Note: This shall begin the small arc that takes place in the Lost Woods, for, as you know, Link must get Saria's song to progress. But, from a narrative point of view, he has no reason to go back to the Kokiri Forest, as he clearly isn't welcome, and he still doesn't feel right returning just yet.

Thus, this is where a side story from the manga comes in. It will both serve as a way to allow Link to back to the Lost Woods, and give context to the beginning of the story, as Ganondorf didn't find his way to the Kokiri Forest by himself. He won't be revealed yet, and he won't have that big of a role in the overall plot, but his actions do make an impact, and he is a servant of evil.

I'll admit to changing his backstory somewhat for this AU/Retelling, yet he is overall, the same character in everything but origin.

With that said, let us get started!

Dinner at the Ranch

Mido looked out his window, spying on Saria's house and sighing with frustration and worry. Ever since she had informed them that Link had left the Lost Woods and into the outside world, everyone believed that the problem was solved. True, there was some protest raised about his departure, and even Mido thought at first that Link had done the unthinkable.

For the briefest of seconds, he regretted everything. Every word, every action, every look he gave the blonde boy, everything.

But then, Saria revealed that Link was not dead. Rather, it was now that he could "truly live," according to her. What this meant, the other Kokiri didn't know, and they still didn't entirely understand how a Kokiri could survive outside of the Great Deku Tree's domain, let alone outside of the Lost Woods, but Saria was no liar. Still, even though she said she knew that Link supposedly "had to leave sometime," the green-haired girl didn't take the boy's departure well. She seemed to be hit almost as hard as when she and the others witnessed the Great Deku Tree's passing as if she had lost Link forever.

Well, in a way, even if she attested that he lived, she knew he most likely wouldn't come back.

Since then, the girl had spent long hours in the Lost Woods, sometimes from sun up to sun down, only returning to her home when she was exhausted and needed sleep. But it soon didn't take long for her to begin sleeping out in the dense brush itself. Where she rested or where she went, no one knew, and Mido knew Saria wanted it that way. She didn't want to be disturbed, she didn't want to even be in the company of those that hated her friend. The red-haired boy remembered what the girl had said to him when she returned to the Kokiri Forest after leaving with Link.

"Well, you got what you wanted. He's gone. Hope you're happy now."

"I...It's not that," Mido muttered to himself, reminiscing on the girl's words. "I didn't want him gone," he said. "I just..."

"Hey, don't get worked up over that," his pink fairy, Recti, told the redhead. "There's nothing that can be done about it now."

Mido sulked. "Yeah, I know," he said. "But still, now she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you," the boy's guardian assured him. "She's just upset right now," she then looked down at the ground. "I know you're still not over the Great Deku Tree passing away."

"Me?" Mido questioned. "I'm ok. Why wouldn't I be ok?"

"Are you sure about that?" Recti questioned. "I healed your nose after that fight easy, but I can't fix what's going on in here," she then flew over and placed a hand on the boy's green-covered chest, her tiny hand barely making a wrinkle on the fabric. "Not unless you're honest about what you're feeling."

Mido bit his lip, feeling himself growing defensive. "I'm not upset about anything!" he argued. "If anything, Saria's the one that needs to get over him!" Mido went over from the window, arms crossed and head down. "If he's where he's supposed to be, then there's no point in crying over that guy! What's so special about him anyway?!" he asked. "Even when he was still here, the Great Deku Tree always treated him differently! True, he was just as fair with all of us," even if, in Mido's mind, most of the scraps he and Link got into were the blonde boy's fault. "But he always knew that there was something up with Link! He was a weirdo from the start! Even before he got his fairy, he couldn't talk well, he got distracted easily, he was terrible at growing crops, he was just...ugh!" Mido threw up his hands in exasperation. "He just wasn't a good Kokiri." the redhead sighed, finally getting his pent-up tension out of his system.

"Well, no, not really," Recti agreed with her charge. "But that's not what bothers you about him, is it?"

"What do you mean?" Mido questioned.

"I've seen the way you look at Saria," the pink fairy told the boy. "And I've also seen how she looks at Link," the boy froze. "You hate that, don't you?" Mido was silent for a few moments before he turned and made his way to the door. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm going out," the redhead told the winged creature. "Or rather, I'm going to get Saria and bring her home."

