Troubles At Romani's Ranch

by TheLoneStar6

Romani's Ranch: A pleasant, mostly quiet property. A place where Link faces some of the most tormenting parts of his time in Termina. Fifth story in my "Tales of Termina" series.

"You really can't get over this thing?" Tatl asked as Link stood on the warm and even sands of Western Termina Field. "Not even as a Goron?"

"I may be able to, but one wrong move and I'll die." Link argued, placing a hand on the object before him in thought. If his sense of humor wasn't so dried up, Link would have almost found it funny that their quest was halted by a simple fence.

Yes, in order to reach the Great Bay area, the duo had to bypass a large, spiked fence that had been placed there. Strangely, there was no gate to it, or any way to go around, as the edges of the fence met small cliffs too high to reach. Link could probably pull himself up, but one slip and he'd critically injure himself, or even die on the sharp points of the fence. As a Goron, that risk is still there as Link really didn't know just how vulnerable the softer underbelly of the rocky creatures were. Perhaps strong enough to not get pierced, but he wasn't about to take that risk, especially given he still wasn't quite used to moving around gracefully in such a body.

"…Wait a minute!" Tatl piped up suddenly, feeling absolutely brilliant. "Anju mentioned a ranch, remember? Romani Ranch?" Tatl had been down Milk Road a few times over the years, but never ventured to the ranch or the racetrack.

Immediately, Link realized what Tatl was going for. "A horse would be able to jump this. Epona surely could have." He repressed a shudder as he wondered what horrible fate befell her. Tatl had mentioned she and Tael never actually saw what the Skull Kid actually did to the horse, as he had gone on far ahead of the two fairies at that point.

"Right…Epona…" Tatl muttered uneasily. A part of her expected Link to look up at her with an accusatory glare, but he kept his eyes on the fence. "Um…But we should be able to borrow a horse from there and jump the fence."

Nodding, Link turned from the fence and made his way to the South. "It's our only option. Let's get going."

Turned out it wasn't quite as easy as just walking into the ranch. A massive boulder was blocking the path to the property, undoubtedly placed there by the Skull Kid. A lone worker was going at it with a pickaxe, but who knew how long it would take him to be finished? Link and Tatl simply didn't have time to wait! Thankfully, the solution was a simple one. After a quick trip back to Clock Town, Link came back with a Powder Keg, quickly reducing the massive rock into pebbles.

"Wow! You sure saved me a lot of work there! Thanks a lot, buddy!" The worker said to Goron Link. "I'm sure the ranch owner will be thankful too. You should go talk to her, maybe she'll give you some free milk or something!"

With that, the worker made his way back to Clock Town, and Link returned to being a Hylian. "How expensive would a horse be to borrow do you think?" Tatl asked. She almost brought up the idea of stealing one, but she held her tongue. Didn't want to push any of Link's buttons. It had been a while since Tatl said anything nasty to Link unprovoked, at this point she only did it when she felt he was being too stubborn and refusing to talk about himself when asked.

Link noticed the massive change in personality of Tatl's as well. How could he not? Ever since that fever, she'd been actually nice to him for the most part...or at least neutral. He had been tempted to bring it up on a few occasions, but decided it wasn't something he wanted to deal with at the moment. "I have a lot in the bank. It shouldn't be an issue." Link replied as he walked over the rubble from the boulder and into the ranch proper.

To Link's mild surprise, Romani Ranch was a lot larger than Lon Lon Ranch back in Hyrule. The slight hills present in the ranch made it so he couldn't even see all of it at once. What he did see was a house and a barn, along with a fenced off area to the left where a few grown horses grazed idly. He looked up at the large sign at the ranch's entrance, then from the sign to Tatl, staring at her expectantly. "It just welcomes us to the ranch and that there's delicious milk. I guess it's a dairy farm only. I don't see any crops…" It was a surprise to Tatl that Link was unable to read at all. He couldn't differentiate a single letter from the others, as he had told her. At first, she had cruelly mocked him for being an 'illiterate moron' but even back then she read things to him anyway. She had asked why he didn't know how to read, but of course he kept his mouth shut.

"Nothing about borrowing horses?" He turned back to the sign, which looked like complete gibberish to him.

"Afraid not. We'll just have to ask the owner. She has to be here somewhere. After all, that boulder was keeping everything in." Tatl responded, slowly flying ahead.

Nodding, Link followed as they made their way further into the ranch. He stopped dead in his tracks when there was the sound of a horse whinnying further ahead. It was…familiar. Unmistakable even. "It can't be…" Link murmured, sprinting towards the noise.

"Huh? What? What's going on!?" Tatl asked, quickly dashing after her partner. "Link, did you see something?!"

Going above the subtle hill, Link saw the source of the sound: a horse. Not just any horse either, a young, red mare held within a smell pen attached to the ranch's house. "Epona…" Link gasped out, running as fast as his legs could carry him until he reached the fence. "Epona, it's me. It's Link. How did you get here?" He uselessly asked the animal, feeling as if this had to be a dream of some kind. The horse let out a light neighing as she nuzzled Link's hand as he reached through the fence to her.

"No way…" Tatl murmured as she caught up. "Your horse was really here the whole time?" She felt a huge weight lift from her chest as she saw the animal. The fairy never admitted it out loud, but she had felt horrible about Epona's disappearance and possible death. At least, when she warmed up to Link, that was. At the start, she had told Link that the Skull Kid probably killed her off or left her somewhere she would just starve to death. At the time, she almost expected Link to strike at her in anger, but he simply didn't acknowledge her words.

"She's really here…" Link whispered, gently rubbing Epona's face as she snorted gently. "She was safe and sound the entire time…" He remembered having nightmares about the horse's supposed demise. Alien appendages dragging the horse towards a gaping maw was one such scenario his brain had cooked up for him.

"Great! I'm glad we found your horse!" Tatl said sincerely. A part of her wanted to apologize for all the hypothetical ways the Skull Kid had 'got rid' of the animal, but her pride wouldn't let her. Not just yet. "Hey, it also means we don't have to pay!"

Link was too mesmerized by the situation to really hear Tatl's words. He had been worried sick over Epona's fate and a paranoid part of him had actually started to believe Tatl's lies to him. At least, he believed the general idea that the Skull Kid had killed the poor animal. Link loved Epona despite her not really being his horse, and she doubled as a treasured gift from a treasured person. One part of the problem with Epona's disappearance was him having to go back and explain how he lost her and had no clue of her condition.

"You like that horse, huh? She's brand new!" A familiar voice rang out, snapping Link out of his thoughts and startling both him and Tatl. For Link especially, the words filled his veins with ice. It was unmistakable who it sounded like, but surely it couldn't be…surely fate wouldn't be so cruel to the poor boy. He and the fairy turned to see a young girl giving the duo a warm smile, hands laced behind her back. "Isn't she pretty?"

Instead of answering, Link simply stared on in shock at the girl before him. He could deny it, but that would be foolish. The age, twelve year-old just like him, the shining blue eyes, the sweet smile, the orange hair that was even the same lengths as…as hers. As Malon's. No matter which way Link looked at it, the rancher girl looked exactly the same as Malon down to the same outfit. Her voice was the same as well, not even the slightest bit different.

In retrospect, Link shouldn't have been too surprised. Termina was a world that terrified him for numerous reasons. One of those reasons was the abundance of what he could only think of as copies walking about. So many residents here looked exactly like people he knew from Hyrule. The Cucco Lady was Anju, the carpenters and their boss were present, a number of shopkeepers and game center owners, a man that ran through Hyrule Field was now the Postman, a beggar Link once came across now owned the bank…the list went on. It was a secret that Link kept to himself, an effort to keep Tatl at arm's length away from him.

The thing was that no one particularly close to Link had any of these clones here in Termina. Sure, they were people he had helped out or were related to his friends such as King Zora, now known as Toto, but none of his friends had copies here. No one like Zelda, Saria, Darunia, Ruto, or though not his friends, he hadn't met any Kokiri lookalikes either. In a way, this was more shocking than the first time he saw one of the clones in Clock Town. Having to see someone that looked like someone so important to Link…it felt as though the world of Termina was mocking him, reminding Link of what he no longer had and may never get to have again if he didn't stop the Moon.

Noticing that Link was, for reasons mysterious to Tatl, not talking, it was up to her to reply. "Yeah, she sure is." She replied, floating down to the girl's eye-level. "Say, how did you get this horse anyway?"

"Ooh, a fairy!" The young girl said, having only just noticed Tatl. "Well, Ms. Fairy, it was the weirdest thing! This horse here just wandered onto our ranch yesterday, just before this big boulder fell onto the road!" The girl explained, slamming her fist into her open palm for emphasis. "We didn't really know how she'd handle the other horses, so we put her in that pen for now."

Tatl looked back at Link, noting his wide eyes and unblinking gaze. Eyes aside, he still managed to keep that mask of stoicism on his face despite all the thoughts going through his mind. Without an expression to really read, she came to her own, incorrect conclusions. Link thought the girl was cute! That had to be it! Surely even someone like Link could be flustered by something like this, right? The two of them encountered surprisingly few children about Clock Town. For the most part, the Bombers were the only ones. It seemed a lot of others with children evacuated, or perhaps shut themselves indoors as if that would keep them safe from the Moon. By and large, this was the first kid Link's age he had any real contact with since entering Termina.

A mischievous smile on her face, Tatl flew behind Link. Floating back a bit, she charged forward with just enough force to get Link to take an awkward step forward. "Go on, talk to her!" She urged. "About the horse!" Though being impish, the fairy sincerely thought she was doing the boy a favor.

The slight shove jolted Link out of his trance. The girl didn't seem at all put off by his zoning out or wide-eyed look. She simply smiled at him, bouncing on her heels a bit. The boy tried to say something, but felt the words dying in his throat as the cruel joke of fate before him seemed to be waiting for him to do something. It seemed, however, that the girl's patience wore out. "Say, who are you anyway?" She asked, not unkindly. "I'm Romani, I was given the same name as the ranch." Romani tilted her head to the side a bit in curiosity. "What's your name?"

Finally, Link finally managed to find his voice. Though his heart hammered hard against his ribcage and he felt sick to his stomach, he kept his face and voice nice and leveled. "Link. I'm Link. The fairy is Tatl."

"Link?" The girl rhetorically asked back. She looked the boy over, humming quietly to herself. "That's a nice name, but…how about…Grasshopper? That's the name Romani gives you." She beamed at Link as if she had done him a favor. "See, you're wearing green clothes, and you look a little jumpy, so Grasshopper it is!"

Goddesses, she even came up with nicknames as well. The Malon waiting for Link back home didn't opt to give him one, but he still remembered her calling him Fairy Boy back in the decayed timeline. "Okay." Link didn't really know what else to say.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Romani asked, once more unemotionally mirroring Malon. "Your clothes are strange, are you from Clock Town?" To that, Link simply shook his head. "Oooh…This is my first time meeting a foreigner." She then gazed intently at Link's face, as if studying it. After a moment, she seemed to reach a conclusion. "You're cute!"

From behind Link, Tatl tittered shamelessly. The boy ignored his fairy and tried not to go red in the face. "Listen, Romani." He said, gesturing to Epona. "This my horse, Epona. I lost her yesterday and need her back."

