"That was so cool!" Ed shouted as the four landed on the king of red lions in the ring of arcs near the tower of the gods. "I wonder if Tetra will be ok." Double d mumbled, staring at her unconscious on their small boat. Eddy grinned wildly, "Aha! I knew it!"

"You knew what? Do you know something about what that madman said?"

"No, but I know you've got the hots for Tetra!" Ed and Eddy laughed uproariously, "Double d and Tetra, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-"

"Is it so wrong to worry about someone?" Double d asked, shaking off the angry blush that had developed on his face.

"It's all right, Double d. she has merely lost consciousness" Quill assured him while hovering in mid-air. Ed, now finished with his song, started to count his teeth while prince Komali spoke to him, "Your sister has escaped from the forsaken fortress Ed, you can relax now!"

"Buttered toast." Ed mumbled. "Lord Valoo!" The king of red lions called to the flying dragon, "You arrived to a moment too soon! We are deeply grateful."

"I am aware of this. Yet I thought our first priority should be to separate the two from Gannon's grasp."

" " with that the Dragon and his Rito assistants flew back to Dragon Roost Island.

"Eds, I will explain things later! Now we must return to the world beneath the sea!" the king of red lions instructed as the Eds sailed into the ring of light. But Eddy and Ed joked all the way down. "So where do you think they'll get married, Ed?"

"Am I invited?"

"Wonder how many kids they'll have."

"Can I be their godfather?"

"Every Sunday, uncle Eddy'll haft to visit."

"Don't forget Uncle Ed!"

"And we'll all talk and laugh around a hand-made"

"Gentlemen, might a ask for just a touch of-"

"Gravy-based"

"Just an ounce of-"

"CASSAROLE-DINNER!"

"MY KINGDOM FOE SOME PERFESSIONALISM, HERE!" Double d Barked as they landed in the castle's pool. Tetra's eyes fluttered open and she sat up a bit, which relieved Double d, "Thank goodness. I was certain that Gannondorf had fully asphyxiated you back in his study." Eddy snickered a little until Tetra started talking again, "Ohh . . . oww . . . Double d, are you alright."

"Hey, what about us?" Eddy asked angrily.

"Did I see you about to get sliced to ribbons? No, I did not."

"I'm alright Tetra. Thank goodness for Rito's though."

"What is this place?"

"Judging by the look of it and how it's underwater, I'm willing to guess a Disney castle."

"Blatantly humorless Eddy. But it is a fully-sized castle underwater, that much we are certain of."

"Hey, and Gannondorf! What happened to him?"

"He was barbecued mesquite style by Valoo!"

"Why Ed! You seem to be improving your vocabulary!"

"Gravy!" Double d shot a foot into the air, not expecting the pirate charm to go off, "Eds, what are you doing? You must come to the room where you got the master sword!"

"Alright, alright, get off our backs!" Tetra stared at the stone for a moment, "Who's using that stone . . . Just who are you? The Eds and I are the only ones who can speak through this stone! How dare you use what's not yours?!"

The voice in the stone continued after this, "Your name is Tetra, correct? You must come with The Eds to see me at once."

"Come and see you?" Eddy and Ed ran to the head of the ship and poked the Lion's face, "But you're right here!"

"Come on Mr. Lion, I know your head's made of wood, but you could talk with it before!" Double d cleared his throat, "Actually Ed, I do believe that the king of Red lions is indeed a soulless automaton, controlled by some sort of technological genius." Tetra smirked at the stone as it fell back into Double d's hand, "Well, don't you sound important! Fine, we're on our way. Just hold your horses, whoever you are." Tetra jumped from the boat into the pool of water beneath water, "Come on guys, you heard the stone." Double d thought about the strange painting and hurried out of the boat, "Before we find the Voice I need to show you something bound to be interesting." Eddy started laughing again, "What's up Double d? Gonna show Dazel your butterfly collection?" Tetra tuned around, a sneer painting her face, "What. Was. That?"

"What? The butterflies or your stupid middle name?" Eddy smirked, not noticing the swift movement behind him, "Bye Eddy." Tetra smirked as she and Double d ran into the castle. "Whatever." Eddy rolled his eyes as he started to follow them, but something caught his shirt, when he turned around he found Tetra's sword sticking through his shirt and into their boat. "Ed, help me out of this, will ya?" Eddy struggled a little until Ed Got a brilliant idea. He grabbed his hammer and smacked the sword, knocking Eddy into the water. "Thanks Ed. Let's go check on the lovebirds!"

