Link is silent, most of the time. Whether he’s merely focused on his adventure or it’s entirely a personality trait, Link leaves most of the talking to others. Usually it’s the friends and allies he meets during his travels who take on the duty of conveying what he feels.
It’s fitting that these characters communicate all of this because they represent Link’s true goals. Ocarina of Time was the first game to implement a heavy focus on narrative, so naturally, it was filled with characters that Link bonded with. One of these characters was young Malon, a girl with as much heart as Link has courage.
When Link first meets Malon, she seems little more than another inhabitant of Castle Town. A sweet child with an almost-permanent smile on her face, Malon stands happily, though also somewhat awkwardly, in the middle of the town square. When Link talks to her, he learns that she is waiting for her father, who is making a delivery to the castle. She’s pleasant, cheerful, and incredibly patient. Her dad’s, well, not the most diligent or reliable person. She’s the kid, but it seems like she needs to take care of him more than the other way around.
This need of hers to step up is made obvious by what can only be assumed to be incredible planning on her part. When Link happens upon her father, who is in a seemingly endless slumber and is blocking Link’s path, he turns back to figure out a way around the dilemma. As he approaches the entrance to the town, he finds Malon near the start of the road to the castle. She’s still waiting for her father, but it’s clear her patience is wearing thin. Link tells Malon what’s going on, and her response is one of frustration, but not exactly surprise. She knows what to do, and hands Link an egg and tells him to show it to her dad when he finds him.
The egg seems like an odd choice at first, but Malon’s mindfulness becomes clear once the morning comes and the egg hatches into a deadly monster lively Cucco. Her father, Talon, wakes up from his nap (which, in game time, has technically been days long), and Link tells him that Malon has been waiting for him. Panic sets in and Talon moves like a postman to get to his daughter, who probably is ready to give him an earful.
This was my and every other gamer’s introduction to Malon, and despite her not being a particularly important character to the game’s main story, I can say that the interaction stuck with me (and I’m assuming with most other players). The minor characters in Ocarina of Time tend to suffer from being one-dimensional and are often completely forgettable. But Malon, being her smart, funny, and joyful self, was something more. This made what was to come later on in the game that much more enthralling.
Link meets Malon again after he’s spoken with Princess Zelda, though it’s up to him when it happens. Fate never actually requires the two to reunite. Malon’s home is on the ever-quaint Lon Lon Ranch, and though there is much to see, do, and earn (and eventually free) there, none of it intertwines with what destiny has in store for the hero. Luckily, Link is often a legendary procrastinator, so his stumbling upon and spending a significant amount of time at the ranch is only to be expected.
The ranch is a cozy place, Link finds as he enters its perimeter and begins to explore. Rustic charm almost seems to be built into the foundations of the buildings. The hard-working Ingo and the sound-sleeping, would-have-been-easy-to-rob Talon contrast each other in an amusing way. Observing these new people, animals, and lifestyles is a new and fascinating experience for the sheltered boy from the forest, but the most captivating element of the ranch is the song that can be heard coming from the distance.
The owner of the voice becomes clear as Link marches into the horse enclosure. It’s Malon, the girl who prevented her father’s narcolepsy from causing the end of the world. Malon is in the middle of the field, swaying back and forth to the soothing rhythm of the song she’s singing to the horses. It’s a song her mother taught her, and she loves to sing it to whomever will listen.
Link does listen, intently. And once he’s done listening, he pulls out his ocarina so Malon can teach him how to play it. Once Link masters the tune, Epona, a young filly who was initially wary of Link, begins to cozy up to the young fairy boy, which pleases Malon greatly to see. The horses are her closest friends, and their wellbeing is entrusted to her, so seeing them happy around a new friend marks the high point of a good day.
Malon was an innocent and loving person who always seemed to see the brighter side of things. That’s why Link’s mission could not fail. Link knew no one outside of the forest, and now he had a friend in Malon. What was to happen in her and everyone else’s future would be a test of their hope, but it’s Link who had to do everything possible to pass that test. His duty to help his new friend would come, but that’s a story better left for another time.
