A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
A Pair of Time
Chapter 2- Untimely Request, Part 1
Market; Day
The next day, the redheaded girl and her father crate up their delivery of milk, and head toward the Market inside the gates of Hyrule Castle Town.
The whole Market is as bustling as ever, with people crowding around stalls, stores jammed with customers, and those who are talking to each other and/or enjoying the day. It doesn't surprise the girl; she's used to the numerous mass, and the pointing of people as she and her father walks through. The milk that they are bringing is the finest in the land (if not the only in the land), and that earned them the fame of producing the best milk, at a less-than-reasonable price.
Finally, they reach near the road leading away from the Market to Hyrule Castle. The father surveys around nervously, as if checking for any thieves or kidnappers nearby.
"Dad!" the girl frowns. "I can take care of myself, you know!"
"I know, I know. I'm just checkin'. I don't want you bein' kidnapped by a no-good… stranger!" the father is trying to be careful with the cursing.
"Don't worry, Dad!" the frown turns in a smile. "I'm just going to wait here, okay?"
The father sighs. "Okay, sweetie. I think it's okay to leave you here, if you say. Don't get into trouble while I'm gone." the father is immediately off. "Bye!"
"Bye, Dad!" she waves.
It's going to take a while, so the girl sits down on the edge of the fountain, her legs dangling off the ground. She looks down at the clear, dark water, seeing her reflection on it. A duplicate picture of what the water sees is shown on its surface.
Oh, how the water shows reflections so perfectly. The girl thought. It's the perfect mirror in the world…
Her head goes back up, seeing some people talk together nearby. One of them says something, and the other laughs to it. The girl sighs.
If only I could have a friend like that. Someone I could talk to, and talk to me. Someone I can share my thoughts to, and have what their thoughts are on it. Someone that is Hylian. Animals are okay to share feelings, but… I want a Hylian friend. If only…
The girl stands up suddenly, close to trembling. She doesn't want to think about this, now with it being done around her. It gives her the familiar feeling of loneliness, and the horrible depression after it. No, she's not going to let the whole thing ruin her day. She starts to hum quietly to herself the same song the day before, as it drowns out the din of the Market, and any unwanted conversation between two friends. She shuts her eyes closed, letting the image of her ranch surround her.
"Hey, who bumped me!"
"Sorry! I'm sorry! I was wondering if you know wher-"
"Huh? What? Shoo, kid! Shoo!"
"But, I…"
"Didn't you hear me! SHOO! You need some manners, boy!"
The girl opens her eyes and stops humming. She hears this loud and rather rude conversation go on between these two people on the other side of the fountain. She searches around, to the source of this talk. When she determines where it came from, all she sees is a woman talking with…
The girl gasps.
What she saw amazes her, almost stupefy her has she not realizes that it is a boy. In fact, a good majority of the people in the Market are staring and pointing at who just arrived. A green-clothed boy, with a pointy, green hat on his blond hair to go with it, is running around the Market, asking people he sees. Not intimidating at first sight, but a closer look reveals the boy wearing a wooden shield and a small, sheathed sword around his back. This gives an almost ridiculous impression that he thinks he's a knight, when clearly he's wearing a green tunic, wielding a shield that burns easily, and a sword that, if it's any shorter, looks like a dagger. He goes up to a person, and the girl gives another small gasp as she sees a ball of light with wings and legs fly out of the boy and begins hovering over the asked person.
"Excuse me, tall one."
"Huh? What, kid? Whatcha bothering me for?"
"I was wondering where the Princess of Hyrule was."
"Princess of Hyrule, eh? Are you right in the head, kid? Everybody knows where the Princess lives."
"Okay, so I'm asking as to where the princess is."
"I'm not telling you a damn, kid. Now, beat it!"
The boy sighs. The ball of light flies back toward him, and it seems to be muttering something of encouragement. The boy nods, then continues what looks like his futile search of the whereabouts of the Princess of Hyrule. The girl giggles, seeing how this strange boy is asking everybody as if they are all friendly to him as to each other.
"Excuse me, old one."
"What's that, sonny?" the old woman replies. "Speak up!"
"Do you know where the Princess of Hyrule is?"
"Huh? Do I know where there is a kiss of Naryu is? Wha, sonny? What are you talking about?"
"No, I meant the Princess of Hyrule."
"Misses of heirloom? What! Who's missing their heirlooms!"
