In the land of Hyrule, there was a legend of a boy who had had the
ability to travel through time as he tried to defeat his greatest enemies
and return peace to the world of which he called home. He fought violent
battles and had plenty of blood on his hands by the time peace was returned
to the kingdom. When peace returned, the legend was complete. But the boy
had disappeared...
...and in his place, a young man had emerged.
Link was no longer a little boy. The ability to travel time spanned seven years, so by the time it was all said and done and Link had returned the Master Sword to its pedestal in the temple of time, when seven natural years passed, Link felt very older than he should. The little boy had indeed vanished, replaced by a hardened soldier who had little to live for. He wandered the countryside in vague stupors, coming and going from various bars and taverns, always armed with a sword and shield. Personally, he felt extremely cut off from the world; his true love, Saria, would never mature past being a child, and she was a Sage; the princess Zelda was kept in the castle in Hyrule Castle Town and was rarely seen anywhere; Navi was God-knows-where, and Link had long since given up his quest to find her. He had even grown distant from Malon, a kindred spirit he had met during his travels.
...Yeah, some legend, he thought bitterly, and knocked back another shot of liquor.
His thoughts drifted again to Malon, and he wondered if he could make it to the Lon-Lon Ranch before it closed at sundown. Link stumbled away from the bar, managed to make it outside, and pulled from his shirt a small potato ocarina—the one that Saria had given him so long ago. He tried to play the notes of Epona's Song, but he couldn't get his fingers to go in the right places, so he gave up, and began stumbling across the country.
Six goddamn notes, he thought to himself. You can't even play six damn notes. Some legend.
He staggered and hobbled into the fading horizon, following his own zigzag pattern towards the center of the country.
It was almost sundown by the time Link finally managed to make the trip to Lon-Lon Ranch, which was fortunate. His stupor had ended and his hangover had begun, but he was used to the feeling, so by now he was affected very little. He walked steadily towards the open gates, up the hill, and into what he had always referred to as the "entrance hall"—the gap between the barn and the house. Link walked into the barn, and besides he cow's mooing, he heard another voice saying:
"Oh, Petunia, I just filled your trough this afternoon! You should be in the muck with the pigs..."
"Hey, Malon," Link said.
Startled, Malon turned quickly. She was a beautiful young woman with deep red hair and dark purple eyes. Her clothes were stained from the day's work and the expression on her face told Link that he might not be as welcome as he would have liked to be.
"Hello, Link," Malon said evenly. "Long time, huh?"
"You have no idea," Link muttered, and in a louder voice said, "Listen...I need a place to stay the night—"
"That's great, Link. Every time you need something, you come to good ol' Malon, and she keeps giving you everything in return for nothing," Malon said angrily. Link looked at the ground; as he did so, he heard Malon sigh in exasperation. "You've been drinking again, haven't you?"
"Yes," Link said in a low voice. Malon rolled her eyes.
"Damn it, Link," she said. "How in the world do you go from the man who saved the world to the man who can't save himself?"
Link found no answer to her question. Malon walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Listen to me," she said, "you have to get sober. All right? You have to get sober or I'm never helping you again—what is it?"
She had stopped suddenly, because she noticed Link was shaking. He looked into her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Malon," he said. "I'm sorry about—about us."
Malon blinked. She shook her head in exasperation. "I should've known you'd bring that up."
"I miss Saria so much," Link said, sitting down on a hay bale. "I can't talk to Zelda ever...Navi is gone...Look at me, Malon," Links said. "I'm no legend. I mean, I was, but I never asked for that! I had a good life! I had...so many things..."
He looked up at her, tears welling in his eyes. "And then, I had you...but I blew that, too."
Malon suddenly felt incredibly sorry for him at that moment. She sat next to him, and said, "You can stay here tonight. Link, you're right. You were a legend. You lost a lot of things and had to make a huge amount of sacrifices. As for us, I forgave you a while ago. But Link, you have to get sober. Drinking yourself to death won't heal anything—it will only make things worse. So, starting tomorrow, we're gonna set you straight. We're gonna find Navi and we'll even try to see Zelda sometime. I'll help you with all those things, but you have to promise you'll help me—OK?"
