Published on August 6th, 2013.
Replaced (ver.1) on December 15th, 2015.

Chapter 10/50
The Ominous Sealed Grounds
Faron Woods Arc (1/5)

"Where are we?" Double D asked Impa.

"We're in an area known as the Sealed Grounds," Impa answered. "This building is called the Sealed Temple." The dark interior inside looked like it was about to fall apart. Double D and Zelda knew the temple was ancient with all the moss and old stones. The roof was missing a hole, but warm beams of sunlight bathed in. The elevated platform was in front of a circular stone in the center of the room. They climbed up the stairs, which they were standing in front of the big old stone gate with a small crack in between. Impa saw down slowly in front of the stone gate as her braid began to swing like a pendulum.

Something's strange about this place, Zelda thought with a finger on her chin. Something...familiar.

"Tell me... Introduce yourself." Zelda and Double D looked at each other's eyes before responding to the old woman.

"I'm Eddward, but please call me Double D," he replied.

"Zelda," she answered.

"Zelda, huh?" Impa said with a smile. "That's such a lovely name. Tell me, Zelda, do you recall anything from the past?"

"My past?"

"Anything...that does not involve your time in the sky above."

Zelda furrowed her brows. "No... I don't know... This is all...sudden."

"That's okay, dear."

"But... Hang on... Why did you call me a spirit maiden before?"

"Then answer this question, Zelda. Do you know some of the traditions where you lived in Skyloft?"

"Yeah. The goddess, the Loftwings, and other traditions."

"Some traditions?" Double D asked Impa. "There's more to it?"

"Indeed," Impa answered. "Did you know that a sacred and ultimate power resides within Skyloft since the beginning?"

"Power since the beginning?" Zelda asked.

Double D gasped. "Wait a minute. I'm aware of that," he said, recalling the book's introduction from the beginning. "I also remember that an evil force wants the power generations ago."

"Oh?" Impa asked, starring him. "You are quite...knowledge than I thought. So it is true..."

Double D eyed on her. "What's true?"

"Listen closely. First, that evil power... That unimaginable monster is known as Demise."

"D-Demise?" Zelda and Double D stammered with wide eyes.

"I'm afraid to s-say this," Double D added with sweat trickling down his right face. "D-Demise? As in...death itself?"

"If you wish to think that...then that is correct," Impa said with a nod. "Demise lives up to his name. He's the one who wreaked havoc on the surface generations ago for the ultimate power. Only the goddess, Hylia, was able to seal him away. Thus, peace was restored...but peace will eventually erupt into chaos soon."

"Soon?!" Zelda asked, clutching the Goddess's Harp. "How could that be?! This Demise...was sealed a long time ago, correct?!"

Impa slowly pointed the large double stone doors behind the two. "Do you see that particular doorway? Demise is the definition of true evil. Perhaps the root of all evil. Because of that, he could only be sealed temporarily. Behind those doors is the Sealed Grounds itself. At the bottom of the area is the seal to prevent Demise from escaping."

"T-temporarily? B-but that means...!" Double D said, then gasped.

Impa frowned at the truth. "Unfortunately...yes. Thousands of years may have passed, but I'm afraid the seal will be on the verge of breaking. Maybe a couple of weeks or sooner. If that happens...Demise will be free."

"No way!" Zelda said, also gasping. "We have to do something!"

Impa chucked at Zelda's determination. "I thought you never asked. You see, destiny is about to play out."

"Destiny?" Double D asked.

"Originally, there were two people in this. That would be Zelda and her chosen hero."

"My...chosen hero?" Zelda asked, but smiled what Impa meant. "Link! He won today's Wing Ceremony, making him the chosen hero."

"Link, is it?" Impa said, smiling. "A unique name with many meanings. I shall remember his name. If he does what I hope for him, he should be coming to find you."

"I..." Zelda closed her eyes, grasping her hands. "I always did a feeling he would come. He would never leave me alone."

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Double D asked Impa. "What do you mean 'originally'?"

"That's the next part," Impa continued, looking at Double D. "And...I think you know this. Tell me, Double D, does the term 'crossover' mean anything to you?"

Double D widened his eyes and gasped. "Why, yes! How did you...?"

"Double D," Zelda said, "didn't you once tell me about that?"

"Yes. I told the whole story before."

"Allow me to elaborate," Impa said. "Before the sealing of Demise, the goddess, Hylia, received a transmission. It has something to do with three young boys. With that, Hylia told me her alternate occupation."

"Crossover Sentinel," Double D answered, yet still in a state of shock. "It makes sense now."

"I don't remember much because it was all sudden, but she did mention about a couple of terms that were important. Crossover Books... The hero alternately known as a Vanguard... Synchronization. Yet, there was one thing she wanted to keep in mind. It was the most vital piece of information. Should they come, they must assist the Vanguard as much as possible."

Zelda turned to Double D while awing. "Wow..." she said.

"I... I don't know what to say," Double D said, glancing away in thought.

"I was as well," Impa continued. "But if they are important to this destiny, the chosen hero would gladly accept any help for what's to come. Now...you must now begin your journey."

"Right now?" Zelda asked. "But...shouldn't we wait for Link and the others?"

"I'm afraid we're running out of time due to unfortunate circumstances. Your mission is different than Link, and the seal cannot be deteriorated anymore. Do you two remember the black tornado?"

"Yeah," Double D answered and shivered at that word. "That was no ordinary storm."

"Zelda's arrival was not supposed to happen. Even though Demise is sealed, his minions are scattered around since that day. I'm afraid evil is stirring from their slumber, and the one responsible for the black tornado is looking for Zelda. If Zelda is captured, they will use her to revive the demon king earlier than expected. Luckily, I was able to save you two with my spell that soften the impact."

