After getting the Powder Keg needed and leaving through South Clock Town's gate, Link realized something. When rolling as a Goron, his lack of an eye didn't factor in at all, as he merely sensed the world around him rather than actually seeing it. It felt almost weird for some part of seeing, even if it wasn't truly seeing, to be unhindered by his lack of an eye. Still, it made reaching Milk Road a complete nonissue. Using his Goron strength, he heaved the keg at the boulder, letting the carpenter working on it to rush to a safe spot. Once more, the roadblock was reduced to rubble, and the appreciative man returned to Clock Town.

As he approached the final stretch leading to Romani Ranch, Link began to drag his feet as he turned back into a Hylian.

"I wonder why Skull Kid put your horse here." Tatl mused as the two neared the sign at the ranch's entrance. "He's done so many horrible things, but he kept Epona alive."

Link never stopped to think about that. Did the imp just not think it was particularly amusing to kill a filly like Epona? Or, perhaps, a bit of his old personality bled through, stopping him from outright murdering her. He supposed it didn't really matter, it was just something that struck him as strange. "I'm just glad he spared her." Was all he said back.

Given that it was a bit later than the last time the two went to the ranch, Link's stomach churned when he saw Malon was already outside. No…not Malon. Romani. He saw Romani outside. There were few people in Termina whose presence upset Link as much as her. Her clothes, her voice, the exact shade and length of her hair, and of course her perfectly copied face…all Malon's, but belonging to someone else. The only people that'd be worse would be Saria and Navi having clones running around somewhere. Who knew, he had yet to explore the East…

At the moment, Romani was with her dog, who of course had to look exactly like Scamp, and it seemed she was trying to set up something, a large open crate next to her. She was holding some sort of large orange object, and she was blowing into the side of it, puffing it up. What did Zelda call those? Balloons? And as before, Epona was in her small pen, the filly perking up a bit as she noticed Link. Still, he kept dragging his feet, but eventually, he and Tatl got close enough that Romani took notice.

The ranch girl beamed at the boy and fairy, apparently deciding right off the bat that the three of them were going to be friends. "Hi! Welcome to the ranch!" Romani greeted, placing a thumb over the hole in the balloon. "You're new here, right? I'm Romani, I was named after the ranch!" The redhead declared, sounding quite proud of the fact.

Link instantly noticed that Romani's gaze was fixated on his eyepatch. It wasn't a look of concern or pity like with Anju, but an open curiosity. He just knew she was dying to know what happened to him. Before she had a chance to, he spoke up. "I'm Link, and this is Tatl. I'm here to get my horse." He gestured to the pen, where Epona was fidgeting a bit, clearly wanting out.

"Oh! She's yours?" Romani exclaimed, looking back at Epona. "We just found her wandering alone and took her in. Hold this, I'll get you the key!" She handed Link the balloon, which he begrudgingly took, holding a thumb over the hole as the redhead scampered into the house.

"I forgot how trusting she was." Tatl commented as Romani's dog sniffed at Link's boots. "Are we just hanging around here, or are we taking your horse somewhere else?"

Honestly, Link hadn't thought about that. He just wanted to see Epona again, someone from Hyrule and the only one he knew for a fact wouldn't look at him with pity. Sure, Romani hadn't, but she was an issue for numerous other reasons. And if she realized he didn't just hurt his eye, but lost it entirely, that'd probably change. "There's nowhere else to go but Termina field, and there are monsters out there. I don't want Epona in danger."

"And Romani's here, right?" Tatl asked, smirking a bit. She guessed that going all the way here to see a horse was just Link's cover. The fairy thought that maybe Link felt a bit of an attraction towards the young redhead. Sure, he ran away the last time, but maybe he was just shy!

Link looked up at Tatl. "What do you mean by that?" He bluntly asked, not liking what the fairy was implying. He remembered the last time she mentioned that Romani took a very quick liking to him. "I just want to see Epona."

"You traveled all the way here, got the Powder Keg and everything…just to see a horse?" Tatl didn't even attempt to hide the suspicion in her voice. She believed that was part of it, but she had to imagine Link had some sort of interest in girls despite all his oddities.

"Epona's not just a horse, she's my friend. I thought she had been dead for weeks. Of course I want to come all this way just to see her." A petty part of Link added his assumption of Epona's death just to make Tatl feel bad. He knew it was wrong, but the fairy was just getting under his skin, even though she wasn't trying to, it frustrated him!

And Link's plan worked, Tatl feeling a sting of guilt that wiped the smile off her face. "Hey, I said I was sorry about that! You're right, she's not just a horse to you…but I-"

Whatever Tatl was going to say was cut off as Romani burst out of the house, a small rusty key in hand. "Found it!" She practically sang, going over to Epona's pen. "I'm glad you came over to claim her. My big sister was really worried when we found her. No saddle or anything…we thought she was some wild horse that wandered over!" After a moment, Romani got the gate open and Epona instantly trotted over to Link.

