It had been almost two years since Link moved to Lon Lon Ranch. His twelfth birthday came and went. Working on the ranch was hard and tiring, but he loved every day of it. Talon was skeptical of him at first, but Link proved himself to be a dependable and honest kid. He never shrugged off his work and always did what he was told.

Link also learned a lot more about Talon, like how perceptive the old farmer really was. Link knew that Talon wasn't fooled by his obvious lie about his past, but the old man never questioned him. He really was a kind man, even though he was pretty lazy.

Link had also gotten pretty close with Malon over that time. The two of them would often stay up late in Malon's room while Talon was asleep. Malon would tell funny stories from the farm, or Link would tell her about all the fascinating places he traveled to. Sometimes, they would just sit in silence without saying or doing anything at all. His friendship with Malon was much different than any other friendship he had before. They were so comfortable and open with each other, always saying exactly what was on their mind.

The one thing that Link always kept secret was his past. Unlike her dad, Malon wouldn't let the subject go. Every time Kokiri Forest was brought up, she would always ask him why he left. He always dodged the question or changed the subject.

Despite his mysterious past, Malon was getting to know Link very well, too. She noticed that he would become very sad sometimes. With no reason at all, he would suddenly go quiet and stare off into space. His eyes seemed distant and far away. She never understood that about him. What could have happened to a twelve year-old to make him look so haunted? She hoped he would tell her one day.

One afternoon, the three of them went on a trip to Castle Town. Talon went off to make some deliveries while Link and Malon went shopping. While they were walking, they spotted a large crowd gathering in the square.

"I wonder what's going on over there." Malon shaded her eyes against the sun to get a better look.

"Let's go check it out."

The kids abandoned their shopping to investigate. They made their way towards the gathering to see what was going on. In the middle of the square, several performers were acting out a scene.

"It's a play!" Malon clapped her hands together in delight. "Can we stay and watch it?"

"Your dad told us not to dilly-dally."

"Oh come on! You know he takes forever and a half to get those deliveries done. Can't we watch just for a little while?"

Then she brought out her secret weapon. She used the 'super-sad puppy dog' face on him. "Pleaaaase?"

"Okay fine. Just for a little while." Link threw up his hands in surrender.

Even though they arrived late, it wasn't hard to figure out what the play was about. The play was about a young boy who hated being treated unfairly by adults. One night, he wished on a shooting star to make him grow up quickly. A fairy came down from the stars to grant his wish, saying that the spell would end after one week.

The boy awoke the next morning to find that he was not the only thing that had been turned forwards in time. The entire world was placed many years into the future. At first, he was excited to finally be a man living out on his own. But by the time the fifth day came, he began to miss his family and his carefree days as a child. When the fairy returned the world to it's natural time, the boy was grateful to her for showing him how special his childhood was.

"Thanks, wise fairy. I'll never forget what you've taught me." he turned to the audience and said, "Your childhood is special and irreplaceable. You must make sure not to waste it."

When the actors bowed, everyone clapped and cheered. Malon turned around to say something to Link, but found that he was gone. Where could he have run off to? Why would he leave without telling her? She started to look around the area for him.

She didn't have to look for too long, though. Even when he was trying to hide, it was pretty hard to go unnoticed in that green outfit of his. She spotted him in a dark little alley, sitting on the ground with his back to the street. What was he doing over there?

"Link, there you are! You had me worried sick. What are you doing here?"

There was no answer. When she got a little closer, she was able to make him out through the dim light. His face was buried in his hands and his shoulders were shaking. He was crying.

"Link? What's the matter?"

When he heard her voice, he froze. He quickly wiped the tears out of his eyes and replied, "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Link, why don't you ever talk to me when you're sad? You know that you can trust me, don't you?"

"I know that. It's just...I'm not ready to talk about it yet. I promise I'll tell you one day, just not yet."

"Well, when you are ready, I'll be here."

Honestly, she was disappointed that he still wouldn't tell her anything. But he had promised to tell her one day. Until he was ready to share his secrets, she would just have to wait. The only thing she could do in that moment was pull him into a hug and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

Sorry, I know the pacing in this part of the story is very wonky. It's been a while since I wrote anything, so please bear with me. I hope you liked this chapter, if you did please leave a review. Have a nice day! :)