Happy New Years, everyone! Here is the first epilogue chapter! Not much to say, but thank you all so much for reading so far. I plan on releasing 2 more chapters in the future! Enjoy!
-Joost
The Fierce God Given Life
Epilogue 1: Special Occasion
Two Months Later…
Link and Romani were walking down the hill of West Clock Town, their hands interlocked. Romani now wore a new dress, its design remained the same as her previous one, now a robin egg blue and larger to accommodate for her slight growth spurt. Link was clad in a beige tunic now, also a little bigger to match his height, wanting his signature green to mark when he was armed and ready for action, something he hadn't been since that fateful day in Ikana Canyon.
The pair walked into the Trading Post, their desire set on some more Deku Sticks for a plan they had for Cremia. A very special day was coming up regarding the ranch owner, and the children wanted to make it perfect.
"Heyyyyyy!" The Man from the Trading Post said. He felt a constant itch on his back but faced his customers with pride. "What can I do for you two?"
Link placed the required amount of Rupees on the desk and purchased ten Deku Sticks.
"Ah, the best seller! Enjoy, pal!" The man said, handing Link the items he bought. He and Romani turned to leave before the merchant piped up. "Hey, thanks again!"
Link waved the fellow goodbye as they left the shop.
"Alright, so you made sure to get sister out of the house for the day, right Grasshopper?" Romani asked as the two left Clock Town and walked towards Milk Road. Link simply nodded at his girlfriend's question while they continued on their journey.
The leaves of the trees had already turned red, yellow and orange now. The new autumn breeze whisked through the shallow valley of Milk Road. It was an absolutely wonderful experience to be out during this kind of weather. Link couldn't take his eyes off of Romani, the image of her hair and dress flowing in the light wind captivated him to no end. Her features were a little more defined now, and it made Link go through an odd new feeling towards her.
Entering the ranch, Link and Romani got to work. They, alongside the help of Jim and a few members of the Bombers, set up the Deku Sticks in front of the house. Link retrieved a large banner from the barn and tied it to the posts before they set it up. It read "Happy Birthday".
"Hmmm… It's missing something." Jim commented, taking a step back to look at the banner. "Maybe some light?"
Link thought for a moment until an idea popped into his head. He ran to the back of the house and soon reappeared on the roof, laying on his stomach to reach where the posts holding the banner ended. He reached into his bag and got out two light arrows and some string, and he tied them to each stick where they connected to the banner, making for a great source of light.
"Thank you, Grasshopper!" Romani called to her boyfriend, blowing him a kiss. He only responded with a reddening of the face. He climbed down the ladder to admire his and his friend's handywork alongside them.
"I think it's pretty good!" Link stated cheerfully, taking his hand off his chin. Jim just chuckled before the entire group left the ranch, heading back to Clock Town.
"Hey mom, we're back!" Link hollered once he opened the door to the Stock Pot Inn. He and Romani stepped inside, and Anju entered the lobby from the stairs just a second later.
"Good, I think I'm running out of things to distract Cremia with." Anju whispered as she brought the two kids in for a tactical huddle.
"That's ok! Romani and Grasshopper can take over!" Romani whispered with excitement. Anju and Link giggled as quietly as they could.
The trio heard the subject of the day's activities start down the stairs just after they finished their mini meeting. Before she came into view, Anju took off and vaulted over the desk and right into where she would normally be as innkeeper. Link was surprised at how quick and agile his mother could be. But this was for her best friend, after all. She was determined to make today the best it could be for her.
"Cremia, hang on! Let me at least show you the mask first!" Kafei pleaded, trying to keep the ranch owner distracted with the Blast Mask he borrowed from Link, blissfully unaware of the little development between his wife, son, and Cremia's little sister.
Once Cremia reached the bottom of the stairs, she didn't even notice how Anju looked a little winded while she stood at the front desk. Link and Romani sat next to each other on the seat across from the innkeeper. Everything looked normal. A little too normal for these three.
"Hi sister!" Romani chirped, waving to Cremia. Link waved as well, smiling. The calm demeanor of the group put Kafei at ease.
Cremia put her hand to her chin and eyed her little sister. After a moment, she decided to lower her defenses, not sensing anything too out of the ordinary.
