The player is now prompted to pay Impa's home village Kakariko Village a visit, across the small river and up the large stairs to the left of Hyrule Castle; it's in front of a massive volcano with a ring of smoke over it, so it's hard to miss.
Before Link ventures over there, though, I suggest that the player get an Empty Bottle to help Link in his quest first.
Optional: Empty Bottle #1, Epona's Song and a Piece of Heart
Roll to the left of the map and go into Lon Lon Ranch during the daytime. There's a door to Link's left, so head on in.
Talon is here, sleeping again. He and his daughter Malon own and run Lon Lon Ranch. Don't wake him up by talking to him just yet. There's a way to cheat make life a little easier.
Pick up all of the cuccos swarming around the area and throw them into the corner behind Talon at the foot of the stairs. Link doesn't have to be a perfectionist and make sure every single one of them stay in the corner; just go over to Talon now and talk to him once they're somewhat out of the way. He'll offer Link a minigame where he places three special cuccos in the heart of the thronging crowd of cuccos...in theory. Get the three lone chickens pecking around the corners of the room and claim the prize - a bottle filled with Lon Lon Milk! Link can drink it two times before it empties, and each time it will bring back five hearts. The more important thing here is the bottle.
An empty bottle, as the player will find later on, will help greatly in their adventure. There are a total of four that can be acquired. The empty bottle can hold healing potions and fairies and all sorts of fantastic stuff
Leave the building and carry on down the path.
If Link turns left, he can roll into the lonely tree here to get a Gold Skulltula.
Link will find himself in a largish enclosure or field with horses scampering about in it. The girl he met before, Malon, is standing beside a pony called Epona, who the player may or may not have associated with in games such as Twilight Princess.
Keep talking to Malon now until she mentions her mother's song. Make Link take out his ocarina to learn Epona's Song, which will be greatly useful in the future. The order goes: Up, Left, Right, Up, Left, Right. For now, he can play it in front of a cow and scoop the free Lon Lon milk they release into his bottle. The song isn't just for magically milking cows; play them in front of Gossip Stones to get a fairy! Link can either catch it in a bottle or be healed straight away.
There's a stone tower around the outside of the enclosure here that's terribly difficult to miss. Push the boxes in front of it out of the way and go through the hole here. Receive a Piece of Heart; once Link collects four, he will receive another full heart!
Link can also come here at nighttime to get a Gold Skulltula. Visit the ranch at night and head over to the feeding stall near the tower. The Skulltula is crawling about there, so kill it and take its token.
Now that that's done, get out of the ranch and journey to Kakariko Village.
This village is one of the more happier-looking places Link is going to visit with lazy carpenters and brightly-coloured roofs. I strongly suggest that, before anything else, the player take a look at the Optional guide below to receive another Empty Bottle.
Optional: Empty Bottle #2
Cucco Gathering
Take the first right up the stairs once Link enters the village. He'll come across a fenced area with a worried-looking woman standing beside it. She's the Cucco Lady, and she'll give him Empty Bottle #2 if he helps her round up her Cucco.
Very Important Note: Do not hit the Cuccos repeatedly if the player values their hearts.
Cuccos #1 and #2: There's a Cucco is hopping about happily right beside the woman, but don't throw it into the pen just yet (if you do, just hop in yourself and throw it back out). Instead, grab it and head up the ramp stairs to the left of the Cucco Lady where a man out for a jog goes along. Jump off the end of the ledge (Link will float using the Cucco) – there's a Cucco strutting about behind a high fence, but Link can't get over it. Manoeuvre him over to the ledge to the left of it instead. Link's feathered friend has done its job well – throw it back over the ledge to pick up later. For now, go down the ramp, pick up the other Cucco and toss it back over as well.
Cucco #3: Climb up the ladder in the area the second Cucco had been. There's Cucco #3 hanging out over here, so grab it and use it to float across the fence and throw two of the Cuccos into the pen.
Cucco #4: Link can find this one back down the stairs he first climbed to get to the Cucco Lady, on a fenced-in ledge. He can't possibly jump up to it, so this is when he goes Cucco-gliding again. With Cucco in hand, climb up the stairs to what looks like stacks of bricks of a half-finished building. Hop off the ledge facing the ledge with the target Cucco on it, and throw both birds off.
