The dark beast and the plumes of malice that came with it were gone. There was yet a cloud of dust still waiting to settle at the base of the Sealed Grounds, which had returned to its normal state of rest once more. Even the birds and woodland creatures were cautiously making their way back to the trees and shrubs, filling the air with their songs and squeals. The pillar which sealed the Imprisoned stood firmly at the center of the base again.

But there was no sign of Link.

Groose had tried calling his name a few times, yet only the sound of his own echo returned to him. Though he would never admit it to anyone, the pit of his stomach was feeling hollow, borderline sick with worry. While they had never gotten along (and Groose had done some reprehensible things to him in the past) he didn't wish death on the younger boy, yet with each passing moment, it seemed more and more that he had been met with such a terrible fate. Groose looked at the old woman, his chest rising and falling dramatically with the quickening pace of his breath. She nodded her head as if to give him unspoken permission to go and search for Link, which he promptly did. He did not see him anywhere along the spiraled path. He came to the pillar (though he was careful not to touch it, fearful he might release the Imprisoned again) and called out for him as loudly as he could.

"LINK!"

He ran a flustered hand through his burning red hair, frazzling it some. He was teetering on the verge of a full panic when, finally, he heard what sounded like a small cough somewhere nearby. His heart leapt into his throat as he frantically looked this way and that until he spotted the green-clad boy lying underneath a patch of overhanging earth. He was hoisting himself up on his arms and clearing his lungs. Dust and dirt stuck to his tunic and darkened his hair. Groose ran over to meet him.

"Hey man," he said, trying to gauge if Link needed help, "are you alright?"

Link lifted himself a little higher and nodded his head, wincing between ongoing coughs.

"I thought you were a goner for a minute there," Groose admitted. "Not cool to scare us like that."

"Is she okay?" Link asked, albeit weakly.

"Oh, of course," Groose replied indignantly. "I wasn't about to let anything happen to her. You gotta protect the elders, you know?"

When Link felt ready, they started the long walk back up the path. A limp invaded his gait, as his lower back and hips felt terribly stiff. Occasionally, Link paused to steady himself and catch his breath. To his surprise, Groose stayed near and didn't get ahead of him. The older boy observed a heavy blankness in Link's gaze, almost as if he was lost in a trance. Groose felt an urge in his heart to ask if Link was truly okay. Not knowing how, or if Link would even be receptive to a show of care from someone who usually only bullied him, he decided not to. Both were relieved when they finally reached the Sealed Temple.

"It is amazing to see that you fared so well, young one," the old woman said, her wrinkled lips curving into a smile. "You doubt yourself needlessly. You are proving to be truly capable of carrying out the Goddess' mission."

Groose looked over at Link for a response, but the boy was staring off, seeming to have not even heard the woman.

"The seal holding the Imprisoned is waning," she continued matter-of-factly. "It is more important than ever that you continue your journey to seal him away for good. Now, where were we before he interrupted us?" she asked, rubbing her chin.

Fi came forth from the sword and curtsied.

"You were telling us of the need to purify the Goddess Sword," she said.

"Oh yes, that is correct."

"Wait..." Link finally uttered, his voice wavering slightly. He turned to Fi and exhaled sharply. "I have to apologize to you first, Fi."

"For what are you apologizing, Master?" Fi asked, tilting her head.

"I raised my voice at you earlier," he replied. "That never should have happened."

Fi nodded her head.

"I understand that you have a limited capacity for powerful emotions and significant amounts of information, yet both were forced upon you at once. It is likely that you were feeling, as your kind says, overwhelmed, at the time."

"I was... I am... but that does not excuse the way I spoke to you. I apologize."

"I accept your apology, Master."

Link mustered the faintest of smiles. Then, turning his attention back to the elder woman, he nodded, and straightened up his stance as if to brace himself, ready to proceed.

