The curse lifts from the control unit and continues to pulsate orange with more warmth than before. You walk with Link over to the control unit. The adrenaline rush starts to leave your body, and the pain from being shot spikes sharply.

Link scans the Sheikah Slate at last. You watch the unit shimmer a shining blue with relief washing through you as the tension subsides.

"Well I'll be plucked... You defeated him, eh?" you hear Revali say, his voice closer this time. You turn around and see him landing upon the ancient stone of Medoh's Back. "Who would've thought?"

You smirk at his comment. Yet again, you exceed his expectations... or maybe he was talking more towards Link than you. "Well done. I suppose I should thank you now that my spirit is free. This returns Medoh back to its rightful owner!" Revali flourishes his hands, but stops as he sees your proud expression on your face. "Don't preen yourself just for doing your job."

This causes you to chuckle under your breath, breaking eye contact. When you look up again, you swear you can see a shadow of a genuine smile on his face. "(Y/N)," he sighs, "I do suppose you've proven your value as a warrior. A warrior worthy of my unique ability. The sacred skill I have dubbed Revali's Gale."

He raises his wing high in the sky. Wind and light are attracted to his movement and form a sphere of power which he throws at you. The light disappears in your chest and winds form beneath your feet, lifting you in the air. It tosses you backwards high up and you land on your feet again in a kneel. You stand up straight and feel Link's gaze on you.

"It's now time to move on and start making preparations for Medoh's strike on Ganon. But only if you think you still need my help while you're fighting inside Hyrule Castle," he says to both of you now. "Feel free to thank me now."

You hesitate, but just before Revali opened his mouth to say something, you say, "thank you."

He is taken aback by your reply. He looks away and sighs, then turns around seeming embarrassed. "Just go," he says, "your job is far from finished, you know."

Particles of light surround you and Link just like before. It gets brighter and brighter, preparing to transport you back to Rito Village. Just before light claims your vision, you see Revali look back at you with a smile... or was he scowling at Link...?

You will never know, as this was the last time you will see him again.

~

You find yourself back on the landing at Rito village, now in possession of Revali's Gale. You sigh and look at Link who is staring hard at the ground. "Hey," you say and nudge him to try and snap him back to reality. "Let's go meet with the elder."

Link looks up at your smile and breaks eye contact, subtly returning the smile.

You walk with him to the room where the elder sits. "You have done it!" Kaneli booms at you the moment you stepped into the room. "And you survived, at that! You conquered Divine Beast Vah Medoh! To think that the beast has taken up roost at the top of the village! It looks simply... divine. If the legends are true, the light from the Divine Beasts will ravage the Calamity. For now, Divine Beast Vah Medoh will become the protector of this village and live on in legend... alongside you." He laughs and pats his feathered covered belly.

"Oh yes, of course, I must reward you properly," he remembers and stands up from his seat. He turns around and retrieves something from behind his chair. "What you did was miraculous. Though I should expect nothing less from the bloodline of a Champion. Why... you two are almost the equal of the very Hylian Champions who fought with Master Revali 100 years ago..." He pauses, thinking, and then remembers why he is in the awkward position of reaching behind his chair.

"Here, you should take this. I'm sure Master Revali would want you to have it," the elder says and presents to you the Great Eagle Bow Revali once used himself.

You take it and feel the texture of the painted wooded limb and back with a caressing hand. You nod your head to the elder as thanks and then leave the room with Link at your side.

"Let's head back to the inn," you suggest looking up at the moon that was past its peak in the night's sky. "We definitely deserve some sleep."

"Agreed," he seconds.

The both of you head to the inn floors below. Just before you climb down the last staircase, Link looks behind him as he realizes your absence.

"(Y/N)?"

"I hear music," you say and walk in a fast pace down the steps to the lower levels of Rito Village. You can hear Link shout for you to wait up.

You walk down to the level where the shops are held and hear the music is much closer now. You look out to a landing facing west and see a Rito dressed in many colors playing an instrument obscured by his figure.

You make your way to the Rito, but you stop as you are passed by several Rito children running home. You turn around and watch them run playfully past Link as well. You laugh as you see his startled expression.

You walk over to the Rito and listen to him play the accordion for a few moments. He sways to his own beat like the music has taken over his thoughts. A few seconds later, he stops playing and turns around to see who his audience is.

He hesitates for a second as his eyes light up in a way of recognition, though you have never seen him before. "Ah, forgive me. I was lost in a song written by my late teacher. I was just about to leave, but you caught me just in time. It is as though we were meant to meet here."

"Who are you?" you ask politely.

"My name is Kass. As a bard, I spend my days traveling this land in search of ancient songs. I'm taking a moment's rest from my tireless search for the ancient songs to perform in my hometown."

'The ancient songs?' you echo in your head. 'I thought Ahgin had the ancient songs.'

He hesitates for a moment yet again. "By the way, I've something I must ask of you. I've a song that I need you to hear. I wish to speak with you, so this will take some time. Is that all right?"

"That's fine," you say.

"Thank you ever so much," Kass says. "I'd like to talk to you about my teacher. My teacher was of the Sheikah tribe. He was the court poet for the Hyrulean royal family."

Your eyes widen with a subtle jaw drop.

"At the time," he continued, "there was a beautiful knight in the royal guard, quite close to my teacher in age, apparently. Though he must have known it was doomed to be unrequited, my teacher fell in love... But the knight only had eyes for the hero."

