"I told you, we should have gone with the second one."

"Hey, you got to choose the time after that," Groose reasoned. "Left? May have doomed us all."

"Well it's done now," Link said. "We went with the third tunnel and you're going to regret it and then I can blame all this on you."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on," Groose argued. "Are we forgetting the three right turns in a row of…well, whenever that was. Nonsense."

"I stand by my three right turns in a row, thank you very muhh…"

As if from nowhere, Link felt the cold edge of a blade at his neck. He assumed, at Groose's silence, that he was experiencing the same obstacle.

Link peered down at the edge of the blade, trying to calm his panic until the person who held the knife came around the corner.

Link breathed a sigh of relief, smiling.

They found them.

They actually found them.

"Why are you smiling?" The Sheikah asked. "I'll cut your throat where you stand."

Link kept smiling.

"You're a Sheikah," Link said. "You have no reason to kill me, so you won't."

"How?" The Sheikah said breathlessly as she lowered her knife, studying Link.

"Neither of you have paintings on your face," Groose added. "Which means you've never killed anyone. Even if you did have reason to kill us, you're likely more hesitant. You're both bluffing."

The two sheikah looked to each other, backing away, Groose massaging his neck where the knife was held.

"Don't hurt them," said an approaching voice, a tall figure covered in the shadows of the cave, just beyond the reach of Groose's torch, as if she always planned it that way. "These are Hylians. We have sworn to be their guardians. These are no foe, although I applaud your quick instincts, both of you."

"Yes ma'am," they both said before disappearing into the shadows.

Groose and Link peered at the tall Sheikah suspiciously.

"Come," she said before walking further into the cave, Link and Groose following cautiously.

"Do it," Groose said, leaning over to Link.

"Do what?" Link whispered.

"Thank me," Groose whispered.

"We both got ourselves here," Link said in reply. "Don't pride yourself on one right decision."

Groose backed off.

They saw a light before them, encircling an entire settlement as it became clearer. Link and Groose's eyes widened.

It really was a whole underground settlement of Sheikah. They could hardly believe it.

They had survived the war.

The lady before them was in an asymmetrical black cloak with her hood up, turning a corner and gesturing them into a very particular tent, like that was planned as well.

Link and Groose entered the tent, scanning its' inside to find that no one was there.

"Make yourselves at home," the Sheikah said as she stood near the entrance. Her large hood was still up, it casting a shadow upon her face.

The two knights felt as though they were being watched, scrutinized as they sat on two pillows. They had their guard up, of course, their muscles tense and their back straight as they tried to look everywhere but at the Sheikah.

But they couldn't help it, their curious gazes falling upon her silence as she took a single step to the side. Groose and Link inwardly questioned the abnormality until someone much shorter entered the tent with a tray of assorted cups, a kettle in the center.

"Tea?" The girl said, offering it to them with a smile.

"Uhh…" Link stammered. Groose had already taken a cup, so Link supposed there was no rejecting. Besides, they went to all the trouble to get it. The least he could do was be respectful of the hospitality.

"Th-thanks," he said as he took it. The girl left the tray before departing from the tent completely. Link put down his cup.

"Uhm…this is all very nice but we have some questions," Link said to the tall Sheikah before he corrected himself. "A lot of questions, actually."

The Sheikah moved from the entrance to the center of the room, standing before them as if to prompt their inquiries.

"O-okay, well," Link started. "I guess we'll get into the whole hidden civilization thing later, but we were wondering—"

"Do you guys have the Triforce or not?" Groose interjected, Link burying his face in his palms.

"Bring me, he said, I'll help, he said," Link mumbled.

"You were taking too long," Groose said to Link.

"You Hylians are quite impatient, aren't you?" the Sheikah said, both of the men looking back up. "Yes, we have your Triforce, as well as answers to questions you may not even have yet."

Link and Groose both let out a heavy sigh of relief, a great weight lifting from their shoulders.

Link inhaled to ask why they took it when the Sheikah took off her hood, Groose losing all hold of the cup, it shattering as it hit the floor.

Groose's eyes were wide, but Link's only twinged in surprise.

"Impa?" Groose asked breathlessly.

Link looked over at the red-haired knight with a glare.

"Really?"

