"Oi, Henry!" At the Goron Chieftain's call, the rugged, blonde-headed man looked up and grinned, raising a hand in greeting as he continued his leisurely pace. "It's about time ya got here, ya lazy bum!"

"Maybe you should leave this blasted Mountain every once in a while, huh?"

"And why would I do that?" Daruk slapped his old friend on the back as Henry finally reached him, causing the short man to stumble forward.

"Every time?" Henry groaned as he stretched his back out.

"What? Should I not give a brother a proper greetin'?"

"I'm not saying that. I just don't want to listen to another lecture from Ellen. She's been so much more uptight since she got pregnant."

"Preganant? What's that mean?"

"Pregnant," Henry corrected as he finished stretching, "it means she's getting ready to have a baby."

"To have a baby? Ya mean ta tell me ya don't grow from crystals like we do?"

"You what?"

"Yeah!" Daruk exclaimed, dumbfounded by Henry's lack of knowledge. "When we're minin' we find these special crystals that will one day grow inta a Goron. Whoever finds the crystal is considered the father, and he has to sleep on top of the crystal. After a while, the thing starts growin' and becomes a Goron," Daruk finished.

"That's not what happens for Hylians at all… in fact I don't think that's how it happens for any of the other races…"

"Well, how does it happen fer you guys, then?" Daruk asked. He had a feeling that the answer was going to be something absolutely crazy; after all, this was coming from someone who didn't even eat rocks.

"Well," Henry started carefully, his face beginning to redden, "when a man and a woman love each other very much a… Rito… delivers a baby to them…"

Daruk was skeptical of the answer. His first major problem was how the Rito would know it was time for a couple to receive a child as all the ones he had ever met were airheads. It wasn't meant to be an insult to the race, they just seemed to have a problem with basic things like equipping themselves with proper weapons. They liked to carry around those stick throwers and thought that just because they gave them a name like bows, they were suddenly real weapons. Even the dinky little swords they carried around couldn't do much of anything.

The other problem he had was why the Rito would even have Hylian babies in the first place. The only sensible conclusion would be that somehow, they had the means of growing Hylian children. Henry had once told him a story about one of his men who had died because he wanted to prove his manliness by traveling to the Hebra Mountains with no protection from the cold. Now, he would be the first to admit that he wasn't the shiniest of the ore, but he knew that Hylian children would be even more susceptible to the cold then adults were. After all, Goron children couldn't take the same pounding that a fully-grown member of the rock-like race could.

"Henry, ya know I'm not stupid right? How does it reall- "

"I brought you something!" the Hylian interrupted quickly as he reached down by his hip. From a small pouch, he removed a dull colored stone and handed it over to Daruk.

"What is it?"

"A sirloin rock. What does it look like?"

Daruk carefully inspected the stone he held before him. The stone he held was supposedly the rarest of rock delicacies, but something wasn't quite right.

"You're sure?"

"Yep."

Daruk grinned. He had spent an ample amount of time teaching his friend how to identify the best rocks. If Henry said it was a sirloin rock, he'd believe it.

The Goron Chieftain bit into the stone, ready to experience one of the best tasting stones. He was greeted by the familiarly awful taste of a ruby. He spat the offending bits of gemstone out of his mouth as he dropped the rest of it, attempting to use his hands to scrub the taste out.

"I can't believe you fell for that!" Henry wheezed as he clutched his sides, laughing as Daruk continued trying to eliminate the abhorrent taste.

"Wha'd I do to deserve that?"

"It's just a joke" Henry chuckled as he reached back into his pocket and pulled out a much larger stone. "This is the real deal," he said as he handed over the stone.

Daruk picked it up, still suspicious after Henry's first "gift." He inspected it much more carefully, pleased by the weight and smell of the rock he held in his hand. He tentatively took a bite and was awed by the wonderful flavor that dulled the rest of his senses. Without much thought, he crammed the rest of the stone in his mouth, trying to hold onto the flavor for as long as he could while not slowing down at all.

He sighed in disappointment when it was all gone. "That was good." Daruk frowned as he watched Henry. The man had lost focus while the Goron had been eating, looking as though he were locked in some monumental battle on the inside. "Somethin' wrong?"

