LEGENDS

OF THE

HERO OF TIME

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By

Sinclair Stories

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[Chapter 1]

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(Malon Lon's P.O.V.)

[Time: 7:43 P.M. (Dusk)]

[Date- Month 3 'Spring', Day 24, Year 1522 (Hyrulean Calendar), {After Majora's Mask}]

[Location- Hyrule, Lon Lon Ranch - Pasture]

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Work at Lon Lon Ranch is always the same, day in and day out. Being a farmer's daughter is practically identical to a servant's life when it comes to doing the chores. Waking up to work your hands to the bone doing farm duties and taking care of the animals makes for a humble, yet tiresome career. For me, seeing as how I've become of decent age, at this ranch, my job consists of nearly all the care for the nine to fifteen horses we keep. The routine became common knowledge long ago. Now that I'm going to be eleven soon, I might have full responsibility of everything, including the transaction part of selling the magnificent equine creatures to potential buyers. I have no doubt that it'll cause even more burden to rest upon my shoulders. But, considering all of this, I wouldn't truly rather be doing anything else other than this. There's not much of an alternative, especially not one that Daddy would approve of.

My father, Talon, is the owner of this ranch, Lon Lon Ranch. He and my late mother founded the smallholding, along with our farmhand Ingo. The three were completely on their own out in the middle of Hyrule Field, far enough away from Castle Town to be considered their own settlement. Since that time, when I was four years old, my mother passed away. Already having struggled with health problems since bearing me in childbirth, whenever a plague swept across the region one winter, she was unable to keep going. After that, she was gone from my life with only faint memories left behind. No matter what, those memories are still very much cherished.

Now, my Dad, Ingo and I raise, care for, and sell a variety of animals, ranging from horses, as aforementioned, as well as chickens, cows, and goats. There are, and were then, smaller farms around, but we became the most successful, thus leading to our famed products that have come to be known across the land. Lon Lon Milk is our most prominent, while others such as Lon Lon Eggs, Goat Cheese and Butter, as well as Chicken, Pork, and Beef are also widely consumed. We've certainly become a vital part of the city of Hyrule, feeding the majority of the citizens of the kingdom.

Today had been a relatively easygoing day on me; not that it was ever difficult at this level of expertise in my point in life, yet, I was glad nonetheless. The tranquility of everything had been more than welcomed after the brief unsettlement Hyrule has had lately. The tension being in the Gerudo tribe's recent transformation with hostilities toward outsiders.

Ingo had just gone by a few minutes ago with the milk pails needed for today's last cow milking session. Dad was supposedly working to do two things; gather the eggs from the chickens, as well as seal up a small hole in the barn's upper left corner. I was nearly finished with all of my duties. Since dawn this morning, the horses had been fed their portions of hay, oats, and water twice so far throughout the day; they were groomed, taken out into the pasture while the stable's stalls were mucked out, their hooves had been picked clean, and I'd even made sure to do their weekly teeth cleaning.

Now that it was nearing dusk, all I needed to do was bring the horses back into the stable before heading inside for a bit of comfort prior to having the night end. A nice bath is by far the most important way to relax, in my opinion. "If you guys and gals could take a bath, you'd feel the same as me." I said to the two horses beside me with a smile on my face. Southern winds streaming off of Lake Hylia in the distance were providing enough of a breeze to blow my bright red hair back, keeping me cool most of the afternoon. "They just make you feel so calm… I feel like I could sing a lullaby until I sung myself to sleep. That's how serene I get." The horse on my left, a six year old mare dubbed 'Dixie', neighed prior to breathing on my elf-like Hylian left ear. She made me giggle in delight over her playfulness today. "Dixie! Cut that out, it tickles!"

The mare rubbed against me for a few moments more before whinnying as I heard my Dad call out from the farmhouse. "Malon! It's 'bout time for ya to put them horses in the stable! It's gettin' late!" Seeing how the sun appeared to be setting soon, my best guess is that it's almost six o'clock. Even though the horses were having a great time running around the corral, they need to go to the barn and get some rest for the next day, and continue onward, like even we Hylians do. For today, all throughout it, I had used any spare time to practice my voice at singing. Currently, I'd created a new hymn that I particularly think my father would appreciate, as it has a slight influence from my mother. If he remained true to his word about working harder around here, I'll do my best to make him happy with my wonderful tune.

