This story is just for funsies (and admittedly, a class project), but not for profit, so please don't sue me. Cover art credit goes to "Muse".
Thanks for reading everyone, and I'd certainly appreciate your feedback when you're finished! =)
"All right, Tatl. If this works, I'll knock two points off your twerp rating," Link muttered, shielding his ears from the imminent blast. The Kokiri youth crouched behind a corner, his fairy companion peering out from under his hood. Just around the corner, a massive boulder placed in between the walls of the chasm stayed their path forward. A few seconds later, the ground trembled with such force that it sent Link sprawling to the ground. Before he could get up, Tatl exited the safety of his hood and flew around the corner.
"No way, it actually worked! Yeeeeeeaaah take that, rock!" Tatl said, punching the air where the boulder once stood, a stark contrast to the groaning heap on the floor behind her.
"You know, I gotta hand it to you Tatl, that powder keg really did the trick," Link said, getting to his feet and dusting himself off as the smoke from the blast settled. He brushed the hair from his face with a carefree flick of his wrist. "Goron ingenuity never ceases to impress me; I thought for sure a boulder that massive would take at least two kegs."
"Yeah kid, you'd be pretty lost without my help," Tatl said, landing on Link's shoulder. "But stick with me!" she said, chuckling as she placed her arm as far around Link's neck as it would go. With her other hand, she motioned forward as though she were an actor speaking to some unseen audience. "Cause you and me, we're going places! I'm the brains to your brawn, the salt to your pepper, the bread to your butter," she said gaining energy with each phrase, escalating to full-breathed laughter by the end.
"The thorn to my backside," Link said, brushing the fairy off of his shoulder. He shook his head but cracked a smile.
"Exactly!" she responded, darting up to face level with Link. "Oh come on squirt, lighten up." She began to bounce in midair. "We opened up the ranch again! Let's go collect that reward money!" Tatl held her palm up to Link, looking to him expectantly.
Link cocked an eyebrow at her for a few seconds. Eventually, he sighed and held his hand up as well. Tatl reared back and smacked it with as much vigor as her tiny fairy hand could manage. "Boom baby! That's my squirt!" She dashed off over the rubble to the entrance of the ranch. "Steeeeeaks for dinner tonight and you're buying!"
Taking a much more leisurely pace, Link followed his fairy forward. "True to my word, Tatl, two points off!" he shouted, a grin upon his face as wide as the path he now walked.
He followed the dirt path to the center of a large grassy clearing. The path bent off towards a modest log cabin and barn; the stone chimney breathed smoke that told of a hearty meal in the making. Link closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the clean ranch air, stretching his arms behind him. The aroma of mint and rosemary refreshed his body; cozy sunlight kissed the entirety of the area. A serene stillness seemed to calm the land itself.
"Feels just like the ranch back home in Hyrule," he thought out loud as he stepped forward to match his fairy again. "It's so strange, seeing a place this peaceful here in Termina." He unbuckled his shield and sword and let them fall to the ground. "A sanctuary completely forgotten by battle; I could forget all about the skull kid and the moon today…"
As Link finished his sentence, a familiar song filled the stillness of the air. Following the sound, he gazed over to the stable at the side of the barn where a young redheaded girl in a white dress sat on one knee to the side of an adolescent horse. She gingerly stroked its mane with a brush, petting the side of its face with her free hand as she sang that quiet melody. The grass seemed to sway to her rhythm, and the light near her shone a little brighter like a divine spotlight.
"Farore's fortune, is it really her?" Link said, leaning tentatively towards her.
"Oh are you getting all sentimental on me again?" Tatl asked, arms folded and foot tapping the air. Seeing a tear come to his eye, she relented, and softened her voice. "Link…" she started, placing a hand softly on his shoulder. "You wanna take a cycle off, buddy?"
Link barely heard her, fascinated by the melody and the ranch and the farm girl as memories of the night he left Hyrule flooded back to his mind.
"So you really have to leave then?" Malon asked. She averted her gaze to the horse between them, stroking its mane to avoid making eye contact with Link. The stars gleamed in the night sky above her, each one like a promise brought to fruition. The two stood on opposite sides of Epona out in the middle of the racetrack; the sun had long since laid to rest, replaced by the soft glow of moonlight that now touched the scene.
Link gulped, grasping for words, but they clung to his chest, as though refusing to leave would make Link do the same. The silence was deafening. Link reached a hand out to pet Epona as well. "I'm sorry, Malon. But Navi is gone and I have to find her."
