A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
A Pair of Time
Chapter 67- The Fate Broken
Hyrule Field; Day
"Link, how come ya never start kisses like that?" Malon asks while she tacks up Epona.
"Start kisses like what?"
"Like that with Julie! I always hafta lean in to get a lip to lip service from ya, but you just went for the dive with Julie!"
"… So?"
She scoffs, stopping to face Link. "Come on, kiss me right now."
He holds back a laugh. "Now? I'm not… 'in the moment' right now."
"See? Ya can't kiss me, but ya can kiss her! What's with that?"
"So…? You can still kiss me all you like, and I still return it… well, sometimes."
"But… you never… kiss me first. Not at all, if I remember."
"Why does it matter to you?"
"It shows that… you really do care for me, even when I can't feel that you're around."
"… Oh."
"And anyway, how come ya said ya care for Julie, but ya never said that to me?"
"I said I care for you one time."
"Uh-huh… When?"
"… Um, can I come back later to you on that?"
"Link…" Malon firmly shakes her head. "Never mind."
Why must girls ruin my life like this? He suspires as he watches her avert back. He doesn't want to hurt Malon, yet it's much more strait for him to be direct with her than it is with Julie. Why love…? Why must love make it harder for me? "Malon…"
"No… You don't have to… I mean… if… if you just want to…" Her voice trembles, almost breaking.
"Malon…" He swings her around, faced with silently weeping eyes.
She gazes up at him, then frees herself from his hold. "Leave me alone…!"
"Mal…" Link could not hold it in. "Mal! I-I… I find it harder… It's harder for me… It's harder for me to do those, to say those… because… because… I-I… I… I-I-I lo…"
Malon gasps at what she hears, spinning around to him with both the tears and expectances in her eyes. Link urges himself bitterly to utter the words, but he loses his resolution as quickly as he tries to summon it. In the end, he stands, hopelessly and strangely, before her, looking at his friend with something in his eyes: self-disappointment. The farm girl despondently heeds this, her head down and her body shaking like broken pieces trying to hold itself together. Her resilience is her adhesive, not viscous enough against the impact known as sorrow and heartache.
"Malon, I'm sor-"
"Forget it," she snaps, almost spitefully. "… Just get on and get this over with."
"Mal…"
"Get on."
Link hesitates, then takes the redhead's face and plants his lips on her. Malon nearly loses herself into this act, but her anger blockades anything that relates joy with Link. The hero could not feel it, her touch back, her spirit reaching out to him. He releases the interlock, still distressful to try something.
"Don't touch me," Malon said coldly. "Get on, and don't talk to me."
Malon… Link nearly quivers himself, but backs away instead. Quietly, he climbs up on Epona, who remains rather groggily through this. I'm sorry. If only I could… If only I could say more to you. If… If only I could do more… for you.
After the redhead mounts sedately, the befuddled horse begins striding onward towards the gloomy castle in the distance. For a few hours, Epona gives a thought about the strong silence over them, but decides to leave it be since the dobbin hasn't experienced such a craved lull in a long while. She snorts, speaking to herself in her tongue, "Hmm, I'm starting to like this. And here I thought love will never give me peace and quiet."
To think he actually loves me… Malon storms on in her mind some while later, her back turned to Link who is leading the horse. Does he…? Maybe he doesn't. Maybe he only acted so that I wouldn't cry all over him. So that I wouldn't drag him. So that… I won't become a nuisance. Is this what I am? Just a friend…? Or some… some bother he happened to have only because Fate made him have so? That seems like it.
Malon… Link stares on as he leads Epona on an amble to Hyrule Castle Town. The whole place is wet in evilness, and the mood above his and Malon's does not do well to counter the oncoming event. He sneaks a glimpse at her, who's staring at the disturbed dust puffing from underneath her horse's hooves. If only you could understand… I do care for you; I do have feelings for you, just like you do for me… But… that's what makes it more difficult for me to express it… The more I grow closer to you in this way… the harder it is for me to accept it, to accept the responsibility and… consequences that come along. He sighs a hushed one, then continues looking straight ahead.