"She looks just like her," Groose argued with a gesture of his hands.

"The one you speak of is my ascendant," the Sheikah said. "My name is Indigo. I am of her blood."

"So…so Impa had…children," Link ascertained. "All that time, she…she gave up all that time…for us…"

"If you are referring to her time in the Sealed Temple," Indigo said. "That was a willing sacrifice. She knew she was needed to help the goddess Hylia, to guard the Master Sword and to help the incarnates on their journey, so she gladly volunteered. Although I can tell you two carry a great amount of guilt for that, if you knew her, you would know that she would not have it."

"But," Groose started. "How…how was she able to stay alive all that time? It was thousands of years."

"The goddess granted her immortality until her purpose and role had been fulfilled," Indigo explained. "What was essentially her death was inevitable. I'm glad it arrived peacefully and that she was in the presence of those she cared for."

Groose smiled at the thought, remembering with bittersweet fondness Impa drifting away in a golden shimmer.

"Wait, wait," Link said with a furrowed brow. "How do you know how she died? That we were there when it happened?"

"Because I was there, too," said Indigo. "I'm sure you've seen more than enough of our tunnel system. Over the generations my people would visit her regularly. Just because she couldn't leave did not mean she was not without visitors. Especially then we knew her end was coming soon, your journey nearing a conclusion. We owed it to her to pay our respects, all the while keeping ourselves hidden."

"Why?" Groose asked. "After all your race has been through, why not make yourselves known to us?"

"Because they've been spying on us," Link said, figuring it out.

"You have," he continued. "Haven't you? Every time I thought I was jumping at shadows it was one of you."

Indigo sat down across them.

"Hylia made it clear that after Demise was defeated, there was to be a second threat to the Surface and to the Triforce. We've had our watchful eyes on that coming threat for a while and to reveal ourselves at all would incur that threat. You should be thanking us for removing the Triforce."

"Thanking you?" Groose retorted, inhaling to recount the hassle it was to get here. But Link held up a hand to him.

"What threat?" He asked Indigo slowly, trying to curb his own fear of the answer.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Link and Groose exchanged confused glances.

"It's you."

"Excuse me?" Link retorted.

"Well, your kind," Indigo corrected, "Hylians."

Link gave a sharp exhale.

"And you being here proves it," she added.

"What?" Link retorted rhetorically. "No…no…we needed to make sure you wouldn't misuse the Triforce."

"You need not worry."

Link shook his head, it moving downwards.

"It…it's not…" Link tried. "We…they don't even…"

Link took a deep breath, in and out, refocusing his words and slowing down his panicked thoughts.

"Most of the Hylians don't know because we were warned of their greed as well, but…I just…I don't believe they're capable of that. I can't. I've known them all my life."

The Sheikah leaned forward.

"The Triforce has a great power," she explained. "And in the face of such a power, people change, their greed and lust corrupts them. This endangers the Triforce, not only what it is supposed to represent, but also Hylia's wish that its singular use be to end the war. The war has ended. She knew that leaving it to mortals was necessary for that purpose but now, unfortunately, it has been left to mortals."

"If you were so concerned, why did you wait over a year to take it?" Groose asked.

"As a matter of fact," Indigo said. "We were planning to take it immediately after. You fools had it out in the open on Hylia's pedestal. Then you put it in the temple below her and that was fine. You and Zelda checked on it regularly. But when you went off gallivanting for an entire month, you left it in the care of mediocre knights who knew not of what they were protecting. We figured it would be safer here."

Link ran his fingers through his hair.

"She has a point," Groose said to Link.

"Many," Link mumbled back.

"Can…can we have it back?" Groose asked. "If we're more careful?"

Link almost couldn't believe they were asking permission. He appreciated their prudence in taking the Triforce to protect it, of course, but this power was issued to the Hylians. They should have at least asked.

Link tilted up his head as he froze his train of thought.

He was being possessive of it, right here, right now.

Indigo definitely had a point.

"I don't see why not," Indigo said after considering it. "But only for the reason that it is not that much safer here. Now that you know of us, I feel we must discuss better measures to hide it and keep it hidden."

Link nodded.

"Very well," said Indigo, standing up. "I imagine you would like to see it."

