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

A Pair of Time

Chapter 50- Amongst the Thieves of Sand, Part 2

Gerudo Valley; Day

"I thought you said you were here alone…" Link remarks as he enters the carpenters' tent.

"I was," the boss replies. "Who are you? How did you get here?"

"I ran fast enough to jump over the gapping bridge," the extra company inside the tent answers. The marathon man Link vaguely remembers back then is bestride in the corner. "And, I quickly ran in here to rest while you weren't looking."

"Wait, you, the wandering running man, jumped across the valley?"

"Yes. Greatest thing I've ever done. Won't do it again, ever. I'm so tired from doing that."

"So, you're just staying here?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"… No… I don't think so."

"Then it's settled."

"What do you do, exactly?" Link asks.

"I run all over this land in search of competitors who have a true killer instinct!" The man sighs with a pout sense. "I came here to run through the Haunted Wasteland, but it doesn't look like good timing for that. I want to go back to Hyrule Field, but as you can see…"

"Yes, sorry for the inconvenience," the poacher apologizes. "I would fix the bridge, but my carpenters ain't here. We have to wait for a girl to tell us what's going on."

"It's going to take a while," Link said, emptying everybody into silence. Startled at the result, the boy in green quickly brings out his pack to find something to occupy himself.

Hammer, no… Bow, no. Even with that new Fire Arrow… Nah… Longshot… Oh, wait, I gave that to Malon. Link remembers her asking him to lend it to her before she left. And the Lens of Truth, too. He's clueless as to why such a device needs to be used. Or even the Longshot, for that matter. He reluctantly had to give it up, for the sake of his friend's success. Oh, well… Let's see… Huh? Why do I still have this?

Gripping the Poacher's Saw, Link flashes the tough blade out. In an instant by first glance, the boss of the carpenters lets out an enraged shout.

"Hey, that saw! It's mine!"

Link's nerves jump at the sharp cry. "Um… this?" He loosens his grasp around the tool to display.

"Yes, boy!" The poacher snatches it from his hand before a change of mind. "Where did you get it!"

"Uh…" Instinct signaling pacific reasoning materializes with familiarity, "I think your son?"

"But… I thought I left that saw with my old lady… Oh, well…" Allayed, the moody man suddenly heads for the exit, but halts to asks, "Wait… How long have you been carrying this?"

"Some time, sir."

"I see. Well, you look like you did no harm to my saw. I have to give you something for the hassle of carrying this."

"Oh, sir, that's okay," Link assures while the man gropes through a pile of tools nearby. "I really don't need an-"

"Here, how about this?" He grunts, deftly pulling out a large, broken sword among the metals. "I wouldn't give a valuable thing if it ain't broke, but since it is, I have no use for it. Here."

Submissive to the kindness of people, Link takes the exchanged item without any objection. If the poacher doesn't need it, he feels it's approved to receive without guilt. Staring at the fragmented weapon, Link instantly knows what the man meant when he explained that this weapon is, or was valuable. The top pieces, which is mostly blade, is gone, but the blue hilt and some metal of the top blade remains. They both gleam radiantly, and Link could feel the strength and durability of the broken sword. It was once a powerful blade, made of a pure metal unknown as far as he knows. Link locks his eyes on it, amazed at the weapon even though it's in fragments. Its power, even though unsupported by divine magic, seems as if it could rival that of the Master Sword itself… Maybe even surpass it…

"My Biggoron tool broke, so I was going to Goron City to get it repaired," the carpenter continues. "But, the bridge is out, and even if it's fixed up, I don't have the time or intention to do it. So what's the point? Just give it to you."

"Biggoron?" Link remembers a Medigoron, but an idea about a Biggoron has him fumbling for the known maximum size of Gorons.

"Right. Up on top of Death Mountain. He's the best blacksmith there is. You don't know how much it cost me to buy that sword, kid. Almost all of my life savings went into purchasing this one tool. Can't believe it broke, though. This never happened before. All of Biggoron's tools and metalwork never break."

"Well, what did you do to the sword that broke it to pieces?"

"Using it as a saw to carve into the valley's cliff."

"Oh…" The concept of the cliff being able to break the Biggoron Sword is no wonder.

"Anyhoo, thanks, kid, for giving back my saw. I'm sorry that I can't give you something as good in return, but… take it anyway!"

"Thank you, then, sir."

Link places the Broken Goron's Sword carefully into his pack. No matter what condition it's in, Link really wouldn't like such a thing be left uncared for. It's a more valuable thing than the saw, for Link, over his period of time, has grown a loving to swords. Very proficient in recognizing the caliber and worth of any weapon that has a metal blade, a hilt, and a pommel. Link himself is a natural to swordplay; never once had he received any training, simply continuous self-practice. Anytime a free moment is available, he takes up the current sword in his arsenal, and fences air to build up more application of the art, keeping himself well versed instead of relying on rusting skills. He aims to make two-handed swords a usage to his adventure. And this fractured claymore specifically is the one that captures his interest.