He doesn't care for me…
I do care for her…
Never even said he did…
It's so hard to say it, when it could mean so much more…
Can't even kiss me…
Kisses too lead to the thing I fear…
I even had… had… sex with him, and he still can't even get that? I sacrificed so much to have him make love to me, and he still can't… can't…
I care for her, I have feelings for her… I even gave her pleasure… but… but… I still can't… can't…
Julie… Goddess, he said those things to her, he expressed more to her… and not to me…
Julie… She needed someone to give her hope, she needed someone to care for her… It… It doesn't mean… I love her… I did my part for her… but it doesn't mean I love her… like… my love… to… to…
All those times… All those times that he showed his care… They were nothing more than acts to make sure I don't get hurt or killed… to make sure I don't cry…
Doesn't she know I think about her and about her life when we're in danger…? Doesn't she know I care if she gets hurt or not…? Doesn't she know… I don't want to see her cry…?
Those times when I showed my heart to you… Look what happened. Even when I'm asking for you to open your arms for me, you… you don't do so…
I know you keep me so dearly in your heart… You're braver than I am in showing your feelings… I try to make you happy, but my fear always ends me up disappointing you… deeply… to where it hurts every time…
What… What about those times… when I was alone? Were you really there for me…? Or were you there to make sure I don't degrade into a whimpering pulp…?
Loneliness… I never did like seeing you alone. You were always so sad, so hurt… I didn't want that. I wanted you to smile, to be happy, to know that I'm always there for you… with you… wherever you may be…
Link… What about… those times I said… I love you…? Were my feelings real…? Or… were they… fake… fake like… your… your love…?
Malon… Those moments where your feelings for me grew so much… Where it didn't matter what happened, but you would care for me and hold onto me until the end… Where I was down, and you protected me even if it would cost you your own life… What could I say? I never had anybody do that for me before… How could I repay such affection back…? With my own care…? With my own love…? I'm afraid… I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you… What would happen… if I too opened my heart for you… and then… you're gone…? Where would you be to fill in my heart? What would happen if… if I love you… and then nothing could have my love and return it back…? What would happen if… if I will never again… feel your love…? What would happen…? I'm… I'm afraid of that… I… I closed off my feelings long ago… to avoid being hurt… again… I opened them again for you… but my fear arose when I did… Fear of finding myself in emotional pain… Fear of… of losing you… Not like you… You would sooner… fill your heart with joy… and mourn when I die… rather than… not feeling such wonderfulness at all… Why can't… Why can't I love like you can…? Why can't… I love you back…? Because… I'm afraid…
Afraid… Afraid to love me… I… I admired you… I admired you because you're courageous… Why… Why must you be afraid of the one most important thing to me…? Why, Link…? Why must you be afraid to love me…? You said you were afraid of what would happen if you did love me, then I… then I die… You said you were afraid of that… You said you were afraid of losing me… I know, Link… Everyday, I'm always afraid of losing you… I'm always afraid of the day I would have to kneel down to you while you breathe your last words… But I still love you… because not even Death… can take away what you'd given me… what you are to me… so I still love, even if you're gone… because… you'd still be there with me… Why can't… you see that…? Why can't you see that you can still love me… even when I'm gone…? Why, Link…? Why can't you overcome your fear…?
Because I'm afraid, Malon…
Why can't you overcome your fear, Link…?
Because I'm afraid…
Why can't you…?
"Ho!" Link draws back the reins, halting Epona. "We're here."
The clouds above blacken the scenery like many entries before. The walls stand crumbled, protecting the evil rather than the good inside. The bridge joins the moat in its damaged state, preventing further travel by horseback. Through the opening that seems to absorb light sits Ganon's Castle far back in the north.
Link steps off of the courser, which seems to be agitated that the grass in the area is inedible due to burnt surfaces. He lends a hand to Malon, who bluntly refuses it and slips off quickly.
"Um…" He glances at the way forward, which is unsettling to the air around them, "you're… still not talking…"
The redhead throws him a look, more vexed than contempt. Not pausing to stay for another word, she dashes ahead, leaving Link to run after her in fear that the ReDeads might have a chance to suck on a prey.
I don't want to disappoint you, Mal… but I'm still… so unsure to take risks… and sacrifice myself for you…
Temple of Time
Malon almost considers closing the door shut behind her to display her malice, but an overbearing feeling of her lingering hope could not ask her to do that. Instead of waiting for Link, she runs on ahead, stepping up onto the platform of the temple. The light, still shining freely in the cathedral despite the billowing darkness, comforts her, along with the unusual, echoing sounds that reverberate every now and then. But it pains her sharply to know that the only person she ever loved had his heart lost sight of her. Sitting down, she hears his footsteps coming up to the temple, sounding like music leading up to a song she wants to play inside herself. But she resists trying to feel it, for now there lays agonizing resentment that her love may be paying attention to another girl. It's a balance she's trying to shift to disbelief of her animosity to let the other weight triumph, but so far they weigh exactly and it leaves her to be a quiet recluse to her companion.
