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

A Pair of Time

Chapter 24- The Old Times, Part 1

Hyrule Field; Night

Hyrule Field hasn't changed much. It's just that there are Poes now. Ghosts that hate the world and anybody that disturbs them. They can't go to heaven or hell, so they stay around attacking whomever they like.

"Okay, Kakariko Village." Link points to the stairway off in a distance. "Sheik said something there should help us."

"Wait…" Malon stops. "I… want to go home for a while, fairy boy. It's been… seven years."

"Oh… well, sure. Nobody should wait that long."

Lon Lon Ranch; Day

Strange thing is, the same clouds over Hyrule Castle Town are over Lon Lon Ranch. It is as if Ganondorf has tainted the place.

"Something's not right…" Malon said as she walks up through the entrance. "Those clouds… And… the ranch… The ranch doesn't have that same feeling years ago…"

Link could feel the air, too. Evil has definitely been through here. Malon enters her house. A worried expression shows through her face, as she doesn't see Talon at first sight.

"Dad?" Malon calls out. "Dad! I'm home! Where are you!"

There's no answer. Malon runs through the house, opening doors and searching through rooms. Talon isn't there. Malon runs outside, dashing past Link to the barn. Inside, Malon finally finds Talon in there, working with difficulty scrubbing one of the stalls. Malon gasps, as she sees the bruises and unwashed blood on him. The strain on his face pushes her to run up to him.

"Wha… Well, hello, young lady!" Talon greets cheerfully. "What brings you to visit here?"

Dad… You don't recognize me?

Malon's feelings hurt like they're being stretched to tear. Link enters, quietly closing the door as he watches the two.

"Well, howdy-do!" Talon waves at Link. "More visitors! This ranch barely has any nowadays!"

You don't recognize both of us, Dad?

"Where're you two from?"

"Uh…" Malon couldn't figure out a way to answer.

"We're from… far off, sir," Link does the answering.

"Far off? Haw haw haw! Now, that's new."

"Uh, Mister… do you recognize us?" Malon asks.

"Huh? Now, well, you two do look gosh darn familiar… I don't know where, but you two do look darn familiar!"

Talon shrugs with a sigh, then goes back to his scrubbing.

"Since Ganondorf came by and said he's King, the people of the Castle Town all went away, all these places have been ruined, and those damn monsters are appearin' everywhere! You two are the only visitors this place had for the past several years!"

"But, aren't you Talon, the owner of the ranch?" Link suddenly asks strangely.

"Yep. But…"

Talon stops, then gives the two a regretful look.

"You two know Ingo? He's my ranch hand back then, but now… he's just usin' my ranch to get Ganondorf's attention. Everybody's rippin' others off, like evil's spreadin' around. Gosh darn it!"

Talon throws the scrubbing brush to a wall, leaving a mark.

"Ingo's makin' me do every darn work on this ranch!" Talon exclaims, leaving a sigh.

"But, D- I mean, Mister, why don't you stand up against Ingo, or leave?" Malon asks.

A downcast glance at Malon gives her sorrow. But, what Talon has to say almost made her cry.

"Because… I had a daughter back then. A sweet, innocent, little girl of mine. She's my joy ever since I lost my wife. She had such a good life here, takin' care of some ranch work, growin' close to the animals. Then, one day, she was sad because her best friend was leavin' away for a long time. Now, when she's sad, I'm sad, so… I made the craziest idea of lettin' her follow this boy in green who's her best friend. I haven't seen her since…"

Talon's eyes waters. He wipes them away roughly.

"I'm happy for her, yes, but… I never knew what happened to her. Seven years since she was gone. I don't know… I… I… I gave up on her comin' back, thought that… she… she… she was…"

Talon now begins to sob silently.