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Yer a poor liar."

"That's what Ellen tells me," the Hylian sighed. "I'm just worried about becoming a father."

"Why's that? I think you'd make a great father!"

"With the way things are going, I won't be able to leave the Royal Guard to help raise my little guy… and that's if nothing happens."

"If somethin' happens? Meaning you die?"

"Yeah. I can't keep living under the delusion that I'm invincible."

Daruk scratched his still growing beard. He hadn't ever thought about what would happen to his son if he were to die. Even though he was Darmani's father, raising him was, just like all the children. a community effort. Even if he were to pass on to the mountainous ranges in the next life, Darmani would be taken care of by his brothers.

"Ya know I look after my own, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Daruk grinned as he set a hand on his short friend's back. Though he had known Henry for years, he was still surprised from time to time at how much the man still had to learn about brotherhood. "Because that includes you and yer kid. If somethin' happens to ya, ya have my word that I'll look after him."

"Thanks."

"Fer what? Yer my brother, and that means that we look out fer each other, no matter what."

Daruk's eyes snapped open as lurched up, looking around quickly. It took him a moment to recognize the room he had stayed in during his first night in the city. He tried to remember how he had come to be there, but all he could remember was killing Fireblight.

"You okay?"

Daruk's head snapped around to find Link sitting next to him. The Hylian had replaced his Champion's attire with his Knight' tunic. The Goron figured that, torn and bloodied as it was, it was still in better condition than the Champion's tunic. "Never better!"

"Good," Link murmured as he held a bottle out to him. Daruk frowned as he looked at the muddy brown elixir. He really hated the taste of the things.

"I think I'm okay, Little Guy."

Link continued holding it out as though he hadn't heard.

"Seriously, I think- "

"Mipha will be upset if you don't."

"Not if we don't tell her, she won't," Daruk replied with a wink.

"She'll know."

"Are you sure?"

"She'll know… and she'll force it down your throat if she needs to," Link murmured, almost looking traumatized by the thought.

"Really? She just a sweet little –"

"She will," Link said, more serious than Daruk had ever seen him.

"Okay."

Daruk grimaced as he drank the concoction. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as terrible as a ruby was. As disgusting as it was, he was glad that Link had convinced him to drink it. He felt much better as he felt the healing effects take over.

"How are you holding up?" Daruk asked as he handed the bottle back.

"I'm okay," Link muttered.

The Goron Champion wasn't sure what it was about the Hylian, but something seemed off. Almost like he was some awkward combination of nervous and excited; however, there were more important questions that needed to be answered. "So, how did we get back here?" he asked as he got to his feet and they made their way outside.

"Yunobo said there was a bright flash of light and we were back."

"So same way as you and Mipha."

"Probably," Link agreed.

Both stopped, surveying the damage the village had taken during the attack. Many of the houses in the City had been destroyed, crushed beyond repair by the avalanche of stone. It seemed that even the ones that were left standing had been seriously damaged, leaving few, if any, structures that could be truly called homes or shops. The roads, once smooth from the constant trekking of the Gorons, was littered with boulders and craters, rendering many of them nearly unusable.

Despite the haggard state of their home, the Gorons were no less cheery as they called jovial greetings to each other while they hauled away debris. Daruk was proud to see his brothers not giving into the despair that so many others would have given into. What truly made him swell with pride was the sight of Yunobo out among his brothers, giving direction and adding his strength to the mix.

"Gramps!" his grandson called as he caught sight of them. "Ya guys doin' okay? It's been two days so we were startin' ta worry."

"We're fine," Daruk replied as winced. Two days was far longer than he was comfortable with; however, his disappointment with himself lost out to his pride he felt for his grandchild. "Ya know, it makes me happy ta see you out here takin' charge. Ya got the makins' of a great chief."

"Thanks," Yunobo said, looking mildly abashed by the Goron Champion's praise.

"So, tell me, where can we help?"

"Don't we have a sister that needs yer help?"

"Yeah, but I think she'd understand if we stayed."