One day I'll fix it, Link thought as he keeps his gaze on the exalted piece. One day, I'll feel the might of this sword, the Biggoron Sword. One day…

He smiles to himself at the thought of him oscillating the sword. He fancies the Master Sword, too, but he would just like to get the rush of wielding the Biggoron Sword once.

Just wait… I'll just have to wait… Yeah…

Link stretches and lies against one of the empty mats lying around. He isn't sure when's the last time he had been without a care, but with anxious excitement. Before the trip inside the Great Deku Tree, before he got his first weapons, before he had Navi, before he had those cursed nightmares of him and Malon standing before Hyrule Castle Town drawbridge… In reminiscence, Link shifts in small surprise as he just remembered that Malon was with him in those dreadful incubuses. Another play of Fate, he realizes. It was at the start, causing the dreams of him and Malon before their bridge of destiny. Back then, he discarded those nightmares whenever he had them, always erased and forgotten. He just never realized the dreams would come true until that foreboded moment of his last minutes as a child.

Malon… Our lives are intertwined… for the rest of our days. Us, being the chosen ones, the Heroes of Time. Of all the people in the world, it's just the two of us. Mal… Wonder how you're doing now…

--

Thieves' Hideout

They had better be worrying about me, because this is pushing me a lot.

Malon endeavors with difficulty to keep still in the stance of a guard while searching the adobe fortress for the workers' cells. It's still safe if she walks a little loosely, but she is never too careful. Vigilant is better off safe than sorry.

It takes her several minutes to scout the section of the hideout she's in. Not too many Gerudos patrol the area, which is just how Malon likes it. She moves past one, but keeps a little eye on everything just in case things get too wrong to be right. Because she herself now hardly fits in of what's right.

Emerging from the end of a hall, Malon encounters a cell in the current room, extruding into the wall nearby. She slowly, but rigidly takes her steps as she peers into the prison. A carpenter, familiar of looks from years past, is seated quietly in a corner, on the mud-baked ground with his knees retracted towards his chest. Next to him are two empty bowls, dried of their contents of what Malon believes to be a day ago or more. The poacher is a grisly sight; he's filthy from prolonged periods of non-cleansing. A guess would be the man is starving for long and thirsty for a drop of water. On his face is fading desperation and longing for freedom written all over. The carpenter finally notices Malon as she walks into his view. He delivers a look, not of hate and despise, but of misery, confusion, and plead. Malon almost stops, and would have hurried over to the cell, but realizes the necessity of staying undercover. She also realizes she has no latchkey to unlock the cell door.

Hang on, I'll get you out of here.

Determined, Malon continues on, through the room and entering the hall opposite. An opening lays ahead, an exit marked by light entering. Malon has to find the keys, somewhere and somehow. If she has to search through every Gerudo and jar of the fortress just to find them, she'll have to do it. Even if it's all impossible and perilous, she's going to have to. She must not, however, get detected flagrante delicto, else she's going to end up like the carpenters, and then even Link won't be able to save her. If that happens, all the efforts of the Heroes of Time would be unsuccessful, as Link needs her.

Also, she would earn herself a life stuck behind bars unless Death says otherwise.

I must not fail. I must not fail. Malon tries to rid her mind of galling apprehension. Can't get caught. It all depends on me. Why am I so nervous? That's not good, especially right now. Come on, Malon! Link has complete confidence in you, you should in yourself, too! Believe in myself, believe in myself, beli-

"Ah! There you are!"

"Oh, no!" The taut Malon whispers her failure of keeping the façade equable. She shoots her arms up almost in a reflexive way.

"Eh? Put your arms down, warrior, I'm not going to kill you."

It takes several seconds before Malon could lower her shaky appendages from the air. She revolves around, a Gerudo attired in a white desert outfit and cropped hair next to her with a gaze. "I… I'm sorry! I'm just… jumpy. First day on the job!"

"Oh, you must be the new jail keeper!" The Gerudo heaves a sigh, then lets out a lively laugh. "Where were you? I've been trying to find you for a while now! It's now your shift."

"My… shift?"

"Yes, mine is done for the day. Now, it's your turn, just until nightfall." The Gerudo combs through some of her pockets. "Here it is. The key ring."

Malon could not believe it as she slowly accepts the metal ring full of Small Keys of different teeth. From the start, she thought everything is going to be difficult and required an extensive amount of time to pull off. Now, the level of complexity has been greatly reduced as she holds the key ring in her hand.