Malon giggled nervously. "I guess you're not really much of a fairy-boy without your fairy." He giggled back, and their eyes met for the first time all night.
Ever since their very first meeting in castle town, Malon had teased him mercilessly with that nickname. He found it somewhat childish at first, but over time it grew on him, and now he found it an endearing aspect of their relationship. Her antics were a much needed change of pace from bearing the mark of Farore's chosen, and it reminded him to relax sometimes and act his age. And as their eyes met, he saw reflected in them all of those childish memories that were by far the happiest he had.
"Link, will you play with me one more time before you go?" she asked, the starlight shimmering hopefully in her eyes as she glanced to his ocarina.
Link smiled and brought the instrument to his lips. "The same song?" he said, fingers already in the correct position for the first note.
She smiled, nodding her head emphatically and clasping her hands together. And as they played, time stood still around them, yielding to the rhythm of their music. Her voice melded with his ocarina like a setting sun with the horizon. Such carefree sounds matched the ranch perfectly, a refuge Link visited in between each of his adventures. Through his odyssey saving Hyrule, Malon was a constant that allowed him to be just a regular kid again, and briefly postpone his title of "Hero of Time" until he once again had to face his duty and carry on. Living the trials of battle at so tender an age forced him to grow up a lot faster than he would have liked, but by coming back here he could forget, and lose himself in the music, and maybe, just like Talon said...
The two of them played and harmonized, perfectly in tune with each other; Malon's voice as smooth as honey and twice as sweet. Epona danced about them the whole time, and on the ending trill nuzzled up to Link's side.
"She did always seem to like you best," Malon said, leaning her cheek wistfully onto one of her hands. The silence, much more comfortable this time, lingered like a caesura in their performance. "You should take her with you." Noticing Link glance back to the house, she added, "Don't worry, I won't tell dad." Epona snorted her agreement.
"Malon, I couldn't-" Link started, but she cut him off.
"Don't even try to get out of it!" She started wagging her finger at him, a look of mock authority across her face. "You're taking her and that's that," she finished, crossing her arms. Epona stomped the ground for emphasis at the end of her sentence.
Link grinned; Malon would stare down a bull if she had to - and probably win, at that. She rarely got stubborn with him unless it was for "his own good," and he found it touching that she constantly looked out for him. It was comforting knowing that while he kept a watchful eye over all of Hyrule, Malon did the same for him. He shook his head, sighing. "There's really no arguing with you, is there?"
"Nope," Malon responded cheerfully. She walked up to him and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Besides," she said, "you still have to return her. Which means you have to come back."
Link returned the embrace. And in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to not let go, to hang up his weapon for good and stay with her at the ranch. But a peaceful existence was a luxury he could not afford; his friend needed him, evil never slept, and the war was not over - there were only calms between battles. So Link would gather his arms and fight on, to grant the rest of Hyrule the peace he dreamt of. "Goddesses as my witness, I will be back. I promise," he said, taking his last breath of Malon's mint-scented hair.
"And don't forget," she said, squeezing him tighter, "while you're out there, you are not alone. You are never alone. No matter how far you are, we can always share this song."
"Stay strong, Malon" he said, bravery in his voice as he finally broke the embrace.
"Well, go find your fairy," Malon said as Link turned to saddle up the horse. "But you better take good care of Epona! Remember, carrots are her favorite, and she likes when you sing her to sleep, and-"
"She'll be fine. Hero of Time, remember?" Link chuckled, pointing to himself with both thumbs as he said "Hero of Time."
She laughed, this time a real laugh not out of nervousness. "How could I forget?" she said. "Hurry up, before I change my mind about letting you leave."
As he rode off, the wind echoed their song in the distance. But the wind's refrain was slower and melancholic, as though it were mourning the empty spot that Link would leave, both in Hyrule and in her heart. Epona slowed to a walk as Link hummed along with the wind, the song now transposed to a minor key.
A fitting end, he thought, that the song he so often used to call her horse to his side was now his farewell march.
"Actually, Tatl, make it four points," Link said, coming back to reality. The breeze behind him pushed encouragingly at his back, nudging him forward towards the girl. "Malon! What are you doing here?" he shouted, childish optimism evident in his voice. Why didn't she tell him there was another ranch, and here in Termina of all places?
The girl looked up from her horse and squinted a bit before setting down her brush and exiting the stable, the horse close at her heels. "Malon?" she asked, tilting her head inquisitively. "Who's that?"
Link froze in his tracks. "Hey, come on Malon, quit joking… I thought I'd never see you again!" his optimism quickly fading.
