Author's Notes: I am terribly sorry for how long it's taken me to update. I really have no good excuse other than I'm lazy and I didn't want to update until I was completely in the mood. Better a good, long wait for an excllent chapter than a short wait for a crappy one, right? Anyway, here's the next chapter, so I hope you enjoy! Please review, as well! The flashbacks are in no particular order as well, and I know that some things may still not make sense to you, but I promise it'll all come together in due time!
Chapter III
"How wild the mountains stare as they guard our everyday. Take for granted noble hearts in the golden age that's flown."
--"Of This Land" by Clannad
Malon hummed to herself as she went about her daily chores. It was morning, and the sun was chasing away the departing night, bringing with it a gentle cacophony of sounds and the warmth of the encroaching morning sun. The wind was playing a soothing melody through the long grass that covered most of Lon Lon Ranch, while the birds joined in with their chorus of chirps and tweets. It was on days such as these that Malon thoroughly enjoyed living in such an idyllic little farm, away from the bustling noises of the town and free to appreciate the small things that nature offered every morning.
She swayed as she walked, mirroring the movements of the grass, her hands clutching two large, empty buckets. Living on a farm was not all rest and relaxation, however, and while Talon frequently ignored that fact, Malon had taken it upon herself to help Ingo out every morning. Despite her youth, Malon possessed a passion to help others and her fire-red hair seemed to reflect her inner devotion quite accurately. It was an undeniable fact that Malon was determined to make something of herself, to prove her worth not only to others, but also to herself.
Finally arriving at her destination, which was the barn, Malon set down the buckets she was carrying beside a large cow. She then grabbed a stool and seated herself beside the calm animal. The young girl had formed an attachment to all the animals, unlike Ingo who despised the "smelly and dirty things" as he frequently put it. Life was usually unexciting at the farm, and with no friends to play with, Malon had to entertain herself the best she could...and that constantly meant caring for the horses, cows, and cuccos, her only friends. It was not that people did not want to play with Malon, for she was a lively child, but it was because Lon Lon Ranch was so isolated from the rest of Hyrule, being set in the midst of the vast Hyrule Field, far away from Kakariko Village, and even farther from Castle Town.
However, instead of balking at her plight, Malon accepted being the only child on an isolated ranch, and found lots of ways to have fun. Though, she thought, she would never mind having a friend...someone she could play with, share secrets and stories with, and just have fun with. Until that day arrived, she would keep hoping, waiting, and keeping her spirits high.
"How are you doing this morning, Buttermilk?" Malon asked the placid creature as she pushed the bucket beneath the cow's utters.
The cow replied with an unintelligible moo, and Malon petted it in response.
"I'll take that as a good," she giggled as she began to milk the cow.
Nearby, Ingo scoffed at the girl's sanguine attitude. The ranch-hand and the farm girl did not see eye to eye on many things. This was not because they had differing opinions on most things; it was more that Ingo was a disagreeable fellow who seemed to prefer arguments as opposed to peaceful conversations. He also looked down on Malon because of her age, and that had never sat well with the girl. She might be young, but she considered herself far wiser beyond her years and her father, Talon, agreed with this as well.
Malon didn't bother to glance up and look at the condescending man, continuing to focus on her work, still humming as she did so. She had inherited natural vocal talent from her deceased mother. She didn't know this for fact, only by what her father told her. She was too young to remember her mother well, and the only things she did remember were fragments of different memories mixed together which made it hard for her to distinguish anything about her mother. According to Talon, she was "the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, with eyes as deep as the sea, and hair as bright as fire". From that description, the young girl had painted her mother to be this larger than life figurehead, giving her mother certain attributes that she had thought fitting...and then she strived to be like her in every aspect of life.
Talon was proud of his little girl and Malon knew this for he would tell her so every chance he got. Most times it would be in the middle of an argument with Malon, where she was reprimanding him on his laziness. Any mention of the pride the farm owner felt for his beloved daughter was enough to make Malon blush and forget why she was scolding her lethargic parent in the first place. She had a steadfast relationship with her father, despite their startling differences, and she could not imagine a life without him. Or, at the very least, a life worth living without him. After all, he was the only other person on the farm that Malon could really talk to--excluding Ingo, of course--since while the animals were good listeners, they could scarcely have a real conversation with her.
As soon as she was finished with the milking, Malon took the contents of the now-full buckets and began to pour them into small bottles that would be packaged up and shipped to towns everywhere: Kakariko, Castle Town, Zora's Domain, Ordon, and many others. Lon Lon Ranch was famous for their deliciously healthy milk, and lands all over Hyrule were in constant demand of the liquid, which allowed their small little farm to prosper.
