It's finally out! After journeying across the schorching deserts of the Sahara, battling a tribe of warrior women in the Amazon, and wrestling a giant cave bear in Russia, I've finally uploaded the epilogue!
Okay, okay. I only did one of the things I listed up above and it sure doesn't involve any cave bears.
Anyways, I think it's safe to warn you that this chapter is going to jump around like a kangaroo on caffeine. Also, this chapter is extremely morbid and has no humor in it at all. And if you believed that last statement, then I'm actually a rogue super-computer who's brainwashing all of you into becoming my loyal servants who will take over the world for me. Mwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Ahem. Getting back to the point, this chapter isn't exactly my best piece of work but it gets the job done. I promise the sequel is going to be a lot funnier than this chapter so don't worry about me turning this into a terrible story where some stupid snake man resurrects every dead character in the entire series. You know what I'm talking about Kishimoto!
Getting back on track (again (which is actually a great song by Yui)) the sequel is well on its way. I've finished the synopsis and I'm currently working on the prologue. I'm not saying when it's coming out (seeing as how I'll probably never make it on time anyways) but just know that it'll be out sometime within the next two months. I'll post a notification chapter in this story when I publish the sequel so you can all know exactly when it comes out. Get ready for a war scene the likes of which you've never imagined! In fact, the only way you could've imagined such a thing is if you got hit on the head by a giant leek wielded by a talking walrus.
Okay, I think I scared off enough of my readers now. Now enjoy the final chapter to a story that took far too long to finish. Behold, the end of a delivery and the beginning of a legend!
"Eternal peace is merely an illusion. All we can do is cherish the time we have and prepare for the battles that lie ahead of us."
– Arc
Malon's Epic Cow Delivery
Epilogue: Advent Children
As the sun slowly rose over LonLon Ranch, a lone Cucco began crowing to signal the start of yet another dull and monotonous day for Malon. At least, that was what she was prepared to face as she slowly sat up from her bed with a yawn. With a tired look on her face, Malon blearily looked out of her window to take a look at the ranch. Not much to her surprise, there was nothing new to greet her.
Seven long years had passed since Link had defeated Ganondorf. During this time, Hyrule had changed dramatically as the people worked hard to restore the kingdom to its former glory and prosperity. Under the wise leadership of Zelda, the recently crowned Queen of Hyrule, the kingdom was well on its way in achieving this dream. Numerous towns were rebuilt, new trade routes were established, free healthcare was provided, the economy was restored (despite the ongoing existence of the rupee-grass virus), and advances in technology helped farmers grow and harvest more crops than ever before. To an outsider, the current Hyrule would've been almost unrecognizable from the shambles it had been in seven years ago.
And yet, despite all the changes going on around it, LonLon Ranch looked the same as ever. The same walls, the same buildings… even the small tree next to the corrals looked exactly like it had seven years ago. At a glance, the only noticeable differences would've been the new farm tools and animals that occupied the ranch.
However, if one took a closer look at the ranch, they would've seen that this was hardly the case. Even though LonLon Ranch looked the same on the outside, the overall atmosphere around it had drastically changed. The lively and cheerful air that had always surrounded the ranch seven years ago was no longer there. Instead, it felt as if a dark cloud had settled over the ranch, replacing the old livelihood with a feeling of melancholy and despair. It was as if all the happiness and joy had been sucked right out of the place. In fact, some of the villagers even began spreading rumors about the ranch being infested by a swarm of Dementors. As a result, a group of local wizards secretly snuck into the ranch one night and began casting Patronus charms all over the place. Unfortunately, the only thing they accomplished by doing that was waking up an irate demi-goddess from her sleep. No one ever saw the wizards again but a traveling merchant reported seeing Malon sweeping up a large pile of ash the next day. Needless to say, no one ever snuck into the ranch again.
Anyhow, the real reason for the ranch's gloominess lay with its new owner. Ever since she had inherited the establishment from her father four years ago, Malon had been sinking ever deeper into a pit of depression. Everyone who visited could tell that something was bothering her as she carried out her ranch duties with a heavy heart. She still tried to keep a cheerful image in front of the public but it was quite clear that her smiles were forced. Of course, no one could fully understand why she was so depressed. To them, she was a beautiful young lady who owned the most prestigious ranch in all of Hyrule. She was kind-hearted, rich, and well-liked by almost everyone she met. It seemed strange how anyone in her position could possibly be unhappy.
Whatever the reason was, it was quite clear that no one was going to figure out anytime soon. Ever since her friend Anju had moved away to a foreign country to continue her "research", Malon had isolated herself inside the ranch. Nowadays, she only stepped outside to make her daily deliveries to Castle Town. Aside from that, it was practically impossible to see her beyond the ranch's walls.
With another tired yawn, Malon finally got out of her bed and looked at her to-do list that was pinned on the wall next to her. With a start, she realized that she was supposed to make another delivery to Castle Town that day. Malon thought for sure that the delivery was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, but then again, the days were so uneventful that they began to get mixed up together in her mind. If it wasn't for her to-do list, it would've been almost impossible for Malon to keep track of her delivery dates seeing as how every day was just like the other.
Realizing that she would have to speed things up to make the delivery on time, Malon briefly focused her energy before snapping her fingers. In a flash, Malon's pajamas were instantly replaced with her work clothes. Even though she was now in her mid-twenties, Malon's sense of fashion hadn't changed one bit. She still wore a white blouse, purple skirt, and a pair of brown boots. The only difference was that she no longer wore a scarf around her neck. Other than that, her clothes looked almost identical to the ones she wore seven years ago.
After making sure that her clothes were on straight, Malon reached into her pocket to pull out a pin to tie up her hair. With so much work to do around the ranch, Malon had soon realized that she no longer had the luxury to manage her hair and keep it down like she did before. As such, she had taken to pinning her hair up while working.
As Malon silently tied up her hair, she began going through all the things she had to do after the delivery. The new milk bottles had to be labeled, the horses needed to be groomed, the mole-men had to be chased out of the barn again, and the broken fence had to be fixed. With a sigh, Malon realized that she had another long day ahead of her.
