"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time"
Chasm - Chapter One: Purgatory
By Phoerai
In the middle of the journey of life, he came to himself, in a dark wood, where the direct way was lost. As a young child, his understanding of the inner workings of friendships and rivalries was all but absent. He was a young body with a young mind. As he emerged from the dark wood, a grin couldn't help but inwardly show at the site that had come into view: a familiar ranch that he had come to know well over the past several weeks. It wasn't minutes before the boy was in the company of a dear friend; the daughter of the ranch owner, Talon. She had taken a liking to him from the early moments of their meeting in the town square near Hyrule Castle, and they quickly formed a kinship.
This was the steady life that was well accepted as good in the minds of the citizenship of Hyrule. This was a life where even the pauper, no matter how distraught in his ways, could rise to a position of aristocracy if the effort was put forth. A life of happiness was never out of reach, and like this boy, many were content with this world. Talon of Lon Lon was another of those who found happiness in the simplicity of life. Although he had suffered the loss of his wife, through the years past he had seen her life grow anew through the eyes of their only child: a daughter whom they had named Malon. Quickly, it became clear that Malon had taken after her mother in not only looks but in personality as well. Her father was notoriously lazy as a farm hand, though she was never reluctant to snap him into place with her childlike charm and wit.
Lately though, her interest had drifted to that of her new companion; a fairy boy by the name of Link. Talon couldn't help to feel jealous in some regard, as all of his daughter's attention was fixated on this green-clad newcomer. But as a father, he could only smile at the bond that was growing between these two in their early years. Even he had jokingly implied that the friendship between them would bloom into something greater. She had found a confidant in this young boy, and put in him a trust that even she had not realized the depth to.
However, even a young child such as she could not escape the occasional sensation of dark intention. Most of which was fixated on the young princess of Hyrule. Zelda was an annoyance to Malon; a constant reminder of a heritage that she could never have, as well as a source of attention for Link. Malon had learned quickly that if Link was with Zelda, then he wasn't with her. This is a simple concept to grasp with a mature mind, but to a younger one such as Malon's, an idea such as this could only cause inner turmoil. This continued until one day when Link's regular visit to Lon Lon was cut short.
"Malon, I want to stay around longer, but I have to go see Zelda. I promised that I'd give her these stones once I found them." said Link as he sat beside her in the grass outside of the ranch. Malon's expression changed to one of frustration. "You'll be back though, right?" She gave him a hopeful look, clinging lightly to his arm. He smiled at her as he stood and dusted off his tunic. Standing in a triumphant pose, he replied "You bet! I'll come back and save you from the Stalfos!" Stalfos Knight was a game that had quickly become their favourite in the past few days. As Malon had given Link lessons in horseback riding, they would both ride around the ranch, fighting off the imaginary Stalfos that would try to attack. She hugged him and gave him a stern look. "You'd better! I don't know if I can beat them all by myself!" With a returned smile, Link ran off in the direction of Hyrule Castle, fading into the distance as Malon stood and made her way back into the ranch.
Later that evening, a storm had begun that covered the whole of Hyrule. Though thunder was pounding in the sky above, Talon was sound asleep in his ranch home. Malon on the other hand was cowering in fear of the beating rain and ominous thunder that could only grow louder as the minutes went past. Laying in her bed, she pulled her covers up over her face and hid there as best she could, silently praying that no one would be struck by lighting, least of all her home. Then a thought dawned on her; the thought that Link might be out there, on his journey back to the farm. Remembering that she had begged him to return, she threw her fear aside and ran out of her bedroom, towards the front door.
Slamming the door in haste behind her, she left the farm grounds and found herself standing in the midst of a cold, dark, and thunderous Hyrule Field. Rain was pouring down faster, though she was able to make out an image in the distance; the faint glimmer of the torches that lit the drawbridge opening of Hyrule. She had remembered hearing from her father that these torches were blessed by Din, the Goddess of Power, and would never stop burning. Straining her eyes to see through the storm, she tried to make out any sort of image that resembled her friend. Running out farther into the field, she struggled to keep her composure as lightning struck the ground not far from her. Another bolt struck, and she fell to the ground, curling into a ball as her eyes grew wet, not only from the rain but from tears as well. After another minute of laying in the damp ground, she stood, her nightgown covered in mud and grass.
