Chapter 11: Kafei's Mask.
Romani fired her bow at the half a dozen balloon targets. She wiped the sweat from her brow. Her sister, Cremia, watched her from the window while wearing a worried expression. She continued washing the dishes while Romani practiced. Romani pulled out her slingshot and fired several seed straight up. While they descended, she pulled out her bow and fired an arrow at each one of the seeds. With each seed she hit, a small explosion of the seed's guts followed. Her arrows stuck against the small stable next to the house. Cursing, Romani rushed over and quickly pulled the arrows out of the wood post.
"Please be careful," Cremia called out from the open window.
"Sorry," Romani called back, "Hey sis, when is Zak coming back?"
She stepped outside to hear better, "He said he wouldn't be back until tonight. Something about waiting for the blacksmiths to finish a new sword, I guess. Did he mention anything to you about that?"
Romani shrugged, "I haven't heard a thing. Hey, is it alright if I go up to Clock Town today? I have to grab some more supplies."
"You are running low on arrows," Cremia chuckled, "Yeah, go ahead. As long as your chores are done, I don't mind, but do me a favor and walk today. Our poor horse needs a break."
Nodding, Romani threw her bow over her shoulder and pocketed the slingshot on her belt. She tugged at her bunny hood to make sure it was still in place before heading out. The trip through Milk Road was uneventful as usual, but that didn't bother her. Truthfully, she was getting a little burnt out on all of the excitement ever since Zak had arrived. It was nice to have a day off, for once. She playfully jingled her bag of bullet seeds as she walked, enjoying the sound. If she shook it the right way, it kind of sounded like the song that Zak played on his blade of grass.
Once she arrived in Termina field, her good mood quickly dissipated. The city was surrounded by guards, all of which were being viciously attack by a large humanoid monstrosity. It threw the guards back with each attack of its dozens of appendages. They managed to keep it from getting into the city. It turned and spotted Romani. She stared deep into its soulless black eyes.
"An..ju," it wheezed. Before Romani could react, it was upon her. It grabbed at her, recoiling when she stuck an arrow into one of its hands. She leaped backwards, but one of its arms snatched her by the ankle. It lifted her up by her foot and sniffed her. Her slingshot and bow clattered down onto the ground. The monster discarded her, flinging her into a hollowed out log. Romani curled up into a ball as she flew through the air, and crashed through the wooden log. As she managed to stand back up to her feet, the monster roared at the charging guards. They stabbed at it, but it shrank down to the size of a child, causing them to miss. It struck each guard several times with its tiny fists, knocking them unconscious.
Thinking quickly, Romani darted towards her weapons. The monster rushed over to her and grabbed her again. She struggled against its grip, but it held her with two of its arms with ease. The other seven appendages struck her multiple times in rapid succession. Romani called out in pain as it struck her again and again. An arrow stuck into the side of its neck. The monster dropped her and turned around. A purple-haired man pulled back on the bowstring and fired at it again. The monster advanced at him. Romani picked herself up off of the ground, but was in too much pain to stand. She slowly crawled towards the pile of unconscious guards.
The monster grabbed the purple-haired man around the throat and pinned him against Clock Town's outer wall. A large broom smacked it across the face, which distracted it long enough for the purple-haired man to squirm out of its grip. The man stood between the monster and a red-haired woman holding a broom. As the monster charged, the purple-haired man fired several arrows into its midsection. It stumbled back, its arms shooting around like crazy. The man blocked the woman from harm with his body, and took several shots to the back as a result. He collapsed in a heap. She called out in surprise. The monster approached her. Much to her surprise, it caressed her cheek with one of its hands.
"Anju," it wheezed out. She stumbled back, but it was much quicker. It grabbed her and ran off. Romani picked herself up off of the ground with the help of the guard's spear just in time to watch it sprint off with the screaming woman in its clutches. She limped over to the purple-haired man. She found him unconscious, but still alive. She narrowed her eyes and hobbled around Clock Town just in time to see it heading for Ikana Canyon. Romani moved to follow, but her legs gave out from underneath her. She cried out in frustration.
The monster hauled Anju up the canyon wall with ease, avoiding the explosive monsters as it headed through to a secret hideout. Anju gasped when it stopped in front of a hollowed out hole. On a boulder next to the entrance stood a tall muscular man in a purple tunic with a huge sword over his shoulder. He looked at the monster with his pure white eyes.
"What a sorry creature," he said with disappointment, "It retained some of its human counterpart's memories, but only of the events of that day, so many years ago." Anju stared at the man, terrified, but he didn't seem to notice that she existed. He brandished his large sword at it, "Monster, I will end your suffering." It dropped Anju and charged at the man. He dodged each one of its nine appendages with ease, and then rolled around to its back. He sprang up, twirling around with his blade in a corkscrew motion. The monster split apart into ribbons. The man pulled out a tan instrument and put it to his lips. He played a beautiful melody, the likes of which calmed Anju down. The monster's body disintegrated into nothing but a human mask with purple hair. Before she could react, the man fired a well-aimed arrow through it. A shimmering white light floated up and towards the man, who breathed it in. Without a word, he jumped into the rushing water behind him, leaving Anju alone but unharmed.