Ganon and Epona walked through the waters with some difficulty. Sometimes, Epona would step awkwardly on the rocks at the bottom, causing her to almost trip. Each time, Ganon would stand closely behind her, ready to catch her if she fell too far. Each time she made a mistake in her steps, she would make a grunting noise and do her best to avoid his touch. When he realized that it was his helping hand she was avoiding, he kept his distance.

They reached a point where they were able to sit down because the small river's edges sunk down just enough, allowing them to sit comfortably on the edge. The more Ganon thought about, he figured that it would be more accurate to call it a wide creek. It was shallow, but it made up for the depth in its width.

Ganon looked around them cautiously. He was searching for a sign that Zelda may have passed through this area at one point. Staring at the water, it took him a moment to realize that the current had stopped. When they had started, it was strong and threatened to take Epona back to the carriage. "The current has stopped," Ganon said with surprise.

"You're right," Epona replied nonchalantly. It didn't seem to surprise her as much as it did him.

Looking up and down the river, he felt confused about how the current could stop. "Are you ready to keep going?" he asked, standing. Whether or not she was ready, he wanted to keep moving.

Epona shot him a glare and got up, walking closely behind him. With no current, it was easier for her to move and he didn't feel the need to keep her in front. Slowly, the water level fell as they traveled, until it was at Epona's knees. The small incline they were climbing earlier, changed dramatically into an uphill battle.

"Maybe we should walk on the edge, Ganon," Epona panted. She was visibly flustered. Ganon and Epona were both hardy and strong; the exhaustion and weariness setting in was something they rarely felt. "I'm not sure how much longer my legs can take this, Ganon," she complained, her breathing becoming more ragged.

Ganon stopped, putting his hands on his knees as he bent over, trying to recover from the burning sensation in his legs. He was at his limit as well. Panting, he looked further up the river, in the direction they were traveling. There was no end in sight. He wasn't sure if the river would bring them where they needed to go any more. Taking a deep breath, he turned to look at Epona. He gave out a yell in surprise to see her removing her armor. Beneath her armor she wore thin clothing like him and Zelda; her underclothing was white and consisted of loosely fitting pants and a long sleeved shirt. Because of the sweat, her clothing was a sheer off-white color.

"Epona, could you put your armor back on?" he asked, turning away. He couldn't blame her, but it angered him that she would suddenly stop to take off her armor; what if they were attacked? This would delay their traveling, he thought.

"I'm not sure how you're not taking it off, but I can't keep going. I need a break!"

"We just took one."

"I'll carry my armor then, but I can't keep lifting it in the water. My legs are killing me! Why don't you take off your legs pieces? Then, you'll see just how much more comfortable it is!"

He grunted in response. She kept talking, but he tuned her out. His thoughts were focused on trying to get to the top of this hill.

After what felt like an eternity, Epona stopped talking and they reached the top. Both panting, they stared blankly ahead at the village before them. They stood at the top of a waterfall that was frozen in time. Looking back, he saw that each footstep Epona and him had made left a permanent ripple on the surface of the river. "Something's wrong," he mumbled. He wondered how he hadn't noticed the change in the water

"There she is!"

Ganon followed Epona's pointed finger to Zelda who stood in the center of the village. She was holding her necklace to her lips. Planting a kiss on it, she pulled it away and held it toward the sky. The necklace glowed in a rhythm matching a heartbeat. The necklace changed into a harp doused in golden light. As the light slowly faded away, she brought it close to her chest and began strumming it.

When Epona and Ganon looked from the harp to Zelda, they saw the wounds she had. It looked as if her leg had been wounded in the same place as it was in swamp and her forehead had a deep scratch leaking blood into her right eye. Her eyes, Ganon leaned closer for a better view, were no longer the blue he recognized. They were a golden color that shined like the jewelry worn by rich women.

Zelda closed her eyes and lifted her chin. A sweet melody in a language he vaguely recognized chimed through the village before them. The small homes built for the forever-children of Kokiri village seemed to stir from the sound. There were several homes carved from the trunks of large oak trees. The trees stood taller than the rest of the forest, marking the area of their village to outsiders.

From each home, a small head peered through the open doors. In some of the homes, two would look curiously outside. They looked sad, he realized. As Zelda sang, the forest seemed to become a more vibrant shade of green. The pool of water at the bottom of the waterfall that was murky moments ago became crystal clear. The flowers growing on the homes, and in the grasses of the village began to bloom and sway with the melody Zelda played.