"Okay, Daddy!" He smiled at me with that wide grin of his before putting his hands on his hips while selectively analyzing each horse out, no doubt satisfied with my care of them like he's always been.

"Good girl! Head inside once yer done." He turned to walk back toward the door to the house before stopping again to say "I made some Cormarye (seasoned pork loin) with taters and green beans for dinner."

After I gave loud, high-pitched whistle to get the attention of all our horses in the corral and out in the pasture, I couldn't help but to laugh as he rubbed his stomach with a famished expression on his face, pretending as if he had not already acted like a glutton this morning at breakfast. As the majority of our horses trotted over to gather around me, only a few of the more stubborn or younger ones including, Petey, a hardheaded stallion, remained grazing and enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.

"That sounds delicious!" I responded to the thought of food prior to asking "Has Ingo drawn enough bathwater for everyone?"

He gave a solid nod so I could tell he did so before responding "Yeah!"

Most of the horses followed me whilst I directly led Dixie by her head halter. Once the other stubborn horses saw her walking, they eventually followed along, going with her since she's the eldest. Yet, all but Petey, who still refused to follow. "Petey! ~*Tch**Tch*Tch*~" I shouted to him in a sweet voice, hoping to coax him into following. His right ear moved, however, he didn't show any sign of paying much attention to me, deliberately ignoring me with a daily passion. "Petey!" I yelled again, slightly more sternly then previously. It was then that I noticed my Dad was still standing outside. For a second, I assumed he was still observing my behaviour. Then again, it soon became apparent that he was doing something else as he kept moving his head slowly, side-to-side with an inquisitive look on his face. 'What is he doing?' I thought as I briefly let go of Dixie with the intent of going to retrieve Mr. Stubborn, Petey.

"Dad! What are you doin-…" Almost instantly he shushed me loudly, while holding up his hand in a way that meant he was trying to hear something and needed quiet.

"Wait! Shh… Listen…" He stopped me.

The closer to Petey I came, I began faintly hearing a noise coming from somewhere outside the ranch. It sounded as if a horse was in dire trouble, roaring with fright while squealing as if extremely panicked. The tone and pitch seemed to indicate that it was a young one, a filly or maybe even a yearling, definitely a female. 'What's happening?' My thoughts asked, making me curious about if someone was going by in distress. Within a few more seconds, it grew louder, enough to make even Ingo step out of the stables to see what the commotion was. Before long, I realized that the other horses were becoming skittish, making Petey finally hurry over next to Dixie's side. "Dad, who is that?"

Ingo, being the lighter of the two, quickly jumped onto the side of the stables and climbed up to the top, attempting to get a look at whatever was causing this disturbance. "I don't know, Darlin', but I'll figure it out… It might just be someone goin' by havin' some trouble, don't worry."

Ingo jerked his head around a few times before jumping back down. With an exasperated sigh, he said "Whatever it is, I caught a glimpse of its tail before it ran into the ranch." Dad grunted and spun around toward the entrance as another loud squeal rang out from behind the gate. "What!? Well, what is it!?" As he started walking toward the gate, I decided to do my job despite the interest and put the horses up for both the night and safety measures.

"Be careful!" I yelled out to them, not wanting them to get hurt. Just as I had hoped that everything would be alright, I heard a loud clank and turned my head to see whatever it was jumping over the fence to make an instant dash forward. Dad and Ingo lost their cool and weren't able to see what it was before it knocked them both down, receiving a shriek from me. "Daddy! Ingo!" The creature making all the sounds tumbled with them until skidding to a halt on its side in the dirt. First, my mind was all on my father. But, as I took my time to notice what was happening, I came to the sudden realization that the creature, a horse, looked very familiar.

"By the goddesses! Are we under attack, Ingo!?" Dad shouted as the filly got back on her feet and raced over to me, giving me a good look at it.