"Malon!" Link calls to her from outside. She catches the noise of the wooden doors grating open, and the patting of the rug from his boots. They slow down as he reaches her, coming to a still when he's barely an arm's reach. "Malon…"
She casts a look up to him for a while, then turns away, still leaving him with a last expression of aversion. A weak breath is heard from Link, then he says, "Please… don't… don't look away. I know how everything hurts you… but please… listen to me."
She tenses at hearing this. A noise, almost a sound of a strain, is heard from her throat, but she would not face him.
"Malon…" Link profoundly breathes, sounding clearly in the pure temple. "Please… let me have another chance. I-I'm sorry that I could not love you back… I'm sorry if… you… if you thought I gave up. I didn't, Mal… I didn't give up. But… it's taking me so long, that I don't want to keep you waiting… But, I can't decide. Please… Malon, I need… I need more time… I need… I need your help, to pull me through… I don't want to disappoint you, I truly don't. I swear, by the holiness of this temple, I don't ever want to… But, I can't do this… if you don't give me another chance… Please, Malon… I need you."
She listened to him… and she's trying to do her best not to shatter in tears. Her tumult concedes a strong quaver as a result, and Link could see it's either one way or the other. "Please, Malon… At least… At least talk… talk to me…"
A nuance in the ambience intrudes in upon them, and a voice that can be easily recognized speaks, "I have been waiting for you, Malon and Link."
The Heroes of Time turn to the imposing entrance to find their trustworthy, guiding comrade standing there. "Sheik…" Link, hastily retreating from his personal problems, salutes. "You're here."
"The Heroes of Time…" The young man crosses his arms. "You have awakened six Sages… and now you have a final showdown, a showdown with Ganondorf, the King of Evil… However, despite your valiant endeavors surmounting hardships, I sense but one of sheer will dejecting the strongest of hearts…"
Malon looks away in perturbation, while the hero pauses then stares calmly into the Sheikah's eyes. "It's nothing important. There's no need to toil around to relieve it."
"That by which you speak of is, of course, not greatly significant with Fate… Nevertheless, it does undermine your combined strength… If the heroes from legends are divided, particularly by this powerful, rending raptness, then I fear you will not stand ready against the ruler of evil…"
Link grows quiet after, shocked at what Sheik described. Malon stands up and utters, "Sheik, you don't understand. To us, this is so much more tha-"
"There is no need to explain to me… I'm fully aware of your troubling, and I know how stout it is in your heart… Heroine, despite how crushing it is on yourself and Link, you must heed and regard this matter with faith and trust, for if there is no surviving bond between the two of you… I'm afraid the world of Hyrule may fall in vain."
"But… I can't… hold on… Not like this."
"Malon, you and Link must overcome this suffering, or it will cause more suffering for you and for all…"
Her vision is like her body: quaking from indecision and from an array of confused feelings. Her exhalation is forceful, attempting to stabilize under the condition she's in. Malon closes her eyes, then faces her best friend, who carries an expression of somber, yet hopeful biding. "I'll… I-I'll try," she answers to Sheik.
"The time will come… when this is much more to you than it seems, heroes… Never stray from what is true to you… But first… I have things I want to tell only to the both of you. Please listen."
"Continue then," Link said when they route their attention to Sheik.
"As you know, the legend of my people asserts that the Heroes of Time and the six Wise Ones will bring peace and justice into the dominion of evil… However, there is another unknown legend, one of the Triforce passed down by the shadow folks…"
"If you would seek the sacred triangle, listen well…" the Sheikah instructs. "The resting place of the sacred triangle, the Sacred Realm, is a mirror that reflects what is in the heart… the heart of one who enters it… If an evil heart, the Realm will become full of evil; if pure, the Realm will become a paradise…"
"In which is the former, since Ganondorf obtained the Triforce."
"Not precisely, Link… The Triforce… the sacred triangle… it is a balance that weighs three forces: Power, Wisdom, and Courage… If the heart of the one who holds the sacred triangle has all three forces in balance, that one will gain the True Force to govern all… But, if that one's heart is not in balance, the Triforce will separate into three parts: Power, Wisdom, and Courage."
