A Note from the Author: After Phantom Destiny was done, I was asked for a sequel. I threw one or two ideas around, and the one that seemed to get the best reaction was to follow up with a "novelization" of sorts with the remaining sages. So this isn't a sequel where we see Link returning to Saria; it is a sequel that picks up where Phantom Destiny left off: Link is on his way to Darunia. So I suppose this is the second of a series of five stories, each dealing with a different sage. I'm afraid none of them will be as emotionally and psychologically dramatic as Phantom Destiny, so don't expect these to live up to the beauty that was Phantom Destiny's final chapter. These will be far more like the story's first chapter, if you remember the epic clash between Link and Phantom Ganon. I will try to get some psychological drama in when I can, though.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. This story will cover everything between the Forest Medallion and the Fire Medallion in as little as three chapters, so your favorite part might be left out. I'll make up for it by making the other parts more interesting; instead of a "novelization" of Ocarina of Time, consider this an "improvement."

Most Zelda stuff (c) Nintendo
Oracle of Seasons/Ages stuff (c) Nintendo, Capcom

Part I ~ The Race

The fire flickered against the red walls like little demons watching my every move. Smoke clouded like ghosts around the ceiling, slowly sifting away through vents. The searing heat was enough to kill a Deku or Zora instantly. It was safe to say there wasn't a single hotter place in all of Hyrule, Holodrum, and Labyrinna combined. That's what people say, anyway. I've never been to Holodrum or Labyrinna, so I wouldn't know personally. And honestly, I didn't care. There were three words repeating constantly in my mind: "hot," "Gorons," and "dragon." None were less important than the rest. All of them were important to my mission, to my survival, and to the fate of Death Mountain itself. But let's backtrack a bit.

-

The open pastures. The calming wind. The distant neighing of horses, the mooing of cows. And a sweet girl and her charming father, not to mention the humble helper. The perfect place for a touch of relaxation on my way to Death Mountain. I thought so, anyway. That was why, instead of taking the portal to Goron City in the Lost Woods, I took the long way via Hyrule Field and Kakariko Valley. Near the center of Hyrule Field, the great expanse in the center of Hyrule, was a large ranch owned by the Lon Family. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the Lons seven years ago when I was in Hyrule Castle Town, and one of them, Mr. Lon's daughter Malon Lon, even taught me the family's favorite song so I could play it on my ocarina. There were three all together, ever since Mrs. Lon passed away: Talon Lon, owner of the ranch and milkman for Hyrule Castle; Malon Lon, his daughter and egg delivery girl; and Ingo Lon, Talon's brother and a helping hand in the ranch. They were a good bunch, and I was hoping to pay them a visit on the way to the mountain.

You should know me, I hope. I'm Link, Hero of Time. Not too long ago, I woke up from a seven year coma, only to find myself in the middle of the greatest crisis to ever befall Hyrule. The evil Ganondorf rules the kingdom, causing havoc in every nook and cranny of the land. Weilding the Master Sword, the Sword of Evil's Bane, I was ordered by the Light Sage Rauru to search the kingdom for five other sages, each a different race. I had found the Forest Sage in my homeland, the misty Lost Woods. The woods had been haunted by ghostly monsters for seven long years, but when I vanquished the nightmarish evil in the Forest Temple, a new Deku Tree was able to purify the forest. He told me that I was a Hylian, not a Kokiri; it was a hard fact to swallow, and I worried it would be the end of my relationship with my best friend--maybe even more--Saria. But Saria did not mind, and now she awaits my return as the Sage of Forest. I was now searching for the Fire Sage, who I thought would probably be on Death Mountain; sounded simple, but I knew it wouldn't be. Since waking from my coma in the Temple of Time, I could see that something was very wrong with Death Mountain.

Death Mountain is Hyrule's only active volcano and tallest mountain, roughly half the size of Mt. Cucco in Holodrum. So sure, it isn't the biggest piece of rock to be found. But it didn't get its name from its size. Unlike the several volcanoes in Labyrinna and Holodrum, Death Mountain is constantly active. There isn't a day without rocks rocketting from the summit. It erupts almost once a year, from what I've heard. To climb to Death Mountain's summit is considered suicide by the citizens of nearby Kakariko Village. The mountain is so prominent that it can be seen from the opposite corner of Hyrule; it is constantly surrounded by a ring of clouds near the summit. Whether this is smoke or rain clouds, nobody knows. Lately, however, Death Mountain's been different. You can see the summit from the Temple of Time's courtyard; and let me tell you, it was a ghastly sight. Instead of the usual ring of clouds, Death Mountain's summit was surrounded by a ring of fire. Floating fire. It was as if all the clouds were set aflame. A great column of smoke rose from the volcanic crater and blackened the sky all around the mountain. You didn't have to be from the country to tell something bad was going on at the summit.

