Malon stood at the bank of Lake Hylia and allowed the tears to flow down her cheeks freely. Anyone watching would assume that they were for her father, and to be perfectly honest they would not have been wrong. The passing of her father meant more to Malon than the loss of a parent, it was the loss of her whole way of life. Talon had been her protection, as little protection as he managed to provide, and now that he was gone and Ingo had the signed will passing LonLon into his care, not Malon's, she saw no clear future for herself. But that is not why she wept.

Malon let her eye sweep over Lake Hylia. The sapphire water lapped at the banks with a calming rhythm, the waters as swollen as they had been when Malon had come here with her father all those years ago. Perhaps it was fuller, the island where her mother, and now father, were buried seemed lower to the surface. On the other side of the lake, the water came up and nearly touched the platform where the now lonely scarecrow stood. Malon wept because she knew in the pit of her heart that her Fairy Boy had been the one to restore the lake, single-handedly. His words echoed in her mind.

"I want you to see the lake, Malon. I want you to see what I have done, for you, and for everyone."

He had wanted her to see it. More than that, he had wanted her to see it with him.

A hand wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her into a half-hug. She looked over into the face of the Fisherman. The man did not weep, but his face was stoic with controlled effort and he kept his eyes away from Malon's, sweeping over the lake.

"I'm sorry I never came to see you." he said, his voice low.

"We should have come out more. We didn't really have an excuse. We could have left Ingo at the ranch for a while."

"You never realize how much time has passed until something like this happens." the Fisherman sighed through his nose, then looked at Malon. "Your dad was a great guy. I wish that he hadn't let his worry get to his head."

"He told me everything. About the first baby, about my mother..." she dropped her head. The Fisherman sighed and brought his hand to the back of her head, tussling her hair softly like he did when she was little.

"He was a man who liked to be prepared, and in his mind being prepared was the same as seeing the worst in every situation. There isn't a lot I can say..."

"I know." Malon said. "I'll miss him."

"I will too." the Fisherman breathed, pulling Malon into a hug. She wasn't sure how this man was going to find the strength to continue living at the lake, knowing that two of his best friends were buried on the island. She knew that she would find it immensely difficult to return to this beautiful, glittering place, filled with the memory of three souls lost to her.

The Fisherman released her, sharing a sad smile, before turning and walking toward his boat. He would retreat back to his home, back to the fishing hole where he had made his living, and live his days there alone. He would entertain the rare customer with as much gusto as he could muster, she remembered the way his face lit up whenever someone would come in when she was a child, but the days for the simple pleasures of fishing had passed. The lake saw few visitors, and this man would soon die and no one would notice the absence.

Malon closed her eyes, bringing up a hand to wipe the tears from her face, and whispered into the wind.

"Goodbye, Fisherman."

~o~

Ingo was silent as he drove the cart, keeping his gaze fixed forward. Next to him Malon kept her hands crossed in her lap, trying her best to keep her breathing steady. She didn't want to cry in front of him, she had already shown too much weakness in front of him, and she was terrified of what was to come. Technically speaking, Malon belonged to Ingo now. Despite what Talon had told her he had never officially nullified his first contract regarding his daughter and hired man, and there was the matter of the ranch. No matter what happened to her, Malon needed to ensure the safety of her animals.

"Am I so reprehensible to you?" Ingo asked, his voice startling her. Malon wondered if she had been speaking her thoughts aloud.

"Pardon?"

"I am a gruff man, Malon, I do admit this." Ingo said, his voice low, "And I realize that I am not the most desirable suitor in Hyrule, but I am only a man, and I do care about you in my own way."

"Why do you say these things?"

"I can see the fear written on your face, dear girl" Ingo sighed, looking at Malon, "I told you before, I know you well."

"Not as well as you think you do."

"Better than some." he bit back. Malon flushed and felt her fingers digging into the black cloth of her dress.

"Do not speak of it." she said after a pause.