"You're saying that…?" Malon interrupts.
"Yes… I will elucidate more. The Triforce will dismantle into the pieces that composed it… Only one will remain for the impure one who touched the Triforce… the part representing the force that one most believes in… If that one seeks the True Force, that one must acquire the two lost parts… Those two parts will be held within others chosen by destiny, respectively representing what they most believe in… The wielders of the Triforce parts will bear the hallowed mark on the backs of their hands…"
"I doubt that Ganondorf could have obtained the True Force when he touched the Triforce…" Link said as he walks a few steps forward.
"Yes, Link. Seven years ago, the King of Thieves used the door you opened in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm. The legend came true when he laid his hands on the sacred triangle, separating it into its three rudimentary parts. Only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hand."
"The Triforce of Power… It… It did all of this destruction?"
"Verily. The strength of his piece enabled him to become a mighty, evil king… but, his dark ambitions were not satisfied."
"He still desires the True Force."
"Yes. To gain complete mastery of the world, Ganondorf started looking for those chosen by destiny to hold the two other Triforce parts."
"Does he know who?"
"Unfortunately, he does. But I also have knowledge of whom."
"You do?" Malon bursts. She suddenly marches up to him. "And ya haven't told us earlier? Sheik, you shoulda told us! We coulda kept the other two in a safe place!"
"Malon… I have not told you who they are yet."
"Who are they? Who got the two other Triforce parts?"
"… Hmm…" Sheik then gazes earnestly at the hero.
"What?" Link questions at this strange act.
"Do you know how you and Malon accomplished all in the name of righteousness?"
"Uh… There're many reasons to that…"
"But when you faced the first evil in the forest, to the one dwelling in the Shadow Temple, what has given you the might to fight them?"
"… My courage?"
"Precisely."
"… You… You don't mean…" Finding disbelief, he glimpses at the backs of his hands. He quickly removes his gauntlets, then gasps in his searching. On his right hand's back is a very faint marking a shade darker than his skin. The Triforce brand has no blurry lines or blunt edges; it's as if the section of the skin was decorticated, laid flat, and had a fine blade carve the triangle out.
"Holy…" Malon grips his wrist and stares at the Triforce. "Link, you…"
"The one who holds half of the Triforce of Courage is you, Link," Sheik finishes.
"Wow, fairy boy! No wonder you're never scared killing all those monsters!"
Link's brows wrinkle. "Hold on… Did you say half?" Sheik responds with a nod, sending the hero's head back in surprise. "What…? Wha…"
"How… How can ya have half of a Triforce part?" the redhead inquires skeptically.
"Fate has ways to alter the legends when it is needed," he clarifies. "Malon, how do you believe that you did as much as Link without a request to go back?"
"No… Y-You're kidding, right?"
"Yes, there has to be an explanation," Link sputters. He takes another look at his hand, finding that the lower right triangle of the arrangement is darkened by half. "Well… I guess I'll have to explain why I have half of my part here."
"Sheik, c'mon. This is a joke, right? I'm really not so much as brave as Link. I panicked sometimes, and I scr-"
"Malon, you're still here, the final battle draws near, and long have you accepted your role as the Heroine of Time," Sheik disrupts. "You have not returned home and let Link continue by himself. You have waded through the waters of evil in the five temples across Hyrule, and successfully awakened each of the six Sages. And you did not deny that you are the one to stop Ganondorf and save Hyrule."
The farm girl whiffs a noisy breath out, having to agree with all these feats she has done. She scrutinizes her right hand, and there it is: the Triforce mark with the other half of the Courage part.
"Mal, you said that was a scar!" Link said. "Scars don't look like that!"
"Well, I got cut there so many times, I thought…" Malon shakes her head. "What about you? Ya sometimes got your gloves off, so why didn't you notice?"
"I… Well, honestly, I really don't pay attention much to my hands… Must have been a blur from far away or when waving aro-"
"Never mind that." She faces the Sheikah. "So… we're… we're the ones that hold the Triforce of Courage?"
"When your efforts unite, it shines as the holy part itself, yes."
"How did the piece even split?"
"The legend of the Heroes of Time changed the one of the Triforce. Two people rather than one fulfilled the necessity for the Triforce of Courage, which can only be granted to a single occupant. Therefore, the part divided in two, to allow both to share its essence while remaining an integrated one. The force of the part is used only by you two."
