Link walked around for a little while, unsure of where he wanted to go. He thought about his options as he walked through the field. Hyrule Castle Town was a good place to make some money, but he hated how noisy it was. Not to mention all the creeps and criminals hanging around. He decided not to go there after all. So then where could he go?

Just then, he heard a very familiar sound. It was the whinny of a young horse, and not just any horse. It was his horse, Epona. Well technically she wouldn't be his horse for another seven years, but whatever. He looked up to see the gate of Lon Lon Ranch.

Of course! That's where he could go! No matter what time he was in, Malon and Talon always welcomed him into their home. They always gave him a place to stay when he had nowhere else to go. Malon even treated his injuries once after a battle. But in this timeline, none of that happened yet. In this timeline, he had only met them a handful of times. He hoped those times would be enough.

He walked through the open gate and onto the property. Sure enough, he saw Malon with Epona out in the clearing. It was strange seeing them both so young again. It felt like a lifetime ago when he first stepped through these gates as a child.

It took Malon a few minutes to notice him, but once she did, her face broke out into a wide smile.

"Hey there, fairy boy!" she called out happily.

He approached her with a smile of his own. "Hi Malon. How are you?"

"I'm great! Say, where's that fairy friend of yours?"

"She decided to stay in the forest."

"Why's that? Did you two get into a fight or something?"

"No." he looked down at the ground.

"If you say so." she shrugged.

Link walked over to Epona.

"Be careful around her, she's kinda skittish." Malon warned.

The boy held out his hand to the filly. At first, the horse backed away in fear. But after a moment, she got curious. Very slowly, she lifted her muzzle towards his hand.

"That's right, it's okay. It's only me, girl." His voice was soft and gentle.

After a little coaxing, Epona walked right up to him and let him pat her. "Good girl, Epona. You're a very good girl."

Malon practically jumped for joy. "Wow, she really likes you! You have a way with animals, did you know that? Hey, do you remember Epona's song that I taught you?"

"Of course I do."

"Prove it."

He took his ocarina out of his pocket and began to play. No matter what timeline he was in, he would never forget this song. Out of every song he knew, this one never failed to make him happy. He had played it many nights during his adventure to soothe his spirit. Whenever he played it, he always thought of clear bright skies and Malon's sweet smile. When he finished playing, Malon clapped vigorously.

"You really do remember! That makes me so happy! You're the only person I've ever shared this song with."

"Really? Not even your dad?"

Malon shook her head.

"Why?" Link already knew the answer, but had to pretend otherwise.

She tilted her head and kicked at some pebbles. "Mama was the one who taught it to me. We used to sing it together when I was little. After she died, the song was the only thing I had left from her. Talking about Mama still makes Dad cry, so I never played him the song."

"I'm sorry about your mom. That's really sad."

"Thanks."

There was a small somber pause between them. Link started to wonder if he had said something wrong. But then, Malon perked up again.

"So, what are you doing all the way out here?"

"I wanted to ask your dad something. Is he around here somewhere?"

"He's probably fallen asleep again. Let's go look for him."

Before he could protest, Malon grabbed his wrist and led him towards the house, skipping happily all the way. Sure enough, they found Talon slumped over in a pile of hay snoring loudly.

"Let me see that ocarina of yours." she whispered.

Link pulled the instrument out of his pocket and handed it to her. She winked deviously at him before leaning over her father's head. She took a deep breath, then blew into the instrument as hard as she could. It made a horrible screeching sound that made Link cringe.

Talon jumped so high he nearly flew. "Ah! Who- wha- huh?" He shook the sleep out of his head and looked around. "Malon, why in tarnation did ya do that? Are you trying to give your old man a heart attack?"

Malon giggled. "Sorry, Dad."

Talon noticed Link just then. "Oh, hey there, forest kid. How've ya been?"

"I've been okay, sir."

The farmer waved a dismissive hand in the air. "No need for all that 'sir' nonsense. Ya can just call me Talon. So what can we do for ya?"

Link shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't actually given himself enough time to think about what he wanted to say. What if Talon didn't let him stay, or wanted to know why he left the forest?

"Well, I uh…I was wondering if you needed any extra help around the ranch? I finished what I was doing in Castle Town and uh...I'm not living in the forest anymore." Please don't ask why!

Both of them looked surprised. Talon glanced at his daughter, who shrugged in bewilderment. Talon studied Link for a long moment. The silence and suspense were making Link's stomach turn.

"Ya wanna live here and be a ranch hand? Why would an adventurin' kid like yerself wanna live out in the middle of' nowhere?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Ya ain't in any trouble with the law, are ya boy?"

"No! It's nothing like that." Link was seriously starting to rethink his approach. "I just really like Epona and other animals, too. And I uh...I want to learn how to take care of them." If the hero had one weakness, it was his poor ability to lie.

Talon stared at him for a little while longer. Link flinched under the farmer's measuring gaze. Then, Talon's expression softened.

"Well, as long as ya ain't runnin' from the law or somethin' I guess it's none of my business. We could always use an extra set of hands around here."

Malon squealed. "Yay, fairy boy's gonna live with us! Oh, we're gonna have so much fun together Link!" The girl pulled him into a big hug.

Talon chuckled. "Right then, Link. Go help Malon clean out the stables. Both of ya make sure to be back inside for dinner. Then Malon can show ya to the guest room. And don't be gettin' into no trouble!" He called after them, but they had already run off.

"This is so EXCITING!" Malon yelled. "This is the greatest thing that's EVER HAPPENED!"

"You really think it's okay that I stay here?"

"Sure! Even if Dad said no, I would've given him my biggest, saddest puppy dog eyes until he said yes. You need somewhere to live, and you came here. It wouldn't be right to turn you away."

Link couldn't help but smile. "You're a really nice person, you know that?"

"I know." she said simply. "Come on, let's get that stable done before it gets too late."

Hand in hand, the two children headed towards the stable together.

These two are such friendship goals. This chapter is really sweet and I kept smiling the whole time I was writing it. Link finally found a place to belong, yay!