A beam of light shined down before the standing body of the late Great Deku Tree, the four heroes floating down until their feet touched the ground.
"We're back in the Kokiri Forest." Edd stated.
"Hello, Mr. Great Deku Tree!" Ed greeted.
"Ed...He's still dead." Eddy bluntly reminded him, making the dumb Ed sad.
"And yet he still stands tall." Link said, a hint of pride in his voice as he gazed up at the dead tree before sighing and casting his gaze downwards. "Hmm? What's that?"
"What?" Eddy asked before seeing a tiny sprout in front of the late Deku Tree. "The heck is this?" Eddy asked as he got close to inspect it. "What do you call this? A sap?"
"A SAPLING!" the sprout yelled as he suddenly rose out of the ground, knocking Eddy backwards and spooking the others. "Sap is the stuff that comes out of a tree!"
"It's a talking stump!" Eddy yelled.
"Excuse me? Come over here and I'll stump you!" the man-sized sapling snapped.
"Intriguing. A talking sapling." Edd mused as he slowly walked around the sapling.
"Hello, Mr. Sapling!" Ed greeted.
"Hello!" the sapling replied despite his smile not moving an inch.
"What in the world? Who are you?" Link asked.
"Hate to be rude, but we'll have to save the intros for later." the sapling replied. "We've got company."
The heroes looked to the entrance to see a bunch of Mad Scrubs approaching, with Giant Deku Babas sprouting up in random spots and getting closer.
"More enemies already?!" Edd yelped before he and the others all reached for their weapons.
"Hold it!" the sapling spoke up, making the heroes look at him as he started to glow. "You've done enough fighting today. I'll take care of this! BEGONE!"
At his words, a pulse of light erupted from the sapling that spread throughout the entire forest. The heroes all took a moment to get the spots out of their eyes before they looked around.
"Check it out!" Eddy gasped. He and the others watched as the Deku Babas all withered and wilted into nothing while the Mad Shrubs shook in place before exploding into flowers petals.
"They just exploded or wilted!" Navi exclaimed.
"And it goes for all the other creatures infesting the forest! From this day forward, the Kokiri Forest is under the protection of the Deku Tree Sprout! ME!" the sapling declared.
"Cool!" said Ed.
"Deku Tree Sprout?" Edd asked.
"That's right. I'm now the new protector of the Kokiri Forest and all that dwell within it!" the Deku Tree Sprout proclaimed. "Well, I am now since you all and Saria destroyed the evil infesting the Forest Temple. Thanks for that."
"Of course. We couldn't allow evil to run rampant in the Kokiri Forest." Edd stated.
"And now, we must go and fight the evil of all the other places!" Ed announced, sword raised above his head before he suddenly slumped a little. "Um, guys? My body feels weird."
"It's fatigue, Ed. We just got out of a major fight. We're exhausted." Edd explained.
"I'll say." Eddy sighed as he fell onto his butt. "Can we rest at your place, Link?"
"Sure. But before that, we should make sure everyone is safe." Link answered.
"I bet they'll be glad to see you again after all these years, Link." Edd stated.
"I must warn you, they won't recognize you, Link. Kokiri never grow up, so they're still kids. Whether it's seven years or seventy years, that won't change." the Deku Tree Sprout reminded him.
"I know." Link sighed.
"Then why is Link a grown up?" Ed asked.
"That is puzzling. Why has he aged when they haven't? Is it because he left the forest?" Edd asked.
"Actually, there's a good reason for that. You've probably already figured it out by now, Link, but you're not actually a Kokiri. You are a Hylian!" the Deku Tree Sprout answered.
"He is?" the Eds asked in unison.
"Hmm. That would make sense since Link has grown older." Edd mused.
"But if he's not a Kokiri, why was he in the forest?" Eddy asked.
"That tale begins years ago." the Deku Tree Sprout began.
"Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, a fierce war had broken out in our world. One day, to escape from the fires of war, a hylian mother and her baby boy escaped to this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured at her limit. Knowing her time was near, she begged the Great Deku Tree to protect her child. The Great Deku Tree could sense that they were a child of destiny, who could change the fate of this world, and took him in to the forest. The mother passed away while the child grew up amongst the Kokiri. And now, after all this time, the day of destiny has come!"