Stopping a few feet from him, the girl crossed her arms and thought for a second. "Nope. Sorry buddy, Romani can't help ya. Never met a 'Malon' before." Looking him once over, she added, "You're dressed funny." The next thing Link knew, she was behind him, tugging curiously on parts of his clothes. "Where'd you get these, anyway?"
She doesn't remember? Maybe it really isn't her, then...
"You look like a grasshopper! In fact, that is what Romani will call you from now on," she said, with both hands on her hips and grandeur as though she had just knighted him.
Then again, if the first thing she does is give me a ridiculous nickname... Guess I'll play along for now.
"Bahahaha! That sounds perfect for you, doesn't it?" Tatl said, elbowing Link in the side while she cackled at the name. Link glared at her. Tatl wiped a tear from her eye and continued. "Romani, I like you already!" Romani beamed at the approval.
The horse, now close enough to recognize him, rushed over to Link and knocked him over with the force of her greeting. "Epona! What have I told you, you are not a lap horse!" Link shouted between laughs, while Epona attempted to lick his face off. "Hey, I missed you too! Come on, knock it off!"
"Heartwarming, isn't it?" Tatl said, smirking at the two of them.
Romani laughed for a few seconds, then, realizing that Epona had no intention of letting Link up, gently ushered the horse off of him. "Come on girl, let him breathe!" she said as he got to his feet.
"Good to see you again too," Link said, ruffling Epona's mane.
"This horse is yours, then?" Romani asked.
He nodded. "That's why I thought you were my friend Malon. You look just like her, and Epona never trusted anyone besides the two of us. You even knew her song," Link said.
Romani stroked Epona with the same tenderness and care that Malon used to. "Ever since we found her, she's sang that song every night. I don't know the words, but singing the melody makes her happy."
You did always have a way with animals...
Suddenly her face became much more serious. "Waaaaaaiiit," she said, stroking her chin. "How'd you get past the rock?" she asked.
Link and Tatl briefly locked eyes. They stifled a laugh, and Link turned to Romani to deliver his explanation. "Well, there was a guy with a pickaxe out there trying to get rid of it, but it didn't look like he was really getting anywhere," he said, popping his knuckles.
"So grasshopper here puts on this mask that turns him into a Goron, at my suggestion, obviously, and then-", Tatl started, but Link muffled her with a finger, laughing nervously as Tatl struggled to free herself.
"So aaaanyway, the path is open now!" Link finished. Tatl broke his grasp, and mouthed the word "spoilsport" at him, crossing her arms.
"No way! You must be really strong then! Tell ya what," Romani said, stroking her chin again. "Romani will give you your horse back if you help me protect the ranch from... THEM tonight," she said, wiggling her fingers and widening her eyes, her face now mere inches from Link's.
Link cocked an eyebrow. "Them?" he asked.
"Every year they come from outer space and take our cows! Tonight is the night, but... Romani can't use a bow." She kicked at the ground. "Ya gotta help us!" she said, grabbing Link by both shoulders.
"Aliens, huh?" Link chuckled. "All right, how hard could it be? Deal," he said, extending his hand to Romani, who happily shook it much harder than he was expecting.
"Great! I'll go tell sis you're staying for dinner!" she said, dashing back into the house. "Cremia! Bring the reward, my new friend got rid of the rock!" they heard her shout as she disappeared through the door.
"Way to go, squirt! Scored us a free meal!" Tatl said, clapping him on the back, the muffling incident far from her mind now.
Even if it isn't you, she reminds me of you. But being here so far from home, I wonder if I'll ever hear your voice again. Until then, I'll just remember what you told me.
You are not alone. You are never alone.
"Wow, what a romantic story!" Romani said, laying down on some hay, enchanted by Link's adventures in Hyrule and Termina. Torchlight flickered along the walls, giving a warm lighting to the inside of the barn. Tatl lay next to Romani, snoring softly. "I'm sorry I wasn't her..." she said, looking up to Link shyly.
Link laughed at the genuineness of the statement. "Don't worry. You remind me of her. Before now, the closest thing I had to her was the song she taught me," he responded, fiddling with the ocarina in his hands. "And Epona," he added, motioning to the sleeping horse in the stable.
"I understand. This locket is all I have left of my parents," Romani said, holding up the heart shaped locket that hung around her neck. "Sometimes I feel like crying, but then I just hold this locket, and I remember them. And it makes me feel better," she said. She smiled longingly at the locket for a few seconds, cradling it gently between her fingers.
