Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to come! One week I just took a break, the next was super-busy, and the next I needed to go back and read the entire thing again! But I'm back now, and it's about to get good. This chapter goes out to any MM fans, btw. Umm, I'm also considering writing a Majora's Mask story (now that I've beaten it…). Of course, this will be way down the line. I have to complete Hero's Path and Princess' Destiny, and then I'm doing a cool prequel. Then I might do MM, but that's all dependent on what you all want to read, because the way it will be set up, it will be a complete sequel to Hero's Path. So this chapter will leave it open, just because there is actually supposed to be a sequel. Ok, I'm done talking. Let's get to the story!

Chapter 9: The Lost Woods

The sun was setting, far off on the western horizon of the plains. Link was running, Navi flying beside, rushing toward the Lost Woods. They had to reach the woods before sunset, unless they wanted to face those skeletons again. Finally, Link stopped himself on a tree and started catching his breath.

"Here we are, Navi… home."

"You live here?" came a strange voice.

Link turned around to see a funny-looking, smiling man with red hair, carrying a monstrous pack on his back. Decorative masks were hanging all over the pack, and the man's hands were cupped together.

"Well, I did…" Link started, but then jumped to, "Where did you come from?"

"Oh, well, I am a traveling mask salesman. I travel the world, dealing in masks that bring happiness to everyone! I was the happy mask shop salesman in Hyrule Castle Town, but no one would buy any masks. So, the shop closed down, and I now roam the world, looking for those who would buy my masks. Business isn't good, but I have faith."

"Faith in what?" Navi asked.

"Oh, a fairy!" he said. "You aren't one of the forest children are you?"

"Uh… yeah. Yes I am," Link said.

"Great! I had faith in children. You see, children were the only ones who bought any of my masks, and that was only when their parents gave them money to do so. But I heard there was a whole village of children inside the Lost Woods, so I thought, 'Maybe if I go there, I can open a new shop!'"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Link said. "They actually make masks and put on plays in the Kokiri Village!"

"They do?" the man said, excitedly. "Oh, how I wish to go in, but I can't!"

"You can't?"

"No, there is a legend of the curse of the forest," he said. "If any outsider steps inside and gets lost, they will turn into a monster! But that didn't stop me! I tried going in anyway, thinking that business and happiness were more important, but when I stepped in, I got pelted with darts!"

"Darts?" Link said.

"Yes! Hey boy, how would you like to be a happiness salesman?"

"Me?" Link was excited again.

"Yes! You sell the mask and bring the money back here."

"Okay! I'll help you!"

"Link, we don't have time for…" Navi started, but was interrupted when the man gave Link a mask. It looked like some sort of skull.

"That is called the Horned Skull Mask," the man said.

"This is cool! Wait till the Kokiri see it!" Link ran into the woods, Navi floating behind. "Thanks, Mister Happy Man!"

"Have faith!" the man called back.

Link and Navi ran the stretch of the woods until they reached the village. Something was going on there, some sort of play, but what Link saw was Mido stabbing Bean with a wooden sword, saying, "Die, Link, die!"

As Link and Navi came out of the woods, everyone stopped and grew silent.

"What are you doing here, tree-killer?" Mido said.

"I was coming to visit you guys," Link said. "What's going on?"

"Oh, we were just planning your demise, you ungrateful Mr. New Fairy," Mido said.

"I didn't kill the Great Deku Tree," Link said.

"Don't say his name, you filthy abandoner."

"Look, I know it looks that way, but if you heard what he said…"

"Oh, it does look that way," Mido said. "You were summoned by the Great Deku Tree. You broke into my house, took the Kokiri Sword from the traitorous Know-It-Alls, and went to see him. You came back, and he was dead. Then you beat me up and left the forest!"

"Beat you up? None of that's right!" Navi said.

"I'm just upset that I once called you, 'Brother'," Mido added.

