"I hope your aim is as good as you claim," Dark called out tauntingly.

His boot slipped on the wooden beam and he nearly ended up with one leg on either side of the fence. He self-consciously patted himself between the legs in protection.

Link snickered. "Let's hope your balance is good, too."

Dark shot him a look. "Just wait. Let me find a good spot."

He continued to walk along the top of the fence, arms thrust out for balance. Stopping on a rung that seemed trustworthy, he tested it by bouncing up and down a couple times.

Link held up the apple in his palm, tossing it to Dark when he held up his hands.

"Ready?" Link asked.

Placing the apple carefully on top of his head, Dark responded affirmatively. "Let's see it, then."

Link gripped his bow, drawing an arrow from his quiver. "Stay still," he warned Dark.

Dark scoffed. Navi rolled her eyes. "I'd listen; unless you want an arrow through the eye."

"Have some faith," Link protested.

"I trust you," Dark assured Link with a grin. "Let's see what you've got."

The only movement from Link was an inhale and a twitch as he loosed the arrow. Dark didn't even notice until the apple tumbled to the ground, the arrow sliced through its middle.

"Perfect!" he exclaimed, jumping down from the fence and scooping up the pierced apple. "Nicely done." He pulled out the arrow and split the fruit in half, offering a side to Link.

He took it with a grin. "I told you I could do it," he said, biting into the snack.

Dark laughed. "Remind me never to doubt you."

They were almost back to Kakariko. The tell-tale windmill loomed on the horizon, ever turning. Dark knew Link was anxious to get on with his quest; from here he would travel to Zora's domain with the blue fire.

For his part, Dark was dreading the return. Returning meant having to confront Sienna about his abrupt departure—and his decision to stay in Hyrule rather than return to Termina.

"We're almost back!" Navi said excitedly. Dark scowled.

Link smiled. "Now we can finally do something about Zora's domain and get this whole mess sorted out." He turned to Dark, "Thanks to you, for most of it."

Flustered, he said, "What? It's your mission, not mine."

"If not for you I wouldn't have this," Link insisted, shaking his pack under Dark's nose. The bottles of blue fire rattled inside.

"If not for you I wouldn't be alive," Dark countered. "So thank you."

"But—"

"You don't owe me anything," Dark said.

Link dropped the issue for the time being, and they continued on. When they reached the outskirts of the village, they turned and cut through the forest. After a short trek, they emerged again in Kakariko graveyard. From there it was only a short walk back to Impa's house.

When they arrived, however, a surprise was there waiting for them. They found Impa seated at the table, in conversation with a short, rotund man with brawny arms an impressive moustache. Link's expression changed to one of confusion, then surprise as the man turned around.

"Link! Is that you, my boy?"

To Dark's puzzlement, the stranger stood up, knocking aside his chair carelessly, and embraced Link in a bone-crushing hug that would put Darunia to shame. Noticing him for the first time, the man turned to Dark.

"Who's this? Yer twin?"

Dark choked on a surprised laugh, and Link raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"This is my friend, Dark. This is Talon, the owner of Lon Lon Ranch. He's an old friend."

Able to breathe once again, Dark extended his hand in greeting. "Great to meet you. Love your milk. Delicious," he said, trying to keep his composure.

Talon returned the greeting, before saying to Link. "It's wonderful to see you again, but I'm afraid my business in Kakariko is not of the happiest nature."

Dark took a seat next to Impa. He could've sworn he saw amusement play across her lips at his reaction to Talon's comment, but it disappeared too quickly.

"What's happened?" Link asked.

"It's the ranch," Talon said sadly. "It's been overrun with Gerudo. I was kicked out, Ingo's taken over, Malon…" he broke off, hastily wiping his face to catch any tears.

Clearly distressed, Link pressed. "What happened? Is she all right?"

Talon inhaled deeply. "As far as I know." He sighed, hanging his head in misery. "I just don't know…"

"Talon." Impa's voice interrupted the beginning of his sobbing. "You know, of course, that I will assist any way I can. We will get your daughter back."

The ranch owner raised his head. "Really?" he asked earnestly.

"Of course. I can send—"

"I'll go," Link interrupted.

Impa looked at him sharply. "By yourself? Absolutely not."

"This is what I'm supposed to do, right? Help people? I should be doing that," Link argued.