The four men and Navi all listened as the Deku Tree Sprout finished his story, none of them making a sound until it was over.
"I...I see." Link said after a moment of silence.
"Huh. What do you know?" Eddy said.
"You okay, Link?" Edd asked the man.
"I had my suspicions. I always felt like I was different, but I never thought it'd be something like this." Link admitted as he looked down at his hands. "So...I was never a Kokiri."
The Eds just looked at Link with various expression while Navi landed on his head.
"Yes you are." Ed suddenly said, making them others look at him. "Home is where the buttox rests!"
"The what rests?" Link asked.
"What Ed is trying to say is that, though you weren't born here, Kokiri Forest is, and always will be, your home." the Deku Tree Sprout answered.
"They're right, Link. No matter how much time passes, or how long you're away, home is home." Edd stated with a smile.
"Uh...what they said." Eddy added.
Link looked at them all before a smile slowly came to his face. He rubbed his arm over his eyes to dry off any moisture that appeared before giving them a determined look.
"You're right. I may have grown up, and I may be a Hylian, but I'm also a Kokiri no matter what anyone says!" Link declared.
"Precisely! Now, Link, you and your friends need to head home and rest. The Forest Temple is free of evil, but the other Temples are still in need of your help." the Deku Tree Sprout reminded them.
"You're right. Let's head to my home...that may or may not be big enough now that we're all adults." Link said in realization.
"We'll know when we get there. C'mon." Eddy said.
"Bye, Deku Tree Sprout!" Ed yelled with a wave as he and the others all left.
"Farewell, and good luck, heroes!" the Deku Tree Sprout called back.
Morning came and the group, having successfully found enough space to sleep in Link's old house, were getting ready to leave. The children, having been freed from the prisons that were their own homes, had come out to congratulate the adults for saving their home and offer anything they could for their journey. As the Eds gathered any supplies they were offered, Link cast a sad, yet hopeful smile upon the Forest Medallion in his hands.
"I'll save them all, Saria. I'll stop Ganondorf and end this nightmare." he muttered.
"Link." Edd spoke as he approached his friend. "It's time to go."
"Right." Link nodded before he put the medallion away and rejoined everyone.
"You ready?" Navi asked.
"Yeah. Let's go!" Link ordered before he and the Eds all started walking away.
"BYE BYE!"
"THANKS FOR SAVING US!"
"GOOD LUCK!"
These and more came from all the Kokiri children as they waved the four of them goodbye.
"You know...One of them kinda looked like Link." one child mentioned.
"I noticed. And he had a fairy with him." another said.
"Pfft. It can't be Link! Link's a kid, like us!" Mido reminded them all.
"Not going to say anything?" Eddy asked.
"They'd never believe me." Link answered as they stepped onto the bridge leading out into the fields. They stopped when a familiar face landed before them all.
"Leaving so soon?" Johnny asked in his Captain Melonhead outfit.
"Johnny!" the Eds called out.
"I completely forgot to tell you about success in the Forest Temple! My apologies." said Edd.
"No need. The Business Shrubs and I all felt the veil of evil lift from the forest yesterday! You can feel the tranquility in the air again, even with the Skull Kids still trying to kill me!" Johnny said with a smile.
"That's because we defeated the evil in the Forest Temple!" Ed declared from within his helmet.
"Yeah. Now we gotta get going and find the next Temple." Eddy added.
"Perhaps you'd wish to join us?" Edd asked.
"Thanks, but Plank and I'll will pass. This place has become our home, and we plan to defend it should evil show its ugly face again. But we will be heading to Kakariko Village every now and again now that we don't have to watch over the children so much." Johnny answered.
"Well, best of luck to you, Johnny and Plank." said Edd.
"C'mon! Let's go!" Eddy said with impatience as he and Ed started to walk onwards.
"Farewell, Captain Melonhead and Splinter!" Edd playfully said with a chuckle before walking on.