Groose and Link stood up as well, following Indigo out of the tent. Link jogged to meet up with Indigo's stride.

"So, um…about the Triforce," he said, feeling suddenly that he was already blabbering on annoyingly. Her gaze was forward as she walked, as if she weren't even listening. "You seem to know a lot about it, umm…you see I-I'm Hylia's chosen hero a-and I used to have to the full Triforce on my hand and now I don't so…I was wondering what that means? Uhm…"

"The triangles on your hand were only ever a symbol," she said with a continued forward gaze. "A representation of the actual Triforce. At one point, you had claim to all three. Your unbreakable spirit and courageous soul made you a prime candidate, not to mention her undying trust in you to use it selflessly. As you are aware, you did so, curbing your kind's greed and weighing greater your kindness, compassion and valor. You understood the Triforce well and, in consequence of all these things, were the best mortal to control it and defeat Demise by doing so. That was the singular task the Triforce was to be taken advantage for. Understand that nothing has changed. The goddesses have not deemed you at a loss for power or wisdom, nor do they intend to judge your undeniable courage. The reason why the symbols on your hand disappeared can be explained by looking at the Triforce itself."

"What do you mean?"

"Your relic is very powerful, in many different ways, yet there is a subtlety to it as well. If you look it at closely enough, your answers will become clear. The Triforce reflects a person own desires at touch, but at sight it reflects its own identity."

"So…?" Groose prompted behind them.

"So it will show me the current ownership of each piece," Link ascertained.

Link looked to the Sheikah.

"Right?"

The Sheikah nodded.

They came upon a larger tent, one they could see already a golden light emanating from, breaching and escaping from the openings.

Indigo, Groose, and Link stepped into the tent with shielded eyes, squinting until they got used to the brightness.

Link couldn't help another sigh of relief. They had found it, they had gotten out those tunnels and, Hylia willing, they could go home.

"Thank you," Link said, them stopping in front of it, not wanting to go any closer.

"You're welcome," Groose said in reply.

Indigo had, however, stepped closer, not stopped by any fear. She looked back at the two knights.

"I trust you not to use it of course," she said.

"O-of course," Link said with a nod.

"Then by all means," she prompted. "Find your answers."

Link stepped closer slowly, its' shine somehow weighing upon him. He could feel his nerves fraying, feel his anxiety settling upon him as he peered at it cautiously, afraid of its' power, what it would show, where the ownership of the two pieces went, and whether or not that in itself was something to be feared.

The golden shine subsided as he came closer, a distinct sheen like three golden mirrors.

Link focused on the bottom right triangle, the blue eyes that tracked his, the messy brown hair that needed to be brushed, the fatigue in his eyes he should have expected.

"It doesn't work," Groose said. "It's just showing a reflection of him."

"Because that's courage, you imbecile," Link mumbled.

"Oh."

Link took a deep breath as he looked into his own eyes. A glance up or down would give him the truth, no matter what if it was good or bad.

The palm of his hand suddenly felt cold and empty.

"Zelda should be here."

Link closed his eyes and tilted his head up, willing himself to open them until he did, them settling upon the uppermost triangle.

It was no face, no shape. It was in constant motion, looking much like an orange flame.

"What does that mean?" Groose asked.

"It has not yet taken form, but it will," Indigo explained. "That piece has been stolen and cursed."

"By Demise," Link figured.

"You are correct."

Link was shaking as his eyes trailed down to the lower-left triangle.

This one was unclear as well, Link trying to make it out as his eyes squinted. It wasn't a flame, like the other. It was something with an odd shape. He tried at length to place until suddenly, with wide eyes and a shaky breath, he knew exactly what it was.

Link looked back at Groose with tears in his eyes, lips parted in his speechlessness.

"What?" Groose asked looking between Indigo and Link. "What is it?"

"Because of Demise's curse," Indigo explained. "Evil in his kind of purity is destined to appear again. It searches for someone who has a great disparity between the power they have and the power they desire. It searches for someone to carry on Demise's bloodlust for the goddess and the hero. That is how, in his final moments, Demise cursed the Triforce of Power and was therefore satisfied. But, it seems that alongside that curse, the Triforce of Wisdom is destined to be passed along bloodlines."

Indigo approached Link, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I think our father here is a bit emotional."