When she had stopped playing, the Kokiri children had gathered a circle around her, cheering and smiling. "You did it!" they all laughed playfully and danced with one another. Zelda returned their smiles wholeheartedly. "Zelda!" Epona shouted, waving her arms frantically.

Zelda looked toward them, horrified. "You aren't supposed to be here," she shouted at them. Any trace of happiness had left as she looked at them. She broke away from the circle of children and ran closer to the pool that the frozen waterfall poured into. "Ganon, I told you not to follow me," she yelled angrily.

He was taken aback by her anger. They climbed the river for what felt like an endless torture to make sure she would reach the village in one piece, and here she was yelling at them. "We wanted to make sure you were OK," Epona answered for him. She sounded hurt. "You both need to leave…" Zelda stopped, her mouth dropping into a large "O".

"Jump!" the children yelled at Ganon and Epona. "Don't look behind you, just jump!" they shouted.

Ganon jumped into the pool below them with no questions. Epona, however, turned to look behind them. It was a large serpent creature with scales on its head that stood upward. As it slithered closer to Epona, its tongue flickered and it raised its head. Its head reached a height far above the trees before it curled, leaving a bump along its otherwise flat body. The bump began to expand outward, creating a similar shape to that of a cobra from the Gerudo desert.

The snake opened it mouth, seemingly smiling as its teeth folded out of its gums. "It's Gohruma!" a child shouted. All of the children panicked and fled to their homes as Zelda aided Ganon out of the time-frozen pond. Epona finally jumped from the waterfall. As she hit the water, Gohruma looked down at them in the village.

"This is my forest, Zelda," a deep female's voice came from Gohruma. "You can't take it from me," Gohruma said sharply. As she talked, her head moved from left to right, making her words flow like those in a rhythmic poem.

"I don't want to take it," Zelda said defensively. "I don't want to kill you, but your children are terrorizing the peaceful Lost Woods. These children would've gladly helped you make this your home if you hadn't let your children eat some of them," she reasoned with Gohruma.

"You don't understand, elf. I want to make this forest mine. A queen shouldn't share," Gohruma responded, moving her head back and forth with each word.

Ganon was helped Epona out of the pond as Gohruma slithered into the village. "Because you're so brave, I'll give you a moment to leave before I let my young feed on the rest of the children here. I have no intention of leaving. Master Link promised that I could live here in peace for the rest of my days and my descendant would flourish."

"Without these children," Zelda gestured toward the rest of the village, "this forest would not be habitable. They keep the monsters here at bay! The only reason they let you come here was because your master threatened to kill their precious god."

"I'll kill the god for Master Link!" Gohruma hissed at Zelda. "Gohruma, please leave this place. The desert would be a fine home for you and your descendants," Zelda tried reasoning again.

"Oh, Zelda. Reasoning with this magnificent creature is going to get you nowhere," Link chimed in from a balcony of a nearby Kokiri home. "She's fierce, and she knows that this forest really is the best place for her," he said kindly to Gohruma. Gohruma hummed in response.

"And I see you brought along Ganon and Epona, despite my warning," Link said with a cheeky smile. "You can't say I didn't try," he shrugged.

Zelda glanced at Epona and Ganon over her shoulder. The two were standing, ready to fight. She looked back at Link, and gulped. "I told them not to come," she defiantly yelled at him.

He shook his index finger and made a "tsk" sound. Snapping his finger, a cage enveloped her and lifted her from the ground. The shaped reminded Ganon of a pet bird's cage, but it was far too small for a human being. Zelda couldn't stand in it; it forced her to sit down.

Thinking quickly, Ganon threw a dagger at Link. At the last second, he moved his head just enough to make the dagger hit his ear. Link grabbed his ear, shouting in pain. Ganon threw another, hoping that Link wouldn't be able to dodge it. Unfortunately, he did. With his disappearance, Zelda disappeared as well. Ganon stared at where Zelda and Link were as Epona elbowed him, hard in the ribs. "We'll find her, but you need to pay attention now!"

She was right, he realized. The Kokiri children emerged from their homes. Instead of the innocent looking children they were a short time ago, they now had red eyes, and body proportions that resembled small goblins. Kokiri children generally have two forms: one is a small, innocent child that they use when facing friends and trying to lure people into the forest, and the other is a beast that is meant to be the last one would see before death took them.

