Waiting
A Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Fanfiction Writen by Seelenschloss

"Aren't the stars beautiful tonight, Fairy Boy?"

Link faced up to look at the sky. Malon was right. The stars were mesmerizing, like glittering jewels, hanging in the dark blue. The past few nights had been the same. Of course, no other land was quite like this small ranch…

Link had been staying at the ranch temporarily after he was injured during his battles on Death Mountain. He had been in the Market, heading to the castle to present his achievement of obtaining the Goron's Ruby to Princess Zelda and to ask her the whereabouts of the third Spiritual Stone, when he had fainted from pain and fatigue. Talon, recognizing him from a month or so earlier, took him under his wing, feeling that the fresh air of the ranch would help his health, and he also wanted to repay his debts to Link from their first meeting.

Staying at the ranch had helped Link's wounds to heal, but he felt it was more than just the ranch itself. While it was Talon who had taken him in, the man's clumsiness got in the way very quickly, and so his daughter had taken in upon herself to stay by Link during the time he was bedridden. For about a week, they had been inseparable. Navi often nagged to her companion, declaring many times over that it was his duty to find the other stone and save Hyrule. "Stop being so lazy!" she would often cry. "Go to the castle… or you could ask Saria, even!"

And he had did just that, but he did it that night earlier, while the fairy was asleep. And he now knew he had to travel northeast, to the land of the Zora race. While he knew it was his duty, he found it a little saddening. He would have to leave the ranch too soon. While he couldn't say it out loud, he wanted to stay here, with Malon. He wanted to talk to her more about her mother and the song she had composed, the one the wild pony Epona loved so much. He wanted to feed the cuckoos of the ranch with her and milk the cows for their nutritious milk with her and help her with all of the other chores on the ranch. He wanted to sit down to more of Ingo's interesting meals and laugh with her about them behind his back. He simply wanted to be with her more than his destiny would allow him to be…

'Oh well…' he sighed inwardly, as he starred up into the current sky. 'I guess that's the price I have to pay as a hero…'

"Hey! You're spacing out, again!" Malon's melodic voice rang though Link's pointed ears, interrupting his thoughts of self-pity.

"Uh…" He laughed nervously and his face reddened at her gaze. "Sorry?" From the looks of things, she had asked him something, but he had failed to hear her question.

"Tarnation, Fairy Boy!" The red-haired girl groaned, her accent, while less noticeable than her father's, had always became evident whenever she was annoyed or upset. He waited patiently while she leaned back slightly and hugged her knees, facing upward- another sign that she wasn't happy. They stayed silent like this for a minute or so, before she leaned back down, resting her chin on the tips of her knees. She faced him out of the corners of her eyes. He let out a small gasp, seeing a tinge of sadness on her face. "…You're gonna be leaving the ranch soon, aren't you?"

The blond youth was shocked. How did she know? He had planned to leave in the morning, but had never told any of the ranchers, or even Navi. Could she read his mind or something?

"I overheard you in your room last night." she explained. "You said before you had a friend in the forest you could talk to by playing your ocarina… You were talking to her, weren't you? About traveling to see the Zora King…"

Link was silent for a moment, before gently turning her around so he could stare into her eyes. "Yeah… but don't worry about that." he felt like crying, seeing the sorrow in her eyes. "I'll come back." he tried to reassure her. "I'll do what I have to elsewhere, then I'll… I'll come straight back here."

Malon could first feel a light tremble, but couldn't determine whether it was from her or him. Next, she could feel heat on her cheeks and tears in her eyes. Lastly, her voice came out, a nearly inaudible sob. "…Do you promise? You'd better promise you'll come back…"

He raised one of his hands and held the side of her face with it. He sighed once again, this time outwardly, as he stared squarely into her face, their eyes at level. "I promise…" he breathed. "I swear I'll come back."