Link gazed at her with his empty eyes. "You'd help me do that?"
"Yes," Malon said. She put her arm around Link's shoulders and put her forehead against his, looking sternly into his eyes. "No more alcohol for you. Ever."
Link looked away. "Thank you, Malon," he managed to say.
Malon leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "You're still my hero, Link," she whispered, and she got up and left him alone in the barn. Link managed to keep his eyes opened for about three minutes, but he finally passed out on the hay.
Link awoke late the next morning. He got up, and fighting the lasting effects of his hangover, he staggered out of the barn and headed towards the house. He knocked on the door and when it opened, Malon's father, Talon, stood in the doorway.
"Well, Link! Long time, no see—where ya been?" he guffawed as he let Link into the house.
"I've been...around," Link said. He looked up the staircase. "You guys still have a bath, right?"
"Sure! One of the finest in the kingdom! The ranch is really picking up in profit—you ever need a job, consider yourself hired!" Talon said, smiling proudly. Link chuckled.
"Thanks, Talon. So, can I use the bath?"
"Sure! Take as long as ya want," Talon said, and he left the house whistling a song. Link smiled good-naturedly and headed upstairs.
Link walked out into the sunlight, still a little damp, and began looking for Malon. He found her, like he thought he would, out by the stables. She was feeding the horses, sing her song—actually, it was Epona's Song—as she did it.
In the natural seven years that had passed, since essentially Ganondorf's takeover had never occurred, business at Lon-Lon Ranch had boomed into overdrive. The barn was expanded to include stables for the many race horses that now populated the ranch, the track now had grandstands and was the headquarters of the Hyrule Racing League, presided over by talon himself. Ingo, the old ranch hand had been fired five years ago for plotting his own takeover—of the ranch. However, his presence at Lon-Lon was not completely forgotten; he owned a racehorse and his son raced it. Gorman was actually a fairly good racer himself, but currently, the leader in the standings and the favorite for the Hyrule cup was the horse called Oceanbagel, jockeyed by a man named Kafei. Link walked over to Malon, and said, "Good morning."
"Hey, Link. Feeling better?" she asked. Link nodded.
"Yes. Can I help?"
"Oh, I'm finished here," she said, putting down an empty bucket. "But, I could use some company taking some things to the Market in Castle Town...wanna come?"
"Sure," Link said, and while Malon got the wagon ready, Link helped Talon get everything ready to be loaded. After all was put in the wagon, Malon and Link jumped into the seats and headed for the Castle Town.
As Link gazed across the plains, dark memories flooded into his mind. He saw a particular spot and remembered the time a Stalfos had tried to behead him. Another spot he saw made him think of the Poes he had had to kill. And finally, his eyes rested upon the forest.
And I thought it was gonna be a good day, Link though bitterly.
He turned away and saw the Castle Town looming into sight. Although it was standing tall and gleaming brightly, that wasn't the version Link saw.
He saw dank, dark streets and mindless zombies.
He saw broken buildings and broken bodies.
He saw a castle floating in the air above a pool of lava.
"I need a drink," Link said desperately, and he jumped off the wagon.
"No!" Malon screamed. "Link! Come back! LINK!"
Link stopped and she plowed into him, knocking them both over. They rolled over, and Malon, who was on top, pushed herself up above him and said, "Listen, mister. I can only help you if you help me—OK?"
Link didn't respond. Instead, he craned his neck upwards and kissed her, and to his surprise, he found that she was kissing him back. They parted, and Link said, "Thanks."
Malon blinked. "For what?" she asked.
"For...reaffirmation," he said, and he started to sit up. "I've got issues, Malon. I'm not gonna lie. But I think with your help, I can save myself."
Malon smiled and looked into his eyes. "Some legend," she said. He smiled also.
"Yeah," he said. "The legend is back."
