As the sun rose, so did Link.

He grabbed his equipment and was ready to head out after no more than a few minutes of preparation.

As he approached the staircase, however, Link remembered what he had promised Malon the night before.

Changing his direction, Link headed for her room.

He stood before the door for a few moments before turning the handle and going in.

Somehow the room was different than he had expected, even though he had held no expectations.

It was plain except for a few ornate adornments.

A short white table stood beside her bed. The white surface was interrupted only by a few delicately painted flowers and other small details.

A silver picture frame sat atop the table, but from this angle Link couldn't see what picture it held.

A window allowed a grand view of the ranch, showing a corner of the stables and the entirety of the field.

On the wall was a painting of a horse, all made of dull colors yet it somehow seemed to burn against the plain wooden wall.

Sitting in the corner of the room was Malon's bed, and in Malon's bed, was Malon.

Link approached the sleeping girl slowly and, taking a breath in preparation, shook her gently by the shoulder.

At first she barely responded, murmuring something unintelligible and shifting slightly.

Then her eyes cracked open and Link could see her blue eyes searching around lazily before settling on Link. They opened wide in confusion and shock for a moment, then slid back into a tired squint.

Malon smiled.

"Hi Link," she murmured happily.

"Good morning."

For a few seconds they didn't move, just looking into each other's eyes. Stuck in that one moment, mesmerized by each other.

But the itch of duty burned in the back of Link's mind and drove him to break the silence.

"I've got to go." Link said, a tinge of sadness hanging on the words.

Malon's smile started to fade, but Link quickly added, "I'll be back soon. As soon as I can."

She looked up at him, the words not fully fighting back her growing sense of dejection. "How many more? Is there ever going to be an end? You always have to go away. Won't there ever be a day you can just stay here with me?"

Fighting back the itch, Link said, "When I get back, I'll spend the whole day here. I won't go anywhere."

She smiled and closed her eyes, imagining it. "But what about after that? Will you keep going away?"

"Just once more. Then it will all be over. Finally over."

Link felt the realization wash over him as he said the words. Almost over. Soon it would be at an end.

Soon he would face Ganondorf for the fate of Hyrule, but that was something to think about later, once he was alone.

"Then you won't have to leave again?" She said softly.

Link shook his head, "But I have to go now." He couldn't fight back the itch of urgency any longer. "I'll be back soon."

As he stepped away from the bed, Malon's hand slid out from beneath the blanket and caught Link's.

"Don't go…" She whispered, barely audible. "Don't leave me again, you're always leaving. You never stay here."

Link stopped and turned back to her, feeling an ache to do just as she asked, to stay here with her, to never leave again.

But he couldn't, and with a slowly spreading pain in his heart, he told her so.

She was silent, looking away from his eyes, as if ashamed that she had even asked.

"I wish I could though…" Link murmured so softly that only he heard it.

"I know…" She said slowly, "But before you go, come here. Come closer."

Link leaned down so that his head was level with hers.

Malon's hand let go of his and arched around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Before Link knew it, Malon leaned forward and kissed him. Link kissed her back, but after a few seconds, he pulled away even though it only worsened the ache. He pulled away because he had to.

Link felt Malon's hand slide off of his neck, leaving behind a faint trace of its presence.

"I have to go." Link said softly, so quietly that had someone else been in the room, it would have been those two alone that heard it.

"I don't want to leave you, and I'll do everything I can to get back here. Get back to you."

Malon smiled, and their sheer closeness only served to multiply its effect on Link.

But still the itch burned, and Link forced himself to pull away before he succumbed to the ache.

He smiled then turned away from her, heading for the door.

"Bye Malon."

"Bye Link," She said, then softly, so softly that neither of them could hear it, "I love you…"

Then he was gone.

Link walked through the burning desert air, feeling the wind drive particles of sand deep into his scalp and the normally inaccessible recesses of his clothes.

He held a hand tightly over his eyes to shield them from the wind, the sun, and the sand.

It helped, but only barely.

But it didn't matter anyway, because he was lost.

In any direction he looked, there was nothing but endless sand dunes. Not a single landmark of any type.

Nothing

He couldn't stop to closely examine the horizon either, because the sand was constantly shifting beneath his feet. If he stopped for just a second, it would immediately drag him down to an unimaginable depth.