"Your sword," the woman began, a seriousness seeping into her aged voice. "In its current form, it is capable of summoning only a fraction of Hylia's blessed powers. However, in its true form, it can vanquish and seal away the darkness for a lifetime and beyond. There are few things in this world or any other mightier than that blade."

Link's chin raised as her words graced his pointed ears. While this was the first he was hearing of the sword's true power, it somehow sounded familiar, as if he had known about it all along.

"When you purify the blade in the flames of Farore, Din, and Nayru, it will awaken as the Master Sword." She smiled, thrilled to speak its real name at long last.

Link, Groose, and Fi felt the atmosphere in the room stirring.

"The Master Sword is the key to opening the Gate of Time, and that is how you are to reunite with the spirit maiden."

"As I hear you saying this," Fi chimed in, "I can sense the presence of these flames even now. They call to me."

"Listen well for them and they will guide you in kind," the elder said. "You are the spirit - the living embodiment - of the Master Sword, Fi. As such, you too will be greatly empowered by the sacred flames."

Suddenly, the old woman's voice changed, deepening and sounding almost sorrowful. Though her eyes were covered by the shadow cast by her tall, red hat, Link felt her gaze intensifying. Just as the room had been stirred by the mention of the Master Sword, it now felt terribly heavy and dark to all who stood in it.

"Link, I must warn you of something. To reach the three sacred flames, you are going to have to endure three trials. They will be like nothing you have faced yet. Your spirit must be ready."

Link swallowed dryly, as he could not imagine anything more difficult than facing the Imprisoned or being separated from Zelda, and yet the old woman was confident that an even worse fate was before him. A chill went down his spine and his brow lowered. Groose, who had been unusually quiet, stormed into the discussion.

"What about me?" he asked with a grunt, his face turning red to match his hair. "Link gets to do all this destiny garbage, and even the blue girl is going to get something out of it. What about me?"

"Well, young man," the woman began, equally gentle and stern, "Link and Fi did not choose this destiny. They were appointed to it. You inserted yourself. Therefore, finding your own part to play is your burden and yours alone."

Link caught himself just before a grimace appeared on his face. On one hand, he was glad to hear the old woman deal honestly with Groose in addressing his own ignorance. On the other, however, he knew it probably stung Groose terribly to hear it. He side-eyed the older boy, expecting to see him fuming. To Link's surprise, Groose appeared grieved. A wet sniffle gave away that he was on the verge of tears. Fists clenched, Groose turned and exited the temple. Link tried to ask the old woman for more information. She refused.

"Legend will guide you now," she said.

After taking some time to absorb everything, Link ventured outside, where he found Groose sitting on a ledge. The area had returned to its former peaceful state. The air smelled sweetly of pine. Dark clouds were moving in, bringing with them the lovely scent of rain before it had even begun falling. The wind was cool and refreshing, complimenting the warm, setting sun well. It was a suitable setting for Groose as his internal battle raged on. Link, without saying a word, sat down on the ledge, putting some distance between himself and his self-proclaimed rival. He strained as he lowered himself, feeling the aftereffects of the earlier battle. He massaged his sword-wielding arm, hoping to work out the soreness. His attention was not on Groose, and yet, the older boy spoke up.

"I don't know what you want me to say," he blurted, becoming too uncomfortable with the silence.

Link looked over at him, saying nothing.

"When I followed you this morning, I thought I was finally going to catch you in some stupid little scheme that maybe Zelda was in on," the older boy admitted. He sighed, tossing a rock down to the path below them. "Turns out, you're part of some mission from the Goddess," he scoffed. "Go figure."

The boys sat in silence for a time until, again, Groose could tolerate it no longer.

"Fine. You win," he spat, though Link still hadn't said anything. "I'll be honest with you. I'm jealous, alright? You always seem to get what I want with no effort whatsoever. I spent weeks... months... training for that race. You didn't even wake up with enough time to practice the morning of and yet you still won. Do you know how bad that feels? How unworthy it makes me look?" His large hands curled into tight fists, turning red as he clenched them. "Then, I try to show Zelda my good side, and believe it or not, I do have one, but she's always too busy being attached to you to even notice. And now you get to go on this grand adventure and slay... whatever in the Goddess' name that thing was... and I can't do anything."