"No, I meant…" the boy sighs. "Never mind."
"You know, sonny, it's polite to say 'ma'am' to a lady. Do you not know your manners?"
The boy shakes his head in frustration, and browses around for another Hylian to ask, or rather, bother. The girl giggles again, amazed by how far this boy would go.
"Excus-"
"What?" this time, it's a guy who spinning around with a young lady. "You have a privacy problem, boy? Don't you see I'm talking to the girl who is more beautiful than Princess Zelda?"
"Princess Zelda? Is that the Princess of Hyrule?"
"Yes, now go away, boy," the young lady scowls.
"But, I haven't got…"
"GO AWAY! DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?" she yells. "He's a stubborn one, isn't he, darling?"
"Yes, honey, he sure is persistent."
The boy is left again with no knowledge of where this Princess Zelda might be. Well, at least he knows her name. The girl thinks she would cry from the laughter building up inside that's about to explode.
"Excuse me."
"Hey, kid, don't you know that you should say 'sir' to a man? How rude! But since you're here, do you like my beard?"
"Er, no."
"Hmm. Little kids, they don't know what's popular among adults these days…"
Again, the boy asks another.
"Ma'am? Could I ask you something?"
"Not now. Can't you see I'm watching over little Richard? I can't let him mingle with the other dogs!"
"What's a dog?"
"WHAT! HOW DARE YOU ASK ME THAT QUESTION! DOGS ARE GREAT CREATURES THAT ARE OBEDIENT! AND MY LITTLE RICHARD IS ONE OF THE GREATEST EVER! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU NEVER HEARD OF DOGS BEFORE! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"
The boy, shaken, does just that before she completed her sentence. The girl is now on the ground, laughing her guts out, legs flying like a kung-fu move. She's laughing so hard she's holding herself to reduce the pain, or at least try not to fall apart.
It's no use, the boy broods. These people… are strange, not to mention mean.
He sits down on the edge of the fountain, wondering what he would do next.
"Don't worry!" a high-pitched voice yells out. "Just don't give up and we'll find out where Princess Zelda is!"
The same ball of light earlier flies out of him.
"But, how can I? These people are so… different than from the forest."
"I know. But, there's got to be someone around here who could tell us."
"I don't know…"
The ball of light flies back inside the boy. The boy picks himself up, then hears laughter of a girl. Coming from behind him, he whirls around, searching the opposite side of the fountain. Nothing. Curious, he circles around the fountain, and discovers an unusual sight. A scarlet hair girl in a long white dress is laughing on the ground, tears coming out of her eyes. Maybe he doesn't know much of the outside world, but he definitely knows that if someone is laughing this hard and crying, something real funny has occurred.
"Uh, hey, what's so funny?"
It takes time to register what the girl heard, but when she finds out it's the green-clothed boy, she immediately stops laughing and opens her eyes. Her blue eyes meet with, well, his blue eyes.
"Oh, um, nothing." the girl stands up, dusting herself.
"Then, why were you on the ground laughing?"
"It's nothing!" the girl puts on a tone, realizing the nosiness coming at her.
"Sorry. I'm just frustrated," the boy explains, but doesn't show signs of it. "And confused, too."
"Oh, I know. I saw you running around asking," the girl said. "Say, your clothes… They're… different… You're not from around here, are you?"
"Uh, no."
"Where are you from?"
"Ummmmmm..." he isn't sure he should give away where he lives.
"Green clothes, and I think… that's a fairy hovering over me?" the girl notices the ball of light. "Ohh… You're a fairy boy from the forest! A… Kokiri! Wow! I'd never thought I'd see one wander into a place like this!"
Fairy boy? What kind of name is that? The boy thought.
"Well, I've something important to do here," he said.
A nagging question pops in the girl's mind.
"But… if you're a Kokiri, then… shouldn't you be able not to leave the forest? Or… is that just a false rumor?"
"Huh? Well…"
The boy DOES indeed wonder how he managed to get out of the forest. Kokiris are said to die immediately once they step out of the atmosphere of the forest they lived in. But, he came out just fine and dandy. Not to mention his fairy did, too. Maybe it has something to do with… the Great Deku Tree?
"Well, I guess it's not true, then." the girl shrugs. "Here you are, standing and breathing like everybody else."
Again, more questions bulk up in her mind, waiting in queue.
