Having dealt with the Lizalfos, the Eds and Link continued onward and were now in another room. The room was blue-ish in color, but that's not what got their attention. What got their attention were the Dodongos that were moving around the area.
"Those are bigger than the ones we just fought." Link whispered from where they hid.
"Probably nastier too." said Eddy.
"These guys can breath fire, and their skin is rock hard!" Navi warned. "Aim for the tail!" The others quietly walked through the room in an attempt to sneak up on one of the Dodongos. Link drew his sword before sneaking up behind one and slashing at it's tail, hurting and angering it as it spun around and took a deep breath. Link jumped out of the way just as it spewed fire at him, right at the Eds.
"AAHH!" Edd and Eddy yelled as they flinched, awaiting their skin to burn from the fire. They felt heat, but no burn before they carefully opened their eyes to see Ed blocking the fire breath with his shield.
"YOUR FLAMING BREATH WILL NOT CHAR US INTO BLACKENED BITS!" Ed yelled after the flames dispersed.
"Wow! That's a really good shield!" Eddy stated in surprise before they heard the agonized cry of the Dodongo. They looked to see Link pulled his sword out of it's tail before it began to glow red, meaning one thing. "HIT THE DIRT!" Eddy yelled as he and his friends took covered behind a wall of rock, shielding them from the explosion. They slowly peeked their eyes out from cover to see a blackened crater where the Dodongo once stood.
"Do they all explode?" Edd asked Navi.
"Pretty much." she said.
"Now we just have to deal with the last two." Link said while looking at the other ones. The others nodded before repeating the process. Slash the tail, block the fire with the Hylian Shield, run when it turned red, repeat. After the room was cleared of Dodongos, they all took a moment to rest.
"This place is starting to bug me." Eddy groaned.
"I agree," Edd added. "So many strange and fascinating species of creatures out there, and they've all tried to kill us!"
"I smell something cooking!" Ed said before he began running around and screaming in pain, smacking his butt to put the flames out. They all chased after him as he ran around the room, lighting the torches in the process before he began dragging his butt across the ground to put it out. "Ahhh. No more burning buttocks."
"Now that you're out, let's get going." Eddy chuckled as they all left the room. They soon found themselves down a short corridor into the main room they came in at the beginning, a giant switch at their feet. "Great. Back in another circle!" Eddy growled in irritation.
"What's this do?" Ed asked as he stepped on the switch, which raised the bars blocking the door opposite of their position.
"It appears that we've opened a new path to explore." said Edd as he looked off into the distance.
"10 rupees says it takes us back here again." Eddy smirked as they jumped down and jumped across, taking care not to get within the Beamos sight. After jumping to the other side, taking out the Beamos, and having Ed knock down the crumbling wall, the four now stood in front of another treasure chest.
"Coool!" Ed said as he opened the chest and pulled out the contents. "I FOUND A PIECE OF PAPER!" he yelled with a smile.
"That must be the map to the Dodongo's Cavern." Edd stated as he took the map and examined it.
"And somewhere else in this place is another magical compass, along with more mystical items and blah blah blah." Eddy said with a smile before it dropped. "Can we go now?"
"Cheer up Eddy. Maybe one day we'll find something you'll like." Link chuckled as they walked through the door to the next area. Standing high above them was a giant thin block of stone surrounded by Bomb Flowers, and a crumbling wall in front of it.
"I wonder if the Gorons planted all of these." Edd thought aloud.
"That, or a gardener that likes to blow things up." Eddy added.
"Where to Double D? Up, or the wall?" Link asked.
"Let's see," Edd mumbled as he checked the map. "Well, it looks like there's a room past that wall, and the way up seems to..." he stopped before reaching into his pocket and pulling out two blue rupees and handing them to Eddy, confusing him. "According to the map, we'll eventually wind up back at the main room, like Eddy said."
"CALLED IT!" Eddy yelled with a grin.
"Well, let's just check the room, then we find a way up." Link said before asking Ed to knock the wall down.
