine, that they were winning, that everything would be alright.

Did the others have that experience? He didn't know, and didn't know how to ask. He was afraid of being the odd man out; the coward who nearly panicked and cried over uniting with a Divine Beast, instead of feeling excited for how they could help in the upcoming war.

He expected to feel like a hero. Like he always did. Medoh chose him, which obviously meant he had what it takes. He even told the princess that it would've been his great pleasure to do it.

But when the time finally came, all he could feel was his fate being sealed. That feeling you get when you know you only have one chance to do something big. One shot, and that's it. Either you succeed, or you fail. No second chances.

He wanted to take all that weight off his shoulders before he broke. But.. he couldn't just dump all of that on her. Kind as she was, she didn't have to carry his burdens, even for one night. They weren't fledglings anymore.

"...I know that look. You're scared of something."

"I told you, I'm fine. Go back home and stop worrying." Did he sound too sharp? He hoped not.

"I'm not leaving you out here by yourself. Either tell me or we both go home." She was stubborn, probably as stubborn as he was. He wouldn't be surprised if she actually did stand out here with him all night. Classic her.

With a shaking wing, he reached up and held the hand still on his shoulder. It was still warm.

The warmth spread from his shoulder to his entire front as she pulled him close. A smile crossed his face before quickly fading. He wasn't in the mood to laugh at her lack of height. Not even that could cheer him up right now.

"I know you're scared... but it's alright, you know? This is all new to me, too, and I'm not even the one driving the dang thing."

Damn it all. Why can she read him like a book?

"Sometimes... when people find new things, they get scared. Or even angry. We flock to the familiar, and fear the unknown." Her hug tightened, "But... with a bit of time, what's unknown can be understood."

He sighed, resting his head on hers. "Where are you going with this?"

"You're afraid of Medoh, aren't you." It wasn't a question. It was a statement, like she already knew it was true.

He hated that it was.

"I want you to know that it's okay to be scared. But what isn't okay is letting the fear get to you like this." She raised a wing, brushing a bit of snow off his scarf. "Look at you. You're standing out here in the cold with almost nothing on, far away from the village. I'm guessing you don't want Medoh to see you?"

He could only look away in shame. She had him.

"No one said you had to bond with Medoh right away. That's not how things work between people, regardless of who or what they are. It takes time."

"I don't have time, Violet. Ganon could wake up at any time, and-"

She cut him off, raising a feather to his beak. "'And,' nothing. No amount of rushing will do anyone any good. You of all people should know this."

He couldn't refute that. All the blood, sweat, and tears he shed creating Revali's Gale was all the proof she needed to be right. After all, she was there to catch him when he fell during his work. Both figuratively and literally.

"I'm not saying you should go to Medoh right away, but come back home for now. You'll get sick if you stay out here." Her eyes told him that there was no arguing this. His feathers were keeping him warm now, but wouldn't forever. If he so much as sniffled at this point, she'd worry, and so would his mother.

After a minute of silence, he sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine... but..."

"But what?"

"...Give me a few more minutes. To enjoy the view, and all."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead shut her beak with a satisfied hum.

They stood there in silence, stars above and snow below. In that moment, he felt like he had to protect this sky, just so he could see it the next night. Just so anyone could see it. That feeling rooted itself within him, and he could already tell that it wasn't going to leave him for quite some time.

The weight on him remained heavy, but was slightly more bearable.

He hated lowering his walls. But he loved how she understood the scared fledgling that hid behind them.

Description
"Are you okay?"

The sudden voice made him jump. Turning his head, he saw brown feathers and a bright orange scarf. His green eyes met blue ones that were full of concern. He didn't reply, he just turned back to the stars. Snow crunched behind him as she stepped closer before stopping at his side.

For a moment, he wondered how she found him out here. He hadn't seen her at all since he came home, even amongst the crowd of Rito welcoming him back. He never told anoyone, not even his mother, about where he was going tonight or what time he'd return. He was certain that everyone would just assume he flew back to the Flight Range to train. That place was practically his second home, after all.

Then again... she knew him. Meaning she knew that he'd never answer her question if she asked in public.

"You were pretty quiet today. Looked a little... shaken up, I guess."

It also meant she knew why he wouldn't answer. Him, the Rito Champion, scared? Impossible. Illogical. Everyone knew that. No one dared to question otherwise. He feared absolutely nothing. Which meant that absolutely nothing would leave him 'shaken up.'

...Now if only his body would believe that as much as his mind would. Stop shaking, you idiot.

"I'm... fine." He told her, and instantly regretted it. There's no way she bought that. His hesitation gave it all away.

