Published on June 29th, 2014.
Replaced (ver.1) on January 2nd, 2016.

Chapter 25/50
Farore's Silent Realm
Lake Floria Arc (1/5)

The team landed on top of the Viewing Platform, the area just before the Deep Woods. After the Loftwings went back to the bright sky, Fi appeared in front of everyone. "A report, Master Link," she said. "I have detected the aura of a Trial Gate nearby. If you can pinpoint the origin of this aura using dowsing, I conjecture the song you learned at the Isle of Songs, Farore's Courage, will reveal the gate."

"Okay," Link said, pulling out his Goddess Sword and using its dowsing ability. He noticed the signal was much stronger than he thought. When the group walked down in front of the Viewing Platform, they stood in a small circular area. In the center, there were several Blessed Butterflies and a faint green aura. "This must be it."

"Wow, that was fast," Eddy said. Link pulled out his Goddess's Harp and strummed it until a circular symbol appeared below the green aura. Fi floated directly above the circular symbol with a white triangular symbol within. The pulsing of the circle of light was activated, just like before. As Fi sang and Link strummed, there was one difference during this process. Instead of the blue sharp cones, they were replaced with glowing petals. After the twelfth petal was down, the entire picture was a flower with glowing petals. The two performed Farore's Courage that was the short version. When it was done, the whole symbol glowed in light blue.

"This mark truly is the Trial Gate," Fi said. "Master Link, thrust your sword into the center of the mark on the ground before you." She returned back to the Goddess Sword. Link approached the center and pulled out his sword. As soon as he was ready to stab the center, something unexpected happened, but it was too late after Link thrust his sword down.

"Shiny circle!" Ed said, standing next to Link.

"Ed! Don't-" Link said, but his and Ed's perspective changed. The two glowed in bright green as green sparkle of balls lifted away from them. Eddy and Double D gasped when they saw the Ed and Link glowing in green light. The most frightening part was they were not moving at all.

"Ed! Link!" Double D said as the two went up to them. They examined and touched Ed and Link, but they did not budge an inch. "Oh dear! They have become statues, Eddy!"

"Tell me something I don't know!" Eddy said. "Wh-what do we do now?!"

"Looks like we have to wait."

Ed and Link materialized within the circle and looked at their surroundings. Everything in Faron Woods was in a gray and shadowy tone. The entire area felt lifeless with no sound.

"Whoa! Too...creepy!" Ed said. The two also noticed they only had their knight uniforms blessed with a green aura.

"Ed! What have you done?!" Link asked. "I don't think you're supposed to be here. Fi, are you there?"

"Master Link...and Ed," Fi said, but the two could not find her. "As expected, I cannot follow you into this realm, for this trial calls out to your mind alone, Master. This is the spiritual realm called the Silent Realm. They are domains of the spirit, accessible only to the goddess's chosen hero. But...now..." Those words were enough for Link to know that even Fi was baffled.

"I am here, and I break the rules!" Ed said as his voice echoed in the Silent Realm.

"It seems Ed has a habit of defying logic. I do not know why, but it looks like you two can cooperate together in this trial called Farore's Silent Realm, which tests the limits of your courage."

"Courage is my first name! I'm a brave dog!"

"Your spirits have temporarily separated from your physical body so that you may undertake this challenge. To reach the location of the flames that will enhance your sword, it is necessary for you to overcome this trial and undergo spiritual growth." Link noticed his chest was glowing in blue light. He held the ball of light, but it exploded with a new item. It was a single piece of white flower with 15 empty bulbs along the loosely spiral stem and nine white petals.

"It's a haunted flower!"

"This is your Spirit Vessel, Master Link." The Spirit Vessel floated around Link. "When this vessel is full, it will signify you have successfully completed the trial, allowing your spirit to grow. This, in turn, will allow the goddess to bless you with a new power."

"How do we fill it?" Link asked.

"You need to search for something known as a Tear of Farore, otherwise known as the Sacred Tear. There are many of them spread across this strange world." Link looked in front of him and saw a glowing round object in front of the Viewing Platform's stairs. "That, in front of you, is a Tear of Farore. You will need to collect 15 of them."

