I'm still quite surprised I have 42 chapters.

Meep.

Anyways, I think I'll try and update everyday, or at least every other day, because school's coming up.

(flattens disclaimer with shield)

Lon Lon Ranch

Navi looked around, expecting to see Malon in the middle of the ranch singing to Epona.

Instead, she saw an evil-looking man slapping a horse impatiently.

"Go, you wretch! Lord Ganondorf won't be pleased with such a slow horse! Where is that girl?!!? Malon!!!"

Navi flinched as his scream rang through the ranch.

A red-haired teenager suddenly opened the door and came through, looking exhausted and irritated, holding two buckets of milk.

"What is it, Ingo?"

"Your stupid horse won't listen to me! I want you to tame it so that it'll listen to me!!!"

"She's not an it! And Epona won't listen to you no matter what!!!" the girl cried out defiantly.

"Oh, she will! By the evening! Now! Go! You won't have your supper unless you tame her!"

"Yeah, and I cook it." the girl grumbled. "I say, I'll poison your food one day. I still keep in touch with my fishy friend, Ruto. She'll let me borrow her nasty perfume any day."

The man named Ingo turned a bright red.

"Well...I...I...just go away!"

"Fine with me."

The girl started to walk away when she saw Link and Navi.

"Oh...hi. I suppose you need to speak to Ingo. He's right there. My name is Malon, by the way."

"Who is it??" Ingo screamed, peering at the two. He stomped up and thrust out a hand, meaning to shake Link's.

Link didn't know what to do, so he spit in it.

"Why you little-Malon, greet our rude little guest as I clean up."

Ingo marched away, looking huffy.

Malon was laughing. "Thanks. I needed some relief."

"I'm Link, and this is Navi."

"Malon..." Navi said slowly, "we met you several years ago, remember? We helped wake up your father, and you taught us Epona's Song."

Malon frowned. "Hm...Link and Navi, is it? I think I remember...yeah, green clothes, ugly face, and greasy hair? Yeah, now I remember!"

Link looked hurt. "Yeah."

"What happened to Talon?" Navi asked, looking around, expecting to see the plump man wearing blue overalls.

"Dad? He got kicked out when Ganondorf took over, and Ingo got control of the ranch." Malon answered casually.

"Aren't...aren't you saddened by this??"

"I got over it. Besides, I visit him once a week in Kakariko."

"Well, Link and I...Link??? Link, where are you??"

Navi looked around urgently and found the Kokiri lifting up pots and looking under them.

"What are you doing, Link???"

"I found a blue rupee under one of the jars, see?"

He held out his palm and showed Navi the glittering rupee.

"Oh."

As Link picked up the various pots, Malon looked worried.

"I can't believe he actually found the hiding spots. Ingo spent months planning where to put them."

"Under pots." Navi echoed. "He put them under pots."

"Yeah. He hid some in the hay-"

Link scooted out and rushed into one of the doors of the barn and came out a second later holding several green rupees.

Ingo came out of a door near Malon and grinned.

"Say, you young hoodlum, would you like to go for race? Pick a horse, any horse, and the prize will be ten rupees."

Link's ears perked up at the sound of, "rupees".

"Also, the race will cost eighty rupees."

"Ingo, that isn't fair-" Malon started to complain.

"Hush, you little brat. So, what'll it be?"

"Eighty rupees? No way."

"Seventy?"

"No."

"Sixty?"

"Nah."

"Forty?"

"No."

"Fifty?"

"Sure."

Navi looked in disdain at her partner.

A few minutes later, Link was sitting on a white horse in an awkward position.

"I wouldn't take that horse, you know." Ingo commented dully. "Slowest horse in the ranch."

"Oh. Okay, then."

Link slipped off the horse just as Malon shouted, "No, she's fastest compared to Epona!"

"Quiet!" Ingo hissed as he scurried on top of the horse.

"Get Epona!" Malon screamed.

"Which one is Epona??"

"The one that's snorting like mad, rearing back, and looking ready to charge anybody who tries to get on her!"

It didn't take long for Link to spot the brown horse.

"Are you sure that it's safe??"

"Yes!!!"

Link carefully approached Epona with growing fear.

Epona spotted Link and froze.

Link froze as well.

"Link, play Epona's Song!" Navi shouted.

Link's hand carefully moved to his pouch and his fingers curled over the ocarina.

Navi was ready to blow.

"DON'T PLAY SARIA'S SONG!!! YOU DIMWIT!! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS PLAYING IT?!?!?!?"

Malon looked impressed. "I never knew she had it in her."

"I never grew out of it?" Link guessed, quickly playing Epona's Song.

Epona suddenly snorted and her tail whirled through the air with a pleased look on her face.

"Get on her, now!" Malon yelled.

Link, in his hurry, nearly tripped over Epona as he scurried on top.

Epona's legs buckled as she snorted in pain.

"You really are heavy, you know." Malon said. "Take off some of your load."

Things went flying through the air as Link carelessly threw them out.

Master Sword, Deku Shield, Kokiri Sword, bomb bag, ammo, socks, I LURV SARIA'S SONG t-shirt, and a slingshot whizzed through the air and landed on the ground with a thud.

Epona looked a little bit more relieved, but still seemed to be under a lot of pressure.

"Something is still on you that's really heavy," Malon reasoned.

"Oh...um...." Link turned red and tried to cover his bulging pouch.

Navi glared at his feeble attempt. "It's your rupees, isn't it?"

Link smiled weakly. "Of course not."

Navi flew over to Link and knocked the bag out of his hand with such great force all the rupees spilled out.

"Oops."

Ingo, who had been watching impatiently, pointed to the pile of rupees and gasped.

Link tried to scoop all of the glittering red, blue, green and gold rupees but Ingo hopped off his horse and attempted to claw them away from Link.

A green rupee fell into Ingo's hand.

Link pointed to him with a fiery look in his eyes.

"Nobody steals one of my babies and gets away with it!!!"

Bwang.

All Navi saw was an explosion of gas and Ingo flying through the air and landing in a heap beside his horse.

Link hurried over, collected the worthless rupee, placed it in his rupee pouch and mounted Epona.

"Let's get this race started."

Ingo, however, didn't look in good condition to race.

He groaned and pulled out a pouch containing ten rupees.

"Here..." he moaned. "Take the prize and that horse and leave.."

"Thanks," Link said, picking up the bag. "Oh yeah, and sorry about your...injury. Okay, c'mon Navi, we still gotta go to the graveyard."

As they rode out of the ranch, Navi was still gaping at Link.

"You know, Link, you never cease to amaze me."

"And neither do you."