Dropping the balloon, which Romani scrambled to snatch up as the air escaped, Link gave Epona's neck a hug as the filly nuzzled up with him. He didn't care he was showing off his much he missed the horse, this was one bit of weakness he didn't mind if others saw. The boy felt so bad for Epona! He knew right where she was now, all safe and sound, but every time he played the Song of Time, she was sent back to the pen in an unknown place with someone that looked just like Malon. Chances were the young horse was confused and upset by that, just like Link was!

"It's alright, Epona…" He murmured in Epona's ear, so quiet that only she could hear it.

"Aw, that's sweet, Grasshopper!" Romani cooed, holding onto her balloon again. "I decided that's what Romani will call you. You're dressed all green, like a grasshopper!" She tittered a bit, clearly happy with her nickname.

"Well, his actual name is Link, and I'm Tatl." The fairy introduced, seeing that Link was a bit occupied. "What's that orange thing anyway? Some sort of balloon?"

Romani looked a bit more serious, but still her perky self overall. "It's a balloon, yes! It's for target practice!" She then paused. "…How did you two get in here anyway? What happened to that boulder?"

Link was still hugging Epona, so Tatl took it upon herself to speak for them. "We blew it up with a bomb. The path's all clear now." She glanced over at Link, realizing that this was the most physical comfort he's gotten aside from Anju, and the fairy pitied the fact it came from hugging a horse Giants knew the kid needed a real hug…

Nodding, the redhead beamed at Link and Tatl, the boy stepping back from hugging Epona. "I thought I heard a loud noise earlier. Thank you so much, you two! Now we can make deliveries again! How about you two stay for lunch? As a reward for helping us, of course!"

One thing Link knew he'd never get over was hearing people say the same words, sometimes exactly, that they said in a previous Cycle. It really drove home how messed up the situation was and how almost nobody in Termina really knew what was going on. As for facing Cremia again, he dreaded the idea of it, but a part of him felt it was worse to run. Tatl would keep pestering him if he kept fleeing from what she'd see as someone harmless. He wanted to stay with Epona, too…

Tatl predicted Link would refuse, speaking up before he had a chance. "Works for us! We haven't had a home cooked meal in ages!" No way was she counting Anju's awful food…

This just brightened up Romani even more, shoving the balloon back into Link's arms. "Here, take this! I'll go get my older sister! She'll want to meet you anyway!" Without waiting for a response, she scampered off, her dog following behind her with a wagging tail.

"Look, just don't get mad, okay? You wanted to stay, so I just took the offer!" Tatl blurted out, again not letting Link speak up first. "Besides, I really just want a homecooked meal, and I don't care what you say, Anju's food is awful!"

"It's fine." Link replied. "I was going to accept anyway." Actually, it annoyed him that Tatl simply accepted without asking him. It was true that he really was going to accept, but she could've let him answer since Romani was asking him. At the very least, felt a bit less stressed now that Romani was away, but he knew it'd be far worse when she came back.

"You ran away last time! Why do you want to stay now?" Tatl asked, wishing she could just wrap her mind around Link.

Did she always have to pry so much? He did what she wanted, so why did she have to dig deeper?! "We were going to the Great Bay last time. We aren't this time." It might have been the stress over losing his eye, among everything else, but he felt such a nasty anger suddenly broiling in his gut, like he had a hot metal ball rolling around inside of him.

"Oh, please, it was more than that. You were in such a hurry to leave it was ridiculous! But whatever, it's one of your weird secrets again, huh?" She had to remember that Link outright said he wouldn't be totally open, even after the whole Navi talk. "Or maybe you just want to hang around with Romani. You really like her, huh?" The fairy teased, unable to help herself.

He didn't even think, he just glared at Tatl and spoke. "Would you just leave me alone?! You just keep digging and digging!" Link only realized he yelled after Tatl flinched and hovered a few inches away. His mask just shattered again, and he just yelled at Tatl. Instantly, he felt regret, and then numb again like he wasn't just furious a moment ago. "Tatl, I'm sorry…I…" The boy didn't know what to say, and he noticed even Epona took a few steps back.

Tatl didn't really know how to react to being yelled at by Link like that. He had been snippy with her, but just yelling was something else. It felt awful, with how patient he normally was, she immediately had the feeling that she did something horrible…but then she quickly realized she did not deserve that! Instead of yelling back, she turned away from him. "Fine. Whatever." That was all she felt she needed to say. She felt horrible about his situation, but that didn't mean he could bite her head off like that!

Link wanted to apologize again, but at that moment, there was a call from afar. "There they are! They cleared the boulder!" Romani's voice rang out.

Not feeling prepared at all, Link turned to see two Malons approaching him. The older one was more tired than her younger sister, and her gaze quickly fell upon Link's eyepatch. Unlike Romani, her features shifted into one of concern and a bit of pity. Not as blatant as Anju's, Link was able to see those emotions, even from a small distance.