"Huh? You don't even know where she's gone-" Recti protested, but she realized that the boy had just exited his wooden house. "Hey! Mido! Don't leave me!" the fairy pleaded, flying out the window and after her Kokiri, who had just entered the Lost Woods without her.

...

"This will not do. He should've done the job when he had the chance."

Should one travel past the Kokiri Forest and into the further darkness of the Lost Woods, one would stumble upon a realm that is unlike that inhabited and controlled by the Great Deku Tree. This area of the dense forest was dark and foreboding, where the sun could barely shine through the thick, dark branches of the twisted trees that resided in this place. While the Lost Woods was home to creatures outside of the Kokiri, such as the wooden Deku Scrubs and animals such as rabbits, squirrels, as well as other woodland creatures, this particular sector of the vast sea of green housed far more dangerous, malicious beasts. Beasts that hunted and killed and ate those unfortunate enough they were able to catch. And their kills would always involve the spilling of blood.

The ruler of this place was one even more crooked and twisted than they were, for he was the one that made them what they were.

Towering over a smaller collection of shapes, all of them were concealed in the dark shadows cast by the trees blocking out the sun, the figures listening to the far larger being's words. "Go and find the one who now maintains the Great Deku Tree's realm, now that the dear fellow is gone," the stationary but intimidating being instructed the smaller ones at his command. "Bring her to me. I have a place for her."

The more diminutive shapes gazed at each other, confused as to why their Master wished to go through with such a plan. Even if they still served him, they were much unlike the Deku Scrubs that had led the man in black to the Kokiri Forest. "But Master," one of the figures questioned. Despite their shadowy appearance, the voice sounded like that of a child. "Do you think this will bring him back?"

"Absolutely," the larger shape answered. "He will come for her. And when he does, you are to lead him here to me. Now, go!" he ordered, the smaller beings at his command scattering, ready to complete their mission. "Ganondorf made a mistake not killing the child when he had the chance," he mused aloud. "And I failed to accomplish that task when that boy first entered the forest," the being then grinned, a twisted mouth that bore a wicked smile, much unlike the gentle face of the Great Deku Tree. For this being was anything but benevolent. "I shall not make that mistake again."

Lon Lon Ranch

"I still can't believe you act like meeting the Princess isn't a big deal," Malon told Link, the boy with her in a small storage house, barrels and various wooden containers housing various items for consumption. "You realize that seeing her is probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Link tilted his head. True, Princess Zelda seemed like a nice enough girl, even if she was a little haughty and believed she had authority over others, his mind was still on the girl he had spent the day in Castle Town with. The girl with short, blonde hair and a pink dress, the one he had shared food and time with, who had shown him around. Even if he didn't know her that well, the boy fondly remembered the short while he had spent with her. Even now, he still wondered where she was. If she lived in the Castle, then, when he returned to the Princess with the Stones, maybe he could see her again.

Assuming that she even wanted to see him. At least, she seemed to be happy whenever she was with him. Or maybe he was looking too deep into it. Nevertheless, Link felt warm as he dwelt on his interactions with Gris. It was probably just a silly fantasy, yet he hoped she would be just as happy to see him as well.

"Well, the Princess wasn't the only one we saw at the Castle," Navi said, flying close by Link as the redheaded girl looked through the products available in the storage house. "We saw who I think was the King, along with some people the Princess said came from the desert."

"Oh," Malon said, voice becoming less enthusiastic. "You must've seen the Gerudo."

Yes, that was what they were called, Link thought. Still, Malon didn't seem to have a high regard for them. No one around him seemed to. "Well, we've heard things about them," Navi told the redhead. "But we don't know that much about them as a whole."

"There's not much to know," Malon answered, opening a barrel and revealing strange slabs of red material Link had never seen before. The smell of salt was strong, and the slabs were coated in white crystals. Just what were they, Link wondered. His focus was brought back to Malon upon hearing her speak more. "They're from the desert, and they're a cursed, filthy people," she said. "Never associate with them."

