A/N: Hello again everybody. Wow, I know it's been a while. Yeah, big gap since the last chapter. Once again, very sorry I've been a little busy lately, but I'm getting back into writing again and I must say that I'm having a great time writing this fanfic.
This time round, Link gets to know Romani a little better. He starts comparing differences between Malon and herself, and he learns a dark secret about Romani Ranch that might just be the ticket to catching her heart.
As always I appreciate the reviews I've gotten for this story, and would certainly appreciate more if you enjoy the story. And finally, once again, sorry for the delay, in the future I will work to have chapters out in shorter time, a week is just too long to wait. Hope you enjoy the chapter. ~Phantom
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What do you mean you need some time alone?!" the outraged fairy shrieked in her high pitched ringing voice. "I'm about as ready to separate as you are, but if we don't stick together, there's no way we're getting out of this Dodongo shit we've gotten ourselves into. You've proven your ignorance time and again, without me, there's no way you're getting through the temples!" Tatl implored.
"I don't mean to say that I don't want your company anymore." Link began, but Tatl cut him off. "Really? Because that seems to be the general message I was getting from "Tatl, do you think we could spend one of the three days away from each other?"" Tatl argued.
Link sighed. How could he explain this to Tatl? A fairy couldn't understand this sort of a problem…. could they? Well even if they could, this particular fairy certainly would not provide to be an empathetic supporter.
"Look…." Link began "How about you go and explore the Great Bay, see what information you can dig up, and I'll hold down the fort here on the ranch for the three day period?" Tatl knew something was amiss. "And just whatever happened to taking a few days off?" Tatl questioned.
Link had to think fast. That was his original claim. There was no way he could explain to Tatl that Romani had completely transformed his feelings towards life and the world itself.
"I just feel… like I really need to learn the layout of this ranch and its place in the timeline. It just feels…. significant." Tatl was silent. "I'll make you a new deal, if you give me these three days to monitor the ranch, I promise we will head straight to the Great Bay temple in the next span of days."
Tatl groaned impatiently. "That's not the point, Link," she said sternly "why does this ranch inspection require you to be alone?" Tatl pushed. Link was running out of ideas. He had to risk it, his heart was in control, and his head was dead.
"This is more of a social mission…and quite honestly Tatl, I'm afraid you might cause a few problems." Link gritted his teeth after uttering the last syllable, preparing for hell to be brought down upon him. Tatl said nothing at first but merely stared at Link with what he assumed was a blank face.
"If I'm becoming that much of a problem for you, maybe we DO need sometime apart." Link was in pure ecstasy within his mind. "I'll give you your three days to do whatever it is that I can't be a part of. We'll meet up again at the Clock Tower on the first day. I'll be scouting the Ocean, but don't bother looking for me when you need me, this is MY vacation too." She stated in an angry tone, before storming off.
"Tatl wait!" Link yelled after her. "That could have gone over better," he thought to himself. Link felt a little guilty. He had no intention to hurt Tatl's feelings, he just needed to be alone for this, and he knew there was no way she would ever understand. But then he thought back to the first time they met, when he was transformed into a Deku Scrub. She had since apologized for those transgressions, but it wasn't to say that her soul was clear by a long shot.
After considering this Link did not feel as bad. Maybe he could find some way to make it up to her after the next span of days began. As Tatl flew off she was quite angry but not completely ignorant to Link's feelings. "I wonder," she thought to herself. "Could it be…?" she would have three days before her to think it over.
Link's first goal had been completed, but his true mission was just beginning. He had three days before him to acquaint himself with Romani and become friends with her. This was his chance. Somehow, this whole chaotic twist of fate turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The Goddesses had shown Link great mercy and had somehow bestowed upon him another chance at love.
No, this girl was not Malon…. she was better than Malon, in every way conceivable. She was everything he missed seeing in Malon. Such sweet innocence. He would do things differently this time. This time he would not let his emotions get the better of him. This time, he would make it so that the feeling was mutual. He would win her heart. And this time, time was on his side.
Link looked around the ranch before him. It appeared that Romani lead a very carefree life. Cremia was out in the fields attending to the cows, but Romani appeared to be playing with a bow. And she was quite proficient in her projectile skills, just another factor adding to his new forming infatuation with her, but now it was time to learn more about her than what he could only perceive.
"Wow, you're pretty good with a bow Romani" Link said kindly. Romani replied "Ha ha, why thank you grasshopper." Link couldn't help but laugh back. There was something about the way she said grasshopper that was so cute…. and familiar.
"But I think I might be a tad bit better." He replied. Link then summoned the magical energy within him that he had gained in Snowhead and lit his arrow ablaze. He then shot at one of the many ghost-shaped balloons that Romani was practicing with. The arrow hit the balloon causing it to instantly burst into a brilliant bright flame.
Romani stared with her mouth open as Link confidently slid his bow back on his back. She then spun around and stared at Link with the biggest smile (with the exception of some Gorons) that he had ever witnessed. "Grasshopper…. that was so cool!" Romani squealed
Link smiled back. This was going even better than he had originally imagined. Link was expecting her to question his ability to spontaneously shoot fire from an arrow, but was met with quite a different remark. "Romani has an idea." She began. "You said that the horse belongs to you right? Well, if you're such a hotshot marksman and horse rider, why don't we put it to the test?" Link raised his eyebrow "A test?" he asked.