"No you're not. You never fly off like this unless something's bothering you." She paused before continuing, "I... I heard that you went up to Medoh. This is the first time, right? Did something happen?"

He wanted to hate her for knowing that. But in truth, he couldn't. Word would have gotten to her eventually, and even if it hadn't, he told her everything before. From the moment Medoh's Mark appeared on his back, he confided in her. The voice calling out to him in a language he both could and couldn't understand, the urge to fly higher than he ever dared, and the odd sensation in the back of his mind that felt... incomplete. Like a puzzle missing the last piece.

She knew it all, because he told her. Therefore, he couldn't hate her. He could only hate himself for making her worry, making her fly out into the middle of the cold, snowy nowhere to find him.

A warm wing touched his arm. It took everything in him not to jump again.

"Revali... It's okay. You can tell me." He wanted to. He really, really did.

He wanted to tell her how terrified he was, taking control of Medoh when he did. How he could see through the giant bird's eyes, see all the chaos and destruction. How when the Divine Beast was hit from an attack, he also felt it in the form of sharp stings or dull throbs. How the voice in his head tried to sound calm and sagely as it told him that he was doing fine, that they were winning, that everything would be alright.

Did the others have that experience? He didn't know, and didn't know how to ask. He was afraid of being the odd man out; the coward who nearly panicked and cried over uniting with a Divine Beast, instead of feeling excited for how they could help in the upcoming war.

He expected to feel like a hero. Like he always did. Medoh chose him, which obviously meant he had what it takes. He even told the princess that it would've been his great pleasure to do it.

But when the time finally came, all he could feel was his fate being sealed. That feeling you get when you know you only have one chance to do something big. One shot, and that's it. Either you succeed, or you fail. No second chances.

He wanted to take all that weight off his shoulders before he broke. But.. he couldn't just dump all of that on her. Kind as she was, she didn't have to carry his burdens, even for one night. They weren't fledglings anymore.

"...I know that look. You're scared of something."

"I told you, I'm fine. Go back home and stop worrying." Did he sound too sharp? He hoped not.

"I'm not leaving you out here by yourself. Either tell me or we both go home." She was stubborn, probably as stubborn as he was. He wouldn't be surprised if she actually did stand out here with him all night. Classic her.

With a shaking wing, he reached up and held the hand still on his shoulder. It was still warm.

The warmth spread from his shoulder to his entire front as she pulled him close. A smile crossed his face before quickly fading. He wasn't in the mood to laugh at her lack of height. Not even that could cheer him up right now.

"I know you're scared... but it's alright, you know? This is all new to me, too, and I'm not even the one driving the dang thing."

Damn it all. Why can she read him like a book?

"Sometimes... when people find new things, they get scared. Or even angry. We flock to the familiar, and fear the unknown." Her hug tightened, "But... with a bit of time, what's unknown can be understood."

He sighed, resting his head on hers. "Where are you going with this?"

"You're afraid of Medoh, aren't you." It wasn't a question. It was a statement, like she already knew it was true.

He hated that it was.

"I want you to know that it's okay to be scared. But what isn't okay is letting the fear get to you like this." She raised a wing, brushing a bit of snow off his scarf. "Look at you. You're standing out here in the cold with almost nothing on, far away from the village. I'm guessing you don't want Medoh to see you?"

He could only look away in shame. She had him.

"No one said you had to bond with Medoh right away. That's not how things work between people, regardless of who or what they are. It takes time."

"I don't have time, Violet. Ganon could wake up at any time, and-"

She cut him off, raising a feather to his beak. "'And,' nothing. No amount of rushing will do anyone any good. You of all people should know this."

He couldn't refute that. All the blood, sweat, and tears he shed creating Revali's Gale was all the proof she needed to be right. After all, she was there to catch him when he fell during his work. Both figuratively and literally.

"I'm not saying you should go to Medoh right away, but come back home for now. You'll get sick if you stay out here." Her eyes told him that there was no arguing this. His feathers were keeping him warm now, but wouldn't forever. If he so much as sniffled at this point, she'd worry, and so would his mother.

After a minute of silence, he sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine... but..."

"But what?"

"...Give me a few more minutes. To enjoy the view, and all."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead shut her beak with a satisfied hum.

They stood there in silence, stars above and snow below. In that moment, he felt like he had to protect this sky, just so he could see it the next night. Just so anyone could see it. That feeling rooted itself within him, and he could already tell that it wasn't going to leave him for quite some time.

The weight on him remained heavy, but was slightly more bearable.

He hated lowering his walls. But he loved how she understood the scared fledgling that hid behind them.