Goddess Athenaeum
My real name is Athena
Hi everyone. Here is my second story. As I said, my stories are a bit cheesy and fluff, but I based this on my experience of learning to deal with my ADHD and accomplish my daily tasks. I used to really resist that, but after moving out, I had to embrace adulting and my stories are meant to help others feel that.
My writing might have a long way to go, but just like Malon, I'm trying to push myself to get things done! I hope you like it.
My writing might have a long way to go, but just like Malon, I'm trying to push myself to get things done! I hope you like it.
Malon and the Mirror
Near the granary on the far side of the ranch, Malon walked under the hot sun carrying two large buckets. She had just completed her least favorite chore, cleaning out the stables. It had taken what felt like hours and it was now past midday, the hot summer sun was blazing high above.
Her long hair had been tied back into a bun with a scarf across the top of it, something she had been doing more and more lately even when the days weren't hot. In this way, she made her way across the ranch to empty the buckets.
Malon had just celebrated her 13th birthday, and it had been several months since she had seen Link. For the last year, he had been her favorite companion, finally a friend her own age that she had regular contact with. She didn't know why he left, but she had heard gossip from Castle Town about political turmoil.
Nothing much had changed yet but it seemed like everyone was on edge. As it was, less deliveries were made to town, and more focus was spent on ranch tasks.
And in this way, more and more seemed to fall on Malon. Talon continued his usual lazy streak, focusing most of his time on running the business of Lon Long Ranch and continuing to bring in modest revenue despite incoming catastrophe.
As such, more tasks fell on Ingo, and in this way, he delegated more and more responsibility to Malon. She began to feel neglected by her father and disrespected by Ingo, someone she had long seen as a family member.
In those days, Ingo was more disenfranchised than anything else, but still regarding Malon as a child, he wasn't particularly respectful of her as an individual. Many tasks were pushed her way, from keeping the stables clean, to maintaining the household, preparing the meals, and ultimately anything else that would equate to homemaking.
Busying himself with caring for the animals directly, Ingo saw it perfectly fit for Malon to take care of these chores.
What neither he nor Talon noticed were the ways that Malon began to rebel. She had kept her hair tied back because she had stopped washing it until she absolutely had to. Despite their access to heated fresh water as well as the commodity of soap from their dealings with Castle Town, Malon began to neglect this routine.
She had also allowed her clothes to become ripped and torn, despite her knowledge and capability with thread. She allowed her room to become a wreck, with items strewn all about.
Worst of all, at least as she understood it, she began to neglect the very tools that she had been entrusted with. From a young age, once both me started assigning her chores, she had been told that she was given their trust with items such as knives, pitchforks, shovels, and even the buckets she now carried.
For a long time, she treated them with great respect, as they were part of their business. But now, as she completed her chore, she carelessly emptied the buckets and then tossed them aside, not caring if they were recovered.
"I could do it. I could run right now, and they'd never see me again."
She said aloud, and she looked out across the pasture beyond the walls of the ranch. The way she saw it, she was not at all treated like an adult, nor was she given the respect she had earned. She was simply given more and more tasks, and her presence was simply that of a caretaker.
"If mom were still here it would be different. We'd have each other. I'd have…."
And then suddenly, something caught her sight out the corner of her eye. Looking across the field, beyond the granary near the walls of the ranch, light reflected off a sheet of glass. It was almost blinding at first, but Malon shielded her eyes and slowly approached. Once she reached the source, she found something most incredible.
It was a large mirror adorned with a golden frame of intricate lace design laying against the outer wall. Its origins were unknown, it seemed as though it was just there suddenly. As she approached it, she found herself staring down into it, almost hypnotized by it, but what she saw nearly terrified of her.
Looking into the mirror, instead of seeing her reflection, she saw a grown woman in similar appearance to her. At first glance she thought it was her mom.
"Who…..who is she?!" Malon found herself shrieking.
"I'm you" the reflection responded
Malon found herself screaming again, she felt like she was losing her mind. Her reflection laughed.
"No need to be scared little one. Why not have a seat for a while. Let's chat."