"Huh." Link's hand flies over next to Malon's. When they touch, the dim triangle halves belonging to them glow slightly, along with the rest, a color of yellowish-white. "Well, it fits."
"Legends sure are corny when they can be…" A hand goes over her mouth. "Oh! Uh… Sheik, I really didn't mean that…"
"Incredible as it may be, it still is visible before you, correct?" Sheik asks instead.
"Yeah. So, I got one half of the Triforce of Courage, and fairy boy has the other half."
"Yes. When your bond with Link is strong, your utilization of the part will be plentiful. However, the contrary also stands true."
"Oh… So, that's why… you told us to… work together again…"
"Yes, but there is much more to that… However, that is for you and Link to discover, whether by yourself, or together."
"Alright," Link clears his throat, "we know where the Triforce of Courage is. Ganondorf probably wanted our heads when he knew this… Okay, Sheik, who has the Triforce of Wisdom?"
"The other… The one who holds the Triforce of Wisdom…" Sheik contemplates, "is the seventh Sage, who is destined to be the leader of them all…"
"Seventh Sage?" Malon repeats. "There was one more?"
"Do not be troubled. The Sage is already awakened."
"Leader of them all…" the hero muses. "An important person?"
"Yes… One that Ganondorf has been ruing the day he had lost from his sight… One who is meant to rule Hyrule with a righteous call…" Sheik abruptly takes a step back. With an agile movement, he exerts his arms up, making a wide cross with his covered hands. A dazing light glints behind him, then an illumination in the form of the Triforce fires from the back of his right hand. The lower left triangle shines, blinding the Heroes of Time from view. When they expose their eyes, they stand in implausibility and amazement at who has taken Sheik's place. "It is I, the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda."
"Zelda!" the two exclaims. The dignitary stands gloriously in a pink dress, highly tinted to almost white. A deep violet jabot covers her chest, while a golden shoulder plate adorns the area around her neck. Her hair is as light as the noon sun, cascading beautifully and glossily behind her head. With the Royal Family emblem and similarities, there amongst the heroes is the survivor of Hyrule's regal class.
"I give you my greetings, my friends," the princess's voice rings like a clear bell.
Malon, startled at her state, quickly bows down to Zelda. "Your Highness!"
"Please. Up now. I shall not have a person of very important substance relinquish her respect for reverence."
"Of course, Your Majesty." The redhead quickly carries out her request.
"Malon… Do not do so with titles either. Please… humble me by calling me Zelda, and act as positively as you'd like."
"I… Um… Okay, uh… Zelda."
"Now that that's over…" Link cuts in. "Zelda, explain to us why… why all this time, you were dressed as this Sheikah."
"I apologize for meeting the two of you in disguise, but it was necessary to hide from the King of Evil. Please forgive me…"
"Uh…" His shoulders suddenly loll. "Well…"
Wait a minute…The redhead considers everything while surveying the seventh Sage. Wasn't Sheik… a GUY? Malon coughs lightly to excuse her cogitating. After taking a few deep breaths, she speaks genially, "Yeah, uh, sure! We understand your need to be Sheik."
"Thank you…" Zelda continues by sashaying civilly and slowly towards them. "Do you remember? That fateful day seven years ago?"
"Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle on that day," the hero completes. "You had to elude him… and we… we had to do our duty in this temple."
"Yes… How I look upon that day with such dread… Even now, I can envision it… I could feel everything during that moment long ago… Even the first raindrop landing on me…" She stops at a very short distance from them, then has her head away, mournful and ashamed. "I… I remember… I-I saw the both of you as I was escaping from the castle with my attendant, Impa…"
Beginning of Flashback: Hyrule Field; Night
"What in the world…?" Young Malon splutters as she gazes inside the walls. "There's… There's someone coming!"
Malon… Link… Zelda spots their obscured figures near the horizon of the plains. You're… You're the only ones I can… trust this with.
"Get out of the way!" Young Link shouts to his companion, scattering from the path the frantic horse is set on.
Link… I… I-I feel that you must hold onto this… The juvenile princess takes one more glance at her most valued possession in her hand. Do not lose this… Never let Ganondorf have his hands on this sacred object. Zelda tugs on her attendant's arm. Impa quickly nods in recognition and leans back to allow room for the princess to sit up.
