Legends of the Hero of Time

by Ryan-Sinclair

Following the events of Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask, Link struggles to adapt to a civilian lifestyle. His obsession with his mission leads him to need to be rescued by Malon. The bond the two develop after helps him accept his new fate. However, his destiny remains uncertain as he must contend with a conniving Ganondorf, an army of Gerudo, and the consequences of Zelda's spell.

35. Chapter 33

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Due to the developing sexual content, Link and Malon will likely be aged up by about a year and a half. Thank you kindly for reading.

---

.

Chapter 33

.

.

.

[Time: 9:45 P.M. (Night)]

[Date: Month 8 'Autumn', Day 14, 8th Era]

(Location: Hyrule, Central Hyrule Field, Lon Lon Ranch - Farmhouse)

.

Talon laid on his bed in his room upstairs. All the chores for the day had been completed, the sun had gone down, the family had dinner and now the heavyset farmer was doing things he had recently been putting off. He had several articles of clothing that needed mending. Most of his shirts were fixed, so he was focused on sewing the tears on his daughter's dress. It wasn't as easy as his garments, but since it was made by his wife/her mother and holds a special place in Malon's heart, he wanted to repair it as best he could.

Being that it was as quiet as it was, he was deep in thought about everything that had happened to him and his loved ones during the previous few years. He still missed his beautiful wife more than anything in the world, however the beloved baby they had conceived together was officially grown into a blossoming young woman. Thankfully, Ingo stuck around like he promised, opening up as he aged and even helping take care of the place. But, now that Link was there to lend a hand, Talon felt even safer, especially since the boy had gone as far as to rescue his child from kidnappers. If Najiyah were still alive, he knew she'd be proud, proud of all of them for what they had accomplished.

Jabbing the sewing needle into the cream-coloured fabric, he pulled the thread through in advance of backstitching. He sewed directly over the tear, making sure to catch both sides. When he accidentally poked his finger, his thick calluses prevented it from puncturing the skin. The man kept going until he had mended one of the many rips.

Placing the sewing needle between his teeth, he held it there with his lips. After snipping and tying the string, he tested the fresh repair. Rustling the incredibly soft fabric, he watched it flex back and forth without popping the newly added thread. This satisfied him that the sturdiness of the stitching was decent. He smirked at his improved skills and was just about to move on to the next laceration whenever he heard three soft knocks coming from his bedroom door.

"Yep?" He asked on impulse while placing the dress down on his big bed.

"Daddy?" Malon's voice called to him from the other side of the door. "Can I come in?"

Clearing his throat, he took the sewing needle out of his mouth prior to placing it on his nightstand. He wasn't sure what she wanted, but he was always there for her. "A'course, pum'kin. Come on in."

The door creaked open to reveal Malon wearing her off-white long-sleeve cotton nightgown. She had a light blush on her cheeks accompanied by a protruding lower lip. A few bruises ruined her otherwise pristine body. Fortunately, the red handprint from being slapped had nearly faded from her milky skin.

"What's wrong?" He asked upon seeing her pout. "Ya need ta git ready fer' bed. Don't forget, we gotta be up at the castle in the mornin'."

His daughter slowly approached him. "I know, but I can't sleep."

Picking up her dress, he placed it on the nightstand in advance of opening the drawer and removing a small metal tin of healing salve. Then, he gave the side of the bed a pat. "Come 'ere. Tell me what's on yer' mind."

Malon walked up to and then climbed up onto the bed with her father. She wanted to talk to him, but on the other hand, she was almost too embarrassed to discuss the silly thing that was troubling her. "It's just-... well… It-... It's hard to p-put into words." Her cheeks blushed a bit more as she nervously tapped her index fingers together.

Talon looked at her with a mildly confused expression. No matter the few obvious guesses, he had absolutely no clue what the girl was acting so bashful about. Regardless of that, he twisted open the small metal tin and used his index and middle finger to scoop out a generous glob of the reddish-brown healing salve. While taking the opportunity to gently apply it to his daughter's purple bruises, he responded to her anxiety by saying "Ya came in 'ere 'thout knowin' what's botherin' ya?"

She pursed her lips as he thoroughly rubbed the medicine into her cheek. "I do know! It's just-... Uggh!"

"Be still." He told her as he made sure the salve soaked into her skin.

"I-... I love him so much, Daddy." She blurted out.

Huffing a chuckle, he cleared his throat again prior to asking "Link?"

"Yes, Link! Who else would I be talkin' about!?" Malon scoffed, her cheeks becoming a warm crimson colour.

"Alrigh', Alrigh'. Calm yer'self." He stifled a chuckle at how adorable his daughter was when madly swooning over her precious boyfriend. Even though it was definitely cute, he was gradually beginning to take it more seriously as the blooming romance she was in meant that she was no longer the immature child who wanted nothing to do with boys. The relationship between boy and girl was moving quickly. So, no matter how uncomfortable it might be to discuss, as her father, it was his duty to properly nurture her growth. "Why ya so 'cited?"

Malon held out her arm as he applied medicine to the bruises on her limbs. She looked away as she struggled to answer. "I-... I don't know." Obviously she didn't want to talk about how hot the hero made her body, especially in her loins. With that in mind, she tried to explain it in a different way. "He just makes me feel complete. Whenever I'm around him lately, I just-... I just want to kiss him."

"O-Oh?" Talon's cheeks flushed lightly upon hearing his little girl talk about smacking lips with a boy. As awkward as it was for him, he thought more about what Nabooru said; about how his daughter was starting to go through early puberty. He knew that being part gerudo meant that she was maturing faster than the other hylian children. Because of that, he had ruefully accepted that she and her boyfriend would eventually be experimenting. Yet he didn't expect her to already be mentally and physically lusting after someone at her current age.

Even though he wasn't going to tell her, he was sure new parts of her were awakening and Link was there for her to explore them with. "That's normal, hon'."

"It is?" She looked at him with curious eyes.

Talon scooped another glob of healing salve while nervously chuckling. "Yep. Ya love em'." Trying to lighten the mood a bit, he said "What, ya think I ain't seen ya both makin' out all the time?"

His attempt backfired as he only made the girl more embarrassed. She grabbed her knees and pulled them up to her chest, holding them there as she hid the lower half of her face. "B-But, is it normal to want to kiss him all the time? I can't stop thinking about him, ever since he-..."

For a split second, she saw a horrible mental image of herself drowning. She saw herself frantically grasping for the surface and the multitude of air bubbles spilling out of her mouth, engulfing her. Instead of getting upset, she immediately moved on to when she was resuscitated, when she came to while witnessing Link hovering above her. Recalling his facial expression, his look of pure relief upon seeing her alive, for some reason it made her quiver with immense delight that he longed for her in such a way. Despite not having much experience, she could tell that he adored her to the point that he felt his life was going to be miserable without her.

"Malon?" Talon asked whenever he noticed her contemplation.

Looking at him, she impulsively shared what she'd kept secret. "I-… I died."

Not understanding what she meant, the heavyset farmer cocked his head with bushy furrowed eyebrows. "What ya talkin' 'bout?"

"Daddy-..." Malon's lips quivered. "I drowned-... I drowned in Lake Hylia."

"W-What?!" Talon exclaimed in a bewildered panic.

Tears welled up in the farmgirl's reddened eyes as she remembered the awful ordeal. A lump formed in her throat, making it painful when she tried to swallow. Her hands trembled from the overload of anxiety.

She didn't want to talk about it yesterday, but she knew she had to tell him and now was as good of a time as any. "After I got pushed into the river and Link jumped in to save me, we drifted all the way to the Great Lake Region. Except, the powerful current ripped me away when we went down the waterfalls leading into Lake Hylia." The girl started to cry as she told him "I went underwater and I-... I-..."

"What are ya tryin' ta say?" Talon gripped her arm tighter than he meant to.

Seeing how she didn't want to wake anybody up, she held back from loudly bawling. Because she was speaking in-between sobs, it was difficult for her to explain what happened. "I'm saying that I drowned! But, Link saved me! He brought me back to life!"

Talon looked as if all of the blood drained from his body. His jaw tensed up, his breathing deepened and his face went incredibly pale in response to what he was hearing. Although he knew that she had been seriously traumatized and even sustained minor injuries from the kidnappers, he had no clue that she had also gone through something so harrowing. Part of him was despondent while the other part was curious.

"Why?" He asked with a wavering voice as he referred to Link. "Why'd he not tell me 'bout this yesterday?"

"Because, at the time, hearing him recount it would've made me sick!" She sucked up the snot dripping from her nose.

"Pum'kin, that's somethin' I need ta know 'bout!" Talon grumbled in frustration as well as being filled with anxiety. "Ya cain't just not tell me!"

"I'm telling you now!" She cried.

Talon closed his eyes and sighed. No matter how upset he was that she purposely delayed telling him such an awful thing, his paternal instinct began to kick-in. He couldn't stand to hear his cherished daughter wail in misery. Instincts forced him to bring the girl into a loving embrace, laying her head on his shoulder as he hugged her. Afterward, he gave her back several gentle pats to let her know that she was going to be okay, especially now that she was home safe and sound.

"It's alright. Yer' gonna be alrigh'." He told her as he kissed the side of her head and held her close to him.

Malon sniveled with teary blood-shot eyes. "It was horrible!" In spite of not wanting to discuss it, she knew she needed to tell her father in order to get it off of her chest and him off her shoulders. With an intense tremble that went down her entire spine, she told him "It was so bad that I blocked it out of my mind. Yet, I'm remembering now. I can remember holding my breath until I felt like my lungs were about to explode. I kept going back and forth between grasping for the surface and clawing at my own throat in some misguided attempt to get more air." She whimpered before continuing with tears rolling down her cheeks. "W-When I couldn't hold my breath anymore, I just-... I… I sucked in cold water!"

"By the goddesses." Talon's neck muscles twitched from the heightened stress.

"Everything went black!" She lamented on the event before her eyes abruptly widened with a sparkle of amazement glimmering in them. "Then-… Then I woke up with Link on top of me!"

Talon shut his eyes tightly as a tear of his own dripped from his chin. He couldn't believe what he was hearing in regards to his child drowning, however he also was in a state of stupified awe that the hylian boy he had graciously taken in had gone so far as to genuinely resurrect his daughter. Thinking about the circumstances caused his pulse to increase. Not only was the farmer lucky to have a male adolescent that was willing to work, the kid became his girl's boyfriend, protected her and even brought her back to life.

Had the man refused to give the hero a place to live, it's possible he'd be burying his last family member right now.

Upon opening his frightened eyes, he started to speak, but his voice cracked. "He brou-..." He had to stop to re-gather his composure. Clearing his throat, he then proceeded to try again. "He brought you back to life?"

Malon blushed from the embarrassment, yet it made no difference as her cheeks were already toastily flushed from being so distraught. "He said he sucked the water out of my lungs."

Talon placed his hand over his mouth in utter shock. Dismally shaking his head, he shed a few more salty tears at what he was hearing. Because of the sheer apprehension, his thoughts were going too fast to capture. While he was rightfully shaken to know that his baby girl had truly drowned and was on the edge of departing from this cruel world for good, he was also staggered at what Link was capable of doing. Link had held to the promise of rescuing Malon to the point that he brought her back from clammy hands of death itself.

He was troubled to find himself wanting to worship someone who hadn't even reached maturity yet, but it was the truth. Such respect began making him hold the hero in the highest of regards. Talon couldn't help other than to see the boy as a paragon prodigy that had been personally selected by the Golden Goddesses. So, even as overwhelmed as he was, he was also stricken by relief that his daughter had her own guardian angel.

"A-Are you angry?" Malon suddenly asked.

Clearing his throat, he furrowed his brow. "Mad? No, no. A'course not. Why'd I be mad at ya?"

"Not me." Malon sniffled as she wiped away the tears. "I'm talking about Link. Are you mad at him for not telling you? Please don't be. I promise, he was just trying to make me comfortable."