Cremia put on a more casual expression as she got close, even giving a small smile to the outsider. "So, you're the ones that helped us out! We both owe you a lot! I heard a construction worker holler that he was working on the situation yesterday, but who knew how long that'd take! What's your name, young man? Romani called you Grasshopper, but I doubt that's your real name!" She put on a friendly, joking tone, but her eyes kept darting to his eyepatch…

For a moment, Link just stared and wondered why Termina had to be so nasty to him and make two Malons to torment him. Cremia even looked exactly like Malon did in the alternate future, as if she were the exact same age! It was such a specific detail that it didn't feel like a coincidence, but something malevolent that just wanted to distress him! It hurt to see someone that reminded him of something he may never get to return to. He missed his friends so much!

He just wanted to go home…

Link realized that Tatl wasn't going to speak up for him, and probably wouldn't again any time soon. "My real name is Link. This is Tatl." He still felt he should introduce his companion, even if she was mad at him. "I came to visit my horse, so I cleared the boulder."

Cremia seemed surprised at that, a large part probably because of how flatly and casually Link mentioned bombing the path open. She quickly got over it and gave a nod, not seeming too bothered by Tatl's lack of any response. "I see! Romani here mentioned offering you lunch. We'd love to have you as thanks!"

A small part of Link wanted to just refuse and leave, especially since Tatl wasn't talking to him. She might start to yell at him if he kept changing his mind, though, and he actually found that scenario worse. As stressful as it was to be around Romani and Cremia, fighting with his only friend in Termina was a far nastier alternative. "We appreciate it." Link ended up droning. "Thank you, Cremia."

The older redhead paused, her eyes focusing, like she was trying to study Link somehow. It only lasted a second before she once more went back to her casual self. "Great! Well, we won't be eating until noon, so you two can just play in the meantime, alright?"

"Yeah! You can help Romani set up the balloons, Grasshopper!" The younger sister practically demanded, taking the range object from Link's hands. "I've got a whole bunch, so we'll be busy for a while!"

"Remember, he's a guest! He already did us a big favor, so don't go working that boy too hard!" Cremia semi-scolded, but didn't actually seem all that upset.

"I won't! Romani was going to do most of it!" Romani argued with a huff. "Grasshopper wouldn't mind anyway, right Grasshopper?"

Tatl spoke up at last, trying her best not to sound as furious as she felt. "He won't mind at all." Putting Link to work oughta show him! The fairy was still pretty sore about how Link treated her, even though she knew he didn't mean it, and he even tried to apologize. She just couldn't help it, after doing her best to help him with his lost eye, he snaps at her just because she asked a few questions! Though…she did already know he didn't appreciate all her prying…but still!

Link couldn't blame Tatl for being mad, and felt he deserved her volunteering him for setting up balloons, whatever that even fully entailed. He'd try to apologize to her later, if the two had a moment alone. "That's right. I'll help."

Cremia shrugged. "Well, don't let me get in the way of it, then. You two kids have fun and work up an appetite, okay?" She gave the pair a smile as she walked off, offering a backhanded wave as she went back to whatever chore she had been working on.

"Aw, you're so sweet, Grasshopper!" Romani chirped once Cremia was out of earshot. "Cute and nice!" She let out a small laugh, starting to blow air back into the balloon once more.

It just didn't feel right for her to call him cute! When Malon did it, he felt hot in the face, but he still liked it. With Romani…it was just wrong! "What are these balloons for anyway?" He asked. Normally, he never made small talk with the residents of Termina, partially due to the fact they'd never remember what he said anyway. If he was going to be there until at least lunch, though, he might as well try to make the time go by faster.

"Oh, these? They're for target practice! Romani saved up all year to buy a bunch! I'm going to shoot at them with my bow!" She didn't seem to have it with her, though, apparently the bow and arrows being in the house or something.

"Just for fun?" Tatl asked, also deciding that talking would make time go faster. A lot more than just silently fuming. She wouldn't talk to Link, though! "Couldn't you just buy a wooden target or something!"

Romani blew into the balloon again, the orange mass starting to take more of a proper shape, that being an oval. "No! I need lots of different targets all spread around! I need to practice and hone my skills before tonight!"

That instantly made Link worry. "Practice for what?" He asked, wondering if some sort of trouble was going to befall the ranch. But how could it? The only path had been blocked until just a little bit ago, and it was clear Romani assumed something would've happened tonight regardless!

This prompted the redhead to look around, as if searching for eavesdroppers, which there were naturally none of. "Tonight is when They come. They've been coming two days before the carnival for a few years now!"

"Who are They?! That's so vague!" Tatl huffed. "And why doesn't your older sister seem worried if someone is coming to your ranch?"

"They're ghosts…!" Romani whisper-yelled, apparently still worried about being overheard by some unknown party. "They come from a ball of light in the sky, and They steal our cows!" Her voice was deadly serious, yet at the same time it almost sounded like she was relaying an old campfire story.

Link had no idea if Romani was just pulling their leg or not. Like the balloons were for actual target practice, but the story attached was entirely made up. He couldn't help but be reminded of Malon, who tried to spook Link a few times with scary stories, and always pouted when she failed to frighten him. She had no idea that Link had faced things more disturbing than Malon could ever conjure up.