Turning back towards the farm entrance, a bolt of lightning lit up a figure that was standing in the archway. Taking a step towards the figure, she spoke loudly. "D.. daddy, is that you!? I wanted to find Link!" The figure, remaining silent, took a few steps towards her as she called out again. The lightning struck again, this time revealing the identity of the figure. Malon jumped for a minute but calmed herself, recognising the farmhand, Ingo. He was a skinnier man than her father, though taller and while usually a pleasant person, she held a slight resentment towards him for occasionally being too rough with the animals. "Oh.. Mr. Ingo. Do you... have you seen Link? Is my father with you?" She spoke loudly to be heard over the storm. Taking another step towards her, the man finally spoke. "A little girl like you shouldn't be out in a storm like this... This is a perfect feeding ground for Stalchildren." Malon took a step back. "I'll... be fine, Mr. Ingo. Could you please go get my father?" He took another step towards her. "Oh, he's sleeping like a baby. If something were to happen to you, he'd have no way of knowing." Immediately getting the impression that something was amiss, she quickly turned and tried to run in the opposite direction of Ingo, only to be quickly stopped by the larger person tackling her to the ground and restraining her arms behind her back. She cried out "Let me go! Get your hands off of me!" She quickly held her mouth shut as the edge of a switchblade was held against the side of her throat. Shivering from both fear and cold, she tried her best to keep her body still as the rain continued to pour down on the both of them. "You know..." Ingo began, "I've worked at this farm since before you were born. That lazy prick of a man you call a father has done nothing to show his appreciation for the hard work that I've put into keeping a steady flow of profits coming into this place. I deserve much better, don't I?.. Don't I!?" She nodded her head slowly, desperate to keep this man from hurting her any more. He smiled slightly, his grip on her tightening as he spoke again. "Now that he has no way to continue his family line, you're the only heir to Lon Lon... and if by some unfortunate accident you were to vanish, the logical choice would be to hand over this farm to none other than myself." She spoke softly. "Mr. Ingo... please, don't hurt me. If it'll make you happy, I don't want the farm." He pressed the blade a bit harder against her skin, drawing a trickle of blood from her. "You stupid, little child! You don't understand anything about how the adult world works! As long as you're around, I'll never have control of this place, and..." Ingo was cut short by a blow to the side of the head from Talon's right fist.
Malon was knocked free and rolled aside, Ingo regaining his composure as Talon stood over him. "Malon, get inside now!" he yelled to her, his eyes fixated on this now dirt-covered man. Ingo leaped into the air towards Talon, and the two rolled against the wet ground, exchanging blows as Malon hid behind a tree near the entrance to the farm. Both standing to their feet, Talon landed blow after blow to Ingo's face, his fists landing like bricks to their target as Ingo finally fell to the dirt once more. His eye quickly caught site of something shimmering on the ground, and as he reached for it, Talon stood over him, ready to deliver another blow. Quickly turning, Ingo grabbed the item from the ground and thrust it upward towards Talon.
Lightning struck as Malon caught site of the same switchblade that had been held at her neck earlier, now hanging from her father's chest. Talon threw a desperate glance at Malon as he fell onto his back, Ingo crouching over him. Pulling the blade from his body, Ingo began to repeatedly thrust the sharpened tip into Talon's now lifeless body, blood splattering onto his remorseless face. Malon's eyes were fixated on this site, her legs planted onto the ground, unable to move. Ingo finally stood and tossed the bloody knife onto the ground beside Talon's red corpse. His eyes shot over to Malon who was still in hiding, and he spoke firmly to her. "Get inside now, unless you want to feel it too." Blinded by fear, she quickly ran into the ranch grounds and found her way into her room where she hid. Ingo leaned over and began to drag Talon's body back into the ranch, the trail of blood slowly being washed clean by the storm.
Inside of her room, Malon was once again hiding under the covers in her bed, still soaked by rainwater and mud. Crying silently and shaking, she made an almost inaudible prayer. "...save me from the Stalfos..." Minutes later, her door was thrown open and Ingo walked in, his face and clothing covered in the blood of her father." Grinning sadistically, he looked at her and spoke. "Now that the fool is gone, this wretched place can finally get down to business..." Malon could only cry harder as he walked towards her.
Elsewhere, Link's body was resting in the Sacred Realm, waiting for the
day when he would awaken and meet his fate, face to face. Zelda's actions
had sealed him away for seven years, to wait for the day when he would be
old enough to fulfil his destiny as the Hero of Time.