A/N: I grew up on Ocarina of Time and Malon was always one of the side characters that stood out to me the most. She seemed so strong, but strength only comes from hardship. She dreams of seeing the world, but understands her duty is to her father and LonLon Ranch. She has a friend in Link, but only when it's convenient for him to see her. Thus, this fic was born. Malon-centric, Ocarina of Time universe.
(Obligatory) Legend of Zelda, etc. owned by Nintendo.
Malon smoothed her hands over her apron, letting herself feel every seam, every bump of the embroidery, before standing from the vanity and stepping into her boots. As she bent to lace them, she could hear her father stir in the basement. She could hear him grunt, sigh, and settle himself back down, the rustle of straw evidencing the shifting of his bulk back on the ground. She couldn't even bring herself to be angry about it. He had been too long this way, too long ignored, too long lazy and irresponsible. She had hoped that Ingo's betrayal would have woken Talon to the necessity of his duties, but it had merely driven the man to drunkenness.
She laced her boots quickly, testing the toes against her wooden floor, before stepping out of her room and descending the stairs. She couldn't bring herself to look at Talon, she knew what she would see. The seams of his overalls were near to bursting at his girth, his shirt was stained with old sweat and spilled alcohol, and what was left of his hair was wild and unkempt. Were he awake, his sunken eyes would stare at her dolefully as she passed, and he would promise to do a good job of watching the incubating chicks today. It's all he was good for anymore, tending the chicks before they could be released to the grounds. Mercifully, he was not awake, and she was able to exit the home unharassed.
"Morning." The man's voice came floating through the crisp morning air, slightly startling Malon. She smiled uneasily, turning to look at Ingo. He had risen early today and was leaning on the stable across from the house, arms crossed discontentedly over his chest.
"Good morning, Ingo." Malon greeted, "You're up early."
"Barn was restless last night." He grumbled, "There's probably a storm coming."
"None of the animals have been content in some time." she said, biting her lip and looking toward the sky. Though the dusky purple of early dawn seemed calm, there was a corner of the sky that remained a deep blue-black, hovering over Castle Town. A physical reminder of the death that lingered in the air.
"Seemed worse last night." He said, reaching over his shoulder and pulling at a muscle in demonstration of his discomfort. He had cleaned up his act quite a bit in the time since… he… had come, but a lack of their savior's visit in the last few weeks had made him grow ever bolder, more discontent. Ingo wanted to sleep in the house. Actually, he wanted more than that, but Malon saw through him and flatly refused. Sleeping in the barn wasn't just a punishment for his disloyalty and cruelty, it was a barrier of safety for herself as well.
"A day in the fields will put them at ease. Come." she gestured. They went around the barn to the large double doors, blocked on both sides with heavy wooden beams. Presumably Ingo had already removed the inner beam, so there was just this one left to remove. They took their places on either side of it and heaved it up from the brackets, then carried it to the side of the earthen wall. It landed with a dull thud and the doors creaked. This was her favorite part of the morning.
She pushed back the wooden doors, using her full strength in her shoulders pressed against them. The animals, at the sound of the beam's removal, had begun pushing at their unlocked stalls and shuffling forward. Now with one door flung wide and the other being pushed open, the wide expanse of the ranch's field laid bare before them, the animals moved faster, with more joy and purpose, and burst out excitedly. Ingo stood in his place, waving his arms and guiding the horses away from the ranch's entryway. When every beast had been removed from the barn and had taken their places in the field, Malon put her hands on her hips and smiled broadly. She had this. The past did not matter, the future was uncertain, but in the here and now, even with the looming death in the sky behind her, she had this.
~o~
Malon was in the silo taking stock of the milk bottles when she heard the squeaky wooden door open behind her. She tried to finish her count quickly, not wanting to lose her place, but suddenly felt rough hands on her shoulders.
"Ingo!" she screeched in annoyance, flinging her arms back to knock him away, "I've already told you-"
She spun around, then dropped the clipboard in shock.
The young man was bent over, holding his hand to his nose and looking at her with one eye. He seemed hurt, but there was a smile playing at his lips and his face was as mischievous as ever.
"And to think I was worried about you." He said.
"Oh, goddesses!" she fell to her knees, taking his cupped hand in hers and guiding it away from his face to assess the damage. There was a small trickle of blood from his right nostril, she must have got him at just the right angle. He straightened from her, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her upright, before taking a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping away the blood.
"Shall I tell your father not to be worried about your safety anymore?" He asked, raising his eyebrow in amusement. She frowned and punched his chest lightly before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Worried about me," she scoffed, pressing her face into his chest. "You who told me that you were heading straight into the mouth of death. I thought you died in that volcano, Fairy Boy."
"You know how I feel about that name." He groaned, but wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her tight. She loved the smell of him, that earthy smell that he had inherited as part of his time with the Kokiri. It spoke of trees and moonlit nights, but it was different now that he was older. It spoke to her in other ways, and she blushed at the thoughts that suddenly crossed her mind. She was just grateful that she would never be as bold as her inner fantasies.