"There are more important things to—"

"I'll go with him," Dark volunteered.

Impa turned her stony glare on him. Clearly, she wasn't a fan of being interrupted so much.

"I'll go," he repeated, meeting first Impa's eyes, then Link's. "He won't be alone," he reassured Impa. "And I'll be there to make sure you don't get killed," he said brightly to Link.

Link scowled. "I can handle it."

Dark shrugged. "Maybe, but we've both gone up against Gerudo before. It's not a bad idea to bring some help along."

Link sighed. "Fine, I won't go alone."

"Good lad," Impa said, rising from her chair and patting Link on the shoulder as she passed. "I'll speak with Taver about recruiting some men. Excuse me."

As she exited the house, Talon turned to Link. "Link, I can't thank you enough for what you're doing…"

"Don't mention it," Link said, brushing off the thanks. "I'll do everything I can to help Malon," he assured Talon.

Dark smirked, noting how uncomfortable Talon's gratitude made him.

Smiling fondly, Talon gripped Link in a quick hug before exiting the house after Impa. "Thank you," he said sincerely, closing the door behind him.

"You're welcome," Link replied quietly, watching him go.

Dark chuckled, standing up and walking over to Link. "I thought you said there wasn't a girl in your life. Scoundrel," he accused him mockingly.

"What?" Link looked genuinely shocked. "She's not a girl! Well, I mean, she is, but she's not…"

Dark doubled over with laughter. "Relax, man. Friend of yours?"

Link shrugged. "She was…I just haven't seen her in seven years…like everyone else I knew." His expression darkened, his eyebrows coming down in a frown.

"It's okay," he said, slinging an arm about Link's shoulders. "She'll be happy to see you again. And who knows? Maybe time has been good to her and she can be the girl—" He broke off when Link elbowed him the ribs. He let out a wheezy laugh. "Or not…no pressure."

Link treated him to a disapproving look. "Why don't you worry about your own girl problems?" he taunted. "You just want to come to the ranch so you can avoid talking to Sienna."

"I do not!" Dark protested, shielding himself when Link swung his elbow again. "I want to come for the women. Have you seen Gerudo women?" He just dodged Link's next swing. "Ah! Okay, okay, fine."

"You'll stay back?" Link asked.

Dark chuckled. "When did our roles switch? I'm supposed to be the condescending ass, not you."

Link grinned. "Let me take care of Lon Lon. You fix things with Sienna. When I get back, we can head for the domain. That is…if you want to come along."

"You want me to come with you?" Dark was taken aback.

"Well, yeah. We make a good team, don't you think?"

"That's debatable," Navi muttered, her voice muffled from inside Link's hat.

Dark made a rude gesture she couldn't see. "I think so," he said cheerfully. "I'd love to come. You can always use an extra hand, right?"

Link smiled. "Great. Then I'll see you in a couple of days?"

Dark nodded. "Of course."

He watched Link gather his belongings and depart with the fairy at his side. He would most likely stop to resupply before leaving Kakariko. As far as he remembered, Lon Lon was less than a day's walk away; he would return shortly, and they could make their way upriver.

Dark sighed. That wouldn't happen unless he talked to Sienna first. He had two whole days. Rather than put it off, he resolved to bite the bullet. Finding she was not at home, he left Impa's house to search for her.

~oOo~

By the time the high walls and peaked red roofs of the ranch loomed over the hills, it was evening. Undeterred, Link and Navi pressed on.

He felt somewhat guilty for ignoring Impa's orders to bring along reinforcements—but there hadn't been any time to waste, and sneaking out alone had been simple enough. He was sure he'd hear about it upon his return.

Focusing on the task at hand, Link approached the ranch's front gate. While he had been expecting enemy occupation, it was still strange to see the front gate bolted shut. A jog around the perimeter proved the ranch's captors hadn't bothered to designate any sentries.

The hookshot made scaling the wall relatively easy. A tree that grew flush against the wall proved to be a good vantage point once he was inside.

"What do you see?" Navi asked for the third time.

Link lowered his telescope. "No one," he said quizzically. "It's completely dark."

He shot a glance towards the paddock. It's high, sturdy fence circled an empty space of grass. No one stood in the middle; the sound of music was absent.

"And quiet," he sighed. He swung down from the tree, boots thudding softly in the grass.

