The Legend of Time (Candira and I)

"Yes, it's good luck for travels!" The priest added in cheerfully. "This is the time of the yearly pilgrimage! Under the rule of our most benevolent Queen, the faithful are able to travel far and wide and pay respects to the world and it's natural bounties, after all, the temples pay respects to the many elements of nature!"

"Well," Link murmured, ears flicking. "We are going to do a lot of traveling..." Something about that guy felt weird, but he had never met a priest before either. Maybe all priests felt that way? He had some...aura about him, but he couldn't quite place why.
 
Malon smiled as Link reluctantly seemed to agree to going to pay their respects to the temple. "Yeah! Let's go pay our respects," she said, taking his hand and tugging him toward the holy place as she walked backwards. The melody in her head was insistent and she found herself drawn even more powerfully to the ornate temple entrance.

"Thank you for your advice, sir," she said, glancing back at the priest, not really spending much time looking at him. He was just a priest, after all. If she felt weird it was probably just her imagination, right? Either way, he had encouraged her to go to the temple and that felt like the right thing to do.

The redhead pulled Link along with her, turning back to face the temple, her blue eyes alight with excitement. She didn't know what was going to happen, but something was definitely in motion.
 
He had never been to a temple before, or...really anything other than Lon Lon Ranch. But the size of the place made him feel tiny, the roof seemed to go on for miles, supported by pillars that seemed to be made of pure marble, stained glass was everywhere. Telling the story of it all, of Hyrule, of the Hero of Time and Ganondorf. The Goddess Hylia and everything inbetween, even he knew the stories of the old days, but to see it displayed across giant glass was another story entirely.

It...felt weird, in ways he didn't really know how. He barely paid attention to the pews, and the people. His eyes settled faintly along the glass, feeling goosebumps trail on his skin.

"...I don't like this place," Link decided with a faint frown. But he didn't really know why, it just...didn't settle right. "Can we hurry up here?"
 
Malon let her eyes drift over the story of Hyrule told in stained glass. She walked so slowly, drifting toward the pews in awe, the melody in her head growing louder and louder. The ornate temple dwarfed them both as they neared the alter. She barely heard Link as he told her he didn't like it here. She felt oddly nostalgic as she stared at the history before her. Suddenly, she felt light-headed and her vision went blurry. She swayed a bit where she stood, the melody in her head growing louder.

The rest of the world was gone--and suddenly she was a different person, standing in a blinding light, her mother's ocarina at her lips. And finally, the melody took shape. Before she knew it, the melody was on her lips and she was singing it softly in a trance.

For a moment, she stopped breathing, her heart went completely still, and she didn't move an inch. Malon's body seemed to glow softly in that moment before she came crashing back to reality. She gasped and fell to her knees in a cold sweat. Her heart raced as she knelt there in the middle of the temple.

What the hell had just happened?
 
Yes. Excellent! It was working exactly as he hoped it would! He knew it! He knew that girl was special! And those idiots didn't know a thing! Oh, this was turning out to be such a good day! The priest grinned eagerly from ear to ear, sinking away into the shadows. Now, he had best make himself scarce before Queen Zelda and her little shadow started sniffing around...

Link had noticed it the moment she swayed, but wasn't fast enough to catch her as she fell, kneeling down with her in concern, arm wrapped around her. "Malon?" he said quickly, eyes wide with panic. "Malon! What's wrong!?" He knew this place was weird, he knew it! Why would anyone come here!?
 
Though she was terrified, an overwhelming feeling of sadness pressed upon her for a long moment. While she wasn't sure what had happened, she was certain that in the vision, she had been playing the oddly familiar melody on her mother's ocarina. What did that mean?! She felt dizzy and weak at the moment, but she could feel it slowly starting to get better.

Link's panicked reactions drew her from her thoughts. "I don't know," she murmured, tears gathering in her eyes. Though her vision was a little blurry, she could see how worried he Link was. His concerned gaze made explaining everything more urgent. "I saw something...I think it might have been a vision of my mother. I heard a strangely familiar song and then..." She shook her head and cleared her eyes. "I don't know. I think I'm okay, though. I'm not in pain, but I feel weak all the sudden. Can you help me up?"

As she spoke, Malon realized Link was very close to her, his arm protectively wrapped around her. It was comforting to have him near, supporting her. Her heart calmed a bit as she looked into his blue eyes, her light-headedness seeming less severe now that she had something to focus on. She was still shaken, but knowing that Link was here made her feel like everything would be okay. The two of them would figure it out.
 
"Sure," Link said, seemingly ignorant of her gaze as he helped her up, his arm around her waist. That...wasn't normal, none of this was normal, and Link had no idea what to do in this kind of situation, other than what his gut said. "Come on, let's get you out of here, okay?" he mumbled. "I don't like this place, Malon. It feels...weird."

That feeling had started to subside, but he wasn't going to let it fester, either.
 
