A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

A Pair of Time

Chapter 10- Time over Money

Kakariko Village; Day

"Look, kids. The road is closed beyond this point!" the soldier emphasizes.

Malon and Link are just outside the gate to Death Mountain, being restricted by the gatekeeper.

"We have to go up there, sir!" Link pleads. "It's something important!"

"Can't you read the sign over there?" the gatekeeper points.

"Huh?" Malon sees a barely noticeable sign next to the gate.

"Eh? Oh, I see. You two are still just kids, and you can't read yet. Ha ha hah!"

Ignoring the insult, the two walk over to the sign, formally written with the words,

'Death Mountain

No passage without a

Royal Decree!'

"'A Royal Decree?'" Malon repeats slowly. "Hey, Zelda's Letter could help us out, can't it?"

"Hmm? Uh, I think so."

"Well, show it to the soldier!"

"Right, right…"

Link pulls the letter from his pack and hands it to the gatekeeper. A surprised look is etched on gatekeeper's face as he takes Zelda's Letter.

"Oh, this is…" the gatekeeper notices the handwriting on the front. "This is surely Princess Zelda's handwriting! Well, let's see…" the gatekeeper opens up the letter. "Hmmm… OK… 'This is Link… He is under my orders to save Hyrule.'"

What! Zelda wrote that in there? Link couldn't believe that Zelda wrote that in the letter. Nobody believes Zelda's prophecy, except him and Malon. Even the King of Hyrule says that it's not a prophecy. Great. Now, it'll make us look even less believable.

Malon blinks, having the same thought as Link. How naïve is a person that is so famous that she's never met? It looks like her adventure would have to be cut off short.

"Wah ha ha ha hah!" the gatekeeper bends over to exerts his laughter. "What kind of funny game has our Princess come up with now!"

"Sir, it's… not a funny game she's come up with…" Link reasons.

"OK, OK, all right." the gatekeeper hands back the letter. "You can go now… Just be careful, Mr. Hero! Wah hah ha ha hah!"

"Okay! Up Death Mountain we go, then!" Malon cheers.

"'We'?" the gatekeeper repeats the word. "Miss, you can't go with him."

"What?" Malon feels the sentence like a scissor to a thread. "Why, Mr. Gatekeeper?"

"Miss, this decree only allows 'Link' to pass through. Not you."

"But… but…"

"Sir, please," Link pleads again for the second time. "Let her pass, too. She's… she's… she's my best friend…"

This affects the gatekeeper's mind a lot. It's a horrible thing to split up best friends like this. He sighs, thinking of a way.

"Well… Maybe I can look around this, BUT!" the gatekeeper pressures the word. "I'll like you two to do me something."

"Anything, sir."

"Have you two been to the Happy Mask Shop that just opened in the Hyrule Castle Town Market? Everyone is talking about it!"

"Uh, no, sir."

"Oh? Well, my little boy pesters me for a popular mask, but I don't have time to go there…"

"Done, Mister!" Malon nods quickly. "We'll get your boy a popular mask!"

"By the way, kids… If… IF you're going to climb Death Mountain, you should equip a proper shield! It is an active volcano, after all!"

"A proper shield?" Link looks at his Deku Shield.

"Well, the shield you have is… well… made of wood. Active volcano, wooden shield, not a good mix there, Mr. Hero. The most proper shield I can think of for Death Mountain is the Hylian Shield."

"Oh, don't worry, I've got one." Link switches his Deku Shield for the Hylian Shield.

"What about you, Miss? Do you have one, too?"

"Um… well, you see…" Malon thinks of a cover-up, but fails, "no, Mister, I don't have one."

"Miss, it is dangerous up there… But, if you think you're good to go already, don't worry about it."

"No, I'll get one, if it's as dangerous as you said, Mr. Gatekeeper."

The prospect of her wearing a big, metal shield on her back is oddly favorable.

"If you go back to Hyrule Castle Town Market, which you are since you're getting the mask, you should check out the Bazaar," the gatekeeper tips off. "They sell the shield you need there. Tell 'em I sent you and they should give you a special discount!"

"Thanks, Mister!" Malon gives her gratitude before heading off with Link.

Market

"Oh, the Market is always bustling as ever!" Malon exclaims.