"I promise not to peek, Eddy!"

"Oh wow, Skipper?" Tetra laughed as they entered the castle. "Everyone teases him about it, almost as much as his height." Underneath Tetra's no-nonsense exterior Double d found something he thought he's never find: someone who lets him finish his sentences. "This is what I wanted to show you," Double d Pointed to the painting on the wall, "Recognize anyone?"

"Either my entire crew decided to cosplay as the village people or I need glasses."

"Our thoughts exactly. But the question is, who's the girl in the center?"

"Dunno, but she looks like a little princess, what with all the makeup and the dress."

"It must be a big contrast to the life of a pirate."

"Yeah, I don't have the time or the motivation to wear that stuff. If someone doesn't like how I look, that's their problem."

"Wow, you're very self-confident."

"It comes with being a pirate captain. So anyway, where's that voice?"

"Oh, right! Umm, follow me, if you please." Just than a pair of familiar fools tripped into the once-royal hall, "Way to ruin my shirt, Tetra!"

"You were asking for it. Anyway, let's go find that clown who's using my charm."

"You mean besides Hollywood?"

"Shut up, Ed."

"Nice basement." Tetra stated, looking at the stain-glass windows and the stone guardians. As She and the Eds stepped higher up onto the platform, a man dressed in bright red had his back to them while standing over the Master sword's pedestal. "Are you the one who's been speaking through my stone without my permission? Answer me?"

"Is that you, Santa?" Ed asked stupidly. The man spoke in an old, noble voice, "That stone is an enhanced version of the Gossip stones long spoken of in the legends of the Hyrulean Royal Family. I am the one who made it."

"I knew it, he's a genius." Double d smiled while the others looked at the old man with confusion, "Who made it? The royal family's gossip stone?" Tetra looked at him with disbelief, "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Can I have a pretty stone too, Santa?"

"Have none of you heard the tales? Tales of the kingdom spoken of in the legend of the great hero . . . the place where the power of the gods lies hidden?"

"I've heard some, but not enough to know the significance of the stone . . . or anything that's going on really. Might you elaborate?"

"This place, where the four of you now stand, is that kingdom. This is Hyrule"

"Cool." All three Eds agreed. The man turned around, showing that he had a white beard, and a crown. In fact, he was the same man as in the painting above. "SANTA!" Ed shouted, giving a man a giant hug all the while asking for things. "Actually Ed, I am the current king of Hyrule: Daphnes Nohanson Hyrule."

"Should we be groveling or something?" Eddy asked with a smirk. "Actually Eddy, what I'd prefer right now is for you to listen to what I have to say. No Doubt you recognize my voice."

"How could I forget, Leo?" Eddy offered while he and Double d smiled, but Ed was still certain it was Santa he was speaking to. "Once, long ago, this land of Hyrule was turned into a world of shadows by Gannon, who sought to obtain the power of the gods for his own evil ends."

"So he hasn't changed a bit?"

"My power alone could not stop the fiend, and our only choice was to leave the fate of the kingdom in the hands of the gods. When the gods heard our pleas, they chose to seal away not only Gannon, but Hyrule itself. So, with a torrential downpour of rains from the heavens, our fair kingdom was soon buried beneath the waves, forgotten at the bottom of the ocean."

"So this is what became of the kingdom, what a discovery!"

"But if that's true, than what about those of us who are still alive?"

"All was not lost, for the gods knew that to seal away the people along with the kingdom would be to grant Gannon's wish for the destruction of the land. So before the sealing of the kingdom, the gods chose those who would build a new country and commanded them to take refuge on the mountaintops. Those people were your ancestors."

"Our aunts and sisters got flooded and didn't tell us?"

"Ancestors, Ed. Relatives from older generations of our family tree?" the king continued, now having the undivided attention of all four of them

"Hundreds of years have passed since then . . . so long as Gannondorf was not revived, Hyrule would remain below, never waking from its slumber."

"So let me get this straight," Eddy responded after hearing all this, "After hiding this castle forever you decide to show three island yokels and a pirate? Why us?"

"Because there's more to you than meets the eye. Tetra, come to me."

She hesitated, but slowly stepped towards the old king. He held out his hand, and the golden charm on her necklace flew from its place to his hand without its chain, glowing brightly. "HE'S A WITCH!" Ed shouted happily as the voice of their boat continued, "This necklace you wear is a part of a sacred treasure called the Triforce of Wisdom, which has been passed down for many ages within the royal family of Hyrule."