Well, she couldn't say that he was wrong. Still, she wasn't sure if it was the temple that was putting out such weird vibes. Still, she got up with his help and nodded. "Yeah...you might have to take the lead, though. I'm really dizzy."

Malon leaned on him pretty heavily because the room was spinning, albeit slower than before. Still, she had to agree that lingering in this place was probably not the best move at this point in time. Something decidedly strange had happened to her, and she wasn't sure that it wouldn't happen again. But one thing was clear--the melody that she'd heard and sung was gone now.
 
"So," Link stated after a moment, arm around her waist to help her walk. "...What happened in there, Malon?" he said, grateful to be out on the steps of the temple. It felt like the pressure was gone, what was going on in that place? That didn't seem right for a temple, temples were supposed to feel peaceful, weren't they?
 
What happened? Well that was the million rupee question. If she knew it would sure make things a lot easier to understand. Malon carefully navigated the steps with Link's help and tried to pull her thoughts together. "I'm not really sure...I had a vision and heard a song...and my mother's ocarina was there." She frowned and stopped them for a moment, the world slowly going back to normal, even if her legs still felt like jelly. Focusing on making sense of the issue at hand was easier if she didn't have focus on not falling down the stairs.

"It was like I was someone else...but it was like a memory, too. I don't really know what it was. I've never had that happen to me before. I don't think it was bad, though...I wasn't really in pain or anything. I mean, I wouldn't want it to happen again, but I'm basically okay. Just a little dizzy and weak...and kind of scared."

Malon bit her lip and then looked up at him. She wondered if the queen could help. Zelda might know something. But she was leaving...it might be too hard to meet with her now. Maybe a priest then? But maybe not.

"I don't know what happened or what to do about it. Maybe we should just keep going? I might be overreacting. Maybe I was just tired and the sun got to me." Doubtful. Very Doubtful.
 
"...As long as you're okay now," Link reasoned faintly. "Maybe we should head back and rest tonight, Malon. Maybe the exhaustion kicked in, you did finish a race today, too." Whatever it was, he didn't like it, and he wanted to get away from the temple as fast as possible. But he didn't want to wear her out so soon, what in the world was that? He had never seen her do anything like that, ever.
 
"Yeah. You're right. If it was just exhaustion, maybe I pushed myself too hard today." Of course, the fact that she usually did much more physical labor than this in her average workday seemed to make this logic counterintuitive. But right now, she just needed an explanation. "Let's get some food and rest up. We can set out tomorrow without losing much time."

She smiled reassuringly, trying to calm her clearly worried friend. "I'm sure I'll be okay in the morning. Let's go find a pub or something." With that, her dizziness seemed to fade away, so she stopped leaning on him and took his hand instead, trying to go back to her cheery self and forget what had just happened. Though the temple was beautiful and she sensed no danger from it, she wasn't really keen on staying either.
 
"...A what?" Link said curiously, ears flicking. "Oh, right! The place that Ingo always talks about? That could be fun," he said cheerfully. "Isn't that the place where everyone gets drunk and cries about their problems?" Well, it's what Ingo always seemed to do anyway!
 
Malon chuckled at Link's rather apt description of a pub. That was probably what Ingo did, though. "I imagine they do that there, too. But most of the time, they sell food, too. We could get some and have a drink and just relax for awhile. It's been a long day." Back to his cheerful self again, Link's excited face pulled a smile out of her. All things considered, she probably should have been more worried about what had happen and what would happen, but she just couldn't. Not when he was this excited to see what pubs were all about.
 
He wasn't sure what he was expecting, honestly. Ingo didn't exactly paint a picture of a tavern at all, but going in it was...sweaty, smelly and really, really loud. There was music playing, drinks were flowing, laughter and smoke and everything else. Because the start of the race season, it was packed. It felt like the market when he came in all over again, except with more yelling and more drinking.

Well, this...this was a tavern, huh? Well, there did seem to be a lot of crying going on, at least! But when they entered, there were more than a few cheers.

"Hey! It's Malon!" One shouted from what was undoubtly their fifth or sixth drink, judging from the redness of their face. "You made me a rich man! Another round for everyone!"

Link grimaced lightly, but said nothing. This was a tavern, and if this was a tavern, this was awful. Who wanted to be so hot and sweaty and drunk? Was drinking that much fun?
 
Malon had forgotten what the racing season did to taverns. They were certainly more lively this time of year. She was surprised at their warm welcome and glanced at Link unsure of what to think until the man her victory. She smiled a little and waved, remembering that not long ago she had been hoping to celebrate their victory in the race. Before all of the temple drama, she had been pretty happy.

So she turned to her friend and smiled again. "Well, at least we have friends here," she said. A place like this probably wouldn't appeal to Link, but it was a cheap and easy. "We don't have to stay long. We can just eat and go," she said, leaning in closer so he could hear her over the din of customers and the lively music.
 