"As long as I remember them, it's like they're still with me," she said.
Link gave a few moments to let her last sentence sink in. And then he fully understood what Malon meant - it was more than just a song, it was part of herself - a memory that she chose to share with him. And even if the wind were his only audience when he played it, no matter the distance in between them, he would still remember...
"You are never alone," he said, nodding. "I do the same thing with her song. It's my way of keeping her close to me."
"So she's still with you too," Romani said, smiling as she put her locket away. "Did you love her?" she asked, not looking up to face him.
"I still do," he responded after a few seconds.
I'll just have to make it back alive so I can tell her.
Romani got up and sat behind Link, placing her head gently on his shoulder and hugging his neck. "Don't worry, you'll see her again," she said. "Romani knows it."
Link closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Romani's hair smelled of rosemary. "Thanks, Romani," he said, sinking back into her embrace. It was a long time past since Link last saw a rest like this.
How many three day cycles had he and Tatl endured? How many times seeing the residents of Termina, doomed to relive the last three days of their lives, confront their imminent death, with no recollection after he rewound time to the start of it all? Everyone had their own tragedies. A girl left with but a locket, and him with a song. And yet, here in the ranch, he felt at peace; Romani's arms soft and yielding like water, her voice assuring him that everything would be okay.
We all have scars under the surface. It is our tragedies that connect us, that make us human. Great distance separates me from a loved one, life and death separate you from yours. Romani, I admire your spirit.
"Will you teach me the words to her song?" Romani asked.
Link smiled. "Sure," he said. "I think she would like that."
"Wake up, grasshopper! They're here!"
Link awoke with a start to Romani shaking him with urgency.
"Them?" he asked groggily. "Oh wait, seriously?" Grabbing his equipment, he ran outside of the barn to the sight of dozens of aliens descending upon the ranch. They circled about the area, closing in, mere seconds from contact. The poor oblivious cows snored beneath them, unaware of the imminent danger. "Oh Din's grace, she wasn't kidding…" Link muttered. "Yo! Tatl! We've got work!" he shouted back into the barn.
She emerged, rubbing her eyes. "Wha?..." she asked. Noticing the aliens, she sprung awake. "Oh wow, she was for real!" she said, her voice a mix of amusement and fear.
"Arrows, I'm thinking?" Link asked calmly.
"I'll be your lookout," Tatl responded as the first alien began to abduct a cow.
They fought off the outsiders for hours, Link's hands shooting with dexterity and precision. Their numbers began to thin, the blanket turning to specks as the wounded aliens retreated. Link dashed about the field, recollecting his arrows as best he could, with the other two alerting him of ones he missed. He fell into a trance, letting the "Hero of Time" take over for him, and as the aliens turned to retreat, the morning broke as a triumphant beacon in the East.
"One left!" Tatl shouted, pointing behind him at an alien lifting Romani off of the ground and escaping with its brothers.
"Grasshopper! Shoot it shoot it shoot it shoot it!" Romani screamed.
Link reached to his quiver for an arrow, and finding it empty, cursed and quickly spotted another sticking in the ground; some stray shot come back to the earth. In one fluid motion, he pulled the arrow from the ground, turned 180 degrees to face the retreating alien, and loosed the arrow. The impact forced the alien to drop Romani harmlessly into a bale of hay.
Link collapsed into the grass, out of breath and exhausted.
And as the aliens left, the stillness returned to the ranch.
Romani came out of the hay and walked up to Link, offering a hand to help him up, grinning with enthusiasm. "Romani knew she chose well with you, grasshopper!"
Link groaned between laughs. "Romani, never let anyone tell you that you have an overactive imagination."
"So what's next for you?" she asked.
Taking her hand and getting back to his feet, he answered, "I have a skull kid to stop and a promise to keep."
Romani smiled at him. "I hope it works out with you and Malon!"
"Don't worry. After talking with you, everything is going to turn out fine. I'm sure of it," he said.
As they waved their goodbyes and continued down the dirt path, Tatl asked "Ready to get back at it?"
"Yep, cause you're the brains to my brawn," he said, smirking.
"The salt to your pepper!" she continued.
"The twerp to my squirt," he finished, bringing the ocarina to his lips.
As Link played the song of time, rewinding back to the dawn of the first day, he knew Romani would forget every word of their discussion.
And sure enough, every time he came back Romani would not remember who he was. But he would always find her with Epona, singing that same song, lyrics and all. And it would remind him... you are never alone.
When I play your song loud enough, sometimes I hear your voice sing it back to me