"Alright," Urbosa grumbled with endless exhaustion, not a moment after the Company had plummeted into the steamy corridor of stone that sat a few feet underneath the top soil of Lake Darman, rousing Zelda from her whimsical thoughts of rest even as the Princess' limbs began to relax.

The Gerudo pushed herself to her feet, wiping ash and dust from her clothing, simply streaking black marks of char along the fabric as she sighed, "We're nowhere near finished, and we're still on a time limit. We must press on."

Revali complained, having already thrown himself to his feet in a furious attempt at remaining pristine, "Please. This darkness is an insult to the ocular prowess of us Rito."

Certainly enough, they had fallen into little more than a mine shaft, lacking all light, leaving it a mystery how far along this specific corridor scuttled through the solid rock of the mountain. Before them wore on the craggy, squared pathway that had once been excavated by Gorons long passed, though the layers of dust an ash proved how useless the tunnels had become.

"There's no threat of a cave in, is there?" Link wondered aloud, addressing Daruk, even though Revali replied initially.

"Such a stupid question to bring up only now!" he bit plainly.

Rolling his eyes, Link awaited the suddenly reserved voice of Daruk as it petered out, "No. Not the path we'll be taking, anyway."

Link's vision fought the darkness, hoping to catch the expression which matched such a lowly voice, but his attempt was interrupted by Mipha's attempt to raise herself up, suit and all, which caught the attention of all others. He leaned toward her, grabbing hold of her arm while Urbosa took the opposing limb, lifting the stiff body upright until Link could peer into the transparent screen of glass from within which Mipha's shining eyes met his own, not breaking for the duration of the motion.

Link could barely even bear to blink, not daring to miss a single, hair's breadth of time from which he was ever separate from those eyes.

"From the map," Zelda muttered between a vigorous sniffling, resulting from the even acrid air down within the tunnel, as well as her tearful deluge not a few minutes earlier, "We're not terribly far from the crater which Vah Rudania often rests. Though, I'm sure these underground routes are more labyrinthine than anything."

Revali scoffed at the notion, shaking his head while Mipha managed to see the silver lining of their current predicament, "Well, at least it's much more tolerable down here."

"True," Urbosa nodded, "But tolerable doesn't mean livable. Daruk, you're in front now."

She caught sight of his distressed eyes, cocking her head to the side to catch his attention, "Got it? You know these tunnels better than any of us."

Listlessly enough, Daruk nodded, "Right."

Sighing with disdain, Urbosa refused to bother the Goron any further. She was fine with a despondent Daruk so long as he was moving along with such urgency.

So he did; Daruk strolling along, shoulders heaving downward with expressed misery, perhaps simply due to his misstep nearly costing Mipha her life, Link figured. Ensuring Mipha's readiness, and ability, to follow along, the Company stretched onward into the darkness, with nary a source of light to guide them.

"Accursed-" Revali complained with a venomous air after strolling too far against the unseen wall, his skin tearing against the rocky surface, "This place is more decrepit than I once thought it to be."

He began walking with his head tilted to the side, though he still came to jolting halts as he unknowingly neared craggy portions of jutting rock.

"Just keep your eyes-" Urbosa paused, noticing his odd posture, muttering with a begrudging voice, "Is there a reason you have your head like that..?"

Revali explained simply, "I see better this way."

"You see-" Urbosa stopped short, withholding a scoff, "You know, sometimes I think most of your so-called advantages are just made up junk."

The Rito eyed her from his sideways perspective, "Keep imaging my superiority to be feigned; it merely lends me pride. However, for all of our prodigious advancements, it seems we were forced to endure some disadvantageous traits to bear as well."

"For one," he explained, just avoiding another outcropping of igneous rock, "Our eyes are better equipped for high resolution, not light gathering. Not that we need such trifling attributes. Same with our near-sightedness within our lower field of vision; why worry about such measly traits? Why bother concerning ourselves with the earth below us?"

Urbosa frowned expectantly, "But the head thing."

"Merely a passing inconvenience," Revali assured critically, stumbling away from the rocky wall as his path strayed close.

"Well," quipped Urbosa, "If you need, we could tie you up to Link and he can lead you along on a leash."

"Pah!" Revali sputtered in defiance.