"Nah-..." Talon quickly replied. "I ain't mad at em'." No matter the fact that he still had tears forming in his eyes, after forcing a soft chuckle, he then proceeded to say "I just spent me a fortune on avin' a room built for em'. Hearin' this, I wanna 'ave a whole house built."

Out of nowhere and without any perceivable provocation, Malon started crying again. She hyperventilated while tightening her grip on her caring father and sobbing into his broad shoulder. Her unbalanced emotions were going haywire. Every muscle in her body was twitching from the agitation repeatedly shocking her brain. The only way to stop herself from wailing was by chewing on her lip, yet she still whined with the biggest frown she'd ever displayed.

She didn't express why she was freaking out again, so Talon was beginning to get upset as well.

Thankfully, she finally said what was bothering her, what she really came in to talk to her dad about. "I want to marry him, Daddy!"

"What?" Talon's jaw metaphorically hit the floor.

"I want to marry him!" She repeated in-between sobs. "He's so handsome and smart. When I'm with him, I feel this sensation of completeness! Please!"

The farmer pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't necessarily frustrated, however he was definitely taken aback by his daughter's sudden admission of desire. It was a bit embarrassing to hear, nonetheless, since she was so young, it was also rather humorous to see her fretting over such a trivial matter. "Darlin', yer' too young ta git married."

"I don't care!" She declared with a quivering tone of sadness. "You always teased us about it, now I want it!"

"Teasin', Malon-..." He pointed out the terminology to her. "I was teasin' ya both."

Inhaling a deep breath to try and clear the fog in his mind, he briefly contemplated not only what she was saying, but what she was going through as well. Although it was certainly true that she and Link were too young to wed, he wasn't going to tell her that he was against it as it would only devastate the poor girl; plus it would be a lie to say they weren't a perfect match. He understood that the boy was her saviour and that she was smitten with him. He knew that she couldn't be in safer hands than with the hero who proved he'd go above and beyond to do what it took to rescue her.

Unfortunately, he also knew that it was their first relationship.

As mixed up as his own feelings were, he managed to formulate a proper response. "There's a big process ya gotta go through. It ain't like ya can snap yer' fingers an' be married."

"Tell me!" She exclaimed with wide curious eyes. Although she was being told that she wasn't ready for the responsibilities, she was seriously motivated to conquer any requirement that stood in the way of her dream.

"What?" The man was temporarily left speechless.

Pulling back from the hug so that she could look eye-to-eye with her dad, she then repeated herself. "I wanna know what has to be done for Link and I to get married!"

"Yer' too young ta git married, darlin'." He tried to get his point across.

"Please-..." Malon sniffled and begged. "Just tell me."

Rolling his eyes at her relentlessness, following a sigh, he gave up resisting. The two kids were still too young, no matter how defiantly she tried to argue against that fact. However, he figured it wouldn't hurt to at least tell her how the process works. It was actually worth it if it helped her calm down. "Well, firs' of all, I'd 'ave ta meet with his family an' we'd 'ave ta discuss then agree on the benefits of ya'll bein' together." Scratching the side of his head, he announced "Since he ain't got no family, I'm guessin' we'd skip that part though an' just 'ave an honest discussin'."

"He does too have a family." Malon reminded her father. "The Great Deku Tree and the kokiri are his family."

"Oh yeah." The farmer chuckled lightly. "That's true. So, that means I'd hafta go meet em' an' talk 'bout it when the time comes."

Sucking up the last of the sinus fluid that was dripping from her nostrils, she wiped under her nose in advance of instantly changing mood. Beaming a smile at the aspect, she mentioned "They all love me, they'd totally approve of us being married!"

Holding up his hand to let her know that she needed to slow down, he told her. "That ain't it. There's other stuff too." Unfortunately, he immediately realized the mistake of telling her more.

The farmgirl's interest in the matter made her desperately want to know everything pertaining to the subject. Now that she wasn't hugging her father, she clasped her hands together in a display of intense desire to know everything there was to know about being wed to another. "Anything, I can do it!"

"It ain't like that, darlin'." He hated to rain on her parade, but since she wanted to know the truth, he was going to make sure that she got it. "Ya've already done all there is ta do. After that, it's outta yer' hands."

"What do you mean?" She inquired.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Talon told her. "Ya both'll hafta' go find ya a priest in Castle Town ta seek out approval from the church. They gotta make sure ya'lls union ain't in violation of any kinda clerical laws."

"What kind of laws?" Malon essentially interrogated her dad to learn all she could.

"Usually basic stuff." Talon stated. "For one, ya' gotta at least be fourteen."

The farmgirl's expression was immediately dulled by her frown. Most of the fire flickering in her eyes was extinguished upon hearing there was an actual age requirement. However, the desire burning inside her was too great to be totally snuffed out. Instead, it smoldered prior to reigniting. She knew it wasn't hopeless. All that she had to do was wait a few more years until she grew up.

In the meantime, she demanded to know if there was anything else she could work on. "What else?"

"Ya both gotta agree to it-..." He started to explain.

She interrupted by declaring "We would! I know we would! I love him and he loves me!"

"An' pay for a marriage license-..." He tried to resume.

"We can pay!" Malon butted in yet again.

Talon held his index finger up to his daughter's quivering lips in order to hush the frantic girl. Now that she couldn't interject, he proceeded to mention the rest of the regulations that he could remember from when he got married. "Ya gotta git married in a church, by a priest. Ya also gotta ave' a witness. Now, I'm sure there's plenty I ain't rememberin', but those are the main requirements." Pulling his hand away, he asked "Satisfied?" With a chuckle, he then said "'Cause ya ain't gettin' married for a while. Yer' too young."

Wiping the tears away from her eyes, she nodded even though her lower lip poked out from pouting. "Yeah."

"Why ya poutin?" He asked her. "I didn't say ya cain't ever, just not right now."

Sniffling, she turned and laid on the pillow with her face buried in the plush cotton. "I just love him so much!"

"Darlin', ya need ta calm down." He rubbed her heaving back as she fought back more tears.

"I can't!" She hyperventilated as her mind presented to her a slideshow of memories, each individual snapshots of the times she'd spent with her beloved boyfriend. Her body began to heat up in response to her thoughts being sent on overdrive. More than anything, she wanted to run into Link's new room and passionately make-out with him. She wanted to feel him completely pressed against her and not being able to do that was creating rabid butterflies in her stomach. "I can't stop thinking about him!"

Talon was flustered to hear his little girl lusting for the boy asleep down the hallway. He really wished his wife was around to help explain the budding feelings better than he could. It pained him to not have Najiyah, yet he knew he still had at least one woman in his life who could help.

Following an extensive sigh, he said "I'm thinkin' it's past due for yer' aunt ta be payin' us a visit."

.

.

[Time: 6:35 A.M. (Morning)]

[Date: Month 8 'Autumn', Day 15, 8th Era]

(Location: Hyrule, Central Hyrule Field, Lon Lon Ranch - Farmhouse)

.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Malon said to a sleeping Link, who was resting in his newly constructed add-on room to the farmhouse.

Her sweet voice cut through the boy's fading dream of parkour climbing the Great Deku Tree while everybody happily cheered him on. The first thing he did was shut and moisten his open mouth. Although he usually slept pretty well in the loft of the barn, he had totally slept like a newborn baby in his new room. Even without a proper bed, just a bear pelt on a small pile of hay, it was so peaceful not hearing animal noises that he was unconscious as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Gradually creaking open his eyes, he coughed up a bit of morning phlegm. Seeing his beloved girlfriend there kneeling beside him in her off-white long-sleeve nightgown, he then smiled at her. Regardless of it being so early, to him, she had managed to do the impossible as she looked positively radiant. Her hair was already neatly brushed, her smile was sparkling with perfection, her breath fresh and eyes full of energy. Both her flawless form as well as her goddess-like aura made his awakening a pleasant one.

Because he had a joyous dream, he woke up in a good mood. For that reason, he decided to tease her. He pulled the pelt up further and then turned away from her, onto his other side. Pretending to groan, he said "You again? Give me another hour, please."

Malon knew he was playing around, so she audibly gasped and began to repeatedly poke him in the back with her finger. "How about, no?" She giggled. "You know we gotta go to Hyrule Castle this morning."

Link arched his back as she poked him. A smile formed on his lips. He chuckled as he tried to hide underneath the covers to avoid being prodded. "Maybe I just want us to stay here together and enjoy ourselves."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile plastered on her lips. "You just wanna sleep more."

"Yeah, And?" He jested with her.

Since he obviously wanted to do things the hard way, the farmgirl laid down over and across him so that she could look at his handsome face. "Maybe I should tickle you until you're up on your feet?"

"You wouldn't dare." Link smirked.

"Oh, I'd dare." Malon smirked back at him. "I'd dare."

"Then I dare you." He lifted his eyebrows as if to tempt her.

Her mouth dropped open in imaginary disbelief. She couldn't believe that he was playing hard to get, but she had no trouble going the distance if she had to. Considering that, she reached up and gently tickled his right side. "What, like this?!"

"No!" Link laughed as he thrashed. "Stop!"

"I thought this is what you wanted?!" Malon giggled as she relentlessly tickled him.

Link kicked his feet and flailed his arms with a big grin. Although he wouldn't have minded a few extra minutes to rest, he was definitely wide awake now. The sensation of being tickled perked him up better than a cup of gerudo coffee. He didn't know who else was awake, but couldn't help other than to laugh loudly. "M-Malon! I was just kidding!" Was all that he could come up with in an attempt to get her to stop. "I was kidding!"

"Nu-uh!" The redhead refused to believe him. Her fingers danced their way up the boy's side, to his neck, where they proceeded to playfully swirl atop his sensitive bare skin.

Laughing louder, he tried to curl into a fetal position to get away from her. "Malon!"

"Where ya goin'?" She joked as she pursued him with more tickling.

"I'm outta here!" Link laughed as he completely hid beneath the covers.

Pursing her lips, Malon chortled. "Oh, you think you can escape me that easily?" After crossing her arms and pretending to pout, she waited a couple of seconds. When he didn't respond to her, she narrowed her eyes. "Well, guess what?" She asked prior to yanking the cozy bear pelt up enough for her to swiftly dive underneath as well. Now that she had better access to his body, she went back to tickling his sides. "You can't!"

Link squirmed like he was being tortured by feathers. In spite of his incredibly high tolerance to pain, the amusing tingling sensation was too much for him to handle. "Malon!" He yelled as he tossed and turned with her on top of him. "Y-You better quit!"

"Or what?" She stuck her tongue out and kept going. "What are you going to do, huh?" Poking fun at him, she teased "You won't do anything!" To play around, she said "Look at me, I've defeated the Hero of Hyrule!"

"You're so cocky!" Link snickered as he rolled over on top of her.

Malon squealed exuberantly as she abruptly found the table turning on her. Suddenly she was the one being assailed with tickles. Worse yet, he got her underneath her arms. His fingers wiggled against her armpit, sending intense tingles down her arching spine. Of course she flailed her arms and legs exactly like he had. Except, the girl's entire body swung side-to-side in a desperate attempt to free her from his mighty clutches. Yet, he merely was too heavy for her to get him off of her. The only thing she found she could do was fight back and even that was difficult since he was faster in addition to stronger.

"Link!" She laughed louder than he did, even going as far as to snort. "Stop! No! I'm supposed to be the one tickling you!"

"Funny how that works, huh?!" Link chuckled vicariously as he tickled up-and-down both of her sides.

They continued to play around for a while longer. However, Link remained with the upper-hand. Not only was he able to keep her held down, once his hands slid around her stomach, he realized that was her most ticklish spot. Knowing that, he made certain to exploit it by wriggling his fingers all over her abdomen.

Malon couldn't help other than to squeal again. Her face turned as red as a Faron Cherry, her cheek muscles hurt from smiling so much and her chest heaved over-and-over. She was even on the verge of hyperventilation from the overload of fun sensations. Although she had to admit that she enjoyed having him on top of her, she was still being tickled relentlessly. Because of that, it was nothing more than normal reflexes that made her uncontrollably sling her arms and legs outward.