"Royal family?" the four gaped uncomprehendingly.

"Your mother passed this down to you and instructed you to treasure it . . . and guard it with your life. Am I not correct?"

"Y-yeah . . . right before she died . . ."

"The Triforce of wisdom is none other than the sacred power of the gods that we've kept from Gannon's clutches for so many long years. The gods placed upon your ancestors the task of protecting it from evil's grasp."

"By giving it to a pirate?" Eddy asked, confused now more than ever.

"Like I've said, there's more than meets the eye. The time has come for me to teach you the fate which into you were born, the very reason that you live."

"Wait a sec, only I decide what -" Tetra stopped when Hyrule produced another golden triangle, one just big enough to fit into a notch of the Triforce. The two pieces were drawn together like magnets, "You see Eddy, Tetra is not merely a pirate," a light shone from the completed triforce, a sort of electricity that enveloped Tetra and blinded the Eds. When they looked back, Tetra was gone, and a girl, not unlike that in the painting stood there, "She is a princess."

"My . . . fate . . ." The princess stuttered, gazing at the Triforce mark on her right hand.

"My word." Double d muttered silently.

"You are the true heir of the royal family of Hyrule," The mystical Royal told her, "the last link in the bloodline. You are princess Zelda." Eddy snickered, than started rolling on the floor with laughter, "Oh man, this is better than Dazel!" he choked out between booming laughter. "Eddy please, show some dignity!" Double d requested while the others ignored him.

"Zelda . . . I'm a princess?"

"You are confused, aren't you? I suppose such is to be expected." She turned back to the Eds, her blue eyes locking onto Double d and Ed while the king continued, "Eds, I am terribly sorry that you have been caught up in these events. But now that it is known that Tetra is indeed Princess Zelda, Gannon will be searching frantically for this child in an attempt to get the power of the gods that she possesses. He will not rest until he has found her. If he succeeds, my ancient kingdom under the sea will be turned into a land of shadow and despair . . . and so will the world you know above the waves."

"What do we do?!" Ed asked with a note of panic.

"I need you three to lend me your strength in this dark hour."

"Whatever strength I have left to give." Double d promised,

"Ed the monster hunter does not run away!" Ed shouted, taking out his sword,

"Well, if I'm gonna kick a guy's butt, might as well go all the way." Eddy reasoned, out of breath from laughing.

"I have a suspicion about what caused the master sword to lose its power. We must return to the world above the water and return the power to repel evil to the master sword."

Eddy had an evil grin on, and Ed had a bold determination about him, "And then we'll defeat Gannondorf."

"Yeah! We'll show this 'Gannon-dork' that we ain't worthless! You with us Double d!"

"Indeed I am Eddy. We'll show that contemptuous swine what for!" Zelda stared at the three, wondering what, or if, she could do to help them when the good king spoke yet again, "Zelda . . . it is far too dangerous for you to join us in this task."

"Maybe in a bunch of years." Ed offered, with Eddy rudely adding, "Yeah, like a century." Before Double d glared them quiet. "Fortunately, this sacred chamber is not yet known to Gannon. It is my wish that you wait in hiding until our return." And with that he disappeared.

"Mr. Witch disappeared Double d!" Ed ran to where the king once stood. "Technically he would be a warlock Ed. And I'm sure he's somewhere near-by."

"Eds, I'm right behind you." The voice of their boat stood on the last staircase between the master sword's place and the upper castle, "We must go!" he de-materialized and rematerialized up the levels on the stairs and presumably out the door. "What the-? Hey, wait up Mufasa!" Eddy called, running up the stars after him. Ed and Double d followed him but Tet- Ahem, Zelda, stopped them. "Ed, Double d, Eddy . . . I don't know how to say this . . . Everything that's happened to you and your families . . . it's all been my fault. I'm so sorry."

"All is forgiven, princess pirate captain friend! It is Gannondorf that causes evil!" Ed turned around and unsheathed his sword heroically.

"I believe Ed means 'this is more Gannondorf's fault than yours." Double d responded, "A sentiment I thoroughly and whole heartedly share."

"HEY ROMEO AND JULIET!" Eddy called from the doorway, "WE'VE GOT A JOB TO DO HERE! You too, Ed!"

"Coming Eddy!" The two called, running up the stairs after their friend.

"Eds, be careful." The young princess begged as she examined the new triforce mark on her hand.