Cucco #5: Four down – three to go! Phew. This pesky one is right at the top of the map, where there is a blocked path to Death Mountain.
Cucco #6: The sixth Cucco guards the entrance and exit of Kakariko Village. Sweep it off its clawed feet and take it back to its rightful home.
Cucco #7: This is a tricky one. Following the path into the village, look into the left corner to find a rather loud crate. Roll into it for a Cucco. Grab it and throw it into the pen in all its feathery glory. That's the last one!
Now for Link to claim his fantastic prize! He receives his new, fabulous Empty Bottle.
House of Skulltula
If the player wishes to know what's with the Gold Skulltulas, the answer is in this very village. Head on over to the house beside the fenced-in area that had held Cucco #4. This is the musty House of Skulltula. It's dark and it's creepy, and there's an even creepier something…or rather, someone, in the middle. A Skulltula rushes down to meet you – but...
…But, wait…there's a face, and it seems as though Link can speak to it…
Listen to the Skulltula-Man's tale of woe and give him ten tokens if Link has them. If he does, the Skulltula-Man will give him a good prize.
Leave the dismal house and go over to an even more dismal Kakariko Graveyard.
Kakariko Graveyard
The Royal Family Tomb - Sun's Song
The graveyard is located to the bottom right of the map. Run over to the front of the graveyard, where there is a rather large gravestone. Stand on the triforce in the dirt. If Link talked to the guard outside Kakariko Village, the player should know to play Zelda's Lullaby.
The order is: Left, Up, Right, Left, Up, Right.
It'll start raining hard out and the gravestone will get hit by lightning. The gravestone will suddenly…err…disappear. A hole will be revealed, so hop in.
Welcome to the Royal Family Tomb. In here the player will find many undeads, as is expected.
ITo be fair, the graphics make the undeads look just so much more frightening.
Link will end up in a large room full of broken skeletons. Don't worry about them; they won't come alive. Just defeat the Keese – bat-like creatures – in here for now. Wait for them to lunge for Link and swipe them once with his sword to finish them good and proper. Once all four are gone the door at the top of a ledge opposite Link will have its bars removed. Go on in – it's time for Link to meet his very first ReDeads. Yes, the undead guys.
To defeat them Link would have to go round behind them and slash away, but it's rather risky and he'll keep getting frozen by their piercing eyes and screams. Yes, they scream as well. What is this?
Just hurry across the room for now, avoiding the strange green lava-like substances pooling around the area. Entering the next room, Link will find a large stone tablet (and no ReDeads, thank goodness). Go up to it and press A to check it – Link will learn the Sun's Song, so now he can change day to night and vice versa whenever he wants! Impressive. The order goes: Right, Down, Up, Right, Down, Up.
Unfortunately, there's no shortcut back out of this creepy place, so Link will have to pass the ReDeads again. Luckily, he can play the Sun's Song to freeze them for a bit. Handy! He can hit them safely since they're frozen if he wants, but if the player is anything like me they'll just want to get out of there.
Hylian Shield
It would be a good idea to get the free Hylian Shield now, since Link's in the graveyard. Yes, gravedigging.
Wander over to the gravestone with flowers/plants in front of it and pull it. This gravestone is located second from the left in the first row of gravestones. Make sure it's night, otherwise the bothersome little boy in the graveyard will stop Link from carrying out his ungracious task. Drop in and open the chest here – he will receive a Hylian Shield, free of charge. It's too big for little old Link to wear on his arm though, so he'll have to resort to becoming a tortoise of sorts to protect himself from whatever attacks him.
Link's going to need this shield for Death Mountain, so the player can't put this one off.
There's also a Piece of Heart here. Make sure it's night and then push or pull the gravestone fourth from the right in the front row of gravestones. Link can jump into the hole that appears to collect a Piece of Heart, but there's a catch. There's a nasty ReDead in there, so Link will have to defeat it.
It's about time Link headed over to Death Mountain now. There's nothing very deathly about it that he can't handle, and there's definitely nothing there that could even hope to compete with the undead. In fact, it's full of rolling rock people, happy music and dancing leaders. Honestly.
Part 3: Princess of Destiny Part 5: Dodongo's Cavern