"She was all I had left of my happy life… Now… she's gone… and I won't see her again!" Talon couldn't suppress a sniff. "My wife, my daughter… gone… they're all gone… I have nothin' left… Nothin'… Just… these animals my two joys love so much… Ingo said he'd make sure they're gone if I don't work… I can't let him do that! They're all I have left of my wife and daughter… I just can't… I knew I should have seen this comin', being lazy and all… I've deserved it, but Ingo's makin' me work far harder than I ever deserved… But, I can't do nothin'… nothin'…"

Talon is shaking through his outburst. He searches the stalls for the brush. Malon whirls her face away, her hands on her eyes.

"I'm sorry, you two… but I would like it if you just left me for a bit…" Talon asks.

"Oh, Dad…" Malon said through her own quiet sobs outside the barn, "I never knew about this… How horrible…"

"That Ingo… I never thought he would go this far." Link remembers the words Ingo said to him. Sure, Ingo wanted to be in charge, but to where he forces Talon to work?

"You… you knew about it?"

"Ingo said something about him being the one to run the ranch, but I thought he was just talking nonsense."

"Fairy boy…" Malon wipes her tears away, "we have to save Lon Lon Ranch!"

"Now? We can't, Malon. We've got to get to the Forest Temple."

"That can wait! We have to save my home, now!"

"Look, who knows what Ganondorf will do next? We can't take such chance to not awaken the Forest Sage!"

"But, fairy boy! This is my home! This is my dad! I can't just leave him like this!"

"We'll save the ranch later, Malon."

"No! We've got to do this now!"

"Not now! We have to-"

Shock from all these denies hurts Malon. He's her best friend. Why won't he help? Anger now replaces plead suddenly, making Malon cut Link off.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be?" she said, the hint of anger in her tone. "You just want to save Hyrule while my dad is slaving under Mr. Ingo?"

That's not what Malon's meant to say. What's wrong with her?

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" Link retorts defensively.

"Then, what do you mean, then!"

"I mean, if Ganondorf does something before we awaken all the Sages, he could spread more evil in Hyrule!"

More anger builds on this counter-reason by Link. "Oh, so you want to be the great hero quickly over helping out your best friend while she's in trouble?" her voice is now uncontrollable, spewing out words of indignation. "Oh, great, fairy boy, how nice of you to leave your best friend like that when she needs you!"

Truly now, this is NOT what Malon herself wanted to say. The anger is controlling her like a tyrant.

"No, Malon, please," Link could see her current emotion getting out of hand, "I didn't mean to-"

"No… If you think that saving Hyrule is more important than this, Link… more important than your best friend in desperate need, then… then, leave."

Oh, the torturous shock. "Malon…"

"Go," Malon force the word firmly. "If this is how it's going to be, then… we're not best friends anymore…"

This sentence shatters both of their hearts like a glass window that fell from above high. Link stares on with the same shock at Malon, her back to him. Like Malon, anger now grips his mind and mouth.

"Fine," Link said harshly. "Fine, then. I'll leave. I don't care. I don't care about this damn ranch." he waves his arms at the place with a sense of disgust. "Hyrule needs to be saved. We're not best friends, we never were. I don't need you. I don't need you to follow me around. You're just an annoying farm girl."

Oh, shock. Oh, pain. Oh, suffering. Oh, agony. They inflict themselves on Malon like deathblows. They weaken her spirit so much that she couldn't have the energy to hold back her tears of sorrow, regret, and every other feeling in her heart right now.

"Leave, then!" Malon demands through her sobbing, more anger flowing with each word. "Go, then, you stupid jerk!"

"That's right. I'm leaving, for good. And, this time, don't expect me to say yes when you come running after me. You're nothing but a spoiled girl!"

Malon doesn't care; she quickly turns around and gives a hard punch to Link's face. Link falters backwards to the force. He rubs his cheek, red, hot pain in there. If saying they're not best friends anymore didn't convince him, this will.

"Leave," Malon declares severely.

Link could see her tears cascading down her face. But, her eyes kept the look of anger and hurt. Link stands tall, not a care for Malon. He slowly turns around and simply leaves in a steady pace. Like seven years before, but with both of them angry instead of sad.

I don't need him, Malon thought. I don't need him as a best friend… I don't need a friend… I never did… and I never will…