This shouldn't be too much of a worry if the mountain's a death trap, right? I mean, it isn't like anybody ilives/i up there, right? Wrong. An entire civilization resides in the Dragon Roost Mountains (the mountain range where Death Mountain resides; it encompasses the northeastern corner of Hyrule), a civilization which seven years ago I helped escape starvation. From what Saria's told me, all the mountains of the world are populated by rock people. They live in caves, eat rocks, look and behave like boulders, and are stronger than stone. They are called the Gorons. They migrated into Hyrule from Labrynna long ago, and quickly became one of the more prominent races in the country, after the Hylians, Zoras, and Shiekhah. Their capital city, Goron City (original name), is a labyrinth of caverns directly inside Death Mountain. Gorons can survive in lava, so it's okay for them most of the time; but I don't think even they can survive a volcano gone psycho.

After the Deku Tree died seven years ago, I was sent to Hyrule Castle to visit the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda. After being assigned a mission to collect the Spiritual Stones of Hyrule, her Shiekhah au pair sent me to Death Mountain to retrieve the Goron Ruby. After killing the Deku Tree, it seems Ganondorf set his eyes on Goron City; he was after the stones too. When the Gorons refused to hand over the ruby, he blocked the main source of Goron food, the Dodongo's Cavern, with a massive boulder. He then revived the Dodongos, extinct reptiles that ate Gorons. The Gorons were hesitant to accept my offer to help, but when I defeated the King Dodongo and got them their cave back, they hailed me as a hero. They even liked Saria's favorite song, which echoed into the city through a tunnel leading into the Lost Woods. It was those Gorons that I was returning to.

But let's not talk about that now: I was getting so close to Lon Lon Ranch, I could almost smell the fragrance of their orchards. The ranch sat on a cliff, so I couldn't quit see them from the Lost Woods, but I knew that as I ascended the great Hill of Hyrule to the northern end of the field, I'd have clear access to their warm welcome.

As I stepped into the ranch, however, something struck me as odd. I had been used to the cheerful atmosphere seven years ago; Talon running around everywhere trying to keep on his daughter's good side, Malon singing to the horses, and Ingo milking the cows with a dance in every step. But when I looked around at the ranch now, everything had changed. All was quiet, with the exception of the horses, and it seemed almost that a large cloud of darkness had descended upon the ranch. Despite the sunny day, everything seemed to be in shadow. Ingo was standing merrily by a closed iron gate blocking any entry to the corral. Yet there appeared to be something different about him, something...evil. Not to far away, I could hear the sobs of a ranch girl.

Ingo was a tall, skinny, shady sort of character; he always had been. Talon's younger brother, he had run out of luck in the busy streets of Sunken City and had come to Talon in search of work. The jolly ranch owner let him stay as long as he liked, but Ingo always felt he was being overworked or underpayed--one or the other, because he couldn't make up his mind. When I walked up to the mustachioed gentleman, he eyed me suspiciously and pointed his pitchfork at me. "Who goes there!?" he demanded.

"Ingo!" I yelped. "Don't you remember me? It's Link! You know, Fairy Boy!" Malon had always called me Fairy Boy because of Navi.

"F-Fairy Boy?" Ingo lowered his pitchfork, but continued to eye me like I was some crook. "What are you doing in my ranch, after all these years?"

"Well I was in a--" I stopped, and peered at Ingo like ihe/i was a crook. Looking him over, there was definitely something different about him. He was dressed better, like he was a member of a royal court, yet his eyes were almost blood-red. There was something about his stare that almost scared me. "What do you mean, iyour/i ranch? What about the Lons?"

Ingo laughed wickedly. "You mean my weakling of a brother? I'm sorry, but if you were looking for him, you'll find him in Kakariko. Talon Lon doesn't work here anymore."

I backed away slightly. "Why is that?"

"The Great Ganondorf didn't like him meddling with his affairs. And we had such nice horses... Unlike that unloyal Talon, Ganondorf saw in me great potential. Yes, the Great Ingo Ranch is graced by the blessing of the Great Ganondorf! As soon as he saw what nonsense Talon was doing here, he put ime/i in charge on the terms that I fire that bozo and bring these horses to Ganon-quality level! And I'm proud to say, Malon and I have done just that."