Upon a quick glance, my mind clicked and I could tell that it was Epona, the shy filly I gave to Link when he came to tell me about a silly adventure he had to debark on. "Epona!?" Ingo helped my father stand while keeping his eye on things as I assessed Epona's condition. "Where have you been, girl!?" She looked deeply frightened, as if she'd been lost and on the run for days. Along with a snort, I could see that her ears were stiff, even while twitching, her tail was clamped-down, and her neck was tense, holding her head up high, with eyes wild. All of it was a clear indication that she was terrified. "Daddy! Come quick, it's Epona!" Dad and Ingo instantly rushed to me, trying to figure out the same things I was, especially what's happening. Epona, in the meantime, trotted around impatiently as the other horses stayed slightly spooked by the entire ordeal.

"What in tarnation!?" Dad exclaimed in surprise, likely having thought that some feral beast had come to take advantage of our livestock. As his shock faded with Ingo's, he calmed down a bit. However, both of them were still visibly stunned at her ability. "She was the one makin' all of that noise? Sheesh… Was somethin' after you, girl?" Epona stomped her hooves on the ground in front of us with another rambunctious squeal. "Huh? What's the matter? It's okay, yer safe here." Dad continued to say.

As Ingo looked back at the gate, making sure nothing that could possibly be following her attempted to continue its pursuit, Dad couldn't seem to see the same things I could. It was clear that something was terribly wrong. Epona had never appeared so frightened and she looks like she hasn't had anything to eat for multiple days. Then, of course, there's the fact that Link isn't riding her; my greatest concern in the back of my mind. "Daddy, something happened!" He looked up from trying to get Epona to calm down with a strange look in his eye, as if he too was finally beginning to sense the stressful situation.

"I think she was just lost, darling, don't worry… Give 'er some time. She'll relax and return ta normal." He said while patting the wild equine.

All I suddenly wanted to do was pinch the bridge of my nose in annoyance. "No! Daddy, where's Link!?" Preceding a short huff, he scratched his balding head as Epona nudged me roughly, nearly knocking me down. Something was wrong, I could tell. The way she was acting wasn't right. I'd known Epona for years and I could tell very easily whenever she's frightened like this. On top of that, I know that Epona isn't a very easy horse to scare. She's always been too intelligent to be fooled into being scared of things that aren't going to hurt her any. There's no way she'd leave Link behind.

"Whoa, Nelly..." Dad replied, while keeping Epona still. "Maybe he didn't 'ave any need for 'er anymore."

While he might have seen the little fairy boy as an immature kid on nothing more than a childish adventure, I knew more, and held Link in high regards. He was the only other person Epona would ever listen to, and he proved to me that he took excellent care of her during his time out in the wide-world, doing whatever. "Link wouldn't just let her go like this… He always brought her back and put her in her stable when he was finished! He'd never simply set her free to find her own way back!" Again, Epona stomped her hooves, but this time she nearly yanked Dad down, proving to me that something more has happened than just her getting lost. Something had to have happened to Link. There's simply no other explanation.

"I'm sure he's fine, Pumpkin." Dad continued to go on about everything being okay.

Epona's response to all of this was a shrill roar, louder than I'd ever heard a filly do so before. The frustration was evident. As her eyes shifted over to me, it became clear that she was angry and distraught over the fact that she was being kept from moving. "Daddy, let her go!" He wasn't sure why I was so upset, but did as I said anyway. From that very moment, the filly took off a few feet away from us before stopping to turn around and flare her nostrils while stomping on the ground toward the gate. "See!? I think she wants me to come with her!"

Ingo, who had been strangely nicer to me recently and more responsible, was first to deny my request. "I don't think so, Malon…" he replied firmly. "It's getting late and monsters will be coming out. You can't go alone."

Regardless of the fact that they both were simply trying to look out for me, I was fully aware of the dangers in Hyrule at night. My entire tranquility had been completely shattered by this. If I didn't do something quick, I might have an even more tragic event happen, like Link never coming back. "THEN COME WITH ME, YOU DOPES!" They both stood in shock for a moment as I whistled for Epona. The filly instantly trotted back to me hastily.

Dad grabbed my arm gently to stop me as Ingo got in my way as well. "Malon, calm down, sweetie… We can't look for someone durin' nightfall anyway… It's too late. We'll have to go out in the mornin'."

The panic I was feeling in my heart seemed to come from nowhere. My mind couldn't comprehend why they were so calm about this. Link's life could be in peril and I can't stand to stomach the thought. "Let me go! Link's missing! Don't you two see that Epona wants me to follow her!? She'll lead me right to him while the sun's still up!" The stress slowly got to me and tears welled up in my eyes just as Epona butted her way in-between Ingo and my Dad, knocking them down again with her wild strength.