Without thinking much about it, Malon did as she was told, almost on instinct. She sat down with her legs crossed and looked into the mirror as though she were watching a play. After the moment of shock passed, the words that her reflection spoke began to seep in.
"Hey, what do you mean by little one? Why do you call me that? I'm 13."
"Because you are little, Malon" the reflection responded back. "I oughta know, I remember what it was like to be you, and you're not as grown as you think you are right now."
Malon began to grow indignant.
"I can't believe you would say that. You too? You're just like everyone else!"
The reflection smirked, but smiled back, knowing this Malon very well.
"They're not as bad as you think, Malon."
"Yes they are!" Malon shouted back. "In fact, you don't even know what I was about to do! I was about to…."
"You were thinking of running away, weren't you?" the reflection asked
Near the granary on the far side of the ranch, Malon walked under the hot sun carrying two large buckets. She had just completed her least favorite chore, cleaning out the stables. It had taken what felt like hours and it was now past midday, the hot summer sun was blazing high above.
Her long hair had been tied back into a bun with a scarf across the top of it, something she had been doing more and more lately even when the days weren't hot. In this way, she made her way across the ranch to empty the buckets.
Malon had just celebrated her 13th birthday, and it had been several months since she had seen Link. For the last year, he had been her favorite companion, finally a friend her own age that she had regular contact with. She didn't know why he left, but she had heard gossip from Castle Town about political turmoil.
Nothing much had changed yet but it seemed like everyone was on edge. As it was, less deliveries were made to town, and more focus was spent on ranch tasks.
And in this way, more and more seemed to fall on Malon. Talon continued his usual lazy streak, focusing most of his time on running the business of Lon Long Ranch and continuing to bring in modest revenue despite incoming catastrophe.
As such, more tasks fell on Ingo, and in this way, he delegated more and more responsibility to Malon. She began to feel neglected by her father and disrespected by Ingo, someone she had long seen as a family member.
In those days, Ingo was more disenfranchised than anything else, but still regarding Malon as a child, he wasn't particularly respectful of her as an individual. Many tasks were pushed her way, from keeping the stables clean, to maintaining the household, preparing the meals, and ultimately anything else that would equate to homemaking.
Busying himself with caring for the animals directly, Ingo saw it perfectly fit for Malon to take care of these chores.
What neither he nor Talon noticed were the ways that Malon began to rebel. She had kept her hair tied back because she had stopped washing it until she absolutely had to. Despite their access to heated fresh water as well as the commodity of soap from their dealings with Castle Town, Malon began to neglect this routine.
She had also allowed her clothes to become ripped and torn, despite her knowledge and capability with thread. She allowed her room to become a wreck, with items strewn all about.
Worst of all, at least as she understood it, she began to neglect the very tools that she had been entrusted with. From a young age, once both me started assigning her chores, she had been told that she was given their trust with items such as knives, pitchforks, shovels, and even the buckets she now carried.
For a long time, she treated them with great respect, as they were part of their business. But now, as she completed her chore, she carelessly emptied the buckets and then tossed them aside, not caring if they were recovered.
"I could do it. I could run right now, and they'd never see me again."
She said aloud, and she looked out across the pasture beyond the walls of the ranch. The way she saw it, she was not at all treated like an adult, nor was she given the respect she had earned. She was simply given more and more tasks, and her presence was simply that of a caretaker.
"If mom were still here it would be different. We'd have each other. I'd have…."
And then suddenly, something caught her sight out the corner of her eye. Looking across the field, beyond the granary near the walls of the ranch, light reflected off a sheet of glass. It was almost blinding at first, but Malon shielded her eyes and slowly approached. Once she reached the source, she found something most incredible.
It was a large mirror adorned with a golden frame of intricate lace design laying against the outer wall. Its origins were unknown, it seemed as though it was just there suddenly. As she approached it, she found herself staring down into it, almost hypnotized by it, but what she saw nearly terrified of her.
Looking into the mirror, instead of seeing her reflection, she saw a grown woman in similar appearance to her. At first glance she thought it was her mom.
