Revali shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The Woodland Stable was much more crowded than the previous stables he had been to. The vast amount of Hylians that surrounded him made him feel extraordinarily self-conscious and he couldn't shake the impression that they were all staring at him and judging him. He hadn't caught any of them giving him anything more than a passing glance, the one exception being the only other Rito in the stable. For some reason, the large, round-faced Rito with bright, cheery feathers had been staring at him and Mipha, who sat next to him quietly.

"Mipha," he muttered, trying to catch the Zora's attention. She didn't notice. "Mipha!" he snapped quietly as he shook her.

"What?" she asked quickly as she snapped back to reality.

"I think that there's someone wat- "

"Excuse me," a soft, musical voice interrupted pleasantly. "I was hoping that I could take a moment of your time."

"What?" Revali was already fingering one of his arrows. While the Rito was too close for a bow, that didn't mean an arrow couldn't still be used.

"I wished to say that I did not mean to offend you with my staring," the stranger said, unfazed by Revali's hostility. "You both bear a striking resemblance to the Champions of legend." The stranger closed his eyes as Revali and Mipha exchanged a quick glance. The Rito Champion was extraordinarily glad that Urbosa had suggested they remove their Champions' scarves. "Yes," he finally decided as his eyes snapped open and focused on Mipha, "you look exactly like the statue that was constructed in honor of the Lady Mipha."

"Yes" Urbosa replied easily as she slid into the seat next to Mipha, "we noticed the same thing on our visit to Zora's Domain."

"Ah," he replied happily, "I see that you are travelers as well!"

"We are." Revali kept his beak closed, deciding instead to let Urbosa do all the talking. "If I had to guess, you aren't any ordinary traveler, are you?"

"Very perceptive," the Rito nodded approvingly. "My name is Kass. I am a traveling bard. I left my home to follow in my teacher's footsteps and learn all of the legends of Hyrule."

"Well met, Kass. You may call me Fi." The Rito and Zora Champions exchanged another glance. Revali didn't consider himself to be pious by any stretch of the imagination but taking the name that Hylia had disguised herself with seemed dangerously close to disrespect.

Revali and Mipha were not the only ones that had been thrown off by "Fi's" introduction. Kass blinked at Urbosa a few times before he recovered with an excitable smile.

"So, Kass, would you happen to know anything about the three dragons?"

Revali frowned at Urbosa's question. She had gone to speak to several of the bar's patrons in order to obtain information on the dragons. Why was she asking Kass?

"The three dragons?" Kass tilted his head in thought. "Well, there is Naydra, Dinraal, and Farosh. Each protects a region of Hyrule that contains one of the springs dedicated to the Goddess. Here in the Eldin region, you'll be searching for Dinraal."

"Who said we were searching for any of them?" Revali asked indifferently.

"Ah… I see she didn't tell you," Kass murmured worriedly.

"She?"

"On my travels, I met a strange, hooded woman wearing a white gown. She asked me to help some friends of hers. When I asked how I would know who her friends were, she replied that I would know when I met a woman who called herself Fi."

"I see." Revali watched with interest as Urbosa's face tightened considerably. Kass was visibly unsettled by the Gerudo Champion's display of anger

"How did she ask you to help us?" Mipha asked quickly.

"She wished for me to tell you about the dragons and answer any other questions you may have to the best of my ability."

"Questions like what?" Urbosa sighed.

"My teacher was a member of the sheikah and also a court poet for the royal family of Hyrule. He knew much of the histories of this land and he also traveled in the company of Princess Zelda and, on some rare occasions, the other Champions as well. He passed along many stories of that time. He absolutely glowed when he told me of them." Kass smiled wistfully as he closed his eyes, likely remembering his mentor fondly.

"I can see he meant a lot to you," Mipha replied kindly.

"Yes. It has been a long time since he passed, but I still miss him."

"I'm sorry. Loss is never easy, and some days it feels even more crushing than when you first lost a loved one."

"Thank you, Lady Mipha. You truly possess the kindness that my mentor sang of."

All three of the Champions started at Kass' words. Each of them glanced at the others, trying to decide how to respond to the colorful Rito.

"So, you know who we are?" Revali saw his own suspicion reflected in the Gerudo's face.

"I do."

"How did you know?" Revali could tell that Mipha's mouth was dry just from the sound of her voice.