"Epona, I need you to take care of this," Ganon said as he looked around the village for an entrance of exit.

"Are you crazy? I can't take on twenty kids and giant snake," she fiercely whispered at him.

"I think you can. After all, you were the strongest guard in Almeia. Have more confidence in your abilities," he assured her as his eyes locked on the entrance he was looking for. "I need to go reason with their god. It will be far more sensible than these children and hopefully it'll help me get Zelda," he reasoned.

Epona seemed to understand, "Get going," she mumbled.

Ganon ran for the entrance; it was in the opposite direction of the fight, thankfully. Epona would have no trouble taking Gohruma, but Kokiri children were nearly invincible when fought in the Lost Woods. The small village the Kokiri dwelled in, at least in legends, had four paths to take. One path would lead deeper into the forest, another would lead to the other side of the forest, another was a way, and the last was a way to shrine of their god.

The Kokiri children god is a large oak tree that towered high above the tree line of the forest. It was said that the great tree could connect to the heavens and if traveler's wished to visit a passed loved one, they could climb the branches to meet them; such a story has led to many deaths in the Lost Woods.

The entrance to the shrine was marked with a vine growing up the tress on either side of the entrance. Looking back to Epona, he saw her land a blow to Gohruma just as a Kokiri child was ready to slash at her back. She had turned in time to parry the blow and strike at a few of the children. The children seemed to disappear into the wind and she switched her focus back to Gohruma.

Ganon ran down the path leading to the great oak, called the great Deku Tree amongst the Kokiri. When he stopped before it, he suddenly unsure of what to do. Was he meant to talk at it and await a response, or would it react to his presence? Deciding that he would talk to it, he began.

As Ganon was ready to speak, the tree stirred. Birds from the nearby trees fled from the scene, as the tree seemed to grow eyes in the trunk. A mouth soon formed and it looked at Ganon expectantly. "I know who you are," it said in a deep voice. It was a soothing voice that could soothe any crying child. "Once evil, now being forced to play the part of a good soul, this is a hard life for you to grasp and understand," it smiled kindly.

"That's not–"

"Zelda is fine," it said with closed eyes. When his eyes opened, they were a shining, emerald green. "My children are wrongfully angry," the great tree said, its wise old voice reflecting the sadness. Epona shortly emerged beside Ganon, looking perplexed. She looked up at the old tree, just as confused.

"What happened?" Ganon asked Epona quietly.

"They… The children… Gohruma and the children all fell asleep," she explained in a volume barely above a whisper.

"Yes," the tree agreed, "I put them asleep. Had this been another life, the snakes would have grown with the children. Link has disrupted the flow of time in this forest, as you had seen in the waters, Ganon. Link is trying to unseal the gate to the time when your ancestor wished his minions upon the world. He has gotten what he wanted from this forest, and in turn has disturbed it."

The sadness in the voice passed into Epona and Ganon's heart. "Can we restore it?" Epona asked, her voice cracking.

"No. You cannot help. In this lifetime, we are doomed to remaining frozen in time until nature has restored itself here."

"What did Link do?" Ganon asked.

"Link came and took the life essence of Saria; you would call her the princess of the Lost Woods. He killed her, and we must wait for her rebirth in my branches. As you know, Ganon, the Kokiri are born in my branches and when they have awakened, my guardians bring them down. Link approached Saria, pretending to be the hero. She accepted him and he took advantage of that to take her life when her guard was down.

The essence he stole was trapped in a medallion similar to the one the Hero of Time collected many lifetimes ago. I tried to warn Saria, but he made her doubt me," the old tree said sadly. A green light emitted brightly before Ganon and Epona. When it dimmed, they were able to see Saria floating. Like all of the other Kokiri children, she had pale skin. Her hair was different than the normal Kokiri orange-blond; instead, it was a green that matched the lush grass. The dress Saria wore was white and flowed around her body as if it were milky water.

"Saria, like you, is in the rebirth cycle, meant to fulfill a role within each life. Normally, Kokiri are immortal unless killed using one of their weapons. Saria is no exception to the rule of immortality, however she hibernates between cycles. When she roams amongst the Kokiri, then we are all aware that the vicious cycle is about to start."

