1. Waking Up
You wake up in the Chamber of Sages. Rauru explains that you were asleep for seven years because you were too young to carry the Master Sword, and Ganondorf used that time well. You get the Light Medallion. Back in the Temple of Time you meet Sheik, who will be teaching you songs from now on. Castle Town is a ruin. Don't linger. It's depressing and there are ReDeads.

2. The Hookshot
Go to the graveyard in Kakariko Village. The gravekeeper Dampé has passed away, and now that you're grown you can open his grave. Inside, his ghost races you through a tunnel. Keep up with him, dodge the flames he leaves behind, and don't stop. At the end you win the Hookshot. You need it for the Forest Temple, and it's handy for a hundred other things.

Also do this now: go get Epona from Lon Lon Ranch. Ingo runs the place now. Pay to ride, play Epona's Song to call her, and beat Ingo in a race. Then beat him again. You'll have to jump the fence to get out. It's one of my favorite moments in the whole game.

3. The Forest Temple
Kokiri Forest is crawling with monsters. Get through the Lost Woods to Sacred Forest Meadow, where Sheik teaches you the Minuet of Forest. Hookshot up the tree to reach the temple entrance.

Inside, four Poe sisters (Joelle, Beth, Amy and Meg) have stolen the flames from the torches in the main room, and you have to hunt them down one at a time to get the elevator working. Partway through you'll get the Fairy Bow. The twisted hallways are part of a puzzle. When you find a way to straighten one, try the others. With Meg, the last sister, keep your eye on the real one when she splits into copies.

BOSS: Phantom Ganon. In the first part he rides in and out of the paintings on the walls. Watch for the one he actually comes out of and shoot him with an arrow. In the second part he throws balls of energy at you. Hit them back with your sword. He hits them back. Keep going until he misses. It's like tennis. You get the Forest Medallion, and I won't tell you who the Sage of the Forest is, but you probably already know, and it probably made you sad.

4. The Fire Temple
Before you go in, you need the Goron Tunic or the heat will cook you. Goron City is almost empty. There's a Goron rolling around on the lower floors. Stop him by dropping a bomb in his path. He turns out to be Darunia's son, named Link after you. He gives you the tunic. At the crater, Sheik teaches you the Bolero of Fire.

The Gorons are locked up in cells all over the temple. Free them all. Watch out for walls of fire that chase you. Partway through you get the Megaton Hammer, which breaks rusty switches and certain pillars and is extremely satisfying to use on everything.

BOSS: Volvagia. A lava dragon that pops out of holes in the floor. When its head comes up, whack it with the Megaton Hammer, then switch to your sword and slash until it gets away. When it flies up and rocks start falling, watch the shadows. You get the Fire Medallion.

5. The Ice Cavern
Zora's Domain is frozen solid, and so is King Zora. Behind Zora's Fountain is the Ice Cavern. Bring bottles, because you'll need Blue Fire to melt the red ice. At the end you get the Iron Boots, and Sheik teaches you the Serenade of Water. Take some Blue Fire back to King Zora and pour it on him. He thaws out and gives you the Zora Tunic, so you can breathe underwater.

6. The Water Temple
Lake Hylia is dried up. The temple entrance is at the bottom. Put on the Zora Tunic and the Iron Boots and walk down to it. You'll need the Hookshot to get the gate open.

Here's the big secret of this temple: you change the water level by playing Zelda's Lullaby at the Triforce symbols. There are three levels. Almost every time you're stuck, the answer is that you need to raise or lower the water and look again. Take it slow, and be careful with your small keys. If you run out, you've missed a room somewhere, probably one you have to reach when the water is at a different level.

At some point you'll walk into a strange room with a tree on an island and water that looks like a mirror. You fight a dark copy of yourself. He copies what you do. Some people use the Megaton Hammer, and some use Din's Fire if they got it from the Great Fairy. After you win, you get the Longshot.

BOSS: Morpha. It's a blob in the water that makes tentacles. Use the Longshot to yank the little nucleus out of a tentacle, then slash it. Stay out of the corners. You get the Water Medallion, and Ruto becomes a Sage.

Side Quest: Biggoron's Sword
The best sword in the game, and a two-handed one, so no shield. It's a long trading chain. Here's the short version:

1. Get the Pocket Egg from the Cucco lady in Kakariko. It hatches into a Pocket Cucco.
2. Wake up Talon (he's napping in a house in Kakariko) with it and bring it back to the Cucco lady. She gives you Cojiro.
3. Take Cojiro to the man in the Lost Woods. You get the Odd Mushroom.
4. Take it to the old woman in the potion shop in Kakariko. You get the Odd Potion.
5. Take that back to the Lost Woods. You get the Poacher's Saw.
6. Give the saw to the carpenter boss in Gerudo Valley. You get the Broken Goron's Sword.
7. Take it to Biggoron at the top of Death Mountain. He sends you for eyedrops with a Prescription, which goes to King Zora for an Eyeball Frog, which goes to the scientist at Lake Hylia for the Eyedrops, which go back to Biggoron.
8. He gives you a Claim Check and needs a few days. Play the Sun's Song to hurry things along. Come back and get your sword!

Some of these items go bad if you take too long, so run! Some people use Epona and some use the warp songs. Plan your route before you pick up the mushroom.

Next: Shadow and Spirit
The Shadow Temple, the Spirit Temple and Ganon's Castle are coming soon. I promise. I've got it all written out on paper. Until then, one hint: when you leave Kakariko after the Water Temple, you're going to want to be there.