Just as Malon finished tying up her hair, the hairpin that she was holding suddenly snapped in two. Malon let her hair fall back down as she lowered her hand to stare at the broken pin with a disbelieving look. She had just bought the hairpin after her last delivery to Castle Town so it confused her as to why it would suddenly break. Castle Town goods weren't exactly the best but they definitely should have lasted for longer than a mere week. Before she could ponder about this any further, the Cucco crowed once more as if to remind her that she still had a delivery to make. With an annoyed sigh, Malon threw away the now-worthless pin into the wastebasket before walking over to her drawer to get out a spare.
As Malon opened up the drawer, she realized that she hadn't bothered to organize its contents for quite a long time. Various little trinkets littered the inside of the drawer as if they had all been carelessly thrown in there and then forgotten. As Malon began digging around the mass of her belongings, numerous little mementos and keepsakes from her past caught her eye. There was the wrapper from her first candy bar, the remains of the notepad that she had accidentally set on fire as a kid, the Gameboy Color that Nayru had secretly given to her during one of her visits, the old doll that she used to play with, the Elder Scrolls that Farore had brought back as a souvenir from her "vacation" in Skyrim, and also the strange, rainbow colored feather that she had found several years ago. However, none of these things seemed to have much effect on Malon as she simply shoved them aside to find her hairpin. After a few more seconds of searching, she finally managed to find the pin lying near the corner of the drawer. As she reached out to pick it up, however, her hand brushed up against the two objects that lay in the corner. Malon's face immediately darkened as her eyes fell on her mother's pendant and the necklace that Link had once given her. Without a word, she quickly pulled out the hairpin before slamming the drawer shut. Malon stormed out of her room after this, leaving only a lingering feeling of anger and grief behind.
xxx
With another tired sigh, Malon looked over her wagon to make sure everything was accounted for. After seeing that everything was set for her trip to Castle Town, she went back inside to the kitchen to pack something to eat. After grabbing a small bag of trail mix along with a bottle of milk, she went into the living room to check her hair once more using the mirror there. After making sure her hair was pinned up properly, she headed out to tell her dad that she was leaving.
The sun was already fully up by the time Malon made it to Talon's usual resting place next to their house. Trying her hardest to smile, Malon walked over to where her dad was and knelt down so he could hear her.
"I'll be back soon, dad," Malon said in a quiet voice. "I'm just going out for a couple of hours to make my usual delivery so don't worry about me. Keep watch over the ranch while I'm gone, okay?"
With that, Malon stood up and gave one final glance at her father's grave.
xxx
It had already been four years since Talon had died from a sudden illness but Malon still couldn't accept the fact that he had died. The loss of her father seemed to gnaw away at her each and every day as she single-handedly took care of the ranch. This in itself would've been enough to crush her but there was something else that pained her even more. During Talon's final days, he had wished that he could see Din one last time before he passed on. Hearing this, Malon had gained a spark of hope that her mother would miraculously appear and make everything better. After all, Malon thought, if Din really did care for her family then she would definitely come down to help during such a desperate time. In the end, however, Din did not appear and Malon was left alone to grieve for her dead father.
Several months later, Malon was suddenly faced with the daunting task of running the ranch all by herself. During one of his trips to Castle Town, Ingo managed to land a job as the manager for a group of traveling performers. A few days later, he wordlessly ran off with his new troupe to pursue his new career goal. As a result, Malon was left all alone at the ranch with only the animals to keep her company. For a few weeks, Malon had tried hiring people to work at the ranch but most of them turned out to be terribly inefficient. The few decent workers that Malon came across either quit after a short time or were eaten by the mole people. With more and more work piling up around her, Malon was eventually faced with the choice of either having to sell the ranch or somehow figuring out a way to run the entire place by herself. After a long and uncertain period of time, Malon finally managed to come up with an answer. Even though she hated the thought of using anything that reminded her of her mother, Malon decided that the only way she could manage the ranch was by utilizing her supernatural powers. With this conviction, Malon had begun searching every bookstore in Hyrule for a usable guide on how to use magic.
Unfortunately, finding a beginner's guide to magic turned out to be a harder task than Malon had originally anticipated. The only spell books that she managed to find were all devoted to high-level sorcery such as creating a Philosopher's Stone or turning people into gummy bears. Even after searching the very outskirts of Hyrule, Malon failed to find a single book that taught the basics of magic.
Just when Malon had given up hope, however, she happened to chance upon an old, run-down bookstore while making her weekly deliveries to Castle Town. As it so happened, Malon would probably not have even known about the store's existence if she had not taken a detour through one of the side-alleyways to avoid the construction work on the main road. Normally, Malon would not have gone into such a shady-looking building but the thought of losing the ranch eventually overcame her worries as she entered the antique bookstore.
The first thing Malon noticed when she entered the shop was how dirty the place looked. Everything from the small number of bookshelves to the empty counter was covered by a thick layer of dust. In fact, if it wasn't for the fresh cup of coffee sitting on the counter, Malon might have believed that the place was abandoned. Just when Malon changed her mind and tried to leave the place, her eyes were drawn to a black-and-yellow book lying next to the coffee mug. As she leaned over to inspect what it was, Malon saw with quite a bit of surprise that the book was titled: Magic for Dummies. After hesitantly picking it up and looking through it, Malon realized that this was the book she had been looking for. Unfortunately, with the store owner missing, Malon was forced to wait around in the hopes that he or she would come back within a few minutes. After waiting almost half an hour though, Malon decided to just leave a hundred rupees on the counter in payment for the book before leaving.
For the rest of the year, Malon spent her time studying the book and practicing her magical skills to accomplish her chores. In the end, all of her hard work paid off as she was able to single-handedly accomplish the work of ten people by using her powers. With just a snap of her fingers, Malon was able to clean the barn, feed the animals, gather the eggs, do the laundry, cook a meal, and even build a new set of chairs for the living room, all at the same time. With all of her work taken care of in less than a minute, Malon found that she had a surprising amount of free time in her hands.
Unfortunately, this soon lead to another problem. Without any work to distract her, Malon found herself thinking of matters that she rather would've forgotten about. Aside from her mother and father, the thing that bothered her the most were the memories of her old friends.