"Wh-Where's Malon?"

"In the barn. You can go see her, if you'd like..." There was a twinkle in his eye. A dark, mad twinkle. "But if you don't like what you see, don't say I didn't warn you..." Ingo almost seemed to laugh.

I backed away cautiously as he broke into full laughter. Quickly turning around, I ran into the barn. "Malon! Malon, are you okay!?" I cried. I was quickly met with another pitchfork.

"Who are you!?" roared a very disorganized woman. Her hair was undone, her clothes were dirty and tattered, and her eyes were almost as bloodshot as Ingo's. "What are you doing here!?" She was far less gentle than Ingo, and the prongs of her pitchfork were a mere two inches away from my eyes. "Are you here to harm my animals!? Why are you here!?"

"Malon, it's me--"

"Don't give me those lies! I've never seen you before in my life! Are you one of Ingo's men!? Are you!? Then get out!"

"No, Malon, it's me, Fairy Boy!" The pitchfork lowered a bit as she took me in. "Remember me? From seven years ago? You taught me Epona's Song! I just came to see if you were alright!"

"F-Fairy Boy...!?" Malon saw Navi fluttering blue above her. She immediately dropped the pitchfork and ran into me. She hugged me really tight--ireally/i tight. "Oh, Fairy Boy! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"

"Malon, what's going on around here? Ingo just said you two are working for Ganondorf!"

Malon's words immediately turned sour and low. "It was Ingo's idea. That monster, I hate him! He wanted fame, he wanted glory, he said we weren't giving it to him, and he went and told Ganondorf we were unloyal to the new regime. For his loyalty, Ganondorf put my uncle in charge, and he went completely imad/i! I don't know if you've seen him, but he is not the uncle I knew seven years ago. He's gone insane, that Ingo! He kicked my father into the slums of Kakariko, and he's enslaved me! I'm no ranch assistant; I'm his islave/i! I have to do everything he commands, or he'll kick me onto the streets too! And not only that, but if I protest he starts beating my beloved animals! My uncle is a cruel man, Fairy Boy, and he'll do anything to get what he wants. We should have never trusted him!" The horse-loving woman burst into tears in my arms. There was no end to her sobs; it was truly a tragic story.

Malon Lon was, as I've said quite few times now, Talon's only daughter. Her mother, Epona Lon, used to sing a certain melody to her almost every day--until she died, that is. Malon put the song to heart, and since then it was relatively impossible not to hear the echoes of her singing in the ranch each day. She named her favorite horse after her mother, and soon Epona's song came to be associated with the horse of the same name. Malon and Epona used to be inseperable. When I met Malon seven years ago, she was helping her father delivery produce to Hyrule Castle. We became fast friends, and after helping the Gorons out with a particular incident on Death Mountain I accepted her invitation to come to the farm. There she taught me a lot about the world outside of the Lost Woods, and I taught her a lot about the forest where Hylians could never travel. Before I left, both she and her father gave me a gift to remember them by. Talon gave me the shiniest bottle in all of Hyrule, perfect for carrying health-restoring Lon Lon Milk. Malon taught me how to play Epona's song on my ocarina. Her horse, Epona, had been frightened of me at first--she was just a filly, and wasn't used to seeing strangers so close to Malon. But as soon as Malon taught me that song, Epona opened up to me. According to Malon, I was the only other person Epona seemed to like.

But time had passed. Malon was my age; so even though she was a young girl seven years ago, she was almost an adult now. This was the first time I had seen a friend of mine appear so different after the coma. Until I saw Ingo, Rauru and Shiek were the only people I had seen who weren't Kokiri; and adults don't change much in seven years. Malon had completely flowered into a charming young woman, even if she was disorganized and a bit crazy herself these days. I wondered how much the other kids I had met seven years ago had changed...

Now was not the time to think, though. Ganondorf's evil had taken over Lon Lon Ranch, and my friend was suffering severely from it. Something had to be done. "Malon," I whispered, "is there any way I could get your ranch back? There must be a way..."

Malon continued to sob quietly for a moment, then spoke. "...there are two ways. Only slivers of hope, though, because they are probably impossible. Before Ingo came to our ranch, he was a big time gambler in Hyrule Castle Town. To this day, he can be a sucker for bets. You could always challenge him to a race and say he'd have to give up the ranch if he lost... But on the other hand, Ingo is also a dirty cheater. He wouldn't accept unless there was a trick up his sleeve... And on top of that, Ingo is a masterful horseman."