"I AM ED! I WILL CREAM YOUR WHEAT!" Ed yelled before running through the wall, into the next room, and smashing into statue of some kind that blew up shortly after it was injured.
"You know, I'm starting to wonder if anything can hurt him." Navi said as they all walked in the room Ed was now in.
"If there is, it won't hurt him that long." Eddy snickered as Link moved the pieces of wood that used to be a chest out of the way.
"Looks like Ed found a compass." Link said as Edd helped Ed up to his feet.
"That's great. Where to now?" Eddy asked.
"I've been thinking about that. Follow me." Edd said as he lead them back to the room with the giant piece of stone with the Bomb Flowers. "Observe." he said before picking a Bomb Flower, walking it over towards the other Bomb Flowers, and walking a safe distance away. They watched as the Bomb Flower set off a chain reaction of explosions at the base of the stone. Nothing happened at first until the stone began to sink into the ground a good dozen feet or so, revealing a set of stairs to the next level chiseled on top of the stone.
"Cool! Instant stairs!" Eddy said.
"Shall we gentlemen?" Edd asked before they began to climb the stairs. They then walked up the wooden ramps, took out the Skullwalltula and Golden Skulltula, they entered another room that locked itself with iron bars, sealing them in. In the middle was a tiny stone pillar with a switch on top, surrounded by statues that looked like giant faced warriors with swords and shields, a pair of horns at the side of their heads. And flying around looked like balls of fire with wings.
"Ohhh. More pretty fireflies!" Ed said with a smile.
"Not fireflies! Fire Keese!" Navi shouted. "If they touch you, you'll get burned! And your Deku Shield will burn up in seconds!"
"Okay! No touchy the Fire Keese!" Eddy said as he took out his slingshot and waited until they swooped in to shoot them. After taking them out, they moved the statue that was in front of the ladder that lead up to the switch, pressed it, and then walked out the other door.
"Just like I said." Eddy grinned as they came back to the main room. They hadn't noticed before, but they were now at one end of a rope bridge that was parallel to the one above the giant Dodongo Skull. They carefully crossed the bridge, with Eddy shooting down more Fire Keese, and continued on into a room with many stone pillars scattered about.
"Careful!" Navi warned. "Look down." They looked to see something spiky and metallic move about the ground in a pattern.
"I advise that we take it slow." Edd said as they climbed down the ladder before keeping an eye out around the corners, waiting for the spikes to pass before making it to a block of stone that had a ladder on top of it. They climbed it, only to find a crumbling wall at the very edge, preventing them from continuing.
"Jump up to that ledge." Link said as he pointed to the short pillar of stone behing them. They each climbed to the top and jumped one-by-one until they were all standing on top next to a Bomb Flower and a small chest, which Eddy opened and smiled after pulling out the red rupee. "If we throw this Bomb Flower just right, we can destroy the wall."
"That sounds like an excellent idea." Edd said as he reached for the Bomb Flower.
"You look tired. Let me." Link said as he held his hand out.
"Very well then. I am getting a bit winded." Edd said as he slipped of the Goron Bracelet and handed it to Link. Link slipped on the bracelet, picked the Bomb Flower, and waited until the fuse was just about to disappear before throwing it at the wall, destroying it in the blast. "Bravo Link!"
"Let's go!" Ed yelled as he jumped to the ledge, the others following behind him. They came to room that held a risen platform of stone gapping the distance between them and the next room, an eyeball above the exit.
"I got this!" Eddy said confidentally before he pulled out his slingshot and shot the eyeball, making it close and dispersing the flames. They continued down a long corridor, taking out any Baby Dodongos on the way before coming to a room with tiny stone platforms inside a lake of lava.
"Watch out!" Navi shouted as two Lizalfos dropped down on separate platforms, swords at the ready.
"Not more of these things!" Eddy yelled as they Lizalfos jumped them, making them jump away from each other.