Just like she had promised, Malon had gone to Kokiri Forest to visit Yuna after only a month since their adventure had ended. Much to her surprise, however, she had found a different cow waiting for her at Link's house. After asking one of the Kokiri, Malon learned that Yuna had apparently disappeared one day and was mysteriously replaced by the cow that was currently in the tree house. With no clue as to where Yuna had disappeared, Malon was forced to go back home with the terrible feeling of being abandoned by one of her closest friends.
Things only got worse for Malon from there. For over three years, Malon patiently waited for Link to fulfill his promise to return. However, after losing her father and single-handedly running the ranch for several months, Malon finally came to the conclusion that Link had abandoned her as well. It pained her greatly to think this way but if he hadn't bothered to appear after five years, it was unlikely that he would ever appear at all. Feeling betrayed by Link for not keeping his promise to her, Malon had angrily thrown away the necklace he had given her into Hyrule Field. Strangely enough though, she found the necklace lying on her nightstand the next day. Undeterred by this, Malon tried to dispose of it once again by throwing it in the general direction of Death Mountain. Much to her surprise and frustration, however, the necklace was back in her room the following morning. After a few more unsuccessful efforts to get rid of it, Malon eventually settled on shoving away the necklace into her drawer along with her mother's pendant which she had previously locked away as well.
With all of these thoughts troubling her, Malon had settled on doing some of her work manually to distract herself. Even though she felt more tired from having to use magic as well as doing physical work, Malon felt a lot better from not having to deal with her troubled past. For the next three years, Malon simply spent her days running the ranch as well as continuing to practice using her powers. As time went on, life began to turn into a routine schedule for Malon as every day began to pass just like the last one with nothing interesting to separate them from each other. It was in this stale existence that Malon found herself living in today.
xxx
"Excuse me. Would you happen to be Ms. Malon by any chance?"
Malon was roused from her thoughts as she slowly turned around from her father's grave to see who had asked her the question. What she found was a young man with a shrewd looking face and oily black hair dressed up in an expensive looking suit. The thing that really caught Malon's attention though was the fact that he was carrying a bouquet of flowers with him. With a twinge of annoyance, Malon immediately knew that he was another suitor who wished to ask for her hand in marriage.
Ever since news had gotten out that Talon had died, a mass of suitors had swarmed towards the ranch in an effort to marry Malon. Of course, it was apparently clear what their real intentions were as soon as they set foot on the ranch. To them, the death of Talon simply meant an opportunity to gain possession of the most prestigious ranch in all of Hyrule as well as getting a pretty trophy wife to go along with it. The greedy looks on their faces as they strutted through the ranch as if they already owned the place was proof enough of their selfish thoughts. Luckily for Malon though, she had her handy goddess powers with her. Anyone that refused to leave even after she told them no was immediately sent on a one-way trip to Death Mountain. However, despite the fate of these unlucky bachelors, the stream of suitors never seemed to end. As a result, Malon was forced to devise ever more creative ways to make sure that the suitors never came back.
After deciding on what method to use on the current suitor, Malon faced him with a fake smile on her face.
"Yes, I'm Malon. And who might you be?"
"I'm Sir Nicholas of the Jackson family," he proudly replied as he stepped forward to present the flowers to Malon. "Before you say anything though please take these flowers. I hand-picked them for you from my garden this morning."
"Right… umm… thank you Sir Nicholas," Malon replied as she reluctantly accepted the flowers.
"You can just call me Nick," he said with a wink.
Resisting the urge to vomit, Malon faced her suitor with another phony smile.
"So… Nick… who exactly are you and what's your business at LonLon Ranch?"
"Oh, right. I don't think you'd know this but I'm actually the son of a very wealthy duke. You see, my family owns the biggest mines in Hyrule. In fact, almost three-fourths of Hyrule's iron supply comes from us. Of course, we also dig up quite a lot of gold, silver, and other valuable metals but we mostly keep those for ourselves. Anyways, my father approached me a few weeks ago and told me that he was willing to pass on the family estate and business to me. However, he told me I needed to find a suitable wife before he finalized the deal. Needless to say, my father has a very high standard so I couldn't pick just any girl to marry me. I needed to find someone who was both beautiful and wealthy. As such, I had to scour the lands to…"
Nick continued to trail on with his long-winded story but Malon stopped paying attention past that point. She had already heard all of these "my family's rich so marry me" stories before and quite frankly she was sick of them. Also, Malon had noticed that Nick's eyes kept wandering below her face as he checked her out. Deciding that she had wasted enough time on this idiot, she silently gathered up her energy before discretely making a slight jabbing motion with her index finger towards Nick. Almost immediately, the pompous young suitor was sent flying as if he had been hit with a giant sledgehammer.
"What… what was that?" Nick shouted out as he got back up. "What the hell just hit me right now?"
Malon gave a fake sigh before answering in a nonchalant tone.
"Damn. I can't believe that Poe's still here. I thought I chased it out ages ago."
"Poe? You mean those ghost creatures that haunt graveyards?" Nick asked nervously as he looked around for the imaginary ghost.
"Yep. From what I remember, the Poe that haunted this place liked to whack around its victim for a bit before torching them with its lantern."
Instead of running away in fear like Malon had expected, Nick just nervously stood around as if he could actually confront the ghost. Deciding that the young noble needed a little more encouragement to run away, Malon snapped her fingers behind her back. Almost immediately, the barn burst into fire as if someone had poured oil all over the place and then thrown a torch in there. Seeing this, Nick's eyes widened in fear as he began backing away.
"Hmm. Guess the Poe missed," Malon said in the same bored tone. "Then again, its aim was always terrible. Of course, it always did manage to hit its target on its second try."
This finally did the trick as Nick went running away while screaming like a little girl. With a tired sigh, Malon snapped her fingers again causing the fire to disappear. Surprisingly, the barn looked perfectly fine despite being set on fire. Even the interior was undamaged as none of the animals and tools were harmed.
