We were both thinking it, but no one wanted to say anything. Ever since we left Zora's Domain, Luna and I knew we'd have to find the Kokiri Emerald next. The only way to do that would be to go to the Kokiri Village, which no longer exists. All throughout Hyrule, Luna's orders from Ganondorf have brought so much suffering. I didn't want to believe it, but…Was it true? Could it have been her?

"Well?" Luna broke the silence, "Something on your mind, Link?"

"Plenty." Like the thought of my home being burned to the ground.

"Look," she caught up with me, "Can we talk?"

"I'd rather not."

"Link," Luna tried stopping me, but I just kept walking, "Link…"

"I said no!" I dropped it. The image was still fresh in my mind. What was once a thriving little village had been rendered to nothing but a pile of ash, "Luna, it's been a long day. Do you think we could just call it a night? Find a shelter?"

"I think I saw a cave up ahead," she nodded, the dark circles under her eyes getting more pronounced with each passing day, "We could stay there for the night. By the looks of things, we might have some rain coming in, too."

I found the cave and started making the house a temporary home. Some of the bigger leaves could block out the rain. Tall grass works really well for makeshift string when it's woven just right. Besides, it'd be a nice distraction. Something to keep my mind off things and keep myself from dwelling on possibilities. She wasn't capable of killing me, even when the opportunity presented itself twice. But I've seen the Gorons, the Zoras…She did all of that without batting an eye. Who's to say she wouldn't have…? No.

Even though we shared a cave for the night, we were still quiet. Luna was hiding a silent shame. That could only mean one thing. Or I'm overreacting. I really want to see good in her, but the more we go along and the more horror stories I hear, the harder it becomes. I keep telling myself that she was under Ganondorf's thumb and had no other options. But then again, maybe Impa was right. She always had the option to run from it. It's good to know she finally took it, but it took a death threat against my life for it to click.

"Link…" Luna spoke softly, "Are you still awake?"

As if I could sleep, "Yes."

"Can I tell you something?"

"I don't want to hear it, Luna," I shot her down, "I don't need to. It'll only make things worse."

"Wait," she thought a moment, "What are you talking about?"

"Where are we going next?" I asked, not even wanting to make eye contact with her.

"The Kokiri Ruins," Luna sighed, "Do you want to know?"

"No," I grumbled, "I've been with you long enough and I'm starting to see a pattern."

"Link," she came over to my side of the cave and laid down next to me. I only moved that much further away, "Hey…"

"Luna," I growled, "Not now."

"Listen," Luna insisted, "Before you start jumping to any conclusions, I'm not the one responsible for what happened to the Kokiri Village."

"Really?" my mood was unwavering.

"Really," she assured, "I promise."

"And what good is a promise from the Gerudo princess?" I knew that was low, but I needed something to shake her off my back.

"Fine!" Luna got up and went back to her side of the cave, "You want proof? I can give you proof in the morning. But I swear it wasn't me. Ganondorf wanted to smoke you out, so he hit you where it hurt. He already had Princess Zelda. The only other thing he could do was strip you of your home and he did. He said he had to punish the Kokiri for hiding you in the first place. Believe what you want. I'll give you your proof in the morning."

But until then, we had to wait out this rain. And there'd be no sense in us hating each other, "Hey, Luna?"

"What?" she snapped venomously at me.

"Can you…" I asked, "Can you come here?"

"Why?" Luna continued on, "So the Gerudo princess can snap your neck in your sleep? Because we know she's nothing but pure evil."

"Because I know she wouldn't do that," I settled her, "I'm sorry. To put it in terms you understand, when I found the Kokiri Village, it'd be like if you were to find Gerudo Town in complete ruin with everyone you cared for inside it. It hurts, Luna. It hurts terribly. So, if I seemed a little defensive earlier…"

"A little?"

"If I seemed a little defensive," I repeated, "I'm sorry. I hope you can understand. Good night."