In the deserts sands of the Haunted Wasteland, there was something stirring. But what it was, no one could have been sure. But it was emitting a black cloud, a cloud that seemed to be appearing from nowhere....
...and in his place, a young man had emerged.
Link was no longer a little boy. The ability to travel time spanned seven years, so by the time it was all said and done and Link had returned the Master Sword to its pedestal in the temple of time, when seven natural years passed, Link felt very older than he should. The little boy had indeed vanished, replaced by a hardened soldier who had little to live for. He wandered the countryside in vague stupors, coming and going from various bars and taverns, always armed with a sword and shield. Personally, he felt extremely cut off from the world; his true love, Saria, would never mature past being a child, and she was a Sage; the princess Zelda was kept in the castle in Hyrule Castle Town and was rarely seen anywhere; Navi was God-knows-where, and Link had long since given up his quest to find her. He had even grown distant from Malon, a kindred spirit he had met during his travels.
...Yeah, some legend, he thought bitterly, and knocked back another shot of liquor.
His thoughts drifted again to Malon, and he wondered if he could make it to the Lon-Lon Ranch before it closed at sundown. Link stumbled away from the bar, managed to make it outside, and pulled from his shirt a small potato ocarina—the one that Saria had given him so long ago. He tried to play the notes of Epona's Song, but he couldn't get his fingers to go in the right places, so he gave up, and began stumbling across the country.
Six goddamn notes, he thought to himself. You can't even play six damn notes. Some legend.
He staggered and hobbled into the fading horizon, following his own zigzag pattern towards the center of the country.
It was almost sundown by the time Link finally managed to make the trip to Lon-Lon Ranch, which was fortunate. His stupor had ended and his hangover had begun, but he was used to the feeling, so by now he was affected very little. He walked steadily towards the open gates, up the hill, and into what he had always referred to as the "entrance hall"—the gap between the barn and the house. Link walked into the barn, and besides he cow's mooing, he heard another voice saying:
"Oh, Petunia, I just filled your trough this afternoon! You should be in the muck with the pigs..."
"Hey, Malon," Link said.
Startled, Malon turned quickly. She was a beautiful young woman with deep red hair and dark purple eyes. Her clothes were stained from the day's work and the expression on her face told Link that he might not be as welcome as he would have liked to be.
"Hello, Link," Malon said evenly. "Long time, huh?"
"You have no idea," Link muttered, and in a louder voice said, "Listen...I need a place to stay the night—"
"That's great, Link. Every time you need something, you come to good ol' Malon, and she keeps giving you everything in return for nothing," Malon said angrily. Link looked at the ground; as he did so, he heard Malon sigh in exasperation. "You've been drinking again, haven't you?"
"Yes," Link said in a low voice. Malon rolled her eyes.
"Damn it, Link," she said. "How in the world do you go from the man who saved the world to the man who can't save himself?"
Link found no answer to her question. Malon walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Listen to me," she said, "you have to get sober. All right? You have to get sober or I'm never helping you again—what is it?"
She had stopped suddenly, because she noticed Link was shaking. He looked into her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Malon," he said. "I'm sorry about—about us."
Malon blinked. She shook her head in exasperation. "I should've known you'd bring that up."
"I miss Saria so much," Link said, sitting down on a hay bale. "I can't talk to Zelda ever...Navi is gone...Look at me, Malon," Links said. "I'm no legend. I mean, I was, but I never asked for that! I had a good life! I had...so many things..."
He looked up at her, tears welling in his eyes. "And then, I had you...but I blew that, too."
Malon suddenly felt incredibly sorry for him at that moment. She sat next to him, and said, "You can stay here tonight. Link, you're right. You were a legend. You lost a lot of things and had to make a huge amount of sacrifices. As for us, I forgave you a while ago. But Link, you have to get sober. Drinking yourself to death won't heal anything—it will only make things worse. So, starting tomorrow, we're gonna set you straight. We're gonna find Navi and we'll even try to see Zelda sometime. I'll help you with all those things, but you have to promise you'll help me—OK?"