Sidling along the back of the house, Link noticed a light shining from a small window on the second floor. Deciding it was safer than knocking on the front door, he clambered back up into the tree and used the hookshot to get onto the roof.

From there he edged as close as he dared to the precipice, lowering himself upside down over the lip of the roof. The new vantage point allowed him to see in the lit window, even if doing so made his head throb from all the blood rushing to it.

A redheaded girl was inside the small room, seated at a ramshackle desk, reading. Not wanting to startle her, he tapped lightly on the window pane. She sat with her back to him, but he noticed her head rise slightly at the sound. When she brushed it off, he tapped again, louder. He tapped insistently until she laid her book aside on the desk and stood. He retreated to the roof, listening to the creak as she opened the window to look out.

A bright red head poked out below his hiding spot. Sighing, she started to pull back inside the room.

"Malon," he hissed.

Her shriek nearly deafened him. Link scrambled back up the slant of the roof, panicked.

"Malon!" he called again, quietly.

"Who's there!?"

"It's me, Link!"

"Allow me," Navi interrupted.

The blue fairy zipped past the edge of the roof into Malon's line of sight. Malon let out a gasp.

"You're a…fairy."

Her memory was coming back to her. "Navi! Link!" She craned her neck around, trying to see above onto the roof. "Link! What are you doing here?" Her voice was quiet but urgent, coming out in a harsh whisper.

"Meet us outside," Link called back. "Ifyou can," he added.

The window creaked shut and closed with a snap. Link and Navi climbed down from the roof, sticking to the shadows as Malon crept downstairs. Link heard the front door swish open and close without a sound. Soft footsteps in the grass alerted him to her moving from the house to the stable; the heavy door moved aside with slightly more noise as she slipped inside. Cautiously, Link followed her path, sidling along the building and ducking inside.

The moment he was inside the stable, he turned his head expecting to see his friend—instead he was blinded as a lantern was shoved near his face.

"Sorry," Malon muttered as he raised a hand to protect his eyes. She set the light down, illuminating the pair in the darkness.

"It's all right." Link lowered his arm. A horse stamped its hoof in nervousness. He wondered if Epona was somewhere close by.

When his eyes adjusted to the light and landed on Malon, he held back a gasp. It never ceased to amaze him; the change in his friends' appearances. At times, he forgot that it had been seven years for them, and mere days or weeks for him. Some, like Talon, had hardly changed. Others, like Malon, had undergone a complete transformation.

He had been expecting a cute, round-faced girl with big blue eyes the color of gemstones and a tangled mess of fiery red hair, with a spattering of freckles to match. The young woman before him had lost all hint of girlish roundness. The eyes were the same, but the face was older, more oval-shaped now.

Her sparkling blue eyes were wide as she stared back at him in obvious surprise. He suddenly wondered how he must look to others, after all this time. How he must have changed.

"Is it…really you?" she asked, her fingertips brushing his cheek.

He laughed softly. "It's me…fairy boy," he joked. She pulled her hand back, looking away shyly.

"You're not a boy anymore, Link," she told him.

Her gaze lifted and locked onto his. Something in those wide, blue eyes and her quiet words made heat flare in his face. He looked down at his boots, trying to brush away Dark's voice in his head.

"No, I suppose not," he agreed. Her eyes on him burned his skin.

"Perhaps we should get to why we're here," Navi prodded him.

Malon cleared her throat, guessing what Navi had said. "Of course…why are you here?"

Link shifted his focus back to her. "I'm here to rescue you. I ran into your father in Kakariko, and he told me what had happened here."

If possible, her eyes widened even more. "Father! Is he all right? Where is he?"

"He's fine." Link held out a hand to interrupt her panicked rambling. "You'll see for yourself soon enough."

He reached out and took her hand, pulling her towards the door. She pulled right back.

"Wait," she said, surprising him. "We can't leave yet."

"Why not?"

She looked distressed, worried even. "It's Mr. Ingo. He hasn't been the same since the Gerudo came here. And Epona!" she said suddenly, just recalling. "They're going to take her away!"

At the mention of the filly, Link froze. "Who's going to take her?"

A tear rolled down Malon's cheek as she told him of the Gerudos' plan to present the horse as a gift to the king. She also told him of Ingo's tyrannical behaviour and that Ingo was in fact the one responsible for kicking Talon off the ranch.