"Shiny... Pretty!" Ed said.

"However, this is not as simple a task as it would seem. Your work in this realm is referred to as a trial for good reason. If you take even a single step outside the protective circle you stand in, the Guardians of this realm will wake up and pursue you two."

"Guardians?" Link said, then saw what Fi meant. There was a frozen Guardian at the end of the stairs. It looked like a white metallic knight with its huge mace. The black and gold cloth the Guardian wore was shining. The face had three distinctive black eyes shaped in an upside-down triangle. The Mace Guardian was in its resting pose by holding its mace as if it was pulling out a sword.

"There's another Guardian, Link!" Ed said, pointing to a different type of Guardian on top of a faraway hill. It appeared to be a big ghost-like Guardian, called the Flying Guardian, with white robes and gold laces. It had the same face as the Mace Guardian.

"Guardians were designed to be the guardians of the goddess. Though they oppose you two, they are not evil. If a Guardian manages to land even a single hit on you, your spirit will shatter and you will have to restart the trial. As long as you two have the will and determination, you can retry a trial as many times as you like. Collect the tears in Faron Woods and fill the Spirit Vessel without being hit by an attack. Then return back here to this circle to complete the trial. Do you understand?"

"We understand," Link replied.

"Then I have no more advice as even I do not know what will happen. All I can do is wait for your return. Your friends and I will be eagerly awaiting your return in this outside world. May the goddess watch over you, Master Link and Ed." The two had a feeling the connection with Fi was gone. It was just the two of them in this trial.

"Okay, Ed, let's think of a plan for a-" He saw Ed exiting the protective circle. "Ed!" Link saw his Spirit Vessel's petals wilting and shedding, and the realm reverted back to the original colors. The quick sound of sirens echoed throughout the area, which were the black eyes of all the Guardians turned on. The two saw the Mace Guardian alive, which it saw Ed out of the circle. The Mace Guardian ran down the stairs with its mace ready to strike.

"You don't scare me!" Ed said, dashing up the stairs and ignoring the first Tear of Farore.

"Ed, no!" But it was too late when the Mace Guardian swung toward Ed at an alarming speed. Ed yelled out in pain as he flew in the air and slammed himself onto the ground. Ed's body vaporized into thin air, much to Link's shock and horror. The realm reverted back to the gray tone as Ed materialized next to Link.

Ed groaned as Link helped him up to his feet. "Pain and hurt..."

"Thank god you're alive, Ed! What were you thinking?! There might be something worse than getting hit!"

"B-but we can do it over again, right?"

Link blinked his eyes and looked away in shame. "Sorry... When I saw your body vaporizing like that...I thought you really died. I lost my train of thoughts." He faced Ed. "But this trial might be more difficult than we imagined. Do we seriously have to grab all 15 tears while the Guardians are being active? Not only that, but there might be more mysteries in this trial. We don't even have our weapons."

"Let's just go!" Ed waited to step out of the protective circle. He saw Link's face tightened with all the thinking, but Link managed to stand next to Ed. They both stepped out of the circle, alerting all the Guardians. The same Mace Guardian saw the two and charged down the stairs. Link stepped back a bit, but Ed did the opposite.

Link noticed the Tear of Farore in front of him. "Ed, get the tear and let's run away!" Ed ran forward and grabbed the first Tear of Farore. Suddenly, the realm instantly went silent and gray, and the Guardians warped back to their original position.

Ed laughed. "I can control time!" The first Tear of Farore warped into Link's Spirit Vessel.

"I see..." Link stared at his Spirit Vessel. "By collecting one of these tears, we'll be safe. Wait..." He noticed one of the white petal shedding and fading slowly. "The white flower is a timer. Once all the petals fade away, those Guardians will wake up again unless we grab another Tear of Farore. If only we can find the locations of the other fourteen."

"Hey, Link! Look what I found!" Ed called on top of the stairs, holding up a white round fruit. It faded away from Ed's hand. "Aw... I was gonna eat it." After that, the two looked around and noticed several green beacons in the area.