"If They come every year, why isn't Cremia worried?" The boy asked, still not sure if he was meant to take this seriously or not. Beings appearing in a ball of light from the sky and stealing livestock was certainly…odd to say the least…

"She's never seen Them, she's always asleep!" Romani explained, pouting just like Malon did. "She thinks it's the Gorman Brothers, but she's never proved it. It's not fair, she won't believe Romani's story because she's never seen Them, but will think the Gormans did it when she also never sees them do anything!" She let out a huff at the end of her small rant.

It disturbed Link the ways Romani acted like Malon, such as her pouting and huffing. It was bad enough she stole his dear friend's appearance, but even some of her mannerisms! Seeing Malon's double acting like her sent a disturbed chill through Link's spine. He tried to distract himself by wondering if these brothers were related to the Gorman from Clock Town. Link remembered how Zelda taught him about last names…

Tatl scoffed. "That sounds so made up! A bunch of ghosts coming from a ball in the sky?! Where do you come up with this kind of stuff?" Even with all the things she had seen with Link, Romani's story was just too ridiculous for the fairy to believe.

"I didn't make it up! I'm even using the balloons as practice! Speaking of which…" She pointed at Link's quiver, which made him tense as he thought she was pointing at his missing eye for a moment. "…Grasshopper, how good are you with a bow?"

He wasn't sure how to even answer that. Since his injury, he had been mostly thinking about his sword skills, not so much his archery ones. With one eye missing and the damaged depth perception…he imagined it wouldn't nearly be so easy. That did, however, give him an idea. "I could use some practice." Link vaguely answered.

Romani hummed, walking around Link as though she were studying him. Apparently she liked what she saw, as she beamed at him. "We can both practice, then! You can help me fight Them off tonight!"

"Wait, we never agreed to anything like that!" Tatl reminded the girl. "I don't know about him, but I don't believe your story!" She tried her best not to sound too angry when saying 'him' just then. The fairy didn't even want to speak Link's name at that moment!

"Aw, come on! Grasshopper, you believe me, right?" Romani asked, her eyes widening as she spoke. Again, this puppy-dog eye look was something Malon did to him a few times, mostly as a joke, though.

For a brief second, Link wanted to snap at Romani and tell her to stop, but he pushed that urge down. The more she kept doing Malon-like things, the more upset he felt. "I believe you." He was lying, but this seemed like a good, free way to get some archery practice in. No telling if there was a bow and arrow equivalent to the dojo in Clock Town, and he had no desire to ask Tatl for a favor right then.

Instantly, Romani perked up and beamed at Link once more. "Thanks, Grasshopper! You're the best! Don't worry, once we drive Them back, Romani will reward you somehow!"

Link felt bad about lying, yet there was a part of him that tried not to care given how the girl before him kept pretending to be Malon. "I'll do my best. How do we set the balloons up?"

The next while was taken up with the two kids setting up the balloons, which had faces that reminded Link of a Poe when they were fully inflated. Using weights tied to the balloons with a string, they were set up around the ranch. Epona mostly stayed near her pen, watching Link, and only moving around if he moved out of view so she was always watching him.

At one point, when Romani was off a ways, Tatl flew down to Link. She was still upset with him but had cooled down enough to at least speak to him. "You don't really believe that story of hers, do you?" Her tone was cold, but not outright hostile.

It threw Link off a bit that Tatl was even speaking to him. He thought for sure her angry silence would last at least until the end of the day. "No, I don't." Link admitted as he set up his current balloon. "It sounds made up. I just didn't want to upset her."

"I thought so. Didn't think you'd believe something that stupid." The fairy thought it was strange how book dumb Link was considering how unusually mature he was for his age. Not just with the story Romani told, but in a lot of other ways like how stoic he forces himself to be. Yet he couldn't read or write…

Link hesitated, but spoke back up. "Tatl, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to yell at you." Might as well just suck it up and get the apology done with fast. "I just…" He trailed off, not sure how to say it. Even just admitting how stressed and miserable he was proved difficult for Link. The boy had a very hard time actually admitting he even had an issue with Zelda or anyone else during the last two years. Really, the only time was when he relayed Zelda's diagnosis to Saria, and he was just saying what someone else told him.

Tatl wasn't sure how to react at first. She knew an apology would happen at some point, but she honestly expected it to take longer. A part of her realized that being so angry at a kid for having an outburst was a bit silly, it was hard for her to remember he even was a kid at some points, sometimes he barely even acted human! "…You know, I hate how closed off you are. Most of the time, I can't get anything out of you. That's why I ask about you so much, you know! If you'd just talk to me, I wouldn't have to always do that!"

"I know. But you-" Link didn't get very far before Tatl interrupted him.

"Do you even realize I keep trying to get to know you because I like you?!" The fairy didn't think she'd be saying anything like that any time soon! "After being with you for so long, I actually enjoy being with you, even if you drive me nuts sometimes! I don't care that I've said it before, you have to realize it hurts when you just shut me out, and then you yell at me for trying to understand you a bit more! Did you even notice I barely know a thing about you? Your name, being from Hyrule, and Navi! That's it!" She didn't even care if Romani overheard them at this point, though the redhead was out of earshot still.