"Oh? Really?" Romani asked, shock apparent on her face. "My sister thought it was weird that a young horse like her was all alone!" The girl put a grin back on. "Don't worry, Romani will go get the key!" With that, she dashed into the house, closing the door behind her.

Link let out a breath he wasn't even aware he was holding in. He felt so pathetic for letting something like this get to him. She looked, sounded, and even kind of acted like Malon, but this girl shouldn't be getting to him so bad! At least, that's how Link felt. It also seemed as though he was being taunted and mocked for something he desperately missed, a person he wanted to see again so badly. Now here she was in all but name and memories, a total stranger to Link.

"Well, she sure is trusting." Tatl mused, flying over onto Link's shoulder. "Just believed you right away…" She looked over and grinned at the boy. "That girl sure does seem to like you, though!" The fairy teased, tittering again.

Ignoring Tatl's words, Link took some deep breaths to keep himself calm. "Now we know Epona is safe. Now we can get to the Great Bay. That's all that matters."

Tatl was about to tell Link off for being no fun, but Romani came back out. "Got the key!" She announced, a small and scruffy dog following at her heels as she held the tiny, rusty object in the air. The pup went over and sniffed at Link's boots, tail nearly a blur as it wagged. Romani, meanwhile, went over to the small pen and unlocked the gate before opening it. "There we go!"

Epona instantly went over to Link, nuzzling at the boy as he hugged the animal and buried his face in her neck. Tatl couldn't help but feel warmhearted at the sight, and a bit surprised. She had never seen Link act like this before. "You really like that horse, don't you?"

Link leaned back, rubbing Epona's face as he looked her in the eye. "Of course I do."

"Glad we could keep your horse safe for you!" Romani said, beaming at the pair. Suddenly, she let out a small gasp of realization. "Wait, if you're here…that means the boulder is gone, right?"

Not looking away from Epona, it seemed Link didn't want to answer her. Even looking at her felt difficult for him. Thinking the boy was just shy, Tatl piped up. "That's right. We got rid of it. How else would we get in here?"

"That's true!" Romani agreed, not seeming to mind the fairy's slight attitude. "Well, if you got rid of it, my sister will probably reward you! Wait here!" Before anyone could argue, Romani dashed off past the barn and somewhere out of sight, her dog following behind.

"We should go." Link said, ready to get on his horse. The sooner he was far away from this place, the better.

"What? Why?" Tatl asked, getting between Link and Epona. "What if the sister gives us something helpful?"

"I can return for it later." Link argued, tempted to look over his shoulder and see if Romani was coming back.

"What's your deal? I know we have to get to the Great Bay, but it's still the first day! We have a lot of time!" Tatl was perplexed as to what Link's problem was. He wasn't usually in this kind of rush. Not so much of one that he couldn't wait five minutes to get a potentially helpful prize.

Before Link could reply, Romani's voice cut through the air. "There they are! See, look how calm the new horse is! She must belong to him!"

Once more, the duo turned at the sound of the rancher girl's voice. And once more, Link felt his entire body go cold at what he saw. Romani was still a sight that made him feel sick to his stomach, but it was her sister that made him feel like he'd actually be physically ill. As it turned out, Romani's sister was a perfect copy of Malon when she was seventeen. The same blue eyes, and just as Malon's had been, these eyes no longer held the shine of innocence, but still had a kindness to them. Same hairstyle, same color, same length, same clothing. The temptation to whip out his Ocarina and reset the clock flashed across the boy's scrambled brain, but he was too stunned to move.

The older girl looked Link and Tatl over a bit as she and her sister approached, the dog having run off somewhere. She had apparently seen a few fairies in her life, as the ranch owner didn't seem surprised at Tatl. With Link himself, he noted that she frowned a bit. The sister clearly saw something in Link that Romani had missed. A somewhat pale complexion, the dark circles underneath a pair of dull, broken blue eyes. The more experienced sibling could obviously tell at a glance that something was wrong with the boy Romani called Grasshopper. Whatever else she may have thought, she apparently pushed aside as she put a smile back on as the duo got close.

"It looks like you're right, Romani. That horse is probably his." The older girl declared, placing a hand on her younger sister's head. "My name is Cremia, and I own the ranch. Romani here tells me your name is Grasshopper, but I somehow doubt that's true."

Link didn't respond. In fact, he found he couldn't as the words got caught in his throat. Not one, but two copies of someone he cared deeply about where standing before him. Two reminders of something he may never get back if he couldn't escape Termina. The boy couldn't help but feel as if he was being punished for something, though what in particular he couldn't work out.

Tatl looked between Link and the siblings and let out a small sigh. She had to come to the rescue again, it seemed. As it turned out, from the fairy's perspective, Link was simply powerless before two cute girls. "He's Link. I'm Tatl." She explained. "We busted that boulder looking to get a horse, but we found the one that got lost instead."

Wondering if the boy was mute, Cremia nodded. "I see! I thought I heard a loud noise earlier. Thank you so much, you two. Now we can make deliveries again." She offered the duo a warm smile. "How about you two stay for lunch? As a reward for helping us?"

That snapped Link out of his silence. Before Tatl could reply, he shook his head. "No. We can't. We're in a hurry."

"Aw, no fun, Grasshopper!" Romani whined, pouting a bit. With a shiver, Link noticed that she even pouted the same as Malon. "Stay for a bit!"

"Now, now, Romani." Cremia gently chided, patting her sister on the head. "If he's in a hurry, he's in a hurry." She looked between the boy and his fairy companion. "You're welcome to the ranch at any time, either way. Before you go, please let me get some milk for you at least, on the house."

Feeling a bit of relief, Link nodded. "That's good. Thank you." The last thing he felt he could handle just then was hours with these two.

"Alright!" Cremia chirped. "You wait right there; I'll be right back." The ranch owner went off into the barn, leaving the children alone.

Without a moment's hesitation, Link hopped onto Epona before anyone could say anything more. The boy urged the horse forward, galloping past Romani as she whipped her head towards the retreating visitor with shock. "Grasshopper?! Hey, Grasshopper, wait!" She called out.

Link paid the girl no mind as Epona ran onward, quickly leaving the ranch behind. Tatl, struggling to follow, managed to land on Link's shoulder. "Hey, hey! What's the big idea?! What are you doing?!"

At first, Link didn't respond. It was only after they had left Milk Road entirely that he had Epona slow down to a trot, directing her Westward. "No time to wait." He replied simply. "We have to keep moving."

"We couldn't have waited for a minute?" Tatl asked incredulously. She hovered in front of Link, able to keep up now that Epona had slowed down. "There's something you're not telling me. Spill the beans!"

"We have to keep moving." Link repeated, urging Epona to go a bit faster, though not quite a full gallop. Tatl tried to pry more information out of the boy, but Link refused to even acknowledge any further questions about the ranch.

In a cruel twist of fate, later on that Cycle was when Link came across Lulu, who looked exactly like a grown Ruto, aside from a dress she wore. While he wasn't quite as close to Ruto as he was to Malon, Link couldn't handle the situation and his mask was quite close to shattering. A Break Cycle was in order, and it was during this time that Link finally told Tatl about Navi and his mask finally broke completely for the first time since entering Termina.

At the start of the next Cycle, Link had an awful realization; if he wanted to go to the Great Bay area, he'd have to go fetch Epona each and every time. This meant facing Romani, possibly Cremia as well, any time he needed his horse. Without any other option, the boy went off to get his Powder Keg and slowly made his way towards Milk Road.

"Hey, what are you dragging your feet for?" Tatl asked, noticing just how much slower Link was going compared to the last time they went to the ranch. "Weren't you the one that kept going on about being in a hurry regarding the Great Bay?" She had also wondered and asked about Link cutting their first visit short after seeing Lulu, but naturally Link gave no answers to work with.

"It's fine. We have plenty of time." He responded, meandering along towards the pathway to Romani Ranch, taking as long as he could.

"That's what I said last time, but you argued with me!" Tatl couldn't help but shout. She knew there was something more to this, but there was probably little chance she'd get to the bottom of it anytime soon.

Indeed, Link chose to not answer Tatl, opting to move at a crawl towards Milk Road. The fairy couldn't help but feel more frustrated than usual. Just last Cycle, Link had confessed something personal to her for the first time, so she thought he'd be more open. Oh, if only it were that simple. By the time the duo got there, and Link bombed the boulder out of the way, the two of them arrived an hour later than last time. As the two of them approached Epona's pen, they saw that Romani was already out and about. A strange looking orange balloon floated near the house, with the farmgirl readying a bow and arrow to shoot it down.

Before she could fire, Romani noticed the visitors. With a smile, the farmgirl undrew the bow and walked over to them. "Hey, who are you?" She greeted warmly, looking Link and Tatl over a bit. "I'm Romani, I was given the same name as the ranch."

Tatl, noticing how Link's gaze instantly fell on Epona, acted quick. She had the distinct feeling he was going to cut to the chase and ask for his horse back. Feeling mischievous, she flew between the two children. "Hello! My name's Tatl, and this is Link!" She said in an overly friendly manner, gesturing to the boy with a grin that held back laughter plastered on her face. Thankfully her natural light hid her expression. Link would most likely be a bit sore with her, but the fairy's impish side came out due to her frustrations with the small hero. "Don't mind him, he gets shy really easily!"

Not noticing that Link had his hands curled into frustrated fists, Romani beamed at the boy. "Link?" The girl asked for the second time as she once again looked Link over. "That's a nice name, but…how about…Grasshopper? That's the name Romani gives you. See, you're wearing green clothes, and you look a little jumpy, so Grasshopper it is!"

No matter how many times someone repeated the exact same words to Link, it always made him feel uneasy. It wasn't quite déjà vu, as it wasn't just that he felt he saw this before, he knew he lived it in a past Cycle. Still, he didn't let his emotions show. "I'm here for my horse, Epona." He declared, nodding towards the mare in question. "I lost her yesterday."

Romani gave off a surprised expression. "Oh, really? My sister thought it was weird that a young horse like her was all alone! We didn't see her momma or owner or anything!" The girl put a grin back on. "Don't worry, Romani will go get the key!"

There was a pause after Romani went into the house. The silence was broken when Link looked up at Tatl. "What are you doing?"

"What-huh?" The fairy blurted out in genuine surprise. She wasn't used to Link calling her out like that. The amount of times he had done so could be counted on Tatl's own two hands. Still, her natural instincts demanded she at least tried playing innocent. "What do you mean?"

"You're up to something." It was so painfully obvious that Link was almost insulted Tatl tried to pretend otherwise. "What are you doing?" The boy repeated.

"I have no idea what you're…" Tatl trailed off, Link continuing to stare at her was enough to let her know he wasn't buying it. "Alright, alright…" She said with a slight huff. "Remember what I said last Cycle? How being social will do you wonders?" The boy nodded. "I was ribbing on you at the time, but I was also kind of serious! This girl here is friendly, why not chat with her for five minutes? I'm the only one you ever really talk to, that's not normal!"

"None of this is normal." Link countered, actually feeling angrier that Tatl had good intentions rather than bad. She had promised she wouldn't abandon him but…how could he be sure she was telling the truth? A large part of him wanted her to go back to the cruel, hateful fairy she was before. "I can't make friends with people that won't remember me."

"I didn't say you had to be friends!" Tatl argued, chiming loudly. "Just that you could be more social! Why is it so terrible to have a nice little conversation? Are you really just shy, like I said?"

