if i die tomorrow - permanent hiatus

launch

     The rest of the trip was laced in absolute quiet. 

     We arrived at Mt. Lanayru in tense silence and Daruk quickly gave them a tour of the tunnels. We regrouped outside and stared each other down for a moment, not sure where to start.

     Night was falling once more, the light steadily being driven backwards by the incoming darkness, but there was business to settle first before we turn in for the night. 

     "We need a name." Sadie piped up, breaking the silence first. "Feels weird without one."

     "She's right. Any ideas?" At this point, we'd do anything to avoid talking about the true matter at hand. 

     "The Tera Crushers!" Daruk said enthusiastically. 

     "The Hyrule Defense Crew...?" Mipha suggested.

     "What's the one on top of Tera? Peta, right? Let's go with that." Revali recommended.

     "I think we should just stick with something simple and concise." Urbosa said. "What are we?"

     "We're revolutionaries." I answered. 

     Ironic, since we're revolting against a new government to bring back and hopefully improve the old one. We're revolutionaries fighting against revolutionaries. 

     "Then let's call ourselves the Revolutionaries. A reminder of who we are and what we're fighting for." Urbosa crossed her arms. "Any objections?"

     Nothing but the Mountain wind.

     "Cool." Revali spread his wings. "So who's the leader? Won't be me."

     Every single pair of eyes other than his fell on me. 

     I felt the weight of their gazes, the weight of their expectations, the weight of their hopes, shoved onto my shoulders without warning. I burnt underneath their eyes and my breath hitched and suddenly I knew I couldn't do this.

     Queen Zelda's words echoed back to me.

     I hate Hyrule as it is now, its restraints, the 'social class' and 'noble superiority'. It makes me sick. Which is exactly why my daughter, Zelda, needs to be on the throne.

      I come from a long line of steadily weakening rulers. The blood of Hylia is slowly growing stale. It's nearly impossible nowadays to find a nearly competent leader in this bloodline. 

     She has not a drop of royal blood, and she's already showing how much she is capable of. When she becomes an adult, she will prove to be the rejuvenating force this country so desperately needs. 

     Wasn't I part of this weakening bloodline? 

     I already knew what would happen if I attempted to lead this crew of hot-blooded warriors. I'd steer them off the tracks and send them and Hyrule crashing to their doom. 

     I had no idea, no training on how to lead. I had none of the authority needed to pull everyone together. I had never learned how to plan a takedown and how to deal with complicated situations that arise in war, never learned how to be diplomatic with potential allies, only how to fight, how to follow. 

     I wasn't a leader. 

     But Zelda was. Zelda had been from childhood and she had every training possible at her fingertips. She grew up as a Princess, and despite not being part of the family, she was one of the best leaders this dying lineage had to offer.