"Why?" Ingo asked, frustration pulling at his tone, "Why are you ashamed of what we had between us? I could almost understand it before, when that boy would return to you with promises of a better future, but now he is dead and you have nothing to hide."

"Do not speak of him." she hissed, her eyes flashing angrily. "And do not speak of those things you do not understand."

"It is a childish thing you cling to." He whipped the horses, stirring their speed. "The world isn't pretty, dear girl. I know that's something your father tried to teach you, but you are so bull-headed that it doesn't seem to have sunken in."

"I know the world isn't pretty." she said, realizing how childish she really did sound, but she couldn't help it. She thought about when she saw Link's torso in the barn, the scars that skipped across his skin, the blossoming bruises, and the way that he smiled though he was in pain. The way he told her his amazing, miraculous stories and left out how he must have made an agreement with the Goron King while soaking his tunic with his own blood, how the fear must have gnawed at his soul when he realized that he was a Hylian in the Kokiri forest and already doomed to become a Stalfos after death. The world wasn't pretty, but Link had made it beautiful.

"Things are going to change at the ranch now. I believe you understand that, at least."

"Of course." Malon's voice was low, barely audible over the squeak of the wheels.

"I will ask you this only once, but I will accept your answer whenever you wish to give it." Ingo said, returning his eyes to the horizon, "Are you willing to marry me, Malon?"

Malon's stomach dropped and she stopped breathing for a moment. Marry Ingo, after all that had happened. After the way he had treated her, the way he had used her and her Father. After wrenching the ranch from her grasp right at the moment she was most vulnerable.

"No." she said.

"Then you are to stay in the stable." he said. Malon looked at him incredulously, but his expression remained blank.

"What?"

"LonLon Ranch is mine now, which means that the house belongs to me as well. If you wish to live in the house, you will agree to marry me. If not, then you are no better than a farmhand."

Malon felt tears well in her eyes again and she held her breath in an effort not to cry. This was too much, this was all too much. Link vanishing, her nightmares, Talon's death, and this.

Malon didn't reply, and remained silent all the way to LonLon. She took the reigns from Ingo, allowing him to jump off the cart and approach the house as she led the ponies to the corner of the field, unhitching them and taking up their reigns. She led the animals to the barn and rubbed them down, cooing the Ancient Hylian chant in her shaking, sob-soaked voice, before setting them up with fresh food and water. She found herself wondering if marrying Ingo would be the better option, perhaps that way she could inherit the farm after he died. Then again. why would he do anything to benefit her like that? She had already given into him once, and it had empowered him enough to feed his cruelty for so, so long.

Malon curled up on the pallet in the corner of the ranch, tucking her hands under her head. Tomorrow she would wash the pallet and restuff it. She would find some way to sneak into the house to retrieve her clothes, and Link's jar of blue fire. She would set up a space for herself inside this barn, she would make the best of it, and she would survive.

~o~

Malon's body shook with her sobs, her breath hitching in her throat as she wept bitterly over the table. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know what was going to happen. She was so young, barely seventeen, and now all seemed broken.

Castle Town was now given up as lost, the plague having killed anyone who hadn't fled to Kakariko, and now there were rumors of gibdo roaming the streets. What if they broke past the moat? It wouldn't be hard. On top of everything, Talon had vanished, leaving behind a note reminding Malon to be the good girl she had always been and that he wished her the fondest farewell.

The door opened behind her and Malon shot up, wiping at her eyes hastily. Ingo stood there, hand resting on the heavy wooden door.

"Malon? What's going on?" he asked, voice full of concern.

"It's nothing, Ingo." She said, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. The older man entered the room and shut the door slowly behind him, letting it click shut softly.

"You can tell me, Malon." Ingo murmured, taking a seat across from her. He reached across and took her hands in his, his fingers were calloused and warm.

"It's just… Father has vanished. I don't know where he's gone, but he left a note." she nodded to the paper on the table.

"I'm sure he's safe." Talon said, raising his eyebrows sympathetically. He squeezed her hands and Malon sighed and smiled.