Oh, if only it was that simple. Tatl would never understand, and Link wouldn't give her the option to try by explaining what was going on. A small part of him was afraid she'd think he was going mad. "It's not important."

"I hate it when you say that!" Tatl screamed at the top of her tiny voice. "Drives me absolutely-"

Tatl's small rant was cut off as the house's door opened once more. "Got the key!" Romani announced again as she held the small object for Link and Tatl to see. Oblivious to the argument that was just going on, she went over to the pen and, within moments, it was opened up. "There we go!"

Epona went over to Link immediately, nuzzling at the boy, who used the horse as a good distraction to look away from Malon- from Romani. He wrapped his arms around the horse in a gentle hug and put his face in her neck once more. "Epona…" Link murmured, feeling that familiar sense of relief despite knowing the horse was safe this time around. Relief and a sense of calmness were about the closest Link got to true happiness. Sometimes he would have brief, seconds long bouts of joy, but then it'd fade as quickly as it came…

"Aw, that's so sweet, Grasshopper!" Romani cooed. "Oh, hey, my sister will probably want to meet you!" The girl went on. "She owns the ranch, ya know!" Without waiting for an answer, the farmgirl trotted away. "Be right back! Wait there!"

Link tried to get on Epona, but Tatl flew right into his eyes, temporarily blinding him and making step away from the animal. "Oh no you don't!" She chided; an impish grin spread on her tiny face. "Let's stay for lunch, at least! The food at the Stock Pot Inn is unbearable, I need a real homecooked meal, dang it!"

"Get out of the way, Tatl." Link essentially ordered, fighting to keep himself calm. He had to get out of here. He couldn't see two Malons again like that so soon! "Tatl, we have to get going."

"And I have to eat!" The fairy rebuked. "Look, just stay for a few hours, it won't kill you!" She was honestly perplexed at Link's desperation to get out of here. The kid had an easier time entering a snowstorm than relaxing at a ranch, the backwards little weirdo. Tatl, of course, had a few ulterior motives to all this. One, she really did want a nice, homecooked meal. Two, she wanted to find out just what Link's problem was, or maybe that he really was just overly shy to these girls. Three, though more selfless, she wanted Link to just lay back and socialize a bit. The fairy sincerely felt it would do him good. "What if there's a problem these two get into at some point? Like with Anju and her runaway fiancé?" That was a low blow and Tatl knew it, being more than aware of Link's near-obsession with helping people when possible.

Link stared at Tatl, the temptation to just let go and tell her exactly why he couldn't stay cropped up in his mind, but he pushed it away. To his regret, she had a point at the end there. Sure, things seemed fine at the ranch now, but what if someone awful happened here on the second day? The third day? Something Link could help prevent somehow. He looked over his shoulder, as if expecting to see a creature barreling towards him but saw green grass and the looming Moon instead. Turning back to Tatl, he gave a small nod. "Lunch, if it's offered to us, and then we leave." Another thought had struck him too. He would probably have to speak to Cremia about Kafei at some point. He recalled a few people in Clock Town thinking he came here and mentioned the older sister by name, something he forgot until now. That could wait for a later Cycle, though. Had to tackle one thing at a time.

"Deal!" Tatl declared, feeling a bit proud of herself for the rare victory in out-stubborning her companion.

Just as the deal was struck, the duo heard Romani talking to her sister again. "There they are! See, look how calm the new horse is! She must belong to him!" The two turned to see Romani leading Cremia by the hand towards the two of them.

Cremia once more studied the ranch's visitors. She didn't seem perturbed by Tatl but looking at Link gave her pause. He was more than aware his eyes unnerved her, it was something he dealt with quite a bit in Hyrule, and here in Termina, after all. Still, the older sister put a smile on as the redheads drew near. "I see, you were right Romani! So, this is your horse, Grasshopper? Or I guess I should ask what your real name is."

Unfortunately, Link once again found himself frozen at the two sisters. He felt a deep disgust with himself for such weakness. Just a few Cycles ago, he destroyed a rampaging mechanical bull, but a couple of friendly ranch girls gave him pause because they looked like Malon? It was no wonder Navi left him, if even after all this time he was still this pathetic.

Tatl found herself having to jump in once more, letting out a small chime to get Cremia's attention. "He's Link, and I'm Tatl. He's a bit shy, don't take it personally."

"Grasshopper's a better name…" Romani mumbled to herself with a slight pout.

Ignoring her sister, Cremia nodded a bit, eyeing the child. "Well, I'm just glad we could keep your horse safe for you, Link." She seemed to have realized something. "Say, did someone clear out that boulder already? I thought it would take at least a few more days…"

"We cleared it." Link managed to say, finding his voice. "Just a few minutes ago."

Romani's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, Romani totally forgot about that boulder! How did you clear it, Grasshopper?"

"A bomb." Link answered bluntly. He found it hard to really look either girl in the eyes, opting to looking past them. The boy never thought he'd think it, but the Moon sure looked good about now…

"What he means is," Tatl piped up, a bit annoyed at Link's overly brief statements. "we got a Powder Keg from Clock Town and used that. There was a guy with a pickaxe there, but who knew how long he'd be?"

Cremia didn't seem to really know how to respond to that. "That's…huh." She shook it off and the smile returned to her face. "That must have been that loud noise I heard earlier. Either way, Romani and I are grateful that boulder is gone. Right, Romani?"

The younger sister gave an enthusiastic nod. "Yeah! Thanks, Grasshopper! Thanks, Ms. Fairy!"

"We would like to repay you, if you'll let us. Why don't you stay here and relax, and around noon I can make us all lunch?" Cremia offered.

Link had to resist the urge to turn the older woman down. He knew Tatl would give him a Cycle-long earful if he went back on his word. Swallowing his anxiety, the boy gave a single nod. "That would be nice, thank you."

"Then it's settled." Cremia replied. "Romani, entertain our guests while I get some work done, alright?" The older sister kindly ordered as she went off over the slight hill.

"I will, don't worry!" Romani called, waving her sister off. She then turned to the trio of Link, Tatl, and Epona. The boy had his arm on Epona's side, Romani unaware he was doing it as a meager way to seek comfort. What the girl did notice, finally, was the bow and quiver Link had on his back. "Hey, are you good shot, Grasshopper?" She asked, pointing the weapon out.

Link was feeling a bit better with Cremia's departure, now only one Not-Malon in his sights. After a moment, he looked over at his bow. "I guess so."

"Perfect!" Romani exclaimed, walking over to Link and Tatl. Epona walked a few feet away, nibbling at some grass as the rancher girl closed the distance. She seemed unaware at Link flinching a bit as she stopped mere feet away from him. "Romani needs to tell you about something. Something important." Her voice dropped to just above a whisper, a serious frown now plastered on her face.

"Is something wrong? Trouble at the ranch?" Tatl asked, not really having expected Link to step in and help out around here. Things seemed peaceful enough…

The girl nodded, looking around to the orange balloon. "Romani has been practicing for tonight, you see. Tonight…" She trailed off, seeming a bit nervous about something. "Tonight…They come."

Link pushed his anxieties aside as things seemed to be getting serious. "They? Who are They?"

Romani's voice lowered more as she turned back to Link, sounding like someone telling a ghost story around a campfire. "They come at night every year when the carnival gets closer. They come riding in a bright, shining ball, and many of Them come down...to the barn...and then They take our cows!" She finished, half-shouting and nearly making Link flinch.

"…A shining ball? From the sky, you mean?" Tatl asked. "That's completely absurd, you know that right?"

Shaking her head, Romani gave Tatl a serious look. "You're a shining ball in the sky too!"

"That's not even remotely the same! I'm not even a ball, I just look that way!" Tatl snapped back. "You're just making up stories, this sounds like a scary kid's book!"

Romani turned from the fairy and back to Link. "My sister doesn't believe me, but Romani must protect the cows! You believe me…don't you, Grasshopper?" She reached out, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Last year, They made away with all the cows we had!"

It made Link feel disgust for himself that his first instinct was to violently shove Romani away from him. Having her touching him…it just didn't feel right. Still, he pushed the urge down and contemplated what the girl had just told him. These…things, these "They" entities ride in a giant shining orb that stole cows? Link had seen a number of strange and horrifying things in his journey, things that even the Sages and Malon had troubles believing at first when Link described them. This, however, seemed like a made-up story. "If They stole your cows, why doesn't Cremia believe you?"

"She thinks the Gorman Brothers took them away." Romani said, sounding a bit upset. "She never even found proof, but still believes her own story. But she won't believe my story because she never saw Them!" She looked at Link with pleading eyes. "Grasshopper, I need an assistant to aid me tonight. Please…"

Of course, Link still wasn't swayed and thought this was just some kind of game of pretend or something like that. Rather than speaking his mind and causing a fuss, Link instead nodded. Normally, he didn't like lying to people, but then again he and Tatl consistently stole an inn room away from an innocent Goron, so it was too late for such morals. Besides, once the clock turned back, Romani wouldn't remember a thing. "What do you need me to do? Shoot at Them?"

A wide smile forming on her face, Romani took her hand off of Link with an enthusiastic nod. "That's right! Arrows are able to destroy Them! That's why Romani has been practicing!" She gestured to the orange balloon. "Romani wants to see how good of a shot you are. Go ahead and shoot that balloon down, Grasshopper!"

"You really believe this story, Link?" Tatl asked, sounding slightly exasperated. She honestly thought he was smarter than that.

Ignoring the question, Link took a number of steps back. Once he was a reasonable distance from the balloon, he readied his bow and arrow. After taking only a moment to aim, he fired, and the balloon exploded into ribbons. "Nice shot, Grasshopper!" Romani praised, smiling at the boy. "You're really good!"

"How many of Them will there be?" Link asked, keeping up the charade that he truly believed Romani. Really, he just needed to pass the time and doing so with a person that was upset with him sounded unpleasant, even worse than what he had to deal with now. He still couldn't quite look Romani in the eye, trying to look right over her shoulder or above her head. Her voice, though, he could do nothing about…

"A lot!" Romani answered unhelpfully. "I couldn't even count Them all last time! You'll need a whole bunch of arrows, okay Grasshopper? Romani has a bunch you can borrow too." She made her way to the house. "Wait here, we'll need more balloons for practice!" With that, she entered the small home and left the duo alone again.

"You're not actually buying this, are you?" Tatl asked again as soon as the door closed. "This is absolutely ridiculous!"

"I don't buy it." Link answered, going over to pick up the arrow he had shot. "She'd be upset or mad if someone doesn't believe her. You're forcing me to be here, so I might as well make it as pleasant as I can."

The word 'forcing', surprisingly, stung a bit. It made Tatl feel like she was doing something bad. Sure, part of it was just wanting good food, but she still genuinely thought this would help Link socially. Was that so wrong? "Hey, don't act like I'm making you do something terrible! A couple of hours spent with some girl that seems to like you and a homecooked meal. Sure, I'm being so terrible! Why don't we just leave right now?"

Link realized how unfair he was being. Those hurtful words just…slipped out without his meaning too. "I'm sorry, Tatl." He said, letting out the smallest of sighs as he put the arrow back in his quiver. "You just don't understand-"

"Then help me understand!" Tatl snapped, flying over into Link's face. "I thought, maybe, when you finally opened up to me, it meant you'd start sharing a bit more instead of being so dismissive! It's driving me nuts!" She knew she really shouldn't be so harsh on the boy, considering the things she now knew, but the fairy just couldn't help it.

