Urbosa clenched her jaw as she debated whether or not she wanted to speak her mind to the Rito who sat before her. While she didn't exactly have a problem with Kass, she did have a problem with who sent him.

Kass watched her patiently, not prompting her to speak despite the fact that she had said nothing since she had pulled him aside.

"It would seem that I owe you an apology," Urbosa finally muttered as she set a hand on her hip. "Even though I am upset, you aren't the problem. It isn't fair to treat you like you are. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry as well," Kass replied, all the sincerity in the world reflected in his voice. "It was not my intent to add to your burdens."

Both nodded to each other as silence came to dominate their surroundings. Even the few trees and blades of grass had quieted themselves, as though in anticipation of what was to come.

"What do you know of the woman who sent you?" Urbosa finally asked. She had been caught in an internal conflict, attempting to figure out whether or not it was a question she wanted the answer to.

"I can't say that I know much. She didn't even show her face to me."

"…She's Hylia." Urbosa expected some sort of show of disbelief. A shake of the head, a dropping of the beak, she would have even accepted a widening of his eyes. Instead, he cocked his head to the side thoughtfully and finally nodded after a moment.

"Yes, that makes sense," Kass decided.

"How so?"

"She has a… way about her. It's not exactly different from most, but almost like she's more herself, I suppose."

"I see." She didn't really but she wasn't inclined to care either. Her main concern was making sure the Rito understood exactly the predicament that Hylia had landed him in. "Be that as it may, she and I are not on especially good terms right now."

"Ah," Kass replied thoughtfully. "I do not mean to pry, but would it have anything to do with Zelda? My teacher used to talk about how she struggled to use her sealing magic and, as I understand it, those powers stem from the Goddess."

"Yes," Urbosa replied curtly. "Tell me something; if she is a true goddess, shouldn't she be able to handle Ganon herself? Why force children to shoulder the weight of the world?"

Kass wasn't at all bothered by her hostility as he closed his eyes for a time. "I don't mean to be rude, but if she took care of the Calamity herself, what purpose would you have? What purpose would the other Champions have?"

"I'm sure that there are plenty of other things we could have done."

"I'm sure, but what if fighting it was exactly what you all needed?"

"How can this be what any of them needed?" Urbosa growled threateningly as her eyes narrowed.

"I have had the pleasure of meeting many amazing people on my journeys. There were some who have suffered blindness their entire lives, some who struggled to feed their families, and others still who had lost everything, including loved ones, in attacks. The one thing they all shared in common was that they didn't run from the hardship. Instead, they accepted it and let it change them into someone better."

"So what? I'm just supposed to accept it all?"

"I can't tell you what to do. I can only tell you of what I have seen and heard."

"So, assuming I do accept this, what is this 'grand revelation' that I'll receive?" She was nowhere near ready to roll over and let things happen, but she was also quickly realizing just how few choices were left to her. She needed to weigh them carefully.

"I don't know," Kass replied simply.

The Gerudo Champion sighed and shook her head. She should have known better than to expect a simple bard to have all the answers she sought. Still, though, her conversation with the Rito had been enlightening if nothing else.

The conflicted feelings that she had been carrying since Mount Lanayru had abated some but were still present. Kass' words, however, had given her a new perspective on the matter. As little as she liked the situation they were currently in, she couldn't deny that there may have been some truth to his words.

"I'm sorry. I should know better than to make light of such things."

"Stop," Urbosa muttered as she began rubbing her temple. "I just need to stop thinking about this for a little bit."

"If it is a distraction you need, I may have just the thing."

"A story?" The Gerudo Champion was not much one for stories, having better things to do than spend her time getting lost in another world. That being said, she did need something to take her mind off her current troubles and Kass, by virtue of career, was likely well versed in the art of taking people's minds off their worries.

"Indeed."

"Well come on then," Urbosa replied as she motioned for him to follow her back to the camp. She figured her other two companions could use a distraction as well. If nothing else, Mipha would likely ask him to repeat it so she could hear it for herself. Urbosa would just save Kass the trouble of telling it twice. "So, tell me; what is this story about?"

"It is called the Superstar Saga. It is the whimsical tale of two brothers who embark on a quest to save a Princess from a dark sorceress."

"You're not going to finish the one you were telling Mipha the other day?"

"I thought you all may appreciate a more lighthearted tale."