Looking down, Malon realized that she was still holding onto the flowers that she had received. Without even hesitating, she incinerated it with a burst of fire, leaving only a pile of ashes behind. Dusting off her hands, Malon casually made her way to the wagon to get on with her delivery.
xxx
Several hours later, Malon was seen in her wagon as she slowly made her way towards Castle Town. Just like the countless deliveries she had made before, there was really nothing of interest to say about her trip so far. She had simply traversed across Hyrule Field in silence as the sun began to rise higher into the sky. As the outline of Castle Town got closer and closer, Malon began going over all the things she needed to buy once she got there. However, her thoughts were interrupted when she saw someone walking along the road a little ways ahead of her. This in itself wouldn't have gotten her attention but the fact that the young man was limping definitely did. From the looks of things, he was trying to get to Castle Town despite his bad leg. Feeling sorry for him, Malon decided to give him a lift.
"Excuse me," Malon called out after steering the wagon near him. "Are you heading towards Castle Town? If you are, I can give you a ride."
Hearing this, the stranger turned around to face her. The first thing that Malon noticed was the large, brown-colored fedora that he wore over his untidy black hair. As Malon got a good look at the young man, she found that the rest of his attire was just as strange as his hat. He was wearing a pair of tan trousers, long-sleeved black shirt, a pair of worn-out boots, and a dark-green cloak. Age-wise, he seemed to be a few years younger than Malon but the fact that his face was mostly covered by his hat made it difficult to say for sure. All that was visible beneath his silly-looking hat was a faint smile as he seemed to look straight at Malon.
"Thank you for the offer but I can manage on my own," the stranger replied in a very polite tone. "I don't want to cause any unnecessary trouble for you."
"No, it's fine really. I'm heading towards Castle Town myself so it's not a bother at all. Besides, I saw you limping as you walked."
"Oh, you saw that?" he said in a slightly embarrassed way. "It's just a minor inconvenience really. You really don't have to concern yourself over me."
"Just get on board," Malon said with a smile. "I'm not a roadway bandit or anything if that's what you're worried about."
"Never took you for one," the stranger said with a smile of his own. "Oh, alright. I really can't say no to such a kind offer now, can I?"
With that, the young man got onboard at the rear of the wagon and sat down next to the crates of milk. After checking to make sure her passenger was fully seated, Malon took up the reins and got the wagon moving again. After a few minutes of silence, Malon decided to strike up a conversation.
"So… what's your name?" Malon asked while keeping her eyes on the road.
Her passenger didn't respond right away as an awkward silence formed between the two. After a while though, he finally answered.
"Arc… Arc Tenour."
"Arc Tenour? That's a strange name. Well, Arc, where exactly are you from? From your clothes and name, I'm guessing you're not from around here?"
Another brief silence ensued before Arc answered.
"Well, I can tell you that I'm not from Hyrule but that's all I can say really."
"What do you mean?"
All Malon got in response was another silence. Wondering why Arc kept hesitating before answering her questions, Malon gave a quick backwards glance to see what her passenger was doing. As her eyes fell on Arc, she immediately understood why he seemed to be so distracted. He was currently absorbed in a small paperback book that he had gotten out after getting on the wagon. As if realizing that he was being watched, Arc lowered his book and faced Malon with a smile.
"Oh, sorry about that. I didn't realize the conversation was still going on," Arc explained as he put away his book.
"There's no need to apologize. In fact, I should be apologizing for interrupting you."
"No worries. I've already read that book at least a hundred times before. I have to say though, it never seems to get old."
"What kind of story is it?" Malon asked as she turned her eyes back on the road.
"It's a funny little fantasy story about an unlikely hero who has to prevent an evil overlord from taking over the entire known universe," Arc answered.
"So it's just like every other fantasy story out there," Malon said in an unimpressed tone.
"Well, I wouldn't say that. You see, the story begins with the hero living a normal life with her best friend. Unfortunately, she soon finds herself dragged into a war of epic proportions."
"Right," Malon replied in an offhand way as she found herself losing interest in what Arc was saying.
"Anyways, the story goes on as the hero meets up with old friends, finds new allies, suffers terrible hardships, and finally confronts the evil overlord. I won't spoil the book for you but just know that the ending is rather bittersweet."
"Uh huh," Malon said, not paying any attention to what Arc was saying as she began going over her shopping list again in her mind.
"Of course, my favorite character in the book is the mysterious stranger who occasionally appears to help the hero. The things he says don't seem to make a lot of sense when you first hear them but as the story progresses you begin to learn the true meaning of his words."
"That's nice."
With that, silence once again enveloped the wagon. However, Malon's attention was diverted back to Arc when he suddenly began laughing.
"What's so funny?" Malon asked as she glanced back with a questioning look.
"Oh, nothing," Arc replied with another smile. "It's just… in the story that I'm reading the main character first meets her mysterious helper while traveling in a wagon. I just found it kind of funny how similar that scene is with the scenario going on here. Heh. Maybe you're going to be a great hero who goes on to stop an evil dictator as well?"
"Right. When that happens, you'll be the first to know," Malon said as she turned back around and began thinking of all the chores she had to do once she got back.
"If only you knew the truth of those words," Arc said to himself in a faint whisper. Of course, Malon was too focused on her own thoughts and didn't catch what Arc had just said.
A few minutes later, Arc suddenly spoke up again.
"By the way, do you happen to know about a guy called the Hero of Time?"
Malon's grip on the reins suddenly tightened as she tried to prevent her emotions from showing.
"Yeah, I know about him. Why?"
"Well, do you know where he is at the moment? I've heard from some of the local townspeople that he's a great hero who once saved this land. As such, I was rather hoping I could meet him and ask him to tell me about his great adventure. As you might have figured out already, I'm a big fan of epic adventure stories."
"You won't find him here," Malon said in a grave voice. "He abandoned us after his little adventure."
"Abandoned? What do you mean?"
"He promised to return but never did. I don't care if he saved the world or not. Anyone that can't even keep a simple promise is no hero of mine."
"Oh," Arc said as if realizing what was going on. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this up."
"No. It's not your fault," Malon quickly said in a barely controlled voice. "If there's anyone to blame, it's him."
For the next few minutes, the only sound that could be heard was the creaking of the wagon's wheels.