"What's the other way?"

"This one's even more impossible... Ganondorf gave this ranch to Ingo on a condition: that he supply horses to Ganondorf's men. If you could find a way to make Ingo break his contract with Ganondorf...he'd lose control of the ranch! But all the same... How could you do that without slaughtering the horses? There's no way..."

I thought for a moment. A sly smile began to creep up my face. "Oh, but Malon, there iis/i a way."

Malon glanced up at me in confusion. "There is?"

"If I could only get ahold of one of his horses... Maybe Epona..."

Malon was silent for a moment. "...She'll come to you if you play my mother's song. But to even get into the corral, you'd have to talk to Ingo, and he's tricky."

"I think I can handle it. I've dealt with worse than Ingo."

I left Malon and the barn and returned to the new owner of Ingo. Dark storm clouds, I realized had begun to gather in the sky. Ingo was watching them intently when I arrived. "Smoke," he was mumbling to himself. "From the mountains... This isn't good..." Then he noticed me observing him. "So, did you enjoy your reunion with Malon? A distraught young lady, she's become." He chuckled under his breath. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Link the Fairy Boy?" I honestly couldn't stand it. After listening to Malon's story, I could see that Ingo really had changed. His voice was deep and almost ominous, and he's gaze seemed as focused as that of a hawk's. A crooked smile was plastered on his face, wicked and malevolent. Darkness seemed to surround him, and I myself felt somewhat threatened just being in his presence. My eyes were concentrating on him so constantly that it seemed to distort reality around him.

"I was wondering...if I could have a look at the horses?"

"Ah, I see... You've heard about the ranch's latest attraction?" In my mind I pleaded for him to stop smiling at me. It was almost as villainous as Ganondorf's.

"Y-Yes, I did," I bluffed.

"Excellent... You've come to have a pleasant ride on one of Ingo's fine horses. Fun for the whole family, you know. In these dark times, we must appeal to everybody, you know..." He fiddled with his mustache. "...at a price, of course. 50 Rupees, including tax, for ten minutes on a horse of your choice. You cannot leave the corral, unless you wish to try your horse out in a race against mine. Would you still like to enter?" I nodded. "Very good... Then hand over the money!" I dug into my wallet and found a Purple Rupee. He snatched it from me almost gleefully and buried it in his pocket. "Excellent!" he grinned. "Follow me!"

Ingo led me into the corral where I always used to find Malon seven years ago. There were several horses roaming the field, and I had difficulty figuring out which one was Epona. There wasn't any time to lose; I had only ten minutes to self-teach myself how to ride a horse. I took out my ocarina and played Malon's mother's song. I could instantly see results. A single horse suddenly spotted me out and came running to me. Epona was a beautiful mare, though I was surprised at how big she'd gotten in seven years. "Epona," I whispered, "please help me set Malon free." It was almost as if she understood; she did not give any resistance when I clumsily pulled myself onto her back. Navi told me as much as she knew about riding horses, but it wasn't a lot. Epona seemed to understand my novice status, though, and did most of the work herself. I figured out how to steer her, how to get her to go faster, how to make her stop...and that was about it. I almost fell off her back when I discovered how much she loved to jump fences.

"You enjoying that horse?" Ingo called from the corral gate. "She's a beaut, isn't she? She was hand-picked by Ganondorf as being the best horse in the ranch! I've been making sure to keep her in tip-top condition for when Ganondorf comes to collect her this evening. She's probably worth his entire ranch, you know." That's when it clicked. At that moment, I realized how I was going to break Ingo's contract. All I had to do was get Epona out of the ranch, and then wait until Ganondorf came to take her. He'd discover she wasn't there, and Ingo would pay the price with his ownership of the ranch. "Two minutes left!" Ingo announced.

With a little difficulty I managed to get Epona to take me to Ingo. "Say Ingo," I said casually, "I think I'm getting a hang of riding a horse. Would you care for a race?"

"On Epona?" Ingo grumbled. "Well, I don't know..."

"How about we make things interesting, then? If you win, I'll give you an extra 50 Rupees. If I win, I get a refund for those ten minutes. Sound fair?"

There was a twinkle in Ingo's eyes. "50 extra Rupees? Hmm... Alright, it's a deal. One lap around the corral, no tricks, first one to meet back here is the winner."