"Oh, come on; it wouldn't be the first time on this journey you two would be connected by a cord," Urbosa humorously supposed.

Hoping to find a similar objection from Link, Urbosa was left disappointed by the soldier's distant gaze, as if his mind weren't even upon the battle of words currently in progress between she and Revali. She failed to fret about the matter, particularly given her knowledge of him and Mipha; certainly, she understood his being shaken, but still, his despondence seemed more hearty than merely dwelling upon what had occurred moments ago.

Revali merely scoffed once again at her insinuation, instead choosing to ignore and further comment, which was fruitless in that endeavor as well, Urbosa growing silent herself while the Company patterned along deeper and deeper into the dug out series of cavernous pathways.

Darkness continued to engulf them in such gradual spurts, forcing their eyes to constantly adjust and leaving most of them in perpetual states of blindness, their pupils never able to properly gauge exactly the predicament before them. This left them with moments of pure inability to even see their hands before them, leaving Zelda's spine to shiver at the sensation; they simply strode on into the abyss, hoping not to fall into the void that matched their gaze.

They finally entered something of a wider cavern than the tunnels they had entered into, the pale light of some distant pool of magma ricocheting impotently along the walls, leaving just the faintest bit of light for them to appreciate the gift of sight once again. Even so, the added spectrum of light confused their senses even further, and the sound of sharp tearing of rocks saddened howled into the air as Zelda misplaced her step, sliding forward as her body fell backward, only for Urbosa to skillfully swoop in and break her fall with a quick grasp.

"Th- Thanks," Zelda nodded slowly, exhaustion lining her voice.

Urbosa looked her over before taking a glance toward the others, finding much the same tire lining their faces. She straightened herself and Zelda before patting the palms of her hands together, taking the initiative.

"Alright. We're stopping to rest," she commanded lowly, "Our quick pace has earned us as much."

A scornful glare met her by way of Link, who wasn't ready to stop until they were safe, though Urbosa turned away before assuring, "We're ahead of schedule by a few hours, after all."

"Gah. Rest in this acrid air?" Revali sputtered, despite him bending down to ready a blanket that he could sit upon.

Link turned toward Mipha, catching only a glimpse of mechanism, still not used to turning peer into her glass screen, before helping her sit down as well, reaching into her ruck sack attentively.

"You good?" he asked.

She nodded.

"You don't need any water? or more gel, or-?"

Smirking, she nodded again.

"I'm fine," she assured, earning a groan from Link as he dropped his head toward his chest.

Sighing, Link relieved himself of concern while sitting down beside her, his feet filling with the sensation of blood-rush as though having walked non-stop for days. He dropped his head with tire, his arms following suit as she fell between his widened legs, allowing him to drop his body low, seeking any sort of relief for his now-aching muscles. He could tell the lack of oxygen within these shadowy tunnels was forcing his body to churn along with less and less fuel.

He took some solace in the murmuring of the others as they all attempted to find rest of their own. Urbosa's voice spouted predominantly, but he took note of Zelda's own, reserved tone, along with Revali's complaining whispers to himself, which made itself known simply by virtue of the small enclosure's echoing perimeter. His brow cocked in realization as he failed to recognize Daruk, usually the most boisterous of them all, though he supposed he was still feeling rather torn from the events of a few moments ago.

Sure enough, working up the strength to peer toward the others, Link found Daruk noticeably apart from them, resting alone with his own shoulders slumped in visible down trod; given the Gorons' inability to feel much of anything in the way of exhaustion, it left very little to Link's imagination what that posture signaled.

"I didn't expect it to be so dark," Mipha murmured quietly, her mechanical body contorting in menial movements as she examined the surroundings, "Even in the deepest waters- I can't remember ever being so devoid of the sun's light."

Link shrugged, "All the more evident why nothing can live down here, I suppose. Add in a dash of magma- Only death can be found here."

His eyes raised as he turned to take a glance toward Mipha, taking care to lean forward enough to see beyond her visor, "Are you-"

"I'm sure," she confirmed in interruption.

Shrugging, Link merely surmised, "When I was drowning underwater, it was all you could do to make certain I was alright."

"Apples and cabbages," Mipha noted wryly, noting the difference in situations, "Ironically, I'm more worried about the one of us best adapted for this journey."