Link felt his own frustration welling up as he listened to Groose pitying himself.

"Listen, I was angry when you followed me here," Link began, trying to suppress a bite from rising in his tone. "I still am. Whatever delusion you conjured up for yourself could have gotten us killed. And now, on top of everything else," Link's voice became unusually breathy, almost as if the beginning stage of a cry was developing, "I have to either get you back and pray you keep your big mouth shut, or, figure out how to keep you safe down here." His green eyes met Groose's. "I don't know if you've noticed, but this isn't always a tranquil place like Skyloft is."

Previously fragmented pieces came together in Groose's mind at that moment. Whether it was the sincerity in Link's voice or the frightened look on his face, something told him that Link had been through a great deal, even before his fight with the Imprisoned. It was as if Groose could see glimpses of his many battles and close encounters with death and danger in his forest green eyes, which were shimmering with the threat of tears. Feeling their sting, Link looked downward and clenched his jaw, trying to recompose himself.

"I've noticed," Groose replied plainly after some time had passed. "Since we're taking turns being brutally honest," he began, abandoning his normally arrogant tone, "it was kind of cool how you took out that prisoner thing." His voice suddenly raised and his brow lowered as his gaze bore into Link. "If you ever tell anyone I said that, I swear-"

The younger boy was thumbing the shoulder of his sword-wielding arm, and it was obviously hurting him, evidenced by a grimace. Groose decided perhaps it was not an appropriate time to threaten bodily harm and stopped himself short, letting out a loud sigh in lieu of whatever else he had planned to say. Link's strength appeared to be waning under the soreness that was mounting. As a favor, Groose switched topics.

"Oh yeah, the ol' Granny in there. Is she all alone?"

"To my knowledge," Link winced, still focusing on his arm.

"Yeesh."

A few more moments of silence passed.

"So, what are you going to do next... exactly?" Groose inquired.

Link let out a sharp sigh and hung his head low.

"I don't know."

"Well, you better figure it out before that thing breaks out again. Plus, Zelda's waiting for us. Everyone knows not to keep her waiting."

Link's dark green eyes met Groose's gaze once more. He offered him a nod of agreement. For a time, the two continued to sit, looking out over the Sealed Grounds and taking everything in. Groose scanned the sky, observing the rain clouds rolling in, while Link looked down towards the ground. While Groose's heart was managing to rally, Link's was progressively sinking.

"The clouds look really different from this side, huh?" Groose marveled in an attempt to lighten the mood. "You've at least told the professors about all of this, right? Think they'll start teaching people about this place?"

Link's brow raised as Groose's question struck his ears. He suddenly lifted his head, feeling a surge of energy welling up in his body.

"Groose, that's it!" he exclaimed, rising to his feet a little too quickly as he was jolted by a sharp pain in his back.

"What's it? What are you blabbering about now?"

"The professors and Headmaster Gaepora. They're supposed to be searching through the ancient texts and legends, and the woman-"

"Granny..."

Link huffed.

"Granny... said that legend would show me the way."

"So the professors might be able to tell you where to go next?"

Link nodded, allowing a small smile to cross his lips.

"Well, good luck with that, I guess."

Link thought for a moment before sighing yet again, running a hand through his battle-worn hair.

"We can try to get you back, if you really want. You'll be much safer on Skyloft, and I guess everyone is going to have to know about this... eventually."

"You know what? I don't think I want to after all. At least not yet. I'll stay here with Granny. I'm kind of warming up to this place, honestly."

The idea seemed grander the more he thought about it. Link nodded, feeling satisfied at his answer. As Link returned to the temple, Groose sat and enjoyed the scenery. He really was beginning to feel a deep appreciation for the vast, new world. Heart lifted, a gentle smile appeared on his long lips as he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly and contently.