She sighed as well, feeling his cool hand and warm breath on her face. She was at a complete loss for words now, so she gazed at him for several moments, before closing her eyes and slowly leaning toward him, parting her lips ever so slightly. Link froze, but only for a split second, before he closed his eyes as well. They were both slow to move at first, both sunned and embarrassed, but in a few moments, they were less than an inch way…

"Hey!" Ingo's voice stopped them in their tracks. They turned quickly to find him walking out of the small house. Apparently, he hadn't found them in their intimacy, but his timing was the worst for them. "You damn brats get in here now! Food's ready!"

Link was so embarrassed as he took in the situation. He had just nearly been caught in his first kiss. Not only that, but he had let his emotions get control of him, ignoring the fact that he couldn't get to close to the only one he wanted to be with at this time unless she held some secret about the legendary triforce…

The way things were going, he couldn't stay one more night here. He had to leave now. Calling Navi away from the horses she had grown fond of during the last week, he bolted up and ran as fast as he could on his short legs. Ingo was confused and cursed at him loudly as he left the ranch. Malon just watched in sadness. He was gone sooner than she had imagined he would be…

"But…he'll be back." she whispered to herself. "He promised me…"

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A year had passed. As Malon walked through the Market, shopping for supplies with her father, she overheard two brothers talking. Princess Zelda had disappeared seven months ago. Also, one of the brothers remarked about a strange-looking boy who had been seen rushing to the Temple of Time at the same time, and had yet to be seen again. Talon prohibited her to run off to the temple.

Two years passed since that night. A gerudo man named Ganondorf had visited Lon Lon Ranch and noted that Ingo should rule over Talon. Because of this, Ingo took full advantage of the debt that the other man owed him, and became the new ranch head. Talon urged Malon to stay, and she did, hoping that Link would return.

Three years had went by. Instead of the King of Hyrule, it was Ganondorf who ruled in the castle town, which had become nearly empty. Malon received a simple letter from Kakariko Village that stated that many people were moving to the foot of Death Mountain. While no name was given, she knew it was from her father. She wished she could join him and the other Hylians, which could very well include Link, but she had become a slave girl of sorts at what was now Ingo Ranch.

Four years come and left. Epona had been growing into a great and beautiful horse, and, while many came to Ingo's Ranch to ride the horses by paying Ingo ten rupees or such, she would only let Malon ride her. Malon had also grown notably beautiful, herself, as many of the visitors remarked. But she paid them no mind. It only made her wonder how handsome Link most have become over the years, wherever he was.

Five years had followed that time. Malon's innocence had been stolen from her by Ingo, who now seemed to be acting colder than ever, and his cruel actions at an almost equal pace to that at which Ganondorf's power spread throughout the whole land. She never heard of her father any more, not from Ingo nor from the few visitors than came at that time. She also never heard of the Fairy Boy she had once trusted so deeply would return to the ranch.

Six years later still. No one ever come to the ranch anymore, and nearly every night Malon was forced to bring Ingo's worst fantasies to life. Late in the year, she conceived her first daughter after many complications. Malon had to wonder if Ingo was to blame for the infant's life lasting merely a month. Although she couldn't speak out for her child's sake- the one who, in a moment of faith, she had given the name 'Navi', as it was the only name she could remember from those days.

Seven years… That's how long it took.

A golden-haired boy had came to the ranch. Malon paid him no mind as she seen him first taking to Ingo, then paying to ride a horse. She just continued her work, which had become much more strenuous, to make up for what she couldn't do during her pregnancy a year earlier. Only when she heard Ingo cursing loudly did she think to sneak out of the stable to get a better view of what was happening.

"How the hell did you do this? I was going to give that horse to the great Ganondorf!" Ingo yelled to the boy. Malon could see he was near her age, clothed in green, and seemed to have something sparkly hidden under his cap. He was also mounted on Epona and held an ocarina in his hand. "Damn it! You win! You'll get the horse! But you'll never leave this place again! You'll stay in Ingo Ranch forever!" With this, the angry man quickly shut and locked the gates, shutting the boy and the wild horse all thought only Malon could tame in a oval-shaped pasture. She quickly hid behind a crate as Ingo ran into the house next to the stable, still cursing at the boy.