"So… umm… do you know about a place called the Temple of Time?" Arc asked hesitantly, finally breaking the silence that had formed.
"Yes. From what I've heard, it's somewhere to the east of Castle Town's marketplace. I've never been there before but apparently it's some big tourist attraction nowadays. Why do you ask?"
"I just heard it's a good place to go to if you're ever unsure of where to go next. Apparently, you can learn the truth of things if you go there. Of course, that's probably just all a myth to attract tourists but I thought it might worth taking a look. If I can't meet the Hero of Time, I might as well go see the biggest tourist attraction in Hyrule."
For once, Malon was actually interested in what Arc had just told her. The prospect of learning the truth about all of her unanswered questions intrigued Malon greatly. However, before she could ask Arc about the matter any further, the wagon approached the drawbridge leading into Castle Town. As usual, one of the castle's guards was keeping watch over the various people coming in and out of the bustling town. As Malon's wagon drew near, the guard stopped them to check who was entering.
"Oh, it's you Ms. Malon!" the guard exclaimed as soon as he realized who the person driving the wagon was. "Making an extra delivery this week?"
"What? I thought…"
Malon was suddenly interrupted as a small beaver appeared and stole the guard's wallet.
"Argh! Not again! Come back here you thieving beaver! I won't have you steal my wallet for a fifth time!"
As Malon watched in confusion, the guard ran off to try and get his wallet back.
"Well, that was certainly strange," Arc commented as he silently pulled his hand out of his cloak. "Anyways, why don't we go in now? I'm sure you've got more important things to do than watch a guy chase after a beaver."
"Oh, right," Malon said as she turned around and urged the horse forward. As they passed underneath the gates of Castle Town, Malon couldn't help but think about what the guard had told her before getting his wallet stolen.
"What's wrong?" Arc asked, noticing Malon's puzzled look.
"I'm just wondering if I got the dates mixed up for my delivery. I mean, that guard just said I was making an extra delivery so…"
"Ah, don't worry about it," Arc said in a reassuring way. "I'm sure the guard was the one mixing up the dates."
"I hope so," Malon muttered as she steered the wagon through the narrow streets of Hyrule Castle. "Anyways, where should I drop you off?"
"The central marketplace would be nice. I'll do some shopping there before heading over to the Temple of Time."
"Alright."
Once they finally reached the marketplace, Malon stopped the wagon and turned around to say goodbye to her passenger.
"Well, looks like we're here," Malon said as she faced Arc with a smile. "You take care of yourself now, okay?"
"Of course," Arc said as he got off the wagon. "And thanks for the ride Ms. Malon."
"Just Malon is fine," she replied as she waved goodbye to Arc's retreating form.
"Sure thing! I'm sure we'll see each other real soon Malon!" Arc shouted out before disappearing into the crowd of people surrounding the marketplace.
With that out of the way, Malon made her way towards the newly constructed castle to finally complete her delivery.
xxx
Half an hour later, Malon steered her wagon back to the central marketplace looking more confused than ever. After reaching the castle's kitchen, Malon had gone down to deliver the milk to the head chef. However, the confused chef had told her that she had already made the delivery for that week. As Malon just stood there wondering how she could have accidentally mislabeled her schedule, the head chef had told her in a reassuring manner that she had obviously just made a mistake because she was tired. After telling her to go home and get some rest, the chef had gone back to the kitchen, leaving a very puzzled Malon alone.
As Malon came into the marketplace, she realized that she didn't have the money to buy all the things on her shopping list. She had counted on using the money from the delivery to buy her supplies but with the delivery turning out to be a giant mistake, Malon was left with only a handful of rupees that she had planned to use for food. With a frustrated sigh, Malon prepared to go back home empty-handed. However, just as she began heading towards the town's exit, she realized that she was starving. Deciding that she might as well grab something to eat before heading out, she parked her wagon near the town stables and headed off into one of the numerous restaurants.
After enjoying her meal of roasted Cuccos with potatoes, Malon left the restaurant and looked up to see how much time she had before the sun set. Much to her surprise, she found the sun in the exact same place as she last saw it. Guessing that she had finished her meal a lot quicker than she thought, Malon began thinking of what she could do with the remaining time. After a few minutes, Malon remembered her conversation with Arc about the Temple of Time. Until now, Malon had avoided the place seeing as how it reminded her of Link. But now, with Arc's story of finding answers there resounding through her head, Malon decided it would be worth taking a look. With her mind made up, Malon began heading towards the Temple of Time.
xxx
The first thing Malon noticed as she went inside the temple was how empty the place was. For a world-famous tourist spot, the place was strangely vacant. With a fair amount of surprise, Malon soon realized that she was the only one inside the temple's great hall. The pack of tourists who usually occupied the temple was nowhere to be seen. Even the various booths that sold souvenirs were all empty as if they had been abandoned in a great rush. Just as Malon was wondering if she should leave the empty temple as well, her eyes fell on the stone altar at the far end of the temple. Curious, Malon went over to investigate.
As soon as she got close to the altar, she saw an inscription written on the large stone slab:
Ye who owns 3 Spiritual Stone
Stand with the Ocarina of Time
And play the Song of Time
Seeing this, Malon remembered Link telling her about how the Triforce lay on the other side of the Door of Time. With this thought, Malon suddenly realized that the Triforce had the power to answer all of her questions. Perhaps this was what Arc had been talking about when he told her about finding the truth. By using the power of the Triforce, she could find out why everyone closest to her had mysteriously disappeared. Malon knew this would be a blatant misuse of a sacred artifact but her desire to learn the truth overcame her guilty conscience. With her mind made up, Malon went up the steps behind the stone altar and approached the Door of Time. Knowing that it was highly unlikely for the royal family to lend her the Ocarina of Time for such a trivial matter, Malon decided to see if she could force her way through. She knew that the door was magically protected by the power of the sages but Malon was confident that her goddess powers could break through it.
After looking back to make sure she was still alone, Malon concentrated her energy and formed a fist with her right hand. Before she could act though, the Door of Time suddenly glowed with a red light as if responding to her power. As Malon watched with a confused look, a familiar symbol began appearing on the front of the stone door. Three wavy lines etched itself on the wall as two red orbs appeared on opposite ends of the line. Malon had just enough time to realize that the emblem was her mother's insignia before the door suddenly opened.
