Link, Navi and Emerald appeared just outside the door of what looked like a run-down hut. The former-most remembered this place as the wooded village he went to for the last of three stones, while the latter-most knew this as her home. What was once green had faded to a dull brown, roofs grew holes and gardens died off. The village as a whole... was dying, much like the Great Treant was those seven years ago.

"Before I came and got you," Emmy stated, "I was in the middle of a council meeting. We were trying to decide what to do about- Hey!"

Not wanting to waste any time, Link brushed her aside and opened the door. Inside, the citizens - which were few by comparison to Ponyville, new or old - fell quiet, casting their curious gazes to the human at their doorway. Link looked around at them, recognizing just two: the filly who once sat atop the shop now sat at the far end of the room, and the other being the shopkeeper colt who stood by the left side wall.

Emmy slid past him on the right and pointed up at Link. "I toldja so!" she announced with triumph. "Doubt me again, see what happens." Link glanced down at her with a look of confusion, the shrugged and returned his look forward.

"Where's the boss?" he asked, stepping to the center of the room. "Yay tall, scraggly look, snaggletooth."

"Don't let him hear you say that," one said. The others let out a chuckle.

"Then he's not here," Link concluded. "Did he leave to handle the problem?"

"As if he had that kind of-" Emmy was cut short once more.

The filly on the far end - the filly who sat atop the store - stood and acknowledged him. "Acting boss."

Link stared the little filly down and walked over to her. She did not move much, outside of a slight shift in balance. He saw her as the leader and sat in front of her, legs under him and hands neatly placed on his thighs. "Nice to see you again."

"Same." She looked over to Emmy and gestured to Link. "He's bigger than I remember."

"You're telling me," Emmy replied, walking over. "But we don't have time to reminisce. Nor is it the reason he's here." Link gave a single nod as his slight smile faded.

The filly walked around him. "Yeah, that's you alright. Still have that air of duty around you like a thick aura."

Link took the compliment silently. Emmy patted him on the shoulder. "He's the real deal, I'm sure you know. And he's here to help. Our woods have turned to rot. And we know who's to blame. The Evil King Ganondorf. 7 years ago, he invaded Equestria at large and in a matter of days laid waste to the Castle. He now sits upon its throne with Their Highnesses removed from the position. Not only that, but he's taken prisoners and locked them away, one of which is in our very home. We can't get near, because of the dark magic around the Temple of Nature. Link knows Equestrian magic is no good, so we can't fly, or hit it with spells, and we don't even have artifacts like Link's bow." She paused to look around. "He's our best chance, and you all know it."

Most of the others started murmuring to themselves. The filly argued, "But he's an adult now."

"So am I!" Emmy shouted with a quick turn. "And you all will be too, when the magic fully drains from the land. We Forest Dwellers stay young by sipping on the bountiful energy of the forest, given by the Temple of Nature. If it's not restored... We will grow old and die." She made eye contact with the others as she turned. "Every, single, one of you, will grow as old if not older than me and eventually die. I wanted that for myself. Not for all of us. I say let him do it."

"That's why I'm here after all," Link admitted. "The Temple of Nature as you call it has one of my friends locked inside it. And I'm willing to bet that it's keeping them from escaping. He's keeping them there. With this dark magic you speak of. I should be able to get in and clean up, all while saving my friend. So, who wants me to give it a shot?"

Most of the others raised their hooves. There were some who doubted him, as they never got the chance to meet him the first time he was there. "Almost all of us. Well, majority rules in this house, so... We'll let you help. Just this once more."

"It seems like I'm always gonna be your guide on this sort of thing."

"Guide?" Link asked Emmy, looking over at her.

"Yeah, guide. The Deep Woods are waaaaay different than the woods you already know about. We can talk about it on the way."

"Safe travels," the filly wished.

Emmy turned to the filly and thanked her for her request. Link nodded and exited the house with her. "Way different, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, really different. So, you already know - yeah, right back and up there," she interrupted herself. " - already know that Everfree Forest is strange, in that it's all on its own, right?" He nodded and climbed up the first ledge. "The Deep Woods move around. Every so often, paths open and close, rocks move, trees break and mend, stumps and roots aplenty. But that's normal."