Did they really have to do this now? As much as their relationship had improved, Tatl had a knack for focusing on stuff that, to Link, didn't matter as much. He was a lot more focused on trying to save everyone in Termina or resting so he could get back to stopping the Moon. He grew to like Tatl, but improving their friendship wasn't exactly a priority for him. When all of this was over, he wouldn't mind it at all, but the fairy clearly had other ideas…

"I noticed. This just isn't the time for these things. I have to focus on Termina more than building a friendship, I'm sorry." Link replied bluntly, but still keeping his usual tone of voice.

"You don't sound very sorry." The fairy pointed out, glaring at Link even though she knew he couldn't see it. "I know you won't be going back to the Great Bay any time soon, so I thought it was fine if we could get to know each other." Aside from the Skull Kid, she never really had any friends aside from her own brother. Because of that, she wanted to get to know Link better at an almost desperate level, especially since he was so reluctant to share most things about his life. "Like what kind of life did you even have? Do your parents know you went into the Lost Woods?" She recalled she asked about his parents before, but naturally got no real answer.

Of course she had to ask about some of the worst aspects of his past, the life he had to live and his parents. The idea of speaking of his dead mother made him feel sick, the boy missing her so desperately despite not even knowing her face. "I can't do this." Link admitted, shaking his head. "I can't talk about these things. Please, let me have my privacy. When this is over…I want to take you to Hyrule and show you everything." And he really meant it. He didn't want to lose Tatl, he wanted her to be a part of his life…but at the moment, he needed more space.

It all felt like it was going in a loop, the talks to the two had. Fitting given that they repeated the same three days dozens of times by this point. Was that a part of Tatl going after the same talking points, or her own stubbornness? She had never met someone that was as much of a brick wall as Link, her persistent nature never tested so much. "…I want to see Hyrule too. I want to see the kind of life you have, Link. You better not go back on that, okay?" She half-joked, acting mockingly stern.

Tatl started to really feel better at that point, having talked things out. She was still a bit sore at Link, but she found it hard to be as angry at him when he apologized. The fairy had certainly noticed she had grown softer since becoming Link's friend. Maybe she just felt so bad for him, she couldn't be nearly as nasty as she had been when they first met…

"I promise I won't go back on it." Link assured, noticing Tatl didn't agree on giving him space. He was about to reassert that, but Romani started to approach, waving at the boy and fairy.

"Grasshopper! Ms. Fairy! That's enough balloons! Let's practice!" The redhead called out, having gotten a bow and a small quiver of arrows while Link and Tatl were talking. "I'll go first!"

Romani took Link and Tatl so they were standing a fair distance from the balloon they had set up. She got her bow ready, notched the arrow, and let it fly…and watched as it landed into the ground with a muted thud. The redheaded tried two more times, none of the arrows managing to actually hit the balloon.

"Hey, have you done this before? You couldn't hit the balloon at all!" Tatl noted, really making her thing the whole ghost thing was fake. If they were real, surely Romani would've practiced way harder than this!

"I've practiced!" Romani insisted, pouting up at Tatl. "Romani has no one to teach her, so it's been tough! Did you have anyone teach you, Grasshopper?" She asked Link, looking more cheerful when speaking to him.

Why did she have to keep pouting at him like that? Why did she have to stare at him with Malon's eyes!? Every time Romani or Cremia spoke to him, Link felt the urge to flee the ranch, or play the Song of Time. He still didn't want to risk making Tatl angry at him again, which was the only reason he was staying aside from having a chance to practice his archery.

"No, I didn't." Link admitted, getting his bow and an arrow ready. He felt a bit anxious, no idea how things would go. His sword and archery skills came to him naturally, he never had to practice them before. Losing his eye had a nasty impact on his use of a blade, but would it be the same for a bow? He readied the arrow and aimed it at the balloon. It was hard for him to tell how far away it was, steadying his arrow carefully. Taking a deep breath, he let the arrow fly…and watched as it flew right past the balloon and hit the ground.

"Oooh! That was close! Give it another try, Grasshopper!" Romani cheered, being far more encouraging than Tatl.

Link did his best to ignore Romani, getting a second arrow prepared. He remembered the Swordsman's teachings and only took a mere second to aim before letting it fly! Whether the technique truly worked or it was a fluke was hard to say, but the arrow struck the balloon, letting out a loud pop as it burst!

"Oh wow, that was fast!" Tatl lightly praised, wondering if the arrow just caught the wind the right way. There was zero chance Link's missing eye didn't have any impact on his archery…

"Very good, Grasshopper! Now come on, let's keep practicing!" The redhead practically demanded, going to fetch the fired arrows.

For the next few hours, the two children trained using the plentiful balloons that Romani had saved up. Tatl hovered above, sometimes making small comments as Epona wandered about, grazing on grass, but usually having Link in her line of sight at all times. Romani wasn't too good at using the bow, only hitting two or three balloons. Link had a bit more luck, hitting a few more than Romani did, but it was clear his aim had been heavily impacted due to his disability. The two kids didn't talk much, Romani trying to be social, but Link generally gave swift answers that didn't warrant much of a response to try and shut her down. If it bothered her, she didn't show it…

Around noon, Cremia's voice called from the direction of the house. "Lunch is ready! You three come and get it!" She stood outside the front door of the home, waving the trio towards her.