"Malon." Ingo's voice broke her silent reverie. "Take the horses out into the field, will you?"
The girl looked at him with a questioning glance. "I'm busy, Mr. Ingo. Why can't you do it?"
The ranch-hand lifted his head into the air ever so slightly, sniffing once as if the answer was obvious. "It is not my job."
"You were hired to help--"
"On the contrary, Miss Malon," Ingo replied quickly, almost snapping at her. "My job was to make sure things got done around the farm, and that is exactly what I am doing."
Malon sighed. She hadn't finished packaging all the milk, and they were slated to make a delivery to Kakariko today. "But, Mr. Ingo, I--"
The man looked at her with a threatening gaze, and warned, "do not make me speak to Talon about your...laziness."
She furrowed her brows for a moment, her small face wrinkling up in thought, as she focused her azure eyes on the dusty floor. "Okay, Mr. Ingo."
Standing, Malon quickly went over to the opposite side of the elongated barn, opening up one of the side panels to allow the horses into the field and corral. She unlocked the small, wooden gates and began to usher the horses--or rather ponies since they were all still quite young foals save for a few--outside. After a few moments, all of the beautiful creatures were outdoors and enjoying all the wonders the morning had to offer them...all except for one small pony in the back of the stables.
"Epona," Malon chided, approaching the horse slowly. "What are you doing back there? You should be outside with your friends!"
The horse neighed in response, kicking up some dust as it stomped its hooves on the straw-laden floor. Compared to the other horses, Epona stuck out like a sore thumb. Her coat was a rich mahogany colour with a snow-white mane, and she was also the smallest of all the horses. These small differences were enough to make Epona Malon's favourite out of the bunch. Additionally, the foal was easily startled and not easily befriended. In fact, she had taken a great dislike to both Ingo and her father.
"Get that cucco outta here!" Ingo barked. "The thing's kicking up a dust storm in here!" And then he sneezed as if to prove his point.
"Don't talk so loud," she replied in a quieter tone. "You're going to spook her."
"Well, excuse me!" Ingo harrumphed before stalking out of the barn, no doubt to go complain to anyone else who would listen to him.
"There, he's gone," Malon said to Epona as she approached her further. "Ready to come out, now?"
Epona snorted in response.
The ember-haired girl placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, be a good horse and go outside!"
As if in purposeful defiance, the horse turned away from the young girl.
Malon eyed the creature warily. "Fine, stay in here then." She paused before adding, "but then you won't hear your song."
Then she turned her back to Epona, trusting that the remarkably intelligent creature would dislike the thought of being alone in the barn and missing Malon's mother's song, which Epona seemed to love.
Her wager paid off, for no more than a few seconds after she turned her back to the young mare, she felt a gentle nudge on her elbow, and turned to find Epona looking at her with an almost comically apologetic look. Hugging her, she then led the horse outside to join the others. Immediately trying to show off, Epona pranced around the large corral, causing Malon to laugh.
After closing the barn, the girl rushed out onto the field to play with her favourite horse, and her best friend. Epona may not have been human, but she still possessed many characteristics that were very human-like, and Malon loved the horse dearly. Epona was sometimes the only thing that she could talk to, her father rarely understanding her--or willing to really listen, most of the time preferring to take a nap--and Ingo didn't care a lick about anything except for himself. She wasn't sure if the horse understood her or not, but that didn't matter on those lonely days when all Malon wanted and needed was a good friend.
The sun had risen to a good height, and the farm was alive and buzzing with life. The warm air felt good, but it was the combination of the warm air and the steady breeze that caused a delightful contrast across Malon's bare skin. Malon was perfectly content with everything on that farm in that instant. So much so, that she couldn't help opening her mouth and singing a little.
Upon hearing the song, Epona trotted over to Malon, and this seemed to encourage Malon to sing louder. Her voice escalated and descended in a melodic rhythm with the song she was singing, and she swayed with the music as her hair was caught in the wind, billowing out around her face like a silhouette. She felt free...and happy. Every time she sang the song, she felt closer to her mother, and that feeling made her feel as if she belonged. In all honesty, it contented her.
"You have a pretty voice," a voice said suddenly, startling her.
She swung around to see a young blonde-haired boy with funny, green clothes. A small blue orb of light seemed to float around him, buzzing to and fro almost like a bee. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "It's the fairy boy again!"
"I'm sorry if I scared you," he apologized, shuffling his feet for a moment.