Link was shocked upon hearing this. "That's...a little mean...isn't it?" he asked the girl. True, he didn't have much knowledge of the Gerudo, but from what he had seen, they didn't look bad.

"That's a compliment," Malon told the boy, reaching into the barrel to retrieve a red, soft cut of meat, preserved by the coating of salt. "You're from the forest, Fairy Boy, so, forgive me, but you don't know anything," she told him. "The Gerudo are a vicious, brutal tribe that take no prisoners and are more willing to slit your throat than allow you a moment to plead for mercy."

The boy went quiet upon hearing this. "They...kill people?" he asked.

"They're good at it, too," Malon said. "They may just look like women, but they're anything but. Their bodies are strong, just as strong as any Hylian man, perhaps even more so. Their strength is near supernatural, and they craft strange and deadly weapons to use against their enemies. Weapons that are laced with poison to prolong the suffering of those that dare oppose them."

Link looked at Navi, who appeared just as stunned to hear this. "Goodness," she muttered. "Are they that bad?"

"Oh, that's nothing, just wait until you hear what they do when they decide it's time to breed." the young girl said, handing a slab of meat to Link. "Hold this for me, please. I need to get a few more if you're going to be eating with us," still, even as she went through the barrel, gathering salted meat, she continued expressing her distaste for the desert people. "I assume that you already know if you're asking about them, but the Gerudo, save for one man every one-hundred years, are all women. And, as far as I know, none of them have lived that long, but since there are no men among them, they sneak into Hyrule to find those willing to...well, you know."

"Know what?" Link asked.

Malon stared wide-eyed at him, then she looked at Navi. "I'm still trying to get him to learn."

"Yeah, well," Malon continued. "Either way, they come to Hyrule, then go back, and have babies of their own. But, again, they're all girls, so until a King is born, they have to continue this practice until he comes."

Link then studied Malon's appearance, noting her bright, red hair. The same hair he had seen flowing from the dark-skinned people's heads. "But...what about you?" he asked, gesturing to her hair. "Aren't you...a Gerudo?"

Malon whirled around, shocking Link with her angered expression. "I am NOT one of those people," she told him, voice low and almost a growl. "See?" she then presented her ears. "I have the mark of a Hylian, and belong to that race. My skin is light, and my eyes are blue, I look nothing like them," she then sighed, simmering down. "I know my hair may look a little like theirs," she then paused. "Red hair is perfectly natural."

In Link's opinion, her hair was almost just as red as those two women he had seen. But still, he didn't understand why having red hair was a bad thing. He thought Malon's hair looked pretty.

"Well, anyway," Navi began, changing the subject. It was clear Malon was uncomfortable talking about the Gerudo. "Just what is in this barrel?"

"Huh? Oh, it's just pork," the ranch girl answered. "We salted it a few months ago, so we need to use it before it spoils," she then turned back to Link, some meat covered in salt also in her hands. "Ok, hold these," she then handed what she held to Link to carry. "I'm going to see what vegetables we have."

She then went off to search the other barrels and boxes, Link continuing to hold the salted meat. Was this what meat felt like to hold? Honestly, it felt rather gross, Link thought. But, as he stared at the meat in his hands, he then remembered what Malon said this specific meat was. "This is...pork, right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," Malon said, grabbing a few items Link recognized: carrots, onions, parsnips, all things he had grown in the Kokiri Forest. Or, at least, attempted to. "We got a few pigs, so we can always rely on them for food," she then sighed. "Still, I miss Arnie."

"Arnie?" Navi asked. "Who's Arnie?"

"A pig we had," Malon said. "You do know pork comes from pigs, right?" she asked Link and fairy.

"Yeah," Link answered with a nod. "Just like how apples come from trees," Malon merely stared at him, unable to believe what she had just heard. Just how ignorant was this boy? "Where's Arnie now?"

Did he seriously not know? "Uh," the redheaded girl's blue eyes shifted to the side, her mind trying to conjure up an answer. "He...he ran away," she told him. "Yeah, that's right. He ran away, and he's been missing since."

"Oh," Link said, slightly dejected. "Sorry."

