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

A Pair of Time

Chapter 19- The Belly of the God, Part 2

Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly; Day

"Ruto, you've said you've been in here before…" Malon remembers, "so, do you have any idea where we are?"

"No. I never went as far as to the end of Lord Jabu-Jabu's mouth. Until now, that is. Besides, that was before he was ill."

"Great. We have no idea where we are inside a fish, where it's gross, slimy, squishy, even smelly."

"Hey, he's the patron deity, redheaded Hylian!"

"My name is Malon!"

"I'm a princess! Do not raise your voice at me, Malon!"

"I don't care if you ARE a princess! We're stuck in a giant FISH, looking for something that WE don't even know! I'm trapped in here, with a Zora, that refuses, to go back home!"

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CARE?"

"YOU SHOULD, YOUR MAJESTY!"

"Geez, will you two stop?" Link simply requests of Malon next to him and Ruto above. "It's confusing me, and I'm pretty sure Lord Jabu-Jabu wouldn't like you two yelling in his belly."

Our two heroes of Hyrule are accompanying, or actually carrying the Princess of the Zoras, Ruto, in search of something of importance to her, inside the belly of Lord Jabu-Jabu, a giant fish who happens to be the guardian god of the Zoras, who now just happens to be ill because of Ganondorf. Now, that's a mouthful to say. And Malon and Link must wonder how they got themselves into this situation. So, anyway, Link is carrying Ruto, while Malon is covering him.

"So, Ruto, how old were you when you first got in here?" Link asks.

"8 years old, when I did my first feeding for Lord Jabu-Jabu. I was surprised, but I managed to get out okay."

"And how long have you been in here since… Lord Jabu-Jabu swallowed you up this time?" Malon asks, resorting to calm reason.

"A whole day. I can't find that something of mine."

"Did you go inside by yourself?" Link said. "Or did he suck you up, also?"

"By myself. It's easy once you've been inside him once."

They reappear in the same room with the sucking flesh. Weaving their way around, they find a long green thing in one of sucking areas.

"Watch out!" Navi flies out and hovers around the green thing. "Electricity is running through this green slimy thing!"

"Really?" Link looks closer at the thing. "It looks harmless to me."

"But, a little too… weird." Malon shudders.

They continue to the next chamber.

"Was that your fairy, Link?" Ruto notices.

"Yeah. Her name is Navi," Link replies.

"A nice, lifelong friend, a fairy."

"I know. I have another. And she's standing right next to me." Link beams at Malon.

"Hey, flatterer." Malon beams back. "You compliment too much."

"So, Malon is your, uh, lifelong friend, too?" Ruto said slowly.

"Best friends, actually, to the bitter end," Link adds in.

"I see." Ruto then gets giddy. "Do you two… like each other?"

"Say what now?"

"Two Hylians, opposite gender, traveling together. It sounds like it's going to be more than that."

"He's Kokiri, for one thing," Malon said, "and it seems like you've been dreaming too much of these kind of things. Just because we're the same age, and he's a boy and I'm a girl doesn't mean a thing in love."

"Yeah," Link said. "I don't suppose this sort of fantasy is common in the Zoras, too?"

"Hmm…" Ruto ponders for a bit. "I guess I shouldn't ask such things while we're in here."

Dodging the Tailpasarans, they discover more slimy things in their path, with different colors. Apparently, they're making Lord Jabu-Jabu sick somehow. They find an organic switch, requiring two people to step on. Passing through a slice of flesh, they find an empty room. Or so they think. Malon steps on a fin of a monster, and it flies into the air.

"Stingers!" Navi hovers around the monster. "Destroy it before it decides to flies into you!"

Malon hits it with a Deku Seed, sending it flying around. In a moment, it flies around Malon and tackles her.

"Ow!" Malon shakes her head. "That's it."

Three Deku Seeds flying from her slingshot overkills the Stinger.

"If you allow me to help her take care of these Stingers, Ruto…" Link requests.

"Oh, if you feel like it. Just lay me down."

Killing the rest, a treasure chest appears.

"I've got it!" Malon runs up to the chest.