Instead of rushing in, Malon stayed frozen in her spot for a few seconds as she tried to get a hold of things. After a while though, Malon simply decided to accept her good fortune and quickly headed inside the newly opened doorway.
As far as Malon could tell, the only thing inside the dimly-lit room was a large pedestal with a sword sticking out of it. After taking a closer look though, she realized with a fair amount of surprise that the sword was actually the Master Sword that Link used to carry around. With a mass of questions swirling around in her head, Malon began to cautiously approach the sword. Before she could set foot on the pedestal, however, she managed to hear footsteps heading towards her. With a look of apprehension, Malon quickly turned around to see who was entering. As it turned out the mysterious intruder turned out to be none other than Arc.
"Oh, it's just you Arc," Malon said after letting out a relieved sigh. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Arc didn't say anything as he began walking towards the pedestal. As he did so, Malon immediately noticed that something was different about him.
"Hey, wasn't your leg injured the last time I saw you?" Malon asked in a suspicious tone.
Indeed, the limp that Arc had when she first met him was no longer there. In fact, he was walking around normally as if he had never been injured in the first place. Instead of answering Malon's question, Arc simply began to walk around the pedestal in silence. After making a full circle around the place, he stopped in front of Malon with a frown visible beneath his hat.
"What is it?" Malon asked nervously as she raised her guard.
Before she could do anything else, Arc suddenly summoned an enormous book to his hand before giving her a creepy smile.
"It's time," Arc said as he opened up his book. "Your destiny awaits."
Malon instinctively raised her arms as if to shield herself from whatever Arc was sending her way. However, nothing happened as Malon simply continued to stand there in her defensive pose. As Malon finally lowered her arms and looked up in confusion, Arc suddenly began to laugh.
"You should've seen the look on your face!" Arc managed to say in between his fits of laughter. "I can't believe you actually thought I was going to zap you into the past or something! Man, this has got to be one of the best pranks I've pulled so far!"
As Arc continued to laugh like a maniac, Malon tried to make sense of what had just happened.
"Prank? But… what about your leg? And the way you summoned that book?"
Unfortunately, Malon had to wait a couple more minutes before Arc calmed down enough to answer her questions.
"Well, that was fun," Arc finally said as his laughter finally subsided. "Anyways, I guess an explanation is in order. Ahem. You see, the main reason I came to Castle Town was to get my leg fixed up. You might not know this but Castle Town has some really good magical healers. Thanks to that, I'm finally able to walk straight. As for the whole book summoning thing, I happen to know some basic magic. Not really surprising considering how common these handy summoning spells are."
As Malon heard this, she was faced with the sudden urge to face-palm. It had been years since she had last been made fun of like this, and as such, she had grown to take things a little too seriously. For some reason, Malon was suddenly reminded of a certain green-haired goddess at this thought.
"So… How'd you open the Door of Time?" Arc asked after putting away his book. "I thought you needed the Ocarina of Time and the three spiritual stones to open it. At least, that's what it said on that stone altar outside."
"Oh… I… umm… don't know really," Malon said hesitantly, not wanting to reveal the truth about herself to him. "It was… umm… already open when I got here."
"Really? Huh. I thought they usually kept this place closed off to the general public."
"Yeah… Anyways, do you have any idea why it's so empty here today?" Malon quickly asked to change subjects.
"Oh, that? From what I've heard, there's some new restaurant that just opened. Apparently they're holding an all-you-can-eat sale for only five rupees. I think it's a safe bet to say that everyone's out stuffing their faces right now."
"That's nice. But if that's the case, what're you doing here?"
"I already ate before hearing about it," Arc answered simply. "Besides, I thought it'd be nice to explore the temple while everyone was out."
Malon didn't respond as her eyes wandered over to the Master Sword again.
"Hey, isn't that the Master Sword?" Arc asked as he turned to see what Malon was staring at. "Didn't the Hero of Time use that sword during his journey to defeat the King of Evil? If so, how'd it end up here?"
"I have no idea," Malon said without taking her eyes of the sword. "However, the thing I'd really like to know is where the Triforce is at."
"The Triforce? You mean the almighty relic left behind by the goddesses? What do want with something like that?"
"It's… personal," Malon simply replied as she began approaching the Master Sword. "Hmm. Maybe I need to pull out the sword to get to it. What do you think Arc?"
"How should I know? I've never been here be…"
Arc was suddenly cut off as a person looking exactly like him appeared next to Malon carrying a giant dead fish.
"Sorry I'm late Lyra," the Arc look-alike said as he faced Malon with a smile. "Finding a forty-pound Reekfish was harder than I thought. Anyways, now you can… Hey, wait a second. When did you change your clothes?"
As Malon stared between the two Arcs with a very confused look on her face, the Arc carrying the dead fish noticed his clone standing only a few feet away from him. Seeing this, a look of surprise crossed his face as if he suddenly realized something.
"Ah, crap. I'm in the wrong dimension, aren't I?" the Arc with the fish said as he did a face-palm with his free hand.
"Yes you are," the other Arc told himself with an irritated look. "And thanks for blowing my cover."
"Cover? What are you… Oh… I see. This is where I… I mean you… send Malon back to…"
"I think it's about time you left," the fish-less Arc interrupted.
"Yeah, sure thing," the other Arc said as he summoned his spell book to his free hand. "Just make sure you don't forget to give her the…"
"I know."
"Alright then. Oh, and when you-know-who meets up with that… other person… you might want to intervene. Things are going to get ugly if you don't."
"I'll keep that in mind," the Arc that was originally there said with a nod. "Now hurry up and get your little job finished. You know what's going to happen if you don't get that fish delivered in the next five minutes."
"Yeah… I should really get going now. See ya! And good luck Malon! Trust me, you'll be needing it."
With that, the Arc carrying the fish disappeared.
"What an idiot," the remaining Arc muttered as he pulled out his own spell book. "Note to self: Make sure to travel to the correct dimension when delivering the dead fish."