"The statue in Zora's Domain does you justice," Kass replied with a smile.

"I-I see."

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Urbosa asked curtly.

"Ah, yes. Dinraal is a spirit of fire, said to guard the Eldin and Tabantha regions since ancient times. I can't say much else, other than that you should take every precaution you can if you intend to find Dinraal."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I saw him the other night as I was making my way here. He – "

"Oi! Are you gonna keep us waiting all night?!" Kass flinched and turned quickly to see the head of the Stable glaring at them.

"Ah! My apologies! I have a deal with that man. I play for his customers, he gives me a room. We'll have to pick this up later." Kass was already getting to his feet while pulling his strange instrument with him.

"What do you make of him?" Revali asked as they watched the bard take his place on a small stage and begin playing his instrument. He stretched it and compressed the device, sometimes compressing the top more than the bottom. At other times, he wouldn't compress it all the way, all the while pushing buttons on the side. Kass was oddly dignified as he played what Revali would have considered an inelegant instrument.

"I think he is sincere," Mipha replied as she watched the bard play. The Zora Champion began swaying slightly in time with the music.

"You're not even paying attention," Revali sighed.

"I agree with her," Urbosa murmured as she stared after the bard.

"Why?"

"Because I do," Urbosa replied shortly.

"So, we're going to trust him?"

"If we're wrong, you can put an arrow through him… and you can say 'I told you so.'"

"Can I get that in writing?"

"Don't push your luck."

"We're not gonna harm ya, we promise!" Daruk said quickly as he gestured placatingly with his hands. "We're just on our way to Goron City."

Link frowned at the Group of Gorons that surrounded Daruk and himself. They had wandered into the mining facility unobtrusively; however, their reception had ranged from disbelief to outright hostility. They had quickly been surrounded by the miners, all of them brandishing sledgehammers, drills, or their fists. The Hylian felt rather small even though the largest Goron was standing by his side.

"How do we know yer bein honest?"

"Well… we haven't attacked ya yet?" Daruk replied.

Link wished that Daruk had made a firmer response rather than like a question. It didn't bode well for them that the best they could do was give unsure answers.

"You might just be waitin for that blasted machine of yers to show up and finish us for you."

Link and Daruk exchanged a glance before responding. It seemed that their hosts already knew who they were, or at least, who Daruk was. "Why would I have Rudania attack ya?"

"Because ya can't do it yerself!" another shouted. "Yer just an angry ghost who wants revenge for not gettin a proper burial!"

"I'm not a ghost!"

"Prove it!" the leader, a Goron who was far darker than any of the other miners there, shouted.

"Uh…"

"You'd already be dead," Link said firmly.

"Whaddya mean?"

"If Daruk was a ghost, he could have brought the Divine Beast and killed you all before even speaking to you." Link had no idea whether or not his claim was even remotely true. He had a vague memory of Mipha attempting to explain her bond with Ruta, but he had never really understood what she was talking about. He only hoped that a simplistic explanation would be enough for them.

"That's a good point," one of them relented as some of them began lowering their weapons uncertainly.

"Could still be lyin," the leader growled as he brandished his sledgehammer again, causing the others to do the same.

"Punch me," Daruk interrupted.

"What?"

"Punch me!" the Goron Champion barked.

"Why?"

"If I'm a ghost, you won't be able to hit me. If I'm not a ghost, then I'll be feelin in the morning," Daruk continued as a slight taunt entered his voice, "that is if you can punch like a real brother."

Link frowned at Daruk's suggestion. He hoped his companion knew what he was doing.

"You sure that's how you wanna prove it?"

Daruk pounded his chest in response.

The leader of the mines, having nothing more to say, approached the Goron Champion. He wound back his fist threw it in Daruk's face. The Champion made no move to defend himself as the fist collided with his face, resulting in a resounding crack. Daruk reeled back slightly and grinned.

"Is that what you call punch? Hit me like you mean it, brother!"

The Goron wound back again, this time punching Daruk even harder. This time, the massive Goron stumbled back a few steps, throwing his arms out to stabilize himself.

"Ha! Now that's how ya throw a punch!"

"Brother!" the leader cried out as he went in and gave Daruk a massive hug.

"Brother!" rang out many voices as the Gorons that surrounded them rushed forward with outstretched arms. Link nearly had a heart attack as he began weaving between the miners, trying to avoid being crushed. There were several close calls as Link was forced to duck and dodge as Gorons crashed into each other in their chaotic scramble.