"If the woods change, then how do you find the Temple?" Navi asked. Emmy flew up and landed beside him.

"I may not look it, but I'm way older than you are. You're what... 20 at this point? Yeah, I was ... somewhere around there when I first left the forest." That would make me... old... yikes. "Anyway, because I've lived here my whole life as one of the heads, I know the woods inside and out. They could change for minutes straight and I'd still find my way out."

Link folded his arms. "You can feel the temple's magic, huh..." Emmy looked shocked, then flew up to the next cliff. "I knew it."

She looked down and watched him climb up the vines. "So what? Yeah, I can feel the temple's magic. Only now, it's a dark magic that's covering what I know, so I have to feel for that instead." Emmy stayed put as Link got up beside her. The two walked around the corner and stood in front of a wide open entryway. Ruffling came from beyond the opening, and Emmy held him back. "Don't go anywhere when the woods are moving. They take into consideration where we are and do their best to not affect our immediate surrounding. But everywhere else, everything moves. Except, obviously, the Temple of Nature."

"Convenient," Link admitted. "I guess I should be thankful." The two of them waited for the moving sounds to stop before walking inside.

After just thirty minutes, the rustling returned, starting further away from them than Link expected. Emmy had to remind him not to move while it happened. When it came around them, it brought a breeze, rustling the trees and hedges that zipped by them at surprising speeds.

Temple of Nature... And I can't get in without the Hookshot. What kind of defenses does this place have? he thought. Link took out his writing stuff and waited for everything to stop moving. When it did, he set his stuff down. "Emmy, hold on a minute."

She looked back at him and saw his stuff. "Oh. Right. You still do that for Epona." Emerald went and sat right behind him, back to back. "I never published my book, you know? The nation went downhill so fast, it didn't seem important anymore."

Link nodded, and she felt his agreement. He began writing his eleventh entry...

August 12
Friday
Deep Woods

Been a few days, since I wrote something. Felt like a good time. Adult body is clunky; too big to move how I could back then, definitely gonna need to train up a bit. When I first returned to Ponyville, I found it to be more of an outpost than a town. Everypony had a purpose, something to do. I was gifted my very own bow and arrow set by the ruling body of that town. She seems nice.

Wonder what happened to the mayor...

Kakariko Mura hasn't changed much. There is a new shooting gallery, though. I'll have to go back when all this is over. The gravekeeper is dead. He left me his treasured Hookshot for racing him on foot and hoof. I didn't win the race, but I was still closer than everypony else was. Next time, I think I'll win.

Emmy showed up after and brought me to the forest where I will soon set out to rescue whichever mare from my past is locked away inside...

He let the ink dry and put his stuff away. "That'll do it."

Emmy looked over her shoulder at him. "For Epona, right? You and her... You two really have a close bond... After you left the final time-"

"Don't," Link interrupted, standing up. "Don't tell me what happens. Because for me, it hasn't happened yet."

She looked down with a frown before standing. "Fine." She hesitated for a moment after. "This way then." Once more, she began leading him deeper into the woods. Occasionally, she looked back at him, both to make sure he was still following and that he was of sound mind and body. "You're really calm, considering..."

"Oh?" Link asked. "You think I'm calm?" he continued, trying to make it sound accurate. "I'm actually not, not on the inside. I mean, a foe from my homeworld chased me here, took Equestria hostage and so far, I'm the only one who can save it. Not by choice, but because I am 'destined' to. I was chosen for this. But I suppose it was expected, he's from my homeworld after all, not yours. And to make things difficult, I have to save the nation 7 years after I intended to, the heads of state are dead, my friends are gone and Twilight's missing." His voice became increasingly rage-filled. "Ganondorf came in under my nose, nopony decided to warn me in time to keep it from happening, and the nation's now under his rule. Am I calm?! NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST!!" Link took a few breaths. "But I have to look like I am, or I lose all sense of rationality."