"Link!" She snorted several more times due to failing to get proper oxygen. The silly farmgirl was laughing too much to take a good breath. "I-... I can't breathe!" Since she couldn't control her arms, that meant it was an honest mistake when she accidentally smacked him upside his head.

The young hero stopped tickling her, leaned up and then rubbed the side of his head. "Umm… Ouch?"

Right away, now that she had the opportunity, Malon took a deep breath. But, then she reacted accordingly by utterly freaking out. She gasped at what she'd done, lifted both eyebrows and then stared at him in wide-eyed horror. Regardless of the fact that she was still trying to get her breathing under control, she leaned up and apologized. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

Acting on instinct, she nudged his hand away and immediately examined the area she'd unintentionally struck. No matter the fact that there wasn't an obvious mark that had been left behind, she treated it as if it were a serious flesh wound. "Are you okay?!" Without knowing what else to do, she did as had always been done with her when she was little. Using a frantic tone, she said "Here, let me kiss it." Puckering her lips, she cupped his cheek and then placed numerous gentle kisses on the 'injured' area.

Other than asking for forgiveness, it was the only thing she could think of to do. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hit you."

Link gazed at her for a while. He wasn't angry at all. In fact, he was enthralled with her kindness as well as the love she held for him. Looking at who was placing kisses on the side of his head, he didn't see a lowly farmgirl, he saw a girl who he couldn't live without, he saw his alluring soulmate.

"It's okay." He smiled at her. "I'm fine, I promise. It just surprised me." His eyes analyzed hers before saying "Though, I have to say, you certainly pack a punch."

She blushed in response. Despite not wanting to injure him and being glad that she didn't, she was fascinated to know that she was strong enough to make him remark on it in such a way. "Really? You think so?"

He nodded in confirmation. "I know so."

Taking a moment to ponder the matter, he came to the conclusion that today was the day that he was going to begin teaching her how to fight, how to defend herself from bad guys plus monsters. He wouldn't be able to do it until they got back from the castle and completed all their chores, yet he was sure he'd actually do it. She still needed more time to recuperate before they got in-depth, but he could at least get her accustomed to simple things; such as helping her find a good stance, teaching her how to hold a weapon and showing her where the weak spots are on a humanoid or monsters. With her strength, intellect and tenacity, she might eventually progress to be his partner.

"Maybe we could go on an adventure together sometime?" He replied as she kept kissing the side of his head. "I'll make sure to train you so you'll be well-prepared."

Hearing this, Malon was ecstatic as well as honoured that her boyfriend would trust her so much. "I'd love that." Giggling softly, she then smooched his cheek. "It won't matter where either, because as long as I'm with you, anywhere is pure heaven."

The two had gone from tickling, came to an abrupt stop and were now beginning to gaze at one another longingly.

She couldn't help herself either. Hearing that he wanted to train her and also take her places was practically a dream come true, especially after what had just happened. On the other hand, she couldn't deny that she had wanted to kiss his lips since she had entered his new room. At first, she held back due to not wanting to aggravate her father the very first morning the boy slept in the farmhouse with her. However, now that they were in the darkness under the covers, she felt a sense of privacy. Plus, she desired it so badly that she was struggling to stop herself from entwining with him. These all added up until she couldn't hold back anymore.

When kissing his cheek wasn't enough for her anymore, she turned into a bad girl. Defying her dad's wishes, she violated the house rules by making lip contact, smooching her handsome saviour. Following a short moan, she whispered. "I love you so-so much."

"I love you too." Link whispered back as he kissed her in return.

Wrapping her arms underneath his, she held his shoulder blades while pulling him close, making sure to press his warm body against hers. Same as always, his uniquely heroic pheromones drove her wild with lust. Her breathing got shallow in spite of her heart pounding against her ribs, pulsating on his pectorals. Being with him like she was made her want to melt like butter left out in the sizzling sun. The heat she felt earlier intensified tenfold and continued to do so the longer she kept her pin-point pupils locked on his godly, insurmountable form. He might be enthralled with her, but she was totally hypnotized by him.

Link wrapped his arms around her waist and actually took the initiative in kissing her again. He adored her so much that he wanted to share all the love he had with her. No matter how well-rested he was, her pleasing body heat, her intoxicating scent, the softness of her lips, it was such a stress relief that it muddled his mind.

It didn't take long from there for the two to initiate another make-out session. They knew they didn't have much more time left to themselves, so they hurried. Regardless, they couldn't restrain from the irresistibly powerful temptation of each other.

While embracing each other underneath the comfort and insulation of the furry bear pelt, they kissed rather passionately. Link slightly tilted his head to the side so that they wouldn't bump noses. Malon moaned vehemently as their lips smacked against one another's. Both held the other as tightly as they could without making it painful. Their love was so great that they forgot where they were; going to their own private realm where the only thing that existed was their lover. That and the echoing sounds of their smooching.

"Oh, Link." Malon moaned in a sultry voice. "I-...

Link delicately shushed the girl by placing his forehead to hers and silencing her with his lips. "Shh… Don't talk. We'll get caught." Giving another peck, in a husky tone, he told her. "Just kiss me."

Malon's eyes glazed over with lust after processing the words that came out of his captivating mouth. Her tongue subconsciously slid across her lips in response to the heavy feelings of desire that were coursing through her. Recalling the conversation she had the night before with her father, all she could think about was how much she wanted to marry her saviour. At her current age, she genuinely considered it the ultimate display of love. She didn't comprehend that their physical intimacy was the true act of soulful connection.

However, her raging hormones made instinct take over and instinct knew what it really wanted.

"Yes, my hero." Was all she said before their lips pressed together again.

Staying beneath the cozy covers, they remained in their own little world of secret romance. Without saying anything else, they simply moaned as they focused solely on the pleasure given by their partner. The only other sound was of their gradually intensifying kissing. Both of them smacked lips, but Malon was also fascinated by the boy's body. Her hands couldn't stay still; tentatively exploring his chest. Reaching the bottom of his shirt, she fiddled with the hem of the fabric prior to lifting it. Acting impulsively, her hands went underneath then drifted back upward until they stopped to rub his well-defined bare muscles.

Her hands were slightly cold, making him softly gasp through his nostrils. Fortunately, they warmed up by rubbing against his skin. After that, her fingers felt like soft rose petals that were thoroughly inspecting every inch of his toned chest. They were so gentle that it nearly tickled. Except, the sensation was more gratifying than tingling. It made his eyelids flutter as they continued to smooch.

Pulling her into his lap, he too explored her body. His left hand went up to behind her head, fingers delicately combing through her voluminous red hair. But, his right hand was more daring as it sneakily slid down her backside.

The kiss they shared was so enchanting to the farmgirl that she didn't even pay any attention to where his right hand was going until it finally groped her left buttock. Instantly, she broke the canoodling while accidentally letting out a loud erotic moan. Her face flushed deeper upon hearing her voice sound so sexy. She couldn't help herself though as his action was surprising. When he did it last time, it felt strange. Now it felt insanely good. It made her insides churn with an exciting heat.

Link's eyes widened from hearing his girlfriend blurt out such a sensual moan. In a way, it served as encouragement to keep going. Yet, he was also nervous about getting caught. His long pointed ears twitched as he tried to hear if anybody was coming towards his new room. Nevertheless, he wasn't able to stay distracted for long as he soon returned to cupping a feel of her rear. The springy softness of it was incredible to him. If he were being honest with himself, he knew what he was doing was naughty, he just didn't care.

Biting her lower lip, she breathed hot and heavily as he felt her up. She tried to keep feeling his chest muscles, but found she couldn't stop herself from letting out similar moans each time he lightly squeezed her backside.

She leaned further against him, burying her face in his neck. It was the only way she could muffle her uncontrollable voice. Upon feeling his other hand joining in, now completely groping her butt, she whimpered and closed her eyes. Her blush spread from her cheeks to her drooping ears. Chewing on her lip no longer worked as she was doing it so hard that it hurt. Part of her didn't know why it was so exciting, while the other part merely made sure to revel in the new sensations. The build-up of heat in her loins increased every time he fondled her.

"Do you like that?" Link broke the silence to ask.

Malon tried to hold back from nodding vigorously, yet failed. It was embarrassing her to discover that such a thing was beginning to turn her on. "Y-Yeah."

Both of them could feel their hearts beating rapidly. With her blushing face buried in his neck like it was, he was looking down at the top of her head. Her hair rustled against his nose, making her alluring scent waft up his nose. Like always, it drove him utterly crazy with desire. Despite being nearly dizzy, it made him press her further against him so that he could vividly feel every inch of her attractive body. Doing so, he was intrigued with not only how much heat she was radiating, but with how her chest was poking into his.

Then again, he didn't initially realize that he was affected by the romance either. He didn't comprehend that the blood leaving his foggy brain was going straight to his crotch. All of his attention was devoted to her. In fact, he was so occupied with groping her that his eyes seemed to frost over as he gazed down at his lover. Listening to her whine from the pleasure he gave her was incredibly intoxicating. He was totally obsessed with her essence; so consumed by it that he trembled when she kissed his neck.

She was absolutely overcome with his explorative fondling, yet she somehow managed to summon the energy to love on him as well. While pressed against as well as moaning on his neck, she spontaneously decided to start kissing there. Her lips smacked the skin several times until the spirit of the moment caused her to stick her tongue out, breathily dragging it up-and-down his carotid. This allowed her to get a good taste of him, but it made her moan even more in addition to louder.

His hips automatically bucked from the gratification he was experiencing. Of course, the impulsive motion also made the girl's body unintentionally rub her groin against his. This was far more arousing to him than any curious exploration could possibly be. It felt amazing; a sensual tingle that muddled his head and made him desperately want more.

Gasping, the boy then huffed "M-Malon."

"Link!" The farmgirl exclaimed as the same motion made pulses of static that shocked her body. What she had felt earlier, that gradual build-up of heat, was increasing exponentially until it was more like a pressure expanding within her.

Opening her love-stricken eyes, she gazed up at the handsome boy. Seeing his look of ecstasy, his gaping mouth and the blush on his cheeks, she felt a unique sense of pride that she was able to make him feel so good. He was her hero and she kept thinking about how much he deserved the pleasure they were giving each other. It was a much-needed reward she gave to him, a mutual reward that she was able to experience as well. Knowing that they couldn't get married yet, it was the least she could do.

Regardless, she wanted to push it further. She wanted them to have all of the passion at once. Because of that, she grabbed his shoulders and started making out with a lot of fervor. Their lips pressed together for a while, but before long she stuck the tip of her tongue out, purposely prodding his mouth.

Link acknowledged the request by sticking his tongue out for her. All the while, he continued to occasionally buck his hips and pull her against him at the same time. The act was stimulating beyond belief, so much so that he didn't even care that he was essentially rubbing their privates together. What mattered to him was noting how it made him feel a multitude of fluttering butterflies were accumulating in his stomach, how the bolt of lightning traveling up his loins was completely electrifying his core being.

Malon slid her tongue across the top of his and couldn't help from moaning as he swung his hips against hers. Seeing how it was still such a new way of kissing for her, the savored taste of his saliva brainwashed her. The girl's pupils were pinpoints, however they were also metaphorically replaced with pink beating hearts. Having him gently squeezing her backside was the cherry on top. Instincts kicked in and within moments she had joined him in the amateur humping. She could clearly feel his swollen part, but she was flattered, excited by it and actively using it to get to cloud nine.

Pulling back for just a moment, she whimpered as she trembled against his body. "I-It's so good. I feel so good."

"Me too." Link replied in a deeper, aroused tone.

"I-… I'm feeling that feeling again." She tried to make sense of the emotions. The heat and pressure in her quivering loins was sending her into a purely blissful overdrive.