"Who… what… why?" Malon stuttered out as she desperately tried to understand what was happening.
"Oh, don't mind what happened just now," Arc said with a wave of his hand. "It won't make sense to you until… hmm… when does it ever make sense to you?"
"Who was that guy just now?" Malon finally managed to ask in her very confused state.
"Oh, that's easy to answer. The guy you just saw was more than likely me from the future. Or a different dimension. Or maybe even me from the future of a different dimension. Er, never mind. It guess it's not so easy to answer."
An awkward silence settled between the two of them as Arc continued to look through his giant spell book.
"Who are you?" Malon asked warily as she raised her guard once more. "Are you… some kind of deity?"
"Depends on what you mean by deity," Arc said with his head still buried in his book. "If you mean an all-powerful being who can change the very fabric of reality with just a snap of a finger… then no, I'm not a deity. I prefer to wave my left index finger when changing reality."
Malon began to slowly back away from the mysterious cloaked figure in front her as she tried to figure out what he was planning to do with her. As if reading her thoughts, Arc let out another laugh.
"I'm not here to harm you," Arc said in an amused voice. "I'm just here to… Aha! Found it!"
Before Malon could inquire about him any further, Arc suddenly began walking towards the pedestal. Malon quickly backed away once more so that she was now standing right next to the Master Sword. As she watched him with a wary eye, Arc lowered his right hand so that his palm was facing the ground. Almost immediately, Din's symbol appeared on the pedestal just like it had on the Door of Time. However, the symbol only lasted for a brief second before disappearing once more.
"As I thought," Arc said with a nod. "Your mother must have really not wanted for you to leave this timeline."
"Wait, what?" Malon asked in shock when she heard this. "Did you just say…?"
Before Malon could say anything else, a small beeping noise was heard from Arc's wrist.
"Oh, come on!" Arc complained as he pushed up his sleeve looked down at his watch. "This was supposed to be the part where I get to act all mysterious and awesome! If I didn't interrupt myself with that stupid fish, I would've…"
Arc's ranting was cut short when he caught sight of Malon's impatient look. With a sigh, he faced her with a serious look.
"Alright, I'll get straight to the point. Malon, do you truly wish to see your friends again?"
"What kind of question is that?" Malon retorted indignantly. "Of course I want to see them! Do you have any idea how much I…?"
"Okay, good enough," Arc interrupted as he glanced down at his watch once more. "Now hurry up and touch the Master Sword. You don't have to pull it out or anything, a simple poke will suffice."
Malon remain motionless as she crossed her arms and looked at Arc with a suspicious glare. Seeing this, Arc gave another sigh before putting away his book and offering an explanation.
"Look, I'm short on time right now so I'll make this fast. I'm about to send you to the dimension where your friends are at. If you want to get there I suggest you follow my orders."
"Hold on a second. Did you just say what I think you said?" Malon asked incredulously when she heard this. "You… You're going to…?"
"Yes, yes," Arc said with a wave of his hand. "Now hurry up and do as I tell you. We're running out of time."
After a moment of hesitation, Malon turned around and cautiously poked the Master Sword with her finger. Almost immediately, the area around Malon was covered by a mystical blue light. However, the light only lasted for a second before it disappeared as the symbol of Din appeared on the pedestal again.
"Seriously?" Arc muttered as he summoned his book again. "How many seals did your mom put on this thing?"
"What are you talking about?" Malon asked as she stared at the symbol below her with a bewildered look. "Why would my mom place a seal over this place?"
"She obviously didn't want you to leave this dimension," Arc simply replied as he flipped through his book at a rapid pace. "From the looks of things, I'd have to say that she put at least thirty different seals on this thing. Removing the first seal was a piece of cake but I'm still wondering about how to deal with the rest of them."
"What do you mean?" Malon asked in a worried tone.
"Your mother made the seals so that when one of them is destroyed, the other seals become impervious to the spell that you just used. Plus, the seals are already immune to most spells so breaking all of them is practically impossible. In fact, I'd wager even Nayru herself wouldn't be able to crack this thing with all of her magical prowess."
"Then… I won't be able to…?"
"No worries though," Arc said with a wave of his hand. "I've already figured out a thousand different ways to break it. All I'm wondering on right now is which method to use. Hmm. The duck/walrus/chipmunk combo sounds interesting. Actually, never mind. That's only for energy-suppression seals. Ah, well. Looks like I'll have to do this the old fashioned way."
With that, Arc made a finger gun with his right hand and aimed it at the seal.
"Bang."
Almost immediately, an enormous blast of energy emanated from Arc's fingertips. The bright flash of light blinded Malon as she felt the attack connect with its intended target. The following explosion nearly blew Malon off her feet even though she was under the allied protection rule. As Malon's vision slowly returned, she expected to see the entire fabric of reality to be in pieces. However, she saw that the interior of the Temple of Time was still there as if nothing had happened. In fact, not even a single crack could be seen on the temple's floor. The only difference was that Din's seal was nowhere to be seen.
"Heh. The classic finger gun trick just never gets old," Arc commented as he casually dispersed his book once more. "Okay, let's hurry up and get this show on the road. I'm getting the feeling that I've dragged things on a little too long."
Once again, Malon found herself at a loss for words as she stared at Arc with a disbelieving look. As far as she could tell, Arc had just bested the powers of one of the most powerful beings in the entire video game universe without even breaking a sweat. Of course, Malon knew there were people more powerful than her mother but she had never expected anyone to overcome Din's spells with so much ease. As she continued to stare at Arc, Malon couldn't help but feel a little bit afraid of the otherworldly being in front of her.
"What's with the hold up?" Arc asked when he noticed Malon's unmoving form. "We've got less than a minute remaining before I have to leave so unless you enjoy your life here, I suggest you get a move on."
Malon stayed still for a few seconds as she tried to decide on whether or not to trust Arc. In the end, however, her desire to see her family and friends again overcame her worries as she faced the Master Sword once more. After taking a deep breath, Malon slowly lowered her right hand towards the sword's hilt. As soon as her finger made contact with the sword, the pedestal once again glowed with a bright blue light.
