Revel in being discarded or being one who has done all in his power in vain; only those who have endured hardships will be of use.

- Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure


Sunset.

Epona cantered across Hyrule Field with her riders, nobody else in sight.

Zelda slowed Epona to a trot. "Mom! You anywhere? Mommm!"

"She must have already reached the forest?" Sheik said.

"Ughh… Mom and her friends sure know how to cover ground quickly," Zelda complained.

"Or maybe she went somewhere else? Lon Lon Ranch, maybe?"

"And why would she go there!?" the princess barked. "Use your head, OK?"

"Calm down, I'm just—"

Zelda glared back. "Don't tell me to calm down, Sheik!"

His head lowered, he said nothing.

Sheik felt Luna's arms tighten around him; she rested her head against his shoulder blade. "Don't worry, Sheik, I won't ever be mad at you."

Blushing, he nervously chuckled. "Heh… Thanks for always being a friend, Luna."

Zelda grunted, shaking her head. "I hate kids."


Nightfall.

"This the right way to Kokiri Forest?" Princess Zelda asked, uneasy in the darkness.

A wolf's howl signaled moonrise. Luna looked up the cliff, where the howl echoed from. Her eyes narrowed. A wolf with white and yellow fur and red eyes stared down from atop the cliffs then darted off.

Luna smiled. She looked at the other side of cliffs. A ghostly girl in a misty robe stood up there, yet she seemed…angelic…

"Luna!?" the princess yelled.

Luna blinked; the ghostly girl was gone. "Hm? Oh, yes. Eventually, a path cuts through the cliffs, leading to a hollow trunk that takes us straight to…" Luna's heart skipped a beat. She clutched Sheik's waist.

"Hm? What is it, Luna?" he asked.

"Nothing."

Epona trotted down a path flanked by big, dead trees growing from the cliffs. As Luna said, it led to a hollow log embedded in the cliff. Luna shivered as Epona entered, everything going black…

"How much farther through the darkness, Luna?" Sheik asked.

"There'll be a—"

Epona reared, neighing. Sheik held onto his sister, Luna held onto him; Zelda turned Epona sideways. Her hooves thudded against the bottom of the log, the riders overlooking a moonlit drop-off.

"The bridge is…down?" Luna sighed with relief.

"What will we do?" Sheik asked.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "A missing bridge won't stop me." She turned Epona around and galloped out the hollow log.

"What are you gonna do?" Sheik asked as Epona's hooves dug into the earth, Zelda turning her around.

"HEIYA!"

Epona launched to a gallop, charging full-speed into the darkness.

"S-s-sis! You s-sure!?"

"Just watch!" Grinning, Zelda leaned forwards…

Epona leapt like a majestic goddess, her neighing reverberating across the Lost Woods as the equine lady soared—Luna fell off the saddle, pawing the air.

Sheik turned his head. "Luna!"


Luna awoke, a lunar spotlight around her, numerous fairies and sprites of the forest flying around. Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her head. "Sh-Sheik?"

No answer.

Luna sighed. "Oh, well." I'll find them pretty quick. She got up, brushed herself off, and looked around. The three, once-cut trees towering beyond the bridge leading to Kokiri Forest had grown branches anew, while the bridge halves hung down the cliffs.

"Hmm…" One bridge half had a length of rope reaching the forest floor. "That way goes to Hyrule Field."

Luna went over and jumped under the other bridge half, trying to grab the hanging planks, though couldn't reach. "Hm! Well, whatever…"

She went over to the ladder and climbed—snap!

The albino gasped as her foot broke through a rung, her hands sliding down the sides. The remnants of the ladder peeled off the cliff, falling apart as Luna hit the ground.

She blew her hair out her eyes. "Dammit." Luna explored the small ravine, unable to find a way out.

She went to the far side, walking up a small sloped section. A round Deku Scrub unburrowed himself, shooting Deku Nuts at Luna.