"Who…..who is she?!" Malon found herself shrieking.
"I'm you" the reflection responded
Malon found herself screaming again, she felt like she was losing her mind. Her reflection laughed.
"No need to be scared little one. Why not have a seat for a while. Let's chat."
Without thinking much about it, Malon did as she was told, almost on instinct. She sat down with her legs crossed and looked into the mirror as though she were watching a play. After the moment of shock passed, the words that her reflection spoke began to seep in.
"Hey, what do you mean by little one? Why do you call me that? I'm 13."
"Because you are little, Malon" the reflection responded back. "I oughta know, I remember what it was like to be you, and you're not as grown as you think you are right now."
Malon began to grow indignant.
"I can't believe you would say that. You too? You're just like everyone else!"
The reflection smirked, but smiled back, knowing this Malon very well.
"They're not as bad as you think, Malon."
"Yes they are!" Malon shouted back. "In fact, you don't even know what I was about to do! I was about to…."
"You were thinking of running away, weren't you?" the reflection asked
"…..yes" she responded.
"I know. I remember what it felt like." The reflection responded. "And that is what I want to talk to you about. I think you need to hear something that you don't hear from your dad. And Mr. Ingo is strict, but not the best with words, so that means you're going to have to hear it from me. It's something called tough love."
"Tough love?" Malon asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I'm going to tell you the truth that you need to hear." The reflection began. Malon could feel a lecture coming on, but it was one she needed.
"Okay Malon, this is how it is. Yes, you're 13 now, but you're still acting like a little kid. I know what you're going to say, you do more work now than you've ever had to do before. But you're not doing it with the right attitude. Running away is not the answer, and you know it.:
Malon said nothing. Her reflection continued, "You know as well as I do that there are many kids out there across Hyrule who don't have a roof over their head or food on the table. Maybe you're not being treated very nicely, that's true, but you're not being abused. You have a good life here and you need to be more grateful."
Malon tensed up her fist ready to shatter the glass in front of her.
"How can you say that?" She screamed at the reflection. "How can you tell me this? They're taking advantage of me, and you know it! Why in the world should I have to be the one to do all of this work? You know it's not fair!"
The reflection paused for a moment as though she were considering the words Malon spoke.
"You are right about that much" she replied. "It's not fair. Few things in life are. But it is important for you. Let me show you something"
And with that, the reflection ran off into the mirror and Malon witnessed something incredible as she watched the sight through the glass.
The reflection of Malon who appeared to be 18 leaped from the ground and onto a horse. Malon didn't realize it then, but her reflection was saddled upon a fully matured Epona. They raced across the field jumping many fences as they did.
The girl in the mirror reached from her back and produced a bow. Malon noticed she was wearing a quiver on her back as well. She shot many arrows at targets across the field, shattering pots and landing bullseyes. At long last, the reflection reined Epona in, and she leaped down from the horse.
In one fast movement, she backflipped back towards her original position, punctuating her movement with a single cartwheel. Upon standing back up, she folded her arms and smiled at Malon through the glass.
Malon's eyes were huge, her mouth was hanging open, she had to search to find words. She was so overcome with pride that she had forgotten her previous conversation.
Though Malon didn't know it for sure, seeing this reflection perform these feats felt as though Malon herself had accomplished them. Though this experience was only going on for a few minutes, Malon felt like she fully associated with this reflection as a part of herself.
"That, that was incredible!" Malon shouted back.
"That's exactly what you want to be, isn't it?" her reflection asked.
"Yes!" Malon shouted back "Yes! That's the life I want!"
"You want to know how I got to be able to do all of this?" the reflection asked
"Yes! Please tell me how!" Malon exclaimed
"Through discipline. Hard work and practice. Learning how to be the most disciplined version of myself I could be."
Suddenly, Malon felt crestfallen. She knew exactly where this conversation was about to lead, yet she felt the need to try and stick up for herself.
"But I…." she began slowly. "I already am hardworking. I've already had to be disciplined, all since I was a little girl…."