"Nice, Ed! This makes is a lot easier than I thought." Link stared one Tear of Farore from afar. "I see one on that path. Come on, Ed!" The two ran to get the second Tear of Farore, but stopped when they saw a new type of enemy. It was a ghost-like enemy with no body, but with one giant red eye. It carried a lamp that shined down the ground. It was patrolling closed to the second Tear of Farore and another Mace Guardian, but did not seem to notice Link and Ed. That creature was known as the Sky Watcher.

"Spooky..."

"What is that? Why is it active right now? Ed, we should probably-"

Ed was underneath the Sky Watcher's light. "Take me to your leader!" The Sky Watcher shook like crazy and let out a loud sound. Link gasped when he saw his white petals vanishing, and the realm reverted again. The Mace Guardian next to the two woke up. Link wasted no time, so he dashed forward and grabbed the Tear of Farore, reverting everything back to normal. Link ended up panting. "Whew... That was close, huh, Link?"

Link gritted at him. "Seriously, Ed! We have to be careful! We need to think this through before acting!"

"B-but it could have been our ally."

Link pondered for a second. There was a possibility there might be allies in the Silent Realm. "Let's just find the next one." The two noticed the beacons faded away, which Link concluded the Light Fruits, he nicknamed, had a timer. Luckily, they found another Light Fruit next to the Mace Guardian, allowing them to see a next Tear of Farore. The two climbed up the vines to get the third one. They dropped down to the ground to see a fourth one, but it was surrounded by a strange water. It was a multi-color liquid of green, blue and red. There was one big log on one part of the water. "What's with this water? It is safe?"

"I'm thirsty. Let's drink it."

"Are you sure, Ed?"

"We gotta try."

"Well...if you say so." Link saw Ed smiling before his friend bent down. When Ed touched the water, the realm reverted again. "Oh no! Ed, grab the tear now!"

"O-okay!" Ed looked forward and gasped to see a Flying Guardian appearing in front of him. It had skeletal white arms, which carried dual blades. It eagerly sharpen its blades, wanting to cut Ed. Ed tried to maneuver around it, but the Flying Guardian sliced him up and vaporized Ed's spirit.

"Ed!" Link gasped as his body vaporized, too. In the next instant, both of them warped back to the protective circle. They slowly got up after feeling the effects of warping. Link noticed all the Sacred Tears they collected were gone. "Oh no... We have to start over?"

"Let's do it again!" Ed ran out of the circle and grabbing the first Sacred Tear.

Link groaned. "This is gonna take a while."

"Double D... I'm bored," Eddy said, groaning out loud. He and Double D were sitting next to the frozen bodies of their friends. The Blessed Butterflies flapped around the group, much to Eddy's annoyance.

"Be patient, Eddy," Double D said. "We must wait until Link...and Ed complete their trial."

"But I'm so bored! There's gotta be something I can do!" Suddenly, they heard footsteps, causing the butterflies to disperse.

"What was that?!" The two got off the ground quickly and saw several Bokoblins patrolling the area. The Bokoblins saw the group and decided to engage battle. "Um, Eddy!" Double D gulped as he took out his Zeal Wand.

"Not like this! I hate it when this happens!" Eddy pulled out his weapons, seeing the first Bokoblin coming toward him with its sword. Eddy swiftly swung his Metal Racket upward, sending the Bokoblin in the air. The sword's hilt, however, landed on Link's left leg.

Back in the Farore's Silent Realm, Link yelped, dropping down.

"L-Link?!" Ed asked, seeing Link on the ground. The two had made substantial progress in the trial, but the thought of Link collapsing suddenly surprised them. To make the situation worse, the two were already being chased by Guardians due to not being able to find the next Sacred Tear. Ed tried to help Link up, but the two were smashed down by a mace. The two materialized back into the protective circle, forcing the two to restart the trial. "Link, what happened?"

"I-I don't know," Link said, touching his left leg. "All of the sudden, I felt a light jab on my left leg."

"Let's do it...again!" Ed collected the first Tear of Farore. As they continued on, Link noticed it was Ed being the leader, not him.

"Eddy!" Double D said. "We have to protect Link and Ed until they come back!"