The Hylian Champion, after having reached relative safety, turned to watch the group hug that had occurred. He grinned slightly as he watched Daruk, beaming the largest he had in a long time, begin slapping some of his brothers on the back, sending a couple of them reeling. Watching them made his own back throb mildly, but he managed to ignore it.

"Hey! Where's the other brother?" one of them asked. Link looked for somewhere to hide as they spotted. "Brother!" they all cried again as they rushed towards him. A part of him wondered if he'd go down in legend as the Champion who died in a group hug. How inspiring.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Daruk shouted causing all of them to stumble to a halt. "Be careful! The Little Guy may be strong, but you'll break him if ya aren't careful!"

"Ohhhh! Sorry, brother!"

Link let out a deep breath as he waved off the apology. The Goron's approached at a much slower pace and each took the time to gingerly greet him. If it had come from any of the other races, Link may have been insulted by the almost condescending deliberateness with which they treated him, but something about the Gorons was just too genuine for him to take offense. They were sincerely trying to not accidentally injure him.

After they had been thoroughly greeted, a process that Link found to be exhausting, the duo was brought to a large room covered in mats. They were sat down, and not long later large rock roasts were rolled in front of them.

"Thanks!" Daruk said excitedly as he instantly brought the roast up to his face and dug in. Link watched with some interest, feeling his own stomach rumbling as he watched the Goron Champion tear through his meal with gusto.

"Do you not like rock roasts, brother?" one of the Gorons asked him worriedly.

"Can't eat them," Link replied simply as he reached into his pouch and removed some of the extra steaks from the night before. He began chewing on the tough cut, mildly dissatisfied by the lack of warmth and tenderness. He continued eating, despite his distaste. Food was food, and he had a feeling that he would have to take whatever he could get while on the mountain.

"You gonna eat that, Little Guy?" Daruk asked as he pointed towards the rock roast that still sat in front of him. Link shook his head and rolled it over in the Goron's direction. "You're the best!" Daruk rumbled as he began tearing into his second helping.

"Brother, why did ya set yer machine on us?" the lead miner asked as he sat in front of the duo.

"Whaddya talkin about?" Daruk asked around a mouthful.

"Fer the past few weeks, your beast thingy keeps attackin Goron City. Thankfully, the Elder and Yunobo have been able to protect the city, but the Elder is gettin old. I'm not sure how much fight he's got left in him."

Daruk frowned in consternation as he set his roast down. "It's not me. Somehow, Ganon managed to steal Rudania from me, but not for much longer," Daruk continued as his usual confidence returned. "The Little Guy and I came to take Rudania back!"

"You can do that?"

"Of course! I didn't come here just to be crushed like some little pebble!"

"Ha! My Pa always told me stories about the Almighty Daruk and his Boulder Breaker!" Suddenly, the Goron leaned forward as he lowered his voice, "is it true that you used the weapon to burrow through the mountain?"

"I don't know," Daruk sighed. "I lost my memories."

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that, brother," the miner replied as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, at least I have a delicious rock roast!" Daruk responded as he picked his roast back up and began crunching through it again.

Link grinned at his companion as he finished off his own meager meal. He appreciated how easy it was to cheer up Daruk when compared to the others. Something as simple and good as food was all it took. He could understand that.

After they had both finished and exchanged a few stories with their hosts, they were shown to a side room in the cave. The room was plain compared to the rest of the rooms they had seen, with no decorations and sparse lighting. Aside from a single indention in the ground that glowed with heat, and a mat at the other side of the room, there was nothing else of note.

"I had this place readied for ya while ya ate. It's not much, but I think ya should be comfortable." With that, the miner turned away and began ambling away.

"Well, Little Guy, I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. I'm gonna turn in."

Link nodded absently. He was distracted by a large dip in the temperature. The fireproof elixir he had taken had dulled his sense of heat. The fact that he could now feel the temperature passively meant that his surroundings were no longer dangerously hot, or at least, that's what he thought. He experimentally pulled a wooden bow and set it on the ground, watching it carefully. After a few minutes, he picked it back up. The instrument could barely be considered warm. Link sighed in relief as he realized that his equipment wouldn't spontaneously combust in the room.