A soft, faint glow radiated behind me as Luna's arm snaked around my shoulder, "Good night, Link."

BOOM!

Luna quickly buried her face in my back, uncontrollably shaking. I couldn't help but worry, "Luna? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she murmured into my tunic, her shaking getting worse.

"Are you sure?" I looked over my shoulder, "Because it seems like you're…"

BOOM!

"I'M FINE," Luna only held me tighter.

"You…" I pulled her into my chest, "You don't do thunderstorms very well, do you?"

"Not particularly," her voice broke, "Never have."

"Hey," I cradled her, "It's alright. It's just rain, Luna. You're fine."

"I know I'm fine," Luna shook, "But that doesn't make me any less freaked here."

"Luna," I lifted her tearstained face, wiping her cheeks. I needed something quick to make her feel a little better, but I'm coming up short. Then, genius struck, "What was that song you were playing in the Goron mines? Could you hum it for me again?"

She started with a few simple notes and while she was in her humming, I reached over and grabbed my ocarina, playing along with her. If anything was going to bring her comfort, it'd be that. The lullaby Shira played for her. Nothing makes one feel better than a warm, fuzzy memory from childhood. Especially since they were so close. Before we knew it, Luna was sleeping soundly in my arm.

Yes. The big, scary Gerudo princess turned Hero of Time horrified of a little thunder. It almost made her story about Ganondorf burning the village more believable. But we'll see when she shows me her proof in the morning. For now, it wouldn't kill me to take advantage of the downtime and get some sleep, right? Unless Luna snaps, but I don't think that's happening. Her terror seemed too real to be fake. Rest well, sister. Rest well.

The next morning, the rain had finally cleared up and the sun shined into the cave. By the scrunched up look on Luna's face, neither one of us were very welcoming of it. Regardless, she managed to pull herself up and out of my arm, "Morning, Link."

"Morning," I rubbed my eyes, "Any ideas on where we should start looking?"

"Let's go to the Lost Woods," Luna stretched, "I'm sure we'll find something there."

"We tried that, remember?" I pointed out, "There was nothing there."

"Trust me," she grabbed her bow and her quiver, "Come here."

"Ok," I followed her outside the cave, "What am I supposed to see?"

"See that cloud over there?" Luna pointed east where a fluffy gray cloud was forming in the Lost Woods.

"What about it?"

"That's not a cloud," she grinned, "That's smoke. Where there's smoke, there's people. And who are we looking for?"

"Are you saying…?" my stomach dropped, "Luna, we searched the Lost Woods…"

"You wanted your proof…"

"And you're just now telling me?" I sprinted toward the smoke cloud. Please let her be ok. Please let her be ok. I needed to know she's ok. At this point, I'm just hoping this isn't another wild goose chase and it's just someone camping in the middle of the Lost Woods. Typically, no one in their right mind would be out there unless they had no other options. The Lost Woods was an absolute labyrinth. They didn't call it the Lost Woods for no reason.

Luna and I followed the smoke and came upon a clearing where an entire refugee camp had been set up. There may have been a couple dozen Kokiri taking care of each other. They're ok…It's good to know the Kokiri aren't entirely extinct. It's possible for them to live on. But what kind of conditions are these to be living in? Maybe I was just biased because I managed to get my house in Kakariko, but still…This was rough. Where was she…? I know she wouldn't leave them like this.

"THERE YOU ARE!" a shrill, familiar voice screeched at me, "The prodigal son returns."

"Mido…" I felt the same cringing sensation up my spine as I did back then.

"Where have you been, Link?" Mido snapped, getting in my face. As much as what he could anyway.

"Saving the kingdom," I reminded him, "Do you not know what I've done?"

"How do you even have the guts to walk into our camp?" his tirade continued, "I can't believe you."

"What do you mean?" I wondered, "I'm…"

"You abandoned us!" Mido bared his teeth, "You abandoned her! After everything this village has done for you and this is how you repay us? You don't even deserve to be standing in front of me."