Indeed, the Market looks the same as it did the last time Link saw it. People demanding products and lower prices in the stalls, the stores have customers line up to the door, the casual talk between two people around them. It is as if it never changed when they left it.

"Okay, let's get the mask first." Malon looks around. "There's the Happy Mask Shop. Let's go in!"

Happy Mask Shop

The owner is wearing the happiest (if not the strangest) of grins, and is standing behind a counter, with a giant frame around him resembling a cat. Behind him are empty shelves with an exception of one mask being on his right and another on his left. A large sign is held up next to the counter, with the writing,

'Happy Mask Shop

Please read this sign before you use this shop.

How This Shop Works

We do not sell masks at this shop.

We just lend them to you.

You sell the loaned mask on your own.

You pay back the money for the mask, and we will lend you a newer model.

You can borrow masks you have already sold again; however, you can sell each model of mask only once.

Please try our shop!

--Happy Mask Shop Owner'

The two blink in confusion. A shop that lends masks to people to sell them? This world of Hyrule has just gotten a little stranger again.

"Hiyeee!" the owner greets. "Welcome to the Happy Mask Shop! We deal in masks that bring happiness to everyone! How would you two like to be happiness salesmen?"

"Um…" both Link and Malon starts.

"You two can work together! I'll lend you a mask. You sell the mask and bring the money back here. After you've sold all the masks, you will become happy yourself! Have faith…"

Just step away from the man. The door is right behind you. This thought runs through both of their minds, but has no use because of the needed mask for the gatekeeper's son.

"Okay, then, sir. We'll become… happiness salesmen, then." Malon find the two words difficult to say.

"Remember, someone always wants a mask to make them happy! Somewhere in the world, somebody is waiting for these masks. Just have faith…"

"Well, then, sir, do you have a… popular mask that you could se- I mean, lend to us?" Link asks.

"Oh, this Keaton Mask is the one! Keaton stuff is hot, hot, hot!"

"Then, could we borrow it, then?"

The owner pulls the mask off the shelves and hands it to Link.

"The price for the Keaton Mask is 10 Rupees. Don't forget that!"

Market

Link stares into the empty eyes of the Keaton Mask. It sure looks strange despite how popular it is.

"What's a Keaton, anyway?" Link asks Malon.

"Um… I think it's a ghost fox or something. I don't know. I'm not in the Market much, so I have no idea."

"Well, next stop is the Bazaar," Link remembers. "What is a Bazaar?"

"A place where they sell all kinds of stuff. Dad never lets me in there, says there's too much adults around."

Bazaar

Maybe because of its owner, because it's the owner that looks bizarre.

"OH!" the owner is surprised. "Golly, two kids here! Are you two lost?"

"No, Mister." Malon shakes her head. "We're here to buy a Hylian Shield."

"Hah hah! That big shield? I know it's my current hot seller, but it might be too big for you, kid."

Malon puts on a face of anger and annoyance. The owner laughs for a while, then stops.

"Okay, okay, then," the owner said solemnly. "I'll sell it to you if you want it that badly. 80 Rupees for the shield."

"The guard at the Death Mountain gate told us about you, Mister," Malon said with a hard tone.

"You heard about us from the guard at Death Mountain gate?" the owner raise an eyebrow. "Well, I have to give you a good deal then. I'll cut the price in half, 40 Rupees, no more or less."

"40 Rupees it is, then." Link smacks down the Rupees on the counter.

"Geez, kid, don't go overboard."

"I know a good price when I see it, sir."

The owner takes the Rupees, then grabs one of the shields off the shelves and hands it to Malon.

"Pleasure doing business with you two kids."

Market

"Goddess! This thing is heavy!" Malon struggles to put the shield on her back.

"Here, let me help you."

"Thanks."

Link takes the Hylian Shield from Malon, goes around her, and fits it on the pack's strap around her back.

"Whoa!"

Malon falls backwards to the heaviness of the shield. Link lifts her up to her feet.

"Big and heavy." Malon feels it like a shadow. "But, if it's to help me at Death Mountain, I might as well get used to it."

Link isn't paying attention; his eyes wander to the shooting gallery on the upper-left side of town.

"Oh, boy." Malon puts a hand to her head.

After wasting 40 Rupees on both of them, Link and Malon scores a perfect on their first try, earning them both a Deku Seeds Bullet Bag, holding up to 40 slingshot bullets, 10 more than the old ones.