After Link's experiment was completed, the two settled down, Daruk curling up in the small, heated pit, while Link lay down on the mat, using one of his spare tunics as a pillow. It was nowhere near comfortable, but he was too exhausted to care. He tossed and turned long after Daruk's quiet snores started, eventually winding up lying flat on his back staring up at the uneven ceiling above him.

As he lay there, unable to sleep, he began contemplating the last few weeks, particularly his last meaningful conversation with Mipha. He hadn't devoted much thought as to what his future would hold as he was largely trying to avoid the uncomfortable thoughts of the unknown. His past, whatever it was, made him less uneasy. At least there was some certainty there, even if it wasn't much. But what certainty was there in the future.

His hand dug around in his pouch unconsciously as he pulled out a familiar, scaly piece of armor. He wasn't sure why he had grabbed the Zora armor as he held it above him, watching as the meager light danced along the dark hues. Absently, he wondered how the cuts that Waterblight had made had been fixed, but quickly decided it must have been one of the enchantments Dorephan had mentioned.

He still hadn't told Mipha that he had it. He wasn't sure he should. The last thing he wanted to do was confuse her more than he already had. It wasn't fair to make her wait while he wallowed in indecision. At the same time, he couldn't stop himself from entertaining the possibilities of accepting the gift.

If he did accept, he would become a member of the Zora royal family. Sidon would be his brother-in-law and Dorephan his father-in-law, which appealed to him greatly. From the little bits he could recall of his past, he remembered enjoying the time he spent with Sidon, whether that was being outclassed in swimming or pretending to lose a duel for the sake of the Prince's enjoyment.

The idea of being related to the King also struck a chord with him. While many of the Domain's citizens had welcomed him, none had done so quite as warmly as King Dorephan. Somehow, the King was capable of acknowledging his Hylian origins without allowing it to impact his judgment of Link. Dorephan had treated him no different than the citizens of the Domain, something for which the Hylian Champion couldn't quite express his gratitude.

Finally, his thoughts turned to Mipha herself. The emotions he felt were complicated. On one hand, he worried about whether or not he could even make her happy. He was at least self-aware enough to know that he was ill-equipped to understand matters of the heart, and while he could understand most of her cues, he still had to acknowledge that he had been completely oblivious to her feelings. That was to say nothing of the fact that if he did marry her, he would grow old and decrepit long before she even reached middle age. She would be a young widow.

On the other hand, he wouldn't deny the connection he felt with her. While he had a unique bond with each of his fellow Champions, none of them matched what he had with her. She knew when he needed to talk and never forced him to open up. When he did finally choose to speak, she was always willing to listen to what he had to say. It was… nice to know that someone was there when he needed them.

He also wouldn't deny the fact that she was pretty. It wasn't overly important, but it did help.

He sighed as he folded it back up carefully and replaced it in his satchel. He still didn't feel comfortable accepting it, especially since he didn't know what the Zora Princess saw in him. He frowned thoughtfully as a potential solution struck him.

He reached back into the pouch and removed another item he had been gifted with in Zora's Domain. Link held Mipha's diary lightly as though it may bite him if he made any wrong gesture. Snooping through her diary was not the ideal solution, but maybe it would at least give him a glimpse of what went through her mind.

Link grit his teeth as he guiltily opened her diary. He hoped she would forgive him after she was done running him through with her trident.

"May I ask you something, Lady Mipha?"

The Zora Princess looked over to Kass, who, oddly enough, had been sticking close to her since they had left the stable that morning. Then again, Urbosa and Revali had been particularly cold towards the traveling bard, something that upset Mipha greatly. The brightly feathered Rito was sweet and considerate. Considering her only other experience with the race of anthropomorphic birds was Revali, it was a refreshing change of pace.

"You do not need to get my permission to ask a question," Mipha replied with a smile. Admittedly, she was grateful that the Rito was starting a conversation. Ever since she had woken up to find that Midna had disappeared, she had found herself unable to relax as she kept a close eye on her surroundings. This was the first time the wolf had wandered off on her own that she could recall and, even though Midna did not care for her as she did Link, the young Zora still hated the thought that something had happened.

"Thank you," Kass said with a smile; however, it quickly faded. "From what I know of my studies of Master Revali and his diary, he has always been a bit cold to others. What confuses me is Lady Urbosa. In my studies, I have never seen evidence for that kind of attitude."