"Nah," Yunobo replied with a shake of his head. "I appreciate the offer, but it's not the Goron way to leave our brothers behind. You go get her, we'll stay and clean up."

"Yer stayin'? You sure?" Daruk was pleased that Yunobo was staying, but he wanted to make sure it was for the right reasons.

"Yeah. I thought a lot about it, but I realized I was wrong. After we got back, Bludo was in bad shape and our brothers were havin' a hard time getting' organized. That's when it hit me: Bludo ain't gonna be around ferever. Once he's gone, the City's gonna need someone to take care of em."

"Ya know," Daruk mused as he looked up to a cliff where his image had once been engraved, "after that attack, my face got knocked out. I think our brothers are gonna need someone's face to help. To remind em that there's a strong brother lookin' out fer all of em."

"Ya think so?"

"Yep, can't be my face though. I'm not really fer that sort of thing."

"Bludo's face then?"

Daruk laughed as his grandson completely missed the point he had been trying to make. "Maybe." He set a hand on Yunobo's shoulder, "Ya've made me proud, Yunobo. Keep steppin' up fer our brothers, ya hear."

"Yeah!"

"That's what I like ta hear!"

With that, the two Champions began their goodbyes. The Gorons gave them one last group hug which Link managed to wriggle out of. Daruk looked back at his home one last time, giving it a final, firm nod before he turned around to begin their journey down the Mountain.

Though he was pleased by Yunobo's growth, there was still something gnawing at him. The Divine Beast had been freed, the City was being rebuilt, Yunobo was stepping up, and yet there was something wrong that he couldn't name.

In a spur of the moment decision, he reached out to Rudania, who had climbed out of the belly of the volcano and had come to rest on the lip. The Divine Beast answered him, but it was as though there was a distance that hadn't been there before.

"Something wrong?" Link asked as he gave the Goron a searching look.

"It's Rudania," Daruk replied with a frown. "I don't really know how to say it, but it's almost like he isn't really listenin' anymore."

"… You should talk to Mipha about that when we meet up with them."

"Will do," Daruk murmured quietly, doing his best to remain upbeat. There was so much going on his own head that he really didn't understand. He sincerely wished he was talking to Urbosa right then. He'd just have to make do in the meantime.

"Stop!" Urbosa snapped as Revali opened his mouth to say something. "Don't even look at each other!" She finished as Midna and Revali tried to shoot each other a glare over their respective shoulders.

Urbosa sat back and began rubbing her temples as she contemplated the fact that she had degraded to yelling at a wolf. She was sure that Midna hadn't meant to instigate a fight, but once Revali had snapped at her, the wolf had been ready to pounce, and not in the playful manner she did with Link.

The Gerudo Champion had no idea what she had done to offend the Rito. She had found a chicken and dropped it at his feet. To Urbosa, it had been a sweet gesture. Revali had clearly been upset since he had failed to free Dinraal. Midna had likely caught the bird for the Rito Champion in an effort to cheer him up. Instead, for some reason that only Hylia knew, Revali had taken offense at the action.

"Midna!" she snapped as the she-wolf began growling. She had set them at opposite ends of the fire, facing away from each other. Revali would no doubt pout about for days to come but Urbosa wouldn't regret the decision. If he was going to act like a child, she would treat him like one.

She felt a pair of eyes on her and turned to see Kass giving her a look that conveyed understanding and sympathy. Though she had been against the idea of bringing him along at first, she was now grateful for his accompaniment. The Bard provided an understanding outlet for her irritation with Revali. Though she cared for the Rito Champion, he had been working on every one of her last nerves. Though Kass could do nothing directly, he was always willing to listen to her growl about how much she wanted to wring his thin neck.

Mipha was also quite taken with him, giving Urbosa a much-needed break from the Zora Champion's worries. Under normal circumstances, she had the patience and fortitude to handle Mipha's emotional needs. Revali, however, was determined to make sure that the circumstances were no longer ordinary. Thankfully, Mipha was far too enthralled with Kass' stories to worry about Link and Daruk, or Revali and his hurt pride, or why Dinraal had been resistant to any form of attack. The Bard kept her entertained with stories of mythical Princesses who fought wars through time, unrequited love between a knight and her liege, of animals who walked and talked as they did, stories of Hyrule's past heroes, and spirits who served the Goddess by protecting the denizens of the land.