As the light began to rise towards the temple's ceiling, Arc suddenly seemed to remember something important as he pulled out a small pouch from within his cloak.
"Damn, I almost forgot," Arc muttered as he threw the pouch towards Malon. "You'll need these where you're going."
Confused, Malon caught the pouch and opened it to see what was inside. Her confusion quickly changed to surprise, however, when she realized that the pouch contained her mother's pendant and Link's necklace.
"Try to take better care of your possessions in the future," Arc said as he began to slowly fade away. "Finding and returning that necklace to you every time you threw it away was a real pain. Especially that time when you threw it into Death Mountain. I don't know about you but swimming around in lava isn't exactly what I consider fun."
And with these final words, Arc disappeared from view. Unfortunately, Malon had little time to ponder about what he just said as everything else in the room began to disappear as well. Soon the only thing she was able to see was the spiraling wave of blue light surrounding her. Just as Malon was starting to feel a little dizzy, the light began to slowly fade as the world came back into focus. Before she could tell where she was though, a familiar voice drifted towards her.
"… and I promise not to get her stolen by some forest imp wearing a psycho mask that'll destroy the world with a giant moon in three days. So how about it? Can I please borrow Epona for a few weeks? I mean, I know we just met a few days ago and all but…"
With that, the last of the blue lights faded from Malon's view. After blinking a few times, she realized that she was standing near the entrance of her ranch as if the entire business at the Temple of Time had never happened. However, Malon paid little attention to the sudden change in scenery as she realized who the person standing in front of her was.
"Umm… Malon? Are you feeling alright?" a ten year-old Link asked her with a concerned look on his face. "You look kind of…"
He didn't get to finish what he was saying as Malon suddenly threw a punch straight at his gut. Much to Malon's surprise though, Link only doubled over in pain instead of going flying like she had expected. As she looked down at herself with a confused look, Malon realized with a start that she herself was a kid again. Before she could think about this any further though, Link managed to recover just enough to start complaining.
"What was that for?" Link asked in an indignant tone as he slowly got up. "I only asked if you were feeling…"
Link was once again cut off by Malon. However, instead of receiving a punch to the stomach this time, Link found himself stunned into silence as Malon suddenly embraced him.
"You idiot," Malon said as tears ran down her face. "Why didn't you keep your promise? Why didn't you come back like you said you would? I thought… I thought I would never see you again."
Link could only stare at Malon's sobbing form with a surprised look as he began to slowly understand what was going on.
"Malon?" he finally managed to say in an astonished whisper. "Is it… is it really you? You remember…?"
Malon didn't immediately reply as she continued to hold onto Link as if he would disappear again. After a few minutes though, she finally looked up with the first genuine smile in years.
"Yes, Link," Malon said as she looked at her friend with a tear-streaked face. "It's me."
As Malon finally let go of him, Link just stood frozen in place as he tried to understand everything that was happening.
"How…? How did you…?"
Unfortunately, Link was unable to finish his question once more as another familiar voice called out from the barn.
"Malon! Did you see where I put my new Mole-men Begone Spray? Those darn mole-people are trying to take over the barn again!"
Unable to believe it, Malon quickly turned around to see who had just spoken. As it so happened, the speaker turned out to be none other than Talon himself. He was looking as fit as ever as he came out of the barn with a pitchfork in hand. As he tried to turn around to call for Malon again, he suddenly found himself tackled to the ground as Malon rushed up and hugged him.
"Dad!" Malon yelled in both surprise and joy. "You… you're…"
"Whoa! What's with the hug all of a sudden?" Talon asked with a smile as he looked up to see his daughter. "It's only been a few minutes since we saw each other at breakfast. Did something good happen since then?"
"You have no idea," Malon said as she quickly wiped her eyes and faced her dad with a smile.
"Well, it's certainly nice to see you in such a good mood today," Talon said with a smile of his own. As he got back up, he happened to notice Link standing around awkwardly near the ranch entrance. "Hey, who's that kid over there?"
"Oh, just a friend," Malon said as she got up as well. "By the way, do you think it's alright if I invite him to stay for the night?"
Normally Talon might have questioned letting a stranger staying at the ranch but the smiling face of his daughter eventually won him over.
"Of course he can," Talon said as he picked up his pitchfork and began heading towards the barn. "Just make sure he doesn't scare the animals or anything like that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go deal with those mole-people."
As Talon went into the barn once more, Malon turned around and headed back to Link.
"Why don't we go over to the house before we start talking?" Malon asked, unable to contain the excitement and joy from her voice. "I don't know if it's from the time-travel business or not, but I could really use some tea right now."
"Oh... umm… sure," Link managed to say as he followed the farm girl.
To Malon, it felt as if the last seven years were fading away as if it had all been just a bad dream. She could hardly believe it but she no longer had to live alone, chase off unwanted suitors, or worry about the past. Most importantly however, she was finally back with her family and friends. Just as Malon was thinking of how perfect her life suddenly seemed, a small slip of paper fell right in front of her feet. Curious, Malon stopped to pick it up while Link continued on ahead. At first, Malon thought it was just a blank sheet of paper but she soon realized that there was a message written for her on the other side.
Eternal peace is merely an illusion. All we can do is cherish the time we have and prepare for the battles that lie ahead of us.
In other words, keep your eyes open. Just because everything seems perfect now doesn't mean it'll always stay that way. Oh, and another thing. I sent over that Magic for Dummies book to your room so use that to continue your magical studies. Speaking of which, the actual cost of that book was five hundred rupees so I expect you to pay me the rest of the money the next time we meet. Hope you enjoy your little break from chaos.
Arc
As Malon stared at the message a feeling of dread began creeping into her. From what Arc was saying, it seemed like there was a great storm on the horizon just waiting to destroy her hopes and dreams once more. However, her worried thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Link suddenly called out for her.
"Hey, Malon! Are you coming or what?"
As she looked up to see her friend motioning for her, Malon suddenly realized that there was no need to worry about the future. Just like Arc had told her, the only thing she could do was cherish her time with her loved ones and prepare herself for whatever was coming. With this thought, Malon gave a confident smile as she threw away the note and headed towards the bright new future ahead of her.