"It's fine. It's just...something that happens," Malon answered. "Anyway, let's go get this fried and chopped up," she said, carrying an armload of vegetables, Link following her out of the storage house. "I've also got to make some bread for tonight too, so I'll need your help with that."

"Bread?" Link asked.

Malon stopped and looked at Navi. "I don't know what that is either," she said. "But I have a feeling that you're going to be explaining things to him ALL night."

"You know," Malon responded, eyeing Link, who was gazing at the horses still running in the pasture. "I can tell you have your hands full with him," she said. "Still," she smiled as she glanced at the blonde boy, who was still fascinated by the larger, four-legged animals prancing through the grass. "He seems like an ok kid."

"Oh, he is," Navi answered, smiling in Link's direction, the boy completely oblivious that the fairy and ranch girl were discussing him. "But...I just worry about what's ahead."

"What do you mean?" Malon asked.

"Well, we have to collect the Three Spiritual Stones for the Princess," the fairy said. "And, to do that, we'll probably have to go to some dangerous places. Places with dangerous terrain and foul creatures," her face became awash with worry. "And...I still don't know if he's prepared for that."

Malon studied the still clueless boy and found Navi's fears somewhat justified. While she didn't entirely understand what his journey would entail, the red-haired girl suspected that it wouldn't be an easy one. If anything, she would've been surprised if there weren't danger somewhere along the way. The question was, whether or not it would be dangerous that he could conquer. After all, even if he had that sword, the boy in green was still just that.

A boy.

Later

So, this was what a house looked like on the inside. Link surveyed the enclosing walls and wooden floor, the beams supporting the foundation of the home, as well as adding to the rustic but homely feel of the residence. Currently, Link stood over what appeared to be a strange, circular object of black that held the salted pork over a freshly lit fire, the boy's pointed ears hearing the sound of the meat sizzling and growing darker the longer it rested over the fire. A particular scent began to emit from the pork being roasted, one that made Link's mouth water with anticipation.

"Don't go drooling over it just yet," Malon told him. "You still have a dough you need to roll."

Oh, right! Question was, how did he roll dough? There was a lump of soft, cold substance Link likened to clay that he was supposed to roll, but into what? A circle? It was pretty round already, but he could try to make it rounder.

Malon watched as the boy tried to shape the dough into a sphere, puzzled by just what he was doing. "Uh...ok, just...keep doing that," she told him. She then went over to a pot that contained boiling vegetables in a broth, the stew thickening with each passing minute. "So, what do you eat in the forest?" the girl asked. "After all, if you don't know what bread is, I take it that you've never used a stove before either, let alone cooked anything."

"I have!" Link protested. "I...I've cooked before."

"Like what?" Malon asked. Even if she thought the boy just didn't want to admit he didn't have much experience, she was genuinely curious as to what the Kokiri ate and how they prepared their meals.

"Well," Navi took over, noticing that Link's tic regarding speech was kicking in again. Seeing that she would speak for him, the boy in green went back trying to shape the dough. "The Kokiri mostly grew vegetables and fruit, but when it came to eating them, there were a variety of methods we ate what we produced."

Ok, Link thought. So far, so good. He had nearly gotten the dough into a perfect ball. The question was, just how was this thing going to be made into bread? Whatever that was.

"Like what?" Malon questioned.

"We grow different crops in different seasons. For example, Saria gave Link some radishes she pickled,"

"Wait, you have radishes?" Malon asked. Link nodded, having momentarily stopped messing with the dough. "Do you mind if I see them?" the boy agreed and retrieved the jar of preserved vegetables from the sack underneath his shield. She opened the jar and took a small bite out of one of the thin slices of radish, pleasantly surprised by the flavor. "Hm," she hummed in satisfaction. "Not bad," she then looked at the boiling pot, then at the blonde boy. "Do you mind if I experiment a little? I think these would compliment the pottage well."

Pottage? Oh, so that was what she making! Even if pottage was, once again, something Link was unfamiliar with, if it contained vegetables, he could offer some help! Nodding with approval, Malon began to put the thin slices of pickled radish into the pot, excited about the new flavor they would add to the broth.

"Your friend pickled these?" Malon asked Link, taking another bite out of a thin slice of radish. "Saria, wasn't it?" she asked. Link nodded in response. "Is she a Kokiri too?"