Before Link knew it, he was galloping across the fields of Romani ranch, skillfully shooting balloon after balloon. Steering Epona through tight corners, jumping across fences, Link threw in the whole package. He wanted to make himself look as heroic as he could possibly pull off.
"Amazing Grasshopper!" Romani shrieked after he shot the last balloon. "You did it in under a minute! Romani has never met anyone as skillful as you!" This was going even better than Link had imagined. "I'm just good with a bow." Link said, trying his damndest to sound modest.
Romani stared deep into Link's eyes. Link stared back. They were two crystal blue pools, calm and loving. They were the only things he ever cared to see again…. and perhaps other regions of her body.
Romani smiled and walked up closer to Link. Link felt his body stiffen "Was it this easy?" he questioned in his mind. Romani whispered something in his ear. "Grasshopper, do you like Romani?" she asked. Link's heartbeat fast, his brain was working even faster as he thought to himself "Great Deku Tree! It is that easy!" He hesitated to answer.
"Of course I do. I mean, I really like you Romani." He responded. Romani nodded her little head. "Then, would you say that you are Romani's friend? That you trust Romani?" There was something about the way she said this that almost brought tears to Link's eyes. It sounded so sweet and so pure, almost as though she had been hurt before by someone that she could not completely trust.
"Yes I do Romani!" he responded without considering the fact that he had met her a matter of hours ago. In his mind, she was just a sweeter Malon, he concluded that he knew her intentions without question. "I trust you completely."
Romani smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "I really hope you do." She responded, her break of third person self reference was slightly startling at first. "Because Romani has no one else to trust. Come with me." She replied. She then grabbed Link's hand.
Her hand was smaller than his, but just slightly. Her fingers seemed to fit perfectly through his; the warmth of her hand seemed to spread throughout his body, until his very fabric of being was warm. Her hand was soft too, very unlike that of Malon's that had become rough and raw. The happiness that issued forth from his contact with Romani's hand was unexplainable. He was both romantically (and sexually) excited, but also at peace with himself and the world.
Romani lead him around behind the ranch house, outside of Cremia's sight. Almost as if Link expected what could come next, he threw his back against the ranch wall and prepared to be advanced upon. That did not happen.
"Romani has to tell somebody. Cremia won't listen and Romani can't understand why. Romani knows they've been coming here for years now, it's not like they just started. Cremia has seen them too, Romani knows she has!" Link was confused on several levels.
"Romani slow down! I don't understand what you're talking about. Link pleaded. Romani heaved a heavy sigh and threw her head in her hands as she shook her head. "Romani, please…" Link said. He slowly put his arms around her body again. She smelled differently than Malon did too. Malon's scent reflected the animals she worked with, Romani smelled…. like a girl.
Slowly, Romani lowered her defense and put her arms around Link as well. For the shortest amount of the time they just stood their holding each other, until Romani finally released herself.
"I'm sorry Grasshopper. I'm just so worried." So this was who Romani was. There was some sort of event going on in her life that was currently causing her much turmoil. Whatever it was, Link wanted to support her.
"Romani" Link began "I promise you, no matter what's going on, I'll do anything I can to help you." Romani stared back at Link, holding back the tears forming in her eyes. She took a deep breath and summoned a great deal of courage.
"Romani has never told many other people about this, always been so afraid they'd say Romani is crazy." Despite Link's budding infatuation for her, this statement did not exactly surprise him. "They're coming tonight Grasshopper." "Who is coming? Link asked.
"It's been like this every year, it's usually right before the carnival begins in town. Every year there comes a night when the sky gets bright, almost like the sun came early, but it's not the sun, it's some sort of evil ball of light." Link was listening intently, but was almost disturbed by the images Romani described.
"The ball of light almost touches the ground. That's the scariest part! Romani is always afraid the ranch will be set on fire! When it touches the ground, flames dance around the grass, and then they appear. They look like ghosts, Romani can't describe them, but they are so terrifying, almost like that of the dead cows. Whatever they are, it's always the cows of our ranch they target. They always go to the barn and steal some of our animals." Link was nearly horrified by these words.
"They usually only take one or two cows, but…it's been such a hard year for us. So many bad things have happened, and Cremia hasn't even been able to deliver Milk into town. I'm so scared Grasshopper. The ghost scare Romani, they're like a nightmare, but Cremia doesn't believe me, she won't send for help. If we lose any more cows, it may mean the end of our ranch and the end of our way of life."
With that Romani could say no more. She grabbed Link and buried her face in his chest crying. Link held Romani and sat down with his back against the house. He silently comforted her and stroked her hair. He let her cry. He said nothing.
When Romani was calm once again, the two were silent for a while. "What time?" Link asked. Romani did not have to question what he was asking. "2:30AM." She responded. "It's always the same time, ever since I saw them for the first time when I was six." Link nodded. "I'll be here." He stated. Romani began crying again.
"You have to grasshopper, you just have to. You're the best shooter in the world. I've been practicing with my father's old bow, but I can't shoot like you, you're the only person who can help Romani." Link could hear the desperation in her words.
Link stood up. "Romani. I need you to trust me. I will come back tonight." Before Romani could say another word, Link returned to the front of the ranch house and mounted his familiar horse. They then took a stroll across the beautiful rolling hills of Romani Ranch.
Link needed time to put this together in his mind.