Her reflection smiled and began to sound a little more sympathetic.
"You have, Malon. You really have. And I'm so very very proud of you. You've done so very much at such a young age and you should be proud of yourself for it. That's what I'm here to remind you of. To remind you to take pride in your work."
"I…..I don't understand." Malon said back, almost in tears.
"Think back, Malon" Her reflection began. "Think back to when mom died."
That wasn't a particularly happy memory, and not one that Malon wanted to dwell on, but she knew what her reflection meant, she didn't mean to dwell on her mom's passing, but rather the responsibility she took on at such an early age.
"You were only five years old. And dad and Ingo sat you down and explained the responsibility you'd have to take on now, and how important it was. Even though you were a little girl, you were going to be given the trust of an adult, and they gave you that because they knew you were ready."
Malon didn't respond back but stared down at her feet again. Her shoelaces had become untied, and she began batting them back and forth as she had as a four-year-old sitting in the field. That was when her mother had first taught her how to tie her shoes.
She thought it was so funny how Malon would play with them every time they came undone. Her mother took the opportunity of this natural curiosity to teach Malon how to tie them. After just a few lessons, Malon was tying them like a pro all by herself. And that's because her mother knew that she was ready.
A year later, Ingo began to show her how to use a knife to cut vegetables, and later meat. He showed her how the stove worked and how to start a fire to cook. She could still remember the words he used.
"I'm trusting you with those tools, Malon" he'd say.
"You thinking about it?" Her reflection asked, suddenly, almost giggling as she did.
Malon sat up startled, her eyes still huge and she stared back at her reflection.
"You looked like you were kind of spacing out there, kiddo" her reflection laughed.
"I…..I mean…..you….." Malon struggled to say. "You're…..you're right." She said, now staring back down in shame.
The reflection smiled sympathetically and spoke back.
"Hey, it's okay. It's all okay. Just listen for a moment."
Malon nodded her head respectfully and opened her ears.
"I know it's hard. But there's a reason you need to do all of these things. It's going to prepare you for so much more. I know it seems dumb now, but things like keeping your room clean, keeping your stuff organized, and taking care of all of your tasks everyday is going to help you so much when you get older. You're going to be so happy you did all of this then. Chores are important Malon….they just are."
Malon nodded her head silently still listening.
"So why don't we try this? Let's go ahead and pick those buckets up and bring them back. Next, when you get in, let's start by cleaning your room up, we both know it needs it. After that you can start on dinner, and before bed you can help by cleaning the living room up and getting the house more straightened up."
Malon continued nodding her head.
"And Malon?" Her reflection asked suddenly
"….Yes?" she responded back in equal question.
"Girl…..go ahead and just wash your hair already! Get that done tonight. Selfcare is important! Believe me, you'll definitely be glad I told you that once you start meeting boys."
Malon laughed back
"I guess maybe I really was just doing it to get their attention….." She thought about how she had been acting. It was pretty immature, but the more she thought, she realized her reflection had agreed with her about one thing.
"But…..you know what you said was true, the way I've been treated isn't fair…..or right."
Her reflection paused and thought on this.
"You're right. I meant what I said, you do have a good life and you are cared for, but I agree, you deserve more respect. Running away won't get you that. For some kids, running away is their only chance of survival, but that's not it for you…..but one day you're going to make a huge difference."
"I know. I remember what it felt like." The reflection responded. "And that is what I want to talk to you about. I think you need to hear something that you don't hear from your dad. And Mr. Ingo is strict, but not the best with words, so that means you're going to have to hear it from me. It's something called tough love."
"Tough love?" Malon asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I'm going to tell you the truth that you need to hear." The reflection began. Malon could feel a lecture coming on, but it was one she needed.
"Okay Malon, this is how it is. Yes, you're 13 now, but you're still acting like a little kid. I know what you're going to say, you do more work now than you've ever had to do before. But you're not doing it with the right attitude. Running away is not the answer, and you know it.:
Malon said nothing. Her reflection continued, "You know as well as I do that there are many kids out there across Hyrule who don't have a roof over their head or food on the table. Maybe you're not being treated very nicely, that's true, but you're not being abused. You have a good life here and you need to be more grateful."