Link gazed at her with his empty eyes. "You'd help me do that?"
"Yes," Malon said. She put her arm around Link's shoulders and put her forehead against his, looking sternly into his eyes. "No more alcohol for you. Ever."
Link looked away. "Thank you, Malon," he managed to say.
Malon leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "You're still my hero, Link," she whispered, and she got up and left him alone in the barn. Link managed to keep his eyes opened for about three minutes, but he finally passed out on the hay.
Link awoke late the next morning. He got up, and fighting the lasting effects of his hangover, he staggered out of the barn and headed towards the house. He knocked on the door and when it opened, Malon's father, Talon, stood in the doorway.
"Well, Link! Long time, no see—where ya been?" he guffawed as he let Link into the house.
"I've been...around," Link said. He looked up the staircase. "You guys still have a bath, right?"
"Sure! One of the finest in the kingdom! The ranch is really picking up in profit—you ever need a job, consider yourself hired!" Talon said, smiling proudly. Link chuckled.
"Thanks, Talon. So, can I use the bath?"
"Sure! Take as long as ya want," Talon said, and he left the house whistling a song. Link smiled good-naturedly and headed upstairs.
Link walked out into the sunlight, still a little damp, and began looking for Malon. He found her, like he thought he would, out by the stables. She was feeding the horses, sing her song—actually, it was Epona's Song—as she did it.
In the natural seven years that had passed, since essentially Ganondorf's takeover had never occurred, business at Lon-Lon Ranch had boomed into overdrive. The barn was expanded to include stables for the many race horses that now populated the ranch, the track now had grandstands and was the headquarters of the Hyrule Racing League, presided over by talon himself. Ingo, the old ranch hand had been fired five years ago for plotting his own takeover—of the ranch. However, his presence at Lon-Lon was not completely forgotten; he owned a racehorse and his son raced it. Gorman was actually a fairly good racer himself, but currently, the leader in the standings and the favorite for the Hyrule cup was the horse called Oceanbagel, jockeyed by a man named Kafei. Link walked over to Malon, and said, "Good morning."
"Hey, Link. Feeling better?" she asked. Link nodded.
"Yes. Can I help?"
"Oh, I'm finished here," she said, putting down an empty bucket. "But, I could use some company taking some things to the Market in Castle Town...wanna come?"
"Sure," Link said, and while Malon got the wagon ready, Link helped Talon get everything ready to be loaded. After all was put in the wagon, Malon and Link jumped into the seats and headed for the Castle Town.
As Link gazed across the plains, dark memories flooded into his mind. He saw a particular spot and remembered the time a Stalfos had tried to behead him. Another spot he saw made him think of the Poes he had had to kill. And finally, his eyes rested upon the forest.
And I thought it was gonna be a good day, Link though bitterly.
He turned away and saw the Castle Town looming into sight. Although it was standing tall and gleaming brightly, that wasn't the version Link saw.
He saw dank, dark streets and mindless zombies.
He saw broken buildings and broken bodies.
He saw a castle floating in the air above a pool of lava.
"I need a drink," Link said desperately, and he jumped off the wagon.
"No!" Malon screamed. "Link! Come back! LINK!"
Link stopped and she plowed into him, knocking them both over. They rolled over, and Malon, who was on top, pushed herself up above him and said, "Listen, mister. I can only help you if you help me—OK?"
Link didn't respond. Instead, he craned his neck upwards and kissed her, and to his surprise, he found that she was kissing him back. They parted, and Link said, "Thanks."
Malon blinked. "For what?" she asked.
"For...reaffirmation," he said, and he started to sit up. "I've got issues, Malon. I'm not gonna lie. But I think with your help, I can save myself."
Malon smiled and looked into his eyes. "Some legend," she said. He smiled also.
"Yeah," he said. "The legend is back."
In the deserts sands of the Haunted Wasteland, there was something stirring. But what it was, no one could have been sure. But it was emitting a black cloud, a cloud that seemed to be appearing from nowhere....