"Y-Yeah," Link said. "She's my...friend," he said. Truthfully, she was his only friend since he first sprouted from the Great Deku Tree's seed in the Lost Woods.

"Speaking of, if I can ask, how are the Kokiri born?" the Hylian girl questioned. "I mean, do you have, well a mom or dad?"

Link thought about this for a moment. "Well, no," he answered. "We...only have one...parent."

"Oh? Who's that?" Malon questioned.

Link then grew silent, expression growing solemn. Malon began to regret asking, yet before she could speak, Navi answered for Link once again. "Every Kokiri is born from a seed produced by the Great Deku Tree," the fairy explained to the ranch girl. "There's a story behind it, or, at least from what I've been told."

"Oh?" the redhead questioned. "Like what?"

"Well," Navi began. Link had heard this story too, yet Malon was completely unaware. It wasn't known outside of the Forest Guardian's domain. "Once, the Great Deku Tree was all alone, and he only had the company of the animals and Deku Scrubs."

"Deku Scrubs?"

"They're walking bushes," Navi clarified. "At least, that's the best way to describe them. They don't serve the Great Deku Tree or anyone that I know of. They just sort of live in the forest, and they might've been there even before the Great Deku Tree. No one knows," she said.

Anyway," she continued. "The Great Deku Tree grew lonely and saw how the animals and other creatures around him were able to have children. He then wished to have some of his own, so he produced several seeds and scattered them across the Lost Woods."

"And those seeds...grew into children?" Malon questioned, trying to process what the fairy was describing.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Navi answered. "Although, none of us fairies ever saw them before they suddenly all came to the Great Deku Tree. Since then, they established a community there, and, so far, it's been going on up until now."

"Sounds interesting," Malon then turned her attention back to Link. "Do you remember when you...sprouted?" she asked the boy.

Link pondered her question for a moment. Truthfully, he wasn't sure. For as long as he had known, he had always been in the presence of the Great Deku Tree. He didn't remember much, but there was a time when the child was the only one among the tree's children. Then, around when he was perhaps five or six, the others emerged and came to the meadow. That was when he had seen Saria for the first time, along with those such as Fado, the Know-it-All Brothers, the twins, and Flint.

And yes, even Mido.

When all the Kokiri made their way to the meadow, the Great Deku Tree produced homes for them all that they could fashion and shape as they wish, gave them fields to till and grow crops, and sources of water to drink and water their produce. Overall, despite the sense of social isolation he felt, Link enjoyed his home. It still stung that he still wouldn't be welcome back. Although, given the circumstances, he couldn't exactly blame the others.

After all, even if he didn't know it would lead to such a thing, the boy still planted the "seed" given to him.

"Hey, are you ok?"

Malon's voice brought Link back to reality. "Oh! Y-Yeah!" he answered. Then, he looked at the dough he had shaped into a near-perfect ball. He studied his work while Malon gazed at it, unsure of what to say.

"Ok..." the redhead said, biting her lip. "Good...but...maybe we can make it so that it'll fit in the oven?"

Deep within the Lost Woods

It was out of her control now, she was aware. Nevertheless, Saria couldn't get Link out of her mind.

"You still wish you could've gone with him, don't you?" the Kokiri girl's fairy asked her green-haired charge.

"If you're trying to convince me, it won't work," Saria told the green, glowing orb with wings. "I can't get involved in any way that isn't allowed, you know that," she gazed down at the ocarina in her hands. "The Cycle has to continue as intended. If interrupted in any way, who knows what could happen."

"Again with this Cycle," Compa said, the green fairy sighing. "Just why is it so important anyway? If anything, it seems to be doing nothing but causing you and everyone else distress."

Saria was quiet for a moment, staring at the ground. The sun was setting, and it would be dark soon. She would have to go back to the hamlet just to assure the others that she was ok. The last thing she needed was for someone to come out here, looking for her. Especially if that someone was Mido.

"The Cycle was never known for being kind to those that are involved, no matter how small a role they play," Saria told her winged companion. "And while the players will be supported by those around them, there will be collateral damage. Both to themselves, and those around them," she sighed. "Unfortunately, it can't be helped. It's been occurring since the world came into being, and it will continue long after that."

