Nothing. An entire day of searching, and he'd found absolutely nothing.
Link was ready to cry. Or yell. Or fight. Just...something that would give him an outlet. Without Fi, he couldn't figure out where he was, or what to do, or where Zelda is, or what threats were nearby...
Without her, he was...lost here.
Alone.
He hadn't quite recovered since he'd reached that realization. Numbness was all he could feel in his fingertips, too much panic on his mind to think straight.
But hey, at least it was keeping him awake, right?
Medda glanced over at the green-clad stranger in concern. The boy had been pretty shaken since he'd learned he was swordless, and waking up in a strange place probably wasn't doing him any favors, either. It might have helped him focus on farm work, but it didn't sit right with him, not as a dad. He sighed, setting his hoe down and leaning on the shaft. "Hey," he called over. "What's on your mind?"
Link hesitated, glancing at his own tool before resting it on his shoulder. "I can't fingerspeak if I'm doing chores, sir."
"Don't worry about it," Medda replied. "Not much left in the day anyways."
Link bit his lip, looking at his hands. What was he even supposed to say here? "...I don't know what I'm doing," he finally managed.
"With the farm work? You're doing fine."
"With anything." He looked up, desperate for something to hold onto, some fleeting glimmer of hope. "I don't know how to get back home, I lost my guide, and my best friend is missing. I can't afford to waste time catching up to her, but...but where do I go?" His ears lowered in dispair. "The place she was supposed to be is somehow three different places, and she's in trouble. I don't have time to find all three and hope."
Medda frowned, rubbing his chin. Feelings weren't his specialty, but... "...Finish up the yardwork with me, then I'll help you plan over dinner. Deal?"
"...Yes, sir."
"I don't wanna go to bed yet, papa!" Aster protested as her dad tucked her in. "I'm not tired!"
"I know, sweetie, but the grown-ups have to talk." Medda ruffled her hair affectionately. "It's important."
"I'm important too!"
He smiled. "I know you are, darling." He made a show of thinking his options over. "...Tell you what; if you go to sleep now, I'll make pie tomorrow."
Aster gasped. "You promise?"
"I promise."
She puffed up her cheeks, the temptation of pie quickly outweighing her protests against bedtime. "...Okay. But it's gotta be a BIG pie."
"The biggest." Medda leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, my little Aster."
Link listened to the exchange with a dull ache in his heart. Hearing happy families didn't...didn't usually get to him. But right now, he couldn't help it; he was at the lowest he'd been in a long, long while, and he wished he had the kind of comfort his own parents couldn't give.
"Hey."
He looked up as Medda sat down, notebook in hand. "Ready to talk?"
Link hesitated a moment, then nodded.
"Good." Medda pulled out a charcoal stick. "Then let's plan." He pointed the stick at Link. "Start with your biggest goal and work your way down. What's your top priority right now?"
"Finding Zelda."
"Alright." He jotted it down. "Good. Where is she?"
"The..." Link faltered.
Medda tapped his head lightly, the charcoal leaving a dust mark behind. "Hey, look at me." He waited until he had Link's full attention. "Don't worry if it makes sense or not, just get your thoughts out, alright? Where is she?"
"...The Temple of Time, in Lanayru Desert."
He nodded in approval. "Is she going there on her own, or she she being forced to?"
Link frowned. "She's not being forced to...I think."
"So why is she going?"
"I don't know."
Medda leaned forward, resting on his knees. "Guess."
Link frowned, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair. Why was she going? He knew about the two springs, how the Spirit Maiden needed to purify herself. And Fi had told him about the Gate of Time, but...how could Zelda have learned? "...Because she was told to," he finally decided.
"By whom?"
"It took you far too long to get here. Looking at you, I fear the goddess is mistaken in her choice of agents. If this failure is any indication, you have no hope of defending Her Grace from those who seek to assail her."
He bit back a wince as the words of the stranger in black echoed in his ears, their sting still fresh. "I don't know her name," he signed. "Only that she's trying to protect Zelda from harm."
Medda raised an eyebrow. "Describe her."
Link glanced at the notebook, then gestured to it. With a nod, Medda handed it and the charcoal over, watching as Link began sketching.