"What's inside?" Link walks up behind her.

Malon opens and pulls out…

"A Boomerang!" Malon exclaims.

"A what?"

"It's a little weapon that you can throw. It comes back to you afterwards!"

"Cool…"

"Well, let me see how it works…"

"You? It's now your turn to carry Ruto."

"What…?"

"Come on. We both have to carry her. I carried her first. Now, your turn."

"But… I want to try this out!"

Link gives in with a sigh. "One try, okay?"

Malon throws the Boomerang. It flies through the air, then changes angle. It keeps flying and changing direction until it comes back toward Malon. She catches it, then hands it to Link.

"Wow! It's so fun!" Malon comments.

"Looks easy enough to use." Link observes the Boomerang.

Malon walks up to Ruto, feeling the uneasy thought of carrying somebody. Ruto looks up, with the look of expectance.

"Ah-hem. I believe we haven't found my thing, yet? That Boomerang isn't it."

"So…" Malon plays dumb for the sake of it.

"Keep searching. For now, keep carrying me."

Malon sighs. She grabs Ruto and puts Ruto on her head. Light, yes, but still strange nevertheless.

Making their way out, Link finds that the Boomerang can easily take care of the Tailpasarans. They shriek as their bright tails get struck by the flying object.

"Aw, that looks like fun!" Malon whines. "I want to kill them!"

"Wait your turn, Malon!"

"Is it strange that I think killing monsters are not fun?" Ruto asks.

They end up with a blue switch. But, as soon as it's pressed down, it goes back up when they leave the switch.

"Great." Link looks around. "Somebody has to stay here to leave the switch on."

"Well, I'm not going to be it," Malon declares.

They both look up at Ruto.

"Oh, no." Ruto shakes her head. "I refuse to be left behind to become a weight. I am a princess."

Ruto looks down at Malon.

"Malon, I order you to become the weight."

"What!" Malon puts Ruto down. "No, I'm more useful than you are."

"Does it look like I care?"

"Do I care that you order me around? I'm not going to stand here while you two go on ahead."

"You don't understand, Malon. I'm a royalty. Royalties are to be protected."

"Well, maybe you should care what happens if you went in with Link! Link and me can take care of what's in there. If he goes in there with you, there's no telling that he'll be okay! And if he's not okay, he wouldn't be able to protect you, would he?"

"Ha ha ha. Do you think your words have any meaning on me? I am the Princess of the Zoras! I make the decisions!"

"Why, you ungrateful… All you princesses are all the same! Just wanting to satisfy yourselves! Being so spoiled, not knowing what it's like to value things and people. You don't care about others!"

"And it's people like you who really don't deserve a say in these matters. Being rude to a princess is bad, you know. So, if you'll excuse me…"

"No, YOU'LL excuse me! The people are more important than you think! We're all equal in that! Your feelings are just like mine! Maybe if you work on a ranch like I do…"

"That's the reason why you do and I don't. I'm more important than you are… simple farm girl."

The insult makes Malon face red. She is about to punch Ruto in the face until Link steps in.

"Ruto, stop." Link stands in front of Malon. "Malon is right. Everybody is equal. And I don't appreciate people making bad or mean comments to my friends, especially my best friend. I know that this switch requires one of us to be on. So, I decided that… I'm going to be the weight. That way I'll protect the back while you, Malon, go on ahead with Ruto."

"But…" Malon had a face of worry.

"I'll be fine, Malon." Link turns to Malon, extending the Boomerang. "Here, take the Boomerang. It's plenty of fun."

"Thanks. You're sure about this?"

"I'm sure. Believe me, I'm very sure."

Link stands on the switch, unblocking the slice of flesh ahead.

"Navi, go with Malon. She's gonna need you."

"Okay, Link!" Navi flies and responds.

"Hey, Navi," Malon greets her with a low voice.

"Cheer up! It's just one room!" Navi enters Malon's head.

"Right, right. One room. C'mon, Ruto." Malon motions.

"Ah-hem. I believe you still need to carry me," Ruto reminds.

"Argh! Fine!"