Once more, Link found himself nearly revealing everything to Tatl. Sadly, he just couldn't bring himself to. "I'm sorry, Tatl." He repeated.

The fairy let out a groan. "Fine, whatever." Tatl actually tried to help out someone she wanted to be friends with, and she just got grief for it!

Before anything else could be said, the house's door opened again, and Romani came out with a large wooden box. "Alright, Romani has the balloons!" She called out cheerfully. "Grasshopper, let's blow them up!"

The next few hours were, thankfully, not too terribly bad for Link. Most of it was spent preparing the balloons and then popping them with arrows. Link, naturally, never missed his mark to Romani's endless delight. The farmgirl, however, was a lot less skilled. It took her at least half a dozen tries to pop each balloon she attempted. It was a good thing that, from Link's perspective at least, this was all make-believe and fantasy, or those cows would be in big trouble.

Tatl didn't say a word through the whole ordeal. In fact, she flew under Link's hat when Romani came out with the balloons and stayed there, fuming silently at her stubborn companion. It wasn't until Cremia, who went into the house unbeknownst to the children, called them in for food that she finally and silently emerged.

Despite his nervousness, Link found himself distracted by the house's interior as he stepped inside. When was the last time he entered a casual little home like this? Not since he entered Termina, that was for sure. He recalled times where he went in and out of houses during his first adventure, and he would sometimes go inside Malon's home when he visited the ranch afterward. It brought an almost nostalgic feeling to the boy as he gazed about.

The home was small but could easily be described as cozy. The bottom floor was all one large room with a staircase leading to the rest of the house. In one corner, some soft chairs resided by an empty and dark fireplace. By the chairs stood a filled bookshelf, its contents lined up neatly. Some of the books' spines had writing on them, but of course to Link it was all gibberish. On the opposite side of the fireplace was the kitchen; the stove, sink, and countertop resting below pots and pans that hung from hooks on the wall. Finally, the last third of the floor was taken by a small dining area. A wooden table sat on a square carpet, three chairs surrounding it. On the table was a plate with half a dozen sandwiches of various kinds. "Take a seat and take whichever catches your eye." Cremia said, going over to one of the chairs herself. "I see you two were pretty busy with target practice."

Taking a seat as well, Romani nodded as she reached for a ham and cheese sandwich. "You bet! Grasshopper and I are more than ready to protect the cows tonight!"

Cremia nodded along, clearly not taking the situation seriously. "Well, I'm glad you two had a productive day." She glanced over at Link, who stood near the entryway, looking about the house still. Tatl hovered by him, unable to lift up a sandwich on her own so being forced to wait on the boy. "Aren't you going to join us?"

That had snapped Link out of his little trance. "Right. Sorry. Thank you." He droned, taking the last empty seat. He got a sandwich with ham and lettuce, grabbing a second of the same kind for Tatl and placed it on the table.

"Finally, some real food!" The fairy declared, taking miniscule bites from the meal as she sat legs crossed on the table.

What followed was an unfortunate, almost pathetic display at how Link treated social situations in Termina. This was the first time he was trapped, for lack of a better word, to casually chat with people that weren't Tatl. Cremia and Romani would try and ask Link about himself over the next fifteen minutes, his answers were horribly unhelpful. Even near the end, he kept giving one or two word answers.

"Where are you from? Clock Town?"

"No."

"How did you learn to shoot a bow so well?"

"I practiced."

"Are your parents around? Where are they?"

To that, Link simply refused to answer. Tatl, meanwhile, inwardly winced at how awkward the atmosphere was getting. The two girls were clearly feeling it too, while Link did everything he could not to look at the duo as he slowly ate. "Hey…maybe it's best we go." The fairy said, taking to the air. "We have a schedule to keep, right Link?"

Taking the chance to leave, Link stood up. "That's right. We need to go. Thank you for the food." Without waiting for a response, he went out the front door and towards Epona, who looked over to the boy as he exited the house. Tatl followed behind, flying under his hat.

As Link mounted the horse, Romani ran out of the house. "Wait, Grasshopper!" The boy looked down at her, prepared to take off at a moment's notice. "You'll come back tonight, right? To stop Them?"

Of course. She had come to see if he would still be of use to her. No. No, he knew that was jaded and cynical. Yet…that's just how things felt at times. "I will." He lied, urging Epona forward as the Not-Malon stared after him.

"You mind telling me what the heck that was?!" Tatl scolded, flying out of Link's hat as Epona slowly walked through Milk Road. "I know you know how to socialize; you can't have made it this far in life being that socially inept!"

"Tatl…" Link started, letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry." He gazed at the fairy with a look of genuine regret, his mask chipping away just a bit. The boy had felt so constricted and trapped in that room, his desire to keep everyone in Termina at arm's length had been directly challenged. "I can't just…open up to people like that. People that won't remember. It just makes me feel…sick to my stomach."

"Why didn't you say something like that earlier?" The fairy asked. Not once had Link ever worded it quite like that. He had mentioned not wanting to make friends with the people of Termina, he never said it was difficult to open up to them at all. She realized Link wanted to keep her at arm's length in paranoia that she'd up and abandon him one day, but she couldn't work out why just shooting the breeze with anyone else was so hard for him. "Is it really that upsetting to you?"

At first, Link only silently nodded. Then, he turned away from the fairy and looked forward. "I'm sorry, Tatl. I should have made it clearer. I guess I just thought you understood."

It took Tatl a moment to realize that Link was actually opening up to her a bit. Maybe the Navi situation wasn't a one-time thing after all! "Look…I probably shouldn't have scolded you so harshly earlier. I won't ever try and make you do something like that again, okay? But you understand what I was trying to do, right? I was trying to help you just…socialize a bit. It really can help, at least I think so."

Link wasn't telling the entire truth. Yes, he wanted to keep all those in Termina at arm's length from him, but he also probably could have dealt with things better if it was literally anyone else in that room trying to get to know him. If he really, truly had to, he could speak with Anju correctly, for instance. "I understand. Thank you, Tatl."

"Well, as long as we're clear then." The fairy paused for a moment. "Are we really going back tonight?"

Shaking his head, Link urged Epona to go a bit faster. "No." And that was that.

The trip to the Great Bay that Cycle went a lot better than last time. At least, Link was able to face Lulu and not have a minor breakdown. If anything, the second time around dealing with her was far easier than Romani and Cremia. Lulu's mute nature meant he didn't have to hear Ruto's voice coming out of an imposter. Unfortunately, Link didn't even manage to make it to the Temple, even by the third day. Not even close.

As it turned out, Termina had its own band of Gerudos, this group being sea-dwelling pirates with their own fortified abode. The problem was it was far better guarded than the base in Hyrule, making it far more difficult for Link to get through unnoticed. Time and time again, he broke into the fortress and would only make a bit more progress before being found and tossed out. The boy refused to fight back when the normal guards confronted him. Even with the time resets, he wouldn't risk killing another human being by accident.

Not again.

As the sun rose high on the third day, Link sat on the beach outside the fisherman's hut as he gazed at the ocean. "So, are we giving up for this Cycle?" Tatl asked, perched on Link's shoulder. The boy had been sitting there for a few hours by that point, and in complete silence too.

Link nodded. "There's just not enough time to make good progress." That, and there had been something itching at the back of his head ever since the second day began. He kept thinking of Romani and the cows. Neither he nor Tatl believed in the strange invaders the girl had described but…what if she had been telling the truth? "We're going back to the ranch." He stood up, dusting the sand off of him as he did so.

"What? Really?" Tatl thought that'd be the last place Link would go to this Cycle. "Why?"

"I just have to make sure…"

Soon, Link and Tatl, who stayed under the boy's hat, rode into the ranch. At first, things seemed peaceful enough as Epona slowed to a pleasant gallop. The fairy came out into the open and looked around. Her higher vantage point was what let her see something unnerving. "The roof…"

"What?"

"The roof! Of the barn! Go over and look!" Tatl cried out, flying towards the building as fast as she could, Link and Epona following after her.

It was when the boy got close to the barn that his blood ran cold. The roof was…gone. Just gone. Not thinking, he dismounted Epona and ran to the barn's door, flinging it open. It was empty. No cows in sight. The only living being in the barn was a lone Cucco milling about and clucking quietly. "They were real…" Link whispered.

"I can't believe it; she was telling the truth." Tatl murmured. The disturbing part was, there was no sign of a struggle. At least, there was no evidence that any of the cows had been injured in a theft with enough violence to destroy the roof. "What happened? What could do this?"

Link backed out of the barn, and only then did he see something out of the corner of his eye. Something orange. He whipped his head to see Romani sitting on a small wooden crate where, just two days ago, that orange balloon had been hanging. She held her head in her hands and was shaking it violently, making a whimpering noise as she did so.

Without hesitation, his earlier anxieties overwritten by worry, Link ran over to Romani, Tatl flying close behind. "Romani? Romani, are you okay?" He asked, concern present in his usually flat voice.

The farmgirl stopped whimpering as she lowered her hands and raised her head to look the boy in the eyes. He flinched as he saw how dull and lifeless they were. She looked right through Link, as if he wasn't truly there at all. "Grass…" She murmured, her face scrunching in slight confusion before settling into a blank look that reminded Link of his own appearance. "No…Link? Grasshopper…?" There was a pause, Link not sure of what to do or what to say. "Do you want…to practice…?" Another moment of silence. "Practice for what…? Romani can't…remember…"

Looking on in horror, Link took a step back from the girl. "What happened to her…?" Tatl muttered, equally as disturbed as her companion.

At first, Link couldn't answer. He kept staring at the broken shell of a girl before him. That blank face, those darkened and lifeless blue eyes…it reminded Link so much of himself that he started to feel ill. How did she get like this? Was it Them? Did They do this?

"Romani, please…It's Grasshopper…" Link desperately said, falling to his knees and gazing into the girl's broken eyes. "Don't you remember?" All he got in return was an empty stare back. Then, the guilt set in. He hadn't been there when he was needed. He lied right to her face; said he would be back on the first night to protect the cows. Link imagined the farmgirl waiting for him as vague shapes destroyed the roof and stole the cows away and then did…something to her.

He had failed. Yet again someone had depended on him and he did nothing to help. Just like in that decayed timeline. One by one the Sages ventured into the Temples and died, Link too slow and too weak to save them from the horrors within. Only their spirits had remained in that alternate history, awakened as Sages that could no longer properly walk the earth with the living.

He let Malon get hurt and become…broken. Thanks to Link, she was both dulled to the world, yet clearly in pain. Link watched in horror as Malon gripped her head and made a sound like a muffled sob. How could Link let her get hurt? How could he let something like this happen after all she had done for him? He wanted to protect Malon, because he cared for her. He needed to be there because he loved-

No.

No, no, no. Not Malon.

Romani.

This wasn't Malon. She never would be Malon. She was a lookalike. A fake.

It was at this point that Link realized Tatl was trying to talk to him. "…ink? Link? Hey! Link!" Her voice rang out. "Are you okay?"

Link looked up at the fairy, his heart hammering hard against his ribs with an expression of distraught and fear breaking through his mask. "I let her down…" Was all he was able to say.

Before Tatl could reply, an older voice called out. "Link? Is that you?"