-Link and Edd-
Link and the Lizalfos were parrying blades while Edd circled around and snuck up behind it, hoping to get a sneak attack in. He slowly got his Deku Stick and struck just as the Lizalfos jumped, causing him to smack Link.
"OW! Watch it!" Link yelled as he glared at Edd, who chuckled nervously while hiding the Deku Stick behind him. They both turned at the Lizalfos as it pointed at laughed at the two of them, which served to anger Link further. "Laugh this one off!" he snapped as he ran at the Lizalfos, who jumped over him again. Instead of facing Link however, he kept running and began swinging at Edd, who began to run and jump onto other stone platforms to get away. The Lizalfos had other ideas as it nimbly jumped after him until it jumped in front of him.
"YIPE!" Edd yelped as the Lizalfos swung at him, missing him when he ducked.
"Double D! If you can't run, then fight!" Link shouted as he jumped their way to join the fight. Edd shoke where he stood as he readied his Deku Stick before swinging at it, only to have it knocked out of his hands by the creature's sword. Edd watched it roll to the ledge before he jumped for it, grabbing it just as it rolled off and barely touched the lava. He looked up to see the Lizalfos jump into the air for a strike and panicked.
"NO! STAY AWAY!" Edd yelled as he closed his eyes and swung at the Lizalfos. Nothing happened as he laid there on the stone pillar until he heard the metallic clank of the Lizalfos sword hitting the ground. He slowly opened his eyes to see the creature release a gurgling sound as it's blood began running down it's mouth. His eyes traveled down to see that, in a fit of panic, he had plunged his Deku Stick deep into his opponent's belly. The creature stumbled backwards as it reached for the stick, trying to pull it out of itself. It slid a few inches before it's strength gave out and it fell forward onto the Deku Stick, piercing it all the way through it's back. Edd just stared at the dead Lizalfos as Link joined him on the stone platform.
"Well...that's one way to end a fight." Link said as he offered a hand to Edd. Edd didn't react to Link being there next to him, his eyes still glued to the creature.
"Did I...do that?" he said in a quiet voice.
"Part of it." Link said as he pulled him up by his shirt. "Come on. We gotta go." he said before jumping to join their friends. Edd gave the creature one last look before leaving.
-Ed and Eddy-
Ed and Eddy were having a bit of a problem with their Lizalfos. Thanks to Ed's shield and Eddy shooting from a distance, the Lizalfos couldn't do any real harm to them. However, Ed's Deku Stick and Eddy's shooting were no match for the sword and speed the Lizalfos branded, leaving them at a stalemate.
"Eddy! Any ideas?" Ed shouted.
"I'm thinking!" Eddy yelled back as the Lizalfos dodged another shot. "Grrrr HOLD STILL!" Eddy snapped as he reached for another shot, only to panic when the Lizalfos changed tactics and went for him. "WHOA! BACK OFF!" Eddy yelled as he quickly took out his Deku Stick and swatted at the Lizalfos to keep it at bay.
"I'll save you Eddy!" Ed yelled as he jumped towards the platform they were on.
"Then hurry up and DO IT!" Eddy yelled as he jumped onto the stone that was near the exit to get some space from the Lizalfos. The Lizalfos and Ed jumped and joined Eddy near the exit before Ed got in front of Eddy, keeping the Lizalfos from hurting them with his shield.
"I can't hit this foul creature! He's too fast!" Ed grunted. Eddy's eyes darted back and forth, his mind spinning as he tried to think of something to get them out of this alive.
"I got an idea, but it's a bad one!" Eddy said as he jumped onto Ed's shoulders and took his Deku Stick and began swinging wildly at the Lizalfos. "I'll attack, you defend!"