I nodded. "It's on."

Ingo got on a horse and we lined up outside the corral's inner fence. "On your mark, get set... GO!" screamed the ranch owner. He and his horse were off like a rocket, with me struggling behind trying to get Epona to move. Finally I figured out I had to pat her rear... And BAM, she was off like a rocket too. We gained on Ingo almost too easily, and won.

Needless to say, Ingo wasn't too happy. "I took you too easy, kid," Ingo growled when we were done. "That wasn't the best race in the world. How about a rematch? Double the stakes?"

"Sounds good to me."

Again we lined up. This time I had an easier time getting Epona to move, and even though Ingo was moving faster, I was able to keep better control of Malon's horse and catch up. I won again, though it was a closer win. Ingo was furious, and for that I was greatful; he had lost his cool, and wasn't thinking as clearly as he had been before. "That... That was a fluke! A fluke, I say!" he roared.

"A fluke, huh?" I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "Just admit it: you lost."

"L-L-Lost!?"

"That's funny. Malon seemed to think you were a 'masterful horseman.' Wonder where she got that idea from."

"F-F-F-F-F-From!? Are you m-m-mocking me, sir!?"

"Well, I suppose that just makes me more masterful than you." I started to move like I was getting off the horse. "That was fun. Sort of. I'll just come over to collect my winnings..."

Ingo would not have it. "Sir, you get back on that horse! You've insulted my honor! We must race again, and this time I shall be victorious! You have yet to see what I can do!"

I didn't get off Epona, but I rolled my eyes once more. "Come on, Ingo, another race? I'd rather just collect my 100 Rupees and go find something better to do."

"B-Better!? Sir, what if I said that you could keep that horse if you won? Hm? And if you lost, you could keep your money with no extra charge."

"I could...keep Epona? You sure about that?" This was beginning to sound better and better.

"Why shouldn't I be? There's no way I'm about to lose to a novice like you."

"...Deal."

We lined up. I looked over at Ingo; he was so red in the face, he looked like a tomato. "On your mark, get set... GO!" As soon as he announced the beginning of the race, Ingo bent over and kicked my rib cage hard. "Let's see how you can race like that!" he cackled as he sped off. I cried in pain and almost fell off Epona.

"Link, he's getting away!" Navi cried.

"Oh no you don't, Ingo," I groaned. I patted Epona on her backside, and she charged after the ranch owner. "Epona, do you want to save Malon? If you do, then you've got to beat this madman. So hurry! The fate of the ranch is on your shoulders!"

"Link," Navi scolded, "it isn't just up to her! You've got to guide her to victory; you aren't going to beat Ingo without working together!"

"Um...okay... Epona, go faster. Around the curve, I mean." Epona neighed a confirmation. Slowly, we began to gain on Ingo. But as soon as we were close enough, he turned around and revealed a large stick in his hand. He threw it behind him, and before I knew what happened Navi was gone. "The fiend, he hit Navi!" I roared. I could hear Ingo laughing. He didn't want her helping me out. But I had no choice; I couldn't go back to help her. I had to keep chasing Ingo.

Thunder rolled overhead. I couldn't tell if it was the storm clouds or the dark clouds of smoke that was rumbling, but I didn't care. I was managing to catch up to Ingo, and we were approaching the second turn... Before I knew it, Epona was galloping alongside Ingo's horse. "What's this?" Ingo gasped. "You've caught up? Impossible!" He flicked his horse's reins hard, and the horse doubled in speed. I was left in the dust as Ingo sped off.

"He can go even ifaster/i!?" I cried. "Epona, see if you can go faster, if only for a little while. We need to pass that horse, darn it!" Epona neighed in response, and tried to pick up speed. We were going so fast, I nearly fell off. Yet Ingo continued to get farther and farther away from us... Until with a sudden burst of adrenaline, Epona went even faster. Ingo was speeding closer and closer now as we approached the third turn. He looked back and was shocked by how close we had gotten. In moments, we were once again side-by-side, just after the third turn. There was only a little bit of the race left, and the final turn was approaching rapidly at our speed.

"No!" Ingo screamed. "You can't win! Especially if your horse can't move!" Ingo pulled his foot back and lashed it out to kick Epona's head. I was ready this time though, and I grabbed his leg before he could hit Malon's horse. "What!?" Ingo tried to shake my strong hand off, but it wasn't working. As we went around the final turn, Ingo found himself almost dragged out of his saddle. With a yell he over-compensated and swerved off the racing track. Epona and I cheered as we zoomed through the finish line.