"But...why me? Why am I important?" Zelda asked Impa.

She chuckled as usual. "Have you not figured it out...spirit maiden?"

"Wait..." Double D began, widening his eyes. "Are you saying...?"

"The Spirit maiden is the goddess, Hylia, reborn as a mortal." Two gasps echoed the room.

"Zelda?! A goddess?!" Double D awed at her. "But...if Zelda is Hylia...then you're the reborn Crossover Sentinel in this world!"

"I... I had no idea..." Zelda said, putting her hand on her opened mouth. "This... This is so...hard to take in. I'm...Hylia?"

"You are Hylia," Impa said. "She gave up her immortal form so that she or the chosen hero can use the ultimate power against Demise."

"Oh my..."

"But I am getting ahead of myself. That power will come in time when you and the hero come together in the end. While both journeys are separated, you will all reach the same goal."

Zelda turned her head away, hugging her instrument. "I... I don't know... This burden...is so heavy. What if I fail?"

Impa put up a sad frown. "Please, Zelda, you must do this. This is not a choice."

Zelda shook her head. "But... But... I'm so scared."

"You can do this!" Double D said, putting his hands on Zelda's shoulder. "Think of everything you'll be putting down if you step away! Everything, even Skyloft, will all disappear! So... So...I won't allow anything to harm you! You're not alone, Zelda. I will be your shield, and I'll support you to the end."

"But Double D... What if you...die on my behalf? Someone like you...shouldn't die. Someone from another world...shouldn't die." She shed a single tear.

"I'm not going to die." Double D looked down. "I know this is the beginning for me and my friends. I know I have one adventure under my belt...and I avoid fighting as much as possible. But...when there's someone I truly cared about, I break my pacifistic rule to protect. You are not going to die until I leave this dimension with a happy ending. What I learned in my previous adventure is that we can make it to the end by trusting each other."

"Trust..." Zelda blinked her eyes. She sniffed and wiped her tear, but she smiled. "All right. Let's do it together. I believe in you."

What's this? Impa thought, seeing the two of them smiling at each other. All of the sudden, Double D was able to give her courage like that. He's not even a hero in this world. And...what's this energy I'm suddenly feeling? She concentrated for a moment, sensing invisible white energy from the two. Come to think of it...I sense this warm energy from the boy. Is this what Hylia meant by helping each other?

"We're ready to do this," Double D said to Impa, breaking her thoughts.

Impa returned back with her smile. "Thank you, Double D, for helping Zelda. In this world, there are two springs that Zelda needs to purify her body and mind. Pray at the goddess statues located in each temple across the land so that you can regain your true memories as Hylia."

"We'll do it," Zelda said with a nod.

"Excellent, but before you two go, you two must change for this adventure." Impa hummed, which made her braid sparkled. They heard a click from a medium-sized chest. "After so long, the items inside will taste fresh air." Zelda and Double D opened up the chest and grabbed what was inside. After a couple of minutes of changing, Impa smiled once again at the two in their new outfits.

Zelda wore a simple snow dress with long loose sleeves. She no longer wore ribbons tied behind her hair. The ribbons on her bangs were replaced with light blue accessories, which was the same texture as the crest of the goddess inside the Statue of the Goddess. Her light blue bracelets were the same texture, and the bands had the crest of the goddess. Even her sandals were made with the same material. Zelda picked up the Goddess's Harp. "Is this supposed to be suited for this journey? It's like something I would walk out in the middle of the night."

"It is perfect. The goddess designed the dress for her mortal form. That outfit is magical, for it is the will of the goddess's power and her protection. Besides, you look very identical to Hylia herself."

"I really do look like a goddess." Zelda looked at Double D's outfit. His whole outfit was dark purple. The toeless sandals almost looked like they had no soles. His whole sleeveless shirt and baggy pants were one big clothes together. The attire had gold markings with a symbol of an eye in front of his abdomen. Double D secured his large green belt with a large ring. Four long green feathers were on the left side of his belt. With white ribbons covering up to his arms, he wore his black fingerless glove on his left hand. Before he secured his cape, he made sure to wear his school bag. Finally, he wore a black cape, which covered his left arm, making his right side exposed.

"A little big, but this is...quite an interesting attire," Double D said, furrowing his brows. "But I'm still keeping my black beanie."

"You like it?" Impa asked, smiling. "Those are the Skeikah tribal clothes I wore a long time ago. It should suit you well."

"Your outfit is cool, Double D," Zelda said, giggling.

"Why, thank you," Double D replied, also smiling.

Impa got off the ground and walked toward the boy. "Since your speech has touch all of our hearts," she said, grabbing something inside her triangular robe, "you will need this." She pulled an ordinary wooden staff and gave it to Double D. "This staff is extremely old, but it hums with a tiny bit of magic. I sensed its energy calling to your aura, Double D."

"It's Synchronization." Double D noted the long staff was as long as his body.

"I see... I had neglected this staff. You could say it has no master. I believe if you imprint your heart and soul into this staff with your aura, you will create your own unique staff. Because of the way we are doing this, you shall be known as a substitute guardian for Zelda."

"Very well, then. As for this staff, this will be called the Decrepit Staff."

Zelda began to look at the crack of the stone doors. There was a room with a giant orange crystal covered in vegetation at the end of the room. "Excuse me, Impa, but what's that in there?" she asked.

Impa chuckled. "You'll find out, eventually," she replied. "But for now, let me show you two where to go." The two eventually shrugged as the three moved to the same place they first met. "The path ahead will lead you to a forest called Faron Woods."