"Gotcha Eddy!" Ed said as the two of them advanced on the Lizalfos. Eddy swung both Deku Sticks at the Lizalfos while Ed pushed it back with his shield, making the Lizalfos jump away to another platform to get away. The Lizalfos hissed in anger as it kept having to jump to stay away from them as they kept up their assualt. The Lizalfos jumped again and turned to face them, but was surprised when they didn't follow him. They just smiled and waved their hands up and down. The Lizalfos blinked and looked down, only to realize that he was defying gravity at the moment, hanging above the area where his fellow Lizalfos were defeated minutes ago. It looked back up and glared at them before plummeting to it's death, leaving Ed and Eddy to rejoin their friends.
"HA! Stupid lizard thought he could mess with me?" Eddy bragged as Ed walked towards his friends.
"WE DEFEATED THE LIZALFOS!" Ed yelled before looking at Link and Edd. "Did you guys defeat yours?"
"Did you cut his head off? Or stab him like a pincushion?" Eddy asked.
"Actually, Double D here dealt the final blow." Link said as he looked back at the fallen Lizalfos a few platforms away.
"Good job Double D!" Ed said as he violently shook Edd's hand.
"Yeeeess, now pleease put me dooooown!" Edd said in a shaken voice before Ed let go of him.
"You guys aren't doing half bad," Navi complimented as she floated around them all. "Now let's go. We still have work to do." They nodded before continuing to the next room, which held two risen stone platforms with fire upon them. Eddy shot the visible eye, dispersing the first column of flame before jumping to the next and shooting the next eye, opening the path for them. They continued onward and came back to the room that held the deadly moving spikes on the ground, where they easily jumped the gap to the other side.
"Let's see what's inside here." Link said as he walked up to a nearby treasure chest.
"Probably another twig like my slingshot," Eddy joked. "Or maybe it's sheet music for another 'mystical song' or something."
"Actually, it's a bag." Link said as he pulled out a brown bag.
"Curious," Edd said as he noticed the lumpy stuffing of the bag. "It appears to be containing something."
"That's a Bomb Bag!" Navi told them.
"Bomb Bag?!" they all said in shocked unison.
"Yes. They're generally made from the stomach of a Dodongo, and can hold many bombs." she continued.
"Let me see!" Ed yelled as he quickly reached in and pulled out a bomb. "Cool!" he said before the fuse lit itself.
"THROW IT!" the others shouted in panic. Ed looked around before shoving the bomb into his mouth, then plugged his ears and closed his eyes.
BMMMMF!
Ed's face bloated to the size of a beach ball before the smoke began to billow out his ears, his head shrinking back to normal.
"You okay Ed?" Eddy asked.
"Tastes like that firecracker I ate in Kindergarten!" Ed said with a grin. "Yum!" Eddy couldn't help but burst into laughter while Edd examined the bag.
"That bomb was practically the same size as this bag," he said. "How on Earth did it fit inside?"
"Don't know, but it feels like there are more inside." Link said as he reached in and felt around.
"At that size, it can only hold 20 max." Navi explained.
"So now we got some serious firepower on our side!" Eddy grinned.
"I'll be holding onto these." Link said as he took the bag.
"What/Aww! Why?" Ed/Eddy asked.
"Because I feel that if I let you two have this, All of Hyrule will be in trouble." Link simply stated. "And I doubt Double D wants to just mindlessly blow things to bits."
"A wise choice Link." Edd said as Link put the Bomb Bag away. "Shall we be off then?" Eddy and Ed hung their heads in defeat at not being allowed the Bomb Bag as they followed Link and Edd down the corridor back to the main room.
"Another switch?" Eddy said as he stepped on it and looked around. "A dud?"
"Look!" Ed said as he pointed at the stone platform that had risen high up from the lower level, then lowered back down.
"Interesting," Edd said as he watched it rise and lower. "It must act as a shortcut of some kind."
"Boring." Eddy yawned as Link wandered over to a tablet.
"Hey guys. Look at this." he said. The others walked over and looked at the tablet before tilting their heads in confusion.
"I'm sorry Link, but I'm afraid none of us can read this." Edd said. "I must learn this language."
"It's a riddle." Navi explained as she read it to them.
Giant Dead Dodongo...
When it sees red,
A new way to go
will be open.
