Disclaimer; I do not own The Legend of Zelda, nor anything affiliated thereof. I seek no profit by publishing this work of fanfiction.
-x-
Follow the music. Stay on the path. Follow the music. Stay on the path. Follow the music, and for Din's sake, stay on the path.
A strangely familiar tune filters through the trees and dances in your ears. A jovial song, reviving memories of happiness and cheer, will guide you through the trees; you need only follow.
The trees will seek to deceive you. They will show you visions that entice you to stray; endearing memories from the past, promises of fortune or glory, the beckoning hand of a good friend, a mentor, a lover. The trees will use every weapon in their arsenal to make you deaf to the music.
The music is the key. By Farore's mercy, the music will lead you through the forest. You need not worry about your destination; the music will take you to where you must be. A place of sanctuary, a place of good cheer, perhaps even a city far away. Wherever you are needed, the music will deliver you.
You cock your head, confused and intrigued by the strange text you just read. The sign looks old; it's mossy and slightly warped, making the engraved runes even harder to read.
"Hey, you gonna go in or not?" An impatient, taunting voice calls from behind you, and you look over your shoulder to give a withering look to your friends.
"Of course I'm going in!" Facing forward, you stride confidently through the dark log entrance to the Lost Woods, the warning on the sign buzzing in your head. For a few steps, you hear your own footfalls on the wood and cheers of encouragement from your friends, but soon, there is nothing but silence.
Swallowing past the heart in your throat, you glance around as you walk inside the log, wondering when you'll finally step out of it. You've nearly given up and turned around when you stumble slightly, not expecting the terrain to suddenly shift from wood to ground.
Catching yourself, you realize you've just come into a clearing. The sunlight streams in from between the thinning leaves, and three more paths lead to your left, right, and front. Hesitating, you take a few steps to the center, and that is when you hear it.
The music.
You feel rejuvenated by the uplifting chords and jovial notes of a flute instrument. Turning your ears to each path, you decide left is the way to go, and you pick your way through the trees until you reach another clearing.
Already, you're getting bored, but something is gently pulling you forward, so you head to the right, following the music.
At the next clearing, you go left, and the next one you go right. At the next you go straight, and that one leads you to another clearing where you go right. You're so tired, so you sit down in the center of the clearing and lean back, looking up at the clear blue sky through the break in the interlocking leaves.
You're not sure how much time has passed until your eyelids start to droop. You try to fight the feeling, but it's too peaceful with the soft rustle of the wind dancing through the leaves and the faint sounds of music. Before you know it, you're sprawled out and breathing softly, fast asleep.
A rumbling noise and a sudden blast shock you awake. With a jolt, you sit up, and with wide eyes, you stare into the black woods. Looking up, you realize there are no stars, and the moon is covered by black clouds. The wind is violently tearing at the branches above you, but you only feel a light breeze.
Panic grips your heart, and you leap to your feet, whirling around to look for some sign of where you entered from. Each path looks exactly the same, and you sink to your knees in despair as you realize your mistake.
Suddenly, you see a light fluttering through the path in front of you, and you scramble up and dash through the trees, chasing the light with hope. When you reach the spot where you figured it would be, you realize that it's further than you thought. It seems to dance away from you, and no matter how many clearings you chase it into, it's always one clearing away.
Lungs burning and legs aching, you stumble over an exposed root and the ground rushes towards you. Knees bloodied and palms scraped, you try to stand up, but your screaming muscles refuse to let you, and you fall back to the ground. Battered and exhausted, you curl up as it starts to rain.
The leaves catch most of the precipitation, but the droplets that make it down to earth are cold against your skin, and soon soak through your thick clothes. Shivering, lost and alone in this unfamiliar territory, you hug your knees to your chest and press your face in to the wet grass, finding some small comfort in the earthy smell.
The thunder rumbles above, and as you sink into a fitful, feverish half-sleep, you fail to hear the light notes of a familiar instrument flutter through the trees.