Malon tensed up her fist ready to shatter the glass in front of her.
"How can you say that?" She screamed at the reflection. "How can you tell me this? They're taking advantage of me, and you know it! Why in the world should I have to be the one to do all of this work? You know it's not fair!"
The reflection paused for a moment as though she were considering the words Malon spoke.
"You are right about that much" she replied. "It's not fair. Few things in life are. But it is important for you. Let me show you something"
And with that, the reflection ran off into the mirror and Malon witnessed something incredible as she watched the sight through the glass.
The reflection of Malon who appeared to be 18 leaped from the ground and onto a horse. Malon didn't realize it then, but her reflection was saddled upon a fully matured Epona. They raced across the field jumping many fences as they did.
The girl in the mirror reached from her back and produced a bow. Malon noticed she was wearing a quiver on her back as well. She shot many arrows at targets across the field, shattering pots and landing bullseyes. At long last, the reflection reined Epona in, and she leaped down from the horse.
In one fast movement, she backflipped back towards her original position, punctuating her movement with a single cartwheel. Upon standing back up, she folded her arms and smiled at Malon through the glass.
Malon's eyes were huge, her mouth was hanging open, she had to search to find words. She was so overcome with pride that she had forgotten her previous conversation.
Though Malon didn't know it for sure, seeing this reflection perform these feats felt as though Malon herself had accomplished them. Though this experience was only going on for a few minutes, Malon felt like she fully associated with this reflection as a part of herself.
"That, that was incredible!" Malon shouted back.
"That's exactly what you want to be, isn't it?" her reflection asked.
"Yes!" Malon shouted back "Yes! That's the life I want!"
"You want to know how I got to be able to do all of this?" the reflection asked
"Yes! Please tell me how!" Malon exclaimed
"Through discipline. Hard work and practice. Learning how to be the most disciplined version of myself I could be."
Suddenly, Malon felt crestfallen. She knew exactly where this conversation was about to lead, yet she felt the need to try and stick up for herself.
"But I…." she began slowly. "I already am hardworking. I've already had to be disciplined, all since I was a little girl…."
Her reflection smiled and began to sound a little more sympathetic.
"You have, Malon. You really have. And I'm so very very proud of you. You've done so very much at such a young age and you should be proud of yourself for it. That's what I'm here to remind you of. To remind you to take pride in your work."
"I…..I don't understand." Malon said back, almost in tears.
"Think back, Malon" Her reflection began. "Think back to when mom died."
That wasn't a particularly happy memory, and not one that Malon wanted to dwell on, but she knew what her reflection meant, she didn't mean to dwell on her mom's passing, but rather the responsibility she took on at such an early age.
"You were only five years old. And dad and Ingo sat you down and explained the responsibility you'd have to take on now, and how important it was. Even though you were a little girl, you were going to be given the trust of an adult, and they gave you that because they knew you were ready."
Malon didn't respond back but stared down at her feet again. Her shoelaces had become untied, and she began batting them back and forth as she had as a four-year-old sitting in the field. That was when her mother had first taught her how to tie her shoes.
She thought it was so funny how Malon would play with them every time they came undone. Her mother took the opportunity of this natural curiosity to teach Malon how to tie them. After just a few lessons, Malon was tying them like a pro all by herself. And that's because her mother knew that she was ready.
A year later, Ingo began to show her how to use a knife to cut vegetables, and later meat. He showed her how the stove worked and how to start a fire to cook. She could still remember the words he used.
"I'm trusting you with those tools, Malon" he'd say.
"You thinking about it?" Her reflection asked, suddenly, almost giggling as she did.
Malon sat up startled, her eyes still huge and she stared back at her reflection.
"You looked like you were kind of spacing out there, kiddo" her reflection laughed.
"I…..I mean…..you….." Malon struggled to say. "You're…..you're right." She said, now staring back down in shame.
The reflection smiled sympathetically and spoke back.