"Sister! Romani wanted to show you the Observatory!" Romani had a plan to distract her sister for a bit, using her weakness of stargazing as a crutch. Might not last forever, but it'd at least keep her busy for a little while until dusk fell and they'd return to the ranch.
"Alright, Romani. But if we need to go through those sewers again like before, I'm not having it." Cremia warned. She had been to the observatory once before, but the journey to get there went through the Bomber's Hideout. Surely there must been a better way to get there.
"Oh, Grasshopper made sure to plant a bean to help us!" Romani remembered the day prior, when Link got his hands on one of those beans that sprout the plants that can hover around. It had been placed just by the fence of the observatory.
"Romani will lead the way!" The little ranch girl took her sister's hand, heading for the door.
Before Romani and her big sister left the inn, she gave Link a kiss on the cheek. Link always grew flustered when she did that, especially in front of his parents. He watched the pair leave Clock Town, and Kafei wore a goofy grin when he returned to the lobby.
"You two are adorable." Kafei snickered, causing Link's cheeks to grow even redder. Anju shoved her husband's shoulder playfully.
"Oh stop it, Kafei. Look at him!" Anju gestured towards an embarrassed Link.
"Sorry, kiddo. You know I'm just messing around."
Kafei chuckled and reached out from behind the desk and ruffled Link's hair. There was no need to remove his cap. He rarely ever wore it anymore. Link responded with a smile and went back up to his room.
Opening the door, Link made his way to his favorite corner of the room, his bed, and sat down on the edge. His smile grew as his thoughts wandered to Romani. He felt unbelievably lucky to have someone like her. Then he thought about himself for once, and how much had changed since the Garo were defeated. He was glad to have that feeling of being watched gone. He gazed over to his sword and shield that remained propped up in the corner of his room, by the bookcase. They hadn't been touched in months now, a thin layer of dust covering them.
After a few more minutes of recollection, Link decided to go out and visit Tatl, Tael, and Skull Kid. It had been over a week since he had last seen them, and even then, they were the ones to visit town.
"I'm going out!" Link called to his mother who was in the kitchen.
"Alright but be back soon. You still have to make it to Cremia's party tonight!" Anju replied. She didn't have to look to know that her son gave her a nod of reassurance.
"No, no, no! Skull Kid, that plank goes there!" Tatl barked at the imp. She herself couldn't help with the construction of their new porch to go along with their hut, but Skull Kid proved to be not the best listener. When he placed the wood on its side instead of on its face, she groaned loudly. "Ugh! This is going to take all night!"
"Need any help?" Link asked, walking up to his fairy friend and the masked imp with his hands in his pockets. His voice startled Tatl and she nearly fell out of the air.
"Oh, Link!" Tatl said cheerfully. She grew eager to let him take over for Skull Kid. "Come here, we need your help with this!"
Link walked up to the wooden platform that was being built. Tael exited from the hut and was surprised to see the boy in beige alongside his sister and friend.
"Hey Link! What brings you here?" Tael asked, his purple hue brightening up for a second.
"Just felt like stopping by." Link stated, looking up to meet Tael's gaze.
"We want to make a new porch, but I'm no good at building…" Skull Kid said, his eyes on the wooden floor that was laid out in front of the hut. Link inspected the area before getting on his hands and knees. He grabbed the wooden hammer Skull Kid had and started to work.
In a matter of minutes, the porch was complete. A little uneven, but Link did his best to make it stable. Skull Kid gave his friend a hug the moment he was done. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Yeah, thanks, Link. If Skull Kid had finished it, it would've fallen apart in a day!" Tatl's snide remark made the imp lower his head a bit, but Link immediately noticed the faulter in his friends' mood.
"It's alright. You just need to keep trying to get better." Link told Skull Kid. The imp raised his head, and a smile was visible.
"So anyways, how've you been, Link?" Tael asked, sitting on Link's shoulder.
"Good, how about you?"
"Pretty great! The forest is as awesome as ever now that it's turning to fall!"
"Eh, the cold isn't the most fun…" Tatl commented, a more somber tone lining her voice. Her arms were crossed, and her gaze didn't meet the others. She never liked the colder weather. It usually brought the memory of being lost with her brother before meeting Skull Kid back with it.
"Well, I like it…" Link scratched the back of his neck with modesty. Tatl just rolled her eyes and went inside, followed by the others soon after. He hadn't seen the inside of the hut in a while and was shocked to see a few new things lying about the room.