"Epona!" Dad yelled in deep frustration while quickly getting back on his feet. He watched as I ran forward to climb up on Epona's back. He tried to stop me and even yelled for Ingo to try to stop me. "Ingo, stop her!"

Everything was suddenly moving so incredibly fast, yet, I knew that I had to act promptly. The time for sitting around was long gone. Amazingly, as soon as I hoisted myself up onto the saddle, Epona wasted zero time dashing off toward the gate again. "Giddy up, Epona! Hurry! Go find Link!" Ingo fell behind completely, as the last thing I saw before jumping the gate was Dad mounting Dixie, likely with the intent to pursue me. 'By the Goddesses.' I said in vain while in thought 'It's later than I thought it was… Oh, I do hope I can find him before total darkness.' My Dad shouted to the top of his lungs, but, I was losing them. Ingo was slowed down further by having to struggle to open the gate that Epona jumped with ease. Eventually, we lost them altogether.

"MALON!" He shouted louder, his face turning red from being in a huff.

His concern for me was displaced. In my opinion, if he had simply gone along with me to assist, none of this freaking out would have occurred in the first place. Even though I'm an adolescent girl, I'm also a strong willed and intelligent Hylian, which means I get things done. I have no choice now, other than to ride Epona as she galloped down the road toward the City of Hyrule; Castle Town. I have to pull through it.

"Link..." I said to myself. "Where are you? Please, be okay." Normally, I wouldn't risk myself for anyone other than Dad; and on a good day, perhaps Ingo. But, Link was something entirely different. When I thought about him, it would make my heart pump faster while reminding me of the other few times we'd encountered each other. The first, when he came up to me in the center plaza of Castle Town, was one of my most cherished memories of him. He looked so out of place, wearing a green tunic and carrying a tiny sword and a shield, confused by things of modern society which everyone else around me used on a daily basis. At first, he came off as a bit strange. What I'm trying to say is, I thought he was an oddball. However, as soon as I saw that fairy with him, I knew that he had come from within the forest; perhaps even making him a Kokiri; though later he's admitted to supposedly being fully Hylian. "Fairy Boy..." My lips uttered as my hands gripped the reins tighter. My heels clicked against Epona's sides, making her snort before speeding up as we began to approach the drawbridge leading into the City of Hyrule's Castle Town. "What could you have been doing here?"

Just as I started to question where Epona was taking me, she abruptly veered away, bypassing the drawbridge altogether and continuing down the road. It seemed that she was intent on not stopping anytime soon by the way she followed the road closely, not slowing down in the least. "Hurry, Epona! The sun is going to go down soon!" After giving the setting sun a quick glance, a fear dawned on me that she might have traveled several days from wherever Link previously left her. In haste, I hadn't thought of anything like that. If it was the case, I certainly wouldn't be able to survive out here. 'Oh no… Epona's more than fast enough to outrun a predator, but, it's just so dangerous.' My fears took over for a moment 'What was I thinking? I should have waited for Dad and Ingo; they're strong enough to protect themselves… I'm completely defenseless, on a horse that's panicking, and I have absolutely no clue where Link is.' In spite of the wavering determination, my courage and willpower steadily increased yet again as I thought more about him. The apprehension wouldn't stop me from being driven to find him.

From the second we talked to each other, he's proved to me that he's capable of doing things that the ordinary child couldn't possibly do. I knew it when I saw the sword and shield. 'I asked him to find my father, and he did.' Epona neighed as we passed a stagecoach coming from Kakariko Village toward the City of Hyrule, likely the last one of the day before the city pulls the drawbridge up. Since Epona showed no interest in the carriage, my thoughts were still geared toward Link. 'He managed to sneak past the Hyrulean Soldiers to climb the fence into the Castle Grounds… I never actually expected him to do that; I figured he'd be thrown out on his butt like everyone else who tries to get into the courtyard. They keep the castle far too secure for a commoner to gain entrance so easily.' Soon, we started running along the edges of Zora's River as the walls of Castle Town came to an end and we grew closer to Kakariko Village. With any luck, he might be somewhere around here. Epona was going strong without any looks of easing up, so I had a few doubts. 'He made it all the way to the castle before finding Dad and waking him up. He even claimed to have met Princess Zelda face-to-face and had a discussion with her... Ooh, that made me so envious.'