She grinned. "No, you just surprised me is all. We don't get many visitors, and I didn't expect to see you again!"
Satisfied that he wasn't interrupting, Link smiled. "I was in the neighborhood."
"How did you like the castle? Did you see the Princess?" The questions seemed to tumble out of Malon's mouth before she could stop them. "I'm sorry! You must be tired from your trip, and I'm attacking you with all these questions! It's awfully silly of me. Hee hee!"
Link watched her with a curious gaze, while Navi fluttered impatiently around him. "No, no, it's fine," he assured her. "The castle was...nice. And the Princess was...uhm, nice."
A giggle escaped Malon's lips. "You met the Princess inside the castle and all you can say was that they were nice?"
"Yes?"
She giggled more loudly.
Link began to grow more nervous, not understanding what was so funny. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the ground, finding it suddenly vastly more entertaining than the silly redheaded girl who continued to laugh at him. Link decided he had to say something, or he was going to go crazy with embarrassment.
"They were...very nice?" Link tried again, thinking the extra adjective might help.
It didn't. "Oh, Fairy Boy, you're so silly!"
The Kokiri boy felt as if it were stifling hot outside, as his cheeks began to heat up, unbidden. Perhaps this girl just possessed an eclectic sense of humour, one he could not--nor wanted to--understand.
Malon watched Link's facial expressions, and noticed almost instantly that she'd embarrassed him. Ashamed at her behaviour, she bit her lip and looked away. She wasn't used to having company, and she really hadn't meant to offend her newfound friend. Maybe this was the Goddesses' way of saying that she was meant to be alone? Perhaps this conversation was just further proof that she didn't belong with anyone except her animals, which were beginning to look more and more like her only friends.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking at the floor. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."
Her quiet, almost reverent tone caused Link to look at her. Suddenly, he felt as if he were in the wrong again. This girl was making him feel right, wrong, and everything in between...and he was both flustered and curious about it.
Link gave her a friendly smile. "Hey, no harm done."
Malon looked back up, her radiant blue eyes sparkling with a hope that Link didn't understand. "Really?"
"Sure!"
Her smile seemed to sparkle like the nighttime stars. "Oh, good." Relief was evident in her voice and composure as she relaxed.
Suddenly, both their attentions were drawn away from one another to an ember-coated horse out in the pasture that neighed loudly, as if to garner their attention. Malon realized then that Epona didn't want to be left out, but was too nervous to approach them, especially since she'd never seen or met Link before.
"Oh yeah! I have to introduce you to my friend, Fairy Boy," Malon told him, albeit a bit excitedly. "She's this horse, and her name's Epona."
At the sound of her name, the timid creature slowly made its way to Malon's side where Malon could pet her reassuringly. "Isn't she cute?" she asked Link.
Link eyed the creature suspiciously. He wasn't overly fond of horses, especially after his reoccurring nightmare of being nearly trampled by a dark one with an even shadier rider.
Forcing a smile, he replied, "uh, yeah. Cute."
The red-haired girl raised a slender ember eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're afraid of horses!"
"Of course not!" Link defended indignantly. Attempting to prove his words true, he approached Epona to stroke her thick mane, but the young filly withdrew from both him and Malon, neighing almost violently...which startled Link almost to the point where he drew his blade.
"It seems Epona is afraid of you, Fairy Boy," Malon giggled, looking at the frightened horse and then to the nervous boy. "And I think you're just as afraid of her."
"Am not!" cried the Kokiri boy.
"Yes, you are!" Malon accused, still giggling. "But don't worry, Link, Epona's friendly...she's just wary of strangers."
"Oh."
"So, you can let go of your sword."
Link hadn't realized he was holding the hilt of his blade until she mentioned it, and then he quickly let his hand drop to his side, feeling his cheeks heat up once more. He chuckled nervously to throw off some of the tension in the air. Malon seemed all the more amused though, but he still wasn't completely sure why. This girl was strange, indeed.
"Before, you were singing," Link said abruptly, trying to change the topic. "What song was that?"
Malon was all too happy to answer. "It was a song that my mother used to sing to me."
"It's very...nice." Link realized then that he did not have a very creative mind.
"Thank you," she replied. "Would you like to learn it?"
Link didn't know it, but Malon was taking a chance asking him if he wanted to learn her most beloved song. That song had magical properties, she was sure, and it was a part of who she was. In a sense, she was opening herself up to him, becoming vulnerable. She knew she shouldn't be so forward, but it was in her nature...she'd never been good at hiding things, especially feelings. She didn't doubt that she inherited that from both her parents.