"I'm starved!" Romani chirped, giving Link a toothy grin. "Come on, Grasshopper! Let's go!" She grabbed hold of his wrist and dragged him towards the house. Tatl hovered alongside them, quietly tittering at the sight.

Link had to resist the urge to snatch his hand away from Romani, hating her presence yet not able to bring himself to purposefully make her upset. When they arrived at the house, he remembered his manners as Romani let go of his hand. "Thank you, Cremia, for the lunch."

The older woman let out a light chuckle. "Really polite, aren't you? You did a good thing for us, so this just makes us even!" She insisted as Romani practically bounced into the home. "Now come on, I made plenty!"

Taking a look inside the home, Link realized that, of course, the home was similar to the one at Lon Lon Ranch. It had a small kitchen area, and a sitting room with a couch and some chairs with a fireplace, then a staircase leading upstairs. One thing Link noticed was a small shrine off in the corner displaying four vaguely humanoid figures and a bowl with several herbs inside as an offering. Assuredly the four creatures were meant to be the Giants…

In the kitchen was a table with three chairs ready, a plate full of several types of sandwiches piled on top. There were a few different kinds, from veggie and fruit sandwiches, to one with a few types of meat, to mixtures of the other kinds, as well as peanut butter and jelly, something Link only learned about in the castle.

"Now that's a spread!" Tatl praised, hovering around the sandwich mountain. Yes, they were simple, but compared to Anju's cooking, the fairy was in heaven just near these things! Maybe if the two stayed for dinner, Cremia would make something warm to eat. Not that they couldn't get something like that in the various eateries of Clock Town, but home cooking just had a different feel to it. The fairy had snuck plenty of such a thing in her time to say that for sure!

"Thanks, Cremia!" Romani chirped, taking a seat and grabbing two sandwiches, seemingly at random, and digging in without waiting for the other two. Cremia almost seemed like she was going to scold her sister for this, but then she closed her mouth, and a strange, forlorn expression crossed her face for the briefest of moments before a smile crept back on.

No one noticed except Link.

The boy took a seat too, taking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, having found it to be a unique, lovely treat in the castle whenever he had his appetite. Tatl wanted one of the mixed sandwiches, and Link gave it to her, knowing she wouldn't even be able to eat it all.

"So, Link, where are you from anyway? Never seen clothes like that in Clock Town." Cremia asked, sitting down and grabbing a veggie sandwich. "You here for the Carnival of Time?"

More small talk. With two Malons. It was at that moment Link decided he'd leave right after lunch. He first took a bite of the sandwich, the sugary goodness soothing his nerves, just a bit. Knowing he couldn't get away without answering, he forced himself to engage. "I'm from outside of Termina, here for the carnival, yes." It was the easiest answer to give, so might as well just lie.

"But where are your parents? Are they back in town, Grasshopper?" Romani asked, kicking her feet a bit as she ate. She didn't seem at all tired from the hours of practice, like she just had endless energy.

A small, mean part of Link wanted to say he was an orphan, just to watch the expressions on the fake Malons' faces. But he knew he'd get a look of pity, which he just couldn't stand the idea of. "They're in town, they sent me to get our horse back." Just another, easy lie…

"It was those Gorman brothers, wasn't it?" Cremia asked, not masking the animosity in her voice at all. "Don't trust those two, not for a second, ya hear?"

Link glanced at Tatl, wishing she could do the speaking for him. Navi used to do that all the time, and it made his social interactions so much easier! Alas, the fairy was working on the bread, stuffing her face like she hadn't eaten in weeks. "It wasn't them; it was an imp. I'll still keep away from the brothers, thank you." The boy replied. "Speaking of Epona, is it okay to keep her here until the Carnival of Time is over? There's nowhere in Clock Town to keep her. I can pay if you want." Speaking in such long streams was so unlike him since his mind broke…

"No need to pay. One little old filly won't be much of an issue." Cremia assured with a smile. "Now, say, I was curious…"

The small talk went on for a bit, Cremia and Romani taking turns asking Link about his life. He either gave vague answers, or just lied, and given Tatl's silence, he was sure she knew he wasn't giving real information out. He was just trapped! Miraculously, neither sister asked about his eye. Still, it was stressful, yet oddly serene. Just sitting around and chatting while eating some sandwiches…it was the most normal thing Link had done since coming to Termina.

At one point, Link recalled something when it came to Anju and Kafei. Though he was sure the long-lost fiancé was in Clock Town, given the Postman had a letter from him, he still wanted to be clear on something. "Cremia, I was wondering if you heard about Kafei. He's been missing for a while." He remembered hearing a few of the townsfolk mention the ranch and Cremia's name, so maybe she knew something!

