NOTE: The inappropriate parts of my fiction are tiny and unnoticeable, but they are there. Most people wouldn't catch it unless I told them, but Link feels awkward while being hugged by Malon the first time because her top is wet from the fountain.

Chapter 11: Hyrule's Milk Merchant

The sun greeted Link through his mask's eyeholes as the morning shook him from his slumber. Scratching his ears, the lad yawned and sat up. Where was he?

Link stayed at the milk café and took in unprecedented amounts of milk, not letting the obstruction of his Keaton Mask bother him. The beverage lifted his spirits after just one drink. He'd completely forgotten about his Zola companion and went into a deep drinking session. The woman at the counter spectated Link's efforts with something close to admiration, he thought. Or was it because he was out of it? She commented on the crusade against her dairy stores; "For a guy in a children's character mask, you're a pretty heavy milk drinker... Where are you from?" Link quickly explained to her that Keatons were real and that they jumped out of bushes when you cut them all down before they hopped away from you and burrowed underground. He further explained that the Keaton would only appear to you if you were wearing the same mask as he was and that the Keatons were crafty. He described how the Keatons would not be fooled by your tricks, but admired your steel, allowing you to take their quiz for Rupees. Concluding, Link told the woman that they also only appeared in the insane magical land where there was a duplicate of everyone, including her. The woman observed this story with an amused expression. Link was staring into his milk glass through the slits in his Keaton mask, totally keeping a straight face, it seemed to her. People who had been listening to Link's story through eavesdropping were all glancing at him, not speaking. The woman smiled at Link, surveyed the quiet café, and pointed towards the exit. "Thank you for your business."

In a stupor, tipsy beyond reason, Link stumbled to and fro through Castle Town's dark alleys. Eventually, he saw a vacant milk wagon. Fumbling over himself, Link managed to climb on top of its canvas where he fell unconscious.

Link's expression under his mask was pure agitation. When was LonLon milk ever so strong? His head ached. Link sat up on the milk wagon and stretched, making a plethora of stretching noises. When this battle against stiffness was won, he opened his eyes and ears. He wasn't very far from the milk cafИ. He remembered that this is where a Bombchu shop was. The cobblestone street was calming during the morning. Each stone was rough in this mosaic of Hyrule's bones. The shadows admired the artwork of the road as Link felt peace in the quiet of the man-made scenery. The voices of people in the market buying bread and other wares filtered past his cloak's hood. It was calming Link's headache from his drinking tirade the previous night.

This would have been the perfect time for Link to lay back on the wagon's canvas and just go back to sleep, but a loud sound penetrated the peace like a a pin to a ChuChu. The erratic noise wouldn't leave Link's hearing; it bounced around in his ear, echoing in his own head. The headache burst through the hero's defenses and he held his forehead with both hands until the second wave of the audio assault reached his valuable sound detecting organs. Holding his forehead and ears awkwardly with his hands and his elbows, Link whimpered, trying to beg the beast that made the noise to cease its fire. He squirmed on top of the wagon, trying to mentally escape from the barrage of the hideous noise, until the canvas finally broke, and the boy clad in green fell onto Talon, ending the snoring that was magnified so horribly by the latest night's worth of drinking.

The behemoth form underneath him snorted, jerking awake, causing Link to be tossed a foot in the air. "What in tarnation!?" Link panicked, and took advantage of the boost into the air to climb through the hole he'd made. Jumping off the wagon, Link managed to escape, leaving a very confused man scratching his balding head. When Link was a safe distance away, he slowed down to catch his breath. This must mean Malon is in town! This is a good opportunity to return her cloak. He walked towards the path to Hyrule Castle, and he saw Malon sitting at the fountain in the square, looking into the playful water. Knowing Malon and Talon, Link knew that they would be staying a few days in the town before they make their regular stop to Kakariko, where they set up a small dairy establishment before Link left for Termina. In his disguise, he walked right past Malon, who was too preoccupied with the water to notice him anyway.

- - -

Link returned to the town square. In the time it took him to go back to his quarters within the castle to grab his cloak and run back, the square filled with much more people. There was a stand which was apparently selling something very interesting, as everyone had clustered around it. Though Link did recall that the stand apparently had something interesting to sell every day.

Malon was still sitting at the fountain which was bubbling and splashing. She was wearing her usual white and purple dress. Normally, children played around the fountain, but since the weather was so cold lately, they decided against it. Malon's red hair was wet and shiny from the spray of the fountain, and her clothes also very damp. She was obviously preoccupied with many things on her mind. Link kept his eyes above her head, blushing behind his mask slightly. Making his way towards her, he reached out a hand, touching her shoulder. Malon started and tore her gaze from the shimmering fountain. She looked up at the masked figure in the cloak with her wide blue eyes, mouth agape questioningly. From under his own cloak, Link pulled out her thick woolen cloak, which was folded neatly inside his own.