Link questioned, "Who, Daruk?"

"He's been silent ever since we got here," noted Mipha with a weakened breath, "I suspected he felt terrible about that bout of misinformation, but-"

Her voice trailed off for a moment before finding itself with a low air once more, "This entire time- I've always looked up to him. I could always count on him, of all people, to- you know."

"Keep everyone's spirits up, yeah," Link shrugged, reminded of Daruk's own boast on their way up here, "He puts on a positive front, but- There's a lot behind his smile that he's spent far too much time keeping concealed."

Mipha eyes him cautiously, "How do you mean?"

Leaning back to rest easier, Link bit his lip tentatively before revealing, "Gorons don't have written histories, but they do share many legends and tales by word of mouth. So many of those involve the ideals that most all Gorons know, and understand, to be what makes them explicitly "Goron", right? Stuff like their heartiness, their natural strength- Some of them are things simply attributed to them by the Goddesses when they were first formed from rock."

"I understand," Mipha confirmed, "I suppose not living up to those expectations would cause some distress, but- He doesn't need to be at 100% at all times, at least not around us."

Link turned to her, "It's not simply this journey, it's-"

His lips coiled in examination, mulling over his words, weighing them against the adoration and trust he'd built up with the woman before him, before speaking quietly, "It's his entire life."

Mipha's brow furrowed curiously as Link eyed Daruk from afar, "How many Goron heroes do you know?"

She pondered over the question before wondering aloud, "I- That is-…"

"Not many, if not a single one," Link nodded slowly, "It's partially due to their general gentleness, but even when you listen to so many of their tales- So often, they're relegated simply to auxiliary roles, appearing only to the side of other heroes. There's never a story about a Goron, themself, for all their brawn and resilience, taking center stage and defending this world they so gallantly deem theirs to be defended."

"Daruk is the best among them," Link quietly surmised, "If he can't make a mark, not only for himself, but for all of his people- If he can't carve their names into history, then who can?"

He shrugged, "At least, that's how he feels."

Mipha turned her head up to glance toward Daruk's weakened posture, frowning sadly for her friend as Link went on, "He has the weight of history upon his shoulders. For all his brightness and humor- I do get concerned, oftentimes, that it all isn't as much for himself as for us."

"Makes his father's words that much more of a sting," Link grinned with ironic dismay, "Mere stone can't survive the eons."

Her eyes still cast sadly atop Daruk's silhouette, Mipha slowly turned further to her side at the sound of displaced rubble, signaling the arrival of Zelda's immensely darkened frame, lit only by the softened glimmer of orange-red hues lining the shadowy walls.

"Sorry to interrupt," she admitted quietly, hoping not to disturb the others' rest, "We, uh- We should really add another coat of gel, I think. Just to be safe."

Despite her intense wanting to refuse, Mipha could find the wailing silence in Zelda's voice- the Princess desperate to be doing something, anything, to help out in some, even ineffable, way. The Zora nodded within her suit, even if it meant nothing to Zelda, before signaling her agreement with her body rising to its feet.

"Alright," she replied, seeking some levity as she smirked toward Link, "No boys allowed when a lady's undressing."

Link's brow curled as he turned toward them, "It's not-"

"Ah!" Mipha demanded with a giggle, pushing his head away before it could find her, "Nice try."

The small, smarmy exchange at least gave rise to a soft giggle from Zelda, though it led Link to his own, ragged groan as he rose to his feet, patting off the grime from his breeches, "Alright, alright. I'll go hunt for oxygen over here, then."

Leaving behind a pair of soft, uncertain giggles, Link cursed under his breath as his steps continued their uneasy, bedraggled gait he had yet to grow accustomed to. The small stint of rest only made the craggy ground's reappearance that much more noticeable, and he could barely drag himself hobbling closer toward Daruk, lazily falling into an adjoining seated position beside the Goron man.

"Goddess," he breathed with exhaustion, "You know, I kind of miss the sandiness of the desert now."

Daruk remained silent in his downtrodden posture.

With a frown, Link turned toward him, "Look, Brother- Are you alright? You just don't seem as- I don't know, as chipper as usual."

The Goron raised his head, allowing his eyes to peer sidelong toward Link, "Chipper."

