As Link came upon the Gorons, they had begun using bomb flowers to try to clear some of the rocks and rubble from the entrance to the cavern system in preparation for the Gerudo laborers promised by Ganondorf. After some effort at clearing the rubble which Link assisted with, they were able to clear the way into the entrance caverns. However, the dodongos had become even more numerous since the cavern entrance had been blocked off, so they could only harvest limited rock quantities. Darunia noted Link's willingness to help the Gorons, and it pleased him.

After working for a few days, they had recovered enough rock nutrition for a small feast. Darunia's people were very hungry and downtrodden, so he proposed a night of feasting and party. Having seen Link play the ocarina, he contracted his new friend to play dancing music. Link obliged with some music from the Kokiri Forest, saving a few tunes Saria had taught him for last. The tribe really enjoyed this one, and danced the rest of the night in a state of joy they hadn't felt in many years.

As the night was winding down, Darunia met with Link to gauge him more fully. "What is it you're looking for, my boy?" he inquired.

Link stared back, trying to comprehend what he should share. "The Great Deku Tree tasked me with finding my own way. She had raised me as one of her own Kokiri, but I am a Hylian. The differences are more noticeable with age, so it was a matter of time before I would be asked to acknowledge the differences. Even worse, she's dying, Darunia. We will be without a wise matriarch soon. We do not have a fierce executive like you with the Gorons, the King of the Zora, or even the Gerudo King who visited us. She simply gave me this emerald as a sign of respect and asked that if I saw Ganondorf again, I use this to demonstrate the regard the Great Deku Tree had for me. I think I just need to keep moving forward, searching for my purpose in all of this. I'm not annoyed at all, but it is sad to finally have hit a point that the differences between the rest of the Kokiri and me were becoming all too apparent."

Darunia stared back in wonder. This child had a deep understanding of the way of the world and of life's meaning already at such a young age. "I hope you find more times to be joyful and playful like last night. It isn't all work and stress, my new friend. There will be times of sorrow and times of joy, and you have to learn to navigate the extremes and everything in between with equal regard. I sense a foreboding with Death Mountain. The seismic activity is getting worse. No one in our tribe was alive during a previous eruption, but we have heard the stories passed down. I also wish to give you the gift given by the Gerudo King. I wonder if you might be able to interact with him in a way we cannot. Plus, you may be able to use the priceless jewels as bargaining chips at some point. Gerudo wares truly are Hyrule-renowned."

He handed Link the Goron ruby, and he felt the heft in his hand. There seemed to be some level of predestination in this, but he couldn't tell yet if it was lovely or terrifying. They continued to talk for the rest of the night, then Link parted for the Zora's in the morning.