Chapter 5: A New Life
Link sat in the back of the carriage, covered in a large sheet as it rolled along Termina field. Link poked his head out and looked back at the over-turned log that rested between the path to the Southern Swamp and Clock Town. He only lived there for a short time and he was glad it wasn't any longer. He looked over to Cremia who was driving the carriage. He stared at her with a deep fascination, he had noticed her slender – but not fragile form and her long fiery red hair, the day he met her. He had noticed then the strong resemblance she and Romani had shared to Malon back in Hyrule but during the first 3 day cycle in which he stayed at the ranch he had noticed how different yet similar they were to Malon in personality. They had all cared deeply for their homes, livelihood and the people who were close to them. But somehow Cremia and her little sister were different. Romani had cared deeply about the small amount of animals under their care but nowhere as close as Malon did but she did want to fight. To Malon the animals were her life and love. Cremia though she seemed smarter, wiser, more observant, more caring and… more beautiful.
He couldn't help but remember the cycle where she had hugged him. It was awkward since due to his height in his normal form his face was squished into her large chest. He hadn't thought anything at the time. The hug itself was more than enough for him. He felt warm and fuzzy like every problem, every scar, and every worry was gone and couldn't reach him provided she held him. His face reddened to the memory but not just because of how she made him feel then but how he now felt a physical attraction to her. He heard and felt his heart thump in the rhythm of the bumps that shook through the carriage every time it hit some rock or other solid object. Link felt his mind and heart begin to race more and more with every thought of that hug and the way she held his hand as she had guided him into the carriage. It all suddenly came to a stop when he heard Cremia call out.
"Romani I'm home! Come open up the barn so we can bring Stinky inside! Also I need to talk to you about something important!" Cremia had said as she then turned her blue eyes to the lump under the sheet. "It's alright to come out now Link." She whispered with a reassuring smile. Link once more poked his head out of the sheet and threw it off himself.
"I almost forgot about your sister. How is she going to respond—"Link asked in a worried but low voice but Cremia silenced him.
"Shhh" she said with a finger raised to her mouth. "Everything will be fine. I promise. Just come out when I tell you to." She said reassuringly as she then turned to see Romani step out of the house and walked towards the carriage as Cremia brought it around alongside the barn and stepped out of it. Link decided to wait for Cremia to give some sort of cue. The elder sister proceeded to walk around and unhook the horse from the carriage while the younger sister opened the large doors. Cremia led the animal inside and then the ranch girls shut the barn doors.
"Sister you have made Romani wait so long! Do you even know what time it is?" Romani pouted as she put her hands on her hips and glared at her sibling. Cremia couldn't help but giggle at the sight.
"I'm sorry Romani, Mr. Barton made me stay for a little while to chat with the customers at the Milk Bar and then on my way back the storm started and I had to take shelter out in the field. Think you can forgive me?" Cremia asked with a smile however Romani continued to glare for a few seconds before finally sighing in frustration.
"Fine, Romani forgives you Sister. Just promise to make some dinner, I'm hungry!" Romani complained, holding her stomach in emphasis on her supposed hunger. Cremia laughed.
"Alright I'll start dinner in a few minutes but there is someone who is going to be joining us for dinner and living with us from now on." The elder ranch girl said as she looked over towards the carriage. Link had heard the conversation and took that as his cue. He stepped out of the back of the carriage and walked out to join the girls. Romani's big blue eyes went wide in shock – but not out of fear or terror like most others who have seen his new form. It was now wonder.
"Who is that?" Romani asked, looking back towards her elder sister whom smiled. "He looks like Grasshopper but a lot taller!" she exclaimed looking back at Link in the Fierce Deity form.
"It is, Romani. He hasn't told me exactly what happened to make him this way, but this is the same young man is Link; the one who helped us out before the Carnival of Time." Cremia explained to her sister.
"So you are Grasshopper!" Romani exclaimed in glee as she ran over to Link and looked up at him. She must have only gone up to just his belt line in comparison of height where before they were about the same height. In comparison Cremia went only up to Fierce Deity Link's chest. "So you're now going to be living with Romani and Sister, Grasshopper?!" she exclaimed in excitement. Link curtly nodded and a bright smile formed on her face along with Cremia's and Link's. "YAY!" the young girl screamed as she then hugged her elder sister.
"Well you are excited." Link commented to the girls' smiles, complimenting with his own.
"Well why shouldn't we be?" Romani said looking up to the giant Link and then to her elder sister. "Sister hasn't shut up how helpful Grasshopper was around the Ranch. Romani has been thinking Sister has a crush on Grasshopper!" she exclaimed with a loud laugh which was promptly silenced by a red faced Cremia who slapped her hand over her sister's mouth.
"S-Shut up! It isn't true!" Cremia yelled in near anger to the words of her younger sibling. But the fact was that it was true. Cremia didn't know what it was about Link she liked – she didn't even know why she had hugged him that night. She had tried convincing herself that it was simply that she was grateful or that he looked so tired that he needed it. Both were true but every time she thought about that night her heart pounded in her chest so much it almost hurt. She thought maybe it was the embarrassment of where Link's face had landed when she suddenly hugged him but in truth it wasn't exactly that that had bothered her and made her heart go aflutter. No, it was more – a feeling she hadn't felt since she dated Kafei years ago, but the feeling was stronger and bothered her to no ends. She looked over to Link in his new adult body and she noticed how handsome he was, and that he was now blushing just as much as her. Does he feel the same? She pondered for a moment but when she then realized she was checking him out she pushed the thoughts from her mind. "Well I think it's time I made dinner, wouldn't you two say?" she said with a smile as she released her sister.
"Sure!" Romani and Link said in unison with smiles. Romani thought it was weird how her big sister and Link were acting but decided not to tease them anymore since she was really hungry.
Author's Note: During the time I was dealing with some writer's block since I hadn't figured where I wanted to go from here and end the story I had figured out how to finish it while at work. I imagine there is like 3 or so chapters to go before this story is done. Don't hold me to that number but the important part is I know where to go from here to the end. *thumbs up*