"Okay, now that we're down to 19 Rupees, can we go now?" Malon complains.

"Uh, yeah…" Link answers distractedly as he admires his new slingshot bag.

Kakariko Village

"Wha-ha-ha-hah! Do you think you're in disguise, Mr. Hero?" the gatekeeper bawls, for Link is wearing the Keaton Mask.

"Uh, no."

"Oh?" the gatekeeper looks more closely. "Is that a 'Kee… something…' character mask? I heard he's very popular recently?"

"Yes, Mr. Gatekeeper!" Malon nods. "Very popular character! He's the ghost fox that everyone loves!"

"Heh. He's my boy's favorite. That 'Kee… something…' mask…"

"Here you go, sir." Link takes off his mask and hands it to him. "It's all yours, just like you asked."

"Oh, no," the gatekeeper rejects humbly. "You two are salesmen. I can't just take the mask just because you want Miss to come. I have to pay."

"No, Mister. We can't possibly take your money after what you did fo-"

"Say no more. Here you go. 15 Rupees."

Not the exact price, but it's still profit. Just a little. Link receives the money with the exchange of the mask.

"My boy will be very happy with this!" the gatekeeper exclaims as he puts on the mask. "You really are Mr. Hero! That goes for you, too, Miss. Wha ha ha hah!"

The gatekeeper opens the gate with a simple push of a mechanism. The gate slowly slides open for Malon and Link to cross.

"So, we made a 5 Rupee profit," Malon recounts while they exit Kakariko Village for the Market. "Wow, what fun. We keep doing this and we'll be rich long after we're gone."

"Do you really want to spend time doing this?"

"No. I'm being sarcastic, fairy boy."

"Oh… Well, I'm doing this because I just want to get that other mask."

"What other mask?"

"You know, the one on the right shelf of the Happy Mask Shop. It has the Sheikah symbol on it. It may help us."

"Yeah, but you know how long it'll take to sell all those masks that owner wants us to sell."

"Hey, gotta try, right?"

Happy Mask Shop

"Oh, great! You sold it!" the Happy Mask Shop owner said, well, happily. "Please pay me back 10 Rupees for the Keaton Mask now."

"Okay, here's 10 Rupees." Link hands over the money.

"And here's your next mask, the Skull Mask, a horned skull mask. 20 Rupees, remember that."

Hyrule Field

"And so begins the impossible search for anybody that likes this mask." Malon holds the dreaded-looking thing in her hands.

"Well, we can worry about that later. Let's get to Death Mountain."

"Hey!" Navi yells out. "Aren't you forgetting, Link?"

"Forgetting what?" Link asks as Navi flies out.

"What would Saria say if we told her we're going to save Hyrule?"

"Saria? Oh… Oh, I haven't thought of that."

"Who Saria?" Malon seems interested (and maybe a bit of jealousy rising in her).

"My… One of my friends of the forest. She's the closest one I ever had…"

Back then… Say back then, Link! Malon thought. What is wrong with me! URGH!

"Really?" Malon tries to sweeten her voice as possible. "How… close?"

"Oh, not close like… that. Close friends, since we were little kids. Of course, I had other friends, too." Link then looks at her with the most grateful face he has. "But, you, Malon… well… you're my best friend. Traveling together with me. Us saving Hyrule. I wonder, is that closer than close friends?"

Malon wonders about that, too, and hoping that it's very much true. But, why is she acting like this? Saria is just Link's closest friend, in the forest, not out here. But, why does she care so much about how close they are? Could it be? That her emotions are now gripping at every word Link mentions about a close friend… who's a girl?

This is going to cause trouble later on, Malon's reality thought rings through her mind. Oh, so much MORE trouble…

"Um, I don't know," Malon answers. "I think it's…"

"Best friends, right? That sorta makes more sense," Link figures.

"Um, um… yeah… it does… doesn't it?"

"I think so. I guess best friends are the best."

Link grabs Malon's farthest shoulder and pulls her close to him, cramping her in a one-arm hug.

"Best friends stick together, right? Like us?"

"Yeah… Yeah! Stick together through thick and thin!" Malon puts on a small smile, concealing the hard pumping of blood through her veins.

"But, still, c'mon. Let's go visit Saria. Who knows, she may help us."

"Oh… yes… let's go visit Saria, then."