The boy flinched again and looked towards the source of the voice. It was Cremia, exiting the house. He instantly noticed her eyes were red and puffy. Dark circles scarred her face below her eyes and her hair was unkempt and unwashed. At first, he couldn't speak, only stare on at Malon- at Cremia, as she took slow steps toward him. "I…I failed her." Was all he was able to say.

To Link's surprise, Cremia didn't look mad at him. He expected, felt he deserved, her full wrath. Yet she simply looked between the boy and the broken thing that used to be her sister. "You didn't fail. I don't blame you for not believing Romani's story." Her voice was shaky, devoid of emotion. It was clear she was trying her best not to cry, to keep her own mask from shattering. "I'm her older sister…I should have…" Her voice cracked and she closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. "I should have believed in her, protected her. Not you. Not anyone else."

Link couldn't respond to those statements. He knew it was all his fault, and Cremia should be yelling at him, beating him, for not saving her little sister. Tatl watched on in silence as Link tried to gather some of his wits again. "What happened to her? What did this?"

Cremia shook her head, looking between Romani and the barn. "I don't know. I didn't see. Romani…was missing all morning yesterday, I just couldn't find her. Then, during the afternoon, she just…appeared like…like this. She barely recognizes me…barely seems aware of anything at all." The older girl once more closed her eyes and breathed deeply. When she opened her eyes, her gaze fell upon the Moon, less than a day away from destroying everything. "Maybe it was for the best, in a way." She said in a small voice, Link barely able to hear her.

"I'm so sorry…" Link murmured, not knowing what else he could say.

Ignoring Link, Cremia went over and gently grabbed hold of Romani's hand. "Come on, Romani, let's go inside. We can sit by the fireplace, like we always do."

"Fire…place…" Romani murmured as she allowed Cremia to lead her back into the house, moving without purpose. "Cremia…"

The door to the house closed, and all Link and Tatl could do was stare on in stunned silence. Several minutes passed, and the fairy finally turned her attention to Link. He looked…lost. Like he didn't know what to do with himself. She had noticed how emotional he had gotten since seeing Romani, and it was strange to see. Tatl had only seen Link show such strong emotion when he told her about Navi, seeing his façade break again so soon was…worrying to say the least. The fairy felt she understood entirely what the problem was. Link had seen a lot of bad things happen to people around here, such as a fiancé crying in the rain as she sat alone and not knowing what to do, saw an innocent monkey being tortured, and a number of Gorons near-death from an eternal winter. Yet…none of those things were his fault. Romani had depended on Link specifically to aid her and he unknowingly allowed…something to break her mind.

"We just need to go back. We can fix this." Tatl said, floating gently before Link's gaze. "Go on, play the song."

It took Link a few moments to process what Tatl had said, and he gave her a nod. Her initial hunch was correct, but there was more to it than that. Although Romani and Cremia's appearances initially, and still did, unnerve him…seeing them in such states was infinitely worse. All he could think about was Malon with a broken mind or looking so disheveled and defeated. "You're right…" He said, standing up and putting his mask back on. "You're right."

Soon, beautiful notes filled the empty ranch, and the flow of time reversed…

Things went similarly as the last Cycle, with Link managing to keep his emotions in check, feeling immense relief when he saw Romani as her usual self. The two introduced themselves to each other, Romani told Cremia about the visitors, Link denied lunch with the story he had to leave around then, and Romani once more relayed her story and request to the boy, which he accepted legitimately. "When should I be back?" He asked as he climbed onto Epona.

Romani pondered for a moment. "Midnight should be good! Romani is so happy you believe in Them, Grasshopper! Cremia refuses to accept the truth!"

Remembering the broken state of the sisters, Link had to hold back a shudder, Link nodded. "I'll be here. I promise." Letting Tatl settle in under his hat, Link set Epona off, galloping towards Clock Town.

To Tatl's dismay, Link told her he simply couldn't handle having lunch with the two ladies again, opting to spend the right of the day at the Stock Pot Inn instead. "I still don't know how you can stomach that." Tatl commented as Link ate his lunch, sitting on his bed within the Knife Chamber.

"If you try it again, you might like it." Link commented. He seemed to be the only person within the inn's walls that could tolerate Anju's cooking. She was always delighted when she saw his empty plate and, despite himself, it felt good to make her day in such a small way.

"Not gonna happen." The fairy said with a light shudder as Link took the final bite of his meal.

The rest of the day was spent resting in preparation for the invasion later on that night. Paranoid, Link went a bit earlier than Romani had told him too, he and Tatl arriving at the ranch thirty minutes early. He decided to leave Epona on Milk Road, not knowing what he was dealing with and if she'd be safe.

In silence, the Hylian and his fairy friend sat outside the ranch's house, awaiting Romani. The boy's quiver was stuffed with as many arrows as he could fit. He was as ready as he could possibly be. The ranch hadn't been exactly noisy during the day, but there was a strange, suffocating silence permeating throughout the property that night. There wasn't even the sound of crickets chirping as time seemed to crawl on by.

Finally, at about two, the door to the house slowly and silently opened up. Out came Romani, bow and a bundle of arrows in her arms. "You made it, Grasshopper." Romani said, keeping her voice at a whisper. "Sorry for being late, Romani accidentally fell asleep."

"You almost missed something this important?" Tatl asked, voice heavy and accusatory.

"Romani couldn't help it!" The rancher girl argued, wincing at her own raised voice. She strained her ear, listening for signs of Cremia being awake. Silence. With a small sigh of relief, Romani approached Link. "Romani will be in the barn; you'll stay out here as the first line of defense. Okay, Grasshopper?"

Link still found it hard to look at Romani directly. At the moment, he suddenly found the grass very interesting. "I got it. I'll protect the cows."

The lack of eye contact didn't seem to bother the girl, who gave an enthusiastic nod. "Good! They should be arriving soon, so be ready!" She ordered, forgetting to keep her voice down. With that, Romani went into the barn, closing the door behind her.

"So, what do you think They are?" Tatl asked, looking about. "Things from a glowing ball, apparently, but how do They destroy the roof?"

"It's not important." Link said, scanning the ranch as well. It was so still and so peaceful that, even with what happened to Romani in the last Cycle, he had troubles believing an attack was coming. "I'll protect the ranch. That's all that matters."

As the minutes ticked by, the tension built. Nearly thirty minutes passed and there wasn't any sign of danger at all. Maybe something had gone wrong somehow? Maybe with Link and Tatl's presence here, They wouldn't attack the ranch. Still, Link had his bow out with an arrow at the ready.

It was Tatl that noticed the light first. An eerie, orange ball appeared many miles above the ranch. In but a few moments, it was floating mere meters above the grass, causing both Link and Tatl to cry out in alarm. "It's Them! It's here! They really come in a ball!" The fairy spouted out, panicking too much to form helpful sentences. The orb let out a strange whining noise as it beamed about the ranch, moving at impossible speeds. As it went about, more lights appeared on the ground itself, and They finally made Their appearance to the duo.

They were beings unlike Link had ever seen before. Stranger still that They simply seemed to pop out of the ground, yet the earth beneath Them remained unscarred. The creatures let off some sort of glow both from Their main bodies and from Their eyes. The cones of light emanating from the invaders were hauntingly beautiful, Link almost feeling as though he could stare at them until the Moon fell.

The rest of Their bodies were just as unusual. Strange, spade-shaped heads rested on purple and black bodies, giving way to bent, scrawny arms with orange, hooked appendages. The most bizarre aspect was that They had no legs or feet of any kind. Yet the invaders hovered along, kept aloft by some unknown force.

Link had to work to regain his senses. These…things were revolting, unnatural entities that seemed to crawl out of a madman's nightmares. Simply looking at Them made Link feel as if his sanity was slipping away. He managed to finally get a grip when he remembered that They were mortal, Romani had told him as such. The boy readied his bow as They slowly floated towards the barn, not even acknowledging Link's existence, which proved to be a terrible mistake on Their part.

Hours passed, and Link had no idea how much longer he could keep things up. They just kept appearing, manifesting in odd lights as if by magic. Each one of Them could be killed by a single arrow, disturbingly reducing each creature into ash. It was just that there seemed to be literally unlimited invaders, and Link would have been doomed if he hadn't recycled the arrows he used, hastily running about and picking them off the ground. Tatl flew around the ranch, alerting Link if one of Them got too close to the barn. She too, was feeling the exhaustion.

Easily the most perplexing part of the assault was that They simply ignored Link. No matter how many he killed, They just made a beeline straight for the barn. Not once did any of Them attempt to harm the boy, nor did They even glance at him. They simply floated towards their main target and ignored all other things. The weird glowing ball would move about, depositing more troops. Link actually tried firing his bow at it, and he believed he managed to hit it once…yet his projectile seemed to simply vanish within it.

Link fought the invaders for a solid three hours as the sun started to rise. As soon as the golden rays caressed the ranch with their presence, all of the remaining invaders suddenly evaporated, to Link's amazement and relief. The orange ball then flew away, high into the sky until it was too small to be seen by the naked eye.

Legs feeling weak and panting heavily, Link approached the barn as Tatl rested on his shoulder. Just as they got to the door, it swung open and Romani greeted them with a beaming grin. "You did it, Grasshopper!"

"Why didn't you tell us it would be such a long attack?" Tatl asked, annoyed. "You should have told us the sun will kill off all the rest, too!"

"Romani forgot to say!" The girl exclaimed, though not seeming particularly sorry. "It's all over now though, right?"

"Right. It's fine, don't worry about it." Link said before Tatl could make some kind of snippy remark.

"Good! Romani has to get back in bed before Cremia wakes up. You and Ms. Fairy can sleep in the barn if you want to." The girl then let out a light gasp, seeming to have just thought of something. "Wait, Romani should give you a reward!" Going back into the barn, she soon came back with a bottle of milk, handing it to the boy. "Here's Romani's thanks. When you drink it, put your hand on your hip and take a big gulp like we do here at the ranch!"

To Tatl's surprise and slight awe, Link did just that. Without a word, he removed the bottle's cork, placed a hand on his hip, and downed half the bottle in just a few seconds. It was easily the absolute silliest thing she had seen the boy do, as he hadn't actually danced using Kamaro's Mask yet. "H-Hey!" The fairy exclaimed, finding her words. "Save some for me too, I helped!"

Nodding, Link recorked the bottle. He had noticed the milk tasted exactly like the kind from Lon Lon Ranch. Just another parallel, it seemed. "Thank you, Romani."

Letting out a small laugh, the girl beamed at him. "You're welcome, Grasshopper. You can keep the bottle too, if you want, Cremia won't mind!" She made her way past the boy and fairy but stopped and turned around. "Thanks again, hero." Romani said with sincerity. She made a slight move, as if she wanted to do or say something, but apparently had second thoughts as she turned back around and finally went into the house.

Hero, huh? Oh, if only she knew what had happened just in the last Cycle. Link and Tatl entered the barn, closing the door to shut the outside world away. The cows that the two worked so hard to protect looked over at the visitors, one giving off a soft moo of apparent greeting. Sitting on the floor, Link took out Tatl's cup. It was something he somewhat crafted, taking a thimble and covering the holes with molding clay. Then, using the tiniest funnel he could find, he was able to pour drinks into it without much spillage. Carefully, Link managed to get some milk into it without spilling too much, giving Tatl her drink. "I'm not a hero." He murmured aloud, taking off his gear and leaning against the wall.