"Hey! Quit it!" She dodged the first two projectiles then spun backwards, grabbing the third Deku Nut as it flew past her; upon finishing her revolution, she threw it back, nailing the woody beast in-between the eyes.

The Deku Scrub squeaked, springing out his patch and swaying, arms and snout low. "Please forgive me, master! In exchange for your kindness, is there something I can do for you?"

"Do you know how to get me up there?" She pointed at the fenced drop-off.

"Hmm… Ah, yes! I can burrow, then pop out with spinning flowers in my hands to fly through the air! I can carry you on my back!"

Luna's eyes widened with eagerness. "Great! Let's get started!"

"It'll cost you thirty Rupees!"

"Ugh…"

"You don't have any Rupees! Please come again!" He twirled, disappearing underground.

"Seriously!?" Luna held her forehead. "Ughhhh… What do Deku Scrubs even do with Rupees? Buy Deku Nuts to shoot at people?"

She walked back to the broken bridge. "Sheik? Zelda? You there? Hellohhh?"

"Hmm…" Luna went to the pillar-like trees, wrapped her arms and legs around one, and caterpillared upwards. She stood atop the branches and leapt, catching irregularities in the cliff side. She wormed up the rocky surfaces, eventually reaching the top. "Ah-ha!" She looked around. Wait, which side goes to Kokiri Forest? "Has to be this way…"

Without considering changing directions, Luna walked amidst trees…


Luna strolled through thick vegetation, low branches often brushing her face. Just like how everything used to be, ha!

The crisp, cold air poked her sinuses and throat, no end to the shadowy forest anywhere.

"Hm… Maybe this way, then…"


Panting, Luna trudged along, nose and throat dry, lungs stinging with piercing coldness. She moved aside a few branches; they whiplashed the back of her head. Luna hissed from irritation, yet too tired to complain.

Feet aching, back hurting, Luna fell to her hands and knees. Breathing regained yet heavy, she sat on her heels, head low. She rubbed her face with her overly long sleeve. "I… I don't… I don't remember anything…" Taking a deep breath, Luna sniffled. "I'm lost."

Luna looked at her palms, some strands of her white hair strewn along her thin fingers. She curled her fingers, joints popping, veins and nails colorless.

The child shook her head. "Oh, come on, Luna… Crying never got you anywhere." Hoisting herself up, spine and knuckles crackling, Luna confidently marched forth…

…And ended up at the edge of the forest, overlooking Hyrule Field from the clifftop. Luna chuckled. "Oops…wrong way." She re-entered the forest, looking down from above the paths, seeing nobody.

Luna meandered through the forest, an occasional hoot echoing here, branches rustling there. "The bridge leading to Kokiri Forest is over here, maybe Sheik's waiting for me? Sheik! That you?"

The forest unfurled—to Hyrule Field. Luna made a puzzled expression. Grunting, she turned and marched with greater vigor.

Huffing and puffing, branches sometimes smacking her face, stumps nearly tripping her, Luna stomped through the forest. All the fairies and little spirits vanished, Luna once again reaching the clifftop rim of Hyrule Field.

Luna growled. She spun around and ran, jumping over obstacles, ducking under branches, swerving amidst trees, snarling...

Lungs burning, feet painfully pulsating, clenched teeth piercing from coldness with every breath, Luna charged headlong through the forest. Branches whipped her face, roots and stumps tripped her, endless little fairies swirled everywhere—she collapsed from exhaustion, tasting dirt and grass.

Facedown, Luna breathed the scent of Mother Nature, chest expanding and contracting with discomfort. "Sh-Sheik…you're…" Groaning, she pushed her chest up and lifted her chin, Hyrule Field waiting for her. She let herself fall back to the ground.

Luna screamed into the earth. She rolled into a fetal position and clutched her head, fingernails digging into her scalp. She wheezed, eyes stinging, teardrops rolling.

Whimpering, she curled up tighter. "I…don't remember… I don't remember…"

Luna wept. She forced herself up, trudging through the forest...