"Well, why don't you help me fight?!" Eddy asked, pushing a Bokoblin away with his shield.

"I can't fight! I only have this Sacred Shield!" Double looked at his Zeal Wand. "But I can support you with this!" He fired two white blasts to Eddy.

Eddy grinned. "Oh yeah! Now I'm feeling it!" He dashed forward to slam another Bokoblin. He pulled and lit up a bomb as he saw the last three Bokoblins. When the bomb was close to denotation, Eddy threw the bomb to them. On impact, the explosion destroyed the last Bokoblins. "Bam! And don't mess with me!"

"Nice work, Eddy." Double D walked toward him with a smile. "It just goes to show that you do have the potential to fight effectively."

"It really does felt amazing, Double D."

"That's the power of the Zeal Wand. It basically unlocks the target's true potential. It removes the target's restraints with each shot."

"Do you really have to say that again? Anyways, just keep blasting those shots at me. Give me more next time."

"Hmm... But Eddy, you do have the potential to fight without the need of zeal. You just have to remove your inner restraints by your own will power."

Eddy frowned as he sat back down to his spot. "Double D, you're talking nonsense."

As Double D sat down, he stared at his Zeal Wand began to recharge. There has been no problems thanks to the power of zeal...but...I wonder what happens if I overuse its power?

Eddy gasped. "Double D! Did you hear that?!" The two were on alert as they heard footsteps coming to them.

"I found another nine!" Ed said. "Or is it a six?" He had grabbed another Amber Relic that was purple instead. During the trial, the two had collected a couple of these purple objects called Dusk Relics.

As Ed collected the twelfth Tear of Farore, Link continued to stare at Ed as the two continued on. What am I doing? How can Ed do this while I'm hesitating like this? An image of Ed's spirit vaporizing in his mind. I-I can't think like that! If I let fear overwhelm me, how can I gain courage? Link silently gasped, then recollected the past events in this realm. Courage... This trial tests my courage. Ed has shown remarkable courage. I should have learned that lesson from him. Maybe...all of the actions Ed did in here made me realize something. Intentional or not, Ed's actions all have a purpose so that I can use that knowledge to my advantage. Come to think of it, I understand the basics of this trial thanks to Ed. Maybe there are times I should act first without hesitation.

"Link! I got another one!" The thirteenth Sacred Tear warped into Link's Spirit Vessel. "Now where's the next-"

"Ed!" Link walked toward his friend. He patted Ed's shoulder with a smile. "I appreciate your help, but let me help, too. After all, this trial was originally meant for me."

"Uh... If you say so, Link." This time, Ed followed Link. After using a Light Fruit, they found the fourteenth Sacred Tear, but found a surprising revelation. The two looked at the top of the Viewing Platform, which had the last Sacred Tear.

"The last one was at the beginning?!" Link groaned for a second before shaking that thought. "We're almost done, Ed. We can pass this trial!"

"Yeah!" They heard a familiar jingling sound. In this run, they had encountered one more enemy that was very similar to the Sky Watcher. It was an Earth Watcher hovering near the ground while being covered in its sphere of light. The Earth Watcher noticed them and slowly moved toward Link and Ed. There was not enough time since they were much closer to the Earth Watcher than they thought. The Earth Watcher jingled out loud when its zone of light touched Ed. Everything was now in alert mode. The two saw one Flying Guardian and a Mace Guardian coming toward them.

"Ed, I have a plan! I'm the fastest one here. Distract those two while I get the last Sacred Tear! Don't get hit!"

Ed grinned. "I'll be the best distracter!" He grabbed the attention of the two chasers as Ed started to run away in a different path. As for Link, he ran toward the Viewing Platform and climbed up the stairs. When he turned the corner, he gasped to see a Mace Guardian guarding the last Sacred Tear. It spotted Link and ran down the staircase.

I'm not afraid. Link repeated these thoughts. The Mace Guardian was right in front of him. Concentrate and overcome fear! Link let out a yell and charged forward. The Mace Guardian swung its mace horizontally, but Link rolled forward and successfully dodged the blow.