Thinking about memories of him continued to keep me calm as the inevitably setting sun persisted in making its descent beneath the horizon. 'Later, we met again when he stopped by the ranch. We spoke for a while and he talked about needing a horse for his grand adventure.' Epona whinnied loudly and huffed as I noticed what looked like a Peahat off in the distance, out in the field. Fortunately for me, I'd never seen the levitating insect-plant like creatures up close as they commonly stay away from the road due to their fear of loud sounds, such as the clattering of horse hooves or a boisterous Hylian. They resemble flying giant pineapples with spinning blade-like propellers in the center used to keep it in mid-flight. Moderately dangerous, they're more of a nuisance as they only pester you if you agitate them or disturb their young. 'At first, I didn't believe anything the fairy boy said…' I went back to thinking. 'He tried to convince me that he had slain many monsters and was on a quest to save the kingdom; things that no one in their right mind would accept as truth from a ten year old, not even another ten year old such as myself.'

"Easy girl..." I said to Epona as the Peahat kept on its own course, far away from us without paying any attention either; choosing instead to focus on its larva and guard them with its life. "If we can find Link, he'll protect us both... We just have to find him first." The thought of having him protect me stemmed from the realization that, even if he truly was living in a fantasy, he's genuinely used his skills to take down monsters on his own, ones that my Dad and Ingo would run away from, petrified. Two occasions I can remember. 'By chance, one night while briefly looking out the window of my bedroom, after Link brought Epona back, three stalchildren; which are small skeletons that occasionally rise out of the ground at night to terrorize anyone in the vicinity, approached him with hostile intent and he managed to dispatch them like they were completely and utterly nothing.'

The mere notion that those skeletons could arise again to torment me if I didn't get back before nightfall sent shivers down my spine. Being just a small girl, I've never so much as raised my hand to something. I don't have the experience needed to take down a monster. 'I can't slice two in half or kick the other's head clean off its shoulders like he did with the Stalchildren.'

With the sunlight waning as we traveled down the expanse of road, I could make out the tree-line of the Forbidden Forest, where Hylians are prohibited from ever visiting. The woodland area is under a benevolent spell that protects it from any impurities. This spell keeps it safe from intruders or anyone who wishes to do it harm. One of the side effects of this enchantment is its ability to curse people. 'Daddy always told me fables about twisted things that would happen, but, I learned the truth after a while.' Whenever a Hylian goes into the woods without the fairies possessed by the Kokiri, they become sick and crippled in place before slowly dying from the magic. It suffocates them. Adults who succumb to its influence quickly become host to the land by becoming what is known as a Stalfos; strategic, defensive, sword-wielding, undead skeleton warriors who roam the forest like guardians, protecting it infinitely with their restless patrols. Children supposedly suffer a more unusual fate, morphing into Skull kids; a race of diminutive, mischievous beings that reside in the forest like their adult counterparts; playing wind instruments, while alone, to pass the time until they feel the beckoning of the forest when adults approach.

"Epona, I hope you're not thinking of taking me into there." The filly ignored me while rampantly galloping steadily forward. Even though I was still firm set on my hunt to find Link, alarms went off in my head at the thought of going there without an invite from the Kokiri. However, waiting for approval through the royal bloodline would take weeks, far too much time that I certainly didn't have. "Epona!" I shouted to make sure that she heard me. A small whinny followed by a huff confirmed that she did hear me and was simply continuing her course toward what will hopefully turn out to be Link. "Epona! Whoa! Slow down, girl! Whoa!" After a few gentle pulls, I had to yank the reins a bit to get her to respond again. "Whoa!"

To that, she finally began slowing down until we stopped three fourths of the way toward the tree-line. A short distance away, I could clearly make out the entrance to the Forbidden Forest; which is, in actuality, a giant hollowed out tree that's used to pierce the densely thick woodland border.

