DISCLAIMER: 'The Legend of Zelda', 'Link' and all other characters and things from the game 'The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time' do not belong to me. I'm just having a little fun!

Green Pig ~PROUD Hufflepuff~ :- Oopsie – kinda forgot about this didn't I? Well it's not much but I thought I'd better get a new chapter up soon before I completely forget about this! I was busy ok? Busy with my Final Fantasy and Harry Potter fanfiction (which is priority always I'm afraid) and of course the endless amounts of school work ::sigh::

I've forgotten the name of the Sage in the Temple of Time – I have NOT played 'Ocarina of time' for quite some time so a lot of this is hazy, I'm sorry but if there are important facts missing or I've written a fact down which is actually wrong please don't flame me, I KNOW…

Don't forget to review please and I'll try to get a new chapter up next weekend when I have time (lots of essays to write dammit)

The Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time

Seven years is a long time away from Reality

By Green Pig

She's Not Happy

Link went into the Temple of Time as soon as Zelda's message had ended – he decided that he'd spent too much time ignoring his duty and was very angry with himself.  Link opened the door in the temple and grasped the magnificent sword in the pedestal, but as soon as he did so, Ganondorf's cruel and malicious face came into view.  Link was too angry with himself and Ganondorf to listen very well but he knew that Ganondorf had gained entrance to the Sacred Realm and it was all his fault.

Seven long and silent years passed by as Link slept…

…Link was awakened.  The Ancient Sage told him about how he had to keep him safely locked away in sleep for so long, in order to fulfil his destiny as the Hero of Time Link had to be strong enough to wield the sword and fight Lord Ganondorf.  After a lengthily explanation of his task, Link was set free and he found himself back at the Pedestal in the Temple of Time.  Despite the horror described to him by the Sage, the Temple seemed in perfect shape and Link found himself wondering if he really was back in the happy world he'd last seen.  Even though he had been asleep and the seven years had gone by missing him altogether, Link felt weak and tired – he felt the effects of not being awake on his limbs; they were aching and seemingly not used to supporting his weight.

Was this the proof that he had been away for so many years…?

He held the sword in his hand and looked down at his new body.  It felt…odd.  (Link didn't have a clue about the time between being a child and being an adult, so if anyone had tried to explain to him about puberty he would have been really confused – and maybe slightly worried).  His limbs were longer, he stood taller and now he was wearing… tights?!

A shadow passed over his head and he swerved round with sword and shield at the ready – ah my reflexes are just as good as they used to be!

"I am Shiek. I am your friend, Link." His voice wasn't very deep and his figure slightly curvier than the men Link could remember seeing when he was a boy, but that was seven years ago and Link's outlook on life was much different than it had been – for one thing he felt kind of silly in white tights (what did they think he was? An elf?).

Link put away his sword and listened to the advice given to him by the stranger called Shiek, when he was done the Stranger stood his ground at the Pedestal and told him that it was not possible for him to return back seven years as a child until he had freed his friend in the Forest Temple.

Saria! She is the Forest Sage?!  Link felt stupid for not realising it earlier but vowed to Shiek that he would rescue her and save the Kokori forest from evil – oh yeah he also promised to save everyone else while he was at it.

~ ( :: ( :: (:: (:: (:: o ::) ::) :: ) :: ) :: ) ~

Out on the Hyrule Field, Link's heart was sunk in depression – all of Hyrule Town was overrun with Zombies and the villagers deserted or dead.  It was morning, the Field looked as it had done seven years ago but he could tell there was evil lurking on the field and he was not surprised (well the new enemy had surprised him quite a bit but at least he had expected something) when a Poe materialised out of nowhere and began to tease him as he raced to kill it – seven years and at last he got the chance to feed his animal hunger.  Of course as he quickly learnt after a few luckless attempts, the Poes were crafty and annoyingly transparent.

"Hey Link! We've got to save Saria!" Navi twittered, but something in the distance had caught more of his attention; ahead of him was the Ranch. Lon Lon Ranch.  His thoughts immediately turned to Malon and he wondered how old she would be now, or if she would even remember him.