Meanwhile, Ed found himself trapped by more Guardians. "Link! Hurry!"

Link was rushing up the staircase and grinned to see the Sacred Tear. However, upon the last step on the staircase, he tripped down and fell forward. Link's heart began to beat more when he could hear loud metal stomps from behind. As he slowly got up and realized he was very close, Link's instinct kicked in. He pounced forward, narrowly avoided the mace crashing down to his last spot. The realm suddenly transformed back to the dull world. Ed could not breath for a moment when he realized the Guardians he gathered were not around him. The protective circle lit up a blue column of light. He glanced up the Viewing Platform to see Link standing in triumph.

"You did it, Link!"

Link nodded back. "Yeah..." He panted, yet wore a satisfying smile on his face. The two regrouped back to the protective circle. The 15 Tears of Farore fused to the white flower, which became a big green bud. It floated down on Link's hands and exploded with petals. Several necklaces landed on Link's hands. All of the necklaces had blue scales.

"Cool..."

"This is the new power? Maybe Fi will know what these are." The two entered the blue column of light as their spirits faded away.

The bodies of Link and Ed reverted back to their normal colors, allowing them to move. Link pulled out his Goddess Sword out of the ground.

"Oh no! Guardians!" Ed said, seeing the colors of Faron Woods.

"Relax, Ed," Link said. "We're out of the Silent Realm."

"Friends! You have finally returned!" Double D said, gaping with happiness. Link and Ed saw Double D, Eddy, and, surprisingly, Bucha the big Kikwi Elder.

"About time!" Eddy said, throwing his hands in the air. "You guys took forever like this story! Did you screw up, Ed?"

"It wasn't me! Honest!" Ed said. Before anyone could talk, Fi appeared in front of Link and Ed.

"Congratulations, Master Link and Ed," Fi said "You have passed this trial. You now have the power to proceed to the location of the first sacred flame that will enhance your sword."

"Fi, do you know what these are?" Link asked, showing several necklaces with blue scales.

"The Water Dragon's Scale is one of the goddess's sacred gifts. The great spirit of the Water Dragon has provided you with the ability to swim freely underwater. It appears there are enough scales for the group."

"Swim underwater?" the Eds said.

"Okay. Now that we got the scales, where to?" Link asked.

"The flame you seek is somewhere within these woods," Fi replied. "Master, I must conclude that this flame is likely in a part of this area you have not explored." And with that, Fi ended her report and returned back to Link's sword. The four turned back to Bucha, who looked like he wanted to say something.

"Hello!" Bucha said. "I see you have the Water Dragon's Scale there, kewwww. That's amazing! I heard that if you have one, keww, you can swim through the water like a dragon soars through the sky!"

"Cool!" Ed said, grinning. "I'm gonna be a dragon, Eddy!"

"In your dreams," Eddy said.

"Now then," Bucha continued. "There must be places in the woods that you haven't visited yet, kewww. You four should use the Water Dragon's Scales to explore areas you couldn't even get to before, kewww! And I know just the right spot. Follow me, kewww!" The group followed Bucha, which he stepped a couple of feet away to the destination. They stood in front of a small pond next to the gigantic tree. "In this pond, there's a hole in this giant tree, kewww. You can dive through that hole and start from there."

"All right," Link said with a nod. "Everyone, take one scale." The four wore their scales around their neck.

"This is too girly," Eddy murmured, grumbling.

"I think it's beautiful," Double D said, smiling.

"Witness me, for I shall become a water dragon!" Ed said.

When Link wore his scale, he stared down at the abundance of necklaces left. "What are we supposed to do with the rest?" he asked. "This is too much."

"Sell 'em," Eddy said. "We'll make a ton of Rupees."

Link looked around and ended up staring at Bucha. "Hey, Bucha, would you like to have these?"

"Me?! One of the goddess's sacred gifts, kewww?!" Bucha asked. "I would be honored, kewwwww! These would be nice accessories to the Kikwis." Link gave the rest of the scales to Bucha's tiny hands.

"Well, we'll be going now."

"Yes, indeed. Good luck in your adventure! Hoo-hoo-hoo." Bucha slowly walked away as the group faced the pond.