"Goodbye, Johnny." Link said as he followed after his friends.
"May the winds of the forest guide you to victory!" Johnny called out before leaping into the forest...then dangle as his head got stuck between some branches. "Guys?...I'm stuck!...Hello?...Anyone?"
The Eds and Link stepped out into Hyrule Fields and past the trees before Link brought out his ocarina.
"Here goes." he said before he played Epona's song. A moment later, the faithful horse pulled up close to them, wagon in tow.
"Wow. Instant horse." Eddy chuckled as Link gently patted Epona's head.
"You miss us?" he asked, earning a playful snort from her. "Missed you too, Epona. Let's stop at the ranch and have them give you a lookover before heading back to Kakariko Village."
"Good idea. They can let us know if she needs any care we can't immediately see." said Edd.
"And Ed can play with all the furry little ones! And the chickens!" Ed said with glee.
"They're Cuccos." Eddy grunted as Link got on the wagon and took the reins.
"Let's go! HYAA!"
With a snap of the reins, the wagon was off towards Lon Lon Ranch.
"Let's just hope that Ingo is in a better mood today." said Navi.
"Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch! How can we be of service?" Ingo, dressed in his old worker's attire and giving a carefree smile, asked them as they pulled into the ranch.
"I know I asked for it, but this is a little creepy." Navi said, with all but Ed nodding along.
"Uh...we're here to have Epona checked over?" Link spoke up.
"Of course. The owner's this way. You can work all the details out with him." Ingo said as he directed them to the door.
"Owner? I thought you were the owner." Eddy spoke up.
"Me? The owner?" Ingo asked before laughing. "Don't be silly. I'm just a humble worker here. Now, stop with the jokes and go see Mr. Talon."
"Talon?" Link said before Talon himself walked out of his home.
"Well well, as I live and breathe! If it ain't you guys!" Talon said with a smile.
"Mr. Talon? What's going on here?" Edd asked.
"I'll explain. But first, let's get Epona to the barn." Talon said before leading them all to the barn, where a smiling Malon and hard working Rolf awaited.
"Guests?" Malon said before she saw the people coming in. "It's the fairy boy and his friends!"
"HOHOO! The Ed boys and man-who-wears-a-dress have returned!" Rolf cheered.
"Easy, Link." Eddy snickered as Link started to reach for his sword.
"Well, I'm going to get started on the wagon inspection. Malon can handle Epona." Ingo said as he began unhooking Epona. As he did, the others in the room all moved away to ask the big question.
"What the heck happened to him?" Eddy asked.
"Indeed. Mr. Ingo is acting far differently since our last encounter." Edd stated.
"Well, it could either have been caused by his fear of Ganondorf hearing about what happened last time. Or it could be because Epona kicked his head into a metal fence." Malon answered.
"I'm all for the latter, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that he's Mr. Nice Guy and I'm back in the saddle of Lon Lon Ranch!" Talon finished. "And this time, I'm going to pull my own weight around here."
"Good luck with that." Eddy snickered as he eyed Talon's girth.
"Thank's for the support!" Talon said, completely missing the jab.
"Well, I'm certainly glad that the situation around here has gotten better." Edd stated before turning to Rolf. "And how have you been, Rolf?"
"Very good, head-in-sock Ed boy! The treatment of the Son-of-a-Shepherd has increased under Talon's order."
"As has the treatment of the animals now that we don't have to fear Mr. Ingo hurting them because of us." Malon said as she gently brushed Epona's fur. "So, how have all of you been?"
"We've been...alright." Link answered. "We've taken care of the monsters in the Forest Temple. Now we're on our way back to Kakariko Village to plan our next move."
"Was it dangerous?" Talon asked as he prepared some oats for Epona to eat.
"Nah. It was a piece of cake." Eddy boasted, earning looks from Edd and Link.
"It was rather...troublesome. OH! And we also ran into Johnny and Plank!" said Edd.
"Johnny the wood boy?!" Rolf asked with a smile.
"Yeah! He's been helping to protect Kokiri Forest from the evil plants and spiders that wanted to attack the poor children as Captain Melonhead!" Ed exclaimed.