"I think… I think it may something to do with the… woman that asked you to help us." Mipha had devoted a significant amount of thought to Urbosa's mood swings. The way that she had become upset when Mipha had mentioned praying to Hylia. That same anger had cropped back up when Kass had mentioned the hooded woman. She began to suspect that Urbosa bore the Goddess some hard feelings.

"Did something happen between the two? I don't mean to pry, I just wish to refrain from offending her further."

"I believe so," Mipha replied sadly.

"Hmm… May I ask who she is? How you know her?"

"… We traveled with her for a short time. I fear that Urbosa may hold something against her."

"I see. It would be best for me to keep my head down, then?"

"I think so. She won't harm you, but that does not mean that she will be entirely pleasant with you. What you told us about Dinraal probably only added to her stresses."

"I did not mean to add to her troubles," Kass murmured as he tilted his head and closed his eyes.

"I know that we have already asked this over and over, but can you tell me what you saw with Dinraal one last time?" Though she had already heard it more than once, Mipha still felt her heartbeat quicken.

"As I was flying here, I witnessed Dinraal flying by for the first time in decades. I do not know why, but he was covered with large purple splotches that almost looked like eyes…"

"Did they have stalks, like they were growing off of the body?"

"No. They were set in the dragon's scales. It looked like there were purple veins growing from them and burrowing into his skin.

"…" Mipha's mouth dried as she tried to form a mental image of what Kass had told her. Naydra's ailment had been disturbing enough as it was. To think that it could progress to the extent where Ganon's malice sunk into the body was terrifying to her.

"Perhaps we should discuss something else for the time being," Kass said kindly.

"Maybe we should." Mipha wasn't worried about the audible relief in her voice. "I have been meaning to ask if you know any legends. I was reading about one, but now that I cannot, I feel the urge to learn about another one."

"Legends?" Kass questioned. He tilted his head in thought before he finally nodded firmly. "I would imagine that you are at least somewhat familiar with the legends of Hyrule, so I will not bore you with them. I am, however, familiar with another tale."

"What kind?" Mipha asked, her interest already piqued.

"There once was Prince, fair and kind, who was set to inherit a small kingdom. One day his kingdom was betrayed by another that they had been allied with, forcing the young Prince into exile. Alone with only a few loyal knights, the Prince bided his time, vowing that one day he would reclaim his homeland."

"For two long years, the Prince lay in wait before his asylum was attacked. The Prince, raising his sword, dealt the first blow in his counterattack. With the Princess of the land by his side, he and his few knights pushed back the invaders, repaying his debt to the land. With the Prince's mission complete, he and his knights packed their belongings onto ships and declared war on the empire that had formed."

"Though the Prince had naught but a few knights to follow him, this would be no bar to his goal, for his compassion for his fellow man drew others to his cause. Under his banner gathered warriors of every nation and race, creating an army that none could stop. Emboldened by the allies that rallied to him, the Prince led his army to fight a god in dragon's form."

"Wielding a blade made from the Divine Dragon's fang, he slew the god, thus ending the war that had haunted him and his people. With his quest complete, the Prince returned home a hero to his people; however, this would not be the end of the of his woes, for there was another war just on the horizon, and this was to be far harder on the young Prince's heart- "

"As much as I love hearing about meaningless history lessons, there are more important things to worry about," Revali interrupted. It took all Mipha had not to snap at him. He may not be interested in the legends of old, but she certainly was.

"I apologize," Kass murmured.

"You're here for one reason, and that isn't to distract her with trivial details."

"Reva- "

"I understand," Kass replied evenly, cutting Mipha off. "I apologize for my lapse in judgment."

"Hmph!" Revali turned on his heel and quickened his pace to catch up with Urbosa, once again leaving Kass and Mipha alone.

"I'm sorry about that," the Zora Princess said as she continued on, her spirits subdued.

"There is no need to apologize," Kass replied, unperturbed by Revali's attitude. "Besides, I'll find a way to finish the story later," he finished with a wink.

The Zora Champion favored him with a small smile as Midna returned. "Thank goodness you're back," she muttered as she quickly checked the wolf over, "I was beginning to worry that something had happened." She frowned as Midna rolled her eyes.

"May I ask why you are accompanied by a wolf?"

"Link and I found her not long after we woke up. Her leg had been crushed and she had been abandoned. After Link helped me to heal her, she started following us around. Eventually, we named her Midna and accepted her as one of us."