Despite Mipha's constant prodding, Kass always seemed to have another tale buried somewhere, just waiting to be dug up. Whereas Urbosa likely would have lost patience, or been frustrated by the consistent pleas, Kass was thrilled. When she had asked him why he had replied simply by saying it was nice to have such a rapt audience. It only really sunk in when he had said that passing on stories was what he lived for, and Mipha's fascination gave him a sense of fulfillment that was, at times, difficult to find.

"Do you have any suggestions?" she asked quietly as she sat beside him.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing that anyone can do," Kass replied as his gaze shifted to the Rito Champion, who was glaring off into the distance. "There are some lessons that can only be learned when we are ready to learn them. The only suggestion I can make is to remind him that he still has a place among you."

"Hmm?"

"When I tried speaking to him yesterday, he asked if he'd still have a home among the Rito after they found out about the battle with Dinraal."

"So, he thinks we'll keep him around only so long as he is successful."

"Perhaps," Kass murmured sadly. "I have found that it is not uncommon for those with that level of arrogance to believe that those around them will only value them so long as they are useful. If they are no longer able to keep up with the expectations, they become defensive, worried that they will be abandoned by the ones they care about."

"But his confidence isn't destroyed," Urbosa murmured as her hand absently trailed to her temple.

"If he ever truly had confidence," Kass mused.

"What? Have you seen him?"

"Ah, forgive me. I did not mean to be rude – "

"Just finish the thought," Urbosa sighed as she waved off the apology.

"Well," Kass started thoughtfully as his feathered fingers began tapping on his knee, "if he truly had confidence, would it have shattered after one failure?"

The Bard had a point. Though Revali gave the appearance of overconfidence, his consistent aggression pointed to something else entirely.

"Perhaps he was compensating by trying to convince himself that he has confidence," Kass finished absently.

"So, Dinraal isn't the problem at all?" She had been sure that was the case, but she wanted a second opinion before she continued on.

"I would assume the problem is something else entirely," Kass confirmed quietly as they both analyzed the Rito Champion.

"I'm glad we agree. Revali and Midna," she called to the two, "you both can get up now." Revali got to his feet and stalked off, leaving his worried companions behind.

"I wonder," Mipha mused to herself as the Rito Champion disappeared from view. Urbosa looked at her with a raised brow, waiting for her to continue. "What if you were to give him a simple set of tasks to complete. Maybe being able to accomplish those goals would help him build some confidence."

"Doubtful," Urbosa replied, vexed by the entire situation. It wasn't the worst idea, except there was one problem, "he's not an idiot. He'll notice we're up to something."

"True," Kass sighed. "I think it would be best to leave him be until he is ready to open up."

"I agree." Urbosa was nowhere near content with the situation, but considering how volatile the Rito Champion could be, it would be easier for them to inadvertently drive him away. They'd just have to wait and hope for the best. "It's getting late," she said as she stood up, "we should get some rest while we can and start stocking back up on supplies while we wait for the others to get back."

"I can take first watch," Mipha replied. Though Mipha had managed to remain impassive, Urbosa knew her real motives for offering to keep watch. She had been sending furtive glances up the Mountain path several times that day, waiting for Link and Daruk to appear.

"They're probably not going to get here until tomorrow at the earliest."

"I… I see."

"Get some rest. Considering their track record, I wouldn't be surprised if they need your help when they get here."

Mipha nodded somberly and lay on the ground, staring deep into the fire.

"You should get some rest as well," Kass murmured quietly to her.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I have a younger sister and though she means well, she sometimes tries to take on more than she can handle. Sometimes, keeping an eye on her is more exhausting than raising my five daughters. Besides, you are a warrior and I am not. It is important for you to rest"

"All right," Urbosa replied, "wake me in a few hours."

"As you wish."

Urbosa settled across from Mipha, watching the young Zora's eyes slowly drift shut. Between her own worries about Link and Daruk and the stresses of Revali, it was a long time before a restless sleep finally found her.

