Dawn came far earlier than Zen would've liked. Never one to complain, especially given the work he did guarding Kakariko Village, he was no stranger to early mornings. But even he was loathed to leave the warm embrace of his girlfriend for the cool morning air and the potential for a dangerous quest.

Link met him in the center of the plaza for Lookout Landing. The blond appeared more rested than before, but Zen noticed that he hadn't quite managed to shake the haunted look in his eyes.

"Ready?" The Champion asked. His hand rested on the hilt of a Knight's Sword. He had on the same archaic tunic as before but wisely had traded the sandals for a more sturdy leather boot that matched Zen's own.

Zen did a quick inventory of himself. Sheikah kimono-style tunic, trousers, and boots. Bow on his back along with an Eightfold Longblade, and Sheikah slate tucked in the pouch on his right hip. "I think so."

"Good. We'll use my Purah Pad to get to the Woodland Stable. From there, we'll venture into the woods. With any luck, we will have the sword in hand by lunchtime." Link's smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Zen gave a slight nod and rested a hand on the blond's shoulder when he activated the teleport. The two young men were similar in age and height, though their upbringings were rather different. Even still, it was nice to have some common ground, Zen thought to himself.

A dense fog laid over the Woodland Stables when they passed by. Only the earliest risers and the stable attendants were up and venturing out into the morning. It was easy for Zen to keep his silence. Link wasn't much of a talker. At least, not while they were jogging down the trail towards the entrance to the Lost Woods.

Link held up his right hand and stopped them where the path ended. "I'm going to light a torch. They always keep a pair next to the flame pedestals that mark the edge of the forest. It guided the way the last time I went in to hunt for the sword. Let's pray to Hylia that she'll show us such favor this time."

Zen gave a short nod and followed the hero's lead. He couldn't deny the swirling fog was disorienting and more than mildly spooky. But after three times of losing his sense of direction and winding up on his ass next to the flame pedestals? He had to admit that he knew why people were wary about the Lost Woods.

Link sighed and dropped down to sit beside him. "The woods are sealed off. We're not going to be able to go in this way. Got any ideas?"

Zen blew out his breath. "Well, the Zonai Survey Corps has determined there are entrances to the Depths beneath Hyrule via the large chasms that have opened at various points around Hyrule. Maybe we can drop through one, and see if we can get under that way. With any luck, there'll be another one in the middle of the forest."

"There's not. I've seen that much from the skydiving I took from the tower at the landing yesterday afternoon." Link was silent for a few moments, contemplating everything. "But there may be a work around. One of the abilities this 'upgrade' for my arm has given me is 'ascension'. If we find the right place underneath, we can probably travel up into the center of the woods that way."

"I'm not loving it, but I guess it's as good a plan as any. Got another glider?" Zen asked wryly. "I'd rather not cuddle with one. You're not my type."

That brought a chuckle out of Link before he rolled to his feet. He gave a slight nod. "I got an extra thanks to Purah. Let's go."

Zen tried to swallow down the feel of trepidation that was rising in his stomach. He didn't know much about these Depths, only a passing mention from Purah when they were being briefed before his departure for Akkala. "Got extra torches by chance?"

"Torches and these seed things I found in the caves up on the sky islands. You throw them and they light up an area like a campfire, but with a more ethereal light."

"Helpful."

There was nothing else said between the two men as they made their way back down the hill towards the chasm. Zen kept his thoughts to himself while they walked. He would be able to see the Koroks when they got into the forest. The ones he encountered around Kakariko and on his adventures were always chipper and murmuring about how much they loved playing in the Lost Woods. Hide and seek was always the favorite, and the little creatures took great delight in playing with the twins when the children were young.

"There's the chasm. I've got potions to regain health and stamina. By my estimation, we'll need to head west after we drop into the Depths." Link waited only long enough for the Sheikah to nod before handing him a glider and leaping down into the gaping, gloom-oozing chasm.

Zen took a deep breath and jumped in as well. He was no stranger to falling. There had been several occasions where he'd decided to dive off the cliffs into deep water below. In fact, the exhilaration of it drove him to do it every summer. But this was different. There was no water to welcome him to the bottom. Only the yawning maws of darkness, and the guarantee of a hard surface that would spell death if he didn't manage to open the glider in time.

"Paraglide now!" Link's voice called up from the void.