"Epona… I'm sorry, girl… But, I don't think I can go in there." Looking up at the very top of the sun going down beneath the horizon as she neighed made a bit of my courage disappear completely. Even though I really wanted to find Link, it was getting dark and I knew that I already wouldn't be able to make it back to the ranch in time before utter nightfall. Traveling in pitch-black isn't something you can do either without a torch or one of those expensive lanterns Dad bought for the homestead. "It's already too dark… Going into a forest would be more dangerous than staying on the road." When I thought about it, going into the Forbidden Forest would make it ten times as dangerous since it isn't a normal forest. It would be more along the line of suicide. "Let's head back to Kakariko Village and find a place to rest for the night." A long howl from within the forest confirmed my intended solution to turn back as it signified certain danger for if I remain on course. "Y-Yeah… There's no way I'm going to let a Wolfos eat me." Tugging on the reins proved futile as Epona disobeyed me in every way possible, even going so far as to buck me. The way she wanted to persevere showed that it was her way of saying 'This is the way we have to go right this second!'

Inside, again, I was torn between what to do. 'If Link truly is in the Forbidden Forest, then he's probably too far in for me to reach him.' Thinking of that howl I heard and the skeletons I thought about, it made my decision far more of a worrisome burden. Nonetheless, imagining his lifeless body being gnawed on by Wolvos as he falls victim to the woods was simply too much for me to bear; it put a lot of emphasis on my reasoning for being out here, as well as traveling onward. "Link…" Epona's ears swiveled as I sighed. In spite of my bravery, inevitably, self-preservation won out as the same howl from off in the distance ensued yet again and just as vicious as before. "I hope you're okay."

Epona neighed a few times before I tried tugging harder. Unfortunately, she was stubborn with her refusal to turn around. "Epona…" With yet another sigh, I kept trying, wanting to get far away from the tree-line. "Come on, we can't stay here." During the time I took to continue my attempts to turn Epona around, from a way behind me, both of us suddenly heard the sound of Dad and Ingo calling my name loudly while gradually coming closer and closer.

"MALON! MALON!" Dad's voiced called the loudest. Almost instantly, Epona's ears twitched as she let out a snort. The speed at which her sides expanded and contracted increased, all tell-tale signs that she was beginning to get anxious again. Seeing as how Dad and Ingo literally chased us out of the ranch, her mind was likely still associating them with danger, meaning that she was about to bolt. "MALON!"

As quick as I could, I started doing everything possible to calm her down. "Shh, it's okay… They're coming to help; we could meet them and go back to the ranch, even better than Kakariko Village." While staring back at the sloping field, I couldn't see them yet, but, could hear the sounds of their horse's hooves clomping down the road. It was in my hopes that gently rubbing Epona's long neck would soothe her to the point where she wasn't going to freak out. For the most part, it seemed like it was working as she huffed softly with a small neigh.

"It's okay, girl." I kept saying with a phony smile. Judging by that look in her eyes, however, it didn't really look like she was fully falling for it. "Let's go home and we'll find Link bright and early tomorrow morning." As crushing in ego as it was to give up and admit that Dad was right, it genuinely hurt to know that I couldn't find Link. If he's injured and somewhere he can't escape, it'll be my fault if anything happens to him. Such a burden might not be comprehensible to most ten year olds, but, this is something important that I can feel deep in my beating heart. "There's something about him." I said while staring up at the stars for a moment, taking time to pray to the three Goddesses that he'll be okay. "Oh, mighty Golden Goddesses… Hear my prayer and please protect Link with your sacred rule." By holding my hands together, palms flat, vertically, they may head my plea as long as my spirit remains pure. "Din, give him power to destroy any foe… Nayru, give him knowledge to find his way… And Farore, give him the courage he needs to overcome any obstacles."

"MALON! WHERE ARE YOU!?" Dad's voice shouted, startling Epona a bit.

This time, I decided to respond so that he'd stop shouting so loudly. "I'm over her-!…" Before I could get the rest out loud enough for them to hear me, Epona gave me a single buck, jostling me around on the saddle. "Epona, Whoa… Calm down…" I tried to say in a soothing voice, refusing to sound upset lest I freak her out more. "It's okay, girl. W-Whoa… Whoa..." Despite my attempt, she did it again so that I couldn't call out to Dad. I was too busy trying to desperately hold on. Horses are intelligent creatures. Often, I felt like she was smarter than normal. It was almost as if she didn't want me to shout out for them. No, she wanted me to keep going and find Link. "Whoa." Completely ignoring me, she started trotting closer to the tree-line of the Forbidden Forest, neighing and bucking me up into the air a bit before I slammed back down on my rear. "Ep..pona… W…W-Whoa… W-Whoa…." My hopes for Dad and Ingo to show up were answered as light from their lantern or torch slowly crept down the hillside further back. 'They'll be able to help me get Epona to calm down.' I thought before I went to yell again. Following my attempt, I was suddenly cut off by Dad's booming voice; them being completely and utterly unaware that we were a mere forty feet away. "Da-…" was all I got out.