"I can't imagine that Ingo would like something like this," he admitted, glancing around. "It's like...everything he doesn't like, noise, no personal space..." he sighed, but it was better when they found somewhere to sit, but he felt entirely out of place as he rested his elbows on the table to glance around. "But I mean...everyone looks like they're having fun?" Sort of? Everyone seemed drunk and happy or eating like pigs. And he knew what pigs ate like, they ate like...like pigs!
 
Malon sighed in relief as they found a place to sit, sinking into her seat. Link's attempts to find the good points of this place made her wonder if he wasn't trying to broaden his horizons a bit. Maybe if he gave it a chance, Link would come to appreciate places like this for what they were. "That they do. Let's hope they all stay happy."

She felt tired, and suddenly hungry, so when a seasoned barmaid came to their table, she was relieved. She was, however, immediately annoyed as she saw the older woman drink in the sight of Link in all his strong, handsome, youthful glory. A lot of one-sided flirting appeared to be in her future. Then again, who was to say? She ordered Lon Lon milk and a bowl of the stew many patrons were feasting on, then waited for the barmaid's interaction with her very dense, but very sweet friend.
 
"...Are you okay, Malon?" Link frowned in concern, head cocked. She had been acting really strange all day, but the temple was unnerving for him too. She just...seemed out of it, and that worried him more than anything. Why did anyone want to go in those temples if that's what happened? It didn't make sense to him, and that song that she had sung...where did that come from?

"Can I get you anything, handsome?" The barmaid purred out easily. "You look worn out, maybe you need some-"

"What she's having, thanks," Link smiled, glancing over to the barmaid who felt the cold shoulder a mile away as she faintly bristled, but smiled in return and stormed off. Couldn't catch a break today, could she?
 
Link's concern for her and obvious cold shoulder toward the serving girl was honestly comforting. It was even a little funny to Malon as the woman walked away in a bit of a huff. She smiled wryly at her friend and patted his shoulder reassuringly. Some things never changed, it would seem.

"I'll be okay, Link. I'm just tired is all. We were traveling a lot, and then we had the race..." of course, that didn't really explain the temple fiasco, but she was a little afraid to examine that more deeply right now. It had left her deeply disturbed and she really wanted to focus on the comfort of the here and now instead of the familiarity of all the things she had seen in her vision and the song that wouldn't leave her head.

"Thank you for taking care of me." Her hand remained on his shoulder for awhile, her blue eyes gazing steadily into his for a long moment before she let him go.
 
"...Yeah, sure," Link said, his expression faintly distant but the smile was honest all the same. She was lying, wasn't she? She wasn't okay, and he could tell. But she didn't want to talk about it, that seemed weird...when did Malon not want to talk to him about things? Was that normal? His thoughts were distracted by the arrival of their stew and milk as the serving girl offered a smile again as Link grabbed his bowl, his ears flicking faintly.

Something felt off now, but he couldn't quite place it. Maybe it was just because he was in town for once, and surrounded by so many people...but he didn't like how Malon was feeling, she didn't get that way on the farm. "So, where are we heading next?"
 
The redhead tried to stay positive as her friend smiled half-heartedly. It was clear that she was not pulling off her "I'm okay" act, but, true to his nature, he was trying to be supportive. Malon thanked the waitress for the food when it was set before them. The waitress was a bit indifferent toward Malon but seemed to get over Link's flat out rejection pretty quickly. At least she had bounced back.

She dug in, comforted by the warm stew--already starting to feel a bit better than before. Maybe she really was tired. It wasn't out of the question, after all. As he asked her where they were going next, her own ears perked up a bit.

"Hmm...the next stop in the circuit is Lake Hylia, but we should stop in Mido first to sell milk and horses. Is there any place you want to see on the way?"
 
"No," Link murmured. "I'll just be happy to get out of this place, there are too many people," he sighed. "And it's so suffocating! How does anyone live like this! It's so noisy and everyone is always so close," he groused. "It's almost as bad as Cuckoos."

Almost, but not quite.

But almost.
 
Malon's eyes widened a bit as he groused. He certainly loved the ranch, but she'd had no idea that he would miss it so much so soon. Then again, she could hardly remember a time when he hadn't had the wide open ranch to spread out in. He'd never had to worry about a lot of other people crowding to the same place.

She chuckled as he complained, her musical laughter coming out in full force as he compared his circumstances to cuckoos. In all her years, she'd never seen them take less to any one Hylian than they did to Link. Talking to him like this really put her at ease, and as she rested and ate she began to feel like herself again.

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad, is it?" She asked tilting her head. "Sure, this might not be your cup of milk, but it's only the first place you visited. Besides, being away from the ranch just makes you appreciate it more, don't you think?"
 
"...Well, yeah," Link mumbled, scratching the table faintly. "But...you know...I like it better when it's just us," he admitted. "It's quieter, it's so noisy here and everyone has all kinds of different feelings, and I'm pretty sure that one guy we walked past coming in would have tried to pick your pocket if I didn't see," he frowned. "And he smelled, Malon, he smelled real bad, do I smell that bad when I'm working on the farm?"
 
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