It was then Link's turn to turn shocked.

"My teacher was consumed in jealousy... He fumed that the hero was neither nobility nor royalty himself... And then the Calamity struck."

Kass turned and faced the view out of the landing. "My teacher had to watch the knight he loved pass away... They never got to hear the song he wrote to show how much he loved them. And that song is what I need you to hear."

Kass played the meaningful song on his instrument and sang the poetic lyrics along. The waltz was a romantic melody of nothing but joy and longing. It turned into a melodious crescendo and sang words of confession. You didn't tap your foot to the music like you did before. You realized the deeper meaning in the notes and it stirred something inside you. Familiarity.

Ahgin.

--~--

"I have one for you," (Y/N) said, staring at a piece of paper. Ahgin rolled his papers up and placed them in his bag. He set the bag down on the grass of Korok Forest and listened to the riddle.

"'Bedecked in flowing robes, / Assuming my humble station, / I draw the curious globes, / And strive to enlighten my patron. / The task I've taken up, / Providing you with protection, / Unlike my peers corrupt, / Distorting your sound perception. / I shall not be long winded, / Unless I am cast away. / Results might be quite splendid, / Or varying day by day. / The prudent give me praise, / The slovenly fools, rejection, / For after several days, / They only see imperfection.'"

(Y/N) looked up at him and grinned, waiting for an answer. "Oh this is a tough one," he sighed and leaned back against a tree, running his fingers through his bangs that were too short to tie into chopsticks. (Y/N)'s heart gave a leap, thinking this was finally a victory. "Is it a scholar?"

"Nope, but good guess," (Y/N) smiled.

"Can you repeat it for me?" he requested. (Y/N) recited the riddle once again, pausing in between lines longer.

"Is it a professor?" a korok chimed in.

"Not quite," (Y/N) laughed.

Ahgin thought for a second. "Is it a mirror?" he guessed.

"You're close," (Y/N) smiled.

"Is it a curtain?" another korok asks.

"That's a good..." (Y/N) trailed off and looked closer at the shadows. "Oh no," (Y/N) frowned in disappointment. "We've been here for longer than we needed. We need to get back to the castle." (Y/N) said and stood up. Ahgin grabbed his bag full of notes he took on ancient songs they have been trying to figure out for the past few hours.

"Will you tell me the answer to the riddle?" he asked.

(Y/N)'s eyes widened with a jaw drop. "I won."

"No, I--"

"Admit it!" (Y/N) pointed a finger at him. "You're stumped! You don't know the answer!"

"Well, I... It's just that..."

But Ahgin couldn't hide the fact that victory was finally claimed. After nine years of trying to win in a battle of the riddles, (Y/N) finally managed to leave the master clueless.

"I've won," (Y/N) said the words again, tasting the satisfaction they brought.

"Fine," Ahgin forced himself to say as he rolled his eyes. "You win."

"Yes!!" the general jumped with a fist pump.

"Will you tell me the answer to the riddle now?"

"Nope," (Y/N) smiled mischievously, and raced to the exit of the forest.

"Oh come on! It's going to drive me crazy if I don't know!"

"I know!" (Y/N) laughed and kept running.

--~--

"So... royal knight. Will you accept this song from my departed teacher?" Kass requests. You stare at the ground, thoughts and memories racing through your head. You look up and only say one word:

"Yes."

"Thank you so much! I knew you would. I was sure of it. My teacher would often speak of the knight's enchantment... I loved meeting you, and one day, I will craft a song worthy of you... Thank you for spending this time with me."

Kass turned back around and continued playing his melody to the night's air.

You turn around and begin walking towards the inn, not saying a word.

This isn't like you, and it's not fair to have Link deal with you when you are this way. Only when you make it to the inn with paid beds, you say what is on your mind. "I wish he died. Is that a bad thing to say?"

Link looks at you, not knowing what you mean.

"I'd rather he died in the Calamity than join the Yiga Clan, then his memory wouldn't be so corrupt and he would rest in peace. He was a good person before the Calamity. Now look what Ganon did to him." You take many breaths before looking up at Link.

"It was his choice..." Link starts hesitantly with faint jealousy. "He was offered to join... and he actively chose to accept."

"But it wasn't his fault," you argue. "He was at loss. He wasn't himself. I know he was the enemy back in Karusa Valley. I know he swore alliance to evil. But he was blind! Blinded with anguish. You heard what he said."

You lower your head and look at the bed covers. "He didn't deserve what happened to him," you say at a low volume.

Link watches as you frown. He understood everything you reasoned, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

A little while later, the room is cloaked in the darkness of the night after the Rito innkeeper declared lights out. You turn from on your side to lay on your back. Link was already fast asleep.

It took some reflecting, but you're able to realize multiple things.

Ahgin developed his romantic interest in you at a fairly young age. But once you got involved with the royal family and moved to the castle, distance separated the two of you. He felt he wasn't worthy of you and never had the ability to muster up the courage to confess.

But he was worthy of possible returned feelings. You practically grew up with him. He knew everything about you. He never hesitated to help you or comfort you in time of need. His face never failed to light up at the thought of being in your presence, even as the years drew on.

If he understood that and screwed up the courage to confess earlier, would you have returned his feelings?

"It was a window, Ahgin," you whisper into the night. "The answer to the riddle... was a window."

—~—

This isn't Ahgin's song, but I composed this while thinking of him:

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]