"A forest?"

"It's basically a large area filled with trees," Double D said.

"Wow... A place filled with trees? Since you're from another world, you have to tell me everything we see along the way."

Double D grinned in response. "It'll be an honor to enhance your knowledge."

"Faron Woods is also filled with natives," Impa continued. "If you seek guidance, speak to them so that you can find the temple in these woods. Please come back safely, and don't do anything rash."

"We will come back. Thank you, Impa," Zelda said as she and Double D ventured onward. When they reached the big circular area, they found a Bird Statue almost completely covered in moss. "There are Bird Statues here on the surface?"

"How interesting," Double D said. "But it looks so...lifeless. We should keep going." They passed through a white gate and found a high ledge that neither of them could climb. "Oh no... We've reach an impossible obstacle."

"No way... There's got to be something we can use."

"Hmm..." Double D looked around and saw a giant log. "We can use that giant log. If we push it against the wall, we can climb up the ledge." As Double D walked behind the log, Zelda's expression changed into a doubtful one.

"But Double D, that log looks too heavy to move even for the both of us." Zelda's point was proven true when Double D tried to push the log as hard as he can possibly can. Predictably, due to Double D's poor strength, he stopped pushing before panting.

"Not...even...a budge... That's enough exercise...for a long time."

Zelda pouted. "Oh come on, Double D! This is the start of our adventure! You're my substitute guardian! But still...how do we continue on? Do we really have to go back to Impa?"

"Hey there!" someone said from atop the ledge. Out of all things to encounter, this was the most strangest thing to find in a forest. It was a large muscular orange creature carrying a large backpack and a huge scroll on its rocky back. It had a round face with its head and grey hair being pointy. Aside from its purple round eyes, he was grinning with some of his teeth missing. The orange creature had no clothes, but it had unique white tattoos on its arms and torso.

"What the? A...boulder...creature?" Double D asked, rubbing his eyes. The orange creature jumped down the ledge, which stumbled the two by the sheer force. "Oh my!"

"I almost fell!" Zelda added, clutching the Goddess's Harp.

"I heard you two need help," he said, grinning. "I just happened to come in here to see your problem. I can boast you two up here." Zelda and Double D smiled upon hearing that.

"That would be great!" With that, the orange creature began to toss them into the ledge one by one. His sheer strength allowed him to toss them up without any difficulty.

"Thank you for your generous help," Double D said as the two were on top of the ledge. "If I may ask, what is your name?"

"I'm Gorko the Goron," he said with pride. "I'm a traveling archaeologist!"

"An archaeologist?! That's amazing! What are you researching on?"

"I'm researching on what perhaps to be the greatest thing on mankind! According to the ancient texts, there's a possibility that a floating island exists in the sky!" Double D and Zelda looked at each other.

Double D whispered to her. "That's Skyloft."

Zelda slowly smiled and looked at Gorko. "Gorko!" she said with a playful smile. "We may have new information you'll be very interested in!"

"Oh?! Do tell!" Gorko said, acting as if he received a candy.

"Okay! Prepare yourself because your mind is about to be blown!"

Double D raised his eyebrow. "Zelda, what are you doing?" he asked.

Zelda whispered to him. "I'm just playing around." She returned her attention to Gorko. "You see, there's a place called the Isle of the Goddess. People live in the sky island, and they fly on the backs of huge birds! They revere the goddess up there, and it's a perfect society that's free of conflict or unhappiness."

"Uh..." Double D was making finger signs of a tornado, which Zelda laughed nervously.

"Are you serious?!" Gorko asked with sparkling eyes. He quickly took notes. "This is fascinating news! Tell me more, but go slowly!"

"Okay!" Zelda said. "So...their civilization is more advanced than here because the goddess herself crafted the place. The buildings are made of gold, and there's an endless spring of mystical water. One sip makes you live forever. Also, the trees are heavy with plump fruit that cures all disease. The field are crowded with pumpkins that never rot. Magic wildflowers bloom everywhere! Not only that, the weather is not too hot nor cold. No chance of sweaty heat in that garden paradise!"

"Uh..." Double D said, eyeing her.

"Oops..." Zelda laughed nervously at Double D. "I got too carried away, didn't I?"

"This is beyond amazing!" Gorko said, frightening the two with his loud voice. "How do you know this so much?!"

"If you look around that building ahead of you, you'll find out."

"All right! I'll do that! But..." Gorko noticed the Goddess's Harp in Zelda hands. "That harp!"

"Lyre," Double D said.

"Goro? You're calling me a liar?"

Double D did a facepalm. "N-no! Lyre! L-Y-R-E!"

Gorko looked at Zelda. "Where did you get that instrument? The goddess had that harp in the texts."

"Well-" Zelda said.

"Um, Zelda?" Double D said. "I hate to interrupt, but we must proceed onward by Impa's order."

"Oh yeah... We really got carried away here."

"Forgive us, Gorko. My friend and I must make haste in this forest. So long!"

"W-wait!" Gorko said, but the two left before he could do anything. "I...had so many questions to ask." He looked behind, noticing the white gate. "Maybe I'll find out more over there."

"It was fun while it lasted," Zelda said as the two continued down the pathway.

"You know, Zelda," Double D told her, "Gorko reminds me of something."

"Like what?"

"In the Crossover Book my friends and I read, Hylia was with other creatures during the final battle. One of them resembled Gorko heavily, although it could be any other Goron."

"I can't wait to see what lies in store of us." She grinned, admiring the green scenery around.

"Let's hope we don't get in any danger." The two finally entered Faron Woods.