Daybreak crept through the canopy and branches, a spotlight of dawn around Luna. Shivering, she slowly opened her cold eyes, eyelashes frozen and face frosty. Breath white, Luna weakly sat up and sneezed. She hugged her knees, trying to preserve whatever warmth she could.

Footfall.

The innumerable fairies parted, soon disappearing completely.

Leaves crushed and vegetation rustled behind Luna. She turned her head, the moonlit forest floor mapped with red footprints approaching her. The Kokiri wiped her nose, eyes narrowing, a metallic stench reaching her nostrils.

The footprints stopped before Luna, blood pooling where the invisible entity stood. She felt the heat from blood radiate upon her, a comfortably warm yet macabre sensation. Within that moment of calmness, Luna felt a belonging despite the looming threat.

A few seconds passed. Luna rubbed her sleep deprived eyes. "I'm not afraid anymore." The pooling blood almost reached her. Luna clenched her teeth. "Do you want to kill me? Do it."

A man-sized silhouette of a pupil appeared. It fell asunder, both halves swaying as someone stepped through.

A black cane touched the ground. An immense man crossed his bulky arms over his cane's flanged top. He wore a red tuxedo, upper half unbuttoned and sleeveless, his muscular arms and chest always visible, all skin blemished with sunburn. Instead of a collar, he wore spiked, silver chains around his neck. A thick leather belt with a large buckle, black cowboy boots, and a black wide-brimmed tophat concealing his visage finished his attire.

Luna raised her chin. The man lifted his brim. He was clean-shaven and blond, long stylish hair side-swept. Large obsidian eyeglasses covered his upper face, blood trickling from his concealed eye sockets.

He leaned over, sliding his clawed hands down his cane and stopping just above Luna. He tapped his claws against the shaft and cocked his head, neck cracking, and smiled. "No, Luna." Blood leaked out his mouth. He gargled, "I don't want to kill you." He cleared his throat and grinned, all his teeth crocodilian. "I don't want to kill anyone."

"Well, thanks, I guess… Who are you?" Luna asked.

The man stood. Holding his cane upwards behind his back, he turned around, the silhouetted pupil from which he emerged fading away. "You already forgot? My goodness, girl, you really have quite the brain!"

Luna frowned. "I have no time for games."

"But you had the time to waste your life away." He faced Luna and pleasantly smiled. Blood leaked out his mouth, trickling down his chest. "But that's alright, because we'll be friends forever, won't we?"

Offended, Luna raised her forearm over her mouth. "You're not my friend."

"Ahh… So you have truly forgotten. Not that it matters." He spread his arms and slightly bowed. "As the seed of Prometheus, you are destined to fail. This is your fate."

Luna huffed. She stood, keeping eye contact with her mountainous friend. "I'm not afraid of ghost stories."

The man chuckled. He held his cane downwards in front of himself, hands over one another atop the staff. "You are the ghost in this story."

Luna grunted, walking past the strange man. He turned as she went.

CHCK-BTHTHTHTHTHTH!

Spiked chains shot from the shadows, crisscrossing each other and stabbing into the ground and trees before Luna! Gasping, she stepped back, the overextended chains creaking. She spun around, the man taking a few steps while adjusting his glasses.

"Ah…don't let me keep you." He gestured with his cane; the spiked chains rattled, retracting back into the darkness. "Go ahead and…explore."

The child spun around, heart thumping. The man stood in a spotlight from daybreak, slowly taking his eyeglasses off. His eyes were missing irises, as if they had been drilled through. He acutely tilted his head, neck cracking, and made a bloodied smile.

Luna darted off, panting heavily. Shoving branches out her way, weaving through trees, and jumping over logs. She tripped over a pile of dead leaves. She hit the ground and groaned. Luna looked back, seeing sticks and…shoes…amidst the pile. Confused, she overturned some leaves, finding hats and flutes underneath, and a…

Luna gripped a helve, pulling it from the leaves. "A francisca?" One of Vera's axes… She looked around; Skull Masks and beak-masks were nailed into nearby trees.