She was in the middle of a conversation with a blonde-haired woman with regal clothing when the ground leaped beneath her, destroying whatever dream she had been in the midst of. In seconds, she was on her feet with scimitar drawn. "Kass, when I said wake me up, I didn't mean half of Eldin with me."

The Gerudo Champion looked around for the Bard, but he was nowhere to be found. Ahead of them, a large form was crawling out of a hole in the earth.

"What happened?" Mipha slurred drowsily as she roused herself.

"Forgive me for not being here." Kass said as he lighted down next to them, "Master Revali never returned, and so I kept watch from where I could see him as well." The Rito took a moment to look at both Urbosa and Mipha. "I don't think there is any cause to worry."

"And why is that?"

"Look up," Kass advised.

Above her, gliding down with the aid of a familiar device was a familiar form in a Knight's tunic.

Even though Link touched down lightly, he still winced as his feet contacted the earth. It didn't take long for Midna to rush over to him and nearly tackle him as she reared back on her hind legs and set her forepaws on his chest, her tail wagging excitedly. The Hylian returned her greeting by running his hand along her back.

"Link!" The Zora Champion dashed towards the Hylian and flung her arms around him as Midna backed off. Link winced again as he returned the gesture. The embrace was broken quickly as Mipha stepped back and took a look at him. "You're hurt."

"I'm okay," Link replied quietly.

"No, you are not."

"I drank some- "

"Sit down."

"I'll – "

"Now," Mipha commanded quietly. Link made no further protest as he sat down while Mipha began poking and prodding at his torso. She began muttering quietly about bruises and burns that she found on his skin, sounding like she was almost on the verge of lecturing him.

Urbosa let the two be, glad to see that Mipha's nervous energy was now focused on something useful rather than fruitless worrying. She turned back to the massive form bounding towards them, more relieved that Daruk had returned than she cared to admit.

"Hey, guys!" Daruk called as he finally reached them. "Sorry it took us so long ta get back."

"What in Din's name is with all the noise?" Revali groaned as he finally returned to the camp. "Oh… it's just you two."

Urbosa made a small gesture that she hoped Daruk caught as the Goron frowned.

"Sorry. Didn't mean ta wake ya." For once, Daruk seemed to understand the subtlety she favored.

"Did you take a hit to the head? You're talking like an idiot farm boy." The Rito Champion turned away sharply, leaving them all behind again.

"What's with him?" Daruk asked quietly.

"We found Dinraal, but things didn't go so well," Urbosa replied quietly. "I'll tell you more about it later. What are you two doing, wandering around in the dark like a pair of bandits?"

"The Little Guy was too worked up to sleep. Not really sure what had him all excited."

"Yes… I've no idea," Urbosa replied as she motioned towards Link and Mipha with her head. The two Champions were sitting on the ground, talking earnestly.

"Wow… I think he's talked more in the last five seconds than he did the entire time we were up there."

"And Mipha wonders why I tease her," Urbosa sighed.

"So, who's this?" Daruk asked as he pointed to Kass.

"My name is Kass," the Bard replied absently as he watched Link and Mipha, a conflicted look on his face.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"No…"

"Let's worry about it later," Urbosa advised. Though she was curious about the Bard's response to Link and Mipha, it was late and they had a long day ahead of them tomorrow. "I think we could all use some rest."

As the Gerudo Champion took her next watch, her mind wandered to the woman she had been speaking to in her dream. Something about the woman struck her as familiar but, much to her frustration, she could find no answers.

Urbosa let out an annoyed sigh as she decided that she had been idle for too long. Thankfully, they would need to move on tomorrow. If all went well, they would reach the home of the Rito's within a couple of weeks. She hoped that Revali's homecoming would help ease the tensions that had been building within the Rito Champion since the aftermath of his battle with Dinraal.

"Ganon!" Zelda shouted as malice began constricting around her. She felt Ganon's presence return to her while she continued suffocating on the malice.

"Silence!" he hissed back.