His back raised as he sat up, patting his knees with his massive paws of hands, "How worthless can somebody be before that chippiness becomes mere incessance?"

Daruk's hands gripped his knees with a furious grasp, "For all my inadequacies along the way to this very point-"

He slammed a thumb into his chest as he stared at Link, "I nearly got someone killed. Killed!"

"Daruk," Link confirmed, "It wasn't your-"

"Pah. Wasn't my fault," he grumbled, shaking his head as he returned his glance to the soil below, "It was my plan. My mistake. Yet it was somebody else's blood on the line."

Link leaned back, "Look, I know you're frustrated with yourself. But you must understand- No one's blaming you."

"Well they should start," Daruk frowned angrily, "Outskirt Stable, I nearly get your head kicked in. Zora's Domain, I can't even protect you from nearly dying, much less this entire troupe. At Robbie's, I was nothing but a blight upon this very land."

"Now this," he confirmed in scathing resignation, "All that chippiness- Nothing but me seeking some worth when I've nothing to offer."

Caught between Daruk's insistence, and indeed, his own exhaustion, Link hadn't a word to say as he sat there. He swallowed a mighty lump in his throat as his mind thought uncertainly, never the one to console anyone, at least not Daruk. He kicked his feet along the ashen dust that lined the interior of the mountain, biting his tongue as Daruk's frustration seeped into the very air surrounding them despite his silence.

"You're not worthless," Link assured, even without much consideration, yet his words remained as sincere as he knew possible, "There will come a time when you'll understand that."

Daruk shook his head mutely, not wanting to allow Link to notice the motion- his politeness shining through even now. Even if he knew the Hylian was wrong.

"You're more than stone, remember?"

A dark chuckle escaped Daruk this time, though he quickly dismissed any form of levity as he murmured, "Yeah, right."

Before Link had to battle further with reply, Urbosa's voice arose, charging the air around them as though her zealous leadership lent electricity to the atmosphere, "Alright, that's enough rest. We're still on a time limit. Mipha's newly plastered, we've had a quick rest- time to press on."

"Plastered," Link shot in the dark, "You make her sound drunk or something."

Urbosa assured, "Plastered in the 'painting dyes on rock walls' sense, of course."

A laugh left Mipha as she added, "I sure hope so; we Zora can't get drunk."

The Gerudo shot her a worrisome glance, answering sarcastically, "You poor soul."

"One of our older insults when it came to Hylians, actually," explained Mipha wryly, "Was that they only bothered to swim when it was through troughs of alcohol."

Revali couldn't help but release a jolting laugh, "Pff- Pah!"

"How barbaric!" Zelda asserted, the jovial air helping her mood as well, "I mean, I know of uncles who might imbibe in such things, but-…"

Link smirked, "Well, when this is all over, we'll find a trough and try it out ourselves. Sounds more refreshing than anything else at this point, but- I'm just getting in touch with my Hylian roots, I suppose."

"Pshaw!" Revali scoffed in amusement, "I do not doubt it!"

"Hey now," Link gestured toward him, "We're getting you in there, too."

Suddenly, Revali's face contorted into one of disgust, "I beg your pardon?! Why, I'd never-!"

"Zelda, too," Urbosa quickly rang out, throwing her arm around her little bird's shoulders and pulling her in close, "I do believe she's grown up enough for a taste."

Zelda frowned, "H- How childish do you think I am?! I've-! I've had alcohol before!"

"Oh, really?" Urbosa mused with amusement.

"Y- Yeah!" Zelda insisted, though quickly quieting into a verbal shell, "Of course…"

Urbosa inquired further, "What did you try? Some beer, or-?"

"Some wine!" Zelda immediately retorted, though sadly checked herself with, "…even if I poured it out after a single sip."

"Bah ha ha!" Urbosa laughed, pulling Zelda lovingly into her side, "Alright, come now, child. Let's get a move on. No talk of celebrations until after we've accomplished our goals, alright?"

Nodding, Link agreed, "Right."

Even amongst something of a lightened atmosphere, Daruk trailed along, sauntering softly into the mountain, wondering if what Link had said were true. Perhaps his time were just around the corner, despite all of his faults so far.

Still, he couldn't imagine such a thing. His heart remained as dark as the silhouetted hallways of rough rock they now continued down.