"I won't argue with that logic." There had been a sort of tenseness lately, especially with Mipha and Revali. She hadn't believed Daruk when he had told her about how worried the Rito Champion had been the first time they had split up. Now she knew better.

The Rito had taken to pacing back and forth, constantly looking towards Death Mountain, and taking to the skies on needless scouting trips. He had also been sticking abnormally close to her since the group had split up. He didn't say much, he just walked beside her, dangerously close to sulking.

Mipha hid her anxiety better; however, it wasn't that difficult for Urbosa to see. Even from her current distance from the camp, she could see the little Zora practicing with her trident. While it wasn't necessarily unusual for her to train, she didn't typically train with the same intensity she was now.

"Hey, you two," she said as she and Kass made it into the camp, "get over here."

"Is something wrong?" Mipha asked as she lowered her trident.

"Yes. Sit down"

"What is so important that you have to call us over here?" Revali grumbled as he sat down next to Mipha.

"Kass is going to entertain us with a story."

"You can't be serious."

Midna growled at Revali as he tried to get to his feet.

"What's your problem?"

"I think she expects you to join us," Urbosa replied dryly.

"Whatever," Revali grumbled as he settled back down. With that, Kass began his story.

Link had awakened early in the morning, deciding to read more of Mipha's diary while he waited for Daruk. He still felt a little guilty about the action; however, it was tempered by the new understanding he had gained for the Zora Princess.

While she had spoken of her inability to make new friends easily, he had never realized how much of a toll it had taken on her. Mipha had written several times about her struggles to connect with the other children in the Domain. If and when she did finally manage, it seemed that Muzu would interrupt and isolate her once again. It was something that she struggled with on a near daily basis and, had it not been for her mother, she may have given in to despair long before the two of them met.

"Whatcha readin there, Little Guy?"

Link snapped the diary closed quickly. He hadn't expected Daruk to be awake so soon. It had taken Mipha the better part of two days before she had recovered from the barrage of memories enough to get out of bed. Daruk had apparently done it in one night.

"Uh… you okay?" the Goron asked as Link quickly shoved Mipha's diary in the ever-present satchel.

"Fine," Link voiced quietly. "You?"

"Never better! You ready to get a move on and find Rudania?"

Link nodded, only letting a frown through when Daruk turned his back momentarily. He expected some sort of difference in the Goron's behavior, not more of the same.

Link watched as Daruk cracked his neck and hefted his new weapon. Like his old weapon, it was a large, dull sword just much, much bigger. The Boulder Breaker, his signature weapon, was to cobble crushers what claymores were to one-handed swords.

"So, let's go find Bludo and see if this Yunobo guy has come back yet." The current Chieftain, Bludo, had sent Yunobo off to retrieve some painkillers for him. Bludo had taken note of the slight rumbling that had started the night before and knew that Rudania would be returning soon. He had intended to handle the Beast himself; unfortunately, his back had started acting up, severely limiting his movement.

Yunobo was another concern of Link's. The Chieftain had informed them that Yunobo was a descendant of Daruk's, yet the Goron Champion appeared unphased by the news. Link wasn't really sure what the proper response to such news should be, but he was certain that a lack of surprise wasn't it.

The Hylian Champion analyzed the haphazardly organized arrangement of ramshackle houses that made up the city. There were no doors, allowing him to see the spacious, one-roomed shacks that the Gorons called home. There were few tables and little to no decoration. While he could live with the simplicity, it was the lack of privacy that would drive him mad.

He stepped carefully along the semi-metallic, semi-stone walkways that had fallen deep into disrepair, trying not to fall into one of the pools of lava that speckled the City. The fireproof elixirs he had been taking protected him from the extreme temperatures, but he wasn't at all tempted to test their limits with lava.

Link sidestepped quickly as a diminutive Goron nearly bowled him over as it rolled along the path. A muffled "sorry brother!" was the only acknowledgment he received as the little one rolled away. He exchanged a quick glance with Daruk before shrugging and continuing on.

"Bludo!" Daruk called suddenly as the Chieftain came into view. Even though he was only facing the opposite way, the hunchbacked Goron had to hobble to face them. He scratched at his cheek, just below his eyepatch as his other hand waved at them. The motion was brief as his back contorted oddly, bringing a grimace to his face.