"So, what it's like to be Kokiri? It's also true that you never grow up?"
"What? We never grow up?"
"Yeah, don't you know that?"
Nope. How much of his race does he know?
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Here I am asking you these questions, when we haven't introduced ourselves yet!" the girl giggles.
Somehow, the girl feels like opening herself up, to this… strange boy. Something she's never done before in her life, not to anybody, except her dad and her animal friends. It surprises her the moment this feeling took over. Can it be? Has she finally found… a true Hylian friend? Well, not exactly Hylian. But, still, a walking, talking friend, nevertheless.
"My name is Malon," the girl introduces. "My dad owns Lon Lon Ranch. It's just a little way south from here, if you don't know where it is."
"Mine is Link," the boy said, then thinks for a moment. "I guess you stole where I came from right out of my mouth."
"Oh, sorry!" Malon giggles. "And who's your fairy friend here?"
"Oh, this is Navi. I just got her, so we're new to each other."
"I'm accompanying Link on his journey," the fairy says to this. "We were wondering where Princess Zelda might be."
"Oh, that's right. You two were asking everybody around here for her. Well, I'm glad to say she's in that castle right there. Hyrule Castle!"
Malon points in the direction north of the Market, to this grand structure built high on a hill. She's expecting Link to say how thickheaded he is for not noticing that, but…
"Thanks, Malon. I really appreciate it!" Link said before running off. "Bye!"
It's great to help out somebody, especially this boy, the one who Malon is now considering… a friend. Or at least somebody she knows to a good extent.
Wow! A friend! A real friend! I can't believe that I made a friend! My first real friend. All because… he's different. Maybe that's what made me… talk to him… like those two friends earlier. Malon sighs with happiness. Oh, I just have to tell Dad that I made a friend today! He should be coming back now… In fact, he should have been here a while ago… Oh, no, he didn't… He couldn't have… We promised on it… He told me he wouldn't break his promise no matter what. Ugh, tell that to him while he's sleeping! Adults! I can't believe them! I've got to find him, but how? I can't just get to the castle, and ask to see Dad.
Malon sighs again, this time in despair and frustration.
Maybe I could ask somebody to go up there and wake up Dad. But, I wonder who…
Malon feels stupid for this, but she spins around, half-expecting to see Link nearby when he's already up to the castle. In what seems like a rather twisted moment of Fate, Link IS there, nearby. He isn't off to the castle yet. Why? A rectangular pot with a plant in it caught his eye. Link is amazed that something could grow in such a busy place like this, with butterflies to top it off. He becomes entranced by this plant, and plants around it, too, if he averted his eyes. Anybody would plainly laugh at such a strange boy interested in a plant at the Market, but not Malon. She knows that from where Link comes from and how far he traveled, green life is a must. Being here in this urban area must have really surprised him. But, enough dilly-dally. Malon walks up to Link, who is still deep in a trance by this plant.
"Um, fairy boy?" Malon asks, unsure whether he hears her in this strange trance.
"… Huh? Oh, Malon!" Link snaps back to reality. "What's wrong?"
"Um, could you do something for me?"
"Oh, I still have to get to Princess Zelda, so…"
"Don't worry. This might be something you could do while you're heading there. You see… Dad went to the castle to deliver some milk, and he hasn't come back yet… So, I was wondering if you could find him for me?"
It never occurs to Link what a parent is, so he doesn't know the predicament Malon is in. So, initially, he asks,
"What's a dad?"
"I wonder if he's sleeping al… What?"
He doesn't know what a father is? Malon thought. Wait, this goes back to the question… Oh, right, Malon, he's a Kokiri. They weren't born from Hylians; the Great Deku Tree created them. Or, so I hear. Malon sighs. So, well, maybe one day I'll teach fairy boy here some common knowledge. But, right now…
"Uh, is that a bad question?" Link asks a while later.
"Oh, no! It's not. I was just surprised that I haven't gotten used to talking to a Kokiri yet. I'm sorry."
"No, I am. I shouldn't have asked."
"No, it's my fault. I wasn't used to it."
"No, it's my fault."
"No, it's mine."
"Mine."
"No, it's mine!"
"Mine!"
"Mine!"
"Mine!"
"Mine!"
"Mine!"
"Mine!"
"Mine!"
Malon giggles, realizing what's happening. Link, on the other hand, has no clue as to her laughter.