Not too long ago, back at Skyloft, Link stared at Ed and Eddy. "By the way," he said, "how are you guys going to pull out your shields quickly?"

"Huh? What do ya mean?" Eddy asked.

"You two have backpacks. We're probably going to need our shield in battle."

"Uh... Let' see..." Eddy and Ed started to test out their stances with their weapon and Wooden Shield. "I think I have to...drop my shield so that I can put my racket on my front belt with both hands. After that...I drop down my backpack to put this shield in the first compartment before putting my backpack on."

"Or you could also try to put your shield in there without dropping down your backpack." Link saw Ed doing his method. "A Wooden Shield is light, after all."

Eddy shrugged. "I guess."

"Ooooh!" a familiar voice said as they saw Beedle landing his ship in front of them.

"Terry!" Ed said.

Beedle smiled. "It's good to see you all. Those uniforms looked really nice."

"What are you doing here?" Eddy asked.

"Listen... I know that Double D and Zelda are beneath the clouds. I am here to help by selling my items on sale. Please enter my ship to see if anything intrigues you." The four entered inside Beedle's Air Shop. There were four items on display. In order from right to left, there was a net, a small yellow bag, a medal with a heart on it, and an Adventure Pouch.

"A catching net!" Ed said. "I'll take it!"

"A Bug Net?" Link asked, reading the name. "It's 50 Rupees, but do we really need it?"

"I want it! It'll be fun!"

"Uh...sure, I guess." Ed took the money from Link and paid it to Beedle.

"Thank you!" Beedle said, emphasizing it with joy. "I'm sure you'll make a 'net profit'!"

"Oh... I see what you did there," Eddy said. While Beedle handed out a box to hold insects, Eddy was looking at the yellow bag with a Rupee symbol. "So what's this wallet?"

"That's an Extra Wallet, Eddy. If you can't carry any more Rupees, having an extra bag won't hurt. It's only 100 Rupees."

"What?! To carry more money, I have to pay a bag?! This should be free!"

"Um, Eddy, we're running really low on Rupees," Link said after counting their Rupees. All they ended up doing was browsing the rest of the items. The Life Medal costs 800 Rupees, but it would extend the user's vitality. The Adventure Pouch only cost 300 Rupees. With all that, they said their goodbyes to Beedle and went to the edge of Skyloft. "Normally, I would jump down here, but we're in this together."

"Wait... You're calling your red bird?" Eddy shivered as he took a step back.

"Yeah. It's our only transportation to that green light." Link pointed the huge green column of light before whistling out loud. To their surprise, the Crimson Loftwing came with Zelda's Loftwing. Link walked up to the blue guardian bird. "What are you doing here? Do you...want to come with us?" Zelda's Loftwing cawed out.

"It's a yes!" Ed said, deducing the blue guardian's answer.

Link looked at both Loftwings. "Well, my friends, this adventure won't be easy, but I guarantee we'll make it through this and find Zelda and Double D." Zelda's Loftwing cawed out more, which Link thought he was happy to hear the two. They decided Link and Ed would use the Crimson Loftwing, leaving Eddy with Zelda's Loftwing.

"Uh...hey there," Eddy said as he walked forward cautiously to the blue bird. "You're way better than that red bird. J-just be nice for once." The Loftwing's head petted on his head "H-hey! Don't touch me!" Nevertheless, all three of them mounted on their respective Loftwing. Ed was hugging Link's waist.

"Just close your eyes until I say so, Ed."

"O-okay," Ed stammered as he knew he would be in the air very soon.

"Oh boy..." Eddy said, pressing his lips and grabbing on his Loftwing's reign. "This is going to be nerve-wreaking all by myself."

"As long as you hold on your reign, you'll be fine," Link said. "Zelda Loftwing's will definitely follow me." Eddy looked back at Link and his Loftwing. Link's Loftwing stared viciously at Eddy, increasing Eddy's heartbeat. With an involuntary kick on the blue Loftwing, the two flew up to the sky suddenly. "Wait, Eddy!"

Eddy screamed out, grabbing the reign to the point of digging his own palm. "How do you control this thing?!"

"We're coming, Eddy!" It did not take long, but they did. Eventually, the ride became smooth and steady to the green column of light. "Eddy, are you all right?"

"Does it look like I'm all right?! I'll blame you if I fall down!"

Link sighed in defeat, resuming his attention to the column of light. He peered down below to see a big rift in the clouds. "There's a circular rift at the column's base! I think this will be the first time our Loftwings can penetrate the cloud barrier!"

"The faster, the better!" They began to glide down to the rift, seeing a whole new world below. Link and Eddy looked up to see the greenish cloud barrier; then they looked below to see that the majority of the area was a big forest. As they descended down, they landed in an area surrounded by grass and stonework. There was only one passageway around the gigantic corkscrew-shaped hole, but the edge had black fences. The whole area was a bit dark in contrast with the sky, making it a mysterious place.

Link glanced back. "Ed, we're on the surface." After that, Link awed at the scenery around as this was his first time seeing the huge world below.

Ed opened up his eyes to see stones and grass. "Oh, sweet bottom!" he said, jumping off and kissing the ground. After that, he saw a Bird Statue covered in vegetation, but he still hugged and prayed the statue.

"Stop that, Ed! You're weird!" Eddy said as he tried to get off the blue Loftwing, but he fell instead.

Link had a nagging feeling his red bird was laughing, but he ignored it. "Where are we?" he asked as the three were ready to go after a minute.

Fi came out of his sword. "Master Link," she said, "this is the fable surface that has long been part of Skyloft legend. By my calculations, you are currently positioned in a location known as the Sealed Grounds. Please proceed with caution." As she went into Link's sword, Link and the Eds peered down the corkscrew-shaped hole.