Saviors of Hyrule… Please don't let Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm! I confide you… with the Ocarina of Time! With all her might, she hurls the instrument in the heroes' direction. She then slips under Impa as they ride on, looking back at the confounded youths sighting the thrown object and giving her one last gander before they disappear in the darkness.
End of Flashback: Temple of Time; Day
"I thought…" Zelda breathes as she slowly separates her eyelids. "I thought I should entrust the Ocarina to you… I thought that would be our best chance… As long as you had it in your possession, I thought Ganondorf could never enter the Sacred Realm, but…"
"He did enter," Malon breaks open the cold truth.
"Yes. It was something I could never expect happen."
"And we couldn't do a thing," Link said. "The Master Sword… I was… Or, I guess, we… were too young to wield it."
"That was the most horrible thing that happened along with the entrance of Ganondorf… After you opened the Door of Time, the Master Sword sealed both of you away in the Sacred Realm…" Zelda again turns away, having little to bear the pain of the memory. "By Din's mercy upon me… I could not bear knowing that… that my actions have led you, Link, Malon… to lose seven years of your lives before…"
"Zelda, that doesn't matter right now. What is, is that we're here, and our goal is to stop Ganondorf."
"Oh, Heroes of Time… How far have you gone despite how much have you lost… I could not stop myself from feeling immense guilt for all of this… All of this… This unfortunate coincidence."
"Zelda," Malon speaks up. "That's all in the past. We can't change that, so it's better if we just have what we got in the present and save the future."
"Malon…" The princess quietly suspires. "I… I apologize for my grieving. I shall leave the past behind… for now."
"Okay, we know that our spirits remained in the Sacred Realm," Link recounts, "and that Ganondorf freely took the Triforce and ruled the holy plane. What happened after that? What did you do?"
"Myself… I passed myself off as a Sheikah and hoped that the two of you would return. I waited for… that many years… for you to step foot out of the Sacred Realm." Zelda looks up to them, showing an expression of hopeful anticipation. She clasps her hands together, elatedly saying, "And… now you are back. The dark age ruled by Ganondorf the Evil King will end!"
"That's what we're planning to do!" the farm girl agrees.
"The six Sages will open the sealed door and lure Ganondorf back into the Sacred Realm. My duty as the seventh Wise One is to revive the seal from this world once the King of Evil has left this plane. Thus, he will vanish from Hyrule… Link, Malon… In order to do this, I need your courage again. Please protect me while I do my part."
"We will." Link nods. "You can count on us."
"And…" Zelda shuffles something around her back with her hand, "here is a weapon that can penetrate the Evil King's defenses… The power given to the chosen ones…" A quick jerk from her arm signifies an object acquired. She brings the object out, an arrow that causes the shadows around them to shudder unnoticeably. The barb is encased in a yellowish, almost golden, crystalline gem. It radiates abundantly, yet shows no harm, for no matter how close the heroes are, they do not become blinded by the light. "The sacred Arrow of Light!"
"By the eyes of divinities…" Malon peers at the weapon of purity. "I've never seen anything like it!"
"The Light Arrow…" the hero mumbles in awe. "I thought… I thought it was just a myth…"
"The sacred arrow of the goddesses is as much as a myth as the Master Sword is, Link," the princess illuminates. "Now, lay your hands upon it. Let the light of justice flow through your veins."
As soon as the celestial bolt feels the spirits of right, it unleashes a wave of its holiness from itself. The fiery magic sends a shockwave in all directions, guided by miniature gusts blowing against the three surrounding the arrow. With endless amount of light blazing in their minds, the Heroes of Time feel nearly faint from the tremendous load of power. The light begins to ease into adaptation, soothing its wielders in a warm bath. When accomplished, Malon and Link heave a breath, panting opulently from their acceptance.
"Whew… Can't beat that tingly feeling…" Malon mutters to herself.
"Malon, Link…!" Zelda cries. "We are finally expedient! Let us march forth, and bring an end t-"
The temple shaking halts what's left of the sentence. The three, startled in their movements, quickly sift around the building. Debris from centuries before washes down through small cracks in the ceiling. Suddenly, the sounds of the rumbling are accompanied by a source of energy that each of the three has an easy time identifying.
The Sage gasps. "That rumbling… It can't be…? Ah!" A seal of pink hue forms in the disturbed air and contracts down at the princess, entrapping her completely.
