"Okay, so you're telling me that didn't give you nightmares?"
"No, not really," Link said.
"But Ghirahim did?"
"Groose, he wanted to take Zelda, that's terrifying."
Groose stopped walking, pointing back into the Ancient Cistern.
"There was a literal mountain of bones down there!"
Link shrugged, continuing to walk on.
"All my life I will never understand you," Groose said as he caught up with him.
"How long do you think we were in there?" Link asked.
"Few days, maybe a week," Groose said. "Hard to tell without the skies."
"Well the world hasn't ended yet," Link said. "Maybe they never planned on using the Triforce."
"Why else would they steal it?" Groose reasoned. "The power to have whatever you desire, it's—"
Link looked right at him.
"N-not tempting at all, no," he corrected.
Link jumped in the water to get to the other side, Groose following suit before they crawled out onto the clearing that could either lead to Faron Woods or the dragons' chambers.
"Well, we can cross the Ancient Cistern off the list," Groose said. "Nothing hidden in there except nightmare fuel."
"Right," Link said discouraged, his head downcast.
"Would you look at that?"
"What?" Link asked as he looked to Groose, who was looking up at the skies. He followed his gaze.
A Crimson Loftwing and a Navy Loftwing were headed right for them with letters in their beaks.
"She wrote back," Link said, slightly surprised.
"Of course she did," Groose said as the Loftwings landed.
Link slipped the note from the Loftwing's beak, petting and soothing the red-feathered neck as he smiled at the envelope.
It was Zelda all right, her initial in the bottom left corner, the way it somehow smelled like her.
He opened it as Groose opened his, pulling the note out of the envelope. He closed his eyes with a deep breath in.
What if it was horrible? What if she hated him? So many spiteful words coming from her could hurt him. He deserved them, sure, but…
Link opened his eyes with an exhale, his gaze settling upon the words that were, if he were to be honest, few.
'Link,
I love you, too
-Your Zel'
Link smiled, a chuckle of disbelief. He should have written more.
He figured he could remedy it now, taking out a pencil and paper and writing.
Link stood up and placed it in the Loftwing's beak once he finished, ruffling its' feathers playfully before stepping back and letting it fly off to its' destination.
"See, look at that smile," he heard Groose say. "Communication, I'm telling you."
"It's really not that much different," Link argued.
"We shall see," Groose said, walking towards Faron Woods. "One day my wisdom will illuminate you and you'll thank me."
"Wisdom is a very strong word," Link said as they continued into Faron Woods.
"So, Orielle, huh?" Link asked, changing the subject. "How's that going?"
"It's going," Groose said. "I finally got her brother off my back and I think he even tolerates me a little."
"That's good," Link added.
"It's no over-the-top-saving-her-from-a-ghastly-demon-all-the-while-being-the-reincarnation-of-a-prior-soulmate or anything but I really like her."
"It doesn't have to be over-the-top," Link said. "Normal is good."
"So, what can I expect here?" Groose asked, him and Link facing the entrance to the Skyview Temple. The doors were open, just as Link left it, mysterious fauna tunneling down into the dark abyss with stone steps leading downwards into it. "More spiders?"
"More spiders," Link said with a nod. "The Bokoblins and Moblins are the only monsters that are gone with Demise and Ghirahim's absence. Be thankful you didn't have to deal with the ones in the Ancient Cistern."
"I'll take your word for it," Groose retorted. "Anything else?"
"Keese, Stalfos, Hydras, and Deku Babas," Link said. "Nothing you haven't faced before."
"Good to know," Groose said as he walked forward, down the steps.
But Link looked behind him quickly, thinking he heard something, felt something. He studied the canyon, the forestry in the distance, the silhouette of the large tree in Faron.
No one was there.
"Link! A little help!"
Link shook his head, subduing his fear and running down the stairs.
He turned the corner and immediately stifled a laugh, bringing a hand to his mouth.
"Hey!" Groose exclaimed. "I'm genuinely stuck here!"
Link tried not to laugh at Groose, stuck in a large web, the burly knight trying to wrangle himself out.
"You could help!"
"I wish I could capture this but even I can't draw that fast."
"Thank Hylia, now will you please HELP!"
"Yes, yes," Link said, unsheathing his sword and stepping forward.