He headed straight for the Ranch, eager to be reunited – the Poes jeered and threw sticks at his back but he ignored them.

When he got to the Ranch he noticed the new sign above the gate – or had it been there all along? He couldn't remember reading the name before but he was sure that seven years ago Ingo was NOT the owner.  His stomach churned – he'd not had breakfast and the Poes had built up an appetite in him – and he walked into the Ranch.

~ ( :: ( :: (:: (:: (:: o ::) ::) :: ) :: ) :: ) ~

Link opened the stable door – it was odd looking down at the knob of the door rather than up at it – and he entered the place he had last slept in before he was locked in Time.

Malon – it had to be Malon – was milking a cow with her back towards him (she hadn't heard him enter).  Her auburn hair was longer than it used to be, plaited and tied so it hung down her back.  She was wearing a simple dress and an overall, a patterned scarf and simple shoes.

Link felt something in him that he had never felt before – of course he was very happy to see her (his old friend – his best friend) again, but this time there was something more than just friendship that had touched his heart.  He felt his knees weaken as she quietly milked the cow, loose strands of hair falling to her pretty cheek.  He suddenly felt very awkward watching her – it was an innocent pastime was it not? What harm was there in standing there and watching?  But now he felt he was possibly looking at her that was past mere innocent affection.

He felt suddenly awkward and couldn't suppress his nervous squeaky burble of: "Hi, Malon…"

Malon's head spun round and she fell back in surprise at seeing this stranger in her stable, the cow – assuming the milking was over – mooed loudly and walked back to its usual corner knocking over the bucket of milk that Malon had forgot to move out of its way.

"Oh NOOOOOO!! No! NO! NO! Oh thank you very much, mister!  What the hell d'you think you're doin' sneakin' up on poor folk like that?!"

"I-I'm sorry…" Suddenly Malon clicked.

"Oh my… Link?  Link is that you…?" She slowly got to her feet and walked towards him.  He felt his temperature rising as she came closer, he looked into her blue eyes and felt very content being so close to her.

*!!SLAP!!*

"That's for the last seven years!"

"Ow, Ma-Malon?"

"You said you'd see me tomorrow and now you come back after seven years?!" She folded her arms and fumed.  "I don't call that very polite behaviour Fairy Boy!"

"Malon I'm sorry Ok? I didn't mean to go, I really didn't s-sorry, sorry ok I'm sorry!"

"I'll give you my forgiveness Link, but you'll have to tell me a pretty darn good story to get it!"

"I have an excuse I promise!"  Link told Malon all that had happened to him and by the time it was mid-afternoon he had her whole attention.

"…Oh Link I'm sorry, sorry I hit you."

"That's alright…" He said brushing his hand to his cheek – the pain had gone a while ago.

"You can stay here tonight if you want but you'll have to make sure Ingo doesn't catch you or else he'll ask for money."

"What happened here? Why does Ingo run the Ranch…Where's your dad?" Malon looked downcast.

"Ingo threw him out.  Yesterday actually.  Ingo said he hadn't been pulling his weight, Ganondorf put Ingo in charge but all he cares about is money and profits! The horses wouldn't be in such good condition if I hadn't decided to stay.  Epona's going to be given to Ganondorf…"

"Why? Did his horse die?"

"No, Epona's just so fast and strong.  She's the best horse in the ranch so Ingo's going to give her to Ganondorf to impress him.  The slimy git!" Link felt anger welling up inside him and a feeling of roguishness rose.

"He won't give her away, because I'm going to free her."

"What?" Malon said surprised.

"I'm going to trick the geezer – I'll get Epona and she can help me save Hyrule from Ganondorf's evil reign, but I'll need lots of money to bride Ingo into a race… If I win I'll keep Epona."

"He'd never do that – Ingo's an idiot but he's not completely stupid."

"Does he like to gamble?"

"Yes, a lot."

"Then I guess I'll have to gamble with him."