"Lord Daruk!" Bludo had been insistent on attaching the title despite the Champion's objections.

"So, are we ready to find Rudania?"

"Not yet," Bludo replied gruffly, "Yunobo still hasn't come from the Northern Mines… I'm startin ta worry. He's usually fast about it."

"We'll just have ta find him then."

Link's eyes flicked back and forth between the two Gorons, finding Daruk's drawl mildly humorous. He had never been the finest spokesman among the Champions, but now his speech patterns had regressed. Link wasn't really bothered so long as he could understand what was being said.

"Are you sure thas a good idea? I think the two of ya could handle Rudania yerselves." According to Bludo, Yunobo struggled with cowardice. The only way to get him to help was if Bludo dragged him along kicking and screaming.

Daruk had been upset when he heard that.

"No," Daruk replied firmly, "he's comin with us."

"I think that'll be good for him."

Link was relieved that a decision had finally been reached. There had been quite a bit of indecision regarding Yunobo but now that they had made up their minds, it was time to get moving.

"Good," Daruk replied. "Now, where are the Northern Mines?"

"Uh…" Bludo and Link exchanged a glance. He was glad that the Chieftain agreed with him that the question was an odd one. "Follow that path there," he said as he gestured over his shoulder with a thumb.

"All right! We'll be back soon."

Link followed Daruk, frowning at his friend's back as they made their way up the slow, winding incline. While Daruk was easily the most stable of the Champions, the Hylian had been expecting some sort of reaction to his homecoming. Instead, Daruk was his usual jovial self.

"You okay, Little Guy? Yer lookin at me like I stole yer favorite Sirloin Rock."

"… Do you remember anything?"

"Not a thing!" Daruk replied with a chuckle. "Well, that's not exactly true. There are a couple things here and there, but mostly no."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Nope." Link stopped at Daruk's response. Since he had learned about his past, he had felt an almost unconscious drive to remember everything that he could. He couldn't understand how the Goron Champion wasn't the least bit concerned.

"Uh, you okay?"

"I just don't understand," Link replied quietly.

"Hmm." Daruk stroked his beard as he looked ahead for a minute, motioning for Link to start moving with him again. "Think about it like this; you, Revali, and Mipha are young yet. You three are still tryin ta figure out who ya are, and maybe ya need yer memories for that."

Link agreed so far. Even though Mipha and Revali were in actuality just a few years younger than Daruk and Urbosa, they matured far more slowly. They had only really aged about as much as Link had in his short life. That aside, he wasn't sure what their ages had to do with anything.

"I was worried about rememberin yesterday, but then I started thinkin… I know who I am, and I don't need any memories to tell me what I already know. I could remember being a great Chief, or being the strongest Goron, but why? I already know everything I need to, so why not worry about what's goin on right now?"

"…I see."

"Good!" Daruk frowned as the winding path brought them to their destination. Ahead of them was a large lake of lava spotted with narrow spires of rock that rose from beneath the liquid stone. "How are we supposed to get across that?"

Revali stared straight ahead, trying his best to focus on Death Mountain while keeping Kass out of his line of sight. It wasn't that he disliked the Rito, he just felt extremely uncomfortable. Something about the Rito's wide shoulders, height, colorful feathers, and deep voice made him feel off. Since Kass had come around, he felt much more irritable. He wasn't entirely sure why he was aggravated at the only other member of his race that he had met, but he was.

It didn't help that Mipha had found it hilarious when she thought he was trying to lower his voice. He had denied it of course, but secretly, he had hoped it would help him feel better. It hadn't, so instead, he chose to ignore Kass entirely.

Revali stopped when Urbosa called for a break. He was about to pull his bow out and begin tuning it when Urbosa pulled him aside. The Gerudo Champion led him away from the others, far out of their sight.

"Stand right there," she muttered as she pointed to the ground in front of her.

"What?"

"Stand," she repeated.

"Will you –"

"Now!"

"Fine," Revali growled as he stood in front of her. Urbosa looked him up and down as she stepped around him. "What are you doing?"

"Shoulders back."

"Wha - "

"Shoulders back!"

He didn't really know what she was talking about. He had always kept his shoulders in line for as long as he could remember, but he tried to comply. He straightened his shoulders as much as he could.

