Chapter 3: Malon

I sat beside the gate, trying to think of a way to tell Link about how Dark Link was here. Hannah sat next to me, nuzzling my hand. I smiled vaguely, petting her mane. I heard a horse trotting up to the Ranch, and I jumped up. I was relieved to see Link, the real Link, on Epona, smiling as if he'd just scored the winning slot in a game.

I couldn't help myself; I ran. I nearly knocked him over as I went to hug him. He chuckled. "I'm happy to see you, too, Ms. Lon."

"I can't believe you're here," I said, tears streaming down my face, because I couldn't hold them in anymore. "I was terrorized by someone-someone that looked like you!"

He fell silent for a moment. "What was his name?" He asked.

"Dark Link," I said.

He stepped back a little to look at me closer. "Are you all right?" He asked, worried.

"I'm fine," I said. "Let's go into town, and see if anyone's seen him."

When we got to Kakariko, I was unhappy to see the orange ring around Death Mountain. I looked around and saw Anju by her now empty pen. She looked uneasy. I walked over to her. "What's wrong, Anju?" I inquired.

"A young man came through here, asking about-" She sneezed-"you, Link." She said, looking at the green-clad man next to me. "I don't think he has left, yet. I think-" She sneezed, again-"he went into the armor shop."

"Thank you," I said. Link and I ran up the stairs to the armor shop, and walked inside. Dark Link was purchasing a bomb bag. As he turned around, and saw us, his lips curved into a smile. "Hello, Link," He greeted. "I see you've finally come to see me. What a pleasant surprise. And, you brought the farmer girl. How nice. Hello, Malon."

His saying my name confused me. My emotions were torn between being happy and becoming angry. In the end, anger won. Link snarled, "Don't you dare say her name!"

"Why not? I have done nothing wrong to her. In fact, I fawned over her while you were gone. I've grown to like her, actually. You, on the other hand, I want to destroy." He drew his sword, and slashed at Link's arm.

"Not in here!" Link shouted. "Your fight is with me, not with this innocent shopkeeper. Let's go somewhere else, and do this."

Dark Link looked bored. "Nah," He said. "I can wait. I would hate to hurt little Malon, here. Let's play, again, but at the Water Temple. I'll see you there, Link." He winked at Malon. "And, I'll see you much sooner."

We left the shop after he did, and saw that he was gone. I vaguely wondered what he meant when he said that he would see me, again, sooner, but in a way, I guess I already knew. I shivered at the thought of one of his nightly visits. "Link," I said, "will you… stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone."

He seemed startled by my unusual request. "I will," He said, "but why?"

"I just… have a feeling."

I lay in the stables that night, watching the moonlight peek through the heavy barn door behind me. Link was sound asleep beside me, his breath hot on my neck. I smiled at that thought; it made me feel safe. I rolled over to look at him. His face, usually so serious, was now peaceful. His mouth was in a straight line instead of frowning.

I looked at Epona who was in front of me, lying out. She was asleep, too, it seemed.

So why was I awake?

I wasn't a sound sleeper, but most of the time I did sleep well. I always fell asleep early, and woke up early. That was how my schedule was. That was how it had always been. I never woke up in the middle of the night. I curled up, facing away from him, and tried to go back to sleep. I shut my eyes as tightly as possible, but it didn't work. I rolled back over to face Link. Without really thinking about it, I buried my head in his chest.

I took comfort in this. I felt so safe when I was near him. I didn't know why. He just had this way about him that made me feel that way. I felt his chest move up and down, and slowly started to drift off, again. I closed my eyes, letting the pounding of his heart lull me.

Epona snorted, waking me up, again. I blinked, and looked at her. I got up, and went to her. She lifted her head, and her eyes rolled in that scared way that horses do when they are scared or startled. She snorted again, and her head turned to the door to the barn. Moonlight was pooling in from a crack in the door. I stood up, and slowly padded to the door, closing it. I took one of the milking stools, and put it under the knob so that no one would get inside.

I walked back to the horse blanket, and lay back down. Beside me, Link groaned. "Why do you keep getting up?" He mumbled.

"Sorry," I said. "I'm just uneasy. That encounter with your other was… rattling to say the least."

I felt him wrap his arms around me, and blushed. "Don't worry," He said. "I'll protect you."

I smiled, and started to fall asleep, again. The last thought in my mind was of the fairy boy I once knew, now named Link, and me playing Epona's song on our Ocarinas.

When I woke up this time, sunlight was filtering in from a crack in the barn door behind me. Link no longer had his arms wrapped around me. In fact, as I looked around I didn't see him, anywhere. I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes. Epona wasn't there, either. I got up, and pushed the barn door open to go outside. Link was running laps with Epona, giving her carrots every now and then.

I smiled, happy that she was in such good hands. I walked over to the pen, and stood there, watching him ride. Epona let out a whinny each time he made her speed up. When Link saw me, he smiled and brought Epona to a stop. He dismounted her, and gave her another carrot. He patted her muzzle, and said to me, "Good morning. I thought farmers were supposed to wake up at dawn every morning. You slept late." He grinned.

I blushed. "I didn't sleep that late…" I trailed off, toeing the ground with my boot. "I just… didn't sleep that well."

"It is already early afternoon, Milady. I have to leave, again as soon as the sun sets," He said with a grimace.

"What would you like to until then?" I asked, smiling.

A smile graced his lips as he said, "How would you like to race?"

"Well…" I thought about it for a moment. "To where?"

He grinned. "To Lake Hylia and back."

"Let's go." I mounted Hannah. I waited until he got on Epona, then shouted, "Ready. Set… Go!"