Zen immediately pulled out the glider, thankful for the slower descent as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. A burst of light exploded below him, and he had about three seconds to blink before his feet touched solid ground. He folded the paraglider and kept his gaze focused on a single point– a spot on the rocky wall above the light source. When his vision cleared, he was able to identify the brightness. A small plant with a glowing orb illuminated a wide swath of the surrounding area, acting like a powerful, immovable torch.

"That the seed you were talking about?" he inquired curiously.

"Yes. It's called a Brightbloom Seed. Invaluable in dark places like caves… or in this case, the Depths." Link came to stand by his right. "If my Purah Pad is to be trusted, then from where we're facing now, we need to go south and to the west to find any semblance of another opening to the forest. If we do that–"

"Then we're home free into the woods and finding your sword," Zen finished for him.

"In theory. Keep your eyes peeled. I'm hearing a lot of monsters, and I'm sure that gloom stuff is around too," the blond warned. He drew his sword in his right hand, then tossed a couple of seeds at Zen. "Do me a favor and hang onto these. I'll keep my left hand free for my pad and protecting us."

"Link."

"Hm?"

"Were you aware of the training I've had?" Zen asked with a hint of amusement.

"... I can't say that I am. Is it different from the healing that Azzy has?"

"Yes. I don't have the natural talents for what she does. But I have the ability to disguise myself and move around relatively undetected. Worked well enough to keep Yiga from catching me."

That brought Link's eyebrows up enough for them to show in the low light while they started left. "You'll have to teach me about the disguise portion. If I don't have an outfit for it, I can't pretend to be proficient."

"I can help with that when all this is said and done." Zen grinned. His grin quickly faded when monsters started closing in.

An hour and two gloom monster fortresses later, the two men stood catching their breath and peering out into the darkness from under the safety of the LightRoot.

"Shouldn't be much further. You have your Sheikah Slate on you, right?"

Zen pulled it off his hip to show the Champion. "What do you need?"

"Pull up your map. My Purah Pad allows me to map the Depths when I reach and activate the LightRoots. But while I'm down here, I can't see the surface. So, I need you to tell me where we are in relation to the Lost Woods." Link showed him the Purah Pad and illuminated areas within the Depths.

Zen gave a nod and opened the map. "We are… right underneath it. If we travel up directly from here, we should be directly where we need to go."

"Good. Take my arm. We have to be touching for the ability to work on both of us." Link flashed an apologetic smile. "Sorry to make it awkward."

"It's just like traveling with the Sheikah Slate. Doesn't bother me much. Cami's the one who gets jealousy and pissy about doing that– or about Azzy having to do it with anyone besides him or Fae."

"So I noticed." Link hooked elbows with him and activated the rune.

A strange feeling washed over Zen's body, settling in his stomach as he felt an invisible force pulling him upwards, with his free arm pointed to the sky. He found himself holding his breath, watching the green ethereal river swirl past them.

Then the dimmed light of the sunlight breaking through dense forest invaded his vision, and his torso broke through the ground with a strange pop. On instinct, he grasped Link's arm tighter to keep from falling until he could gain his bearings.

"Pull yourself up like you're getting out of a pond," the blond instructed. He let go of Zen and demonstrated, breaking free of the ground with ease.

He didn't hesitate to attempt the same, yanking himself upwards with as much upper body strength as he could muster. His legs broke free, and he tumbled forward, then rolled to his feet as if he intended to do that all along. He turned and looked back on where they had come from, and he blinked. "Where's the hole? Don't tell me it's connected to the shrine behind us."

"Not at all. The holes disappear after I come to the surfaceI have no explanation for it." Link shrugged. "Hey. Listen."

Zen paused, his ears opened to the sounds around him. Apart from the occasional gusts of wind rustling the leaves of the trees, there was nothing to hear… which wasn't normal. "There's silence." He looked around, noting the strange stone pillar with a wide top located beside the shrine. He cocked his head in curiosity. "You seen anything like this?"

"Can't say I have. But something's wrong." Link spun slowly, his eyes on the treetops, then the ground. "The Koroks. They are never silent. There's always trills or singing. And do you feel that? It's almost as if–"

"The forest itself is heavy and sad," Zen finished for him. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Unfortunately, I have," Link said grimly. He gestured for him to follow and jogged towards the giant tree in the center of the forest.