"It would take more than a volcano to destroy me." He murmured into her hair, "I can't leave my favorite girl, you know that."
"Say you'll stay. At least the night." she said, pulling from his chest and looking into his face.
"Malon-"
"No, I mean," she felt herself blush, "I just don't want you on the field at night any more than you have to be. You have Epona with you, right?" she smiled, "Give the girl a night at home."
Link studied her face, his expression different than the one he wore when he had first seen her, and he sighed through his nose.
"I can't stay overnight, I have business in Castle Town, but I'll stay until you go to bed, and I'll be back first thing in the morning."
"What, don't you sleep?" she scoffed lightheartedly, but her expression dropped with a strange shade came over Link's expression.
"The night is too long." He whispered, then seemed to shake himself and smiled widely again before pulling her closer and pressing his lips to her forehead.
"I want to hear all your adventures before you go." she said.
"All right," He said, "It all began in Goron City…"
~o~
Malon stroked the horse's snout, whispering in old Hylian. She had loved the language in use with her horses, it seemed to put the animals at ease. Especially this one, her beloved Epona. The pony had always seemed to have an old soul, and responded well to the ancient tongue. Malon noticed with equal parts irritation and relief that the equine had become slightly distressed at the absence of her rider and kept her eye fixed on the stable door as if waiting for him to return.
"You and me both, darling." she sighed into the horse's neck, before offering a final pat and backing away, closing the stall gate with an audible clang. Link had gone, as he had said. They had eaten dinner, Malon choosing to prepare the food alone in the house and bringing it out for them to share in a corner of the pasture, and talked of his adventures.
She wasn't sure how much of his stories to believe. She trusted that he actually had gone to Goron City, and through his vivid descriptions of the amber walls and glimmering bomb flowers could almost picture the rock dweller's paradise, but the dragon? Surely not. Then again, it had been only a few days ago when the earth had quaked fiercely and the fire around Death Mountain had cooled to a ring of smoke.
"But a dragon?" she scoffed under her breath, feeling a smile pull at her lips as she turned around.
Straight into Ingo.
"Sorry." He murmured under his breath, but not moving back. She stepped away from him, hands outstretched in a gesture of defense.
"You didn't announce yourself." she said, more haughty than she meant.
"Must a man announce himself in his own home?" He sneered casting a dark eye around the interior of the stable. Malon felt annoyance press on her chest and she squared off with him, her eye meeting his straight on.
"It is as a favor that I keep you on this ranch." she said, thanking the heavens that her voice was stronger than she felt, "If you are displeased with your lot here, then there is always Kakariko."
"Kakariko." Ingo scoffed, then spat on the ground, "A place for cowards to flee and hide. What work is there for a man to do?"
"Since the passing of Dampé, perhaps they would be grateful for a gravekeeper. You do enjoy making profits from the less fortunate." she hissed. They glowered at each other for a moment before Ingo grasped her by the shoulders, pulling her towards him. She was shocked by the motion and attempted to pull herself away, but he had wrapped a hand around her neck and brought her face up to his, pressing his mouth to hers in a kiss. She screamed against the attack and lifted her leg, driving her heel into his foot. He released her with a howl and lept away. She scrubbed at her mouth furiously with the back of her hand.
"I have already told you once that I will not accept such impropriety."
"Don't think you can lie to me." He said, straightening his stance, "I saw the way you quivered in front of that snivelling little boy who came by earlier today. Here I see you whispering sweet nothings to the animal he stole from you, as if she can convince him to come back again, as if she could convince him to love you the way you-"
"You know nothing of it, and nothing of me." she demanded, starting towards the door.
"I know your thoughts," He hissed, "I watched you grow up, I know you better than you know yourself. You grow weak around him, you want him the way only a woman could want a man, but he won't give in to you. He will never give in. His purposes are far too noble to ever notice a simpering farm girl."
"You will stay your tongue, Ingo, or find yourself without one." she said, not turning around. She wouldn't let him see her face, wouldn't let him see that his words were just the expression of her fears.
"You look to that ignorant fool for comfort and ignore the one person on this world that could ever want you." He said.
"Who, you?" she spun around, meeting his eyes with an expression of total contempt, "A disgusting, disloyal old man who has all my life looked upon me lasciviously. I have never given indication of my interest, and now you have decided that putting yourself upon me by force is the preferable option."
"You are just as lonely as I." He declared, "There was once a time when the idea was not so reprehensible to you."
"You took advantage," she said, her voice low. "You took my trust, drove my father away, and claimed the ranch as your own."
"You can deny yourself," Ingo said, his voice subtly triumphant, "You can tell yourself that you never meant the things you said, you can deny the things you did, but you will never get back what I have taken from you." He leaned toward her, his eyes dark under his bushy eyebrows, "Is that why you do your best to keep me away from the Fairy Boy? You don't want him to know that you've given away his gift?"
"Speak of this no more." she said, her voice now wavering as she never wanted it to.
"Run to your home, run to your warm bed. Run away, Malon, but dream of me."
Ingo's cruel laugh haunted her into her dreams.