"Okay, you win, fairy boy! You may take the blame!"
"Er, I don't see how winning to be blamed is good…"
"You're a wonder, fairy boy," Malon giggles. "I like you."
This last sentence comes out before Malon could stop it. Somehow, it doesn't sound right to her. She barely knows Link. First, Link is her friend, and now she (and Link, who heard, also) says something that makes it look like he's cute. How's he going to react? Would she lose her new friend already?
"Thanks, I like you, too!" Link replies.
This shocks Malon. The way he says it sounds exactly like what a friend would say. Is Link really this dense? Wait, no, Malon doesn't really like him farther than a friend, not knowing much about him. So, shouldn't she be in relief that the fairy boy likes her as a friend and that she likes him back as one? No, this isn't the source of shock. It's something else…
Does Kokiris ever love each other? Because this boy is using the word 'like'as if it's a word of friendship. Oh, well, deal with the… knowledge of the Kokiris.
"So, um, would you look for my dad while you're going to see the princess, fairy boy?"
"Sure! I'd be sure to tell him you're waiting right here," Link answers. "Bye!"
"Bye, fairy boy!"
There he goes, speeding off toward the castle, this time not distracted by plants. Malon feels much better, knowing that she could trust a friend to do something for her. Which is new, so it feels good, initially. It's almost sunset when Link goes off toward the castle. Malon doesn't like waiting in the dark at the center. It would be gloomily, and she would feel lonely again. Not to mention that there are soldiers around at night, and that a strange pack of dogs roams around the streets only when it's dark. So, she walks up the path toward the castle.
Hyrule Castle; Night
Malon decides to wait near the castle's main gate, behind a cliff, where nobody would see her. Then, to continue her long wait, she sings again. A farm girl, singing, behind a cliff, with vines. Vines? Now, how do they-
"But, sir, please! I need to see the Princess right away! It's urgent!"
"Uh-huh, kid. You probably heard about her in town and decided you had to meet her. This isn't a world where you could walk into a royalty's place and say 'hello'."
"Please, sir! I just need to see her for a moment."
"Go home! Get out of here! The Princess would never grant an audience to the likes of you!"
A hard shove is heard, followed by a yell and a THUD! Malon peeks around the cliff, but knows who's talking to whom. There he is, walking back this way, apparently given up and tired. Sad, yes, but maybe, she could help him… Just continue singing, until he comes… Sure enough, this sweet melody reaches Link's ears, filling him with this feeling, wondrous but simple, hardened but easy flowing, calm but… happy? This song is soothing Link as every note fills his mind. All of his frustration is gone; he feels new energy hopping inside. It isn't until a moment later that Link realizes this song is being sung by… a girl not too far off.
"Hey, fairy boy! Over here!" Malon giggles.
"Huh?" Link looks up. "Oh, hi, Malon!"
So, that's where the singing came from… Link thought as he runs up to Malon. Wow, she's a really good singer.
"So, the gatekeeper won't let you through?" Malon asks.
"Yeah. How am I supposed to get to the Princess now?"
"Hmm… I've got an idea."
Malon cast her attention behind her. There it is, vines where vines shouldn't be.
"You can climb these vines up to this cliff," Malon points out.
"Really?"
"Yeah, see?"
The vines lead up to the top of the cliff. Link examines the cliff. He could sneak pass the gatekeeper, and conveniently enough, the cliff goes as far as to pass the main gate…
"Thanks."
"No problem."
Link grabs one of the vine, and is about to climb up, until he hears a sad sigh. He turns around, seeing Malon's face, all gloomy, but full of desire. Desire to explore, to adventure, but gloomy as to the desire being kept from its dreams…
"Hey, do you want to come, too?" Link knows that friends shouldn't make other friends sad.
"Um… me?"
"Does it look like I'm talking to anybody else?"
"Oh… I don't know. What happens if we get caught?"
"Don't worry, I'll find a way around that."
There it is, a glint in Link's eyes. A warming glint that somehow reassures Malon that she could trust this boy. She ponders this for a while before realizing that she's wasting both of their time.
"Okay! Why not? I shouldn't miss out on the fun!" Malon decides. "And maybe we can find Dad faster than by yourself."
Link chuckles as Malon starts to climb up after him. A very interesting sight is at the top; a stone with a giant eye and mouth carved on it stands there, oblivious to the environment.
"What's this?" Link mutters as he steps closer.