Quickly gulping down the delicious white beverage, Tatl looked over at Link. "We saved the cows, didn't we? That's pretty heroic."

"Does it erase what happened last time?" Link asked, gazing at the animals he helped to save. "What about when we go stop going West and don't need Epona? What about Break Cycles? We can't save Romani every time."

"I don't know if it really erases our mistake, but I like to think so." Tatl went on, flying onto Link's shoulder. "We can't save everyone in every Cycle, so it's a moot point to worry about Romani above all the others that need us."

But why? Why couldn't he save everyone? Just once Link wanted to be a true hero. He had failed in Hyrule, he so desperately didn't want to fail here. Somehow…he had to find a way to help everyone. The Dekus, the Gorons, the Zoras…whoever it was that lied to the East. For now, though, he needed rest. Closing Tatl out and ignoring her words, Link shut his eyes and fell asleep. With a sigh, the fairy soon followed suit.

Link's head was filled with nightmares, just like nearly any other time he went to sleep. He was back in Hyrule, at Lon Lon Ranch. They were there, Their glowing eyes deadest on the barn, where Link just knew Malon was waiting. He reached for his bow, only to find it missing. Looking about, he "Grasshopper." found nothing to aid him. No bow, no arrows, no weapon of any kind to use against the invading forces. Slowly, silently, the "Grasshopper?" invaders got closer and closer to the barn, Link charging towards Them in a desperate attempt to do…something to stop Them from getting to Malon. Yet, Link found that his "Grasshopper, wake up…" body was moving slowly, sluggishly, and there was no way he could reach the barn before They got there and "Grasshopper! Hey!"

Letting out a gasp, Link's eyes flew open as he awoke. Malon was kneeling there before him, looking concerned. "Mmm…What…" Link murmured, still mostly asleep.

"Are you alright? You seemed like you were having a nightmare." Malon asked, worry etched on her face.

It took Link a moment to realize what she had said, and he gave her a nod. "Sorry, Malon, just a nightmare…" He mumbled groggily.

"Malon? Wow, you really must be tired, huh? It's Romani, you silly boy!" The girl corrected, letting out a small laugh.

That instantly woke Link up, the boy feeling his blood run cold. He quickly glanced over to his shoulder, seeing that Tatl was still asleep, and looked back to Romani. "Sorry…I…I was just not awake yet." He could only be thankful his fairy friend hadn't heard any of that.

"That's fine! Romani just wanted to check on you." The girl didn't seem tired at all, despite how late she stayed up.

"What time is it?" Link asked, trying to keep himself calm. He knew Romani wouldn't remember what he had just said, but he still felt mortified for letting something like that just slip out.

"Half past eight. Come on, let's go out and play something!" Romani urged, standing up straight.

So, he only got about three hours of sleep. That seemed about right. "We can't. We have to go. Tatl, come on, wake up." The boy said, almost sounding urgent as he gently poked at his companion.

"Huh? Whuzzit?" The fairy blurted out, quickly stirred awake. "What's going on?"

"Wait, you guys are leaving already?" Romani asked with a frown. "Can't you two stay a little longer?"

"We're going?" Tatl asked, stretching a bit and rubbing her miniscule eyes. "What's the rush? We just woke up!"

Link stood up, the sudden jolt forcing Tatl off of his shoulder and making her take to the air. Gathering his things, he looked over at Romani, who simply stared at him, seeming hurt. "Sorry, Romani. We're in a hurry."

The fairy chose not to argue, knowing it'd be fruitless. Besides, maybe Link really did want to get to the Great Bay or something as soon as he could. Though, she had a feeling something was amiss with him. "Yeah. A hurry." She added in, a bit flatly.

"Aww…" Romani whined with a slight pout. "Well…you'll come back and visit, won't you Grasshopper?"

All his gear in order, Link paused, then nodded. "I will. I promise." That got a smile from Romani, but Link went out of the barn before she could say anything further. Not looking back, he made his way to Milk Road, to Epona.

"We really got to go so soon? What's the rush?" Tatl asked, quickly catching up to her partner. "Can't we at least see if they offer us breakfast?"

Link shook his head. "Got to make more progress in the Great Bay area. It's going to take some time getting through the Gerudo's Fortress."

Well, Tatl couldn't argue with that. She still couldn't shake the feeling there was something more, but she knew he'd never confess to what it was, so she just let it go. "Fair enough. Maybe the Gerudos have some food we can swipe…"

Sadly, the Great Bay Temple still didn't get reached by the Cycle's end, and time had to be reversed once more. To Tatl's surprise, Link actually accepted Cremia's invitation to lunch this time. Until then, he and Romani practiced a bit in preparation for Them, Link having promised once more to stop the invaders. As they shot down the balloons, Link pointed to the far reaches of the ranch. "Romani, what are those?" He asked, looking back and forth at the wooden structures hiding extra parts of the property from view.

"Oh, those places? Can't you read the signs, Grasshopper?" Romani asked teasingly.

Link shook his head, giving the ranch girl a blank stare. "No." He lamented on how hard it was to actually look at Romani, but a part of him wanted to try and get used to it.

Romani had a surprised expression for a moment, then shook it off. "Well, there's the Doggy Racetrack where you can bet on dog races. They're all really cute! Then Grog has the Cucco Shack, but it isn't doing too well…"

The boy made note of that, planning on checking in on this Grog person later on. There was always the chance Link could help out and get some useful reward, after all. Not long after, the children and Tatl were called in for lunch, the same lunch as last time. This go around, Link was determined not to make such a fool of himself.

As the four dug into their lunch, Cremia looked to her Hylian guest. "So, are you from Clock Town, Link?"

Taking a bite from his sandwich, the boy shook his head. "No. Not from Termina. Just here for…" He paused. "…for three days."

"Only three days?" Romani asked with a slight pout. "Romani wants you to stay longer, Grasshopper! When we get rid of Them tonight, we'll need to prepare for next year!"

"Come on, Romani, Link can't help how long he stays." Cremia lightly chided. "Why are you here, then?"

Searching for an answer, Link paused again. "I was told to get something that was stolen and bring it back. It's…complicated." He took another bite.

"Did someone steal your horse then?" Romani asked, interested in Link's story. It seemed even what little he told was enough to rouse curiosity given her usually simple life.

"No. Well…yes." Link murmured, looking down at the table. This all felt so weird, talking to these two. Making small talk. Like everything was normal. Like he was normal. Being with Romani was difficult, but her and Cremia together made Link feel as though he was trapped in a room with some kind of monster with his sword and shield spirited away. How pathetic. Two friendly ranchers made him feel so endangered, just because of how they looked.

"What he means is…" Tatl interrupted, making progress on her own sandwich. "…Epona got stolen, but that was different than what we have to find." The fairy had opted to stay silent as much as she could, wanting to observe Link trying lunch with these two again, especially with what happened last time…

"That's some pretty bad luck." Cremia said, shaking her head. "It wasn't the Gorman brothers, was it? You know those two?"

Link mirrored Cremia's action, shaking his head in response. "I know it wasn't them." He downed the last bite of his food. "Cremia, there's something I want to ask you about." The boy stared right into the older woman's eyes as he said this.

"What's that, hon? Want to buy some milk?" The older woman asked, looking into the boy's dull eyes. She tried to hide it, but Link could tell his gaze unnerved her.

"No. What do you know about Kafei?" Link asked, knowing he would have to get this over with sooner or later. Might as well be sooner. "The Mayor's wife asked me to find him."

The room's atmosphere changed in an instant. Cremia and Romani's passive smiles dropped, and it felt as though a weight pressed down on Link's body. He had heard people talk about how Kafei might have run off with Cremia at the ranch. While Link had the basics of what marriage was, he didn't know the concepts of cheating or 'running off' with some other girl and what those sorts of things entailed. The change in mood threw him off, even Romani seeming soured by things, and he couldn't quite grasp why. "Oh boy…" Tatl murmured, quietly enough so only Link could hear.

There was silence for another few seconds, Romani seeming as though she dare not speak first. Thankfully, Cremia broke the silence. "Whatever those folks over in town are saying…it's all lies, you hear me?" The older woman said, not sounding angry with Link exactly, but more exasperated and frustrated in general.

Still not quite getting why Cremia was so upset, Link pressed on. "So, have you heard from him? Seen him? Do you know him?" It was a bit upsetting and disorienting for him to see an older Malon act like this, even if she wasn't directing her anger quite at him.

Cremia shook her head. "Haven't seen him or heard from him at all since he vanished. He, Anju and I were close friends as kids. I'll reiterate, and you better tell folks if they ask, but I have nothing to do with his disappearance, you understand me?"

Link quickly gave a nod. "Right. Of course. I'm sorry." He still wasn't really sure what he was apologizing for and what was really going on, but it seemed Cremia wasn't going to be of any help.

"Good. Now eat your lunch." The ranch owner commanded, grabbing another sandwich. The rest of the meal was spent in silence. It seemed Link messed up again.

Several Cycles passed, and eventually Link was able to clear through the Great Bay Temple. It was actually during the Break Cycle of sorts right after the Temple was cleared that he went to visit the ranch. It was 'of sorts' because if he wanted to stay, it meant he would have to ward Them off, but other than that, he simply relaxed and occasionally socialized.

"Why are you hanging around here anyway?" Tatl asked between Link's initial arrival and lunch. Was he actually getting close to the rancher girls? She recalled he said he couldn't make friends with people that wouldn't remember him. Seemed he had a change of heart where these two were involved.

"For Epona. I miss her." Link lied as he ran a hand over the horse's face, Romani off a ways shooting down some balloons.

Tatl scoffed. "You really expect me to buy that? You don't need to stay here to hang out with your horse. Admit it, you want to just be with the girls, huh? You like them, don't you?"

Link looked over to Tatl. "Of course, I like them. They're nice to me."

To that, Tatl tittered lightly. "Oh, you know what I mean. You like them!" She had noticed how hard it was for him to really look at them in the face, and how tense he seemed. The fairy mistook his surreal experiences and feelings for shyness.

Link bristled at those words. "Stop talking." The boy ordered, gave Tatl an icy look.

Normally the fairy wouldn't be bothered by this, but this was the closest Link had gotten to yelling at her since they met up. She knew she crossed some sort of line. "Right, right. Whatever." She responded, acting more casual than she felt, watching as Link turned back and gave Epona a hug around the neck.

Later during that Cycle, Link found out that Cremia needed help with her milk delivery on the second night and got Romani's Mask as a reward. It was during the ride over that Link found out that the girls' parents had died, a subject he never even considered. The Cycle after, he and Tatl made their way East and realized they would need Epona there as well to hop even more fences. It was at this point that Link would try everything in his power to not allow Romani to bring up Them or Their invasion, opting to try and leave before she could. Sometimes he would, feeling like absolute scum, tell her he didn't believe her story which always greatly upset her.

During another Break Cycle, Link and Tatl went to stay at the ranch rather than the Stock Pot Inn once more. This of course meant they would have to drive Them away along with the Gorman Brothers. It was the second time this happened that things took a turn for the worse for Link's mentality.

The brothers had been dealt with, suffering only minor wounds from Link's defense and the milk arrived at Clock Town's gate to the East without a drop spilled. "Mr. Barten will be glad to get a delivery after so long." Cremia said with a relieved smile as the two got out of the carriage. "Thanks a lot, Link."