"MALON YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE THIS INSTANT AND STOP SCARING YOUR DADDY!" Dad once again hollered at the top of his lungs.

Without any more hesitation, Epona lost it that very second. Upon hearing it so close, so loud, and so sternly, her legs darted beneath her, galloping full speed forward toward the giant hollowed out tree-bridge. Clearly, I'd lost control as soon as her hooves touched the tree. Nothing was going to stop her and I knew it. Every fiber of my being knew that I'd lost control. The only thing I could do was hold on; all unbeknownst to my dad and Ingo. I was sure he would have felt worse had dad realized how bad he just made things by yelling like he did, but like I said, I couldn't do much about it right now other than hope they could hear me.

Finally, in that moment, I managed to yell for help. "DAD!" My voice echoed through the tree as I yanked on the reins harder, trying with all of my might to get the filly to stop her rampaging haste.

"MALON!?" Dad called back from atop the hill as we reached halfway through the tree. "I THINK SHE'S CALLING FROM THIS WAY!" Ingo's voice responded to me and Dad, sounding just as concerned, yet, more faded the further we traveled.

"EPONA, STOP!" I screamed as the other side, the Forbidden Forest, slowly came into view. There was a small wooden bridge leading into another hollowed out tree. "DADDY!"

Going deeper brought too much fright for me to handle while slicing through my nerves like a hot knife through butter. I've never gone past the tree-line and the reality of what happens to people that become lost soaked in far quicker than I imagined. Knowing that all the trees around me looked exactly the same as all of the others could get me discombobulated, and then I'd be screwed. "EPONA, STOP! WHOA! WHOA! NO! I DON'T WANT TO TURN INTO A SKULL KID!" Tears fell from my eyes as she refused to listen to anything I had to say, dead set on getting to whatever destination she had in mind.

"Malon!" Dad's voiced called from behind the tree-line, muffled from all of the foliage.

"DAD!" I shouted back, making Epona squeal from my shrill voice, unfortunately worsening things as she sped up even more.

Hope was waning inside me as my vision did the same from lack of light. The final rays of sunlight were nearly extinguished by the dense flora. 'I think I should jump off.' The inner-voice in the back of my mind said, figuring out what the best possible way to save myself would be. "EPONA! WHOA!" I tugged harder on the reins and felt my heart grow heavy in fear as we exited the first hollowed tree onto the wobbly wooden bridge. The air on this side was thick and saturated with moisture, making it slightly hard to breathe, as if the forest had its own densely confined atmosphere shaped to its specific needs. Strangely, even though the trees surrounding me were putting off more than enough oxygen to survive, I felt like I had to take heavy breaths just to not hyperventilate. "I'm so screwed! EPONA!" The rapid breathing would likely show up eventually anyway if I couldn't get my tears to stop flowing and Epona under control.

Three-fourths of the way across the wooden bridge, after lots of tugging on the reins, I gave up for a bit and held on while looking down. Below us was a gap, showing a shallow, grass-filled gulley which seemed to veer off in a circle in both directions. 'I can't jump off yet or I'll fall!' I literally had no choice other than to ride Epona until she stopped or until I could get to an area where I can safely jump off. 'That means I'll be double screwed! I'll have to walk back in the darkness!' With that thought swirling around in my mind, I yelled one more time at Epona as my eyes couldn't even find the sun anymore, scaring me further since the only thing keeping the path lit was small orbs of light floating around; possibly fireflies. "EPONA! STOP!" Usually I'm much stronger, but, this time, when she didn't stop, I fully broke out in crying. It terrified me to be in this forest, even more so after dark.