Emmy had been backing away from Link during his rant. "There's a term for that." Link tilted his head a little. "Tranquil fury. It's a dangerous weapon that I'm glad is on our side." She faced forward and continued on. "You really have a lid on it around everypony else, you know."

"Yeah. I bet I do. How much farther?"

"Should be just through here." She pushed aside some bushes and arrived in a small meadowed area. "It's at the end of that maze. Thankfully, this area doesn't change like the rest of the Deep Woods. The real threat is-"

Just then, a big burly biped came around the corner. Its eyes flashed red as it lowered its spear to charge. It was covered in grey-toned armor worn over its dark brown skin. Every step it took could be felt through the ground.

I've been waiting to try this out. Link stepped in front of Emmy, who gladly hid behind him. He took out his adult shield and put it on his arm through the strap while it was still half in his pouch. In one swipe, the tip of the spear was deflected to the left, leaving the body wide open. Link hopped up, charged his sword and turned, slicing leftward through the beast's neck. The head went one way, the body went another. Link landed with his shield at the ready facing the fallen foe. "Easy as that."

Emmy circled the fallen body. "You've been this big for how long? A week? And you can already move like that?"

"Well, I did face off against a slew of bandits already." Link swung the blood off his sword and sheathed it soon after, resting the shield over his sheath with ease. The body and head - even the weapon - dissolved into shadow and darkness. "Looks like clean-up will be a breeze."

She agreed and looked over at him. "You really wanna go in there, eh?"

"No, but I have to." He took out his childhood sword and put it on the ground at Emmy's hooves. "Keep this close. In case they slip by me."

"You got it." She glanced down at the sword. "Like old times."

"Just like old times." Link turned away and marched into the maze...

Link approached the first turn and stopped, listening for metal moving and heavy steps. There was one, some distance to the right. Carefully, he peered around the corner and saw it. Again, Link charged his sword and waited for it to get close enough. Once it was, he rolled out from the turn and stabbed up through its gut to where the heart should be. Then, he shield bashed the beast off his sword and watched it writhe until it died and dissolved.

He hurried to the next corner and listened. Link noticed there was smoke rising above the edge of the walls above. A fire... "Navi," he whispered, "how many?"

She flew up and to the edge. Navi saw the fire and four brutes just grunting at each other sitting around said firepit. When she returned, she answered, "4, all sitting around a fire. So far, they don't know you're here." She returned to under Link's hat and waited for his choice of action.

Link turned his sword tip down and handed it over to his right to hold. In his freed left, Link charged a ball of fire. As he had done in the past, he formed a perfect sphere, ready to throw. He stepped around the corner and launched it as accurately as he could at the fire pit, causing it to explode on impact. The blast caught two of the beasts on fire; the two on the far side, as that was the way a majority of the fire spread.

Both the remaining pair and burning pair growled; one out of anger, the other out of pain. The former pair readied their weapons and full-boar charged Link, who took his sword in his proper hand and raised his metal shield. Both spears broke at the shaft when they tried and failed to pierce his shield. Link stepped in and charged magic into his sword and spun quick three times, releasing a wave with each rotation that cut into the enemies' bodies through their armor. "Haaaaaaaa!" he yelled. As the four beasts dissolved into shadow, three more came around the far corner.

He dropped his sword and shield and readied his bow, releasing an arrow so quick he didn't have much time to aim. Not that it mattered, as the arrow went clean through the throats of all three, causing them to bleed out before evaporating. Link picked up his sword and shield after stowing his bow away. "You know, this is actually kinda fun," he admitted, walking to the fire pit. Link stuck out his hand to the campfire and absorbed the magic into himself. "I didn't think that would actually work."

"What did you do?" Navi asked, sitting on his shoulder.

"I absorbed my fires and got back some of the magic I used." Link put his hand to the burning patches left behind by the two burning bodies and found they burned on. "Hmm... Well, that's a good thing to know. I can't absorb natural fire, or maybe just other fire in general."

"No, I mean... I thought Emmy said you can't use magic."

"I-" Link hesitated, and gave it some thought. "Yes, she did... And her power is Equestrian. Mine came from a piece of my home world, making it 'not Equestrian'. Not sure how the two are different fundamentally, but I'll take the win where I can get it." I'll have to talk to her later about that...