"It was nothing, really." It truly wasn't. The Gorman brothers were a cowardly duo. One had barely gotten scratched on the shoulder before the two of them backed off and chased after the delivery from a distance. After that, he just kept firing arrows into the ground in front of their horses, and they kept far away. Even Romani with her rusty skills could have done it.

"My, aren't we humble?" Cremia said. "Still, I think you earned a reward. It may not like seem important, but I think you've earned the right to adulthood tonight."

Link visibly bristled at that. "I…I have the mask already. Romani's Mask." A part of him forgot, or perhaps forced himself to forget, he had already acquired the object. He despised the thing and the unintentional way Cremia mocked him by granting it to him. Of course, Link couldn't stay mad at her for that, he knew it wasn't fair.

Tatl, floating above the two, bristled as well at the mention of the mask. "Oh geez…" She murmured, too quietly to be heard.

"Oh? Really? I guess that's not really that surprising." The older woman said. "Still…I have to give you something, don't I?" She thought for a few moments, gazing into the boy's face as he looked back at her with a blank expression. "Come here." She gently ordered.

"Hm?" Not sure what was in store, wondering if perhaps she had some Rupees stored away, Link approached the ranch owner. To his surprise, as he went up to her, she placed his hands on his shoulders. Before the boy could ask what she was doing, she pulled him in close, his head resting against her bosom as the older woman wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.

"I know this isn't much, but I'm afraid it's all I can afford at the moment." Cremia apologized.

Link faltered for a moment, his mind taking a few seconds to register what was going on. He's had people put a hand on his shoulder, pat his head, and Tatl had tried to provide physical comfort a few times for him. Yet months had passed since the boy received a proper hug. He had never been offered one since coming to this world, and he wouldn't have accepted one anyway. Not that he hated hugs, in fact he was rather touch-starved, but to avoid forming any bond with the people of Termina. Now he was caught off guard, and unsure of what to do. The hug felt nice, of course, it made Link feel warm and fuzzy inside. On top of that, however, a tidal wave of other feelings arose in him, some of them ones he was unable to pin down. What he did know, however, was it felt awful for a fake, older Malon to be doing this. It just didn't feel right, and he hated how he also enjoyed it. Without even thinking, he slowly and shakily rose his arms and snaked them around Cremia, returning the hug.

At this point, the mask Link tried desperately to keep intact was cracking at an alarming rate. He could feel the panic coursing through him, but he didn't have the willpower to speak up or to let Cremia go. He loved and despised what was happening and had no idea what the right course of action was. Unable to move, Link could only stand there as his mask fell apart. For the first time, he was forced to let someone other than Tatl see his protection break. At first it was silent, tears forcing their way out and onto Cremia's clothes. Then, the shaking started, which immediately got noticed by the ranch owner.

"Hm? Link?" The woman asked, looking down at the boy as his smaller frame started to quake. It was to her surprise when he let out a choked, audible sob. "Link?" She asked again, louder. "What's wrong?" Cremia got no answer, instead Link started to cry out, gripping tightly onto her as he simply let go. Not knowing what to do, the redhead looked to Tatl, still floating above the pair. "What's going on? Did I do something wrong?"

The fairy offered no answer, just as confused as Cremia was and leaving the poor woman to her own devices. There wasn't much the rancher could do, as Link had a strong hold on her, and she didn't want to risk hurting him by prying him off. All she could really do was try and soothe the boy as best as she was able. The minutes crawled by and Cremia held Link closed and tried to whisper comforting nonsense to him, as she did with Romani when she was young. It didn't seem to do much good, however, as he eventually cried so loud that her words were drowned out. Tatl simply hovered and watched.

Link, meanwhile, felt absolutely humiliated at what was going on. All it took was a hug for him to fall so low and let not one, but two people see his mask just fall apart. He had managed to hold out so long the first time, now it was already broken again! How could he be so pathetic? What kind of disgusting excuse for a hero allowed something so small to have such a large impact? He truly was no hero, and never was. A part of him wanted to yell at Cremia to release him, but the other part demanded he hold onto her. He simply cried, unable to speak a word, sometimes going so hard that he broke into a cough which just embarrassed him further.

Eventually, it was Link that finally stopped the embrace. He let Cremia go and backed out of her hold. Stumbling back, he lowered his head, trying to hide his face from the world around him as he wiped away his remaining tears. The crying had stopped, but he was still rather shaky and even almost tripped over nothing as he backed off. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" He nearly whimpered, still not looking upwards. "I'm so sorry…"

Ignoring the tear stains on her clothes, Cremia looked on with worry at the boy. "Link, you don't need to be sorry. Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?" She hesitantly took a step forward, just wanting to help.

That got Link to look up, giving Cremia an almost fearful look. "Get away…Just stay away from me!" He almost reached for his sword but stopped himself.

Feeling it best to do what Link wanted, the ranch owner stopped in place. "I'm sorry that I made you upset. I was really only trying to do something nice. Are you going to be okay?"

Without giving Cremia and kind of response, Link turned and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him, with Tatl following close behind. He ignored the woman shouting after him, not even checking to see if she was in pursuit. At the moment, he felt both a deep hatred and a strange feeling, almost a sort of love, towards Cremia. It wasn't fair, but he couldn't stop himself. She broke his mask twice, yet both times she had only been trying to help.

Practically running to the other side of the outskirts of Clock Town, Link stopped and sat against the wall, not hearing Cremia calling or pursuing him. He stayed there, chest heaving, and eyes closed as he tried to compose himself. Tatl floated before the boy, hesitant on actually talking. Still, she felt she had to at least try. "Link…What was that? Are you alright?"

"Stop asking me that. Please stop asking me that." He begged, eyes screwing shut even tighter. Shaking his head, he curled his hands into fists. "No more tonight. No more talking. Please no more talking."

"If that's what you want." Not knowing what else to do, Tatl granted Link's request. She landed on his shoulder and the two simply sat there all night in silence. As the sun rose in the sky, so did magical notes that would turn back time once again…

The next three Cycles were spent almost entirely within the Knife Chamber, Link not setting foot outside of Clock Town for even a moment. He was almost completely silent during this time, only speaking to Anju to tell her about his reservation and to thank her when she brought him a meal. Tatl tried in vain to get something out of him, but he wouldn't acknowledge her at all. He would simply sit there in bed and stare off at the wall or at the ceiling, deep in thought.

Of course, the main thing Link thought about was the ranch, specifically the two girls there. The two Not-Malons that haunted him. Two unassuming, innocent ranchers that had zero idea what kind of effects they had on the Hylian's mind. How he despised them. How he liked, maybe even loved, them. How he wanted to avoid them at all cost. How he yearned for their presence. What should he do? What could he do? It's not as if he could just not go to the ranch, for multiple reasons. Two compass directions required Epona to venture into, and he'd have to go back to rescuing Romani from Them at some point. In fact, each first night that passed during these three Break Cycles, he felt a heavy guilt weighing down on him, fully aware that someone who looked just like Malon was being tormented by eldritch beings.

A part of Link felt grateful he and Ruto weren't nearly as close as he and Malon were. Not that the two didn't like each other, but with lingering memories of the decaying timeline that all Sages had, the Zora Princess still thought of Link as her future husband. Things got…awkward to say the least when she found out he had no idea what marriage was when he agreed to the proposal in their alternate meeting. It at least allowed Link to deal with Lulu without all this mental anguish. It of course also helped that Lulu was unable to speak for the most part, so he didn't have to hear Ruto's voice on top of things.

By the third Cycle, Tatl had started to wonder if somehow Link hadn't given up for some reason. She knew something happened with that hug but couldn't work out if this could possibly be the result of something so…small. Then again, it was more than clear the kid had something wrong in his brain, things in there didn't work quite right. She was about to get ready to do something drastic, though she didn't know what, when Link spoke out on his own.

"We'll continue going through Ikana next Cycle." He said out of the blue, lying in the Knife Chamber's bed and staring at the ceiling. Progress had been slow through the land to the East. The entire area was just…wrong. Cursed. More than any of the previous three compass directions by far. It made the duo move slower, as if each step was through waist-high water.

The fairy couldn't help but let out a startled noise, flying up from her perch on the windowsill. "Link! You…talked to me!" She blurted out. "Are…you okay? What happened?"

He turned to look at his fairy companion. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get back together. It won't happen again."

Tatl let out a small sigh. He didn't even acknowledge the problem. Of course. Really, she should've guessed. "Right. East it is." And that was that.

As promised, the two ventured to Ikana Canyon in the next Cycle. When Link laid eyes on Malon in the ranch, he felt a sickening mixture of despair and what almost passed for happiness. He practically ordered her to open the cage and was gone from the ranch before the girl even had a chance to grant him his nickname.

While the two never visited Romani's Ranch for breaks and relaxation as much as the Stock Pot Inn, Tatl noticed the visits actually increased since the hug incident, much to her surprise. Though she didn't really understand the hug and why it made Link react the way he did, she would expect he'd avoid the ranch if he could, if anything. Naturally, the fairy knew better than to ask, knowing she'd get shut down instantly.

Link found himself loving and hating spending time with the Not-Malons of the ranch. Every second he was around them was both painful and relaxing as they always so easily saw him as a friend of the ranch. It was like tasting a delicious brew, yet one that was hot enough to burn the tongue. A beautiful melody played so loud it pierced the eardrums. Gazing at a majestic light bring enough to sting the eyes. The boy was practically addicted to spending more time with the two, no matter how it may hurt him inside. He didn't even treat the interactions any differently, rarely asked different questions or undergoing different routines. Link would train for Them and the ensuing invasion, which he would stop. He would then escort Cremia to town and accept a hug, which never again made him cry. The third day was more solemn, especially when Anju and her family arrived, which was always Link's cue to turn back the clock.

And he would always hate having to leave. When he was around those two, he could almost pretend he was with Malon again…

The thing with going to the same locations over and over again while talking to the same people is that patterns were easily picked up. Yet these patterns altered slightly, especially if Link changed things up. Wording a sentence, a bit differently, maybe performing a slightly new action, allowing Tatl to speak instead, and so on, would give slightly unique outcomes. It was hardly anything worth noting, various new but often totally similar reactions from one of the two girls would play out. And, overall, the big picture never changed. As long as Link promised to stop Them, and stuck around, he and Tatl would fight the invaders off. Romani would call Link a hero and then allow him to sleep in the barn. Each and every time, no matter how slightly different things went, those sorts of actions were a constant. Yet there was one time where things went off the rails in a way Link didn't anticipate.

He wasn't aware of what he did differently to cause this change. Maybe it was a look he gave off, or the way he said something, but either way, Romani's tune was a bit different after They got driven off yet again. The exhausted duo made their way to the barn as they always did, only then noticing the door was already opened, a beaming Romani standing in the doorway. "You did it, Grasshopper! You saved the cows!"

"Yeah, we sure did." Tatl said with flat enthusiasm. "We can sleep in your barn, right?" The fairy asked, knowing what the answer would be.

As expected, Romani nodded. "Of course!" She hesitated, then said something she had never once said before as Link and Tatl entered the building. "Grasshopper, can Romani talk to you for a second?" She glanced to Tatl. "Alone?"

That took the duo by surprise. "Okay. Sure." Link said automatically, not really thinking. He looked over to Tatl who, surprisingly, flew out the door without a word, which he shut behind her.