"I'm still not buying it," Eddy said, walking toward the pond. "These scales will help us swim underwater?"

"Instead of complaining, why don't you test it out?" Double D told him. The two entered and sank down the water. To everyone's amazement, Double D and Eddy were swimming around like experts.

"Whoa! This is cool!"

"D-did my ears deceive me, or are you speaking underwater?!" Double D gasped. "Hold on! I can speak underwater, too!" Double D examined around and noticed he and Eddy had a faint watery aura around them. "This water protection around us is allowing us to breathe underwater! Fascinating!"

"Wahoo! I take back what I said!" Eddy and Double D swam underwater, having a good time. Link and Ed stared down at the pond.

"No fair, guys!" Ed said. "I wanna play, too!" Before Ed could move, Link gripped Ed's right shoulder.

"Ed, wait. There's something I want to tell you," Link said as the two looked at each other. "Thank you for helping me in that trial."

Ed smiled. "Aw, it was nothing."

"By 'thank you,' I meant helping me gain my courage. I...will admit I was afraid during the trial. I was overthinking a lot, and I lacked initiative. You, however, did the opposite. It was your example that I was able to pass the trial. If it weren't for you, the trial would had been more difficult than I imagined. You really helped me on that part."

"I-I did?"

"Yeah. Ed, I really happy to have you. You're a great friend."

Ed chuckled. "Aw, you're making my blush."

"Hey! Slowpokes!" Eddy said after putting his head out of the water. "You coming or what?"

"Sorry!" Link replied as he and Ed dove down the pond. The four began to learn the effects of wearing the Water Dragon's Scale. They could breathe underwater thanks of the watery veil around their bodies, and their swimming abilities increased a lot. The group entered the trunk's hole, swam through a tunnel covered in roots, and found themselves within the tree. They climbed up the vine wall and exited out another hole, which led them outside on the side of the tree.

Another discovery about the scale was they were completely dry on land due to the watery veil. The group breathed in relief as all of their equipment were safe and dry. Outside, the giant tree had platforms, allowing the group to ascend up. After ascending to a certain point, they entered the tree once again.

They found themselves on a narrow path. If they fell, they would plunged down the water below. The exit, however, was blocked by a new type of enemy. It was a fat ugly enemy with red skin. It wore a gold cloth wrapped around its wide neck, a large underwear made of plants, a belt with a skull, and green boots. It wielded a spear and a square, but fragile, wooden shield. Oddly, its nipples had gold piercings, much to Eddy's enjoyment.

"What in the world is that?!" Double D asked.

"That's a Wooden Shield Moblin," Fi answered. "Though its shield can be destroyed easily, it will go berserk if you destroy the shield." The Moblin put up his wooden shield and carefully approached the group.

"I just thought up something," Link said, pulling out his sword. He dashed forward and climbed up the Moblin's wooden shield. When Link landed behind him, the Moblin looked confused on losing his target. It yelled out in immense pain when Link stabbed him from behind. The Moblin fell down and blew up in purple smoke.

"Link, you're awesome!" Ed said. The group exited out the trunk and found a Bird Statue. As they were praying, they heard a strange loud snore.

"Do you hear that?" Double D asked.

"What is that? It's annoying!" Eddy said.

"I think it's coming from above," Link said. "Let's keep ascending up." The group followed the path on the side of the tree.

"Oh dear!" Double D said, turning to Link and Ed. "I almost forgot to tell you two. That Moblin reminded me of importance!"

"About what?"

"Bucha told me and Eddy about the foreign monsters in this area. Very recently, they showed up once again. A group of Bokoblins attacked us, but we managed to fend them off and defend you and Ed."

"Except for that one sword hilt that landed on Link's left leg," Eddy added, which Link widened his eyes.

So that's what happened before, Link thought, then thought about the Bokoblins. Ghirahim...

"If these monsters showed up," Double D continued, "something bad may happen. In other words, this area is not safe again." The group decided to leave that in their minds. At the end of the winding path was a vine wall, which they climbed up. The source of the strange snore was very loud, but they also noted they could not go any further.