Compa was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Did the Great Deku Tree tell you this?"

"Yes," Saria nodded. "Before he...passed," she said. Even if she had accepted her parent's death, it didn't make the reality of the situation any less painful. "Only after Link turned ten did he say anything to me," Saria confessed. "It was then that he told me of a world that dwelt outside of the confines of these woods. A land where the stories we heard every night were not only true, they were still happening. And now," she sighed. "It's Link's turn."

Compa fluttered over to rest on her charge's shoulder, growing uneasy the longer the girl remained silent. "And...where does that leave you?"

Saria clutched the ocarina she had in her possession. An ocarina that was similar to the one she had provided Link. "For now, I'm the one that has to maintain the forest and keep the others safe from the forces outside," she told her fairy. "Although, I'm not too sure if I can do as good of a job as the Great Deku Tree," she then turned her attention to the exit of the Sacred Meadow. "And I think forces that were kept back before are going to emerge sooner than I would like."

She was unsure of what the future held for her or her friends, let alone the others that held no malevolent intent in the forest. But, whatever would happen in the future, she just hoped for her friend's safety. Still, even if she wasn't allowed, she did wish she could see him again.

If not just one more time.

Lon Lon Ranch

"Ok, I think it's ready!"

Link gazed at the wooden table set before him, the pot containing the boiled vegetables (and pickled radishes) in the center with four chairs available, all soon to be occupied by the residents of the ranch.

"Well?" Malon said, gesturing to a seat. "Sit anywhere you want."

She then took a seat, yet, to her shock, Link sat next to her, the corner of the table being the only thing separating them. "Oh," she said, noticing the short distance. "You...don't mind being this close to a girl?"

Link was puzzled. What did she mean, he hung out with Saria all the time, and she was a girl. Why would this be any different?

Navi glanced at Navi, who was sitting atop Link's shoulder. "I don't think he entirely gets it," she then sighed. He's still just a kid, but still, doesn't he know how a girl feels? Like, at all? Judging from his still-present confusion, she guessed not.

"What?" the boy asked, not entirely understanding Navi's frustration.

"You know what? You're hopeless." the fairy said. "Hero of the Kokiri or not, you've still got a LOT to learn outside of just this country's customs."

Hey, he was getting there! At least, he knew a lot more than when he first started! Before Link could come up with a retort, the door opened, allowing Ingo and Talon inside. "Mmm," the more stout, bearded man hummed in satisfaction. "That smells interesting," he said, taking a seat beside his daughter. "In a good way, though!"

"Good!" Malon then turned to Link. "My friend here helped out, so you owe him your thanks too."

"Oh?" Talon asked. "Well, here's hoping you compliment Malon's already excellent cooking," he said. He then sliced off a piece of bread, the loaf unusually round this time. He then studied the texture and color of the baked good. "What did you use to make this? I thought we were out of barely."

"We are," Malon answered. "While you were 'delivering milk' to the Castle," she said, putting quotations around "delivering milk." "I had to use acorn flour."

"Acorn flour again?" Ingo complained. "Bah! If someone here would pull his weight around, we'd have enough rupees to buy ourselves some proper wheat flour!"

"Please, Mr. Ingo! We have a guest!" Malon said although she made her statement sound more like a scolding. And, to Link's surprise, the man in green and pink hung his head as if he were a child that had gotten in trouble. "Besides, the mead I was making is finally ready, so I want Mr. Fairy Boy here to enjoy dinner with us."

"Yes, yes, but..." Ingo began to protest, but he knew it was useless. His complaints always fell on deaf ears. "I hate acorn bread."

"Well, the horses are always welcome to eat what you don't," Talon said. "Malon's right, cheer up!" he then began to gather some of the boiled vegetables and placed them on a slice of bread, along with a slab of fried pork. He then directed his attention to the boy across from him at the table.