Instantly, the room seemed like it grew colder by several degrees in an instant, Romani even sinking into her chair a bit. Cremia gave Link a stern look. Not quite a glare, but still one that made him feel nervous. "Now I don't know what people in town are saying." She started, voice heavy with annoyance. "But don't you go believing I'm involved at all. Ya hear me? I haven't seen Kafei since he disappeared, and I have no idea where he is. Now if anyone asks, you tell them that, understand?"

Getting scolded by an older Malon was surreal to say the least, and Link was barely able to look her in the face. Still, he gave a nod and was only able to utter two words. "I understand."

"Good. Now, eat your fill." Cremia said, taking a big bite out of her sandwich. The awkward tension never went away, staying for the rest of the meal.

Thankfully, this wasn't too long of a period. After about ten minutes of silence, Tatl decided to help out. She had wanted to see how Link could handle the situation, and it was better than she thought. It was clear he was making most of his answers up, and his tone was still all neutral, but it surprised her! Clearing her throat, the fairy took to the air. "We should probably be going. Your parents will be worrying about you if you're gone too long, Link."

"That's right. Thank you for the meal." The boy said, quickly standing up. "And thank you for caring for Epona."

Perking up a bit, Romani cleared her throat. "You'll come back tonight, right Grasshopper?" She glanced at Cremia for a brief second, but made it clear that she was being vague on purpose.

"I promise." Link bluntly replied, seeing Cremia look between the two. Before the older sister could question anything, he quickly went out the door along with Tatl. As soon as he closed it behind him, Epona came softly trotting towards him. He held either side of the horse's face gently. "You stay here, Epona. You'll be safe, okay?"

Epona stared at him, almost as if she could understand him. Notably, when he walked off towards the ranch's exit, she stayed near the sisters' home…

"That's one smart horse." Tatl noted as she and Link went under the ranch's sign. "We're not really coming back here tonight, right?" He said he didn't believe Romani about the ghosts, but his do-good nature was perplexing to her at times, so she had to ask.

"No. I think she was making the story up." Link insisted. "Epona will be fine there." He assumed so, at least. Cremia kept talking about the Gormans, but would they really steal a filly like Epona? Sure, the Skull Kid did, but that was very different…

Once the two neared Termina Field, Link took a faster way back using his Goron Mask. The rest of that day was spent at the inn or getting something to eat at one of the town's eateries. Link was surprised at how well he used his bow and arrow that day, at the very least he felt it wasn't quite as important as getting his sword skills back on track.

As for the fight from earlier, neither of them brought it up again. They had mostly reached an understanding that one day, when all things in Termina were finished, Link wanted Tatl to visit him in Hyrule so he could share parts of his life with her. The fairy wasn't sure how long her patience would last, but for the moment she was going to try her best not to pry into Link's past, as curious as she was…

The second day was spent mainly at the dojo. This time, Tatl stayed awake for it all, and made sure Link took numerous breaks to eat, drink, and rest. She even got into a screaming match with the Swordsman to go easier on the child, which he eventually relented to. The boy and fairy both noticed a bit of an improvement in his sword skills, showing that the training was working slowly but surely!

By the time night rolled around, Link was too tired to do anything but go to sleep, not waking up until nearly ten o'clock on the final day. When he did get up, Tatl noticed that he was gearing up to go outside, rather than playing the Song of Time as he usually did. "What's up? We're going somewhere?" The fairy asked as Link got all his things together.

He felt embarrassed for what he wanted, but there was no getting around it. "I want to check on the ranch." Even though he didn't believe Romani's story, the idea of her being in danger kept eating away at him ever since he left the ranch! "Just in case."

"I can't imagine those ghost things were real, but…fine…but let's reset after that. I hate how the Moon looks when it's so close…" Or any other time when they were outside, but the closer it drew, the worse…

Quickly, Link and Tatl left through the south gate to Termina Field, and the trip was swift as Link used his Goron form once again. He reverted to a Hylian when they got to where the boulder used to be, and they both felt a chill. "You feel that, right?" The boy asked, walking fast towards the ranch this time around.

Tatl nodded, but realized Link couldn't see it and spoke up. "Yeah…something just feels…off." The air was still, practically dead, as if even the birds and insects decided to abandon the ranch.

As the two passed the sign and grew close to the house and barn, they realized something that made them stop in place. The roof to the barn was just…gone. No remnants of it were around, like some massive hand tore it off and threw it into the distance! "It couldn't be…" Link murmured under his breath, sprinting to the barn with Tatl at his side.

The boy barged into the roofless building and saw that there were no cows inside. No signs of violence, save for the lack of a ceiling, was present. There wasn't any blood, the door wasn't broken in at all, and no marks that hinted at any sort of struggle!

"They couldn't have been real…could they?!" Tatl exclaimed, not knowing what could just tear a roof off like this! Ghosts? It didn't sound likely, but just because Romani called them that…wait…! "Romani! She was going to fight them, right?!"

Link spun around and ran out of the barn, but quickly stopped when he saw Romani sitting on a small crate by the home. In her pen stood Epona, looking a bit shaken, and was unable to reach her rider as the gate had been closed up again. Though relieved to see the filly was okay, the Hylian focused on Romani instead. She had been sitting so still, he hadn't noticed her until just that moment!