"Hey, it's okay. It's all okay. Just listen for a moment."
Malon nodded her head respectfully and opened her ears.
"I know it's hard. But there's a reason you need to do all of these things. It's going to prepare you for so much more. I know it seems dumb now, but things like keeping your room clean, keeping your stuff organized, and taking care of all of your tasks everyday is going to help you so much when you get older. You're going to be so happy you did all of this then. Chores are important Malon….they just are."
Malon nodded her head silently still listening.
"So why don't we try this? Let's go ahead and pick those buckets up and bring them back. Next, when you get in, let's start by cleaning your room up, we both know it needs it. After that you can start on dinner, and before bed you can help by cleaning the living room up and getting the house more straightened up."
Malon continued nodding her head.
"And Malon?" Her reflection asked suddenly
"….Yes?" she responded back in equal question.
"Girl…..go ahead and just wash your hair already! Get that done tonight. Selfcare is important! Believe me, you'll definitely be glad I told you that once you start meeting boys."
Malon laughed back
"I guess maybe I really was just doing it to get their attention….." She thought about how she had been acting. It was pretty immature, but the more she thought, she realized her reflection had agreed with her about one thing.
"But…..you know what you said was true, the way I've been treated isn't fair…..or right."
Her reflection paused and thought on this.
"You're right. I meant what I said, you do have a good life and you are cared for, but I agree, you deserve more respect. Running away won't get you that. For some kids, running away is their only chance of survival, but that's not it for you…..but one day you're going to make a huge difference."
"How?" Malon asked back, not sure.
"Like this." The reflection responded back. And with that she stepped back and gestured toward the ranch house.
Suddenly Malon realized the world she was looking into in the mirror was not a reflection of Lon Long Ranch, it reflected her own future ranch.
All across this ranch, many different children ran, chasing the animals, playing games, laughing with one another, and otherwise having a good time. And among them all, the older kids were carrying tools and pots just the same, helping out with the chores and contributing. Everyone played their role.
"Malon, when you grow up, you're going to find your own ranch where you take in runaways. You're going to be the guardian figure to kids who go without, to kids who don't have any place to run to, to kids who need a safe place. Malon, you're going to be the adult you wish you had right now."
Malon became wide eyed again, almost on the verge of tears. And before too long, the tears came, they were running down her face on onto the ground. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"The exercises I do everyday on horseback are to protect these kids. The dangers across the lands are terrible, but I fight everyday to raise these kids in the safest environment I can. And when danger does come…..I'm ready for it. Because it's just me against it, to protect these children. That is your calling Malon, that is what you're to do."
And that did it. With that, Malon began to sob. They were tears of joy, tears of being overcome with pride. Her future was everything she hoped it would be. And what's more, now she knew she would make it.
"So get started today, kiddo." The reflection smiled back. "I know you can do it."
Malon stood up tall, suddenly full of pride in herself and held her fist up.
"You're right!" she yelled. "I can do it!"
"That's the spirit, girl! You can do anything you set your mind to. You're a big girl, Malon! I know it. I'm watching you, I believe in you…..and I love you, Malon."
"I love you too." Malon responded back to her reflection. And just like that, the images in the mirror began to fade and it went back to a simple reflection.
With that, Malon began to collect the buckets and return home. In the coming days, Talon and Ingo noticed a change come over Malon that they did not anticipate. She suddenly took on her daily chores with an improved attitude and sense of duty.
Some things did change though, anytime Ingo said anything disrespectful, Malon was quick to let him know she didn't appreciate it. Likewise, if Talon slacked off too much,
Malon was quick to hold him accountable. It was a little scary at first, speaking like this, but Malon quickly found her voice and was surprised that they took to it.
But what she knew deep in her heart was that it was not this easy for some. Over time she found that she did have their respect, but she knew there were many children out there who would not be afforded this same privilege.
And that's why she had to work hard every single day, so that one day she would be able to help them.
She never forgot the mirror. And for many days she would venture back to it and see more images of her future. But over time, as she visited the mirror, she began to realize that she saw only herself in it.