"What?" Link said. He'd decided Mido was full of it, and there was no one who could believe him. But looking at the crowd of Kokiri he saw they all shared Mido's unwelcoming stare. But several people weren't there. The Know-It-All Brothers weren't there, and neither was Dill. And once again, Saria was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Saria?"

"Saria? No one's seen her around since you left," Mido said.

Link ran to Saria's house. There was no one there, but there was a note on the table. Navi read it for Link. It said, "Gone to the KIA Bros. Be back soon – Dill."

What was Dill doing putting notes in Saria's house? Link snuck around, so as not to be caught and lynched by the other children, and made his way to the brothers' hill. There, Dill was jumping around with Sama, Jeran, and Micah. Upon closer examination, he realized they were practicing backflips!

"What's going on?" Link asked as he drew closer.

"Link!" the brothers said. Dill said it too, just slightly later than the brothers.

"What are you doing here?" Sama asked.

"I came to visit my friends, but it turns out you guys are the only ones I have."

"What about Saria?" Dill asked.

"Didn't she disappear?"

"Yeah. I'm staying in her house, though. It's right next to yours, so I can make sure they don't try to tear it down."

"What does that matter, Dill?" Link said. "I don't live here anymore. I thought I could, but I'd probably be burned at the stake!"

"Have you practiced your skills with the sword, Link?" Jeran asked.

"Yes. I killed a bunch of skeletons!"

"Ooh," the brothers said in unison, and Dill out of unison.

"We were just practicing backflips," Micah said. "They're a good invasive maneuver!"

"Evasive!" Jeran and Sama said together. Dill said it after them.

"Would you like to learn?" the brothers said, while Dill said, "You wanna try?"

"Sure."

The next hour or so was spent teaching Link to backflip. All the while, Link told them his entire adventure from the time the brothers gave him the Kokiri Sword.

"You know, with my jumping expertise, backflips came sort of natural," Daffy Dill said. "But you've caught on even quicker, Link!"

"Thanks, everyone," Link said. "Do you guys have any idea where Saria is?"

"No," Dill said. "I miss her, though."

"No one has seen her since the day you left," Sama said. "But knowing her way of thinking can be critical in discovering her whereabouts!"

"Where would she go when her best friend left her?" Jeran asked.

"Where she feels safe," Link said. "The Sacred Forest Meadow!"

"Ah, the Sacred Forest Meadow," Sama said.

"It's in the Lost Woods, is it not?" Micah said.

"Yeah, but I've only been in the woods a few times. How will I find the way?"

"Trust your heart," Dill said. "I heard that in one of the Kokiri plays."

"I've noticed that she always enters the Lost Woods from the northern hill," Jeran said.

"Thanks! You guys aren't interested in a mask, are you?" Link asked. He showed them the Horned Skull Mask and all four of the boys freaked out. "Oh. Sorry."

Link snuck around the village to the northern hill and entered the Lost Woods there. "Navi, you don't know how to get to the Sacred Forest Meadow, do you?"

"Uh, no Link. I spent all my life in the Great Deku Tree's Meadow."

"Oh, too bad. Well, now to follow my heart. My heart says…"

They were silent for a moment, then they heard a voice say, "Look up!"

"Whoa!" Link said. He looked up and there was Kaepora Gaebora, the great horned owl.

"Link… good to see you again! Listen to this! Hoot hoot!"

"What?"

"Shh…" the owl said. "I hear a mysterious tune… You should listen for that tune, too… Hoo hoo ho! If you are courageous, you will make it through the forest just fine. Just follow your ears and listen to the sounds coming from the forest! Hoot hoot!"

With that, Kaepora Gaebora flew away.

"Weird cucco," Link said.

"He's not a cucco!" Navi said.

"Shh…" Link heard something. He closed his eyes to listen more closely. A faint melody, like the owl said. Finally he recognized it: Saria's favorite song to play, on an ocarina!

"That's Saria's song!" he said. Keeping his eyes closed, he moved forward. Ever so slightly, he could hear he was closer. He continued northward, and slowly opened his eyes as the sound grew clearer. The better he could hear the tune, the more he could tell where he needed to go. East, north, west, north, left, right, left, right, until finally he came out in a large clearing.