"Mido," I started to feel an ache in my heart, "I didn't know that…"

"Just go," he scoffed, "You're not one of us and you never were. We don't need you."

"Hey!" Luna stepped in, "Keebler!"

"Excuse me?" Mido stopped, "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes, I am," she stood her ground, "What are you doing, blaming Link for all this? It's not like he's the one that lit the match. This isn't his fault!"

"He could've come back," he grumbled, "He could've helped us rebuild or flee, but no. Instead, he decided to galivant with royals and join the Royal Guard and become Princess Zelda's lapdog. Because he thought he was too good for us."

"Luna," I tried to stop her, "Please. Let's just go."

"No," Luna wasn't moving, "You don't deserve this. He was busy saving the rest of the kingdom and you're complaining that he couldn't get to you in time?"

"You have a big mouth," Mido left me alone and started going after Luna, "You have no idea the kind of suffering our people have gone through."

"I've been held hostage in Ganondorf's castle for the past ten years," Luna's eyes burned bright, "Torture was a regularly scheduled activity. No one was going to come and rescue me. No one cared if I lived or died except for him. Why? Because he needed me. He didn't care about me. He wanted to use me. I had to make peace with that. But you want to know what happened? I rescued myself and I've been on the run ever since. So, don't you assume I don't know suffering."

"Luna," I pulled her back before she hurt someone, "Mido, please. Do you know where the Kokiri Emerald is?"

"Like I'd let you have it anyway," Mido never knew when to quit. His arrogance was always his downfall and I see nothing's changed, "The jewel of our people in the hands of an outsider?"

"Please," I begged, "Right now, we need it more than what you do."

"I'm still not giving it up!"

"Then, I'll beat it out of you!" Luna was itching for a fight and Mido was only fueling the fire.

"Luna," I wasn't quite sure how long I'd be able to hold her back anymore, "Come on. We'll be able to find it without him. Let's go find somewhere outside the camp to set up for the night."

"Fine," she followed me out into the Lost Woods, "I could've taken him, Link. Why'd you stop me?"

"Because," I let out a heavy sigh, "He's right. I didn't belong there. I just ended up there. A victim of happenstance. We can wait until tomorrow and go looking then."

I could've come back. I should've come back. How could I have left them so easily? I guess it's the fact that I had a kingdom to save, but I still could've come back for them. If not for them, then at least for her. I've never had Mido under my skin so bad, but he was right. I let them all down. I've never been Kokiri, so it must have been easier for me to let them go. Then, how could I have done that to Saria?

"Link…" a deep voice called out in the dark of night, "Link…The Forest Temple."

Wait a second…I knew that voice, "Great Deku Tree?"

"Yes, my child," he spoke, "You seem to be troubled. Am I right in assuming this?"

"Why?" I asked, "Why did she bring me here?"

"You know the stories, Link," the Great Deku Tree reminded me, "Your mother brought you here because she knew I could protect you."

"I wasn't Kokiri," I argued, "I didn't belong there."

"Who told you that kind of nonsense?"

"Mido."

"Mido always was a difficult one, wasn't he?" he agreed, "Link, you're better than that. I don't have much time, but the Kokiri Emerald…In the woods of Faron, the Forest Temple. That's where the Kokiri Emerald is hidden. But be careful, Link. It's treacherous in there."

"I will," I promised, "Thank you, Great Deku Tree."

"I should be off now…"

"Wait," I stopped him, "Can I ask you just one more thing?"

"Of course, child."

"Did you know…?" I wondered, "About Luna?"

"Yes," he confirmed, "Your mother told me about Luna. You two should never be in Ganondorf's possession at the same time. Be careful with her as well."

"Do you know if she burned the village?" The knot in my stomach tightened.

"She did not."

Luna did say she'd give me proof. And that was all the proof I needed, "Thank you, Great Deku Tree…"

And just like that, he was gone. The Forest Temple, huh?