"What feeling?" He asked while in the throes of ecstasy.

Briefly panting from the intensity of the sensations building within her, she barely managed to squeak out an answer. "It's strange. I f-feel like I need to pee." She moaned and squirmed as his groin repeatedly poked between her legs.

"Maybe I should stop?" He didn't really want to, but the part of him that adored her didn't want to make her uncomfortable and would willingly sacrifice its own pleasure in exchange for hers.

"D-Don't you dare!" She abruptly exclaimed in advance of grabbing him and slamming their lips together. Not letting him even contemplate ceasing his movements, she made out with him in an attempt to make him forget, to make him forget everything other than thrusting his hips.

Link's glossy eyes widened a bit in response to her hungrily assuming control over the intimacy. Once again, he felt her prod his mouth with her tongue, vivaciously begging for his to join hers. Going along with what she wanted, he opened his mouth, yet before he had the opportunity to stick his tongue out, he felt her invade his mouth. His chest heaved a few times as the sensation both tickled and fascinated him at the same time. The girl's tongue was slippery, hot and moist. Everywhere it went left behind her taste.

Malon was getting into the romance so much that her added weight caused her boyfriend to topple over backward into the warm hay. Relishing the chance presented to her, she stayed on top of him, grinding her crotch against his. With his hands still glued to her plump rear, they provided the perfect resistance for her to sling her hips back-and-forth. The deep kissing and pleasing movements caused the heat and pressure in her loins to genuinely overflow. She was too distracted by it all to take notice of precisely how saturated her panties were becoming. Her mind was too far gone to stop now. It had to be done; she had to find out where the feelings led to and wouldn't let anything get in her way of achieving that satisfaction.

While underneath her, Link moaned from the passionate act. Although he was enjoying everything and found it thrilling to have her tasting the inside of his mouth, the build-up in his own loins was growing stronger. The pressure and the heat increased exponentially as she slid back and forth on his lap. His hands groped harder and his leg muscles got tense.

Losing herself to the moment, the farmgirl fought his tongue for dominance. Unlike previously, she was too strong to resist. The intensity of the desire burning within to find out about the end outcome overwrote her logical thinking. Flicking his tongue with hers, feeling his teeth and licking his upper-palate, she gathered all his delicious flavor. In the meantime, she was going absolutely wild from constantly breathing in his musky pheromones, hearing his erotic moans and feeling the bulge in his undergarment scraping against her cotton nightgown.

Struggling to stay conscious from the powerful sensations, Link helplessly moaned into her mouth. His eyes fluttered uncontrollably as the redhead's movements made him feel as if he were a steam kettle that was about to blow. Despite his legs having tensed up mere moments before, they were now trembling as his body began to automatically match her rhythmic thrusts.

Malon's moans changed to quick little whimpers. She pulled her tongue out of his mouth and threw her head back, her hair jumping behind her from the sloppy humping. The sounds she was making, the squeaks and whines, were incredible since she didn't even realize she was capable of producing such a sexy tone. Nevertheless, for her, the ardor finally reached its crescendo. She successfully found the end result.

While seething with heavenly pleasure, she slammed her hips down atop his groin one last time prior to stopping. His swelling poked between her legs, rubbing directly across her crotch. This caused her eyes to fly open, pulsing along with her heightened heartbeat. Staring straight at him, her tongue lulled out as she released a rather loud moan, one that echoed throughout the entire small room.

"L-Liiiiink!" She exclaimed with eyes threatening to roll back in her head.

Even though her insides churned and felt as if they were melting, the steaming hot pressure seemingly exploded downward, leaking out of her quivering loins.

The hero was absolutely mesmerized beyond belief by the girl's arching, convulsing form. He'd never seen her look so enthusiastically lustful until then, likely because she'd never reached a climax until now. Either way, it was such an enchanting sight that he scrutinized every last detail of her concupiscent facial expression. Her lewd reflection was seared upon his pupils.

"M-Malon… I… I gotta stop!" He blurted out as he felt himself reaching the limit. Unlike her, he wasn't sure about going above to experience what she had. Considering that, he let go of her backside and then stopped thrusting his thrashing hips.

Immediately afterward, she totally collapsed on top of him while gasping hard from being out of breath. Both of their chests heaved up-and-down. Their exhales were so hot in comparison to the surrounding air that they were basically expelling short clouds of fog. Plus, their skin was tinged red and emitting an enormous amount of body heat. It was sweltering beneath the bear pelt, so much so that they were sweating. Unfortunately, that also added to the moisture they had generated.

The boy was in such an altered state of mind that he couldn't stop thinking about the tingling sensation in his privates. He too felt like he was going to explode, except it gradually diminished within the following minutes. In the meantime, he panted and groaned as his hands slid up and wrapped around his girlfriend's back.

Malon looked up adoringly at her ardent lover.

Her entire body was still trembling heavily in response to the very first orgasm she'd ever received. It was such an immense pleasure that it almost felt as if she was going to faint. Every muddled thought in her mind had been oriented toward obtaining that peak, yet now that she'd achieved it, she was slowly coming back to reality. Suddenly she became aware of precisely how aroused she had become. Not only could she feel her nippled poking into his chest, she could feel how wet her panties had gotten. Although it was seriously embarrassing, she wondered what it meant.

"Link-..." She panted as she spoke to him. "D-Did we just have sex?"

Glancing down at her, at first he wasn't sure how to answer her question. He was positive people couldn't have intercourse while fully clothed. It was clear they didn't make love seeing how they were still dressed. However, it was such a gratifying feeling that, if it wasn't sex, he wasn't sure what it was. "I-… I don't think so."

"What was that then?" She asked him as she licked her lips to remove the drool that had accidentally spilled out.

"I don't know." Link watched every little movement that she made. "But, it felt amazing."

"So amazing." Malon started to get her steamy breathing under control, which wasn't easy. Nonetheless, the afterglow was so relaxing that she didn't think she could move a single muscle even if she wanted to; fortunately she had no desire to do so anyway. She was savoring the slow recuperation she went through while atop her handsome hero.

"Malon." He was enjoying it too. Except, he suddenly noticed something else. The boy lifted his eyebrow out of curiosity whenever he felt a warm wetness soaking into his trousers.

Unaware of any issue, she moaned prior to answering. "Yeah?"

"Did you pee?" He tried asking in a way that didn't upset her.

"I-... I'm not sure." She blushed madly in response.

Reaching down through the two of them, Link got goosebumps whenever his hand unintentionally rubbed between their legs. Both of them shivered and moaned, but he was a bit taken aback by the moisture. His face flushed as red as hers as he stared at her lewd facial expression. Not fully understanding what biological process had just occurred, he found the situation really embarrassing.

Yet, since he didn't want to humiliate her, he focused on getting them back to normal so they could start their day. "I-… uhh… I think we should clean up."

.

[Thirty Minutes Later]

.

"It's 'bout time ya both woke up." Talon said as he noticed Link and Malon descending the staircase by the corner of the farmhouse. "I'm makin' breakfast."

The heavyset farmer and his ranchhand were already awake and were dressed for the day. Since Ingo would be staying behind to watch over the livestock, he wore his usual getup. On the other hand, Talon decided to spiffy up since he would be in the presence of royalty. He donned his only pure white long-sleeve cotton dress shirt, covered it with a fancy brown linen vest and stuffed both pantlegs to his brown linen trousers into black leather riding boots.

Being that it was his most expensive set of clothing, he tried to make sure he didn't slosh out any food onto the garments. For their morning meal, he was busy making a hearty porridge over the fireplace, one that would tide them over until lunch. He had already taken prepared wheat, washed it well, cooked it in water and then drained it. Now, in a separate pan, he was boiling some delicious Lon Lon Milk. Once the milk was bubbling, he poured the wheat into it, brought it to another boil and then stirred constantly.

Malon couldn't look at her father as she walked down the stairs and headed for the kitchen table. Her face was still blushing in acknowledgement of what she had just done with her boyfriend.

Fortunately, Link was able to speak for her. Regardless, he was bashful too. He just knew that he had to say something in order to not have the adults be suspicious of them. "Sorry. I was trying to figure out what to wear and Malon was helping me."

Talon looked at them rather suspiciously prior to chuckling. "What'cha mean? Ya only got a couple sets a clothes. Just pick whichever looks the best."

"Well, what do you think?" Link asked as he stopped in front of the kitchen table and motioned toward his clothing. It was one of the sets he'd bought at the clothing shop in Castle Town. He donned his green 'hylian' tunic with a light brown undershirt and trousers. Although he kept his kokiri cap and boots, they matched rather well with the outfit. Plus, his floppy belt added a nice touch to the look.

"Lookin' good." The hefty farmer nodded.

Craning his neck, he analyzed what his daughter was wearing. He should've known that she'd pick the outfit her boyfriend had bought her. She looked great in the white dress and the floral designs on the hem and sleeves gave an elegant look. The light blue frock wrapped around her torso and hung from her shoulders, complimenting her yellow ascot and heirloom brooch. Besides, the cyan stoned belt highlighted her feminine curves in a way that made her look quite noble.

"Ya look so pretty, pum'kin." He complimented the girl.

She tried not to appear nervous even as she was sitting down at the table with her back to her father. Regardless, she appreciated the admiration and it made her beam a smile. "Thanks, daddy." When she sat down on the chair, she ensured that she didn't crumple the elegant fabric.

"Ya hungry?" Talon asked.

"Yes." Was all that Link said as he sat down in the seat across from the redhead.

Then again, Malon was way more excited about eating. "Yes! Great Hylia, I'm starving!"

"Good! Git ready 'cause it's a comin'." The big farmer laughed, not knowing the reason behind her revved up appetite. Instead, he kept cooking. He removed the pot of wheat in boiling milk and then placed it on a trivet there on the kitchen countertop. While the pot cooled, he continued to stir it, allowing the steam to escape. Afterward, he acquired five cucco eggs and cracked them into a bowl. Using the salt cellar and accompanying pick, he chiseled off a decent chunk of the clumped mineral before adding it to the egg mixture. Following a tablespoon of milk to help dissolve the salt, he whisked saffron into the contents of the bowl.

"Link-..." Ingo asked. "Have you ever had frumenty?"

Shaking his head, Link said "No. What is that?"

"It's what we're about to eat." The ranchhand chuckled as he drank a cup of orange juice. "It's a wheat berry porridge that's coated in egg."

"Egg in porridge?" Link remarked.

Ingo smirked. "You'll like it."

"Ya better." Talon chuckled. "When we start runnin' low on win'er supplies, it'll be a staple." As he spoke, he poured the egg mixture into the wheat porridge. Right away, he began stirring it so it not only mixed in well, it also avoided turning into scrambled eggs. Since it was the perfect temperature, everything blended perfectly. "We eat a bit better then some folk, but even we ain't immune ta harsh win'ers." Opening his spice cabinet, he retrieved a pinch of Gerudo Cinnamon and a scoop of sugar. Sprinkling both over the dish, after stirring it all together one more time, the meal was complete. "I ain't gonna let ya go hungry though, so don't ya worry."

Bringing the pot of frumenty over to the table, he used a wooden spoon to serve everybody a generous portion into their respective bowls. However, he also came back to his adoptive son, making sure to give him a second helping. Although he didn't say anything about it, he did so as a reward for all that the kid had done for him and his family. When he was done serving, he sat down and began eating.

"Hmm…" Link was a bit hesitant about the odd meal. He couldn't imagine a porridge with egg mixed in. Nonetheless, there had been only a few hylian meals he'd tried that he didn't find scrumptious. Considering that, he stirred it around prior to taking a small bite.

"What'cha think?" Talon enquired as he scooped up a big bite.

It looked chewy, but the boy was surprised to find that it wasn't. The wheat had been softened from being boiled. Not only that, the Gerudo Cinnamon and sugar gave it a sweet, delicate and slightly woody taste. Surprised by this, he immediately shoved a whole spoonful into his mouth. "Whoa-..." He remarked as he chewed and ate. "It's really good!"