This large clearing was filled with the music, played by Saria, who sat on a tree stump in the central area with her eyes closed. Link ran over to her.

"Saria!"

"Link?" she said as she opened her eyes and pulled the ocarina away from her lips. "Link! I've been waiting for you, here, in the Sacred Forest Meadow."

"Waiting for me? What if I didn't come back?"

"I knew you'd come back! I feel… this place will be very important to us someday. That's what I feel."

Link took a look around. The back of the meadow was a high stone wall. There was a doorway somewhere in the middle between top and bottom, too high even for an adult to reach. There was a stairway leading up to it, but the stairs were broken and laying on the floor of the meadow. In the center of the meadow was a large, round, stone pedestal with a strange swirling symbol on it.

"If you play the ocarina here, you can talk with the spirits of the forest. Would you like to play your ocarina with me?" Saria asked.

"Talk with the spirits? I don't know how to play the ocarina," Link admitted.

"Oh, right. I wanted to teach you, but you had to go," Saria said. "Here, let me teach you."

Link took the ocarina Saria gave him off the string and she taught him how to hold the ocarina, and how to play it. It was dark out, and growing very late, but they didn't care. That is, until Link heard a loud, scary howl.

"What was that?" Link asked.

"Oh, those are the wolves. They come out every night, but can't enter the meadow," Saria said.

"Why not?"

"Because it's sacred. Now, let's continue practicing."

She taught him to play by teaching him her favorite song, and they played for over half an hour after he'd learned, having all kinds of fun. Finally, Link remembered why he came back.

"This has been a lot of fun, but I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" she asked, seeing the concern on his face.

"Well, the Great Deku Tree told me to take the Spiritual Stone of the Forest to Zelda, the Princess of Destiny. And I did. Now she wants me to get the other stones and stop the wicked man from the desert from getting the Triforce. I thought I was done. I thought I could come home. But I came back, and no one wants me here. They all think I killed the Great Deku Tree. All but the Know-It-Alls and Dill."

"What are you talking about, Link?" she almost shouted. "You're special, remember? You saved the forest, remember?"

"How do you know?"

"Communing with the spirits, I found one, the Great Deku Tree's. He told me a lot about you, a lot that you don't even know. You are special. You are the only one who can do this, Link! I thought you just came to check on things, but you want to stop? What kind of selfish notion is that? Didn't he tell you, the Great Deku Tree? Didn't he say you'd face difficult challenges, that you must stop this evil man from taking over the world? And you're just going to sit on your hands and watch Hyrule crumble!" Tears formed behind her purple eyes. "I thought you were great, the greatest of the Kokiri. I thought you were courageous. But you're no more of a savior than the other cowardly children of the forest!"

"A savior? Saria, I didn't know this stuff! I came to ask for your advice."

"You shouldn't need my advice, Link. Heroes don't think about the danger, or the warm bed they've left behind. Heroes just do."

Saria was very upset. What should Link do? He remembered the song Impa taught him, and played it on his ocarina, three notes twice.

"What's that?" Saria asked.

"Princess Zelda's lullaby," Link answered. "That proves my connection with the Royal Family of Hyrule. That is how I'm going to get the other two stones. That is how I'm going to stop Ganondorf."

Link tied the ocarina around his neck again and walked away from the meadow slowly.

"Don't forget the song I taught you!" Saria said.

"I won't," he said, looking back. "I'll never forget."

Link ran out into the forest, Navi flying along side.

"So, we're gonna do it?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're gonna do it? You think I'm letting myself be compared to Mido?"

Suddenly, they stopped. A large cliff wall blocked their path.

"Was this here before?" Link asked.

"Nope. Think we made a wrong turn, or went the wrong way?"

"I guess it's possible…" Link said. "Let's head this way, toward the field." They ran alongside the cliff, heading west. It was so dark they could hardly see a thing. Suddenly, they heard a sound they didn't want to: several wolf howls.

