"Luna," I poked the sleeping bear nestled away in her makeshift shelter, "Luna, wake up."

"If you're not dying, Link," Luna growled, her eyes still shut, "You'll wish you were."

"Come on," I gave her a nudge, "We have to get up."

"Why?" she wined, "I'm tired. Let me go back to sleep."

"I know where the Kokiri Emerald is," I started packing, "We have to get going now."

"Alright," Luna sat up, thoroughly annoyed with me, "I'm up. How do you know where the Kokiri Emerald is? Did you go knock some sense into Mido and I missed it?"

"No," I explained, "I was visited by the spirit of the Great Deku Tree."

"I woke up for a ghost story?" she rolled over, "No, thank you. This can wait until morning. Good night, Link."

"No," I put my foot down, "We have to go now while the Kokiri are asleep and Mido can't stop us."

"Fine," Luna caved, grabbing her bag, her quiver, and her bow, "So, where is the Kokiri Emerald then?"

"The Faron Woods," I headed out, more bound and determined than ever before, "The Great Deku Tree said it's in the Forest Temple."

"Link, wait!" she called after me, catching up.

"Can't," I forged ahead, "At this pace, we'll make it by morning."

"Link!" Luna grabbed my arm, "Slow down! How are we going to get through the woods in pitch dark? The Lost Woods are a giant maze and all the spark beads in the world aren't going to be able to light the way."

I thought it over for a minute or two. Luna had a point. The Lost Woods were hard to navigate no matter how well we know them. It's not like anyone had the idea to make a map of this place. Maybe we should start early tomorrow morning. At least we'd have a little bit of light to help us out. Then, genius struck! I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier, "I know how we're going to get through the woods in the pitch dark."

"Enlighten me," she took a seat on a giant bolder.

"We get help," I looked around for any signs of him, "I know you're there. You're hiding somewhere. Come on out. Where are you?"

"No!" a voice shouted out, "She's scary!"

"It's alright," I settled him, "She's ok now. She's not going to hurt you."

"Link," Luna got nervous, "Who are you talking to?"

"Someone who knows these woods better than anyone else," I noticed the top of his straw hat peeking out from the inside of a rotted tree that had yet to fall, "Come on…"

"Are…" he peered over, "Are you here to play with me, Link? I'd love to play with you."

"Sort of," I shrugged, "She and I have an important mission to get to. And we need help out of the Lost Woods, Skull Kid. No one knows these woods like you do. So, if you can find a way for us to play and get us out of here, then yes. We can play, too."

"Wonderful!" Skull Kid spun his horn around his finger, "Follow me!"

"Link," Luna groaned, "What are we doing?"

"Follow him!" I ran after the little imp, listening to him play his tune. The louder his song, the closer he was. We chased him all over Hylia's creation until we finally came to a clearing. This didn't look like the way out.

"I thought you said he was going to get us out of here," Luna stopped to catch her breath.

"You said you were going to play with me," Skull Kid teased, resting on top of a rock, "We have to play."

"Alright," I needed to get out of here and the only way was to play with him, "What do you want to do now, Skull Kid?"

"Play with me!" he took out his horn, "Play with me!"

"Fine," I see what he's doing. I took out my ocarina, "What do you want to play?"

"Not you!" Skull Kid shot me down, "The angry, scary lady."

"Luna," I handed her my ocarina, "Could you play with him?"

"Why do you want to play with me?" Luna wondered.

"So I know you're not mean!" Skull kid started a song.

"What do I do?" she leaned over to me.

"Play what he plays," I figured.

"Alright," Luna followed along with whatever it was Skull Kid was trying to play.

"Yay!" Skull Kid finished his song, "You're alright with me, scary lady."

"It's Luna," she corrected him, "I'm sorry about throwing my boots at you, Skull Kid."

"We're alright," he let her off the hook, "If you take a left, a right, and another right, you'll be right out of here. Good luck, Link! See you later!"