"I'd love to, but..." Link began to writhe his hands together, before noticing what he was doing...and once he did notice, he shoved them into his pockets. "I can't sing."
Malon smirked. "That's okay, I--"
"Wait," Link interrupted, feeling his hand brush against something smooth in his pocket. He realized what it was and brought it out to show Malon.
"Oh, cute ocarina!" She grinned.
This time, he smiled too, finally feeling as if he'd done something right. "Will this work?"
"Mhm! Just follow my lead, okay?"
Link nodded in agreement.
Malon opened her mouth then, allowing the music that resided deep in her soul echo outwards until it manifested itself into physical sound, producing a beautiful sound that surprised Link at first. For someone so young, Malon had a voice that he thought best belonged to an angel or a Goddess. He placed his mouth on the ocarina and began to imitate her elaborate song, catching on quickly to the subtleties of it. Soon, they were in perfect harmony with one another, and the music that was produced was unlike any that Malon had ever heard.
In simplest terms, it was beautiful.
After a few moments, they stopped, and it was silent for a moment before Epona let out a soft whinny and bravely galloped over to Link, nudging him lovingly. At first, this startled Link but then he realized the horse was not a threat, and he petted it in return, his tension slowly melting away.
"She's grown fond of you, Fairy Boy," commented Malon.
Link seemed pleased with himself as his blue eyes found hers and he smiled.
It was then that Malon realized her prayers for a friend had been answered.
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The sounds of fighting echoed across Hyrule Field until startling Malon out of her restless slumber. Immediately she gasped, as if taking her very first breath. She felt lighter, as if a heavy weight had been removed from her shoulders, and it felt as if she were truly alive once more. She leapt out of bed and ran over to the windows, throwing the curtains open. To her great surprise and pleasure, sunlight flooded inside her small room.
Malon shielded her eyes against the rays, but allowed them to wash across her body, as if cleansing her of the tainted twilight that had seemingly disappeared from the sky. Her gaze traveled across the ranch, noticing how everything seemed to come alive and return to how it once was. A symphony of animal sounds reached her ears, and Lon Lon Ranch seemed to awaken from the sleep that had been forced upon it. Looking farther, her eyes traveled across the field outside of the ranch, and she noticed the evil glow of twilight pervading the Castle as well as the Eldin province to the East. It seemed that only the Faron and Ordona provinces were free of the disturbing twilight.
A gruesome howl suddenly shattered the silence, and Malon nearly cringed at the pain in it. With the departure of the twilight, Malon's strength of mind seemed to be renewed and before she knew it, she was heading towards the stable. As soon as she entered, sounds that she had not heard for too long reached her ears and it almost brought tears to her eyes. The cows were mooing, the cuccos squawking, and the horses were neighing with passion. The cacophony of sounds brought back pleasant memories for Malon and hope seemed to continue clinging on within her heart. Perhaps this was the first step into a better world, a world without fear and menacing twilight.
She quickly unlocked the low, wooden gate that Epona was behind, and touched the creature gently. She bowed her long head, snorting Malon away, but Malon wasn't about to be dissuaded. Out of all the animals, Epona seemed to be the most withdrawn, and she couldn't help but wonder if the horse blamed herself for losing Link. Epona's love for her previous rider was well known--in fact, Epona trusted Link almost as much as she did Malon which was surprising for such a distrustful horse--and Malon didn't doubt that Epona felt some of the blame and shame of Link's death...for Link had to be dead if this dreadful twilight was allowed to exist. Malon knew her friend, and Link would not allow this atrocity to take place unless he was gone.
"Epona, please," Malon began, approaching the hardheaded animal again. "I need your help."
There was no reply, as Epona seemed to simply gaze at her.
Malon rested her hand on the animal's snout. "I miss him as much as you, but he wouldn't want us to just waste away, would he?"
Epona raised her head hesitantly as if in recluctant agreement.
"That's better."
She then proceeded to saddle the creature, and then mounted her. Malon grabbed a pitchfork in case she needed to defend herself and Epona, and then they galloped off outside of the safety of Lon Lon Ranch into the dangerous open fields of Hyrule.
It did not take the horse and its rider long to come across the battle that had been taking place that morning. The grass was severed indiscriminately, while the shrieks of creatures that Malon could not place echoed through the chilly air. They were closer to Kakariko village now, and the air already seemed different, heavier. It did not take more than a few moments for her to recognize what was taking place.