"Whoa! We're so high!" Ed said, peering down from this great height.

Ed? Double D and Link thought.

"This tree is like that other tree," Eddy said, recalling the past adventure.

Fi appeared in front of the group. "Everyone, you have reached the top of the tree," she said. "From this vantage point, you have a good view of the woods. Perhaps you will see an area you haven't explored." Thought the four listened her, the snoring was starting to annoy one certain person.

"Okay!" Eddy said, darting his head around. "Where is that snoring coming from?!"

"Over there." Fi pointed to a rather old Kikwi sleeping and snoring on a curled-up branch. He had a twig staff in his left hand, and his green mustache was very long. "I have confirmed the discovery of a new Kikwi. Perhaps this Kikwi knows more about this area based on its age." Fi returned to Link's sword.

"How do we wake the cute thing?" Ed asked.

"The easy way and the hard way," Eddy replied, pulling out his Scattershot and aiming at the old Kikwi.

"Eddy! Please, no!" Double D said, but Eddy already fired a shot at the Kikwi.

It screamed in pain. The old Kikwi stood up with its small legs and stared at the group. "Whoozit?" he asked. "I'm nappin'! Oh?" He squinted his eyes closely at the group. "Oooh, look at that! Real live humans! Haven't seen one of you in a while, kwrrrrk."

"Who the heck are you?!" Eddy asked.

"They used to call me Yerbal. Now I'm just the old Kikwi hermit. I watch over this forest here...when I'm not nappin'. I don't know how you all wandered all the way up here, but let me ask you something... Can you really see me?" Link was about to respond.

"Nope."

"Fibber!" Yerbal narrowed his eyes. "You're a fibbity fibber, kwwek! And just how did you peg me with your fancy shooter thing without being able to see me, eh?"

"This 'fancy shooter thing' is one of the Kikwi's...something!"

"Heirloom," Link said.

Yerbal sighed. Let's forget all that nonsense and tell me, kwwerk," he said, "what business does a real live human have in these woods?"

"The flame." Link showed off his sword to Yerbal.

"A human who seeks a great flame to enhance his sword... Pffft. I know who you are! Listen, do you promise not to breathe a word of what I'm about to tell you to another soul? I'm serious, kwwwrk!"

Link nodded. "We promise!" The Eds (or rather Ed and Double D) promised, too.

"All right. I'll tell you. But remember that it's a secret to everybody." Yerbal cleared his throat. "The flame that you seek...is most likely Farore's Flame. Yes, yes... Farore's Flame... That story begins very long ago, when the goddess was still with us, kwwwrk... The goddess gave the flame to the Water Dragon, a great spirit that presides over Faron Woods. The way I hear it is she left the flame in the care of the Water Dragon so that one day the mighty dragon could pass it on to the 'one from the sky'..."

"That's Link!" Ed said, pointing at Link.

"Well, that settles that! You must seek out the mighty Water Dragon. Her lair is deep in a lake in the south of these woods, kwwwwwwrk. She watches over the flame there."

"All right! To the lake!"

"Not so fast! There's a problem, though. The gate that leads to that lake is sealed shut to all those judged unworthy."

"Gate?" Link asked, remembering a memory to seeing the lake. "As in...those two crescent moons?"

"But don't worry kwwwrk. I'll let you in on the trick to opening the gate. To open the gate, you have to channel the power of the goddess into the symbol carved into its doors, kwwwrk! Oh, but it isn't so simple! The symbol is incomplete. To unlock the gate, you must make the symbol whole. The only way you'll know what the completed symbol should look like is to first find that same completed symbol somewhere else in these woods. I think there's a matching symbol near the Viewing Platform."

"All right. We got it."

"If I may interrupt," Double D said. "I think we don't have to go to the Viewing Platform. I know the symbol Yerbal is talking about. It's really easy. We could just go straight to the gate, instead."

"Okay. We'll use our Sailcloths to float down from here and head to that gate near the lake."

"Then I wish you safe travels, lads," Yerbal said before yawning.

"About time! To the lake!" Eddy said, pointing at the lake.

"Oh, wait up!"