The Kokiri dropped the ax and stepped away. Her breathing slowed. She turned her head; the man in red leaned against a tree, twirling his cane around and around, obsidian glasses over his bleeding eyes.

Luna ran away. She swerved around a boulder, coming upon a suit of lacquered black plate armor, the breastplate a muscle cuirass, helmet horned...everything lie scattered and broken. Nearby was barding as black and glossy as the rider's armor. A poleaxe, warhammer, sword and dagger were within reach, yet no bodies…

Eyes shiny, breath quivery, the albino looked back. The man in red stood behind her, slightly bowing. Luna hurried off…

The Kokiri soon found more black barding, no horse visible. An immense, three-pronged staff had pierced a set of dark clothes, pinning it into a tree. On the ground, a skull visage with two long, curved horns lay.

"The skull-man…" Luna whispered.

"Looks like he never got his revenge," the man in red commented, sitting on a log and tossing his cane up and down. "Should anyone be surprised?"

Luna ran on. Her lungs burned, spine and feet tingling with pain. When will this end!?

Luna raced down a path flanked by leaning trees. Wherever she looked, Luna saw skull-masked figures wearing blue robes adorned with feathers, nailed upside down into the trees.

The child covered her eyes and ran as fast as she could, swatting aside branches—she screamed, falling face-first off a cliff, thudding against the ground. She painfully picked herself up, not seeing any fairies of any kind, but a few tree stump homes…

Luna's face brightened up. She wiped her eyes and scurried forth. "Sheik!? Zelda!? You there!?"

...

"Hello!?" Luna ran past the first tree stump home and noticed something very odd. She slowed to a halt and held her breath. The little waterfall, and its stream running through the village, were red.

Teardrops fell, patting the grass. Luna wiped her eyes and sniffled. She looked up, though saw no canopy above the cliffs. The child ran to the store. A dark velvet dress hung from the shop entrance, decorated with colorful metal and wooden studs to imitate stars. On the ground, broken in half, the white mask…

Eyes leaking tears, Luna walked to the mask and fell to her knees. She picked up the halves, holding them against her chest. She whispered, "Axel…"

She rested the broken mask against the store, staring into the black entranceway. Something inside creaked. Without blinking, Luna turned around and left. She looked at the other homes, her bones feeling like jelly. Guts churning, knees shaky, breathing irregular, Luna awkwardly stepped across the bloody stream then collapsed. Yet, she forced herself to sit up.

The man in red stood ahead of Luna, facing away, some long brown hair reaching his ankles as he tied a noose, a pile of rope next to him.

The man paused. He slowly turned around, wearing Majora's Mask, one of its eyes partly closed. He took the mask off, blue blood leaking from its inside. He tossed it over, immense hair fluttering as the mask landed sideways, spikes stabbing into the earth, Majora blankly staring at Luna.

Heart crushed, stomach feeling as though swimming up her throat, Luna gracelessly marched forth. The man briefly lifted his eyeglasses as she walked past.

The Kokiri walked through the cliff pathway leading to…

She weakly breathed.

His mouth lifelessly open, the Great Deku Tree was silently leaning from the extensive weight that hung from his limbs. Mostly obscured from foliage, many pairs of little legs dangled from branches…

Luna grabbed her heart and fell over. She convulsed, eyes always open, her breathing uneven and sharp. Insides swirling, Luna sat up, shoulders and knees twitching. She held her head, shaking.

Footfall echoed from within the Great Deku Tree. A silhouetted figure emerged from the darkness…a knight wearing a horned great helm, an arrowhead lodged in the brow, several other arrows sticking in his eye slit. He wore a torn, red surcoat with a white cross, underneath a mail shirt with mail mittens, chausses tied to the bottom of his gambeson. Rammed through his heart was a hiltless blade with a flanged pommel, many of his mail links split, glistening flesh wounds exposed.