"I wonder what's down there?"

"This black fence is in the way," Eddy said, gripping on the fence.

"Looks like we have to go around the black fence. Let's go."

"What about our Loftwings?" Ed asked as they stared at the two Loftwings.

Link approached the two. "You two stay here until I call." He saw the two nodding in response.

"Good," Eddy murmured, looking away. "That way that red bird won't be with us."

As they walked around the black fence, Link continued to look up the cloud barrier. "This world is so vast. I wished I could have jump down here. That would be an amazing fall."

"What?!" Ed asked, seeing Link's smiling expression. "Don't do it! You'll splat yourself!"

"It's okay, Ed. I have a Sailcloth." Suddenly, a big plant monster emerged from the ground. It resembled a Venus flytrap, but it had a tough outer blue husk and a curved stem. Its mouth was drooling with its green tongue and its sharp teeth. The three pulled out their weapons.

"A plant-eating monster!"

Link held up his Wooden Shield forward. "Fi, what is that monster?"

"That is a Deku Baba," Fi answered in his sword. "This violent plant is widespread in wooded areas. It will attempt to bite anything that approaches it. Though it is covered in a tough outer husk, the inside of its mouth is soft. I have confirmed the existence of two varieties: those that open their mouths vertically and those that open them horizontally."

"The head is the weak point! Charge!" Ed said, swinging his hammer up to the round bud. It looked dazed for a few seconds before it decided to bite Ed. He put up his shield, but fell down by the Deku Baba's force.

"Ed!" Link said. Using this opportunity, Link sliced the plant's mouth vertically. The upper part of the Deku Baba fell down before disappearing in a purple smoke.

"Thanks, Link!"

Okay... Eddy thought as they continued down the path. As long as these two fight, I won't have to fight. They encountered another Deku Baba, except it opened its mouth vertically. This time, Ed and Link fought better than before. Ed became a shield, allowing Link to slice down the Deku Baba at the last second. Yes! I don't have to fight at all.

"Hey look! A green candy!" Ed picked up a Green Rupee left behind from the Deku Baba.

"Gimme that!" Eddy snatched the Rupee from Ed. "These monsters have Rupees?! I'll take all the Rupees!" Eddy led the group onward as they fought two Deku Babas. One was a vertical monster while the other was a horizontal monster.

"Wait, Eddy!" Link said, running up to him. The Deku Baba attempted to eat Eddy. This knocked Eddy to the ground, leaving the second Deku Baba to attack him.

"Mommy!" Eddy held up his shield. The pain did not come to him as he saw Link and Ed finishing off the Deku Babas. Both monsters dropped Green Rupees.

Link sighed. "That was close. What were you-"

Eddy snatched the Rupees off the ground. "Nice work, guys! Quit slacking around and move on!"

"You got it, Eddy!" Ed said, following Eddy. Link sighed again before catching up to them. When they reached the end of the path, they dropped down from the ledge. Part of the ground in front of them had a wooded platform instead of the usual grass and dirt. Ed and Link started to look down the huge hole; Eddy went off in a different direction. As Link and Ed peered down, they could see a small black aura in the center of the hole.

All of the sudden, Link felt the black aura consuming him. The whole world around turned into infinite darkness. A growl echoed across the darkness. As Link down, the black monster, once again, emerged out of the hole. More wave of darkness shot out from the black demon, which Link felt his head throbbing. When he opened up his eyes, the black scaled monster appeared in front of him fully. His breath felt shorter and harder; his body trembled from the monster's presence. Link stopped breathing when he saw the monster grinning with its teeth as the monster prepared to eat him wholly.

"Link! Link!" Ed said, trying to snap Link's senses.

Link gasped, seeing everything returning to normal. "W-wha...?" he asked, clutching his chest. "What happened?"

"You looked like a zombie!"

"S-sorry to make you worry, Ed." Link glanced down at the bottom one more time, but he backed away.

"Hey, guys! Check this out!" Eddy said. They looked at Eddy in front of an ancient building covered in vegetation. In front of Eddy was a large stone door with a glowing design. "Look at this eye in the center. It reminds me of the breathing stone yesterday."

"The Sheikah Stone?" Link and Ed went up to Eddy.

"Yeah, yeah. That one eye is like that stone. Kinda freaking, if you ask me." Suddenly, Fi came out of Link's sword, startling the short boy with a yelp. "Give us a warning next time!"

"Master," Fi said, ignoring Eddy, "I have information to report. This door is sealed by a powerful unidentified force. My suggestion is to head to the bottom center of the hole."

"W-what?" Link asked, gulping. "A-all right..." Fi returned back to the Goddess Sword. Link looked around the hole in though.

"So wait," Eddy said. "Do we have to go around this corkscrew-shaped hole? This place is huge! It would take forever to reach the bottom!"

"Not forever, Eddy. It's not that big. Besides, we could try to jump off each level with our Sailcloth. I think this is the perfect opportunity to use the Sailcloth." They peered down to see that the distance was a bit longer than they expected. The hole had four levels, including the one they were on. Some of the lowest-level path had confinement stone gates, or torii gates.

"Wait, jump off...here?!" Ed asked. "I don't wanna!"

"Really, Ed?" Eddy said with a scoff. "Dude, I know you're afraid of heights, but this is nothing compared to living in the sky itself!"

"I'll take the long way! Meet you at the bottom guys!" Ed suddenly dashed away as he slowly ran around and down the hole.

"Hey! Come back here, you chicken!"

"I am a chicken, Eddy!" Ed yelled back proudly as he ran further.