He continued on to the next corner and retrieved his arrow from the wall, putting it in his pouch for later. "What?" he asked Navi, who was giving him a confused look. "Arrows are hard to come by."

Around the next corner, he saw a smaller beast, wielding a sword and a shield. Looked more like a walking lizard than one of the beasts he's fought until now. It took some moments to flick its tongue out and cock its head in various directions. This one, like the others, wore some armor over its upper body. Didn't look all that heavy, so Link bet he could cut through it easier, if he could tag it.

"Finally, a challenge." Link walked out from the corner and readied his weapons. Wasting little time, he fired a wave of magic at it. When it noticed, it ducked under and started its charge. Right as it got close enough, it raised its sword and brought it down on Link, who raised his shield and blocked entirely. Then with his sword, he swung right, aiming for the skin just under the armor line. The beast backstepped, dodging entirely. Both fighters eyed the other carefully. A moment passed before the beast dashed forward and shield-bashed Link's own shield.

A loud ringing echoed through the woods as metal collided with metal. Link pushed back and swung anyway, knowing he was going to be too far away to hit anything. The beast blocked with his sword anyway, and paid for its decision by getting his weapon broke in one attempt. Link released a close range wave that barely scraped the armor.

Too shallow! he thought. On the back swing, he didn't have the time to charge his sword again, so he thanked Celestia the beast had thrown his sword hilt at Link. He was able to swat it out of the air and step in. In desperation, the beast readied his block and braced itself. Didn't matter to Link, who had enough time that time to actually energize his weapon with enough magic. The resulting slice not only cut through the shield and arm of the beast, but its entire body as well. It yelped in pain before dissolving like the others.

Link saw his sword was covered in a surprising amount of blood. Without adequate time to deal with cleaning, he moved on into the deeper part of the approach.

In the next few turns, he saw three more beasts, to which he promptly put his sword to use. Around the last of the corners before the next area, he made a mental note of a ladder leading up to the top of the walls above. Ignoring it for now, he pressed on into the deepest part of the woods.

The zone ahead was more wild than the previous areas; walls were carved into with designs depicting what he assumed was the history of the ponies who lived in the village, vines and flowers of all colors covered the ground and climbed the walls in many places. A pleasing aroma was carried along the ever-so-gentle breeze that frequently swept through the area. He silently wished he had a green version of his tunic so he could blend in. As he progressed, he came upon three more beasts. Though he did his best to not injure the surrounding foliage, there were only two times where it could not be helped.

Out the other side, he found himself at the base of a set of stairs. Peering over the top, he saw the biggest beast he had seen staring straight at him from the other side of the long wooded hallway. In a show of strength, it raised its massive club and impacted the ground, sending a column of dirt and rocks hurtling toward him with a roar.

The column dispersed at the top of the stairs, just before reaching him. Link used the cover to ready his bow, and once the dirt and rocks fell to the ground, he fired three arrows is quick succession, all piercing the thick skin of the creature, dropping it to the ground with a heavy thud. Like the rest of them, it shriveled into a dark mass and dissolved into thin air, leaving his arrows behind. Without caution, no longer feeling like he's being watched, he approached the beast's fallen self. "Actually, I think that one might be on par with the Ursa. Height-wise anyway. Ursa's still longer." Link bent down and picked up his arrows.

"Really? What if the Ursa stood up on its back legs?" Navi asked.

"Hmm... You're right. The Ursa wins outright," Link conceded with a smile. Up the slope behind the beast they went, spying a similar stone platform to the castle in the woods. Beyond it stood a tree with a single branch reaching out over a broken flight of stairs. "Alright," he said, putting away his weapons. "You ready for this?"

"Are you?" a disembodied voice replied. As Link looked around, he spotted a figure standing in the open on his left. A ray of light shone onto the figure, revealing it to be the stallion he met in the castle, wrapped in cloth and everything. "You made it."

Heading out to Everfree Northwest 2021 soon! If you're going, feel free to say hi! I'm going by Shade Walker. See you there!