"Woah, got some new things?" Link asked, picking up an empty picture frame that was on the floor.
"Yeah. Last time we were in town we bought some stuff. Home got a little boring after a month of not much furniture." Tael remarked, sitting on a wooden cup that Skull Kid bought. Tatl was right behind her brother, looking into a chest, making sure to count how much food they had before closing it.
"Well… I guess I'll be going." Link said after a little while, standing from his seat and making his way to the door. His eyes were still on the empty frame he had sat on the low table just across from him.
"W-Wait, Link!" Tatl rose her voice a bit, catching her friend off guard. "You know how you have that pictograph box?"
"Yeah, why?" Link looked into his bag and felt the blocky item sitting near the bottom. It didn't see much use lately.
"Maybe… we could get a picture?" Tatl asked meekly.
Link didn't respond at first, a smile taking its time to form along his face. He got the pictograph box out and set it on the table. He beckoned for Skull Kid and Tael to join in around each other, and Link set the box on a timer. It didn't take long for the click of the box to let him know that it was done.
"It'll just take a minute…" Link said, holding the pictograph box and shaking it a bit. Eventually, the photo developed, and it dispensed from the small slit on the bottom of the item. Link took it and let it dry before showing it to his friends.
There, the four could see themselves immortalized on the paper. They all smiled, and Link placed the picture in the frame and propped it up against the wall on the table. Each of them took some time to admire it, and one look at the changing color of the sky alerted Link that he had to get going.
"See you later… Link." Tatl said. With that, Link bid them farewell and started the walk back to Clock Town.
When the sun started to set, Link knew he had to pick up the pace. Making back to the Inn, he saw Romani and Cremia sitting in the lobby, talking to his parents. All their eyes were on him as he closed the front door.
"There you are, Grasshopper!" Romani put her hands on her hips. She had to work pretty hard to keep her sister distracted after they returned from the observatory.
"Are you ready to go, Link?" Cremia asked with a smile. Link only nodded.
"Alright, just make sure you don't get into trouble." Kafei took Link aside while the ranch sisters got ready to leave. He spoke quietly to ensure Cremia didn't hear him talk about the plan. "It's all up to you and Romani, so good luck. And no funny business with Romani!"
Link still didn't quite understand what his father meant when he said 'funny business', but he knew that the rest of Cremia's special day was his and Romani's responsibility. He smiled with determination and joined back up with the sisters and left for the carriage.
The ride to the ranch was largely uneventful, but as soon as the banner came into view, Link and Romani grew nervous. They took turns keep Cremia distracted as they neared the house, but luckily, she knew the way towards the barn like the back of her hand. By some miracle she didn't spot the banner yet, regardless of the light arrows acting akin to a beacon.
Cremia brought the carriage to a stop and disembarked, followed by the two children.
"What in the world…?" Cremia finally saw the light by the door to the ranch house. Link and Romani acted fast, the ranch girl hopping onto her boyfriend's shoulders and quickly covering her sister's eyes.
"Hey?! What are you two doing?" Cremia yelped as she was brought a bit off balance from her little sister's hands on her face.
"Don't worry, sister! Just keep walking!" Romani said cheerfully. Link struggled to hold her and walk at the same time, but the three made it to the front of the house, in view of the banner.
"Tada!" Romani exclaimed, releasing her hands from her sister's face and letting her gaze at the sign.
Cremia held her hands to her face, just like she did when she looked at the fixed carriage courtesy of the Bomber's Gang all those months ago. Once again, she could barely find any words.
"How do you two keep doing this?" Cremia asked, bewildered. She brought the two next to her in for a fierce hug. "Thank you two, so much."
Link and Romani beamed with pride as the ranch owner released them from her embrace. Cremia took a few more minutes to admire the birthday gift that was standing in front of the house. She could hardly believe they went to all the trouble to set this up.
Heading inside, Cremia was determined to repay her little heroes with a fine dinner, using everything she could. Link and Romani couldn't stop smiling as they watched her see what was inside. On the table was a meal, already prepared, still hot. Just after the banner was set up, Jim's mother helped make a dinner for the ranch owner. Link would be sure to pay her for the trouble first thing tomorrow.