Wielding a broken longsword in one hand, and a red, splintered kite shield with a white cross in the other, the knight fell to his knees. He panted heavily, blood dripping through the holes of his helm from every exhale.

Stabbing the ground to stabilize himself, the knight weakly raised his head, shoulders swaying. "L-Luna… I'm… I'm so sorry…" He let go of his sword and shield then collapsed, blood pooling beneath him. "I couldn't…beat them…"

Crying, Luna crawled over and placed her hand on him. "Alencon… How did… You knew of the curse… Why did you come…" She helped roll him over.

Alencon convulsed, blood spattering through the holes in his helm and upon Luna's pale face. He weakly gargled, "For…you…" Arm twitchy, bones and tendons popping, he retrieved something from his satchel. "From…Link…" He opened his bloody palm… An ocarina. "For you."

Luna hesitated. She gently clutched the bright blue instrument—Alencon's arm dropped.

She held the ocarina against her chest, staring at Alencon, silent and motionless. Luna closed her eyes, eyelids unable to contain teardrops.

A single knock echoed.

Sniffling, Luna raised her chin, a cane upright from the bottom of the Great Deku Tree's mouth. The man in red stood there, cane missing its flanged top. Unsmiling, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, he adjusted his glasses.

Luna's head and shoulders dropped. "They were…children…" She raised her teary face, unable to look all the way up at those who hung above. "How could you…"

The man in red stepped forth, grabbing the hiltless blade and ripping it out of Alencon. He swung the blade through the air, blood flicking off, examining the edge then looking at Luna. "Ohhh, please don't cry, little princess, you are misusing your suffering!"

Luna looked down, feeling like a gutted, defeated, pathetic thing. "Why…"

"To provoke the gods of this world. Perhaps they will finally listen?" He slid the hiltless blade back into his cane. "And I did so much more, yet… There is nothing from the gods. What else do you think I must do?"

The albino took a sharp breath, glaring. "Kill yourself."

He cocked his head. "How?"

Luna clenched her teeth, the veins in her temples throbbing. "You…deserve so much worse… You should…burn to death!"

The man in red grinned laughed aloud, as if told a good joke. "Burn!? To death!?" He knelt by Luna, the child leaning away as he briefly pointed his cane at her. "You have no imagination." His grin widened, blood drooling in-between his crocodilian teeth. "Shall I show you some creativity, little princess?"

Luna darted off, the man's bellowing laughter echoing.

Her lungs burned. Her feet ached. Her bones tingled painfully. The child pocketed the ocarina and ran across town, whimpering, tears pouring down her face.

Luna stifled her moans, noticing a carving of Baphomet on the Gossip Stone as she rushed into the Lost Woods, the hollow stump billowing fog. The mysterious forest was devoid of music and fairies, everything just a silent, foggy, wooden graveyard.

Luna ran on and on, soon beyond the maze and surrounded by trees. The farther she went, the higher the fog became. A black Deku Baba sprang through the fog, maw dripping blood and its head clapped at Luna. She kicked it aside and ran, hearing more and more Deku Babas emerge, their bleeding mouths snapping at her.

She evaded all dangers, the fog now up to her chest—she smacked into a tree. Luna held her nose, pain flowing through her skull. She regained herself and noticed animal skins hanging from branches. One was silver, another other black and cream, the rest of varying size and color…

Luna's jaw dropped. Tears streamed down her contorted face. Guts wrenched by despair, Luna gently held the hanging paws. "Rosfir, Kuriver…"

The hides of the Wolfos pack stared with empty eye sockets.

Shaking uncontrollably, body unable to move properly, Luna did what she always had done: She ran away.


Luna hit the ground, numbness taking hold of her body. Groaning and sniffling, she got up and gasped. "Oh, no! The ocarina! It fell somewhere…"

Luna crawled within the fog, feeling the cold ground. She whimpered as desperation arose—no ocarina anywhere. Luna screamed. She scrunched up, moaning through gritted teeth.