After he slammed the door, she ran as fast as her tired legs would let her to the locked pasture. 'This boy…' she thought to herself through her panting. '…could it be the Fairy Boy from that time?' But just as she reached the gate, she could see that the fairy had come out of hiding and was suggesting an escape plan to him. She tried to scream out to him. She wanted to tell him she could unlock the gates for him. But she was too late. Epona had already grown so fond of him that she showed no hesitation when he had her jump over the walls of the pasture and escape the ranch.

She did unlock the gates. She did run to the middle of the field. But instead of embracing the love of her past, she fell down to her knees.

He had kept his promise. He had returned to the ranch. But it wasn't what she had wanted. He had left her again.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Malon lost track of time. There was no need to pay attention to it now. She didn't care if it was seconds or ages that passed her by now. All she would have to accompany her either way now was her tears, which fell like an endless stream. Fatigue nor hunger nor life itself mattered now. She had spent seven long, miserable years waiting to be with him, and yet she hadn't even clearly saw his face.

She stayed there, under a beautiful sunset, not paying the rest of the world any mind. But she knew, even so, she would have to move on. She would have tried to talk herself out of crying, as she always did as a child. But whenever she opened her mouth, she couldn't let out anything but a song. The song her mother had composed. The song Epona always loved. The song she would often sing to that boy...

That song that she could hear, not only coming from herself, but by the sound of a musical instrument behind her. She let the sound sink it as she finished the first part of the song, then, as her voice faded, she turned around ever so slightly. The sound of the instrument, an ocarina, faded out simultaneously. Looking up, she seen a familiar pair of blue eyes, blond hair that shined with the stars and the fairy that followed behind the boy in green- the Fairy Boy…

"It's been a long time since we played that together, Malon." He smiled down at her, offering her his hand. "I missed it… and you." She was at a lose for words. "Of course, I remember you being more cheery than this…" he laughed.

Moments of awkward silence followed. "…C'mon, Epona." Navi whispered, not wanting to interrupt anything and be threatened to be a treat for the cuckoos as she used to be. "Let's go before things get… cheesy."

"You…" the ranch girl breathed in disbelief, before bolting up and slinging her arms around his neck with no hesitation. "You! Fairy Boy, it really is you!" She buried her face in his neck, trying to stop what seemed to be a cross between crying and laughing.

"You're still using that title?" he questioned light-heartedly as he wrapped his now muscular arms around her slender waist. "I guess that's okay." he laughed, resting his chin on the top of her head and proceeding her hold her closer. "Some of my best memories are about you, after all, so whatever works…"

"Well…" Her face was hotter than she could ever remember it being, which kind of made him wish he hadn't changed out of his red heat-resistant tunic, but then he probably wouldn't notice her blush, which, he couldn't deny, was amazingly cute. "…You never told me your name." She stifled a giggle. "Unless it really is 'Fairy Boy'!"

"No." He pulled away just enough to stare into her face, which was now more beautiful than ever. "It's Link."

"Link…" Malon tested the name on her tongue. She smiled more with every repetition. "Link… Link…"

"Hey now, don't keep saying it like that!" Link chuckled. "It's embarrassing me."

Malon glared at him quietly, before her expression changed into a smirk. "Tarnation, Fairy Boy! Don't stop me!"

He laughed at her as she then continued, realizing that she was doing it just to tease him. But even so, he wanted something else. So he stopped her in the middle of saying it one time by pressing his lips lightly against hers. Her eyes widened at first, but she quickly closed then and returned the favor. The kiss later grew more intense, as the two left the world around them and let their feelings take control…

Sometime later, the two lay in the grass, holding each other in a warm embrace. Malon continued to plant soft kisses on Link's neck as he continued to run his fingers through her red hair. Their actions now were much simpler and lighter than earlier events, but the passion and the love was the same.

The sun had changed into a moon, their moans had become laughing, and the clouds had become stars. Malon was the first of the two to acknowledge this with a sigh.

"Aren't the stars beautiful tonight, Link?"


Fin.
Please review! This was my first post here, so I'd like to know what you all think about it.
Seelenschloss