"You've always rounded your shoulders just a bit, but it's been worse the past few days," Urbosa muttered as she continued looking him over. She stepped forward and began straightening his tunic. Then, she took her hands and ran them up along the top of his head, fluffing his feathers. She then cupped her hands around his beak, much to his discomfort, and ran her palms along his face, pushing those feathers down. "Look," she said as she pointed towards a nearby pond.

Revali stepped over cautiously and peered at himself, his eyes widening at what he saw. He had never considered the effect that straightening the feathers on his face would have. He did try to keep them in order and well preened, but he had never thought about forcing them flat against his face. It made his face look much less soft and round, giving him a much more angular look instead. He liked it.

"You're a Champion of Hyrule, at least act like that means something to you," Urbosa muttered as she straightened his tunic one last time.

"I never knew you cared so much," he said scornfully. Though her attention and efforts meant a great deal to him, he was unwilling to show it. For some odd reason, the idea of letting her know how much her approval meant to him was terrifying to him. He'd much rather internalize it, where only he could degrade himself for acting like a child wanting to please his mother.

"I do, and you should too. Now for heaven's sake, walk back like a warrior and not a sulking child."

The Gerudo Champion left him alone to continue staring at his reflection, giving him time to ponder what was wrong with him. He was one of them in his own right, so why was he so pleased when he got approval from any of them. He even felt the soaring feeling when Link acknowledged him, and that caused him no end of turmoil.

"Revali!" Urbosa shouted.

"I'll come back when I'm – "

"Dinraal!"

Revali crouched low and flung himself into the sky, riding the turbulent winds he had created high above the ground. He hung suspended for a moment as he caught his first glimpse of Dinraal. The dragon looked much like Naydra, except he had a white mane with bleached scales. Fiery red glared from in between the scales, giving one the impression that he was aflame. The Rito assumed that was what Dinraal was supposed to look like under the enormous purple splotches that covered the dragon's body like sores. At the center of each were the giant eyes Kass had warned them about.

Revali tensed as Dinraal's giant eyes fixated on him. The dragon let loose an earth-shattering roar that bounced around inside the Rito Champion's skull, causing his vision to swim. He shook his head, readied his bow, and began flapping towards the dragon as quick as he could.

Revali was feeling relatively optimistic. Near the end of the battle with Naydra, he had figured out how to properly account for the winds that the dragon had created. All he had to do now was apply that knowledge quickly and efficiently, all without a blasted mountain in the way as well. It was something he was confident he could do himself.

The optimism he felt only lasted until the first burst of flame assaulted him. He quickly pulled his wings and dove, spiraling as he did so. Using his innate sense of direction, he pulled up, opening his wings as he came out of his spiral to regain control.

Dinraal had already adjusted his flight path and was on his tail again. Revali, ready for the dragon this time, flew headlong into the behemoth. As Dinraal opened his maw again, the Rito Champion smirked, ready to alter his course. What he lacked in size and raw power, he could make up for with superior maneuverability and skill.

The flames came once again. Just before they fried the Rito, he tipped his right wing down, causing him to veer out of the way sharply. Dinraal's head whipped by him as he nocked his first arrow and let loose just before the first demonic eye passed him.

Revali continued firing at every eye that was within range. It took all of the speed and concentration he could muster, but he knew that he had hit every mark without needing to confirm it visually. He congratulated himself on a job well done. At that rate, he would only need one or two more passes before Dinraal would be free.

He looked over his shoulder and very nearly lost control of his flight. None of the eyes that he had embedded with arrows had died. His stomach dropped from beneath him as he caught sight of the tail end of the last arrow he fired harmlessly sinking into an eye. The malignant appendage swiveled to focus on him, the pupil contracting as it found him.

Suddenly, Dinraal had turned around again and was charging towards him, howling its rage at him. Revali's mind raced to find some sort of solution to the problem he faced. He highly doubted that fire arrows or ice arrows would do anything to a creature that size. Shock arrows might have worked, but he wasn't sure if the eyes, now sunken into the dragon's flesh, would conduct the electricity inwards, frying the Guardian Spirit from the inside. The only option that struck him as remotely feasible was bomb arrows. He assumed that the thick scales would protect the dragon from the worst of the explosion. The only problem was that he had no way to light the fuse.