We both took off. At first, I was in the lead, but then he passed me. I gripped Hannah's reigns tighter, trying my best to catch up. I forgot that I gave him the fastest horse on Lon Lon Ranch. This race would be easy for him. I slapped Hannah lightly on her flank, and she sped up a little.

I was now right next to Link. "Oh no you don't!" He shouted, passing me, again. The fence to Lake Hylia was coming up fast, and I was losing. I fed Hannah a carrot, and she whinnied, and sped up, but not enough. We jumped both gates, and galloped to the edge of where the lake was.

It was completely empty, now. I dismounted Hannah, giving her another carrot. "What happened to this place?" I whispered, my eyes wide.

"I don't know." He was silent for a moment, clenching and unclenching his fists. "I'm going to find out, though."

When we got back to the ranch, we made lunch using the eggs from the Cuccos. I made a campfire off to the side, and cooked them in a pot. We ate while we reminisced about the old Hyrule. We talked about when he snuck into the castle where we first met. He told me about him meeting Princess Zelda and getting her autograph.

"The guard at the gate laughed at me," He said. "He thought Princess Zelda was joking. He let me through, though. That was how I got the Goron's Ruby. Well, after I defeated King Dodongo."

"Who was that?" I asked, taking the pot off the fire after the eggs started to harden. I set them aside to cool.

"He was the boss for Dodongo's Cavern. I had to use bombs to destroy him. I threw them in his mouth, and eventually killed him." He looked at the sun. It was near sunset, but not quite time. "I need to hurry up, and eat." He took his egg from the pot, and shoved it in his mouth. His eyes grew wide as he realized it was too hot, and I giggled.

"Hold on," I laughed as I ran off to get a jar of milk from inside the barn. I brought it back, and handed it to him, sitting back on the grass. He chugged it, stood up, and wiped his mouth. I stood up, too.

"Thank you," He said, smiling at me. "I guess I was in too much of a hurry." He laughed, sheepishly.

"I suppose it's time for you to go." I grimaced.

"Yeah…" He trailed off with a frown.

We stood there in silence for a moment. The only noise I heard was the sound of crickets chirping. I just gazed at him, waiting for I-don't-know-what, but knowing something would happen. A few moments later, he wrapped his arms around me, and hugged me. I rested my head on his shoulder, and whispered, "Please be careful. Make it back safe."

"Don't worry," He said. "I will." He pulled away from me reluctantly. He mounted Epona, and pulled on her reigns, slapping her flank lightly. Epona trotted out of the ranch with him in her saddle. His fairy whined at him to head to a certain place.

I went back into the barn, and grabbed a bucket from the barn. I went to the water pump, and poured it into the bucket. I brought it back out, and poured it over the fire, snuffing it. I left the sticks there, and saw Mr. Ingo come out of his house.

He glared at me. "What was that horse thief doing here?" He demanded.

"Just… passing through, Mr. Ingo," I lied, holding eye-contact as best I could.

"All right," He grumbled. "Make sure to lock up after you're finished tonight."

"Yes, Sir," I said. He went back into the house I used to call my own, and the lights flicked off, one by one. I walked to the horse pen, and sat by a fence. I decided to go for a ride out in Hyrule Field. I took Mayberry this time, because I didn't want to go too fast.

I trotted to the river, letting Mayberry get her water. I sat by the riverbank, taking off my boots. I dipped my feet into the water, and yanked them back out, feeling the unnatural coldness of the river. As I looked up the bend, I noticed snow falling. How strange, I thought. I put my boots back on, mounted Mayberry, and rode off to Kakariko Village.

No One's P.O.V

Dark Link stood just outside of Hyrule Castle Town. Or, what was left of it, anyway. He watched as Malon ascended the stairs to that hateful Sheikah village: Kakariko. No doubt that was where He was. Not that the farmer girl knew that. He could be in Death Mountain, facing Volvagia, and she would never know.

He suddenly felt his master calling him. He walked through the entrance, and into the town. He remembered the lively people in the town, and how he'd wished he could be like them. He'd once tried to play with a dog, but it ran away in fear that he would hurt it.

Now, he felt nothing but hatred for those people. He didn't feel sorry for them. No, he was glad that they got what they deserved. Well, some of them, anyway. Others got away.

He remembered seeing her in the center of town, swaying back and forth with that merry expression on her face. She had seemed so naïve. She was never aware that anyone was watching her. She just stayed in the Castle Town all day. But when the day came, and the castle fell, she had left in a hurry, shouting his name.

The town was now filled with ReDead. These mindless monsters didn't care if you were friend or foe; they just wanted to eat. Dark Link ran past them into the heart of this dark masterpiece. He stared at the ever-growing lava pit, and slunk into a shadow on the ground. The shadow protruded to the castle, and he stepped into the entryway, sheathing his sword.

He broke through the barrier to the central gate, and climbed up, up, up to the high tower where he knew for certain that his master would be in. As expected, his master was, indeed, up there, playing his organ. As soon as Dark Link entered the room, Ganondorf swiveled around to face him. "Ah," He said. "You made it. I was starting to get impatient, Kid."

Dark Link growled, "What is it you wanted?"

Ganondorf put his hand under his chin. "I wanted a report. How far is Link with collecting the medallions?"

"He is on his third," Dark Link told him.

Ganondorf frowned. He didn't think that the kid would get so far in such little time. "Keep an eye on him." Dark Link nodded. As he started to walk away, however, his master added, "Oh, and I know about the girl." Dark Link froze. "Don't get too attached, boy. She's one of them. Eventually, she'll have to die just like the other Hylians."

Dark Link hesitated, then nodded.