He approached the usually cheerful redhead, ready to apologize…until he saw her face. Romani's expression was a total blank, but not in the way Link did it. It wasn't that she was hiding her emotions, but more she wasn't feeling anything. Her eyes were looking at something far, far away, and her eyelids were half-lidded as if barely even conscious. She didn't even register Link and Tatl's presence, not so much as glancing at them. It was as if she were in some sort of trance!

"Romani…?" Link lightly said, hesitating before placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't come back, I…" He trailed off, not sure what to even say.

Yet the young girl didn't react, not for a few seconds at least. She lazily looked over at Link, though it was like she was gazing through him instead. Her eyelids opened ever-so-slightly, but she still looked so out of it. "Grass…hopper…?" Romani droned, her words lightly slurred. "Grass…hopper…"

Link had no idea what was going on, but something was wrong with Malon. Something awful happened to her! It was those ghosts, they did something to Malon, and reduced her to this! He could have been there, he could have helped Malon, but he was too stubborn to believe her story and now Malon was…!

…No…not Malon. Romani.

She was Romani.

"Romani…what happened? What did this?" Link asked, feeling like he was going to throw up. He felt his frame lightly shaking, and he was sure he was wearing a vulnerable expression, but at the moment he just didn't care.

"Hm? Wait…we were going to…practice, right…?" Romani asked, clutching the sides of her head, as if she was in pain. "But for…what…? I can't remember…"

Before Link or Tatl could reply, Cremia's voice called from the house. "Link? What are you doing back here?" The two guests turned to see the older woman approaching, her eyes bloodshot and dark circles beneath them. She didn't sound upset or angry, just…defeated.

Link took a step back from Romani, feeling almost afraid he'd somehow make her condition worse just by being near her. "Cremia, what happened? The cows…Romani…"

Cremia looked at her little sister, who was mumbling nonsense to herself. "I don't know." She replied bluntly. "Yesterday morning, the barn was like this, and Romani was gone with the cows. And then in the afternoon…she just…showed up like…this."

"Did she tell you what happened? She's so out of it…" Tatl inquired, feeling sick as well. This wasn't right, this wasn't right at all…

"I don't know." Cremia repeated. "She just sits and stares and…Giants, I don't know if she's even aware, or…"

"I'm sorry." Link interrupted, his hands curling into fists. "I failed her. I was supposed to return that night, but I didn't believe her story…"

The older redhead let out a noise that almost sounded like a stifled sob. "It's not your fault. I'm her older sister…I should've believed her! I don't know what did this, but…I think it was tied to her story…" Gulping audibly, she took Romani's hand, standing her up. The younger girl wobbled on her feet, like she'd collapse at any moment. "Come on, Romani…let's go inside. We'll sit by the fireplace like we used to…" She whispered brokenly, not seeming to be aware of Link and Tatl's presence anymore as she led Romani inside.

"Cremia…fire…place…?" Romani murmured, not even looking up at her sister as they entered the home and the door closed.

Link and Tatl were left outside with no one but the ever-watching Moon. The boy started to gasp for breath, feeling the world spin around him as the guilt started to settle in. "Tatl…we…I mean…I…" He choked out, staring at the house's door. "What did I do…?"

"You didn't do anything." Tatl instantly replied, but realized how that could be interpreted. "I mean…this isn't your fault. It was such a weird story! No one believed her…but we can fix this…right?" If there was one thing they had, it was chances!

This made Link wonder if this happened in every single Cycle. Without his presence, did she still go and try to fight Them alone and then…have whatever befell her happen? Has this happened to her and Cremia dozens of times?! Everywhere he went, there was misery that'd keep repeating every time he reset the clock! Was it really right for him to make so many people suffer?

The ground shook at that moment, making Link remember he had no choice.

"…I'm going to stop this. I have to." Link didn't care if his archery skills weren't at their peak. He'd use his sword, or even his bare hands to save Romani if he had to! Even if it was just a single time…! He now knew every Cycle he didn't go to the ranch, Romani would be shattered and Cremia barely any better.

"Come on, let's go. I'll help however I can! Just keep thinking about how we can help them!" Tatl didn't want Link putting a shred of blame on himself, but a part of her knew he'd do so anyway…

Link didn't respond, his mind set on one goal. He brought the Ocarina of Time to his lips and let the song he had played so many times echo across the empty, miserable ranch as time flew backwards once more.

A/N: So, more of a setup than anything, but sidequest stuff is getting worked on all the same. The fight with Link and Tatl was a bit spontaneous, and I do realize I'm having them have similar conversations multiple times. Almost like Link and Tatl are in a sort of loop that crops up every now and then. I'm not going to worry quite as much with the archery, especially since I'm quite certain it should be impossible for Link to properly use his bow with his missing eye, but I'm asking you to bear with me. With no one to teach him, he'll just have to practice over and over at the ranch. Speaking of which, I don't know if I can get Them and the milk delivery done in the next chapter, but I'll certainly try...