THE SECOND DAY
-48 Hours Remain-

The boy awoke very early the next morning, before Romani and Cremia had even awoken. He had not gotten very much sleep, having slumbered only six hours over the night, and a mere half hour that morning. Romani, it seemed, was sleeping in today, considering that it was well past her customary 6AM wake-up time. She deserved the extra rest, he thought to himself; it had been quite a busy night.

Unable to sleep any longer, he rose from the straw pallet the sisters had set up for him downstairs, and went outside.

The moon was significantly closer now; its threat loomed larger than ever. The boy knew what had to be done, and he also knew that he could not do it yet. There was plenty of time – all the time in the world, in fact – and maybe, just this one run-through, he could take a breather.

Tatl had been largely staying out of his way all this time, sensing that he needed some time to be a whole, rather than half of a pair. She emerged from his pack and hovered nearby. "It's okay," she assured him. "In the end, you're not causing harm to anybody, and that's all that matters." He looked at her, grateful to hear these words. "I'll be in Clock Town. Meet me there when you're ready." She flitted off in the direction of Termina Field, and the bustling little city in its center.

The boy stuck his hands in his pockets and shuffled off to explore the rest of the ranch. One area at the west end of the ranch featured a door, which was framed in wood paneling with little cuccos painted on it. He went inside.

The new area he encountered was something like a little courtyard. Various large panels with shapes cut in them were dotted here and there across a small meadow. A smattering of cucco chicks was pecking about in the grass. In the middle of this scene was a young man. He was almost ghoulish in appearance, and sported a mohawk that resembled a cucco's crest. He seemed quite depressed.

The young Hylian approached the man, who looked up at him and sighed. "The moon's going to fall soon," he told his visitor, "and it will end the world as we know it. I don't think anyone will survive. I don't really care about dying, I guess, but…" His voice trailed off sadly as he looked around him at the oblivious and merry chicks. "I'll never see these little guys grow up," he finished.

The boy considered the man's plight for a moment, then remembered a mask he had with him, a mask that supposedly made little animals become adults. He put it on, and immediately an energetic, sprightly tune popped into his head. He knew, instinctively, that he needed to play this song for the chicks.

Pulling out his ocarina, the boy began marching around the courtyard.

-.-.-.-

Later that day, Romani, having finished her morning chores, caught up with him. "Hi, Grasshopper!" she greeted him brightly. "I figured you'd be out exploring. Don't you just love it here?" Receiving no answer, she continued, "Want to see the dog races we hold? They're really fun!" The boy allowed himself to be pulled back to the west end of the ranch again, this time through another doorway in the rock surrounding the grounds, and into a large, walled-off racetrack.

Romani proved far more adept at picking winners than her friend – "It's just something I can sense," she explained – but even so, the two spent an enjoyable afternoon watching the little Scottie dogs race, then petting and playing with them afterwards.

Dusk was again falling when Romani led her playmate back towards the house. "I had fun today, Grasshopper." She beamed widely at him, desperate to elicit some sort of change in his demeanor or silence. "Let's go have dinner. Cremia made it special tonight."

Darkness pressed in all around the little house, but could not fight back the warm light from within it. The two girls and their wordless guest savored the delicious, hearty meal Cremia had prepared: soft biscuits with homemade butter, sharp cheese, a thick vegetable stew, and the sweet, smooth milk for which the ranch was famous: Chateau Romani. The boy enjoyed this last item immensely, for it filled him with a feeling of health and well-being.

"I'd like your help this evening," Cremia said as they dug into a fresh apple pie. "From both of you," she added, catching her younger sister's inquisitive look at her friend.

"What is it?" Romani asked.

"I need to deliver some fresh milk to the milk bar tonight, but I've heard that some bandits have been ambushing travelers around these parts. Both of you are skilled with a bow, and I'd like some help fighting them off if there's any trouble."

Romani was speechless with delight. She turned to the boy. "Did you hear that, Grasshopper? We're going on an adventure!"

He considered for a moment that this was the least adventure-like adventure he'd ever had, but upon seeing the look of childish glee on her face, he smiled. How pleasant to encounter such pure wonderment, such innocent curiosity in the world. He suddenly became aware of the fact that he didn't really know how to feel that way anymore. It had been years since he'd seen anything through the eyes of youth, and he found himself envying Romani. She, after all, cared not a cucco's feather for the alarming presence of the evil moon. He, on the other hand, could scarcely recall a time when he'd had the luxury of not caring. He sighed, half-wistfully and half-sadly.

Cremia eyed him as he did this, experiencing the dawning understanding that little Romani had received the night before: this boy, strange though he was, was far older than she.

"Anyway," she said, opting not to voice her thoughts, "we should probably go prepare the wagon. Get your bows ready."