"We can't leave without either of them," Malon insisted.

Link was trying to explain to her the urgency of the situation when a soft rustling noise caused the tips of his pointed ears to twitch.

"Shh," he hushed her, instinctively crouching.

He drew his blade silently, causing Malon's eyes flare in awe and alarm. She held still as Link moved soundlessly to the corner where he'd heard the noise.

Very carefully, he brushed aside some straw, trying to peer into the darkness. He jabbed his sword into the corner of the stable, trying to elicit a reaction from any eavesdroppers. All that came back was a loud and irritated squawk. A lone cucco trotted out of its hiding place, its eyes rimmed red and angry.

Ruffled feathers didn't even begin to cover it. Link bit back a startled scream at the sight of the feathery demon he had so rudely woken.

"It's just a cucco," he said to Malon, though he knew in some ways the small birds could be as dangerous as any Gerudo spy.

The redhead let out a relieved sigh. "Oh, thank the goddesses," she murmured.

Their relief was short-lived, as not a moment later a heavy thunk could be heard outside the stable. It was quickly followed by a second thunk at the wide sliding doors at the back.

Link realized what had happened before Malon did. "They know we're here," he muttered.

Shouts from outside confirmed his fear: the Gerudo had found them out. In every stall, the equine and bovine occupants had stirred from sleep, their animal instincts picking up on the danger. The horses began to paw the ground furiously, some even kicking at the doors of their stalls. The cows mooed anxiously, horns banging against their confines.

In a panic, Malon flew to the side door, trying in vain to force it open. Link tried the same with the larger back door, but he could see through a crack in the door that a broad slab of wood barred them inside.

"They've blockaded us inside!"

A flash of orange drew his attention to the shadows he could see moving outside in the yard. His stomach dropped as he realized what was about to happen.

"Navi!" he called, and the fairy obediently flew from Malon's side over to him.

The fairy looked outside as well, gasping at what she saw. The Gerudo held bows in their hands, notched already with flaming arrows.

"Get in," he said urgently, lifting his hat so Navi could hide.

"What's happening?" Malon squeaked.

Link searched frantically for a way out. He could use the hookshot to pull them into the rafters, maybe climb onto the roof. But the thatched roof was surely where the Gerudo would aim their arrows. He looked around at the panicking animals and a plan began to form in his mind.

He reached for his sword. In his palm, the hilt of the Master Sword thrummed with power, its pristine blade glowing a dazzling white. It had heard his thoughts; it was ready for a fight.

"Stand back," he warned Malon.

Link turned to the barricaded sliding doors, glancing down at his free hand. The energy from the Master Sword zinged up the length of his arm, crossing over to his right and centering in his palm, as if sensing his request for a boost of magical power.

A bright orange ball of flame sparked to life in his hand—the Din's Fire spell. Dark had taught him how to contain it in a single burst of magic power and use it like a missile rather than an area attack.

The roof of the stable creaked and then exploded as flames ate their way through. Soon the support beams were engulfed and gave out, crashing to the floor, spreading the flames. Malon shrieked as the beam above her gave way, shielding herself from the extreme heat.

"Malon, watch out!"

Sheathing his sword for the moment, Link seized her around the waist, pulling her to his side and moving between her and the fire. Within seconds his back began to overheat as the fire ravaged the stable. The animals screamed with terror, and Malon shook with terror, but he couldn't afford to lose concentration.

"It's okay," he muttered, though she couldn't hear him over the noise.

Gently he coaxed the magical missile in his hand through the gap in the door, urging it to feed on the wooden barrier. It did so, eating away at the wood like a hungry wolf, moving faster than the natural fire behind them. Standing back a step, Link landed a well-aimed kick at the center of the stable door. It groaned in protest, but started to crumple outwards.

Satisfied, Link next unfurled his cloak from around his shoulders, tossing it over Malon's head to protect her. He guided her away from the door, out of harm's way.

"Stay here!" he shouted.

She nodded mutely, flinching back from the heat and smoke.

With one arm across his nose and mouth, Link moved to each stall in turn, lifting the simple wooden latches and allowing the stable's occupants to stampede free. Their keen noses led them towards the smell of outside air, and the only foreseeable exit.

