The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Part Three: Liberation

Chapter Four: The Hero's First Adventure, Part Two - Catching Up

     Damn she's sharp! Link thought to himself, knowing perfectly well what Malon meant when she asked that. Navi had been right in her judgement saying Malon would likely want an explanation. Though he had promised Talon he would explain to them both, the expression Malon wore made it clear that she had not really asked a question, but had been demanding an answer. Navi dropped into his field of vision from above and hovered behind Malon, wearing an "I told you so" look.

     "Not a lot happened, actually," Link started, ignoring his fairy, "But a lot changed, for me at least, I'm still getting used to it all."

     "What do you mean?" Malon asked, hopping onto the railing of the hay trough beside her. She offered a seat beside her, which he took. "You mean you've been gone this whole time? Where have you been?"

     "That's...hard to answer without explaining-"

     "Oh, stop trying to sound cool Link," Navi suddenly blurted, taking a position in front of the two of them and ignoring Link's red face and insulted stare. She turned her attention to Malon. "It's really not that complicated, he's just embarrassed about it for some reason."

     "I am not!" Link snapped, prompting a giggle from Malon.

     "No?" She asked, redirecting her attention back to Link with eyes raised. "So you're not embarrassed by spending the majority of seven years away from Hyrule sleeping?"

     "It was my spirit and not exactly my choice."

     "But you did sleep. Hardly exciting for a return of a hero," Navi retorted matter-of-factly. Link sighed heavily, shaking his head in defeat, while Malon beside him laughed.

     "Sleeping?! Of all the reasons and possibilities, you were sleeping?! You might give my father a run for his money!" She laughed for a good minute longer, before she suddenly leaned into him.

     "You know, Link, after you left, and after the castle and Castle Town were ruined...I was so scared something had happened to you. After that things all over took a turn for the worse, even here, and monsters began to show up everywhere... but I still believed you'd be back, all this time." She straightened herself and smiled at him warmly. "Welcome back, Link."

     Link returned her smile and pulled her to him in another embrace, understanding the sincerity of her words. "Thank you, Malon, really."

     He had hoped at best that she would have remembered him, never mind if it was fondly or even in annoyance. That she had waited for him all this time, without even knowing that his existence was assured, was incredible. Truly, Malon was special, and Link could not help but silently thank the goddesses above for having met her years ago.

     "So what really happened, hmm?" Malon asked him. "After you left us that morning?"

     Link spared little detail in informing her of what had happened, starting from realizing Ganondorf's complete foresight, witnessing the escape of the princess, and his encounter with the Gerudo king. Malon was visibly shaken by his account, which she explained when he stopped to ask was due to having once seen the man in passing, and he had frightened her greatly.

     "I saw him about three years ago, I think," she explained. "He came to the ranch, but I didn't know what for. I saw him from the house window upstairs." She shuddered. "Just seeing him frightened me so, and I could almost sense how dangerous he was."

     Three years ago, Link thought to himself. She had seen him the day Talon had been banished and Ingo had been made owner of the ranch.