"Zelda!" Link rushes up to her, but bumps himself when he makes contact.
"Your Majesty!" Malon pushes her hands on the barrier. She hits it once, finding it quite impregnable.
"Princess Zelda…" the King of Evil's baritone of malignant nature rolls in, "you foolish traitor! I commend you for avoiding my pursuit for seven long years…" His low laughter that marks fame in evil resounds in the cathedral. "But you let your guard down… I knew you would appear if I let these kids wander around!"
"Ganondorf!" the Hero of Time yells in the air. "You let her go this instant!"
"Yeah! Why don't ya get your skinny, dark ass down here and face us like the scum you are?"
"Hah hah hah hah hah… Imbeciles!" thunders Ganondorf, shaking air and feelings alike. "Your threats… They mean nothing!" At the point of the last word, Zelda cries out in agony. A moment later, her eyes go mad as her body becomes limp in her prison. The princess, now frail in complexion, succumbs into a subconscious state, yet her eyes remain wide open.
"Stop it!" Malon screams. "Let her go, damn it!"
"Worthless are your words, little girl. They shall not hold power over the King of Evil!"
"Release Zelda before you make any more mistakes, Ganondorf!" Link demands.
"Mistake?" He laughs again. "Kid, the only mistake I ever made was to slightly underestimate the power of you and your petty comrade!"
"Slightly? I'll show you slightly! You estimated far more than that!" The hero, in his desperation, rears back a fist and lets it smack the seal. When his first attempt failed, Link uncaringly renews the striking, sending blow after blow against the pink crystal.
"Link!"
"Ha ha hah! Yes, that's right. Get your hopes up! It'll be that much more crushing when this is over! Try as you like, kid, but your hands won't even make a crack on my magic! Not even the Master Sword can break through that!"
"Ergh!" Link grunts as he continues punching the same spot over and over again. "No…!"
"Link…!"
After several hits, the hero stops, his eyes closing in pain. He almost shivers as a flow of his blood runs down the side of the crystal. "Ark… I can't break through…"
"No…" Malon turns to observe Zelda, still in her trance that gives her an unconscious look. "What… What can we do…?"
"Ha ha ha, there is nothing you can do!" Ganondorf rumbles. "I like your guts, kids. But it's not your power that did all this… No… This was not the power I misjudged… It was the power of the Triforce of Courage!" The seal containing the princess shakes, then slips away from the fingers of the heroes as it ascends out of reach. "But, with the Triforce of Wisdom that Zelda has… When I obtain these two Triforces… then, I will become the true ruler of the world!"
"Never!"
"Ha ha ha ha, you amuse me quite a lot, kid. If you want to rescue Zelda, come to my castle!" Finished, his trap dissipates, along with Zelda inside. He then leaves our heroes the laughter that made so many hate the Evil King.
"Damn!" Link curses. "That's just like him, to come and take away Zelda and expect us to face him in his castle!"
"Shoot…" Malon stomps the ground wrathfully. "This is messed up. This is SO messed up!"
"Just like that day seven years ago… He always seems to be one step ahead of us!"
"What is it with that? Why can't we get a break once and win?"
"Guys!" Navi yells out to them as she comes out. "What are you two doing standing around here for? We have to get to Ganon's Castle right now! We have to save Zelda!"
"Right! Right!" The hero starts tearing to the temple's main door, but halts when he doesn't feel his companion running alongside him. "Mal?" He spins around to her. "Come on!"
"… Um… I…" She glances unsteadily at her feet.
"Malon, what's wrong?"
"… Nothing."
"Malon, if… if this is about what happened earlier before this, I know you don't want to work it out. But please… let us… let us put aside… that… for now. We have to work together, or else we won't be able to save Zelda."
If it's about the world, maybe she wouldn't complain. But… "Oh, so it's about Zelda, isn't it?"
"What?"
Oh, goddess, we're never going to get this done, Navi grimly cogitates.
"Link, why do ya wanna save Zelda so badly?"
"Because she's the true leader of Hyrule, and she's our friend!"
"Friend…?" Antipathy from before quickly surfaces and takes over her hearing and talking. "Or is she someone else to you?"
"What? What do you mean-"
"First Julie, now Zelda?"
By the Triforce, why is this happening NOW? "Malon, I'm not saving Zelda because… because I…"
"Because? Because of what, Link? Spit it out!"