Unfortunately, Ingo wasn't through with us. When Epona and I got back from helping Navi, we found the gate out of the ranch bolted shut. "Going somewhere?" Ingo cackled.

"Yeah. Out," I said lowly.

"Well too bad. I can't let you have that horse. And I'm certainly not going to allow you to leave with her. You two are staying right here."

"What!?"

"I've heard about you, Link. You've been pestering Ganondorf, haven't you? When Ganondorf comes to collect Epona, I'll have a bonus surprise for him: You. He's already on his way."

"You... You can't do that!" I screamed.

Ingo cackled evilly. His voice was terribly cold. "Oh, but I can," he sneered.

I didn't know what to do. There wasn't any other way out of the ranch, and even if I warped out with the Minuet of Forest, Epona would still be doomed to be taken away and all my effort would have been for naught. Everywhere I looked, tall black fences kept us in. I'd never been a prisoner before; this was too much for me. The more I tried to think of a way out, the more frustrated I became. Why did there have to be such tall fences? I couldn't even climb out of them!

Suddenly, everything came together. "But she can ijump/i them!" I exclaimed. I scowled down at Ingo from atop Malon's horse. "Ingo, you're slime," I spat.

"What was that!?"

I patted Epona's rear end and she broke into a gallop. "Epona," I instructed, "I want you to jump a fence for me: the really big one at the back of the ranch!" She started going faster and faster as we neared the back of the ranch... And then suddenly I felt the pull of gravity all around me. Contact with the ground had suddenly stopped, and we were high in the air. Below us was the top of the gate. And then...I had forgotten about the cliff. "Oh no, oh no," I started repeating as we started to drop. "Oh please no. Epona, we're going to... No, it can't end this way. By Nayru's Harp, it can't end this way. No..." The distant ground quickly began to approach. It was all over; all the work I had done to save Saria, it was all over.

But a miracle happened. At that moment, a Peahat flew by. Epona bounced off the Peahat, and landed gracefully on the ground. I cheered like crazy. Oh how good it felt to be back on the ground! But there was no time to lose. "Quick, Epona, we've got to hide!"

That night, I could hear Ingo screaming.

-

When I returned the next morning, I was met at the entrance to the ranch by a very gleeful Malon. She looked loads better. Her shining red hair was tied into a loose ponytail behind her head, and she had changed into clean and well-cared for clothes. A flowing purple skirt bounced with her every step. "Fairy Boy!" she greeted excitedly as I arrived. "It worked! My father got the ranch back! He just got back this morning!" She was practically jumping up and down; I was briefly reminded of Saria when she discovered she was the Sage of the Forest. "Thank you so much!"

Malon insisted that I come inside for a hearty breakfast. In my travels I hardly ate, to the point where I hardly noticed my growling stomach most of the time. When I stepped into her house for the first time in seven years, I was met by the smells of freshly scrambled eggs, warm syrup from the trees in the outskirts of the Lost Woods, pancakes stacked five feet high, and cool Lon Lon Milk, fresh from the ranch's famous cows themselves. A portly middle-aged man busily worked in the kitchen. His mustache was smaller than Ingo's, but you could see the resemblance all the same. The difference was that whereas Ingo's face seemed to scream "BAD GUY," Talon's face was jolly and sincere. "Welcome, Link," he greeted with a great smile. "Are you ready for the meal of your lifetime?"

"Daddy makes the best eggs this side of the Zora River," Malon beamed, giving Talon a loving hug. "Some say they're the best in the world!"

"What can I say?" I muttered awkwardly. "Glad I could help!"

"Hey Malon, d'you get married to ol' Fairy Boy yet?" Talon chuckled. "I've been waiting for seven years now!"

"Daddy!" Malon scolded lightheartedly. We all laughed. It was a good, happy laugh. Despite the dark circumstances nearby, this brief moment of joy was all I needed to keep me going. The Lons were a good pair, and were good friends.

A Note from the Author: Yeah, you're probably thinking, "Where's Darunia?" You'll get to see him soon enough. But I just couldn't leave Malon out; you'll see why in the next chapter. Writing this has made me awfully fond of the Lons, though.

And as soon as I started writing about Ingo while listening to ZREO's re-orchestration of Clock Town's music on the third day in Majora's Mask, I had to make him disturbingly creepy. Hope you liked the Seasons references, by the way.