Zelda had experienced this many times. At random times, the malice would condense around her like a storm cloud. She had never bothered to fight back as Ganon could do nothing to her, but this time was different. This time she would prove to him that she wasn't a powerless Princess waiting for her heroes to save her.

"Stop fighting, foolish girl!"

"What are you trying to accomplish? You cannot harm me just as I cannot harm you."

"I said silence!"

Zelda was about to respond when she felt a power, unlike anything she had ever felt approach. Even Ganon paled in comparison to whatever it was. The being stayed there at the edge of her senses for what felt like an eternity before it slowly withdrew, leaving her and Ganon by themselves.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, but your struggles nearly killed us both."

"How so?" Zelda asked curiously. Though she had no love for the beast that had killed her father and nearly razed her kingdom, she was drawn to whatever knowledge he would provide.

"Among my many talents is the ability to hide myself from prying eyes by using malice. I've been using it to hide us from whatever that being is. You didn't even succeed in pushing me back and it nearly found us. Could you imagine what would have happened if you hadn't stopped?"

"I see…" It was still a surprise to her that Ganon was intelligent. All her life, she had believed that he was a being only capable of destruction. To think he was capable of not only coherent thought but intelligent thought as well, was something that turned her world on its head.

"What? You may as well ask."

"Why?"

"Have you not already asked that question?"

"And you never answered."

"… I seek to rebuild this world, starting with Hyrule."

"Rebuild it? Into what?" The Princess of Hyrule couldn't figure out what he meant.

"A world without pain." Zelda was shocked, not only by the ludicrous response but by the tone in which it had been delivered. Ganon's voice had been on the edge of contempt every time he had spoken, but this time, he sounded almost longing.

"A world without pain? How can you possibly hope to accomplish that?! Look at all the pain, look at the death you caused?!" Ganon was silent for the longest moment.

"Tell me, Princess, what is the most important part of a house?"

"A foundation," she answered, instantly on edge. Her father had spoken to her of foundations much in her youth. He had made sure she understood that a strong foundation was important for the stability of any structure. He had also made sure she understood that she would have to be a part of Hyrule's foundation.

"Precisely," Ganon replied, as though teaching a small child. "And what do you suppose one should do if they want to build a new house on top of the ground where the old one lay?"

"… You wipe away the foundation…"

"One cannot possibly hope to create a lasting house on top of the broken foundation of the previous one. You must destroy the old foundation, wipe it away entirely. Only then can one hope to create something lasting."

"And you destroy Hyrule's foundations by killing everyone?"

"No. I do so by killing you, your father, and anyone who supported you and the old order. Anyone else may live, assuming they do not oppose me."

"Are you unable to see the hypocrisy? You claim to desire a new world where people won't suffer, yet it is because of you that so many have suffered for so long."

"From where I am standing, you are the one that is responsible for their suffering. Had you not fought against me, their suffering would have ended long ago. Instead, you prolong it by trapping me here."

That's not- "

"What you intended?" Ganon interrupted caustically. "Remember that all things are a matter of perspective. Because I do not support your cause, I am an evil, unthinking beast hellbent on destruction. Because you do not support my cause, you are a naïve girl who refuses to remove her head from the sand."

"Such an enlightened view," Zelda murmured dryly.

"One day you'll see that I am right," Ganon replied, smugness beginning to tinge the edges of his tone.

"And how is that. Will you tell me how you reached these conclusions?"

"Even better. I will show you," Ganon murmured as tendrils of malice began gathering around the Hylian Princess. Her apprehension grew as the snake-like tendrils latched onto her face, burrowing beneath the skin.

"What is this?" she choked out, trying to suppress a scream.

"You asked for answers," Ganon murmured impassively as Zelda felt herself being pulled far away from Hyrule Castle.

A/N: I really need to quit saying that updates will slow down. I'm only making a liar out of myself.

Guest Reviews:

Scotflower: I already have a plan for Link's secret ability. I like to plan things way too far in advance and spend far too much time trying to make sure they make sense.

ImperialLord331: Good news... that's the actual pairing. The bad news is I don't understand romance. It all evens out, right?

Guest: Yep. Those five girls are his daughters.