Thinking quickly, Revali pulled up sharply, flying straight up. He kept an eye on the dragon as it began ascending straight up towards him. As Dinraal opened his maw to once again spit fire, the Rito Champion reoriented himself so that he was belly up and gave one last flap, forcing his body towards the ground. He curled up, pulling his bow and talons close.

As he hurtled past Dinraal, he scraped his talons against the metal of his bow, trying to catch the sparks he created on the bomb arrow. He felt his heart soar as he was finally rewarded with the sound of a hissing fuse. He opened back up and fired the arrow, realizing too late that he was too close. He was blinded as the concussive force of the blast blew him away, shattering his bow in the process.

The Rito fought to regain control as he tumbled chaotically through the air. Nausea reared its head as the land and sky flipped its way through his still sensitive vision. He gave up trying to stop his tumble, choosing instead to give into it. As he picked up momentum, he gave one large twist, throwing his wings wide. He grunted as his wings finally caught the air, jerking his shoulders painfully. Though it had nearly torn his wings off, he was glad that the world was no longer spinning.

His relief was short lived as another ear deafening roar shook the air around him. He dove, searching the ground below for any place that would offer any protection from the dragon.

The land below him was unbroken, rocky terrain, only marred by a few cracks that he wouldn't be able to fit into. Far off to the west was a river, but even if he could reach it before Dinraal caught him, he would likely drown below the surface. Panic began creeping its way through his veins as he saw no haven and exhaustion was overtaking him.

It wasn't until he spotted a familiar head of scarlet hair bobbing below him that hope resurged. He angled back towards her, doing his best to get within the Gerudo Champion's range before Dinraal burned him alive.

He felt a sharp pain across his back, scorching his already singed feathers. A resounding crack split the air as Dinraal screamed, rage and pain echoing in the large voice. Revali collapsed to the ground as he heard another crack followed by another roar.

It seemed that an eternity had passed before he finally had the energy to make a start on getting to his feet. His legs felt like jelly and black spots filled his vision as he wobbled, for once grateful when he felt Urbosa's steadying hand.

"Dinraal," he gasped out, "I couldn- I couldn't," A small part of him was upset that he couldn't even manage one sentence, but it was as though it were far away, trying to shout over an infinite distance.

"I know," Urbosa replied quietly, "I couldn't do anything either. We need to get you to Mipha."

"But I coul- " He didn't even know what he was trying to say anymore, only that Urbosa needed to hear it. Much to his frustration, he couldn't get enough air into his lungs to get it out.

"It's all right," Urbosa said comfortingly as she threw his wing over her shoulder. "Let's get you somewhere safe, then you can tell me."

Revali wasn't sure how much time passed, or how long he and Urbosa had been walking, or if they had actually been walking at all. He thought that at some point his feet had felt the ground fall away. He wasn't really sure anymore as the colors and shapes all blended into an incomprehensible blur.

All he was sure of was that he had just failed.

"Whooooah!" Daruk yelled as he felt the bomb explode and launch him through the air. Thankfully, he had the foresight to use his magic barrier before Link had detonated the bomb. He was even more grateful as he slammed into one of the stone spires. He could tell by the sharp decrease in energy that it would have been a painful landing without the shield.

He got to his feet to find Link standing next to another cannon.

"Not another one," he groaned as he joined Link.

The Hylian grinned at him as he heaved against the machine, causing it to rotate.

"Whatcha doin, Little Guy?"

"I think that's where Yunobo is," he replied as he pointed towards another spire. Daruk squinted, just making out a shack on the top of it.

"How do you know?" Daruk asked as he continued looking for whatever hint Link had seen.

"It's the only building around here and it's blocked. Would explain why he hasn't come back yet."

"it's blocked?"

"Yep."

"All right, if you're sure."

Link dropped a spherical bomb into the cannon's launching mechanism. Daruk then curled up and let Link clamber on top of him.

"Ready!" Link called.

The Goron Champion sprang open, launching Link high into the air. He didn't sit and watch to make sure Link made it to his destination safely. Instead, he climbed into the cannon and curled up again, waiting for his friend to detonate the bomb he had dropped.

Daruk began to wonder whether or not Link had made it safely when the bomb exploded, sending him flying high. He briefly wondered why Revali loved flying so much. It was a painful start and a painful end with a lurching stomach in between. There was nothing to love as far as he could see.

