"Zelda," Pipit said as he looked out the window. "You've got mail, Link's Loftwing."

Zelda's head popped up from her book, from the words that captured her mind to the ones that captured her heart. She looked to Karane.

"Go ahead," Karane prompted. "I could use a break."

Zelda hurried out as hastily as she could.

Pipit limped over to their table with the help of his cane, looking over their messy assortment of books and notes.

"Any luck?" He asked.

"No," Karane said with a shake of her head. "But as you know, there's tons of books to go through. We'll keep plenty busy."

"I was thinking of joining them actually, Link and Groose," Pipit said teasingly, "their daring adventure."

"No you will not!" Karane said, finally lifting her head. "Are you crazy? Your leg is still—"

Pipit was smiling.

"You're teasing me, aren't you?" Karane asked.

"Just wanted to get your face out of that book for a second," Pipit sad, pecking her cheek.

Karane blushed.

"Sit down and rest, you smooth talker."

"Yes Ma'am," Pipit said as he did just that, Zelda walking back in.

"Two letters this time," she said, returning to the table and opening them hastily. "Maybe there's news."

"Zel," Zelda read aloud. "Just checked the Ancient Cistern for any hideouts, but didn't find any. We figured the Sheikah might be close to the Sealed Temple because we didn't see a glow from up above. They likely didn't have to travel far. We're heading to the Skyview Temple next. How is the baby? Are you feeling okay? Link."

Zelda gave a soft smile, putting the letter down and rummaging for a blank piece of paper.

"If I write back now I can get it back on his Loftwing."

"Can I read the second one while you do that?" Karane asked.

"Sure," Zelda said casually as she wrote his name.

"Zel, we found a system of underground tunnels."

Zelda's head popped up immediately, her writing hand freezing.

"We think this is what the Sheikah used, but it seems very complex and I won't be able to receive letters underground."

Karane sighed as Zelda's expression saddened.

"So, just in case it takes a long time, know that I love and miss you very much and that I promise to bring you back the Triforce. I promise I'll be safe and I hope you will too. Don't worry about me. Yours, forever and always, Link."

Zelda put down the pencil and leaned back in her chair, her hands going to her lower stomach.

"I'd rather have him back safe than the Triforce," Zelda said sadly. "I hope he knows that."

"I'm sure he does."

Zelda shook her head 'no'.

"I was too hard on him," she continued. "I know the Triforce is important, but…it's going to be so hard not to worry about him."

The days and weeks were long, them melding into each other until Link and Groose lost all concept of time. Every fork in the tunnels was a decision and they often didn't know at all if it was the right one. They had backtracked, gone in circles, and lost their way so much that they felt lucky to even see the sunlight again.

Conversation became dulled. The two had discussed everything they cared to, had reminisced on everything they could remember, had prattled on about their significant others more than the other would have liked if not for the boredom.

Remarking at seeing the same tunnels everyday was a joke that got old fast.

They talked about Impa, about what she had to sacrifice, about the Sheikah and what they knew of their culture. They talked about how they were happy that the Sheikah might still be alive but both kept to themselves that this ordeal was causing quite a lot of trouble.

Link thought of the time as he walked along, the torch Groose held illuminating a path. To be honest, they never knew if it was the right one.

He thought about Zelda, as he often did. How far along she was, how far along she could be.

It felt like weeks they had been down here, taking all the wrong turns, so much so that they didn't even know what to do to get back. For all they knew, they could have trekked the entirety of Hyrule by now.

It felt like weeks, but Link had such a lost concept of time by now that it could have been short months, or even really, really long days.

"How are our provisions?" Link asked, the very echo of his voice a sound that both their pairs of ears were hungry for.

Groose didn't even look.

"Halfway through if we ration a bit more," Groose said. "If we hadn't found that underground lake we'd be done for as far as water."

Link nodded and the silence returned. He didn't want it to, but it was an inevitable silence. It grated on his ears.

He hated it.

Suddenly something caught his eye. His pacing slowed until it stopped completely.

Really, after such a long time seeing the same color of reddish brown, they were probably hardwired to spot any difference.

He studied it for a second, his blue eyes racing across it before he realized what it was.

"We're going back," he said, starting back along the tunnel they just came from.

"What? Why? Where did we end up?" Groose rushed to where Link was looking.

"Where we started," Link said as he kept going.

"Skyview?" Groose said as he studied the white part of the wall.

"Oh," he said when he realized they were looking at the walls of the Sky Keep, the spiraling temple that fit so neatly into the Sealed Grounds. Towering directly above them was surely the statue of the goddess Hylia. And, in the temple at her feet, where the Triforce was stolen from.

"Well, at least we're on some track," Groose said. "This is probably the tunnel they used."

"Hey," he continued, calling after Link. "How do you know they didn't go this way? Maybe they're west of the statue, not east…or east and not west if we're on the other side, or…wait…"

Link stopped and sighed in Groose's confusion, turning around and listening as he continued.

"We could be going north and south of we're on her actual sides…n-nevermind, it doesn't matter. My point is that they could have gone your way or my way. We can't be sure that they went your way."

"Well, we have to choose one," Link reasoned.

Groose sighed.

"Okay," as if about to try and figure it out.

"Or we don't have to choose one," Link suggested.

Groose furrowed his brow.

"What?" He retorted in reply.

"We could split up," Link said. "Better than taking the wrong way and losing this chance. We never had a fifty-fifty chance before, just unlucky shots."

"You must be seriously dehydrated," Groose said. "If we split up, we may never see each other again."

"And you say I'm dramatic," Link mumbled.

"You know what I mean," Groose added. "It's very possible that this system spans all of Hyrule. Hell, if I were a part of a hidden underground race, I'd likely do the same thing to keep myself occupied, digging all these tunnels, but that means that if we get separated—"

"We might find them faster," Link said.

Groose fell silent, stewing in his own thoughts before he said a finite,

"Fine," and walked away in his direction.

Link watched him walk off with a crease in his brow, trying not to let the loneliness overcome him so quickly.

This was fine. He would be fine, he went on a whole quest alone before. He could do it again.

Wait, no.

He had Fi.

But that tangent of thought was of no consequence, Link beyond surprised to see Groose almost immediately, walking in the direction Link was supposed to be going.

"What?" Link asked.

"It's a dead end."

"Thank Hylia," Link said.

They both stopped, the tunnel forking into three different avenues.

"All right ladies and gentlemen, which one?"