Link sighed. "Looks like it's just the two of us for now," he said. "Okay, Eddy. When you jump off, just untie your Sailcloth and grip it as hard as possible. It's also fast to retie your Sailcloth."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Eddy said.

"Wait, Eddy. I'm not sure if you're-" Link saw Eddy jumping off the ledge. He quickly looked down to see Eddy descending down safely with his Sailcloth.

Eddy yelled a bit from afar. "See? No problem!"

Link had a small grin, but it disappeared when he saw the black aura in the center of the hole. Why? I fought monsters... I enjoy falling from a great height, knowing I would be safe... So why? His eyes was reflected with the black aura. Why is it when I see that black monster or feel its evil energy...it wipes away my courage?

"Hey, slowpoke! What's the hold up!?" Link blinked his eyes, seeing Eddy below. "Hurry up! Ed is about to reach me any second!" Link shook his head and leaped off the ledge with his Sailcloth. Both of them were ready to jump off the second ledge.

"Hi, guys!" Ed said, eating a Stamina Fruit while running.

"Bye, Ed!" Eddy and Link jumped down again.

"Aw, come on, guys! No fair!" Ed had no "choice" but to keep running around the hole. In just 15 seconds, Link and Eddy reached the bottom of the pit. The walls around had monochrome, indicating evidence of human presence before. There was a big circular design with a stone spike in the center. The three-sided stone spike, with different symbols on each side, was covered in a black aura.

"Young one..." Impa said to them using telepathy. Link and Eddy looked around to find the source, but to no avail. "Child of destiny descended from the sky... Raise the sword the goddess skyward. Take aim at the evil aura and unleash its power."

"O-okay, that's weird," Eddy said. "What are you waiting for, Link? Pull out your sword and shoot lightning bolts or something."

"R-right," Link replied as he pulled out the Goddess Sword. As he prepared a Skyward Strike, the image of the monster appeared in Link's mind. The Goddess Sword slowly tilted away from the sky, thus stopping the charge.

"Master," Fi said in his sword, "I'm detecting an abnormal amount of fear within you. Your fear is disrupting the Skyward Strike. You must point the sword skyward or else it will not activate."

"Yeah!" Eddy added, looking a bit scared than before. "What Double D 2.0 said! Hurry up!"

"My hands...are shaking..." Link said, breathing rapidly. "This evil energy...is suffocating me."

Eddy rolled up his sleeves. "All right. Looks like Eddy the hero has to save the day." Eddy fixed the position of the sword, allowing the energy to charge up. The blade began to glow, allowing Link and Eddy to shoot the Skyward Strike together. The blue wave came in contact with the stone spike. The color of its shallow carvings made it pale bluish white. The evil aura dispelled away along with the glowing aura of the spike.

"I'm coming, guys!" Ed said as he almost reached the bottom. All of the sudden, when he was at a small hole in the ground, the air current pushed him upward. "Waaah! The wind is angry!" Ed quickly untied his Sailcloth, forcing him to be pushed into the level above him. All the small holes in the Sealed Ground had air currents activated.

"The one named Eddy," Fi said when she came out of the sword. "Thank you for assisting Master Link. I feared something catastrophic would truly happen had you not intervene."

Eddy smirked. "Yeah," he said. "Remember that you owe me, Link."

"I'm sorry, Fi," Link said, looking away.

"It's all right," Fi said "Master Link, I'm sensing a change in the area that was triggered by your Skyward Strike. I have also detected an aura that correlates closely to you Sailcloth. I surmise this aura belongs to Zelda. I can lead you in the direction of this aura through a process known as dowsing."

"Dowsing?"

"Would you like me to explain this process to you?"

"Please."

"As you wish, Master. Dowsing is when I detect the presence of the aura of something you wish to search for using the tip of the sword. The nearer you are to an object emitting the aura in question, the stronger the response will be. This response manifests itself through vibration and sound. The direction of the object emitting the aura in indicated by the purple pointer. Ask me to choose Zelda as your dowsing target, then point in the direction you wish to search." Fi returned back to the Goddess Sword. Link started to point around with his sword, noticing the purple glowing and vibration of the sword.

"So it's like a detector," Eddy said, hiding his smirk. "A chick detector."

"What?" Link asked.

"N-nothing! Uh...where's Ed?"

"Over here!" Ed said from another level.

"Ed! How'd you get up there?!"

"The air pushed me up! My Sailcloth saved me!"

"Hey, Eddy," Link said as he continued to use dowsing. His sword was pointing up to the building. "I think Zelda's presence is up there. We need to go back to the top."

"What?!" Eddy asked. "Do we really have to run like Ed, only the opposite way?"

"I think..." Link looked at the air currents. "I think we can do what Ed did earlier. Let's use our Sailcloth to reach the top rather than running up to the top." The two used the air currents to their benefit. Ed eventually understood and followed Link and Eddy. All three of them finally stood in front of the sealed door. The glowing Skeikah design disappeared when they approached it.

"It disappeared," Ed said.

"Now we can open this door," Eddy added. The three pushed the stone doors as hard as they could, entering inside the Sealed Temple. Link still had his sword in his hand. He pointed forward to continue dowsing.

"Guys," Link said. "There's a very strong presence up ahead." They walked forward to see Impa in front of the huge stone doors. The sword is reacting violently!

"Ah..." Impa said, smiling. "The travelers descended from the clouds above. I welcome you, child of fate. Tell me your name."

"I'm Ed!" he said.

"Name's Eddy," he said, smirking again. "You know, the guy that saved the day."

"Link," he said as he sheathed his sword.