Finally, we were back in somewhat civilization. At least we were out of the Lost Woods. After passing the charred remains of the Kokiri Village, Luna and I made it into the Faron Woods. I remember running around these woods as a kid, too. Something was oddly peaceful out here. But we weren't out here to relax. Deep in the Faron Woods was a dilapidated structure that was once the Forest Temple.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Luna asked, "I think I remember squatting here with the moblins before, but it sounded super haunted."

"I'm sure," I nodded, pushing the door open.

"And did the Great Deku Tree tell you which room it's in?"

"It's just up ahead," I assumed. Deeper into the temple, I could've sworn I heard laughter and music. Maybe Luna was right and the temple was haunted now. The ground started to shake underneath us. THE TEMPLE IS HAUNTED!

"We're getting impatient, Princess," a familiar, soft voice growled. Or it's not haunted.

"Cryoheim," Luna bared her teeth, ready to draw her bow, "Leave. No one asked you to be here."

"Quite the contrary," Cryoheim chimed, "Ganondorf asked me to be here. He figured you and the little hero were after the stones. The Kokiri Emerald's here, is it not?"

"Leave," she demanded.

He held the tip of his blade up to my throat and I tried to jump back, "HOLD ON HERE!"

"I've already brought him near death once, Princess," Cryoheim grinned darkly, "Would you care to see me try again?"

"You know what happened last time," Luna stood her ground, drawing her bow.

"Your magic trick doesn't impress me," he scoffed, a bright red light emanating from his blade, "Because Ganondorf gave me a nice little present. You're not scaring me anymore. One little swipe and goodbye, Hero of Time…"

"Not in my temple," a sweeter voice warmed me inside. A bright blast of light threw Cryoheim into the wall, "How dare you come into my temple and try to hurt him?"

"Who…"

BAM!

"Leave my temple," she ordered, "Never come back. And no harm is going to come to this boy. Not here. Not now. Now, leave!"

"This temple is haunted!" Cryoheim ran off, "But I will be back for you, Princess!"

Luna gave me a worried look, "Is this temple haunted?"

"No," I smiled, "It's guarded by a sage."

"Hello, Link," the bright light came down, sitting on the pedestal in the middle of the room, "The Great Deku Tree told me you'd be coming. And you must be Luna."

"Yes," she still wasn't sure what was going on, "Who are you?"

"I'm Saria," she introduced herself, "I'm the sage of this temple. It's so nice to finally meet you."

"Wait," Luna looked over at me, "Is she that Saria?"

"Yes," I beamed, remembering what I had in my pocket, "Wait, Saria, I have your ocarina!"

"You can keep it," Saria insisted, "But maybe you could play for me like when we were young. You were always the better one at it, Link. Please? Just for me?"

"Of course," I couldn't turn her down. A soft, familiar melody came out of my ocarina. A song I played for Saria all the time when we were younger. Memories of the Kokiri Village started flooding back. Of Saria and I hiding in the Lost Woods. All of the times she stood up to Mido for me. I missed those days.

"Thank you," her face lit up, "Now, I'm sure I have something for you. Hold on."

Saria receded into the pedestal and came back out with a bright green stone in her hands. I couldn't help but touch it, "The Kokiri Emerald."

"I'm trusting you have the other two," Saria hoped.

"We do," I nodded, taking the emerald. All of a sudden, the Master Sword started to glow like Cryoheim's sword. Only instead of red flames, a divine, blue light shined bright. I think the Master Sword is back at full power. We're ready, "Saria…I wish we could stay longer, but we have to go save Princess Zelda."

"What else is new?" she teased, kissing my cheek, "Be careful, Link…"

"I will," I tried my hardest to not start blushing, but my body betrayed me as the heat rose in my face.

"And Luna," Saria turned her attention toward my sister.

"Yes?"

"He's reckless," she jabbed, "Please. Watch him. I know you're capable."

Luna looked to Saria, then back to me. A big smile swept across her face, "It'd be my pleasure…"

This was it. With the Master Sword at full power and the other half of the Triforce of Courage at my side, we were ready to take on Ganondorf. Everything has been leading up to this moment and now, his reign of terror would be over. I'm coming for you, Zelda. It'll be ok.