What neither child noticed was Tatl wriggled halfway through the keyhole, dimming her natural light to remain stealthy. The fairy never quite dropped the idea that Link had a crush on Romani, Cremia, or even both of them. A mixture of shyness and an unwell mind being responsible for how awkward he was around them, at least in her eyes. "This should be good…" She whispered to herself.

Link turned back to Romani, who simply stood there and smiled at him. Yet she seemed…nervous as well. Just a bit. After all this time, Link still felt uncomfortable looking at her directly, but forced himself to here. "What do you need?" He couldn't help but be genuinely curious. After so many Cycles, any deviant from the norm was noteworthy.

For a few seconds, Romani simply stared at Link. Then it seemed like she finally actually heard his question. "Romani wanted to thank you for stopping Them and saving the cows. You…looked really cool out there, Grasshopper. Romani watched you and Ms. Fairy fending Them off."

Another surprise. That was the only time, that Link knew of, Romani dared to venture outside the barn to watch the invasion. It certainly explained why the barn door was already opened so early. He couldn't help but wonder what happened during this Cycle to cause such a change. Oh well. No way of knowing, really. "It wasn't a big deal."

"But it was!" Romani persisted, seeming more nervous than before. "You're so good with a bow, Grasshopper, and you and Ms. Fairy fought on for hours! You're a hero!"

There was that word again. How Link despised it. "I'm glad to help." Where was this going? Why did Romani want them alone, just for this?

"Well, Romani wants to reward you, Grasshopper. It'd be almost wrong not to, don't you think?" She kept glancing over to the door, as if expecting something, yet continuously missing that Tatl was there.

Of course, another bottle of milk. It was the reward Romani always gave away. It didn't take long for Link to start discarding the bottles. There was only so many he could carry at once, after all. "If you want to give me a reward, I'll take it."

"Right! Er, right…" The girl verbally stumbled a bit, accidentally half-yelling at first. "Here we go, then…"

To Link's surprise, Romani didn't go to get a bottle of milk. Instead, she approached him slowly, her faced slightly red. The boy found his feet rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do, or what was going on. For a moment, he thought she was going to give him a hug. Okay. That was fine. At least, that's what he told himself. Romani was a bit closer to the Malon he grew to love, but surely wouldn't be too much worse…right? To further shock, Romani didn't hug Link. Instead, she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Romani…?"

"It's just your reward. Okay, hero?" The girl leaned in and it was at that point that Link realized what was going on.

He and Malon sort of dated for a bit before he left for Termina. As much as kids so young could. Mainly it was holding hands and pecks on the cheek with the occasional declaration of love for the other. It wasn't until the day Link left for the Lost Woods that Malon took things further.

"This is for good luck. Okay, Link? Come here…"

And so, the two had their first kiss. Their first real kiss. At the time, Link felt hot in the face and fuzzy in the head, but quickly realized he liked it.

"You can give one to me when you and Epona come back safe and sound, alright?"

The promise was made, and, with a heavy heart, Link climbed onto Epona and left the ranch, and Malon, behind.

Now this fake, this imposter, was trying to do the same thing! For a moment, Link felt frozen, not sure of what he should do. Why was this Not-Malon doing this? Trying to replace the real thing? Trying to taunt and toy with Link's heart and feelings?! Why did these two fakes see fit to torture him so much?! Was it an eternal punishment for the time he lied about stopping Them? A petty, evil revenge?! A whirlwind of maddened thoughts and emotions flew through Link's broken brain in the span of less than second as Romani got closer and closer. The emotions that finally won it out were a boiling anger and a desperate panic.

"Get away from me!"

Before Romani could really react, she felt a harsh hand close around her throat. Link's face was contorted to one of fury as he clasped onto the girl before him. It lasted only a moment, as he shoved the farmgirl away from him, eliciting a cry from the poor child as she tripped over nothing and landed on her rear with a yelp of pain.

Tatl flew into the room instantly, her light flaring up again. "What the heck was that?!" She screamed. Not once had Link ever done something like this. He may have snapped verbally once or twice, but never physically. "Link, what did you do?!"

Letting out a harsh cough, Romani rubbed her throat, looking up at Link with a mixture of anger and fear. "What's wrong with you!?" She demanded, giving off another cough. "I was trying to do something nice for you!"

It was only then that Link realized what he did, his fury evaporating within mere moments and was replaced by a feeling of guilt and dread. He hurt her. He hurt his precious Malon. No. Not Malon. Never Malon. Not here in Termina. "R…Romani. I'm so sorry…I just panicked; I didn't mean to-"

"Get out!" Romani interrupted, tears welling up in her eyes. "You attacked me! Get out now! Never come back!"

The words stung. All Link could think about was Malon saying them to him. "Please, I'm sorry. It was an accident! I-I just…I don't know what happened…" He took a step forward, head in a daze. To his disturbance, Romani quickly got up and took a step back.

"I said get out! I don't want to see you again, Link!" She screamed, clearly panicking herself and not sure how to handle the situation, Link's explanation falling on deaf ears.

Link stood frozen for a moment, neither Romani nor Tatl making any moves either. "I'm sorry…" He murmured before running out of the barn, going as fast as he could out of the ranch as Tatl frantically followed. The boy didn't turn back, not even to see if Romani peeked out of the barn or went to go tell Cremia what happened. He even ran past Epona, who he always left on Milk Road when They came, just as a precaution. Eventually, Link stopped near Clock Town's gate, falling to his hands and knees and panting down to the ground beneath him.

Tatl waited for Link to catch his breath, then landed on the ground before him. "Link, you have to tell me what happened. That wasn't like you. Not at all." She said gently.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" He kept repeating, screwing his eyes shut. "I was an accident. I promise…"

Tatl wringed her hands together nervously. "Link, I understand it was an accident. Please, look at me. This is important." Slowly, Link opened his eyes and looked towards his companion. "We can't go back there. I don't know what's going on, exactly, but that ranch isn't good for you. Okay? It's doing…things to you, and I don't like it, and it's not good for you either." The fairy had realized Cycles ago that the old her was pretty much gone. A sarcastic quip here and there, sure, but she almost felt like the boy's caretaker now. It was a change she felt almost forced into, since acting like her old self would probably have Link far worse off than he already was. He needed someone, a constant to keep him together. For now, that duty fell on her tiny shoulders.

For a minute straight, Link said nothing. He simply stared down at Tatl. "You're right…You're right. I can't…stay there again. You're right. I need…I need a Break Cycle. Okay?" He sounded as though he was asking for permission. As much as he felt addicted to seeing the two ranchers, he knew Tatl was right. He knew things would only get worse if he kept spending so much time with the Not-Malons.

The fairy nodded. "Of course, Link. Come on, play the Song of Time and you can rest for a while."

After that, Link never went back to that ranch for any reason other than fetching Epona. At least, not until he started trying to obtain the Perfect Cycle, as he simply had no choice. He would, of course, spend as little time there as possible. Only going to find out about Them, fend Them off, and then help Cremia and Grog with their problems. Each time Link looked at Romani, he remembered those hateful words she screamed at him and he felt his insides shrivel up. Even after the Moon was finally stopped, his mind wandered to the sisters as he made his way back to Hyrule.

The real Malon was waiting for him to come home…

…

…

…

Link looked on at Romani, who was frowning heavily. For a moment, he was surprised at this. She was almost always so chipper. Then he realized, feeling stupid, she was thinking about Them. What else? Strangely, she hadn't brought the subject up to him this Cycle, though she almost always did by now. Without another option, Link tried to breach the subject. "What's wrong? You seem upset." The two sat in the grass next to each other, a cool and pleasant breeze blowing through the ranch.

Seeming almost surprised, Romani shook her head. "It's nothing. I'm fine." She gave him a small smile. A forced smile. "Are you feeling alright?"

Really? Romani always seemed so eager to bring Them up. Then again, different Cycles meant slightly different conversations. Link wished Tatl would come out from her nap under his hat, her forwardness was needed. He glanced over at Epona who was gnawing at some nearby grass. "I'll believe any story you tell me." He tried, wondering what was making Romani so hesitant this time. "I'll even keep it secret from Cremia."

That seemed to upset Romani, whose frowned returned. "Let's not talk about that, okay? We can just enjoy the warm sun, right?" She almost seemed…nervous. Almost like the subject was taboo somehow.

Face etched with curiosity; Link looked the rancher girl over. What was going on? With no other choice, Link would have to just bring Them up directly. "Listen, I've heard about Them. I know They come to steal your cows." This seemed to just make Romani more upset, it was written all over her face. "I'm good with a bow. I can help you out." Link reached for his bow as he stood up but…it was gone. His quiver too! Looking about, he couldn't see either item anywhere. "Have you seen my bow and my arrows? They're missing…" What he didn't realize was all his usual gear was missing.

To Link's mild surprise, Romani stood up as well, seeming almost afraid of something. "You just have to keep calm, okay? Please. Stay calm." She placed her hands on his shoulders, a pleading look in her eyes. "Just stay calm…"

That put a small frown on Link's face, confused at Romani's words. "I am calm. I just…I just need to find my bow and arrows. Have you seen them? Where are they?" He looked about the ground around them but saw no sign of his weapons.

"Focus on me, Link." Romani gently ordered, squeezing his shoulders lightly. "Where are you now? Tell me that."

Once more, Link found himself surprised. Romani never called him by his real name like that after they met. Except…that one time. Her questioning was also concerning, but he decided to go along with it. "We're…at the ranch, of course. Romani, what's going on?" The boy really wished Tatl would come out and help him. She was better at these sorts of things. He couldn't even feel her wings fluttering against his scalp as they usually did when she slept up there.

At the mention of her name, Romani's eyes began to water. "Link…Link, you have to focus hard, okay? Focus on my face. My voice. Don't you recognize me?" The boy simply stared at her, visibly confused. "It's Malon! I'm Malon, I'm not Romani!"

Link felt his blood go cold as he stared on at Romani- Malon- Romani- Malon- Romani as she hardened her grip on his shoulders. How did she know that name? This couldn't be a dream because the girl's hold on him was starting to actually hurt. A real, clear pain that wasn't in his head. "I don't…What's going on, Romani?"

At that, Romani broke out into a light sob. "Link, please, you were doing so well last week. You knew who I was! You knew you were home! I don't…really understand these sorts of things…but after a month, shouldn't you see reality?"

Not knowing what course of action to take, Link gently tried to get out of Romani's grip, but she held him in place. "I don't like this…" He felt confused, almost a little scared. What was happening? Why was Romani acting this way? Where was Tatl?!

"Please just focus a bit harder. Please Link! Please…" Romani begged, starting to break out into heavier sobs. "I love you, Link. I love you…"

Cogs turned the wrong way in Link's mind, and suddenly those last few words were all he registered from the conversation. "Romani…Look, I'm…f-flattered. I really am." How could she be confessing love for him? They hadn't even known each other for a day! "But…I have someone waiting for me at home. I'm sorry…"

"Link…" Romani trapped Link in a tight hug, buying her face in the crook of his neck, her body wracking violently from her crying.

Not knowing what else to do, Link returned the hug, comforting the poor girl. "Romani…It's going to be okay. I'm sorry, I really am. I just…love someone else. Please don't cry…Please don't…cry…"

Malon only cried harder.