Zen couldn't help but get a strange feeling running down his spine when they got close to the Deku Tree. There were several Koroks around the base, but none of them reacted. The usually jovial woodland sprites were a sickly shade of gray and barely moving.

"Zen." Link waved him closer. "You have to see this."

The Sheikah jogged over, and stopped beside the blond. There was a pedestal in the midst of the Silent Princesses, and he could see a slot in it that he could only assume was for the legendary Master Sword. "It's not there."

The Champion shook his head. "I hoped it would be but I can't say that I'm entirely surprised with how it disappeared or the state it was in."
"Link. You have returned." The slow, deep voice of the Deku Tree greeted them, bringing the attention of both men up to his giant face.

"I have. I was searching for the Master Sword. If you have any information about it…" He trailed off and exhaled, shaking his head. "I don't know what happened to it, or Zelda, but I have to find it."

"My mind… is addled by a poison consuming me. Free me… from this affliction… and I will do my best to help you. Light the beacons. They will guide your path from on high."

Zen shuddered as the tree went silent. Poison. "It's the gloom, isn't it?"

"Likely."

Both young men were quiet while they contemplated what they'd just heard.

"The shrine. The pedestal." Link's head came up. "I bet anything there's a crystal or something that goes on the pedestal. I saw Zonai puzzles like that on the Sky Islands. Figure those out, and we'll find a way to light the beacons."

"So we start by going back to the shrine by where we came in?"

"Yes."

Zen followed Link back through the dimly lit woods to the glowing shrine beside where they came in. A crystal the size of a hay bale was lying beside it, and Zen eyed the unusual stone before his attention was drawn away when Link activated the shrine with his tech-covered hand. It was a phenomenon unlike anything he had encountered before. The magicked runes. The shifting color of the glow surrounding it.

And yet… the more he saw? Zen was quite content to leave the role of the Hero up to Link. He had no desire to be the shadow of a princess. Or constantly have to prove himself by killing monsters left and right, or being sent all over Hyrule to aid with various problems. Overseeing Kakariko, and now helping in the search for his girlfriend's brother. It was pleasant enough to explore the land they called home, but at the end of the day, Zen still craved the rest that came from knowing he had Lyna and a quiet house waiting for them back in Kakariko when the time was right.

"I'm not going to do the puzzle this time. I can come back later. Don't want to keep you waiting." Link rejoined him and tilted his head. "Bet that goes on the pedestal. How's your throwing skills?"
"Worse than my climbing." He shrugged. "I can climb up and you can pass it to me. See if that lights the beacon he wanted us to do."

"Good call. Need a hand?" Link gestured with his right one. "Got my own and then this weird 'UltraHand". So, technically I can offer three if you need it."

Zen snorted. "I can handle scaling a pillar on my own– long as it's not raining."

"Don't jinx it."

He didn't reply again while he cracked his neck from side to side and shook out his fingers before beginning his ascent. It was no different from scaling the tallest trees around Kakariko. Texture of what he was climbing was rough and similar, so it didn't take more than a minute for him to reach the top and pull himself up.

"Heads up." With the aid of the UltraHand, Link hoisted the crystal up to Zen.

He caught it with ease despite the size and set it onto the depression in the center of the pillar. Nothing happened. He frowned at it for a second, checking from all sides. "Hey, Link?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Isn't this supposed to glow when you put it in place?"

There was a momentary pause from the Champion. "Well, yes. But it's not, is it?"

"Not even a flicker." He examined it again. "Hang on. I've got an idea."

There was a faint hum of acknowledgement from below but nothing more. Zen dug in his pack and grabbed one of the seeds Link had been throwing earlier to light up their path. Tapping it did nothing, but then the Sheikah remembered how it activated with a firmer impact. So, he took the seed and swatted it firmly against the dull crystal.

The brightbloom seed burst open in a flash of white light. It was swiftly replaced with the bright green glow of the Zonai crystal that shot a beam straight back to the Deku Tree.

"Well, that worked. Is that a Brightbloom Seed?" Link asked as he peered up at the pedestal.

"Yup. Gotta hit it against the crystal to activate it but it seemed to work alright. Looks like there's some red lights off in the distance. Can't see much though." Zen swung his legs over the side, grabbed the lip of the top and dropped down, rolling as he landed to distribute the impact and keep from hurting himself.

"Nicely done." Link gave a nod. "Red lights, you said?"

"Yes." Zen brushed himself off and straightened. "Never seen anything like that in the woods around Kakariko."