"Some hero you are," Groose mumbled as Link cut the webs with his sword. Groose immediately and frantically brushing the residue off of him as soon as his feet met the ground.
"I hate that stuff," he said as they walked through the temple, starting their painstakingly dull survey of each nook and cranny as the hallway curved. "Absolutely disgusting."
Link snickered.
"All right," Groose started. "Because you laughed at me…I guess you could say I was…in a bind?"
"Oh no."
"Caught up in something."
"Please stop."
"In a sticky situation."
"Groose," Link pleaded. "I'm sorry for laughing, really. You don't have to do this."
"Thought so."
"Does Orielle like your puns?" Link asked, studying the wall and tracing it with his hand.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, she does." Groose said proudly.
"There's communication and then there's too much communication," Link mumbled.
"Whoa!"
"What?" Link said, turning his head.
"What is that?!" Groose was leaning back in fear, staring at the purple symbol on the wall.
"Nothing new," Link said casually, walking further along the hallway. "It must have reacted to my presence."
"But…but what is it?"
Groose didn't move on, inspecting it closely.
"I used to be able use the Master Sword to get things from it," Link said, waiting by the door that would lead them further into the temple. "It doesn't work anymore."
"There's nothing in this hallway," Link continued, pushing the door up and open and holding it there. "Let's keep going."
"If you say so," Groose said, ducking underneath the door before Link let go, it dropping back down with a large thud.
Groose made his way to the next door, observing the odd architecture of the room before he went to open it.
He looked behind him for Link, but was surprised to find him atop the short column, looking around upwards.
"Link?" Groose asked. "Do you see something?"
"The eyes," Link whispered, slightly surprised.
"The Sheikah symbol?" Groose said as he made his way around to the small flight of stairs, looking up as well. "Wasn't there a tear from the bottom?"
Groose joined Link, them both looking around at the eyes that stared back at them.
"There was," Link said. "Maybe this is before they had to kill anyone. Maybe they were part of building this temple in the first place."
"Or maybe they added the eyes later," Groose suggested. "Don't you remember? There was one at the entrance. Maybe they are using it to mark the temple somehow, the room."
"But why?" Link said, a silence falling until Groose rushed down the stairs.
"Groose?" Link inquired, his glance quickly going to the knight who was at a patch of dirt, uncovering something within it.
"Whoa," Link said once he caught sight of a small wooden trap-door, his eyes widening.
Groose opened it up, it creaking before he looked to Link, who was quickly approaching.
"It's a cave," Groose said as Link crouched down and looked into it. "Some…tunnel…"
"I'll lower you down," Groose said as he wiped his hands on his pants and held them out in offering.
"Me?" Link retorted. "Why me?"
"Because you're expendable."
"Excuse me?"
Groose laughed.
"I'm kidding," he corrected. "It's because you're lighter, come on."
Link latched his forearms onto Groose's, feeling himself slowly lowered down until he saw the floor mere inches from his feet.
"Okay," Link called out. "We're good!"
His voice echoed in remnants as his feet dropped down, Groose letting him go. Link withdrew his sword and shield.
"Does it lead anywhere?! Groose exclaimed.
"Well, it's dark," Link said, walking forward.
But it wasn't long before a wall of rubble blocked him.
"It's a dead end!" He exclaimed. "I'm going to try and blow it!"
Out of instinct, Link sheathed his sword and shield and pulled out a bomb from his pack.
He placed it down before the rubble and quickly ran to the opposite side of the cave, his hands over his ears as he prayed to Hylia that he wasn't too close to the explosion.
The loud boom made his ears ring, but it soon subsided, Link looking up to see it cleared.
"It worked!" Link said as he walked forward cautiously, peering at the dark cave and wishing he had some sort of light.
"It's…it's a whole system of tunnels," Link said before moving back to where Groose could see him, finding his curious yellow eyes.
"It's like a maze."
"Well if you're going to transport a Triforce that gives itself away, this is how you do it," Groose said.
Link looked to the harrowing caves, studying them with worry. Groose was right, and even if he was wrong, this was the best lead they had.
"When you said this might take months, you weren't kidding," Groose remarked. "And we don't even know for sure where this leads."
"I have to tell Zelda," Link said, looking back up. "Loftwings won't carry letters down here, she'll worry."
"Good idea," Groose said with a nod. "We'll get some wood for torches while we're outside, too."