"So you're Link," Impa said to him. "Good. Very good. I sense you have already gained control over the sacred power that fills your sword when pointed skyward. The Skyward Strike is yours to command." Eddy coughed on purpose. "It is proof that you are fit to bear the Goddess Sword. I have sat here for many years waiting for you to arrive. All so that I could fulfill my purpose as your guide."

"What?!" Eddy asked, gawking. "You sat here for many years?! Geez, you had such a boring life!"

"Yeah!" Ed agreed. "Haven't you eat, old lady?"

Impa chuckled. "That's fine," she said. "But perhaps you're right. It was...boring, to say the least."

"So," Link began, "what is this temple?"

"You stand under the roof of the Sealed Temple, a place built by the goddess an eternity ago. Your arrival here was predestined many, many years ago. The spirit maiden and her friend arrived here shortly before you three."

"Her friend?" Eddy asked, then gasped. "That must be Double D!"

"They really are alive!" Link said.

"There's no doubting it," Impa said. "The gears of fate have begun to turn. Yet all is not as it should be. The spirit maiden was not meant to reach this land in the manner she did. I feel an evil power working in the shadows. It moves to warp the destiny of Link and the spirit maiden."

"What?" Link stepped forward.

"Link, you are concerned for the spirit maiden and seek her whereabouts, yes?"

"Of course."

"That is understandable, but for now, you must focus on moving forward. That girl has her own purpose she must pursue, as do you and your friends. She and her friend set out for Faron Woods to discover that destiny for herself, and you must follow." Impa pulled and gave out several maps to Link. "The first map is the Sealed Grounds and Faron Woods. There is a path that will lead you to Faron Woods. You will be traveling in unfamiliar land. Many monsters have settled here, and a map may not prove guidance enough for your journey."

"What do we do?"

"I will give you the power to create beacons." Impa touched Link's right hand. "When a beacon is marked on your map, a column of light will stand at that location. It will act as your way point from afar. Tap your right finger here to place a beacon." Link saw a blue line around his finger like a ring. He tapped the place that would lead to Faron Woods.

"Okay..." Link saw his blue line disappearing.

"Though you cannot see it from where we are, a beacon stands outside to guide you. Leave the temple through the side doors and see for yourself. When you no longer have a use for a beacon, tap on the beacon on your map. Use your beacons well, and you will never fear of getting lost."

"All right. Thank you, ma'am."

"Go now. You must head into Faron Woods and chase after the spirit maiden call Zelda. On your way out, take the contents of the treasure chest within this room. What you find there should prove useful to you on your journey. Hmm..." The boys heard the click at the side doors and the small treasure chest.

"It must be Rupees!" Eddy said, looking around to find the treasure.

Before Link left Impa, he noticed a big orange crystal through the crack of the double stone doors. "Excuse me, but what's in there?" he asked.

Impa chuckled. "You'll find out, eventually," she answered. "Know that all questions you have now will be answered in time."

"What?! What kind of useful item is this?!" Eddy asked, holding a bottle of purple liquid.

"That is a Revitalizing Potion. It heals you and completely fixed your shield."

Eddy stared at the item with a ludicrous look. "Hmm... I guess it's something." Eddy put the Revitalizing Potion in one of his Adventure Pouch. But fixing the shield as well? What?

"I wish you all safe travel. Go forth with bravery."

"Thank you, old lady!" Ed said as the three exited the Sealed Temple through the side doors. The first thing they saw was a very long blue column of light touching the cloud barrier.

"That must be the beacon she mentioned," Link said. They climbed up the stone stairs while Link continued to use dowsing.

"Look at this, guys!" Ed pointed at an imprinted figure on the ground.

"Is this where Zelda landed?" Eddy asked.

"It might be," Link replied. "We have to hurry so that we can reunite with them." As they continued onward, they dropped down the ledge to see Gorko surrounded by five enemies. The humanoid red creatures looked ugly in general with incomprehensible yells. Their faces resembled similarly to a pig with black horns. They carried short flat iron swords, and they wore sleeveless brown jackets and brown undergarments.

"Out of the way! Scram!" Gorko said at the red monsters, throwing his arms out in defense.

"We've got to help him!" Link and the Eds drew out their weapons. "What are those monsters, Fi?"

"They are identified as Red Bokoblins," Fi answered in the sword. "These monsters have plagued the land since ancient times. They each play different roles, and their weaponry varies. They prefer to act in groups. None of them are intelligent by any definition of the word. Curiously, they seem to have a mysterious obsession with fashionable undergarments."

"They like wearing underwear, Eddy!" Ed said, which Eddy frowned.

"Boy, these monster are ridiculous," Eddy said as the three charged the five Red Bokoblins. With a sudden yell, all three of them knocked out three Red Bokoblins as hard as they could. When the three Red Bokoblins disappeared in the purple smoke, the other two charged forward to the knights. Eddy slammed his weapon vertically, but his enemy laughed with it blocked Eddy's attack. Eddy continued to attack, but his enemy continued to block with its sword. Eddy did not realize his attack speed was slow as he was the weakest in this group. "What the?! I thought they were dumb, Double D 2.0!"

"I'll save you, Eddy!" Ed leaped behind Eddy's opponent. "Taste judgement, foul underwear being!" Ed slammed the Red Bokoblin's head directly, allowing Eddy to knock his opponent in the air as it disappeared.

As for Link, he was started to grasp his opponent's moves. If I hit the blade, he thought, I'll quickly strike at the opposite direction! Once he struck the short blade, Link pulled his sword away and sliced the Red Bokoblin's vulnerable side. This was enough to kill the Red Bokoblin, and it dropped a small white skull with three teeth.