"Sounds like constructs. Best head closer to take a look."

"Constructs? Like the guardians that used to be around?" Zen asked with a raised eyebrow. "I thought they dismantled all the ones they found, for research and our protection."

Link gave a faint hum of assent. "They did. These are Zonai in origin, and appeared around the time I awoke in the sky islands… at least as far as I know. They can be hostile like the guardians were, or docile and even helpful. But you won't know until you get close. Usually red means hostile though."

"Are they hostile to creatures or just Hylians?" Zen asked curiously.

"Far as I know, just Hylians. I saw a couple of foxes wandering near them before, and it looked like they were left alone. Why?"

"Because I can get us close without having them attack." At Link's look of surprise, Zen smirked and elaborated. "Remember the disguise ability that the Yiga have?"

"Don't tell me you've been affiliated with the Yiga," Link cut in. "Because if–"

"I'm not! But I can disguise us. I'll show you."

The Sheikah's eyes closed as he focused on creating the runes around them that would temporarily change their forms. It took only a couple seconds for them to drop onto all fours. A thick coat of fur engulfed the two young men, and immediately Zen became aware of both an overwhelming rancid smell, and the distant sound of a mechanical whirring.

"Really? A wolf?" Link asked with a bemused tone, still in perfect Hylian. He picked up one of his paws and looked at it before turning to try and look at his tail. The blond and gray wolf failed to get a good look, prompting him to circle faster in an attempt to catch it for a better look.

"Why not? Look at you. When they said the Hero of the Wild runs around in circles, I guess that's what they meant."

Zen had to grin when Link lunged at him and knocked him off his paws. He wrestled right back, pushing him onto his back and chuckling as he did. It was worth poking a bit of fun at the Champion to encourage him to let down his hair. Or, his fur, as the case may be.

"What'd they say about me running in circles?" Link growled, but even Zen could tell he didn't mean it.

"Like a wild dog chasing his tail. Which is just what you did," he taunted.

"Don't tell me you didn't consider doing the exact same thing."

"Oh, I did… the first time I became a wolf. It was fun," Zen admitted. He nipped Link's leg to get the other wolf off of him. "Alright. You hear that sound?"

Link froze beside him. His ears perked straight up and he listened for a second or two before giving a slight nod. "It's the constructs. Several different directions, sounds like."

"Good. Pick a direction. I'll follow your lead."

Link's paws were nearly silent as they followed a nearly imperceptible path through the woods. Zen had to grin at the speed the Hero adapted to the new form. When he practiced on Lyna, she spent the first few minutes freaking out, in the cutest way possible. Her squeaks and shrieks of combined elation and fear when she found a nuance to the body were frankly the best things he had encountered since training himself in the art of disguise.

But he forced the thoughts of his girlfriend from his mind before he got completely distracted. Focus needed to remain on Link and their mission to restore health to the Deku Tree. The Hero wouldn't have what he needed if they didn't.

Link stopped at the edge of the clearing. Another shrine awaited by this one had three armed constructs surrounding the crystal. He looked up at the pedestal, then back at Zen. "We can take the crystal up the same way as before, but to use UltraHand, I can't be in disguise."

"Which means we'll have to fight them." Zen eyed the constructs. "How high do you think I can jump in this form?"

"Don't think wolves are known for their jumping. You can try but not sure you can make it to that height."

"Alright. Then I'll slip into the bushes, shift, and use my bow. Nobody in Kakariko is better with a bow than I am."

A wolf's grin crossed Link's face. "Good. I'll act as a distraction. Might be nice to NOT have to be the one actively in combat."

Zen barked out a laugh before disappearing into the trees and thick underbrush. Once he was sure he was out of the detection of the constructs, he dropped the runes on himself and pulled his bow off his shoulder. He had to hand it to Link. The "wolf" was wandering right into the middle of the trio, completely unbothered by the robots. They were similarly undisturbed by him as they gathered tree branches and created a small fire.

He nocked an arrow and drew it back. With an exhale, he sent it flying true, knocking the first squarely in the eye and dropping it with a single shot.

The other constructs whirled at the sound but found nothing apart from the wolf calmly sitting between them in front of the fire and wagging its tail. Zen had to bite back a laugh at the antics of the overgrown dog. Link was enjoying playing his role, and who could blame him? Much of the fun Zen had was in disguised form too.