Seeing that everyone else was gathering from the pot, Link waited for the bread to be passed to him. He was given a knife and cut off a thin slice before a spoonful of broiled and brothy vegetables with pickled radishes was placed atop it. And then, a slab of salted, fried pork sandwiched the pottage between the meat and bread, pressing the juices out and soaking into the slice of baked acorn flour. There were several unfamiliar yet intriguing scents hitting him all at once, and it only encouraged him to use his sense of taste to discern if he liked what his sense of smell found pleasing. While it was different, it certainly wasn't unwelcome.

The boiled carrots, onions, and parsnips were good on their own, yet the added flavor of the pickled radishes provided an unexpected kick to the broth, giving it a somewhat spicy taste. The salted pork was somewhat chewy, unlike what he had previously had with the pork pie, but its flavor was still just as savory and smoky. The bread in itself wasn't bad either. Somewhat dry and it had a bit of a bitter aftertaste, yet it didn't distract too much from the overall flavor of the combined items.

"Link, wasn't it? So, you're from the forest on the edge of Hyrule, right?" Talon asked, and the boy nodded. "Well, you must've come a long way, but still, what are you doing so far away from home?"

Link began to string together an answer, wishing to show Malon's father that he was capable of understanding his speech, much less speaking in response. "I'm...on an...assignment," he said. He silently sighed in relief, thankful he was able to get that part out without much issue. "From...the Great Deku Tree."

"Oh? Who's that?" Talon asked.

"Dad, hush!" Malon hissed, noticing Link's discomfort. "The point is, Link here is on a quest for the Princess to go to the different places in Hyrule and," she then looked at the boy and his fairy. "What did you say you needed to do?"

"For now, we just need to get to Kakariko Village," Navi answered, noticing Link struggling with his words again. "And then, we need to head for Death Mountain."

"Death Mountain?" Ingo raised a brow upon hearing this. "What business do you have going there?" he asked. "There's no one up there but those Gorons, dumb, lumbering oafs," he grumbled. "They're getting more and more territorial every day."

"Not to mention that's a pretty dangerous place for someone your age," Talon added. "Sorry, but I doubt they'd let a kid like you through the gate."

"That's why we've got the approval of the Princess herself," Navi answered. "Although, Impa did say that we might still have some problems..."

"Well, regardless, we'll be heading to Kakariko tomorrow, so we'll drop you off," Talon told the boy in green. "How's that sound?"

"G-Good," Link answered. "T-Thanks."

"Great! Now, since that's settled, I've got a question for you, young man," Link listened attentively. "It seems my girl here has taken a bit of a liking to you."

Malon's face grew as red as her flaming hair. "Dad!"

"Well, how would you like to marry her when you two get a little older?" Talon questioned.

"Marry?" Link questioned aloud.

"Don't listen to him, Link," Malon told the boy. "Dad, he's from the forest, He doesn't even know what marriage is."

"Ha! I'm kidding anyway!" Talon laughed heartily. "Still," he then grew quiet for a moment. "You...do think she's pretty, right? For a girl?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Link answered. Truth be told, he was somewhat unsure of what to say. "I...like her hair." he stammered, looking for a feature to compliment.

Well, at least he's not entirely hopeless. Navi thought. Then she noticed Malon's shock at Link's words, the girl examining the red fibers growing from her scalp.

"Do you think so?" the ranch girl asked the boy.

Link nodded, unsure of why such a statement held such weight. Mido and the twins had red hair as well, it was nothing unusual. Still, it appeared that the color wasn't well received in Hyrule. Did distaste for the Gerudo run that deep?

Malon temporarily hid her face, taken aback by the boy's words. "So, you're going to Death Mountain?" Ingo questioned. "So, you WANT to see those rock people?" Link nodded in response. "Well, good luck. Those guys are nothing more than stupid, lumbering fools," the bearded man scoffed. "But, personally, if there's one race that's worse than them those stinking fish from the rivers and Lake Hylia."

"Fish?" Link asked.

"Yeah, the Zoras," Ingo answered. "The Gorons may look weird, but Zoras just look disgusting."

"Disgusting?" Link questioned. He found that, despite being different himself as a Kokiri, the people of Hyrule didn't think too fondly of those around them that didn't match what they deemed a desirable appearance. Navi didn't say anything, but she seemed to pick up on this general attitude as well.

