Loud shouting awoke Malon just as the sun peeked over Death Mountain. Yawning, she arose and crept silently to the door. Pressing her ear to it, she could hear her father and their servant, Ingo shouting downstairs.

"You are always pushing me around, you drunken slop!!!!! I'm sick of it!!!!"

"Look, I own this here ranch, Din dangit, and I say you work for your pay!!!"

"What if I don't wanna work so hard anymore? Huh, huh?" Malon heard a crash, and her father cried;

"Ooooff!" Quickly, she opened the door, and ran down the steep steps, crying;

"Daddy! Daddy!" She ran to Talon's side, as he lay against some broken milk crates, dazed. Ingo quickly took off.

"I'm OK, honey....." Talon whispered, taking his daughter in his arms, as she sobbed in his shoulder.

"Daddy, why don't you fire Ingo? He abuses you!"

"He has nowhere else to go.....no Hylian wants to hire a man who drinks more than I, and Ingo is a known wino..." Talon re-assured, forcing a chuckle to make his daughter feel better, even though his brow furrowed with worry. His face throbbed where his servant had given him a right hook to the jaw. Ingo was like this a lot since Talon had allowed him to drink at the ranch. Lately, he had been soaking himself in gin every night, and he was stingy toward Talon a lot more often. Ingo's words rang in Talon's skull; You are a fat, lazy slob stinking in liquor, sleeping all day, and your daughter sings all day like a maniac!!!!!!! Talon couldn't help sleeping, he had severe narcilepsy. The liquor was because he had a lame leg that ailed him all the time, and the gin helped it. Sighing, he fell asleep amongst the busted crates.

***

Halfway forgetting the argument she had witnessed, Malon skipped out into the sunny pasture to play amongst her friends. They weren't Hylian, Gerudo, or even Zora. They were the equine population of the large ranch. Giggling, Malon approached her favourite filly, Epona.

"C'mere, Epona!" She said. Epona nickered, and ran up to the girl, nuzzling her pockets for a treat. Smiling, Malon scratched the horse behind the ears, and fed her a carrot. She laughed at the feeling the horse gave her, whooshing her breath into Malon's outstretched palm, her lips tickling her skin. Malon petted her again, and flopped down into the sweet-smelling grass of the pastures. Gazing up into the sky, she began to hum a familiar song that she had always kept close to her heart. It was a link to her beloved mother, who had gone to the goddesses when Malon was only 3 summers old. A feeling of security surrounded Malon as she felt her mother's spirit fill her body, and the song echoed through the fields. But, suddenly, a war whoop overrided her anthem of peace. She saw her father and Ingo blazing off on horses around the dirt track surrounding the field Malon lay in. Sitting up, she watched them streak around neck and neck in the race, but then, Ingo shot out a fist, and knocked poor Talon to the ground, off of the horse.

"Daddy!!!!!!" Malon dashed through the flying dust to her father, who was pulling himself up just as Ingo finished the lap around the field. Cackling wildly, Ingo raced up to Talon, who sighed;

"What is it you want me to do. You won."

"Hehe....let's trade places for awhile...." Ingo twisted his mustache slyly.

"NO!!!!! Never, you fox!!!" Talon scolded Ingo in a voice so loud, Malon was sure carried all the way to Kakariko Village, half a day's trek away.

"Oh, yes..." Ingo seethed, as he looked to the ranch's gates. Malon gasped as a shady figure cloaked in black armour trotted into the ranch atop a coal dark horse. His eyes glowed red, and his fiery orange hair stood up wildly at all ends. He gaited up to the trio.

"M-mand-drag Ganondorf......." Ingo's Adam's Apple bobbed in his throat as he studdered. "T-this is the cruel b-boss I told you about. He does no work himself."

"Ah, so I see.....fat one, eh?" The man seethed, gesturing to Talon's rotund gut. "I've come to evict you, Talon. This slavey tells me you are a cruel master, and a drunk....And who is this lass?" The man pointed a gnarled hand at Malon.

"Don't....touch...my.....daughter....." Talon's eyes blazed with hate, as he stepped in front of Malon, blocking her view of this frightful person, a Gerudo, obviously.

"Oh, touchy aren't we?" Ganondorf smirked. "will you leave this ranch peacefully, or will I have to use....force?" He cracked his grey knuckles, grinning.

"I'll never leave Lon Lon Ranch!!!" Talon cried, trying to kick Ganondorf off his horse, but he fell into the dust instead.

"Ah, I see....force then..." Ganondorf laughed, as Talon dragged himself to his feet. Ganondorf raised his hand, and Talon went flying backward with the force of the blow.

"Don't you hurt my daddy!!!" Malon cried, and she threw her tiny fists at this massive man, but they merely bounced off his muscles.

"Fiery....heheh.." Ganondorf picked her up by her collar. Malon gasped as her airway was cut off, and she tried to shake herself loose, but it only sapped her strength. She became lightheaded, and stopped struggling. Ganondorf chuckled, and slapped her face so hard, she went flying several feet, and hit the ground with a thud. Malon just lay still, too weak to move as she gasped for breath. Through a haze, she could barely hear grunts, and sickening thuds, as Ganondorf cackled wildly.

"I'll get rid of him!" he shouted. Her father was uttering noises of pain, and Talon cried;

"I'll come back, Malon!!!" His voice faded along with the sound of hoofbeats. Malon struggled to her feet, as Ingo looked to her, and said;

"Get me a beer, girlie."

"I....I am in charge of this ranch when my dad is gone. Get your own!" Malon screamed. She received a hard shove into the side of the stable as Ingo said;

"Not now....." He began to brutally beat her 10 year old body. Malon's mouth opened, forming screams, but no breath was in her lungs to cry with, as Ingo threw her to the ground, kicked her in the stomach repeatedly, which made Malon vomit blood.He then stomped her head with both feet. He roughly grabbed her to her feet by her arm, seething;