Eddy growled out loud. "Oh, what now, ya old geezer?!"

"I forgot to mention this earlier, but it's important. Her Excellence, the Water Dragon, is very persnickety about manners...so watch yours! I've heard stories of folks who caught her in a fussy mood. They ended up as midmorning snacks, kwwwwrk! I probably taste like old cave moss, but I'm not in a hurry to become a royal meal, kwwwrk! So don't let her know I told you about Farore's Flame, okay?"

"Okay," Link said, nodding.

"And remember, when you're in her hall, you'd better be on your best behavior and be a gracious guest. I'll be here nappin' if you need some of my elder wisdom. See you around, kwwwwwwrk..." He let out a big yawn before taking his nap.

Eddy frowned, taking out his Sailcloth. "Like I believed that story," he said.

"For once, Eddy, please be on your best behavior," Double D said, then gulped as he grabbed Eddy. The group floated down thanks to their Sailcloths. Eventually, they reached the lake area and found the gate with the two crescent moons.

"The power of the goddess Yerbal mentioned was the Skyward Strike," Link said, pulling out his sword and pointed it skyward. The sword charged up with blue energy.

"Link, draw a circle within the smaller crescent moon." The three watched Link drawing a circle with the energy of the sword. Once completed, the circle glowed in white light before fading away. Then, the stone gate opened up, revealing a corridor and a platform overseeing the lake.

"A sword that can draw..." Eddy said. "I don't even know what to say." The group walked through the corridor and found themselves on the edge of the platform. Seeing the waterfalls and the deep lake looked enchanting. The smell of the lake felt intoxicating.

Fi appeared in front of them. "The Water Dragon and Farore's Flame lies within the vast Lake Floria," she said. "Your only option is to dive from this spot." She returned back to Link's sword.

"Jump?! Here?!" Eddy felt his legs shaking after peering down from this height. "That's it! I'm done with this adventure! The story will never continue!"

"Splish, splash, take a bath!" Ed said, grabbing Eddy and throwing him off the platform, much to everyone's shock.

Eddy continued to scream out Ed's name as he plummeted down. "I'm gonna-" From this height, the three saw Eddy's small splash.

Double D gulped, taking a step back. "Um...Ed? M-mercy?" he asked.

"Splish, splash, take a bath!" Ed said, pushing Double D off the platform as Double D screamed, too.

Link looked down again to see another small splash from Double D. He slowly turned around and seeing Ed's unusual grin. "W-wait, Ed!" he said, backing up until he realized there was nowhere to go. "You're my friend and all, but there are certain things you should not cross the line-"

"Splish, splash, take a bath!" Ed said. He dashed forward and grabbed Link as the two fell down the platform. As Link yelled out, and Ed laughed out loud, their sounds were stopped when they plunged into Lake Floria.

Hyrule Historia's references:

1. Silent Realm (P.58)
2. Kiuchi's quote on Guardians (P.58)
3. Moblin's final version (P.61)

Link [6+4 Hearts]
Main Equipment [Goddess's Sword], [Sacred Shield]
Sub-Equipment [Sailcloth], [Scattershot], [Water Dragon's Scale]
Inventory [Bottle], [Goddess's Harp], [Farore's Wind]

Ed [6+2 Hearts]
Main Equipment [Spiked Hammer], [Reinforced Shield]
Sub-Equipment [Sailcloth], [Scattershot], [Tough Beetle], [Digging Mitts], [Small Seed Satchel], [Gust Bellows], [Water Dragon's Scale]
Inventory [Bottle], [Bug Net], [Bottle]

Double D [3+1 Hearts]
Main Equipment [Zeal Wand], [Sacred Shield]
Sub-Equipment [Water Dragon's Scale]
Inventory [Binoculars]

Eddy [4+3 Hearts]
Main Equipment [Metal Racket], [Braced Shield]
Sub-Equipment [Sailcloth], [Scattershot], [Bomb Bag], [Water Dragon's Scale]
Inventory [Orange gemstone (Right eye)], [Bottle (Stamina Potion)], [Bottle]

Credit goes to Godzilla2915 for the ending.