"They're walking, talking fish," Ingo explained, taking another bite of his meal. At least Malon's cooking made the acorn bread somewhat bearable. He still hated it though. "Their skin is all clammy and slimy, they have gills just like fish, and their faces all look different from each other."

"How so?" Navi asked, crossing her arms.

"Some of them have faces that look like ours while others look like their neighbors. Of whom they eat without issue." the pink and green-dressed man told the boy. "True, WE eat fish, but at least they don't look like us."

"Well, you do have a point there," Talon added. "They're not bad people. They're just very...strange."

"They're also dangerous!" Ingo exclaimed. "I swear, I was traveling by the river one day, and one of those freaks was looking at him from under the water!" he then grimaced. "I swear it had four eyes and a gaping mouth. That thing probably was just waiting for me to come over so it could drown me."

"Zoras don't drown people, Mr. Ingo," Malon said. "At least, they haven't last I've heard."

"There are plenty of places they could hide the bodies," Ingo whispered.

"Please, people are eating here!" Malon lectured. Despite her age, it was clear that her word held power over the two older men. Link was both intimidated and impressed.

"Yeah," Talon agreed. "I want to enjoy Arnie one last time before we use up all the meat."

Link was puzzled, raising a brow. "Arnie?" he asked. "The pig?" he didn't understand. Nor did he understand the terrified look that came over Malon's face, as if he had discovered something he wasn't supposed to know.

"Yeah, Arnie," Talon answered. "Where do you think these pork chops came from?"

"Dad..." the ranch owner's daughter shifted her eyes, urging her father to stop.

"He was a good pig, but the season came around and, well, we would need something to fix for the colder days," Talon said, continuing, despite his daughter's protests. "Although considering his size, I didn't expect his meat to be so tender. I was worried we had chopped him up into slices too thick to be preserved."

Wait a minute. Chopped up? Like, with something sharp? "W-What?" Link asked. Was he hearing what he thought he was? Had he been eating...?!

"Yeah, don't you know? Meat comes from animals," the bearded red and blue-dressed man told the green-clad boy. "Nothing goes to waste, we used every bit of Arnie when he took him to the slaughterhouse."

Slaughterhouse?! That sounded like a terrible place, but then Link remembered where Malon had taken him. There was a smaller building beside the storage, yet they didn't go inside. According to her, he wouldn't have been interested in what was inside. Arnie was killed in there?!

"Smoked ham and pork chops are good, but I was surprised at how good the bacon was," Talon explained. "Not to mention the juicy fat off from his back."

"Dad, stop!" Malon pleaded, but her father remained obvious, continuing to detail all that had happened to Arnie. All the while, Link's expression slowly transformed into one of pure horror.

"But I think my favorite is the sausages we made," the man further relayed to Link. "You'd be surprised at how well pig intestines are at keeping those things intact."

That did it. Link found his body shutting down and the world going black. Before anyone could react, Navi found gravity taking hold of her before she stopped herself from falling. But her charge wasn't so lucky. He fell to the floor, mind racing with the horrific details he had heard, still trying to process what he had just done to Arnie.

"I guess he's not interested in how we boiled his hooves to make pork pies," Talon muttered.

Note: Sorry if those details were a little gross, but I wanted to show Link's naivety, but he's not stupid. He's just ignorant, but he's learning.

I intend on expanding on the Gerudo theory regarding Malon, as I've got a way to implement it into the narrative, as well as her character. While this is a ZeLink story, I do like MaLink too. But she doesn't do much in the game, so I'm making her have a bigger role.

As to what was eaten at dinner, poorer folks in the 13th-14th century were forced to work with what they had, and that meant a lot of preserved meats and veggies. The bread was a staple part of any meal, but those not in nobility usually had access to more limited ingredients, thus, they made bread out of anything they could find. There's a type of bread that was called horse bread that was considered cheap and one of the lowest forms of peasant food.

Regardless, most working-class people were healthier than their richer rulers.

Also, the question as to what was in the stable with baby Epona will be answered in the next chapter, so stay tuned!

Thank you all for reading, yet reviews are the best encouragement I can get, as it gives me insight into what you think and want from me. So, if you have something to say, please feel free to do so.

Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed it!