"It must be talking about the giant skull attached to the wall." Edd summized as they all looked at the skull.
"But it's eyes are black." Ed said.
"What do we do? Paint them red?" Eddy asked.
"I believe the answer is simple." Edd said before explaining to them what to do. "Understand?"
"Alright." Link said as they carefully walked along the rope bridge, with Eddy taking out the Fire Keese. Link then pulled out a bomb and dropped it down into one of the giant skulls eye sockets. They watched as it exploded, making the eye glow red.
"It worked!" they all cheered before Link dropped another bomb down the other socket, making it glow red when it exploded. They heard something move, but couldn't see anything from the angle they were standing.
"So...what now?" Eddy asked. "We go to the other side of this bridge?"
"I'm afraid it's a dead end," Edd said glumly as he looked at the map. "All that's over there is a chest."
"Dibs!" Eddy yelled as he ran to the other side, only for a crumbling wall to stop him. "Aw, what's with all these walls?!" Eddy yelled.
"Trouble?" Link said with a smirk before pulling out a bomb and placing it near the wall.
"Shut up." Eddy groaned as they stepped away, letting the bomb blow up without harming them. Eddy ran to the tiny chest and opened it up to find a Hylian Shield inside. "Sweet!" he said as he lifted it out. "Now we got two of them!"
"But only Ed has the height and strength to properly weild it." Edd stated.
"I can still use it." Link said as he took off his small Deku Shield and placed the larger Hylian Shield on his back. "Now if something bad happens, all I gotta do is duck." he said before bending over and covering his head with his hands.
"Link turned into a turtle!" said Ed.
"No Lumox! He's using the shield!" Eddy said as Edd picked up the Deku Shield.
"You can use that if you want." Link said.
"Oh. Thank you!" Edd said as he placed the shield on his back before pulling out the map. "Hmm. According to the map, there's another room adjacent to this one."
"But where's the...door?" Eddy said as he stared off into space. The others followed his gaze to see that the Giant Dodongo's Skull had it's mouth open.
"I think...we've just found the way in." Link said. "Let's go." They Eds followed Link to the platform that had just rised to their level and rode it down to the lower level before walking up into the mouth of the skull, where a door was. They walked in to find themselves in another room, with a door sealed with iron bars on one wall, two corridors that lead to who-knows-where, and a switch inside a hole.
"According to the map, that sealed room is where we'll find the main source of ailment to the Gorons." Edd explained.
"In English." Eddy said.
"As Ed would put it," Edd sighed. "The Boss Stage!"
"Ah!" Eddy said as Ed chased the Fire Keese around. "So, we just have to push this switch and we're set! Easy!" he said as he jumped down onto the switch, making the iron bars raise. He jumped up off the switch, making the iron bars slam down again.
"Looks like another constant pressure switch." Edd stated. "We'll need to use something to keep pressure on it, or we won't be going inside."
"Guess we should go down the corridor that's not raised above our heads." Link suggested as he jumped up to the corridor and walked down it. "You guys coming or not?"
"Wait for us!" Ed shouted as they quickly followed him into another room. It had many walls and deep trenches, with Fire Keese flying around. They quickly took them out before blasting down another crumbling wall and entering the room, where they had to fight a monster that looked just like the statues they saw earlier.
"That's an Armos! They're tough, and explode when defeated!" Navi explained.
"Does everything that dies in here explode?!" Eddy yelled as the Armos hopped near them.
"GO AWAY, BOUNCING BOMB!" Ed yelled before kicking it into the Golden Skulltula, killing them both in an explosion.
"That was fast." Eddy said before they grabbed the token and left. They walked back to the other room down the corridor and pushed off the giant block, hoping it would fit into the hole and push the switch.
"Perfect!" Edd whispered after the block went down and pushed the switch, raising the iron bars.
"Alright boys. Time to earn the Spiritual Stone of Fire!" Link said before they all walked into the room.
A/N: Fight next chapter.