"I'm sure he is. He probably just wanted to get out of work for a while."

"That's it, I'm sure." Ingo smiled, then reached out and brushed his hand along her jaw. Malon flicked her eyes toward him, taking in the strange look on his face. "You are so beautiful. Malon."

Malon's gaze fell and she flushed, but did not move away from his touch. His fingers lingered on her cheek, tracing small circles on her jaw, his thumb brushing past her ear. The touch was comforting, his presence was comforting. If there was anyone in the world as equally affected by Talon's disappearance, it was Ingo.

"Ingo… please stay with me tonight." she heard herself saying. Ingo smiled softly.

"Is that really what you want?"

"I know you and father have been talking about it." Malon said, "About… you and I marrying. I wasn't sure at first, but…"

"I'm your best option?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"No, no-"

"I understand, Malon." Ingo said, a laugh in his voice, "I'll stay with you."

The next morning, when Malon awoke to see Ingo in her bed, her heart sunk. Shame filled her, tingled in her chest like a flitting bird, and she decided to quickly dress and forget everything about it. When she reached for her shift, though, it moved Ingo's overalls and a piece of paper fell out of the pocket. Curious, she reached for it and unfolded it carefully. As her eyes swept the page, her shame was replaced with rage.

Her slap woke him and Ingo rose with a shout.

"What is this?" Malon demanded, shaking the paper.

"It's a marriage contract." Ingo said, his voice heavy with sleep.

"A marriage contract?" Malon said, throwing it at Ingo.

"I wrote it up with Talon." Ingo said, "A few weeks ago. He thought you would be okay with everything."

"Okay with everything?" she repeated, her voice high with fury. "My father thought I would be okay with being given away like an object?"

"You seemed fine with it last night." Ingo said suggestively, reaching out to put a hand on her hip. She slapped him away and reached for her dress, pulling the garment on hastily.

"I want you to leave, I want you to get out." she said, "I don't even want to look at you. I don't care where you go, just disappear."

"I don't think so, darling." Ingo hissed, standing from the bed. He picked up the paper and unfolded it. "Your dear old dad didn't read this contract very thoroughly, I'm afraid. This says that you are now legally bonded to me," he pointed to a line. "Because you are part of the ranch property. LonLon is mine, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Malon woke from the dream with a start, her eyes searching in the darkness wildly. She had forgotten for a moment where she was. When she remembered, she sat up and pressed a hand to her forehead. She hated having that dream, she hated reliving her worst moment over and over in her mind. She figured she should be grateful, at least this dream wasn't the kind of psychological horror her nightmares had turned into lately, but in its own way this was worse. This had actually happened, whereas she couldn't see any of the other things existing in real life.

She attempted to settle back on the pallet when she heard a groan.

It wasn't the kind of sound the horses or cows made, and it was distinctive and low. It was a sound she heard before. She sat up from the pallet, eyes open wide, trying to make out anything in the darkness of the stable. In the far corner diagonal from her there was a momentary flash of blue light.

She stood, her heart pounding audibly.

No.

It couldn't be.

Her eyes were playing tricks on her.

There would be nothing.

There would be just boxes of milk bottles in that corner. A pile of straw. Hell, a stray cat or something. There was no way it could be…

He was curled into a ball in the corner, shivering in his sleep. In the moonlight filtering through the slats in the roof she could see that his tunic was mottled with dirt and dark stains, dirtier than she had ever seen it, and his face was screwed up in an expression of pain or fear. She wanted to touch him, but was afraid that he would vanish, afraid that this was part of her dream.

The blue flash returned and the fairy came out of his tunic. She floated in the air above Link's head for a brief moment, her tiny hands stroking his eyebrow in a motion of deep concern, before she turned to see Malon. Navi sped toward Malon, alighting on her shoulder. The fairy's wings brushed against Malon's fiery red hair and her breath tickled her cheek as she whispered. Her fairy's voice was high, the words heavily accented, but they were clear.

"Please help him."