The second construct fell in the same manner as the first, leaving one upright and intact. Link picked up one of the Zonai spears in his mouth and laid down to idly gnaw on the wood while he waited for Zen to eliminate the last enemy. And three for three, Zen managed just that with the arrows before stepping back into the open.

"How's that taste? Rumor had it that you liked eating rocks. I'll add wood to the list. Though you might have to clarify to people like Fae that you mean the kind from trees rather than the innuendo type."

Link shifted back, catching the spear in his hand. "What can I say? I satisfied my curiosity, and acted as a distraction. Most fun I've had all day."

"Good. Hand me the crystal." The climb onto the pedestal took even less time than the last, and this time, Zen knew what to do to activate it. The moment the crystal was lit, the Sheikah was off the platform and dusting off his hands. "Ready for the next one?"

Link tossed the spear adorned with several wolf teeth marks in his hand before adding it to the pack on his back. "Let's do this. Same as before?"

Zen's response was to activate the runes that set the disguise back over them. Two crystals down. Two more to go.

A half hour later, the two young men were walking back to the base of the Deku Tree, chuckling about the Hero's antics while surrounded by 'hostile' constructs. "Wait til I tell Azzy about this," Zen chortled. "She'd never believe that you were a wolf like the legendary Hero of Twilight, let alone what you were doing!"

"Good thing there's no evidence of it." Link paused mid-step when the Sheikah gave an awkward cough. "Oh, Hylia, tell me you didn't!"

"Didn't do what?" Zen asked innocently.

"Delete the pictures off your Sheikah Slate. Now. I know you took them when I was being–"

The smirk on Zen's face only grew. "Having wolf zoomies and chasing your tail? Oh, yes."

"... I'm never going to live this down, am I?" Link groaned. His shoulders drooped, and Zen again noticed that his hair tie was gone.

"Nope! Hey, do you need something to pull your hair up? Must get pretty warm down all the time. I know mine does." He untied a thin leather band from his wrist and handed it to the Champion. "I've got an extra."

"Thanks. My spare was somewhere around the Hateno house last I saw it. Goddess only knows where the one I had disappeared off to when Rauru saved me." Link swiftly tied the majority of his hair back and sighed in relief. "Again, many thanks."

"Don't mention it." Zen eyed the point on the Deku Tree where all the crystal beams converged. A large sealed door was revealed but only four of the locking mechanisms had been illuminated. "Still missing the final crystal, but we checked all the other directions, didn't we?"

"Except for there." Link pointed up at the sakura blossoms just peeking at the top of the Deku Tree. "I would bet anything the last one has a pedestal with a hole in the bottom that will point down straight onto the final piece of the seal."

"I always did enjoy climbing. It's good to see there's lots of footholds." Zen grinned at the Champion. "After you, Hero."

Link didn't reply. He just swung up on the lowest branch near him, then began his ascent.

Zen was on his heels a second or two later. The fun of being able to climb the same way he did as a child without getting in trouble with guards or parents never fully went away. Tree limbs were more pleasant than moss-slickened cave walls, or the hard edges of old stone ruins. Not that he would complain when it was also part of something where he could help something that matters.

Link reached the top first but paused on the branch closest to the top, crouching while he waited for his companion to catch up. "I see the pedestal. As expected, pointing straight down for the middle of that seal. Might be a bit challenging to reach where it goes, but it's only a bit more than some of the lower crystals."

"Good. So, we can grab the crystal, set it in place, then drop down into the heart of the tree and take out whatever's protecting it."

"Just like below, but probably with more gloom than constructs at this height." Link pulled himself up to standing and peered over the edge at a safe distance. "Looks like there's mostly gloom. So we'll just have to avoid it while we're grabbing the crystal."

"Climb and avoid the gloom puddles. I think I can manage that."

"Let's go." Link jumped over the ledge, disappearing from sight.

Zen was a second behind him, pulling himself up onto the edge of the huge center of the tree. Gloom covered almost the entirety of the area, filling his nostrils with a putrid smell.

"Ahhh! Watch out!"

In the moments that followed, Zen experienced three things in rapid succession: the first was seeing Link using the ascend ability through the pedestal directly above them. Nex came the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach that accompanied being rapidly approached by what could only be described as huge, monstrous hands with an ominous glowing eye in the palm. And finally was the sensation of falling when he leaped backwards to avoid the hands… falling from the top of the Great Deku Tree.