"What's what?" Malon pulls herself up.
"This."
Malon blinks for a moment, dazed by such a stone.
"Somebody just carved a weird stone, and placed it here?" Malon said.
"I don't know…"
Link looks closer at the big eye, for it somehow mystifies Link. The one-eyed… statue. It seems like it's… reading Link's mind right now, as he looks straight into this eye…
"Link? Link! Snap out of it!" Malon shakes him. "What's wrong?"
"This… stone. Take a look at it."
"Whaaa? What so special…"
Then, too, Malon becomes entrances with the one-eyed statue, just like Link when he was staring at it and the plant earlier. She feels it, the piercing of her mind by this stone. She immediately tears her gaze away and gives a shudder.
"Oh, I see what you mean…" she's still shuddering.
"Strange stone."
"Who would put a thing like this out here?"
"Who knows?"
"Come on, let's get going."
Malon was about to turn around when she slips. She falls back, toward the one-eyed stone. What just happen after that is really strange. Instead of a stone-hard object to give a bruise, the stone gets squished under Malon and stretches out like a ball of rubber.
"Huh? Wha… How come I'm not hurt?" Malon asks with confusion.
"The stone… It's…" Link's having a hard time with this, "being squished under you…"
"What?" Malon has a hard time believing this, too. "Look, I know you're a Kokiri and all, but at least you must know that stones do not get squish!"
"Just… look under you."
A face of shock is place on Malon as she sees she DID squish the one-eyed stone underneath.
"Eek!" Malon jumps off.
A snicker escapes as the stone morphs back into its original shape, accompanied by a BOINNG! BOINNG!
"The current time is: 20:43!" a voice beyond description flies out of the strange stone.
Link and Malon stand there for a moment, dumbfounded hugely by what this stone just did.
"Um… Well, this is certainly one strange stone…" Link mutters to Malon after the moment was over.
"Wait." Malon again takes another look at the one-eyed stone. "I think I know what this stone is. It's… a Gossip Stone! Yes, that's right, it's a Gossip Stone! I heard about these around the Market."
"So, this Gossip Stone reads your mind and tells you what time is it when you hit it?"
"Yeah. The thing is, it remembers stuff from the minds it reads. Or, well, so I heard. The people aren't sure about the mind reading and remembering. This rumor was said to come from the Sheikahs, supposedly were the ones who built these stones, and spread 'em across the land of Hyrule."
"Sheikahs? Wait, I heard that name before…"
"They're the shadow people of Hylians. And Hylians are me and the other people who aren't Kokiri, in case you didn't know."
Nope. New knowledge.
"The Sheikahs are said to be the guardians of the Royal Family, which is the King of Hyrule and Princess Zelda right now," Malon continues with answers. "In fact, I heard there is one Sheikah woman living in the castle…"
"Hey!" Navi yells out.
"What is it, Navi?" Link looks up as she extracts herself out of his body and is hovering in the air.
"The Great Deku Tree wanted us to visit Princess Zelda now! Shouldn't we get going?"
"Oh, right!" Malon says to this reminder. "Let's go!"
Malon is about to leave when she realizes Link is still staring at the one-eyed stone.
"Oh, come on! We don't have all night to look at the Gossip Stone!"
"Wait."
Link pulls out his sword and gives the stone a whack. Again, its elasticity allows it to bend to the will of Link's sword.
BOINNG! BOINNG! Snicker.
"The current time is: 21:14!"
"Link! C'mon! What're you doing!" Malon yells out as quietly as she can.
"I'm just checking. 21:14."
"Oh, geez. Dad's really sleeping in," Malon sighs. "Tee hee!"
"What? What's so funny?"
"What a thing for an adult to do! Tee hee!" Malon giggles. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess despite his broken promise to me, I don't feel bad."
"He promised you? And he broke it?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a promise he wouldn't go to sleep while he's on delivery." Malon suddenly has a look of excitement. "Say, fairy boy, do you want to play a joke?"
Link knows a lot about jokes. He plays them with his friends, especially with Saria, and suffers a lot from Mido.
"What kind of joke?" Link couldn't help to keep his curiosity down.
"Oh, just one I'm about to pull on Dad," Malon sighs. "My dad is really troublesome, for an adult. I'm going to wake him up badly with this."