"Mal, you know as well as I do-"
"For the love of Farore, Link, you actually bled for her when you were hitting that seal around her!"
"What? Malon, I shed my own blood more often protecting you than anybody else!"
"Yeah? Maybe you only did it because I'm the Heroine of Time! Maybe you only did it because you're scared you won't save Zelda without me!"
"Malon, do you hear yourself? Have some sense! I protected y-"
"Sense? First that, now it's about making sense? Are you saying I'm crazy?"
As much as Link loves to answer that… "No, I'm not saying that!"
"What is it about you? Why is it taking so darn long for ya to… to… love me!"
"I'm just not ready, Mal! I can't go into this with fear of…"
"… Fear of what? Fear of what, damn it?"
The knight couldn't answer back, except let himself gain a few breaths. "Answer me, Link!" Malon cries.
He swallows, then replies, "Fear of loving you."
The redhead startles herself at hearing the reason so openly. But it doesn't do much to her anger. "Why is that! Why can't you love me?"
Link almost answers the question, but he somehow can't. No… he wouldn't reply. The answer is something that he cannot let anybody hear, not even his confused lover in front of him.
Malon stops shaking, her eyes and expression showing only one thing: betrayal. "You… You can't… because… because… you… you don't love me…"
Alarmed at the assumption and misunderstanding, Link returns back, "What? No, I…!"
"You… You…" Tears brim her eyes. "After… After all we've been through…" Her heart, one so delicate in a strong body, collapses into a choked state, sending a violent eruption through her body, "you don't love me!"
"Malon, no! I… I…"
"You don't care about me! After all that happened, after all I've done for you, you don't care for me!"
"Mal, I… I-I…"
The water of pain coming from her eyes displays her burst of despair, brokenhearted, and anger. "You don't love me!" she forces out rashly and brokenly. "You don't love me at all!"
"Please, Malon…!" He steps towards her, but she backs away.
"I gave so much of my love to you, and you still don't love me!"
"What? That's not right! Malon, it's not-"
"Shut up! Link, for goddess' sake, go away!"
"M-Malon!"
"I hate you!" she blurts out fully to him. "I hate you, Link!"
There lays a moment of silence before the hero utters, "Wha… What… What…?"
"I… I hate you," she repeats, as hurtfully and sharply as before.
"Malon… you… you hate me…?"
Her voice trembles like never before, full with so much disdain. "I wish… I wish I never met you."
"Malon…"
"I wish you would just die and go away!" she cries. The heroine spins around and darts further into the temple, entering the passageway of the Door of Time.
"Malon!"
"Go away! Go and save your damn princess! Kiss that stupid barmaid! Do the hell whatever you like! Just stay out of my life and leave me alone!" echoes each damaging sentence.
Link stands still, broken from what he just heard. Before, he would have not cared much and yelled the same thing back to her. But now… he has grown so close to her that it's impossible to say he hates his closest one. He quivers, his hands following in this feeling that he experienced from times before. His breath is rapid, his hands like this, so many emotions going through his mind. It hurts so much despite the wall he put up from years before.
A wall he built to keep out the mocking of the Kokiris.
A wall he built to stay away from thoughts concerning about his past.
A wall he built to allow him to become indifferent to love and hate alike.
A wall worn down by Malon.
A wall with a door that Malon made with her love.
Now, a wall shuddering to break by Malon.
He has never felt so close to breaking apart and screaming out his lungs. Many times, he has seen Malon cry, but himself is a rarity, and this is one of those times. Sorrow is such deadly pain to his heart. "Malon… Damn it, I'm sorry…" he whispers to himself. "I… I do love you. If only you could wait for me… I don't love anybody else, not Zelda, not Julie… I love only you… I curse my fear. I curse it for all the pain it caused us, for all it caused you… Malon, please forgive me. Please, by the goddesses… don't say you hate me… Love me again, please…"
"Link…" Navi silently goes up to his face. "Let's go."
"Navi…"
"I apologize for that, but…" The fairy faces the room on the temple's far side, "it's too late to do a thing here… I'm sorry… for all the things you two are going through…"
He inhales, then looks past her into the chamber. There, he watches Malon weeping in such heartbreak she's never had before, kneeling in front of the Pedestal of Time. He tightens as he continues watching her in pain, in emotional pain that both of them never thought would happen. He almost explodes into crying too, but he turns away. He turns away, and runs out of the Temple of Time, leaving behind Malon.