"Link? As in the Hylian Champion?"

"Yes."

"He is among your party?"

"Yes?"

"Ah! What a relief!" Mipha giggled as Kass bounced up and down a little. It made him look as though he were hopping up and down in the middle of his stride. "I hope that he will be willing to listen to my teacher's song."

"Hmm?"

"After the Great Calamity, my teacher began working on his greatest work yet. He called it 'The Champions' Ballad.' He had little evidence that any of you would survive, but he hoped that someday those of you who did survive would hear it and be inspired by it."

"That was very kind of him. I am sure that Link and Daruk would more than happy to hear it."

"The Goron Champion has survived as well?!"

"Yes." Mipha suffered from a giggling fit as the Bard once again began bouncing up and down with excitement. It had seemed that her assumption that all Rito's would err on the side of unpleasantness was erroneous.

Daruk stared up at the gate leading into Goron City. He wasn't about to admit it again, but the idea of learning about his past was making it hard to breathe. He wasn't scared, he just wasn't sure that learning about the past was worth it.

"You okay?" Link asked as he waited patiently beside him. Strapped to his back was a sledgehammer almost as big as he was. It hadn't been the Hylian's first choice, but it was all the miners had.

"Fine," Daruk replied curtly. He winced internally at how that had sounded. "Sorry, Little Guy wasn't trying to be rude. I'm just… I'm just…" he let out a frustrated sigh as tried to find some way of saying that he wasn't feeling as confident. He figured Link already knew, but the Little Guy deserved some sort of answer.

"You're just having an off day," Link murmured.

"Yeah! I'm just having an off day!" Daruk was relieved that he didn't have to admit what was wrong with him. He was supposed to be strong, immovable. The idea that something that couldn't hurt him had him paralyzed with fear was humiliating. Almost as bad as being afraid of dogs had been…

Almost.

"I've been having an off day too."

"You have?" Daruk knew he was no Urbosa when it came to discerning the emotional states of those around him, but he figured he would have noticed something off with Link. Instead, the Hylian had seemed to his usual self. Then again, he was really good at keeping his feelings under wraps.

"Yeah." Link was silent for a long moment, so long that Daruk was about to prompt him to continue. "I've been thinking about the future. What comes after the Calamity. It's… uncomfortable."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Right now, we have a job to do and we know what we need to do finish that job. What about when the job is finished? What am I supposed to do then?" Daruk frowned thoughtfully as he thought about the Hylian's questions. That was something that he hadn't thought about either. "I guess the idea of having to find a new purpose is…"

"Giving you an off day." Daruk finished for him.

Link nodded gratefully as they both looked back up at the sign above them. "I suppose there's only one thing you can do when you're having an off day."

"What's that?"

"Just keep going." He didn't like the sound of that. As much as he understood that entering the city was the best way to get the information they needed, the idea of going ahead put him on the verge of panic. During their time in the mines, he had learned that he had been the chief of the Gorons during the time of the Great Calamity. Knowing that he couldn't help but wonder what kind of situation he had left them in.

The miners had assured him that Goron City was prospering in spite of the looming threat but had that always been so? Could he live with the guilt if he found out that he was responsible for them falling on hard times as a result of his failures?

"What if we just skipped going into the city and went straight for Rudania, you know? We could save time and all that." He didn't like the way Link was looking at him like he knew exactly what was going through the Goron's mind.

"Do you think we could find Rudania in time?"

"It's bigger than I am. I think we could find it, no problem."

"You know… Mipha was also worried about getting her memories back."

"What? But why would she- I mean, I'm not worried about getting my memories back!" It bothered him that he had been found out so easily. Both Link and Urbosa had been able to figure him out in the time it would have taken Revali to shoot five arrows. Next to no time at all.

"… remember what I told you when you visited Ordon?"

"Everybody's scared of something."

"Yep." Link said nothing more as he stared up at the Goron Champion expectantly.

"I still think we should head straight for Rudania."

Link sighed as he walked behind Daruk and set his hands on the Goron's back. Daruk frowned in confusion as he tried to figure out what Link was up to. Suddenly, the Hylian gave him a massive push, causing Daruk to stumble forward slightly.

"Whaddya doin, Little Guy?" he asked as Link pushed again, this time not letting up.

"Let's make a deal," Link strained to get out as he continued heaving against Daruk, slowly pushing the Goron further into the entrance, "you face your fears and I'll face mine!"