Talon smiled and chuckled, his bushy mustache bouncing as he did. "'Ave ya 'ad oatmeal 'fore? I like makin' my frumenty like it."

Link nodded, speaking with a mouthful. "Yeah. Whenever winters are tough, the kokiri occasionally buy sacks of dried oat from passing traders. But, Saria usually makes oatmeal that's more sugar than oat."

Malon giggled at her boyfriend's hunger, despite her own stomach growling until she took a bite. "The kokiri really like sugar, don't they?"

He had to stifle a chuckle in response to the question since he was in the process of chewing food. "Like? No, they love it." After swallowing his bite, he said "The Great Deku Tree produces these berries that have a lot of sugar in them and the fairies make a nectar that's so sweet your teeth will fall out if you drink too much of it." He finally laughed. "Seriously. I was allowed to have a cup once a week."

"Really?" Malon was curious. "I always thought they ate fruits and vegetables."

"Herbivores." Ingo added the correct terminology as he ate his frumenty.

Link took a decent swig of his orange juice as he conversed. "They do. They have their own farm. But, that's just healthy stuff they eat to survive. What they really want is candy and junk food."

"Just like kids!" Malon giggled at the thought. "Which is weird considering they're several decades old."

"Sugarvores." Ingo butted in with a word of his own invention.

In spite of believing them, Talon shook his head with a sarcastic scoff. "I tell ya, that's crazy. But, supposin' I had eternal youth, I'd be doin' nothin' 'cept eatin' sugar an' playin' games too."

For the next thirty seconds, everybody ceased communicating to vigorously chow down on their breakfast. Link was especially going to town on the frumenty, since thanks to Talon's generosity, he had two enormous portions to consume. Being that the homemade meal was nice and warm, it gave them all the extra boost of heat that they would need to make it through the cold day. Plus, it would give them plenty of energy as well.

The morning had been a peaceful one, so they prayed it was a prelude of what was to come.

"Speakin' of eternal youth-..." Ingo kept interrupting. "I'm getting too old to watch over the entire ranch, so make sure that ya'll don't procrastinate." Polishing off his orange juice, he stirred his porridge before taking another bite. "How long do you think it'll take?"

Link looked over at the farmer and said "Probably a few hours. I can't imagine they'd keep us too long since they just want us to confirm everything we've al-..." To his surprise, before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the feeling of a foot tracing its way up his leg toward his thigh. He didn't mean to, yet he accidentally gasped. His cheeks flushed a bit as he cleared his throat. Glancing over at Malon, he saw her staring with a lascivious grin. Nonetheless, she was pretending to eat, acting innocent of her actions.

"Ya 'right?" Talon enquired upon seeing the boy stop in mid-sentence.

Link nodded and took another bite in advance of nervously saying "Y-Yeah. I just-... I bit my tongue."

The big farmer laughed. "Careful there. Last thin' we need is ya loosin' yer' tongue. Ya need it fer' The King."

In an attempt to not look as if he was embarrassed, Link forced a laugh. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Then again, his worried eyes twitched in response to his girlfriend's brave teasing of him with a game of footsie. He was also mortified of getting caught in the act, even more-so after the absolutely randy activity he had just committed with her a mere thirty minutes ago. Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do to stop her, not something he could do without drawing unnecessary attention to himself. Knowing that, all he could do was endure her touch, which wasn't easy the way she very slowly traced up and down his leg.

"What-… umm…" He tried to say something that would distract her. "What do you think, Malon?"

"Hmm?" She hummed questioningly while bringing her foot up higher, temporarily resting atop her lover's knee.

Pursing his lips to prevent squirming or making any audible noise, Link winced and then once again asked "How long do you think we'll stay at The Castle?" Afterward, he stuffed the last of his food into his mouth, hoping it would hide his bashfulness to have full cheeks.

"How should I know?" She snickered teasingly. "You're the one who's actually been inside the place. I've never even stepped foot in there before." While in the middle of talking, she moved her foot, laying it directly between the hero's legs.

"That's right!" Talon gleefully interjected as he nudged his daughter. "It'll be 'er first time seein' royalty."

Link forced another smile. "Really?"

"Yep! Don't fret for me though." She winked in a way that only her boyfriend could see. "I'll be on my absolute bestest of behaviour." Immediately after saying that, she gradually pressed her foot against his crotch.

Not expecting her to do such a brash thing in the presence of the adults, Link's eyes widened. It certainly wasn't a subtle movement, however he automatically scooted back in his chair, moving so fast that he accidentally shook the table, causing his cup to fall over. The last quarter of his orange juice proceeded to spill out, dripping onto him as well as the floor.

"Ooh, aww… What 'appened?" Talon asked as he grabbed the nearest napkin and tossed it to the boy.

Ingo narrowed his eyes as he looked back-and-forth between the anxious hero and the coy farmgirl. "You're acting weird. What's going on?"

Using his napkin, Link wiped up the orange juice that had spilled on the table. He then used the napkin Talon gave him to dab at his clothes and clean what had gotten onto the floor. Babbling a bit, it took a second to get his mouth under control. Once he did, he made the best excuse he could think of that would make enough sense for them to believe. "I'm really sorry. I'm just nervous about what's going to happen."

"Don't be." Talon helped clean up the small mess before laying his hand on his adoptive son's shoulder, giving the encouragement he thought the kid needed. "Everythin'll be fine an' dandy." Lighty squeezing him, he reminded them all of the circumstances. "The Hyrulean Army an' the Knights a' Hyrule'll protect us from 'ere on out. Nothin' like this is evah gonna 'appen 'gain." Since he honestly believed Link had anxiety, he attempted to lighten the mood with a joke that complimented as well as highlighted the hero's amazing skill. "'Sides, if anythin', I'll be hirin' ya as ranch security." He chuckled heartily. "Ain't nobody gonna mess with us with ya watchin' over."

"R-Right-..." Link tried to pretend as if he was fine. Nonetheless, he glared at the naughty farmgirl, who merely stared back at him with a smirk. "I apologize."

Ingo shrugged. "Don't worry about it. You'll be fine." Unlike the others, he could vividly recall the hero's future form. He knew that the boy was more than capable of keeping his cool in even the most dire of circumstances.

"Yeah. Don't freak out." Malon had the audacity to say while also winking at him.

Link sat back down on his chair. His drink was gone, but he still had a single bite of the frumenty to polish off. As he ate what remained, he contemplated the real reason behind his bashfulness. It was sitting right across from him, staring at him with a look of total obsession. Because of the love they had for one another, he didn't mind getting romantic with her; in fact, he'd go as far as to say that he too wanted to experience the mind-boggling pleasure. Then again, he didn't understand why she was taking it so far. She was embarrassing him in front of her father and the farmhand.

Part of him figured she was crushing on him so badly that she was being a bit devious. It would certainly explain her newfound craving to take their passion to the next level. Yet, in this case, that wasn't very comforting. He was too shy to do such a thing in public, much less around their family.

He wasn't sure of what to do. On one hand, he wanted to give in, to let her do damn near anything she wanted to do. However, he just couldn't risk getting caught. It was very obvious that some of the things they were doing could 'potentially' jeopardize his stay there at the ranch. Since it was her father's place, Talon made the rules. Defying any restrictions, at least getting caught defying them, he believed would cause him to run the risk of getting kicked out. Taking that to mind, he decided he'd have to have a small chat with his girlfriend about being so promiscuous with him when others are around.

"Everybody done?" Talon suddenly asked, referring to the food.

Link, Malon and Ingo all three vocally acknowledged having a belly full of porridge. Regardless, they seemed to freeze in place whenever they heard an abrupt loud knocking sound come from the farmhouse door. Whether they admitted it to themselves or not, they were so traumatized by the recent hardships that every one of them became exceedingly nervous about who it could be. They jolted in shock.

Malon subconsciously sunk lower into her chair, as if to hide.

Talon's eyes flashed with a fear that gave him goosebumps.

Ingo was the first to stand up. However, he did so in such a rush that he knocked the chair out from behind him, causing its wooden legs to scrape the floor prior to the entire thing falling over with a thud.

The hero responded next. He shot up out of his chair and seemed to instantaneously brandish his sword, ripping it right out of its sheathe. Instincts kicked in as he feared he'd have to fight to protect his family. Picking up his feet, he made sure to be silent as he darted over toward the door. Except, instead of opening it, he hid on the opposite side it opened from. Afterward, while remaining quiet, he looked at Talon, pointed at the man and then at the door. Following that, he motioned at himself and then made a chopping gesture.

Several more knocks ensured. Whoever it was, they weren't going away.

Understanding what the boy wanted, Talon cleared his throat. While walking over toward the door, he asked "Who's there?"

A familiar woman's voice answered from the other side. "It's me, Nabooru."

Ingo, Talon and Malon all three relaxed. They were so relieved it wasn't a bandit that they visibly exhaled in relief. However, Link's concerns weren't so easily put to rest. Standing there, he remained out of view, letting Talon answer the door.

Turning the door handle, Talon quickly opened the door. He wasted no time in greeting the gerudo. Unbeknownst to the others, he had multiple reasons as to why he was glad to see her there. "Oh, thank the goddesses." Grabbing the tall woman, he pulled her into a warm embrace. "I'm so glad yer' 'ere."

"I got your letter. I'm sorry that it took me so long." She apologised as she returned the hug. "By the way, you're dressed sharp. What's up with that?"

She let go of the farmer and with her back turned from Link's position, closed the door behind her. Unlike the last time she visited, she donned a sand-coloured hooded cloak to conceal her appearance. This was likely due to the fact that, aside from those who are already citizens of Hyrule, her kind was currently forbidden from entering the kingdom.

"Auntie Nabooru!" Malon exclaimed with glee. Hopping up from her seat at the table, she sprinted over to her beloved aunt.

Nabooru was about to kneel down. She prepared to share the deep platonic love she held for her precious niece. Except, before she could do so, Link revealed his presence by running up behind the gerudo woman. He moved quickly, converging before the farmgirl had a chance to make it across the room to see her aunt. None of the others were able to react in time, they could only bear witness as he jumped up, made a flying leap and then thrusted his legs out as he fell so that he brutefully kicked her in the back of the legs.

The painful impact caused the woman's knees to immediately buckle. She fell onto both her shins, wincing from the agony. Yet, before she could return to her feet to investigate what was happening, she found herself being apprehended from behind.

He forcefully yanked her left arm behind her, twisting it and then holding it to her back. In the meantime, he also reached around to press the blade of his sword to her throat. "Don't move a muscle." The boy demanded with a dead-serious voice. "Do you understand me?"

"LINK! NO!" Malon cried out in horror.

"What in tarnation ya doin' boy!?" Talon went wide-eyed. "We done been through this already, ain't we? She ain't a threat!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa-..." Ingo motioned for everybody to settle down. "Let's all just calm ourselves!"

Nabooru merely nodded in acknowledgment to her captor, doing so delicately as to not cut herself against the cold steel of his sword.

"Step back." Link ordered the others, clearly not playing around. In reality, there was little they could do to stop him. Either way, he tried to defuse the situation by giving them an explanation regarding what he was doing. "I'm not going to hurt her if she answers my questions truthfully."

"What questions?!" Talon frantically enquired.

Malon began to cry. She didn't know how to feel or what to do. Of course, she was worried for her aunt's safety, yet she was also incapable of doing anything. All she could do was repeatedly say her boyfriend's name. "L-Link… Link. Please, Link."

Link knew he was scaring everybody, so he continued to divulge his reasoning for why he was doing what he was. "I just need to figure a few things out. She could be a spy."

"She is a spy-..." Ingo butted in with a reminder. "She's our spy. You yourself were fine with the plan, what changed?"