"You look surprised." The Gerudo notices the somewhat flabbergast look on Malon's face. "Is this not what you're expecting?"

"Um… No, no. I… I have this covered."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

The Gerudo saunters past Malon into the cell room. She gives a small, ridiculing laugh as she takes a glance at the carpenter before exiting into the hall opposite from Malon.

Malon, now's your chance! C'mon! You've got the keys! Navi's voice snaps Malon from her amazement. Don't dawdle! Else, the Gerudos will cut you a new one…

Malon nods to herself in justified agreement, then ambulates over to the cell. Silently, she goes through the Small Keys, trying each on the door's lock. Finally, one of them clicks with the lock's inside and removes the mechanism from the door. The carpenter sullenly stands up, as if prepared for something gloomy that he's used to.

"Where are you taking me this time?" he obscurely bespeaks. "Is it to mine the rocks off the cliffs again?"

"No, I'm…" Malon leans in close to his ear, "I'm here to save you."

The man scoots back, struggling a little to take this in. "No, you must be joking. You may call me inferior, but I still have perfectly common sense!"

"No, I'm really here to get you out of here!"

"… Are you?"

"Yes, yes!"

The man pauses for relief, but then he retreats into the cell's corner, his eyes growing wide in distortion. "I'm crazy. I'm going crazy. Crazy… Heh heh… I'm going insane!"

"No, you're not. I'm real, and this is real!" Malon whispers back with a close groan.

"No, you aren't!" The carpenter's voice accentuates sharply. "No! I'm not going to be insane! You're not real!"

"Shush! Quiet, you're going to get me caught!"

"Go away! I'm not insane!"

"Quiet! You're not-"

"Shut up! I'm not crazy!"

Malon couldn't see any other choice than to give a fist to the poacher's face. Either the imprudent ranting will go on, causing her to be out of here before the real Gerudos come to investigate, or she's going to have to make sure pain would abate the carpenter's delirious thoughts.

"Ah…" The man soothes his mouth behind his hands. "Crazy image tried to kill… Wait… This… is real pain…"

Malon grumbles, "Because I'm real!" She doesn't mean to be boorish, but she was almost caught in this act.

"Oh… Oh, I'm so sorry, miss!"

"Shh!" She motions silence with a finger to her mouth. In a brisk movement, Malon sneaks glances around her to ease her assurance. "Gosh darn it, you're really scaring me with this loud voice."

The carpenter lowers his baritone in response. "I apologize for that. But… are you really here to free me?"

"Yes! Like I kept saying before."

"A young Hylian lady like you, coming here to rescue me… Oh, that's just swell! I have no idea where you come from, but you must have a lot of guts to make it past all the guards around here! So, if you're here to save me, then are you here for the other carpenters, too?"

"Yeah, mister. Do you know where they are?"

"They're imprisoned somewhere in here. I don't know exactly where, though."

"Oh… Well, I'll… I'll try my best to find them!"

"Thanks." He picks himself off the ground. "I'm Ichiro the carpenter. Well, I must be escaping now, before things get messy here."

"Wait. Questions first. Why in the world did you and the carpenters even come here?"

"Eh, oh, that. Eh-heh…" A sheepish laugh escapes. "We were really interested in joining their all-female group, but they locked us up like this just because we're men! How close-minded they are… We don't care about the Gerudos anymore! They're so rude!"

"Hmm… All right… Well, now, get out of here, before someone comes."

"Right." Ichiro leads off with an airy jog, but stops at the cell's entrance. "Again, thank you, miss. I appreciate your efforts to free me and my buddies. We'll repay the favor somehow."

"Don't worry about that, just worry about escaping."

"Careful, then. These Gerudo guards sure are everywhere. Don't get caught."

A pause follows to consider the moment. Seeing as his presence freed still a threat, Ichiro takes off, leaving Malon with a sinking feeling in her stomach that each jailbreak is not going to be as easy as this first one. Her instinct leads her to the closest exit from the hideout, but she patiently bides her seconds for any disruption of an escapee on the run. When silence hasn't fled from the atmosphere, she liberates her aching breath from her lungs. Malon is scared, mostly from anxiety, she's sure of. But she never lets it take over her consciousness. She's been in way too many situations more dire than to let Gerudo guards frighten her into panicking. She just needs a familiar breath of valor to urge her quaking body to continue. Malon follows that, setting her mind to blind resistance and heedful advancement. She made a motto to herself ever since she created a childish, but endless struggle with Link.

Anything he can do… I can do better!

With one more puff of her old accomplice, Malon breaks through the light of the adobe's torches to the light of the searing sun.