~oOo~

Outside, the squadron of Gerudo admired their handiwork. The roof had easily caught fire, of course, and it wouldn't take long afterwards for the entire structure to become consumed. Nothing burned like wooden buildings. The Gerudo were fonder of stone structures.

Nearby, Ingo paced around the yard; swaggered, more like. He'd been quite pleased at inheriting the ranch and didn't take kindly to strangers sneaking onto his property. He fumed silently, his occasional muttered complaints ignored completely by the Gerudo.

A loud bang came from inside amidst the screams and shrieks of animals. The archers remained still, their arrows knocked and their bowstrings taut. They had expected some kind of escape attempt.

"Steady," called their captain, quite unnecessarily. No one in her squadron had moved an inch.

Nothing could be heard for a moment save the crackling of flames, the creaks and groans of the stable and the crickets in the far-off pasture. And then the sliding doors at the back exploded outwards, a panicking horde of horses, cows and one cucco bursting from the hole.

Completely thrown, the Gerudo squadron broke ranks and scattered, much to the disappointment of their captain. Ingo was shrieking, vainly trying to escape from the enraged cucco. Knocked aside by a fleeing horse, the captain tried to maintain order.

"Back to your posts! Take aim and fire!" she roared. "Ingo! For the love of Din, man, find a weapon and make yourself useful!"

She needn't have bothered. The ranch owner's daughter and the forest youth were already escaping, thundering out of the barn on the back of a proud roan mare—the one the captain had intended to gift to Ganondorf the next day.

"No!" she screamed, snatching an arrow from her quiver.

The arrow flew straight at the ranch girl, but it was blocked by the blonde youth, cut in half by his sword. The mare and her riders had come to a full stop in the middle of the chaotic group of Gerudo.

"Mr. Ingo!" the ranch girl pleaded. "Come with us! Come on!"

Ingo was nearly foaming at the mouth he was so furious. The captain would have found it funny had they not been under attack.

"This is MY ranch now! You will not take it from me!"

Impulsively, Ingo scooped up a bow and arrow that lay forgotten in the grass. His hands fumbled but his aim was true; the piercing missile sliced across Link's thigh.

Pain twisted Link's features, much to the captain's satisfaction, as he freed the arrow and tossed it aside.

"Sorry, Malon!" Link called, and snapped the reins smartly.

Epona bolted, her remarkable speed allowing her to easily outdistance the recovering Gerudo. Their captain screeched more orders, and Ingo attempted to land another lucky shot, but it was no use. Link, Malon and Epona had reached the perimeter wall of the ranch.

Link couldn't say later how he had done it. Riding Epona had been natural to him from the second he'd freed her in the burning stable and swung onto her broad back. Every muscle in his body seemed to know what to do to direct the mare where he wanted her to go.

In a moment of perfect synchronization, not unlike his connection to the Master Sword, Epona had read Link's intentions as he thought them and performed the impossible.

The mare's powerful hind legs bunched, her shoulder muscles tensing underneath Link's resting hands; the next moment, Epona had leaped the boundary wall in a graceful arc, carrying her riders effortlessly through the air.

The group landed on the other side of the wall, the ranch becoming a dot in the distance as Epona galloped them towards safety.

Link hadn't looked back to see the expressions on the faces of the Gerudo. But he'd be willing to bet that they had been hysterical.

The earliest risers in Hyrule had just opened their eyes when Link, Malon, Navi and Epona reached the outskirts of Kakariko. It had been a dreadfully long night, and they were all exhausted.

Failing to hold back a yawn, Link shook his head to keep himself alert. He absently patted Epona's neck, not even caring that her pace had slowed to a lazy walk. Malon had long since fallen asleep, slumped against Link's back. Her arms were secured around his waist.

The faint weight of Navi on top of his head stirred, letting him know she was awake. He lifted his hat to let her free, then stretched as best he could without disturbing Malon.

Navi yawned delicately. "What a night," she sighed.

Link mumbled in agreement. He scrubbed at his face with one hand as they ascended the path to Kakariko. He was looking forward to collapsing into his comfortable bed at Impa's place.

But once again, his plans were dashed. As they reached the gates of the village, Link and Navi suspiciously noticed the absence of sentries. Link reached for his sword. Impa always had someone guarding the gate.

The reason why became apparent the moment they went through the gate and trotted into the village square.

Kakariko village was in flames.