"What changed?" Link sarcastically scoffed. "The love of my life was kidnapped and held hostage by bandits; bandits, who it turns out, were hired by another gerudo woman." He grit his teeth and tightened his grip on his upgraded kokiri sword, ready at a moment's notice to react accordingly. Shaking his head, he brought up a valid point. "If she's really on our side like she proclaims to be, why didn't she notify us of this dastardly scheme?! She's their second-in-command, you can't possibly tell me that she didn't know about this!"

Nabooru's lips quivered as tears started flowing down her rouged cheeks. "I didn't, I swear."

"She's my aunt, Link!" Malon pleaded. "She loves me! She wouldn't sell me out like that!"

Link struggled. He wanted to listen to them, he wanted to believe the woman. But, a strong gut feeling was telling him that she was lying about something. "Don't you think it's suspicious that she finds out I'm here and the next thing you know our entire lives are disrupted?" Shaking his head again, he couldn't shake the thought that she was in on the kidnapping.

"I had nothing to do with that." Nabooru calmly told him in spite of her tears.

"Did you tell Ganondorf that I was here?" He demanded an answer.

Once again, Nabooru denied the inquiry. She shook her head as she said "No, I didn't. I would never do that."

"She loves me!" Malon stepped closer to the encounter. The girl tried desperately to talk sense into her boyfriend. "She wouldn't just let this happen!"

Link narrowed his eyes. "Or maybe that's why you didn't get hurt more than you were. She set this up, but because she loves you, she couldn't bear to see you get injured?"

"That's a lie, Link!" Nabooru got upset at the accusation.

"OR ARE YOU LYING!?" Link screamed directly at the gerudo woman.

Her face scrunched up in despondency as she screamed back. "I'M NOT!"

"YOU'RE LYING!" Link pressed the blade further against her throat, threatening to break the skin.

Malon hyperventilated as she sobbed. It was all too much for her to handle, especially after everything she had just been through. Fortunately, her father came to the rescue as he proceeded to grab her and pull her against him. He kept her face pressed to his stomach so that she could no longer see what was going on.

"I'M NOT LYING! I SWEAR TO THE OLD GODS AND THE NEW!" Nabooru gulped, accidentally making the sword nick her neck.

Not knowing how to trust the gerudo, he remained suspicious. However, he could see that she was desperate to convince him that she was telling the truth. Considering that as well as the fact that the situation was straining his relationship with Malon, he decided to slightly reduce the pressure his sword was putting on the tall woman's jugular. Following that, he gave her the opportunity to plead her case. "H-How can I believe you?"

"Because-..." She opened her eyes, staring at Talon as well as her niece. "I can remember who you are. I can remember what happens in the future too. I know you're the Hero of Time and I know Ganondorf is an evil man trying to steal The Triforce. I trust you, not him. I would lay my life down for you and for Malon, not for him." Sniffling to get rid of the congestion in her nose, she begged the boy. "Please, Link. I wouldn't do this to you, I wouldn't do this to Talon and I certainly wouldn't do this to my only remaining blood relation!"

Link took everything she said to heart. That skepticism deep within was finally abolished. He finally believed that she was telling him the truth, that she really didn't have anything to do with the awful things that happened the other day. It made him let out a dramatic sigh in advance of carefully pulling his sword away from the gerudo woman's throat, no longer seeing her as an imminent threat.

Regardless of his need to be absolutely certain that Nabooru hadn't turned on them, he was fully aware of his folly for thinking such a thing as well as how badly it scared his loved ones. Sad as well as embarrassed that he had made the mistake, he decided to make things right by lending a hand. He sheathed his sword, helped her up off of the ground, brushed her off and then profusely apologised for his misconduct. "I'm really sorry, Nabooru. Really." In an attempt to help her make sense of his actions, he told her. "I-... I just… I'm fearful of anything else happening to Malon. It was stupid of me to think you would be involved in such a travesty."

"It's okay…" Nabooru accepted the apology as she got back to her feet. "I understand your reasoning. If I were you, I probably would've done the same." Recovering a handkerchief from her pocket, she held it to her throat to dry the droplet of blood his sword had squeezed from her perfect brown skin.

"I-..." Grunting, he still mentally wrestled himself to come to terms with what he'd done. When the endeavor proved to be too complicated, he skipped it, moving on to what was more important. "You really remember?"

Nabooru merely nodded in response.

Ingo and Talon both announced in unison. "She does."

To their dismay, this only made the boy turn to them with newfound suspicion. "Ya'll knew about this?"

Answering for the farmhand, Talon stated "She done told us 'bout it last time she visited."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" The hero was slightly angered that they kept such an important revelation from him. His hands balled into fists, with his fingernails digging into his palms. It was also frustrating because he probably wouldn't have reacted like he had if he had known about this beforehand.

Approaching, Talon laid his hand upon the boy's shoulder. "'Cause ya already 'ad 'nough troubles as was. We didn't want ya ta freak out."

Now that the situation had thankfully been resolved, now that Link wasn't actively accusing the compassionate woman of being a familial traitor, Malon found herself instinctively resuming her desire for the additional platonic affection. Within the blink of an eye, she frantically raced across the rest of the room and, upon collision, instantly wrapped her arms around the waist of her beloved aunt. Tears continued to pour down her cheeks as she sadly wept, letting out all of the hidden grief she had held within, all that had been locked away for the sake of her family.

Despite not even realizing it, she always found comfort in her aunt. Since the woman was a gerudo, her personal scent reminded the farmgirl of the mother which she so deeply missed. It was such a relaxing aroma that it made her whimper and bury her face in Nabooru's abdomen; shoulders heaving from how forlorn she was.

Responding to the cries of her precious niece, Nabooru bent over and brought the redheaded hylian into a warm embrace. Her eyes shut tight as she gently rubbed her head against the girl's. "Oh, Malon-..." The woman's voice cracked from the stress. "I'm so sorry this happened to you."

"It was awful!" The farmgirl sniffled, trying not to get snot on her aunt.

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry, honey." Her aunt lamented. "I wish I could've done something about it. If I had known, I would have!" Hugging the girl tighter, Nabooru told how she learned of this as well as why it took so long for her to show up. "I swear, I had nothing to do with it. I didn't even know it happened until one of the emiras told Ganondorf what she had done. This woman, Eraka, did it all on her own, without telling me or anybody else." Seething through her teeth, she swallowed her spit, trying to get her voice under control. "I wasn't even able to come here to check on you until I was able to find a chance where nobody would notice me being missing."

Malon rubbed her face against her aunt's stomach. "I believe you, auntie."

"That bitch-..." Nabooru angrily shook her head at Eraka. Usually she'd never speak in such a way, especially in front of children. Yet, she was absolutely furious her last relative had been put through such a horrible ordeal. "She did all of this to get to Link. It was her plan to draw him toward the valley, that way she could have her soldiers attack him." Nearly shattering a tooth from the frustration, she let out a strong exhale. "She even had the nerve to say to my face that the only reason why you weren't hurt was because you're my niece."

While watching the two seek solace in each other, Link regretted his previous actions. He should have known better than to think that her biological aunt would be involved in causing Malon such trauma. She came here so that she could comfort and console her. It was clear that Nabooru wanted nothing more than the best for her niece.

"I'm so sorry, honey." Nabooru continued to apologize for her failure to prevent the horrible event from occurring. "I love you."

"I love you too." Malon sniffled and then coughed a few times in advance of looking up at her aunt.

Now that she was able to get a good look, the concerned gerudo woman immediately took notice of the fading hand print on her niece's cheek. She automatically gasped. Delicately cupping her hand to the outline of the bruise, she then lightly placed a kiss just above prior to inquiring about the obvious.

"She did this to you?!" The veins in her neck furiously bulged in response to the hatred brewing within her. Without waiting for an answer, she said "I'm going to-..." Biting her lower lip in order to keep her tongue still, she kept from saying anything too brutal in front of the depressed Malon. She decided to be vague. "I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do, but I'm going to do something, that's for sure. She's going to pay for what she's done."

"It wasn't her, auntie." Malon explained. "It was one of the bandits."

"I'll kill him." Nabooru growled.

Link chuckled lightly. "Too late."

"Other than being a total sociopath, Eraka started out being really nice to me." Malon made sure that her aunt understood the truth, no matter how strange it was to hear. "At first, I thought that she was there to rescue me; rescue or buy me. I don't really know what I thought… She was just being so nice to me when all of the others were so mean, I really thought she was the only one that was on my side." Reaching up, she wiped the tears away from her eyes prior to saying "The only way I figured out she was evil was whenever she had me held hostage and threatened to kill me."

"Eraka threw her into the gorge." Link calmly stated. "I had to jump in to save her."

"Link held me the entire way down the Zora River." Malon picked up where her boyfriend left off. "He kept me afloat, never letting me go." She remained uncomfortable recounting the roughness of the whitewater, yet felt it necessary to tell her aunt the extent things came to. "But, when we got to Lake Hylia, the current in the cascades was too powerful; it ripped me out of his arms and forced me underwater. I couldn't breathe. Even though I held my breath, my pulse was so high that I couldn't hold it for long. I think it was only for a minute, but it felt like an eternity."

Nabooru was in shock at what she was hearing.

Ingo's jaw dropped as he butted in with grave concern. "Wait, what?!" With wide eyes, he expressed his shock. "You didn't say anything about that!"

"I-… I know." The farmgirl regretted hiding it. But, at the time, she felt it necessary as she needed to recuperate first. "It was so scary that I didn't want to talk about it until now. I didn't even tell Daddy until last night."

Ingo slapped his hand to his forehead out of disbelief. "Great Hylia-…"

"How did you get back to the surface?!" Nabooru pondered aloud.

Malon poked out her quivering lower lip as she recalled everything. "I didn't."

While his daughter spoke about what happened, Talon stared over at Link, incredibly grateful that the boy did what he did to rescue the sweet girl. The heavyweighted farmer knew that although the hero was absolutely enamoured with the young redhead, he was also simply a good-hearted person who couldn't stand by while an innocent person suffered. Because of that, he respected him in a way he couldn't any other child his age. He also couldn't be more proud to have the boy as his adoptive son.

On the other hand, Ingo and Nabooru were positively horrified. They both exclaimed in unison "WHAT!?"

Nabooru went a bit more in-depth. "What do you mean you didn't get back to the surface?!"

"I drowned, auntie." Malon sniffled as her tears started to flow again.

Looking as if he were going to faint, Ingo pulled his chair back in advance of plopping down onto it. "I-… I gotta sit down."

"Honey-..." Nabooru narrowed her eyes at the atrocity she was hearing. The mere act of imagining it was a nightmare. But, she couldn't wrap her mind around how it was possible in the first place. "That doesn't make any sense. How can you have drowned if you're standing here talking to me right now?"

"Link saved me." Malon wasted no time in telling her.

"How?" The gerudo woman asked.

Malon held onto her beloved aunt, even while gazing back at her saviour, the boy who rescued her and brought her back from the death which she otherwise would have been destined for. "He brought me back to life. He sucked the water out of my lungs and gave me his breath."

Nabooru's cheeks reddened ever so slightly upon hearing that he saved the girl in such a profoundly passionate manner. Regardless, she was absolutely speechless. She wasn't sure of how to respond to the intense revelation. While she was stunned, she was also vastly relieved that Malon had been rescued. However, she still had a burning hostility growing within her, a fury that her niece, a kid who has all her life ahead of her, had come so close to being snuffed out of the world forever. No matter what, she had to find a way to hold Eraka accountable for such viciousness.

"I swear, it's like having a god walking among us. He can actually bring people back from the dead." Ingo trembled while sweating with anxiety.

Link rubbed the back of his neck at the unusual compliment. Nonetheless, he set the record straight. "I don't think she was really dead. So, it's not like I took her out of heaven. All I did was get the water out of her lungs and she basically did the rest by taking a breath."

"Don't downplay this, Link." Ingo took his napkin and dabbed at the sweat above his brow. "You saved her life and you're chosen by the goddesses. This was your doing. Us having Malon back here is your doing." Keeping himself from hyperventilating, the farmhand inhaled and exhaled as slowly as he could manage. "You're a damn hero."