"If she has been killed…" Epona paused as the realization dawned on her, "That means…"

"The Lost Woods will die with her," the tree finished for him. The woods existed for centuries, millennia even, and the people of Hyrule depend on them. Soon, within the next generation, they will fade into dust and become legends. "This is the last cycle in which we will be present, heroes," the tree admitted with his voice full of sorrow.

There were some lifetimes where the forest wasn't vital to the conclusion of the cycle. In those lifetimes, it lay far on the outskirts of Hyrule, waiting for the day it would be needed again. The children would play and prosper in the time of peace.

"If we bring Saria's essence back, won't you continue on, though?" Epona asked, her voice filled with hope.

The tree chuckled, "No, child. This is her last life, I'm afraid."

Ganon brought a hand to his chin, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. Everything was messing up, he thought. Each life vital to the conclusion of a cycle is reborn every cycle without fail. Saria was passing permanently. "How do you know this is a permanent death?" Ganon asked.

"Saria's essence is what allows us to thrive. The green grass, bushes, and creatures living within will not flourish without it. It is because her that we live as immortals and no not of the fear beyond this living forest. Have you ever wondered how the forest seemed to know where you wanted to go and kept it from you? Have you not wondered how she knew to let you pass through the rivers? She called to Zelda requesting help when she realized that the hero she called upon was not who he should have been this cycle.

"If taken out of the forest, it would crumble and decay without her. Her life is also our life, that is why she is protected here," the tree concluded.

"I will keep my children asleep as they perish," the tree promised.

"They have already left the forest?" Ganon asked.

"They remain here. Saria is attempting to trap them as best as she can with what is left in her now frail body," the Deku Tree answered.

"Can you bring us to them?" Epona asked, filling with hope again.

"When you leave, you'll find you will be where you would like to go," the tree smiled at Epona. "Ganon, you know where to go from here but do not let those burdens you carry weigh you down. In this life, change it," the tree concluded.

"Now, it is my turn to sleep, young ones," the tree said softly. Ganon noticed how the tree was speaking more slowly now, his voice deeper and riddled with pain.

Epona and Ganon lingered by the tree, watching him as he fell into his final slumber. Saria's green light dimmed and was gently lowered to the ground. Her already pale skin became a pure white, nearly glowing in the sun that leaked through the forest. Before leaving, Ganon bowed his head and said a prayer to the goddesses for the tree and Saria. He had hoped that this journey would not leave a path of death behind it.

Turning to leave, Epona and Ganon gave one last look to the sad, dying tree. It disappeared from view as they followed the bend in the path. The path seemed endless. "I don't understand why they had to die," Epona muttered.

"They didn't have to. We arrived too late," Ganon responded coldly.

As they walked, Zelda and Link's voice grew louder.

"…don't have to. I'm sure you could change how things go," Zelda pleaded, her face sticking out between the bars. The space between the bars was enough for her to stick her head plus a shoulder out.

"I really have no interest in leaving power behind. Sometimes it might make me feel restless, but I love having a goal," Link said enthusiastically.

Ganon and Epona hid in the bushes, watching them.

Link turned to face Zelda, who had her hands clutching tightly on two bars, her face in the middle. Link bent down, holding Zelda's chin with his left hand. Link leaned down further and planted a kiss on Zelda's lips. Her grip tightened on the bars, but she didn't resist. Zelda returned his kiss eagerly, leaning into it.

From her sitting position, she had to sit up straight, tilting her head upward. Link separated, moving his hands onto hers. Her face was a light pink as he crouched. His hand on her chin moved to her cheek. She pressed her cheek into the palm of his hand lightly, closing her eyes with a small smile. Zelda seemed as if she were in heaven.

Epona gasped and held a hand over her mouth as she watched the two exchange whispers. She looked at Ganon, hurt reflecting from her brown eyes, "How can you watch this?" Ganon shook his head in response and pressed his right index finger to his lips, signaling for Epona to be silent.

Link slowly moved his hands to hers, holding them. Pressing his forehead against hers, he tightened his grip on her hands. They continued to whisper, both looking to be at peace.

Then, Link smiled in a way that made Ganon's inside turn to ice. Abruptly, he stood and shouted for Zelda to get away from him. Zelda's eyes widened and a bright light enveloped the area. Ganon ran into the light, followed by Epona.