"...As who now?" Ingo asked with a perplexed look.
"Forget it. Anyway, the Forest is safe, but we have to go to more temples." Eddy summed up.
"And I have a feeling that it won't be so easy the next time." Edd sighed before he heard Ed running after some Cuccos and laughing. "ED! BE CAREFUL! DON'T ANTAGONIZE THEM!" he warned.
"If he makes them mad, I'm running!" Eddy promised with a nervous frown.
"ED BOY! NOT AGAIN!" Ed yelled as he grabbed a pitchfork and started to chase after Ed, then both of them running from a flock of angry cuccos.
"When will they ever learn?" Ingo asked while shaking his head.
After saying their goodbyes, the heroes left Lon Lon Ranch and were now walking through the gates into Kakariko Village.
"I told you to leave the cuccos alone, Ed." Edd said with a sigh.
"But Double D, they are so fluffy and cute!" Ed exclaimed, his face covered in welts and feathers that fluttered off of him.
"Until you mess with them. Then they peck at you until nothing remains." Eddy grumped before blowing a feather away.
"Let's just get back to the Inn. We need to check our supplies and decide where to go next." Link huffed.
The four of them walked into the Inn, with Ed leaving a trail of feathers behind him.
"Big Ed! You're okay!" May exclaimed from where she was sweeping when she saw him.
"AHHH! RUN AWAY!" Ed yelled when he saw her before he ran out the door.
"What do you want, May?" Eddy growled.
"I work here, remember?" May reminded him. "And why can't Ed stop that whenever he sees me?"
"We're still traumatized from everything you and your sisters did to us." Edd stated. "It's very difficult to wipe that out."
"Yeah, so stay away from us." Eddy ordered.
"Hmph! See if I ever give any of you free toast again!" May huffed as she walked away to sweep somewhere else.
"Oh dear. I believe we've upset her." Edd stated.
"Ah, who cares? We're not here to get chummy with Kankers anyway." Eddy huffed before he sat at a table. "We'll order some food while you go look for Ed."
"Bossy bossy bossy." Edd grumbled before he left to find Ed while Link raised an eyebrow at Eddy.
"And you're not looking for Ed too, why?" Link asked.
"Eh, it's fine." Eddy said, completely ignoring the question. Link rolled his eyes before he sat down across from Eddy.
"Since we're here, let's organize our gear and supplies." Link suggested.
"Ugh. Fine. At least I can count the money we have." Eddy groaned before he and Link started to sift through everything and start counting.
"Four red rupees...3 blue ones...one purple. That's a big one." Eddy muttered, his grin returning as he counted the money. He reached for another rupee in the pile before they started to shake, followed by the whole room. "What the-?! What's going on?!"
"Hold tight, folks! It should pass soon!" the owner yelled. A few moments later, the shaking stopped, leaving everyone to slowly get back to whatever they were doing.
"What was that?!" Navi asked.
"Just another earthquake caused by Death Mountain." the owner stated as she approached the table. "They happen every now and then. Nothing too huge...so far."
"Death Mountain?" Eddy asked before looking up at the ominous red ring around the top of the volcano. "Oh yeah. That creepy ring is there."
"What's been causing them? Are the Gorons acting up?" Link asked.
"The Gorons? Nobody's seen them since that ring appeared years ago." the owner stated. "Not in town, at least. And nobody's dared to travel up the mountain to see them."
"That's concerning." Link stated as Edd and Ed walked back in.
"What caused those tremors?" Edd asked.
"Ask your friends. I got tables to tend to." the owner said before walking off. The two sat down and listened as Eddy, Link and Navi explained what they heard.
"Oh dear." Edd whispered.
"Are the Gorons and Mr. Darunia okay?" Ed asked.
"Don't know. Maybe we should head up there?" Link suggested.
"You want us to climb up an active volcano? Are you crazy?" Eddy asked.
"We've done it before, we can do it again." Link countered.
"Urgh. Alright." Eddy grumbled.
"Then let us check our provisions and set out." said Edd.