Talon walked over to the insanely brave boy as Ingo stood back up to do the exact same. Meeting together, the two adults both brought him into a mighty hug. They expressed not only their admiration, but their love for him as well. After all, they had unofficially adopted him. He was a true member of their family, one who had proven time and time again that he'd do anything within his power to protect them. Plus, they were fully aware that his 'power' was immense.

"Oof." Link grunted from being squished between Ingo and Talon. In spite of that, a smile came to his lips. "Umm… You're squashing me!"

"I can't help it." Ingo announced. "You amaze me! You've made all our lives so much better."

Keeping his smile, Link went as far as to wrap his arms around both men, returning the hugs. Either way, he was surprised to see the farmhand acting so chummy. He appreciated it seeing how the guy was usually a big grump. "Thank you, Ingo. That means a lot, coming from you."

"I'm in awe that you took out Eraka's veteran jundiin." Nabooru shared her opinion of what impressed her. "Those vai each had between ten to twenty-five years of experience and you decimated them like sand seal tearing into a bag of fruit."

Malon chimed in with more admiration. "He's my hero! He even incinerated my kidnappers with this magical gemstone he obtained from a Great Fairy!"

Nabooru watched as Ingo and Talon let go of the Link so he could breathe. She was beyond amazed with his capabilities and couldn't be happier that he was taking care of her precious niece. After all, it was because of him that she still had a living relative. That was another reason why she was sure that what she was doing was the correct thing to do, otherwise she'd be hesitant to betray Ganondorf. But, knowing that he was there to stop something as big as this from occurring, it made her refuse to live under the thumb of an evil madman, much less subject others to his ill-will.

When visions flashed before her eyes of the future timeline, a few memories were abruptly restored of the man Link was going to become. She mentally witnessed him using numerous pieces of equipment to assist him on his crusade, things such as a series of gemstones, a hammer, a hookshot and a holy sword the likes of which she'd never seen. There were several other items she could see glimpses of as well, such as the Ocarina of Time and The Triforce.

Coming back to reality following the brief recall, Nabooru suddenly remembered the conversation Ganondorf had with Eraka. She approached the boy who had just subdued her a couple of minutes ago. The first thing that she did was hug him out of immense appreciation held regarding what he'd done for Malon, even giving him a tender kiss on the cheek. However, she soon examined him.

"Wha-...?" Link wondered aloud as he tried to figure out what the gerudo woman was doing.

Nabooru patted his chest and then looked at his neck prior to recollecting that Ganondorf mentioned the hand. She grabbed his right hand and turned it over, only to see normal skin. Yet, when she grabbed his left hand and turned it over, she almost fell over in shock upon seeing more proof he was who he said he was. There upon the top of his left hand was the Mark of the Triforce, the Crest of Courage; three yellow triangles, one atop the other two with the bottom right brightly highlighted.

"You really are him." She said in astonishment. "You're the Hero of Time."

"Yes?" Link analyzed her eyes, trying to ascertain what she was attempting to figure out.

It was then that he began to think about what she had said about remembering who he really was; that she somehow knew about the future and events which hadn't happened yet. This meant that she was the third person that he was aware of, who was accessing memories from the adult timeline. First Ingo, then the Deku Tree Sprout and now Nabooru. Naturally, he wanted to know precisely what she knew as well as when she began to recollect.

"I can't believe it." Nabooru wiped away a bead of sweat that was dripping down her chin.

"When did you start to remember?" Link bluntly asked her in advance of clarifying what he meant. "When did you realize you knew about things that haven't happened yet?"

Nabooru continued to stare at him. As she looked at him, she kept envisioning the grown man he was whenever he took on Ganondorf. The child standing before her appeared to flash back and forth between an adolescent and adulthood. It confused her and even put a painful strain on her mind. Being able to access future memories wasn't something she should be biologically capable of, so it was essentially causing her brain to temporarily malfunction.

"I-..." She swallowed and tried to blink away the fluctuating images. "I think it was right after I saw you here." Thinking back, she knew it wasn't before then. "When I first met you at the Spirit Colossus, I just thought you were a brave adventurer, a little young, but a worthy voe considering you crossed the Haunted Desert without getting lost." The feelings she had when she saw him standing here in the farmhouse next to her niece, that was when it all began. "Four months ago, when I encountered you again, everything changed. As soon as I laid eyes on you, it was like I started to wake up from this strange dream."

Ingo chimed in with his own experience. "That's how I felt too. I still can't remember everything though. It's spotty, like a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces."

"Does it happen when you look at him?" Nabooru asked the farmhand, referring to Link.

"Every single time." He replied.

The news was surprising to the young boy. He didn't know that Ingo was going through such a frustrating mental challenge, much less one that the farmhand had to endure each time he laid eyes upon him. For a moment, it upset him. He had no desire to disrupt somebody's life in such a way. Fortunately, before long, he contemplated if there was anything that he could do to help or even cure the paradoxical affliction. It was doubtful that there was medication that they could take that would reverse the effects, praying didn't work and discussing it was unlikely to make a change either. Nonetheless, he dedicated himself to finding a way to alleviate their symptoms.

"It's almost like my soul is cursed." Ingo chuckled in a highly sarcastic manner.

Although the farmhand was merely trying to describe the sensations he felt, the words that came out of his mouth gave Link an ingenious idea. "Wait a second-..."

Everybody stopped and looked at him as he thought about a genuine solution to the problem.

"Just give me a minute." He told them as he started making his way to the stairs. "I just need to grab something from my room." Afterward, he ascended the stairs to fetch a certain item that he had a feeling he could use to cure them. In the meantime, Malon and the adults were left on their own downstairs.

Once he was out of earshot, Nabooru was quick to inquire about his residency. "He's living in the farmhouse now?"

Talon answered with a nod of his head. "Yep. I had a whole add-on ta the house built for 'em."

"Hmm-..." She placed her palm against her cheek. As Malon's aunt, she was always thinking of what's best for the girl. For that reason, she wondered if it was a good idea that the two were already sleeping down the hall from one another. "It's a little early for that, isn't it?"

"Nonsense." Talon defended the decision that he had made. "Not only 'as he been bustin' his hump 'round 'ere, he saved Malon an' he's my son."

Hearing that last part, the gerudo woman lifted both her eyebrows out of curiosity. "Your son?"

Coughing into his fist, the heavyset farmer explained what he meant. "Not really, 'course. He ain't my blood. But, he's a sweet, hardworkin' boy that needed a family. So, I 'dopted 'em."

"You adopted him?" She asked in disbelief.

"I know, I know." Talon rolled his eyes. "I'm well 'ware that it's odd. Yet, there ain't nothin' normal 'bout the situation anyhow."

"It's okay, auntie-..." Malon interjected in order to put Nabooru's worries at ease. "He's on his best behaviour."

Nabooru giggled softly prior to responding rather sarcastically. "Yeah, sure he is."

The gerudo woman was by no means a fool. She could vividly recall being a promiscuous teenager slightly older than her niece currently is. Back then, she had several boyfriends and wouldn't let anybody stop her from seeing them when she needed physical intimacy. When she was restricted by her mother, she'd just sneak around her. Taking that to mind, she was fairly certain Malon would do the same, that nothing Talon said or any rules he made would stop the farmgirl from finding her lover. Plus, she knew that boys were just as naughty, if not worse.

Her concerns were put to rest only due to the fact that her niece's boyfriend happened to be the most powerful voe in existence. If Link wasn't the Hero of Time, she'd have major objections to things progressing so quickly.

She had to admit that his prowess was mindbogglingly impressive. After all, despite his youthful age, he was selected by the beings of higher power, he was chosen by them to defeat the biggest threat to the world that any kingdom has ever encountered. Nobody other than him had the ability to go up against Ganondorf Dragmire. Nobody was brave enough to try and trifle with him. She didn't even have that bravery as she had been reluctantly carrying out his devious whims for the last several years.

The hero was courageous, exceedingly strong, highly intelligent, fiercely protective of his girlfriend and super cute to boot. In fact, if he were several years older, even by her high standards, she'd consider him to be a prime bachelor for the taking. Because of that, she forced herself to relax and reduced the urge to give Talon a knot on top of his head for letting a boy get so close to Malon in under a year.

"I got it!" Link announced from the top of the stairs in advance of making his way down them. He stepped off the bottom step with a small blue item in his hand. When he held it up for them all to see, it was revealed to be his Ocarina of Time.

"A strange shaped flute?" Nabooru pondered aloud, unsure of what that would do for their situation. "I don't get it."

Link chuckled lightly as he approached them. "It's not a flute. It's an ocarina, a very important one at that."

"The Ocarina of Time." Malon smiled because she knew what it was when the others didn't.

"That's right." Link confirmed. "It's a magical instrument that's been in the Royal Family for countless generations. When someone plays special songs using it, they can achieve a number of different effects."

Glancing down at the magical musical instrument in his possession, he recalled a particular time during his otherworldly trek to Termina. He remembered what the Happy Mask Salesman told him after first being taught the Song of Healing. The grinning man's voice seemed to echo around in his head, saying 'This is a melody that heals evil magic and tortured souls.' It stemmed from his speculation on the matter of whether or not he could use the jingle to fix the fluctuations in Nabooru and Ingo's memories.

"I think I can use this to cure whatever is ailing you both." Link said to Ingo and Nabooru.

Right away, Ingo was interested in knowing more. "Really? How?"

"With an ocarina?" Nabooru stared inquisitively at him and the instrument. "That doesn't make sense to me."

Link made sure to clear the air by reminding the gerudo of its powers. "Don't forget, it's magical. I don't know how it works, I just know that it does."

"Count me in." Ingo agreed to try. "If all you have to do is play a song, then it's worth a shot."

"What 'bout us?" Talon asked. "What's it gonna do to me an' Malon?"

"Huh?" Link was confused by what the farmer meant.

Thankfully, Malon answered for her father. "He means, what will it do to people who don't have this problem?"

For a split second, he was unsure of what to say. He didn't really have a valid response that was backed by experience as it wasn't something he ever pondered until now. Nevertheless, he had a feeling it couldn't do any harm seeing how the melody is literally named 'The Song of Healing'. "Hmm, probably nothing. Or make you feel happy? I'm not sure. Nothing bad, that much I know."

"Then do it." The farmgirl told him, not bothering to let the others reply. She had no qualms with curing people of such an abnormal sickness. Being that they were two individuals who were close in relationship to her, she wanted them in the best of health. "I hope it helps."

"Me too." Ingo exhaled sharply before covering his face with the palm of his hand. He didn't want to show how frustrating this had been for him, which is why he kept the knowledge secret from them up until today. "It would be really nice to not be grounded in reality instead of switchin' back-and-forth with visions from the future."

Nabooru couldn't argue with that. "Well, I'm in. Let's see what you can do."

Giving a nod of acknowledgement, the boy gave his idea a try. Holding the mouthpiece of the Ocarina of Time up to his mouth, he inhaled deeply prior to sticking the ceramic between his lips. While gently blowing into it, his fingers covered the tone holes in order to produce specific musical notes.

The following notes were played "A…E…F…A…E…F…D."

Initially, nothing seemed to happen. On the other hand, as soon as the final musical note was played, a strange aura suddenly befell upon the two who were afflicted. It was as if they were abruptly put into a temporary trance; their eyes glossed over with dulled pupils giving a thousand yard stare, their breathing grew incredibly shallow and their muscles seemed to relax. Somehow they were able to stay standing throughout this.

"Umm… Is it working?" Malon gave a curious wave to her aunt.

Talon became nervous at the sight of Nabooru and Ingo standing there completely zombified. "Link? What's happenin' to 'em?!"

Pulling the ocarina away from his lips, the hero put it safely on the table in advance of approaching the two. On impulse, he said "I don't know, I don't get it. Usually it only takes a second to work."

"What's wrong with 'em?!" Talon became increasingly scared.