Malon pulls open her small pack by her waist, and searches through. Finally, she pulls out an egg in a small nest. How she manages to stuff that in her pack Link would never know.
"I've been incubating this egg very carefully… Tee hee!"
"An egg?"
"Yeah. Don't tell me you don't know what an egg is?"
"No, I do."
At least Link knows what an egg is. He's seen them in bird's nests in the forest.
"How's that going to help us wake up your dad?"
"You'll see. Tee hee!"
Apparently, Malon is very excited by this one egg. How this one Weird Egg would wake up somebody Link has no clue.
"There's a ladder there. It looks like it leads to the other side of the gate," Malon says as she approaches the edge of the gate.
The ladder she's referring to is built into the main gate as a way to get to the top from the other side. It seems okay to go down at first, but there is the issue that a guard is maybe in there, or close by.
"Yeah…" Link looks down to where the ladder leads. "But let's jump. I think there's a guard in there. And jumping down from the gate seems much quicker."
"What!" Malon manages to suppress the word to a whisper. "Are you crazy? That's a high gate you're suggesting to jump off here."
"I know. But, it's not that high. We could land unnoticed without being hurt."
"No!"
"What?"
"No, I won't! I'm not jumping off this gate!"
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because...?"
Oh, this boy! How could he suggest that we jump off this gate? Can't he see I don't want to?
"I just don't want to."
"C'mon. I'm telling you, it's not that high."
"Didn't you just hear me? What are you, some daredevil who thinks jumping off from this height is easy?"
"Daredevil? What's that?"
"Ugh! Are you used to jumping off from this height or what!"
"Well, yes, recently. I find it much less dangerous than what people think."
"I'm still not jumping."
"C'mon, Malon. I promise you, this won't hurt."
Link was looking straight into Malon's eyes when he was saying this, showing her, again, the same warming shine in his eyes that say, you can trust me, no matter what.
"… Well, okay, but you promise this won't hurt?"
"Yeah." Link nods. "Here's something to do that might help you. Roll when you hit the ground, so you can absorb some shock to ease your landing, or something like that. Some Deku Shrub told me that. It works, though."
Wow, this boy is daring if he's good enough to get near Deku Shrubs.
Link steps back a bit, to get a good running distance. Malon is looking nervously at the guard posted nearby, but he seems to pay no attention to any other direction besides his current one, away from the two.
"Ready? We can go on the count of three."
"Um, sure…" Malon answers nervously.
She stands next to Link, still unnerve by this.
"One… Two… Thr-"
"Wait! Stop!" Malon whispers loudly. "I… I… I can't…"
"What? Why?"
"I… I have this… fear of heights… especially when jumping off…"
"Wow, you're brave if you could stand up here."
"No, I'm not!"
Tears are forming in Malon's eyes, threatening to pour down her face. She covers her face with her hands.
"I'm… I'm…. I'm jus-s-t too scared-d-d…"
"No, you're not. You got up here by yourself, didn't you? That takes real courage to do even if it's something simple as climbing up here."
"How would you know!"
"Because… I was put to face my fears a while ago… I didn't want to face them, but I did. That's what real courage is all about. It's not being fearless. It's being able to face that fear, because it's much harder to confront them than just ignore them."
Malon consider these words, these words of comfort. She knows it's right to begin with, but another thing gets her attention even more. She's being comforted… by a friend. A friend. A friend who just now shared something that he might not have told others. It feels so nice and warming, more than what she expects. It urges her to stop crying.
"O-Okay." Malon secretly wipes her tears away. "I… I believe you."
"Great! Now, back to the jump?"
"Wait!"
"Yeah?"
"Could… could you hold my hand… when we jump?"
"Sure!"
Link gratefully extends his hand towards Malon's. She takes it with relief.
"You don't think… I'm a scaredy-cat for holding your hand, do you?"
"Er, I don't know what 'scaredy-cat' means…"
"Um, it means I'm a little scared person."
"Oh, no! No, you're not. Having a friend hold your hand while scary things happen means you're not a 'scarredi-kat'. It's always better to have a friend to hold onto."
"Tee hee! Thanks! And it's 'scaredy-cat'."
"Oh, uh, yeah," Link laughs a bit. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, on the count of three." Link faces forward. "One… Two… Three!"
A rush of air flies by Malon as she runs off the gate with Link, feeling the ground disappear beneath her.
A friend to hold onto. You're… that friend that I'm now holding onto…