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

A Pair of Time

Chapter 37- Prelude of Light

Potion Shop; Day

An old woman sits behind the counter, petting a striped cat of a strange sort. Surrounding her are cauldrons of many liquids, all of which are giving out smoke. The only things keeping the shop alive and well lit are those torches beside her. But, then, she could put them out if she wanted.

She mutters, going over her old recipes and then some experimental ones. There's this new one she always wanted to try. But, she's missing one essential ingredient. Not only does she need it, but she needs it fresh picked.

Suddenly, the shop's door opens with a quick pull. A ring is heard from her entrance bell above. Two young adults come running in. One of them, a blonde, wears a green tunic over a white suit and holds a sword and shield strapped onto his back. The other is a redhead, having a dirty-white work shirt on covered partially by a yellow bandanna around her neck, and wears a large, light purple skirt with a brown imprint on the front, marked by patterns. The young man and woman pant heavily when they entered.

"What?" the hag stops her petting. "I'm not going anywhere. If you want my potions that badly, all you have to do is walk."

"Sorry, sorry…" Malon excuses. "We just…"

The hag then detects a scent emitting from them. A familiar scent. In fact, a scent of something she needs of the moment.

"What a mysterious smell…" she concludes. "You must have something!"

"Oh, yeah." Link begins to search his pack. "We were asked to give you… this."

He shows a large, red mushroom, fresh from the forest.

"That bum!" the hag incenses. "He had to go into the forest…"

The bum the hag is referring to is the famous poacher's son. Earlier today, Link and Malon found him with the help of their little friend, Cojiro. Cojiro is a blue Cucco that the Cucco lady gave to Malon (in trading back the happy Pocket Cucco) to help her return it to her brother. It didn't crow anymore… until now. It crowed in the forest, so they soon found the thin, pale man sleeping near the stumps in the Lost Woods. The man gladly took back his blue Cucco, complimenting Malon and Link as nice people. He asked them, since they are nice, to deliver this strange, fragrant forest mushroom to this hag. Thus, racing against petty time, they managed to get to the hag's Potion Shop, leading up to this moment.

"I see," the hag simply said as Link and Malon finished telling their story. "Hey, give it to me now!"

"Um… Here, then." Link places it on the hag's outstretched hand.

"Rude lady…" Malon mutters to Link.

The torches suddenly dispel their flames, completely darkening the room.

"Huh? Miss, your torches…"

"I need them unlit."

"Why?"

"None of your business."

Soon, the flames return, revealing everything again.

"If you see that fool, give this to him." the hag hands out a poorly wrapped package to them. "It is the strongest medicine I have ever produced. However, this potion will not work on a monster…"

Link finds the content to be made of liquid. He slightly opens up the package, seeing a strange potion of different colors inside.

"Miss… what's… what's going on between you and that man?" Malon asks.

"… As I said, none of your business."

"What does this Odd Potion do?" Link questions.

"Something. I made it from that mushroom that bum gave." the hag then sighs. "They say that there is no medicine that can cure a fool… I guess that's true…"

Lost Woods

"Eh?" Link finds a Kokiri girl instead of the carpenter's son near the stump. "Where's…"

"That guy isn't here anymore."

"Where did he go?" Malon asks her.

"Well… anybody who comes into the forest will be lost," the girl replies. "Everyone will become a Stalfos. Everybody, Stalfos."

"… What?" Link said. The answer is a little unnerving. The girl means to say that everybody that ever set foot in the Lost Woods will become an undead warrior.

"Yes. So, he's not here anymore. Only his saw is left." the girl's eyes somehow change strangely. "Hee hee."

"Well…" Link pulls out the Odd Potion. "We were supposed to give this to him."

The Kokiri examines the potion for a while. She gives it a sniff. "This… This medicine is made of forest mushrooms…" her head perks up. "Give it back!"

"Uh… sure."

The potion is relieved of his hand as the girl quickly snatches it.

"Here." the girl shows them the Poacher's Saw. "This is for all your trouble."

"Hmm…" Link takes it with caution.

"That young punk guy must have left it behind," Malon said.

"Heh heh heh," the girl giggles in an eccentric matter. "Are you going to be… too? Heh heh!"

Temple of Time

Stepping back into their main purpose, our heroes return to the sacred temple. They are to return due to Sheik's request earlier. They find him standing still at the side of the Pedestal of Time, waiting.

"You destroyed the wicked creatures that haunted the temple and awakened the Sage…" Sheik said.

"As you said," Link replies shortly.