"Auntie?" Malon grabbed Nabooru's arm with a worried look. "Are you okay?"

Both Ingo and Nabooru continued to stand there utterly disoriented, as if their souls had left their bodies. However, within the next few moments an eerie glow appeared on their chests, casting through their clothes. Increasing in intensity, before long the dim light became bigger and brighter until it resembled a circle that was the size of an apple. This supernatural radiance then began gradually traveling up from their hearts to their brain. Now, their eyes shone with an unnatural luminosity and proceeded to do so for almost ten solid seconds.

"Whoa." Was all the Link could say since he was stunned by what he was seeing.

"What do ya mean 'whoa'?!" Talon freaked out from having two members of his family physically glowing from their eyes. "I thought ya knew what'd 'appen if ya did this?!"

"Maybe it's working?" Instead of arguing, Malon was trying to figure out what was happening.

Link shrugged, yet he was terrified that he'd made a mistake. For the life of him, he didn't know what it could have been. He'd played the song numerous times and it never did this to anybody it was used on. "I-... I have no idea."

"WHAT!?" Talon shouted with his neck veins bulging with frustration.

They were all interrupted whenever Ingo and Nabooru both suddenly opened their mouths as if it were a reflex. What light that had shone through their eyes started to dim. Before long, they closed their eyelids and it seemed to vanish altogether. Nonetheless, the brilliant radiance soon emerged from their mouths and noses. It came out like a steam, but instead of dissipating, it swirled around their heads, twinkling like a star in the night sky.

Link, Malon and Talon were absolutely speechless. Without knowing what to do or how to act, they simply stared in amazement as the sorcery transpired. Aside from that, hoping for a decent result was the best they could wish for.

As luck would have it, the hero hadn't made a mistake after all. The Song of Healing had in fact worked. It wasn't long after the shimmering light completely disappeared from around the two's heads before they re-opened their eyes. Both of them shook their heads as if they were trying to restore their sanity by giving their brains a little shake. Not only did their breathing return to normal, their muscles woke up, causing them to straighten their previously slouching posture.

Nabooru coughed and Ingo rubbed his eyes with a sigh.

"W-Well?" Link asked, assuming they were conscious.

"Auntie?" Malon worried about her relative. "Are you okay?"

Talon shared the concern for his farmhand and best friend as well. "Ingo, ya alright?"

Ingo grumbled and nodded, but Nabooru replied "Yes. I feel… I feel so much better."

"Me too." Ingo confirmed.

"It worked?!" Link smiled wide.

He was proud of himself for accomplishing such an immensely helpful task as healing those in need. Other than protecting Malon and working his callused hands to the bone here at the ranch, he hadn't had that rewarding feeling in a while, not since his adventure in Termina. It made him happy. It made him feel like he still had more worth than just his muscles and reminded him that he was still the champion of the goddesses that he was destined to be.

"It's different than before." The gerudo woman tried to put her newfound feelings into a cohesive sentence. "Beforehand, it was like a surreal dream. The visions were forced upon me whether I wanted them to or not. Now, it's like the entire thing was a past experience." Although she was gleeful to have been cured, tears were welling up in her eyes. Her cracked soul and broken heart were mended, feeling so pure that she wanted to appreciate life to its fullest. "The memories are still there, but they're not haunting me."

"Me either." Ingo added to the conversation with a teardrop already cascading down his cheek. "It's like you said, I can remember everything, it just feels like something that happened a long time ago instead of this lingering nightmare."

Without any further delay, Malon hugged her aunt as tightly as she could. "I was worried about you."

"It's okay." Nabooru bent down and kissed her niece on the forehead. After wrapping her arms around the farmgirl, she told her "That Song, it really did the trick."

Talon's hands shook a bit from the anxiety coursing through him. Except, he too had a smile plastered on his face. With an exhale of relief, he told the boy. "I never should've doubted ya. Every time I do doubt ya, I git proven wrong."

"I understand." Link quickly accepted the apology. "I mean, I was confused for a minute there. I've never seen it do something like that. Then again, I suppose I've never played it for a problem such as this."

Ingo looked over at Link and immediately shed more tears. However, he swiftly wiped them away. Either way, he was amazed that his condition had been fixed. No longer was he seeing two versions of the Hero of Time, adult and child superimposed into each other. Now he was just seeing a regular child, the fairy boy he first saw, albeit a bit older.

"Holy-..." The farmhand purposely bit his tongue, holding back from cursing due to being so surprised. "It definitely worked. You're just-... Well, you're you now. Just you."

"As I should be." Link chuckled as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. He was certainly glad that his idea worked, he just felt sorry for the poor farmhand who had to live with the affliction up until now. "I'm sorry I didn't think of this sooner."

"No, it's fine. It's fine." Ingo waved off the boy's concerns. "It's not like I told you about that part. You didn't know." Closing his eyes, he let out another exhale of sheer relief. "For a time, I was worried that I was going crazy. But, once I recovered enough memories to remember that you're the Hero of Time, I knew I wasn't." Opening his eyes, he glanced back-and-forth between Link and Malon. "Besides, I appreciated you being here and I know how fond you are of the 'farmer's daughter'

Talon abruptly busted out into a fit of laughter at the farmhand's comparison. "Ha! I ain't even thought 'bout that stereotype!"

"What stereotype?" Malon furrowed her brow.

Ingo and Talon simply chuckled without answering. Her father only said "I'll tell you when you're older."

Nabooru giggled at the joke as well as the obliviousness of the two adolescents. Unfortunately, her joy didn't last for long. After a while, her smile flattened out and she looked down at the wooden floorboards of the farmhouse. Crossing her arms, her eyebrows sunk as she contemplated everything she now had utter access to recollecting. Even though it hadn't happened yet, she thought about how Ganondorf was going to betray her suffering people, how he was going to eventually try to brainwash her and force her to battle Link.

She could no longer see any horrendously discombobulating flashbacks like she could before. There weren't any flashes of memories showing her all the dead bodies piled up from the war, both gerudo and hylian corpses being burnt in shallow graves; there weren't any visions being hallucinated of her getting forced into an Iron Knuckle's suit of armour and being made to kill her the teammates she'd personally trained. But, she they were definitely there in her memory, serving as a warning of what was to come.

It wasn't going to happen though, because she was going to make a change. There was no way that she was going to blindly follow orders anymore. Now that she fully knew of what horrors Ganondorf is leading her and her people into as well as the atrocities he planned to commit, she planned to defect whenever she gets the chance.

"Ooh! What time is it?!" Talon unexpectedly exclaimed. "We need ta git movin'!"

Nabooru watched as the farmer sauntered over to the doorway, where he retrieved a black hat from off a coatrack. "What is it? Where are you going?"

"Oh geez, what with everythin' 'appenin', I plum forgot ta tell ya." Talon threw his hands up to accentuate his error. Putting his hat onto his balding head, he said "Malon, Link an' I 'ave ta be up at Hyrule Castle ta meet The King. He wants ta talk with us 'bout what went on durin' the kidnappin'."

"That makes sense." Nabooru remarked. "I should've known it was somewhere important by how nice you three are dressed."

She didn't have much time to think about it considering they obviously had to get moving, but she knew that it was an opportunity she couldn't possibly pass on. Her family was going to speak to the very same royalty that Ganondorf so intensely despised. It was her chance to blow the whistle on every nefarious plan she knew of. Doing so would begin her defection, yet it had to be done. She had to do something to stop the invasion of Kakariko Village plus whatever the maniacal dark lord planned to do at the Temple of Time.

The gerudo woman automatically blurted out. "Can I come?"

"Huh?" Talon wasn't sure how to respond as he didn't expect to be asked.

"To Hyrule Castle?" Link ascertained. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. They're on high alert right now and probably suspicious of every gerudo they see. Last thing I want is for them to try imprisoning you because they think you're a spy."

Nabooru merely smirked. "I am a spy; your spy." She tried to convince the boy using the advantage that she held. "I know things about Ganondorf that your king can use against him. I know his usual schedule, the layout of the Imperial Palace and exactly what he intends to do next. Surely this would be of interest to such a noble voe?"

"I-..." Link blinked and tapped his index finger to his lips as he thought about it. "I guess you're right. That would be insanely beneficial, especially any military planning that you know about. You'd be giving us the upper-hand."

"Exactly." The beautiful brown-skinned woman winked at him.

Malon wasn't so sure about the idea. Despite not being an adult, she was smart enough to know how dangerous this would be. "Auntie, are you sure that you'll be safe? What if you're seen somehow and word gets back to that jerk leader of yours? Won't they be mad?"

"Yes, sweetheart." Nabooru confirmed. "They definitely will be mad at me because they don't know what they're doing is wrong. But, what I'm doing is right and someday they'll thank me when they realize that I'm sparing them from godawful horrors." Fortifying her answer, she told her niece "Besides, I don't think there are any scouts or spies that'll see me. They've all been recalled from the field. Plus, I've got my cloak here; I'll make sure to use it so nobody recognizes me even if I am seen."

"As long as you stick with me, I'll make sure nobody messes with you." Link nodded.

Teasing the boy, Nabooru gently squeezed his shoulder. "How chivalrous of you. No wonder you've got my niece swooning."

"Auntie!" Malon huffed and blushed lightly. "No hitting on my boyfriend!"

The grown gerudo laughed. "Don't worry, I know my place."

"Alright, alright." Talon clapped his hands to get everybody's attention. "Let's git ready. We gotta go, go, go!"

Link quickly thought about what he'd need. Obviously he only required himself and the knowledge he held considering he was going to be recounting the events that occurred the other day. Nevertheless, he was rightly wary of traveling without being prepared, especially after all that's happened as of recently to him and his loved ones. Taking that into consideration, he decided to grab his bow and his quiver just in case they encountered a neer-do-well.

"I just need to grab a few things from my room!" Grabbing the Ocarina of Time from off of the table, he made his way over to the stairwell. "I'll be right back!" Yet, before taking a step upward, he stopped to apologize one more time. "And, again, I'm sorry for suspecting you, Nabooru."

"It's okay." She gave a gentle smile so he wouldn't think she was holding it against him. "I understand why you did what you did. Now, go get ready."

Following a nod of acknowledgement, the boy ascended the stairs. After making it to the second story, he immediately hurried into his newly built room. Upon walking inside, he found that the smell of fresh construction remained; with sawdust and mortar wafting into his nose. Since he had just moved in there last night, there wasn't much inside. He had his makeshift bed in the corner, his nightstand, equipment and loose clothing.

His bow was leaning up against the farthest wall with a full quiver right next to it. Grabbing the bow, he slung it around his shoulder prior to doing the same with the quiver. A sword and bow would likely be enough to ensure their protection, however, he wanted to go above and beyond, so he chose to take Din's Fire as well. Walking over to his nightstand, he opened the drawer built-into it in advance of grabbing the special gemstone.

"Hey." Malon's voice suddenly called out to him from behind.

Link turned around to see what it was that she wanted. "Yeah?"

The farmgirl steadily walked over to him, stopping within a hair's breadth. She stared at him, analyzing his eyes until he grew worried that she hadn't spoken. On the other hand, just before he had the chance to open his mouth to question her motives, she lifted her hand and directly slapped him across his cheek, producing a smacking sound that echoed throughout the room.

"Oww!" He gasped in shock that she purposely hit him, causing him to hold his cheek.

"Don't you ever suspect my aunt again, do you understand?" She commanded the hero, staring him down

Looking horrified, he stuttered as he desperately tried to apologize. "M-Malon, I-... I'm so sorry. Please don't think le-..."

Confusing as it was, he wasn't able to finish his sentence before he found himself being grabbed by the collar of his tunic. The farmgirl pulled him into a kiss that immediately silenced his objections. She pressed her lips to his with more strength than usual. It wasn't so much a romantic smooch as a necessary one that kept their relationship solid.

After pulling away from him, she smiled and told him "Thank you for protecting me."

The slap stung a little, but he managed to show a smile of his own. "You're welcome."