Malon's questioning gape had become a wide smile. She laughed and stood up, hugging Link. The man who was locked the the embrace was trying very hard not to drop the wool cloak as his arms and hands avoided Malon's general area, which was very damp at the moment. Malon was squeezing very hard, as Link started having difficulty breathing, making strained choking noises behind the wooden concealment of his mask. Malon let go and put both her hands on his shoulders, smiling widely. "Well, Link, you're finally back in Hyrule Castle town! Have you been having fun lately? Did you visit the café? How was our milk? I hope preserving it didn't lessen the quality any, did it?" Malon had long shed the dramatic worried expression from the fountain and the last time he saw her at the ranch. Link told her the milk was fine, except it made him extremely dull witted in excess amounts. "Yeah, it's crazy, isn't it? At first, we were having trouble maintaining the café! The Rupee inflation is starting to agitate Hyrule's economy and everything, but then this strange cow wandered into our ranch right after you left it! It produced this intoxicating milk, which we sold in our café! Business skyrocketed!" She smiled wider. Link found it odd how Malon could smile without opening their mouth that far and not rend her lips in half.

Malon put her arm around Link's neck and she guided him around like he was her regular buddy, walking him around the square. "I don't need the cloak back or payment for it; we have enough Rupees as it is. In fact, late last night, we got over 400 Rupees off one person! Unbelievable, right? Who in their right mind would drink that much?" Link shifted and coughed. "I mean, sure, Calcium is great and all, but the guy drank it all like it was the last time he'd ever see milk again! It might as well have been. I don't think our waitress would allow the guy in, no matter how good for business he is..." She was still wearing her proud smile. Link cleared his throat a couple times. "I mean, we care about our customers, right? We won't allow someone to be that self-destructive! The nerve of that man!" Malon just wouldn't get off the topic, would she? Link was starting to get uncomfortable, too, hunched over to accommodate Malon's height, her arm still around his neck. "So Link, enough of the town drunk, where are you headed to today? I know that you'd visit me if you didn't have anything important to do." She winked at him, still smiling her radiant smile.

Link stood upright again, which made Malon let go of his neck. She grabbed hold of his arm instead. As they walked, she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Well?", she inquired further. Link was starting to get a bit flushed at the situation. He told her he had to go to Gerudo Valley to find a Zola's twin. Her expression was that of surprise now. "A Zola? Aren't they dangerous?" Link told her that the Zola had somehow gained possession of Epona, and returned her in good health, so he was in debt to the fishlike monster, who was apparently not a bad guy. "Ooh, you got Epona back!? Let me see her, let me see her!" Malon tugged at Link's arm eagerly. When did she get so hyper?

Link directed Malon towards Hyrule Castle. They stopped at the gate, where the guard looked from Malon clinging to Link's arm, to Link himself, who said nothing. The guard smiled, "Who is this lovely lady, Link? Well, if it isn't Malon! Business is going good, I trust?" Malon simply smiled in return, clinging onto Link's arm slightly harder. The guard laughed and opened the gate. "Have fun, you two." Link punched the guard in the arm hard, and the two walked the path and entered Hyrule Castle, leaving the guard with a very sore arm.

At the stables, Epona was concealed by the other horses. Malon grinned, holding Link back from retrieving her beloved horse. Malon then closed her eyes, cleared her throat, and sang Epona's song, swaying back and forth in tempo, hands clasped in front of her, her lungs filling the stables with her wondrous voice. All the horses seemed to fidget much less, but the horse known as Epona was ecstatic. Breaking down the door that restricted her to the stable, Epona triumphantly trotted towards Malon, who stroked Epona's jaw. Epona sniffed Malon's neck, which caused her to giggle. A raspy voice broke the moment. "You know, it's a bit easier to just unbolt the door and ask her to come out?" The Zola Link had a deal with entered the room stealthily, still wearing his own cloak and his Kafei mask. Link raised an arm in greeting. Malon turned to Link, "Boy, why is it everyone associated with you plus yourself always wear a cloak and mask?" Epona's head moved to get a better glimpse of the Zola, and the masked creature saw Malon. If Zolas had sweat glands, this is the time the Zola felt the need to sweat. Malon spoke again, "Do you know this man?" Link nodded and explained that he was the Zola who returned Epona.

The Zola kept quiet at the end of the stable, hunched slightly. Malon frowned, raising her eyebrow. "Oy! You!" He straightened immediately. "Thank you for returning Epona to Link, here. It was very kind of... Is something wrong?" The cloaked figure shook its head back and forth very quickly, speaking silently. "Nothing, nothing... It's just a bit... Weird..." Malon wore a confused expression; "What's weird? If anything's weird, it's you, but really, thank you." Malon walked toward the Zola. When she got close enough, she extended a hand to him. The Zola jumped back, shielding his head with his own scaly arms. When he noticed he was in no immediate danger, he looked up to find a very confused young lady trying to shake his hand. Straightening himself, the Zola put his fist to the mask's mouth, cleared his throat, and offered his hand to her, which she shook with a skeptical expression. The handshake was very odd to Malon. For a scaly monster, his hand was soft and warm. The Zola just continued to shake her hand nervously. The handshake lasted for a very long while, obviously longer than most handshakes last.

Eventually the Zola saw the agitated expression on Malon's face and he let go. Malon stood examining her opponent with suspicious and skeptical eyes. The Zola stood stock still for a moment, then turned on his heel and ran, disappearing from sight. "Well," Malon said, "I suppose he was a nice fellow. His mask was kinda' cute."

-Chapter End-