"I don't know, Little Guy, maybe the Princess didn't choose the right Goron," Daruk sighed as he looked at the unresponsive behemoth before them. Apparently, the machine had shown signs of waking up when he had said something to it, but that had been once. It had since fallen dormant.

It had become a habit of Link's to stop by Goron City every once and a while when he was on break from his training, which had only become more intense in recent years. It probably didn't help that he had that fancy sword on his back now.

The Goron chieftain hated to admit it, but he had become increasingly worried about Link as time had gone on. He had always been such an excitable kid, but now he was lucky if he got a word out him. He supposed it had something to do with being a knight, especially the Princess' own appointed knight. He had seen the two together just once, but it had been enough for him to see that Link was not in a good situation. The Hylian Princess was a real jerk to him.

He had suggested that maybe he try talking to her. Sometimes opening up a bit could help ease tense relationships. The young man just shook his head and refused to say anything else on the matter. All he could do was hope that something changed before he was officially appointed.

Link shook his head.

"But I can't get it to wake up. Wasn't that little Zora girl able to control hers pretty easily?"

The Hylian Champion nodded then motioned towards the Divine Beast.

"I've already tried talkin to him and he won't listen. I don't think gettin on board will make much difference." It was a real jab at his pride as a Goron that he couldn't get Rudania to listen. He felt that, as a Goron, it was his duty to stand in front of his future comrades and take the beating they couldn't. The fact that he couldn't even wake up his own Divine Beast had him convinced that he the others would wind up protecting him. That left a bad taste in his mouth.

Link just shrugged and motioned again.

"Nah. Let's just get back to the city. After all, I wanna talk to your friend as well."

Link frowned at him before it quickly morphed into a grin. He quickly set himself behind the Goron and heaved against him. Daruk stumbled forward dazedly as he finally witnessed just how strong Link was. He didn't even have the opportunity to dig in his heels as the Hylian kept pushing him forward. "Let's make a deal," he rasped, "you talk to the Divine Beast and I'll talk to the Princess."

Link completely disregarded the rest of Daruk's protest as he pushed Daruk into the Divine Beast. Once there, Daruk sighed in resignation and continued on of his own volition. There was no point in trying to argue when Link had already gotten them both there.

The two Champion climbed through the darkened machine, reaching the top of the Beast shortly after. Though their time in the pitch-black machine had been brief, Daruk wasn't prepared for the harsh sunlight that greeted him as he and Link stumbled onto Rudania's back.

"So… what now?"

Link shrugged.

Daruk frowned as he looked at the Divine Beast he was standing on. He had no idea how in Din's name he was supposed to get the thing moving. He was supposed to talk to it, but he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say.

"He, uh… partner. Let's get moving," He finally called. He waited for some response. Anything at all that would tell him the Divine Beast had heard his call. There was nothing.

He turned to Link, who motioned for him to try again.

"Come on, get up."

Again, there was nothing.

He was annoyed with Rudania's lack of respect. At least his brothers would acknowledge him when he spoke even if they didn't like what he had to say. Rudania wasn't even giving him the time of day. "Kick the stones off yer feet and get up!" he barked.

Both Champions stumbled as the Divine Beast jerked beneath. Rudania roared in a way that satisfied Daruk as it raised itself up from its laying position.

"Now that's more like it!" Daruk laughed as he leaned down to pat the beast's back. Rudania groaned in response. "Hey, don't get lippy with me."

His grin widened as he heard Link chuckling behind him.

Daruk's chest puffed out with pride as he stood atop Rudania. He had finally got the thing to listen. Maybe he wouldn't be so helpless in the future.

"We should celebrate!" he called to Link. A good rock roast sounded heavenly to him right now, and he couldn't come up with a reason not to indulge just a little. Besides, it would be his opportunity to introduce Link and Owen to some real food. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" he shouted as Rudania lurched forward as it began barreling across the mountainous terrain. "Rudania! Rudania! Oi! Don't ignore me! Rudania, where are we going?!"

Maybe a feast wasn't in order just yet.

A/N: I hope you didn't think I was going to tell this story and not include Kass. That would just be asinine.

Guest Reviews:

Guest: As cool as it would be to have the ability to morph into a Zora, but I wouldn't want it to be the way it happens in Majora's Mask. I'd feel guilty.