Before her were several flying creatures that looked like giant, bony birds. And on the ground was a wolf with dark fur and strange grayish markings with the bluest eyes that Malon had ever seen an animal possess. The wolf was fighting viciously with the birds, but it was outnumbered and disadvantaged for it could not reach its attackers whom hovered just above the ground and out of reach of the canine's nasty bite. The animal's breathing was irregular, Malon noticed, and it seemed to be tiring quickly...but it refused to give up. Upon closer inspection of the battlefield, she also noticed several disfigured creatures that looked almost borderline humanoid laying, dead, in the dry grass...no doubt having been previously dispatched by the wolf.
Malon clicked her tongue, ushering Epona closer to the action. The wolf was too busy trying to fend off the bird-like creatures, or Kargaroks, as they were known as in legend, to notice the woman on the horse. However, one of the Kargaroks noticed Malon and immediately alerted its brethren to her presence, and they immediately streaked towards her, letting out loud cackling sounds. It startled Epona but she held her ground upon Malon's insistence.
With the Kargaroks distracted, the wolf was able to take a moment to catch its breath. It was then it seemed to notice the red-haired woman upon the ember-coloured horse, pitchfork in her hand as she thrust and struck at the attacking Kargaroks. With the creatures' backs to the wolf, the wolf took the opportune moment to deliver several deadly jump attacks, landing on one of the backs of a flying creature and digging its claws in to hold on. Malon continued to swat at the other two while the wolf sank its fangs into the weak flesh of the creature repeatedly. With the added weight of the wolf, the creature sank to the ground before disappearing in a flash of black that soared into the sky.
Malon let out a garbled scream as the Kargaroks she'd been fighting lunged at her, one knocking her off of Epona onto the cold, hard ground. Her head slammed against the muddied grass, but she managed to retain consciousness as she stood, her makeshift weapon still in her hand. She thrust it, propelling the weapon through one of the creatures with all her body weight, until it mimicked the departure of the first creature. Now, the odds were evened out.
Instead of attacking Malon, the wolf seemed almost intent on protecting her. Malon could only assume that she'd earned the creature's loyalty--or, at the very least, help--by coming to its rescue. The fiery woman ran towards the last Kargarok, intent on skewing it like its previous companion, but it turned abruptly, knocking its large wings into her arm, causing her pitchfork to go flying. Malon stared in horror at the thing as it came towards her...and she was now defenseless.
Suddenly, the wolf let out an intimidating bark and leapt onto the back of the creature, pinning it to the ground. The wolf's blue eyes looked almost pleadingly to Malon and she rushed towards her fallen weapon, grabbing it up and then thrusting it down into the head of the bony bird, sending it along to meet its brethren and maker.
Then she collapsed to the ground, quite weary. It had been a long time since Malon had been forced to exert herself. Her daily chores had always seemed like a burden, but they had been nothing compared to this fight. She suddenly remembered the wolf, and glanced over at it suspiciously, wondering if it would turn on her now that the threat against it was gone, and she was weak.
However, it did no such thing, collapsing to the ground as well and closing its eyes. After a few moments to catch her breath, Malon stood and bravely ventured over to her battered companion. It was obvious to her that the wolf was wounded terribly by several deep gouges on its neck and forelegs. She could only surmise that it'd been ambushed with little time to react to the onslaught of attacks it was forced to deal with. Slowly and carefully, she leaned next to it, touching it delicately to show that she was no threat. It responded by opening its eyes and looking at her with a pitiful expression.
Malon ran her hand over the smooth coat of the creature reassuringly. "You're safe now," she told it in a quiet voice.
It rested its head on the ground, growling lowly.
The farm girl whistled for Epona, and the horse trotted over warily, looking at the wolf with mild interest. "I'm going to help you, okay?" Malon told it. "So, don't get any ideas about biting me."
The wolf seemed to snort at that, and then looked at her, raising a nonexistent brow at her. For a moment, Malon was reminded of Link...but then shook her head to rid her thoughts of her lost friend. Link was gone, and thinking about him only caused her a deep ache inside, and she wouldn't be able to continue living if she kept dwelling on the past.
It was difficult, but Malon managed to lift the wolf onto the back of Epona--much to the horse's disapproval--and then mounted the already-laden animal, petting the wolf who had already slipped into unconsciousness behind her. She had saved the animal's life, and likewise, it had saved hers. She believed that it deserved some help, mainly because it would die in the wild otherwise, too weak to fight any further. Such a magnificent animal did not deserve such an untimely death.
"All right, Epona," Malon breathed. "Let's go home."
A/N: Please review as reviews are like the bread and water for authors! Without them, we can't survive!