Looking back, she had to question if there were ever any magical visions at all, or if it was simply the voice inside of her head. That voice of reason and maturity that she always had deep down, she only needed to convince herself to bring it out.
While some choose to end this tale here to highlight morality, I have chosen to include one final point of interest. As it was, there truly was magic flowing through this mirror and Malon really did see an image of the future.
Centuries later, as this mirror became lost to her and her family, shards of glass taken from it would be used to craft the Magic Mirror that a future hero would use to save Hyrule, in what was arguably an alternate timeline.
While there continues to be much speculation about the when and how of all of this, one thing was certain. The magic within this looking glass could literally change the world around someone.
So much that a Dark World could be given Light. And much was the same case with Malon, as a dark chapter of her life was transformed into one of light and love.
"Like this." The reflection responded back. And with that she stepped back and gestured toward the ranch house.
Suddenly Malon realized the world she was looking into in the mirror was not a reflection of Lon Long Ranch, it reflected her own future ranch.
All across this ranch, many different children ran, chasing the animals, playing games, laughing with one another, and otherwise having a good time. And among them all, the older kids were carrying tools and pots just the same, helping out with the chores and contributing. Everyone played their role.
"Malon, when you grow up, you're going to find your own ranch where you take in runaways. You're going to be the guardian figure to kids who go without, to kids who don't have any place to run to, to kids who need a safe place. Malon, you're going to be the adult you wish you had right now."
Malon became wide eyed again, almost on the verge of tears. And before too long, the tears came, they were running down her face on onto the ground. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"The exercises I do everyday on horseback are to protect these kids. The dangers across the lands are terrible, but I fight everyday to raise these kids in the safest environment I can. And when danger does come…..I'm ready for it. Because it's just me against it, to protect these children. That is your calling Malon, that is what you're to do."
And that did it. With that, Malon began to sob. They were tears of joy, tears of being overcome with pride. Her future was everything she hoped it would be. And what's more, now she knew she would make it.
"So get started today, kiddo." The reflection smiled back. "I know you can do it."
Malon stood up tall, suddenly full of pride in herself and held her fist up.
"You're right!" she yelled. "I can do it!"
"That's the spirit, girl! You can do anything you set your mind to. You're a big girl, Malon! I know it. I'm watching you, I believe in you…..and I love you, Malon."
"I love you too." Malon responded back to her reflection. And just like that, the images in the mirror began to fade and it went back to a simple reflection.
With that, Malon began to collect the buckets and return home. In the coming days, Talon and Ingo noticed a change come over Malon that they did not anticipate. She suddenly took on her daily chores with an improved attitude and sense of duty.
Some things did change though, anytime Ingo said anything disrespectful, Malon was quick to let him know she didn't appreciate it. Likewise, if Talon slacked off too much,
Malon was quick to hold him accountable. It was a little scary at first, speaking like this, but Malon quickly found her voice and was surprised that they took to it.
But what she knew deep in her heart was that it was not this easy for some. Over time she found that she did have their respect, but she knew there were many children out there who would not be afforded this same privilege.
And that's why she had to work hard every single day, so that one day she would be able to help them.
She never forgot the mirror. And for many days she would venture back to it and see more images of her future. But over time, as she visited the mirror, she began to realize that she saw only herself in it.
Looking back, she had to question if there were ever any magical visions at all, or if it was simply the voice inside of her head. That voice of reason and maturity that she always had deep down, she only needed to convince herself to bring it out.
While some choose to end this tale here to highlight morality, I have chosen to include one final point of interest. As it was, there truly was magic flowing through this mirror and Malon really did see an image of the future.
Centuries later, as this mirror became lost to her and her family, shards of glass taken from it would be used to craft the Magic Mirror that a future hero would use to save Hyrule, in what was arguably an alternate timeline.
While there continues to be much speculation about the when and how of all of this, one thing was certain. The magic within this looking glass could literally change the world around someone.
So much that a Dark World could be given Light. And much was the same case with Malon, as a dark chapter of her life was transformed into one of light and love.