Right before we reached the second hollowed out tree, I noticed a sign. However, Epona was moving too fast and I wasn't paying enough attention to have time to read it. At this point, it seemed like Epona was speeding up even more by galloping with short dashes. "By the Goddesses, what do I do!?" After hiccupping and drying my eyes with my left hand, the end of the tree clearly came into sight, appearing to be some sort of village. Putting two and two together, I figured that it must be the Kokiri Village that reportedly comes before the Lost Woods. "Help! Help! Someone help!" I shouted with a coarse voice, dry from my crying and previous screaming at the top of my lungs as we shot out the end of the tree. "Please! Somebody!" My knowledge on the Kokiri wasn't very much, I knew they looked like regular Hylian children, have a fairy that accompanies each individual, and are generally benevolent in nature, so I genuinely hoped that they would assist me any way they could, provided that they had not already gone to bed for the night.

"HELP!" Epona suddenly changed course by going off the path leading into the village, choosing to instead go down a small stone path leading toward a sloping cliff marking the edge of the village and the beginning of the forest again. "Anyone!?" After desperately looking around for anyone near, I turned my head to face forward just in time to see the incoming branch from a tree Epona had neared too closely. Unluckily, I wasn't able to react in time and made direct contact with it, whopping my forehead hard enough to blacken my vison for a moment as well as make me nearly lose consciousness. Since Epona was traveling so fast, I fell backward onto her back and was constantly thrown in the air by her galloping, barely holding on only due to my feet being in the saddle's stirrups. "Ooh, m-my head..." With more sniffles, moans, and tears, I tried to regain my balance despite my sudden loss of coordination. "It hurts…. Ooooh."

"Hey!" Someone yelled from close by. Judging by the tone, it sounded like a girl. "Hey! Stop!" While grabbing the saddle's horn to pull myself up, Epona neighed as we flew past a green-haired and blue-eyed girl wearing a Kokiri Tunic similar to Link's tunic, only with shorts and darker green sleeves. Her fairy flew after me as she herself extended her arm as if to try and wave me down. "Stop! You can't go in there without a fairy!" I wasn't sure where 'there' was until I managed to finally lean back up and regain awareness of my surroundings. As Epona hurried up the hill, I saw an opening in the tree-line and another sign written in Hylian, which plainly read 'Lost Woods' followed by 'Keep Out' and a few other foreign languages. Instantly, my eyes widened as I once again started to try and stop Epona. Now she was going so fast that it would injure me greatly if I attempted to dismount.

"Epona… Whoa." I said, trying to be calm this time and stop freaking out so badly, ignoring my own tears that still flowed down my face.

The girl's fairy soon caught up with me for a moment and buzzed around me before speaking in a tiny and soft speech reminiscent of the voice Link's fairy has. "Miss, you have to stop your horse! Bad things happen to Hylians who go into the forest without a fairy; both to adults and children!"

We reached the opening in the foliage prior to me saying "I can't! She's out of control, but, I think she's trying to take me to Link! I think he's injured and she came to get me from our Ranch!"

The fairy cocked her head before abruptly darting back in the direction of the girl who shouted. "Link!? I must tell Saria!"

The moment we entered the Lost Woods I looked back in shock. "Wait, no! Please, don't leave me! Can't I borrow you!?" As silly as it sounded, it was logical to me at this point; much better than turning into a Skull Kid. No matter what I wanted though, I wasn't going to get it, as the entrance faded into the background and I was forced to turn back around to face forward.

The throbbing pain in my head was still very much present, yet, I couldn't do anything about it and had to focus on what's happening around me. Much like previously, all of the trees have the same general shape, with little to discern them from each other; even the shrubbery looked identical. "Epona, we're going to get lost!" The filly continued galloping past trees. This time, as I was paying attention; I was able to dodge any branches. From the fact that I thought I saw stars, I don't think I can take another hit like that. It knocked all the wind out of my lungs the first time. 'I'm so screwed! How am I supposed to make it back!? What am I going to d-… Oh… My… Goodness, no!" Further ahead, the constant backlight from fireflies ended and left nothing but darkness as the sun had finally gone down beyond the horizon. All I could do was hold onto the saddle tightly while ducking as far as I could in order to make sure I wouldn't get another whack. "Epona, if we live through this, you're so not getting ANY second helping of your feed! EVER!"