"My prize!" Ed picked up the skull known as the Ornamental Skull.

"Now you're picking up skulls? Hmm... That simple, slightly macabre fashion statement bears the Bokoblin symbol."

"Thanks for jumping in there to rescue me, buds!" Gorko said to the three. "Honestly, I did not expect to run into a pack of them in this peaceful forest. Same goes for you guys. This is the second time I've bumped into one of your kind today. I tell you, all sorts of weird things are going on lately."

"Second time? Who did you meet earlier?"

"Let's see... There were two people. One was a woman with blonde hair and the other was a boy with a black sock as his hat." The three knights had their cheeks strained with joy.

"That's Zelda and Double D!"

"Zelda and Double D, huh? I'll make sure to remember their names. I owe you three big for taking care of those guys, so let me tell you something fascinating." The Goron walked next to the Bird Statue covered in moss.

"Who are you?" Ed asked.

"I am Gorko the Goron. I am researching the ancient history of these woods here."

"Boring..." Eddy said, though that did not bother Gorko.

"According to the ancient texts, there is some kind of place up above called the Isle of the Goddess. Far up in the sky!" This caught the three to be a bit surprised as Gorko looked at the Bird Statue. "Apparently, these old statues serve as landmarks to those traveling up to the sky or down from this Isle of the Goddess place. If you find one, be sure to examine it to keep tabs on the number of landmarks. They are rumored to be quite useful. Supposedly, this statue is special, as it is said to have the ability to activate all the other statues."

Like that other Bird Statue Ed found before, Link thought.

Gorko crossed his arms. "The whole thing sounds a little crazy, I know, but I for one believe it to be true! Otherwise, why would all these statues be here all over the place? It is a real head-scratcher, buds. Makes you want to know more, does it not?"

"Not really," Eddy answered with a bored expression.

"I can't find my brain," Ed said.

"Actually, yeah!" Link said to Gorko. "Tell us what you know."

"Ah, sounds like I have a fellow connoisseur of ancient cultures here!" Gorko said, grinning. "All right, buds, you had better brace yourself, because I am about to blow your mind."

"My mind is ready!" Ed said.

"So get this! People actually live on this sky island, and they get around by flying on the backs of huge birds that are way bigger than birds down here!" The three knights droned as Gorko continued. "Up there everyone reveres the goddess, and the residents of all the islands in the sky live in a perfect society, totally free of conflicts or unhappiness!"

"Uh..." Eddy said, recalling the black tornado.

"Not only that, but from what I can tell, their civilization is way, way more advanced than ours down here. But there's even more!"

"Um..." Ed said.

"The buildings are all made of gold! An endless spring of mystical water feeds a river through the place. One sip of that stuff, and you live forever! The trees are heavy with plump fruit that cures all disease! The fields are crowded with pumpkins that never rot! Magic wildflowers bloom everywhere! And the weather! Oh, the weather, buds! Not too hot, not too cold. No chance of sweaty heat in this garden paradise! That is the Isle of the Goddess!"

"Wha...?" Link asked, tilting his head.

"Amazing, right?" The three knights tried to respond until the Goron's voice startled them. "Wrong! It is beyond amazing! You want to hear more about it?!"

The three knights looked among themselves. "Nah," Eddy said, scoffing. "We heard about that tale before."

"Oh... I see." Link, Ed, and Eddy approached closer to the old Bird Statue. Suddenly, the Bird Statue began to glow, transforming into a clean Bird Statue. "Whoa! What in the world just happened?! Did you use some kind of magic?!" He suddenly grabbed Eddy's shoulder. "The statue reacted when you three got near to it! How crazy is that?! I've got to know your secrets!"

"Hey! Let go of my shoulders before your mind really does blow up!"

Link and Ed chuckled. "Well, at least we can pray at this statue," Link said.

"Pray?" Gorko asked.

"Yeah. If you pray good things with a good heart, something good will happen later on."

"Oh! Can you show me?" In a couple of seconds, the four of them prayed to the statue. Gorko was too focused of praying many things.

"Psst! Link! Ed!" Eddy whispered. "Let's ditch this crazy guy."

"What? I don't think we shouldn't," Link whispered.

"This rock guy is cool, Eddy," Ed whispered.

"But don't we have to find Zelda and Double D?" Eddy whispered.

"I...guess you're right," Link whispered. "We can't waste time." The three sneaked away to the gate. They saw the ledge was too high up, but they pushed the giant log toward the ledge. After climbing up, they were in the spot where Link placed the blue beacon. Link tapped the blue dot on the map, which the beacon disappeared. Once that was taken care of, they ventured deep into the forest.

At the same time, Gorko opened up his eyes to see that the knights gone. "Goro? Where did they go?" he asked, scratching his head.

Hyrule Historia's references:

1. The Sealed Grounds (P.40-41)

Link [6 Hearts]
Main Equipment [Goddess Sword], [Wooden Shield]
Sub-Equipment [Sailcloth]
Inventory [Bottle (Heart Potion)]

Ed [6 Hearts]
Main Equipment [Wooden Hammer], [Wooden Shield]
Sub-Equipment [Sailcloth]
Inventory [Bottle (Heart Potion)], [Bug Net]

Double D [3 Hearts]
Main Equipment [Decrepit Staff]
Sub-Equipment
Inventory [Binoculars]

Eddy [4 Hearts]
Main Equipment [Wooden Racket], [Wooden Shield]
Sub-Equipment [Sailcloth]
Inventory [Orange gemstone (Right eye)], [Bottle (Heart Potion)], [Bottle (Revitalizing Potion)]