How she looked was forever imprinted in Link's memory, especially after that meeting. Angry eyes, a weird side ponytail, baggy pants, a cape. And eye markings. So many eye markings. One on her stomach, one on her forehead, one over her eye. It was strange.
Medda looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "A Sheikah?"
Link's head snapped up, eyes wide. "You know her?!"
"I know people like her, at least. They're a clan of fighters." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Red eyes, right? And pale hair?"
Link nodded frantically. "That's her! Where can I find her?!"
"Well...the Sheikah clan is pretty secretive. But there's this one Sheikah that comes shopping every morning, Symin. Grabs groceries from the East Wind." Medda frowned. "Never actually stocks up proper, though. Just gets enough for the day's meals and leaves. It's a bit odd."
"I NEED to find him," Link signed. "That's the only lead I've got."
"We'll add it to the list, but you can be patient." Medda scolded, taking the notebook back "We've still got a plan to make, you know."
Link gave a serious nod, filled with a new sense of determination.
He had hope now. He could do this.
Link looked over the list for the thousandth time as he waited, pacing back and forth in the East Wind's sales room.
The plan was simple.
1. Meet Symin.
2. Ask about the lady in black.
3. If he knows the lady in black, ask how to find her. If not, ask where his clan is.
4. Do chores for rupees.
5. Stock up for journey.
6. Travel.
It was foolproof. No matter if this Symin person knew Zelda's guide or not, Link would be able to work from here. Someone had to know where the lady in black had been headed out of an entire clan. There was no way she was acting alone, not if she was under direct goddess orders.
The door opened with the ding of a bell, snapping Link out of his thoughts. He glanced up.
A man walked in, wallet in hand. He was...a little strange looking. Pale clothing with red accents hung loosely over a navy halterneck top, fingerless gloves were tied at his hands, and a pair of sticks held his hair in a tight bun. Strangest of all were his toed...sock boots? Link eyed his shoes in particular confusion. Those couldn't be comfortable, right?
"Ahem."
He looked back up to see the stranger giving him an annoyed look. "Can I help you?" the man asked stiffly.
Quickly, Link flipped to a new page of his notebook, scribbling something down and shoving it in the newcomer's face.
"I'm looking for a man named Symin. Have you seen him?"
The man raised an eyebrow, taking the notebook from him and glancing it over. The handwriting was...odd. Bad? Dated. Nobody used those strokes anymore, not except Purah. "...That would be me. What do you need?"
Link gasped, snatching the notebook back. Symin watched in unnerved confusion. The young man was certainly...enthusiastic, he could give him credit for that. But the accurate period costume? That was a little unsettling. Who from this day and age even knew about the Hero's tunic?
His thought process was interrupted as the notepad was shoved back into his hands.
"My name is Link. I'm looking for a Sheikah in black who's escorting a friend of mine. Can you help me?"
His eyes widened slowly. He looked at the notebook, then back up at the boy, who looked...desperate. Almost frantic, practically bubbling over with nervous energy.
A far cry from the real Link.
"...I'm sorry, I really need to get my groceries," he said, offering the notepad back. "You should find someone less busy for your role-playing games."
Snatch! Scribble, scribble.
"It's not a game. Zelda is in trouble, and I need to catch up to her. It's important"
Symin sighed. "Zelda vanished from Hyrule a hundred years ago," he replied, grabbing the supplies for his cooking. "I seriously doubt she's running around willy-nilly now, especially with the country in such disarray."
Link froze, the new information sinking into him like a dead weight. 100 years? That...can't...That can't be right.
Wait.
Slowly, carefully, he wrote out another message, then held it in front of the Sheikah's face.
"She's the Spirit Maiden. I was told she's meant to go through the Gate of Time. She has a Sheikah guiding her. Is that the hundred years?"
Symin stopped, staring at the words in disbelief. "...Where did you hear those words?"
Aha! Link gave a confident smile. "The Servant of the Goddess told me. Her name is Fi."
The Sheikah researcher slowly set down the stick of butter he was planning to buy, and grabbed the boy's shoulder.
"Young man, I think you ought to come with me."