Blanketed by fog, Luna wept. "Y-you were right, Vera… You're right… I am a…useless parasite…" Her stomach knotted, hurting so much she writhed. "Just…miserable, pathetic, worthless… No family, no friends, no Wolfos…" I should just die.

Footfall neared.

Luna hissed through her tears. "Just kill me."

"Your time has not yet come, Luna," spoke a gentle, girl's voice.

Elbows shaky, Luna got up, wiping her face with her sleeve, and trudged away...


Luna ran until night returned, foggy trees and darkness everywhere she looked. Too weak to move on, she collapsed.

I feel no pain… "So I will die soon." Luna softly sighed. "Released…"

"I must repeat myself, Luna: Your time has not yet come," spoke the same gentle voice again.

Body rattling, Luna turned her head.

Faintly glowing amidst fog was…the ghostly girl. The being opened her eyes, which were like glass spheres mapped with black veins. "You dropped this." She extended her arms, the ocarina in her hands.

"Yeah…" Luna received the instrument, her bony fingers clicking against the ocarina. She paused, trying to blink, but could not. Why are my hands…bones? She clenched her skeletal hand.

"Because you do not remember," the ghostly girl answered.

The green-clothed, long-haired Stalchild needed time to think. She shivered, bones clattering. She looked at her friend. "Can you…help me?"

The specter solemnly stared.

The Stalchild paused. "I'll…be like this…forever… Can you help me…pll…please?"

"I can't help you."

The Stalchild fell to her knees, clutching the ocarina against her ribcage, shivering, bones clattering.

The ghostly girl knelt by Luna as she dropped the ocarina. "But I will still try."

The child's skull lifted. "You…will really help me?"

The specter pulled her former reflection into a hug. "Even if it kills us."

Luna wrapped her skeletal arms around her, wanting to cry over her shoulders, yet tears could not come. Faraway stormclouds thundered. Rain gently showered, waterdrops rolling down the Stalchild's skull and her friend's porcelain skin, their hair soaking.

The Stalchild and ghost let go of each other.

"You will remember." The specter picked up the ocarina, stood, and gestured as she walked. Luna followed.

The fog swirled away, revealing four giant, rotten tree trunks, decayed into frightening faces, horrible mouths fuming fog, eye sockets dripping sap. The deformed husks creaked.

The Stalchild hesitated. Body clicking, she walked over. "This one…changes the past and creates a new future, but everything dies."

The ghostly girl nodded.

The Stalchild rattled to the next stump. "In here…a new past was created, changing the future…everything died."

"Indeed."

The next stump dried up, sap hardening. "For this one…what died created a new past and a new future." This was the one I last entered…

"Only one tree left, Luna, just one chance left…"

Thunder rumbled, wind picking up.

The Stalchild stood before the fourth stump. "I…don't remember."

"Because you never entered. Luna…"

The Stalchild turned, the ghostly girl handing her the ocarina.

"Link knew you could not bring this with you through time. Your soul is not bound to it. Yet, he knew you could still learn, taking memories with you." She withdrew the Fairy Ocarina, raising it and closing her eyes.

"But…I am just bones. How can I make air?"

"With your spirit. And by your spirit…play along to the songs I play…so that, before you plunge into the darkness…you can take some power of the Ocarina of Time with you."

Luna nodded. "Before I learn…when I enter the darkness…then what?"

"You will remember." The specter gently swayed to and fro as she played, the resonating notes carried by the wind…


Luna fell into blackness, a vortex of colorful visages spinning around her…

She awoke within a lunar spotlight, innumerable fairies and spirits of the Lost Woods flying around. She groaned, sitting up and rubbing her head. Luna gasped. She looked up at the broken bridge, one half with rope dangling to the forest floor.

Luna jumped to her feet, sticking her hips out and looking at herself. She held her knees, sighing with relief.

I'm back to normal... She bolted upright. Eyes big, she held her breath. "I know what to do."