"How did you-" Cremia was beyond words by now. Romani guided her sister to her seat, and Link pulled up the chair for his girlfriend before sitting down in his. Once the three got settled, Romani explained just exactly why they did all this.
"Since you do a lot for the ranch, Grasshopper and I wanted to show how thankful we are!" It was the rare time Romani referred to herself not in the third person.
Cremia was speechless, and after a second, she lowered her head and a tear rolled down her cheek. Link and Romani's smiles faded as the woman sitting across from them started to cry. The kids didn't know what was wrong. Before they could act, Cremia composed herself.
"Thank you two so very much. I… I don't know where I'd be without you." Cremia said shakily. Her words were broken occasionally by a sniffle, and she rose from her seat and gave both Link and Romani a kiss on the forehead. Once she sat back down, they began to eat at last.
The entire time they enjoyed their meal, Cremia thanked the two kids again and again. She simply didn't know how else to express her thankfulness to them. Still determined to treat her heroes to something special, she got some Chateau Romani.
"Sister? Are you sure?" Romani was a little confused at the prospect of having the special milk, however her desire to be recognized as an adult couldn't resist the idea. Link, on the other hand, was completely game to have some of the milk before going to bed. He thought he could handle it.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
After only his third glass, Link felt more disorganized and uncoordinated than he ever had before. He felt like he was on the edge of reality again. To his own surprise, it was Romani who downed the most milk without showing signs of intoxication. It didn't last after her seventh helping.
Link tried to stand up and fetch himself a fourth round of milk, but he stumbled into the chair beside him and fell to the ground with a thud. When he started to hiccup, Romani couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like Grasshopper can't hold his milk!"
"Shhhhhushhhh…" Link's one word response was slurred and was interrupted by another hiccup.
Cremia didn't want Link or Romani to have too much and stopped her little sister from getting an eighth bottle. The ranch owner collected all the bottles of milk that hadn't been gulped down and went upstairs to keep them away from her sister. Romani crossed her arms in a huff and looked around for her boyfriend. The plastered hero had slumped down onto his bed in the corner and was looking around lethargically. A sneaky idea entered her mind, and she made her way to Link's bed.
"Hi." Romani said to Link, a new, sultry tone in her voice. She remained quite tipsy as she eyed the twelve-year-old down.
"Hiii." Link replied, a wide goofy grin on his face.
Romani took no time in settling right onto Link's lap, laying her head on his chest. Link wrapped his arm around her and nuzzled his face into her hair. Romani returned the gesture by rubbing her cheek against his with affection.
"I wish we could spend every day together." Link mumbled, struggling to even form a coherent sentence.
All that made its way out of his mouth was desire as he looked at the beautiful girl on top of him. His thoughts were occupied by her and her alone as their eyes locked. He was reminded of when he proposed to Romani and then tried something again. Something bold.
He kissed Romani right on the lips. And this time he didn't miss his target.
Romani couldn't find herself to be stunned by Link's action, instead returning the favor by doing what he did. And then again. And again. Their first kiss went off without a hitch, and so did their second, third, and fourth kisses. They were so preoccupied with each other, neither noticed Cremia descending the stairs.
"What on earth are you two doing?!" Cremia froze in fear as soon as she spotted her little sister on top of Link.
"Hi sister!" Romani said without a care in the world. There wasn't a trace of embarrassment in her voice. "Grasshopper and Romani are just having some fun!"
"Okay… I think it's time for bed." Cremia said sternly before she picked up her little sister and hoisted her up and into her arms. Both Link and Romani grew upset at being separated.
"Noooooo!" Romani whined. She didn't protest for long, as a feeling of sleepiness finally caught up with her. Almost passing out in her sisters' arms, Cremia and Romani turned themselves in for the night, leaving Link lying on the bed.
The boy slouched over on the bed frame and thought about his girlfriend. His normally noble thoughts about her were washed away, letting some more interesting fantasies about him and her make their way into his head. That was the price of getting so drunk for such a young man. It felt a little odd, but the feeling was similar to when he first looked at Malon when he became an adult back in Hyrule.
Malon. That was the first time she ever entered Link's thoughts in months. However, she exited his mind as quickly as she entered. All Link wanted to think about was the life he had made in Termina. And then it went right back to Romani. With the memory of her on top of him still fresh in his mind, he dozed off while donning a great big smile.