"But there are still other Sages who need your help."

"Four more… right?" Malon questions.

"Yes… In order to awaken all the other Sages, you must become even more powerful… You must travel over mountains… under water… and even through time…"

"… Through time?"

"Yes." Sheik then gestures an arm towards the pedestal. "If you want to return to your original time, return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time."

"All I need to do… to go back…" Link draws the humming blade, "is to put… the Master Sword back?"

Sheik nods. "By doing this, you will travel back in time seven years…"

"Will… everything be… the same seven years earlier?" Malon asks.

"Just as you have left it before being sealed away. Nothing more… Nothing less… Soon… the time will come when you will have to return here quickly…"

"Why?"

"In time, you shall find out. But until then… I will teach this to you for when that time comes…" Sheik pulls out his golden harp. "The song to return you to the Temple of Time… The Prelude of Light…"

With a starting tap, he picks high notes, letting it sound magnificently. Sharp tone fills the air as it finishes with the same pitch. Soon, the harp is accompanied by a soft music of an ocarina and a delicate voice of a female Hylian. The temple echoes the three beautifully, as the melody guides itself by only the light shining through the cathedral. It rests with the holiness of the element itself.

"As long as you hold the Ocarina of Time, the Master Sword, and your fated existences…" Sheik starts, "you hold time itself in your hands…"

They have nothing to say. Silence comes in after the melody and the words of Sheik comings.

"Link, Malon, we shall meet again!"

Like before back in the forest, Sheik blinds them with a Deku Nut. A second later, he is nowhere to be found again.

"Oh, Sheikahs…" Malon rubs her eyes. "I really don't understand why they have to do that."

Link gives a sigh before walking up to the Pedestal of Time. He pauses as he stares down at the object with only the symbol of the Triforce on it.

"Go back in time… Back… to when we're ten years olds…"

"Do you really think it'll work?"

"… Only one way to find out." Link levels up the Master Sword to his face.

"Hey, hold up!" Malon comes up next to him. "Can't just leave me behind in time."

"Uh… I think it's leaving you forward in time."

"Does it really matter? Come on, let's see if it works…"

"Alright… Hold onto me, then…"

Feeling her grip around his left arm again, Link takes the sword in both hands. He gives it one more look before lifting it up. Then, he shoves the Master Sword back into the pedestal. The familiar blue light again makes a reappearance, engulfing Malon and Link as their visions become blurred and blinded by the white light ahead.

Their bodies go back into numbness, but with the feeling that they're floating into empty air. They can feel their bodies changing, changing back into something they haven't felt in a long time. Soon, the white light fades again, letting the multicolored sight enter Malon and Link's eyes. Blue light again, then the chamber of the Master Sword. Link gives a blink, then rustles his body. He could feel it, his little body covering his spirit once again. Everything is back.

Now, to deal with 'Time Sickness.' "Ah…" Link leans on the Master Sword firmly placed in the Pedestal of Time. He shakes his head.

Time Sickness, something Link read back home, is when a person switches between different aged bodies in a second. The person will get used to one of the bodies, then, when switching, the person forgets how it feels to be in the other body, so it takes a while before the mind actually recognize its current age of its body.

"Whoa!" Link feels his left arm drag down as Malon collapses onto the floor. "Ow…"

"Time Sickness…" he sighs. "Better get used to it."

Link takes a quick look at himself and Malon. Everything is still as it was before. His small tunic, his Kokiri Sword, his Deku Shield, and everything he ever found as a kid. His body is free from the white suit he was wearing as an adult. Although he feels more exposed, he does appreciate the breeze. Malon reverted back into her old clothes: her patterned white dress with her yellow bandanna still hanging around her neck. Her red hair is back to being as long as to her hips.

"Whew…" Navi flies out. "That was… sensational."

Navi is still a hundred percent the same.

"Oh…" Malon stands up with a wobble. "We… We're seven years back, right?"

"I think so." Link nods.

Malon takes a glance at herself. "Seems official. I'm back to being a little girl."

"Same for me."

"Well, just to make sure…"

Market; Day

The state of Hyrule Castle Town is back to being alive. Though, it's still confused about the latest thing since Malon and Link left it: Why did Princess Zelda ride out of Hyrule Castle with Ganondorf chasing behind?

"We're… We're truly seven years back…" Malon gazes at the same old people at the same spot before. "We're back!"

"How I miss being back…" Link feels like he never cherished such times.

They take a deep breath and exhale with all their might.

"So," Navi begins. "What now?"