"That doesn't sound too inviting," Navi said.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Link said. They continued running until they heard yipping and snarling ahead. Link turned right and ran away from the cliff, which seemingly went on forever. They could hear growling and barking on either side of them now.

"There's no escape!" Link shouted. He turned and drew his sword and shield. They heard a lot of yelping that slowly got quieter and farther away. "Huh. Scared of a sword, huh?"

"Agh! Link!" Navi said. "Look at your face!"

Link put away his weapons and felt his face. It felt rough. His fingers stopped on his lips. They were extremely oversized. His hands felt the same as his face. And his arms seemed longer. Something was happening. Something terrible. He started running and screaming, until finally he stopped and fell on the ground, crying.

"Why are you crying?" a child's voice asked. "Are you lonely?"

Link looked up to see a boy in the same condition he was, but worse. He had a rough, black face with beady eyes and a beak-like mouth. He wore baggy, rugged clothes and his arms almost drug along the ground. He came in close and sniffed Link.

"You don't smell like the other Skull Kids. You don't look like the other Skull Kids. The other Skull Kids make fun of me because I look different."

"What's a Skull Kid?"

"Oh! Are you not a Skull Kid?"

"No, I'm a Kokiri and my name is Link. But I'm turning into a monster!"

"You're not turning into a monster, you're turning into a Skull Kid! It happens to all outsiders, but not Kokiri!"

"Not Kokiri? Then why's it happening to me?"

"We came from outside, Link!" Navi said.

"If you're a Skull Kid, you must not like me. None of the other Skull Kids like me."

"Can I stop it?"

"There's a way, but there's no way you'll get it! It's a potion made from the mushrooms of the forest! It only works before the transformation's done! Only one person's ever made it, and she lives in Kakariko!"

"The potion, Link! The potion!" Navi said.

He tore off his pack and rummaged for the bottle. Finally, he found it. He popped the cork and started gulping it down. He had to try with all his might not to spit it out, as it was the most horrendously disgusting thing he'd ever put in his mouth, and it burned going down.

"Wow! What are the odds?" the Skull Kid said.

Link put his hands to his face and felt his skin become smoother and his lips and arms shrink. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Link said. "What's your name?"

"I had a name," he said. "I was a boy, but I wanted a fairy like the Kokiri. So I came to the forest and got lost. That's all I remember. It's been so long. I don't remember where I lived, or who my parents were. I don't even remember my name. I'm just a Skull Kid. And I don't have any friends. I had some friends, but they left me."

"Well, Skull Kid, I'll be your friend," Link said.

"That's what they said, but then they left. How do I know you're not like them?"

"I could give you something!" Link said. "Or… I'll teach you the friendship song!"

"The friendship song?"

"Link, what are you talking about?" Navi asked.

Link played Saria's song on the ocarina, and taught the Skull Kid to play it. Skull Kid played on a flute. They had a good time for a few minutes, but Link said, "If I don't leave the forest soon, I'll become a Skull Kid again, won't I?"

"You might," Skull Kid said.

"Can you lead me out?"

"Sure!" Skull Kid said. He took off fast, using his arms and legs to run. Link followed as close as he could. Finally, they reached a section with cliffs rising on either side of them, and a bridge across above Link, Skull Kid and Navi.

"This bridge is on the path out of the forest," Skull Kid said. He jumped on a stump and picked Link up in both hands. He spun in circles, swinging Link around until he launched him into the air and onto the bridge.

When Link's head stopped spinning, he recognized the bridge. It was the one he had spoken to Saria on several days ago.

"Thanks, Skull Kid!" Link called. "I want you to have this!" He pulled out the Horned Skull Mask and threw it down to Skull Kid.

"Thanks!" Skull Kid said. He put it on his face. "I like it!"

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

Link and Navi ran out to Hyrule Field. The sun was rising. The traveling mask salesman was nowhere to be seen. They headed out to the field, destination: Kakariko, and Death Mountain beyond.