The Goron's senses were overloaded as he felt something crumble around him and heard panicked shouting. He unrolled, shaking his head in an attempt to dislodge the stars in his eyes.

"I'm under attack! I'm under attack! Help!"

"Hey," Daruk groaned as he got to his feet, "do you mind keeping it down?"

"Lord Daruk?!"

"Yep," he muttered as his vision finally cleared enough for him to see a very awed Goron hunched in front of him.

"It's a ghost! A ghost!"

"Hey! Enough of that," he rumbled as he slapped his hand down forcefully on his shoulder. "Stand still and let me get a good look at ya." The Goron was still quite young, not even having developed facial hair yet. Even so, he was quite large. By the time he was done growing, he would probably tower over his brethren. "Hmm," Daruk hummed approvingly, "you must be Yunobo, right?"

"Y-yes." Daruk frowned at Yunobo's response. It lacked the conviction that he had been expecting. He held up a hand as Yunobo opened his mouth to say something else.

"Stop. Answer like a brother," Daruk ordered. Before anything else, he wanted his grandson to answer with gusto.

"Y- " the quiver in Yunobo's voice irked him.

"Like you mean it!"

"Yes!"

"There ya go!" Daruk exclaimed as he slapped the Goron's back. "So, Yunobo, I hear yer my grandson."

"Yes!"

Daruk frowned as he eyed Yunobo. His grandson was visibly shaking and his response had been far too quick and loud.

"Calm down would ya? It's not like I'm gonna hurt ya."

"O-okay."

The Goron Champion sighed. He had heard that his grandson would need some work, but he hadn't realized just how much work Yunobo would need. He was beginning to think that he had found the wrong Yunobo. There was no way he could be related.

"Look, I hear that my old toy, Rudania, is givin you guys a hard time. The Little Guy and I need yer help to get him back. Think you can manage?"

"Uh- I- "

"Like you mean it," Daruk interrupted warningly.

"Yes!"

"All right then! Let's get moving!" Daruk turned back to face the way they had come, only to find that there was no way back. "Uh…" He hadn't noticed before that there wasn't a cannon on this particular outcropping. He wished that they had at least considered that before they had gone flying across the flooded mines.

"I… uh- I usually roll through the lava," Yunobo said quickly.

"You what?"

"W-well, I uh… "

"Enough of the quiverin! You're part of a proud line of Goron's, start showin it!"

"I'll just show you!" Yunobo responded, nearly panicked by Daruk's irritation.

Yunobo rushed to the edge and looked down. Suddenly, he curled up as a familiar, orange barrier formed around him. With a yell, Yunobo rolled off the ledge, rolling along the wall of the spire. He disappeared below the lava for a moment before he burst through the surface, rolling up along a spire not far away. He uncurled as he reached the top, grabbing a ledge quickly. He struggled to pull himself up for a long moment.

"Ha! Maybe he is my grandson after all! What?" he asked as Link sent him a questioning look. "He looks pretty weak-willed, but if he's got my magic, that means he's got my strength as well! All I need to do is pull it outta him! Anyway, let's –" Both stumbled as the ground shook violently below them.

"Look!"

Daruk looked in the direction Link was pointing, gaping as he saw a massive rolling form bounding down the mountain. After one hundred years of sleep, he hadn't been expecting his first glimpse of Rudania to be the giant machine rolling down the mountain. Around it was an avalanche of stone that threw a massive dust cloud into the air.

"C'mon, Little Guy!"

Link was already climbing up Daruk's back before the Goron had even finished curling. He quickly launched Link skyward, then bolted towards the edge of the spire, eager to replicate Yunobo's feat.

He hadn't needed to see much to know that Rudania was on his way towards Goron City.

A/N: This is what happens when Daruk says no...

On another note, I really need to stop trying to guess when the next update is going to occur.

Guest reviews:

Guest (1): I'm glad you like the way I do memories. It really bothers me when people have similar sequences but the entire thing is in Italics. My eyes become displeased.

GSC1: I'm apparently a month ahead of schedule. I think that's the only time that's ever happened.

Anon: And that is why I cry myself to sleep every night... I'm just kidding. I'm not even really sure what sleep is.

Guest (2): Urbosa is pretty great.

Guest (3): I need more context. Is that a good "oh my" or is that an "oh my, I can't believe this is so bad." I'm genuinely worried...