So Link kept his feet moving, constantly marching in an unknown direction.

He didn't even know where he was going, what he was looking for. Just a hunch, that was all it ever was.

Link felt his limbs growing tired. His legs began to burn as they fought to keep him moving, fought to keep him above the shifting golden surface. His arms were constantly being buffeted by the sand filled air and the skin was painfully raw.

Link was stumbling through the blinding storm, struggling to make any sense of it all.

His head hurt, partially from dehydration, partially from the blistering sun baking his eyes.

Partially from the deafening storm that swirled around him.

Or for any number of other reasons.

Link's mind felt tired. His vision was blurring and he could hardly think clearly.

Couldn't think clearly.

Link could feel a painful fog filling his head, preventing all but the most basic thought.

And there was only one thought left.

Get out!

Get out of the sandstorm. Get out of the deadly wind, the hungry floor. This dangerous place. Get out!

And by some miracle, he managed to.

Just as all his hope was fading away Link felt the surface beneath his feet change and he was no longer fighting to stay afloat on a golden ocean.

He took a few more steps and the solid floor began to curve downward.

Link pulled his hand away from his eyes and saw that he was standing in the mouth of a sandstone cave.

Trailing his fingers along on wall, Link continued downward until the narrow tunnel let out into a larger room. He was inclined to stop there, but the sand was still billowing from outside and it filled the air.

Link found another tunnel and followed it, feeling his true exhaustion take effect as he went.

Finally it let out into another open area.

Link collapsed against the far wall and sat there, feeling his sore body throb.

He closed his eyes, trying to soothe them.

His lungs burned as he tried to take deep breaths.

"It's you…"

Link opened his eyes, looking around wildly to find the source of the voice. It was hoarse and full of pain, but it sounded somehow familiar.

Then he saw it.

A shadowy specter was sitting against the wall just beside him. Its arms and legs were hanging loosely, blood oozed from the raw flesh of at least a dozen serious burns.

"It's, been forever." The specter groaned, "I can't believe it. There you are…"

Link looked at the specter, listening to the familiar voice, but unable to uncover its owner.

"It's coming, the end. It's closer than you think."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, feeling the painful rasp in his own voice. "The end of what?"

"Everything…" The specter coughed and a spasm of pain shook its body. "Don't let her go. It all happened so quick…"

Malon?

"What do you mean?" Link asked, suddenly alert, "Who are you talking about? What is this?"

The specter looked over at Link and he realized there was a shadowed tear falling from its eye.

"This is, the end. There's no time. You can't stop it. It's all over. Don't waste it…"

The specter's voice started to fade, the last syllable echoing around the cavern.

"The darkness is, "The specter said suddenly, "It's so hungry…"

Then the image faded away and was gone.

Link stared at where the specter had been, his hands shaking.

What did it mean? Who was this person, what was he trying to tell Link.

Don't waste it…

Link felt his exhaustion growing to an unbearable point.

His eyes slid closed.

The world faded away as Link drifted off into an exhaustion filled sleep.

The world was so far below.

Spread out below him, Link could see everything.

From the castle to the forest, the forest to the desert, the desert to the ranch.

It was all so big, gigantic beneath his tiny body.

It was all shrinking away from him, as Link's body fell into the clouds and disappeared.

"Trust me."

An old voice whispered in Link's ears, but no matter how much he craned his neck, he could see nobody.

Link felt himself being carried then, in the hands of something giant, larger and older than himself.

For some reason, the sensation was unsettling.

"I won't hurt you."

The voice spoke again.

It sounded tired.

Then suddenly the giant hands let go of him and Link felt himself falling.

The land of Hyrule in all its extent rose up to greet him, and as Link met the desert floor, it swallowed him in its unimaginable depths and Link felt himself being dwarfed by the limitless earth.

Link opened his eyes and found himself laying on a warm stone floor.

He picked himself up wearily and found himself standing in a grand room.

Ahead of him, there was a wide rust colored staircase. At the top of the stairs, there was a girl with dark skin and red hair.

Link started to walk toward her, but as he neared the stairs he realized how large they were compared to his body.

Looking down, Link realized that his was the body of a child.

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